When He Comes

By Paj Vang

What happens when a vengeful werewolf imprints on a healer?

Honey is a little girl when she stumbles upon a dying wolf. She uses her healing powers to revive him with unexpected consequences: he's alive, and he's imprinted on her.

• Language: English
• Publisher: PV Gomis Media
• Release date: Apr 1, 2024
• ISBN: 9798869297419

Book preview

When He Comes

Paj Vang

When He Comes © 2023 by Paj Vang Gomis

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means whatsoever without express written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Please refer all pertinent questions to the publisher.

Content Warning:This book contains scenes depicting violence, foul language, death, and sexual assault.

Chapter 1

The Alpha

At 6’5 with shoulders as broad as the average door, Jasper Tolleson was a force to be reckoned with. He looked like a wild man when his long blond hair was loose around the shoulders. But when the mane was braided neatly along the sides, he was the image of a Viking god. His wife, Ka, diligently brushed Jasper’s hair every evening and insisted a civil appearance was the best way to endear the people to his intentions.

A wild man only breeds fear, she scolded when Jasper returned from the woods with leaves and dirt all over his yellow mane.

I prefer the term respect, dear. He turned his nose up with mock indignance.

Ka was a woman from the city, but she knew well what and who the Tollesons were. Being wild was only natural. Nevertheless, he understood her intentions. Jasper was the sheriff now and needed to come across as more personable to the humans who had voted for him. Still, a specific demographic in town only responded to fear. For them, it didn’t matter how shiny and pretty his mane was kept.

He was their Alpha. Alphas had to be formidable, or anyone would think they could take over. Alphas hurt, crushed, and killed anyone who dared to cross the line. Jasper had to be two people. For the humans, he was Sheriff Tolleson, the giant hippy with kind eyes. For the werewolves of Mona Bay, he was the Alpha. Disrespect the rules, and your throat might get ripped out.

For the most part, Jasper used his authority as sheriff and his strength as Alpha to ensure the little town of Mona Bay only saw peace. He accomplished this feat by creating order and enforcing rules. Rules were meant to be obeyed, and anyone who broke them was subject to punishment. This included his half-brother Ren Tolleson, whom most of the town feared.

As a general rule, the role of Alpha was passed down from father to son. Being the oldest, Ren naturally expected to inherit that role, but the unspoken rule was that anyone could challenge him for the position. His little brother Jasper did precisely that when the time came.

The oldest Tolleson boy was always cruel. Werewolves enjoyed fresh meat and were free to hunt the land to fulfill those needs. However, Ren didn’t just hunt to eat—he did it for pleasure, often leaving the whole carcass to rot where it fell. By the time he was a teenager, he was hunting humans. Lone hitchhikers would go missing near Mona Bay, and campers never returned to their tents. Their father never had the heart to punish his oldest child. When he finally passed, Jasper was determined that the pack would not be turned over to Ren.

That night, the youngest Tolleson challenged the oldest to a duel. Although both were formidable at similar heights and brawn, no one expected the soft-spoken Jasper to defeat Ren's savagery. While Ren spent his years hunting humans, Jasper had prepared only for one purpose: becoming Alpha.

It was a bloody battle that felt like an eternity. Jasper knew he had won when Ren lay motionless on the ground. Only his haggard breathing gave away his will to live. Despite being broken, he glared hatefully as Jasper approached.

Because we’re family, you get a choice, Jasper said as he shifted back to his human form. Leave or die.

This isn’t over. Ren spat out the blood pooling from his wounds. When his lackeys pulled him up from the ground, he didn’t try to fight Jasper again. It was over for now.

Ren Tolleson left Mona Bay that day and never came back. However, he returned the night Jasper Tolleson passed away. The role of Alpha typically passed from father to son unless challenged, and Ren Tolleson fully intended to take back what was rightfully his.

Keng Tolleson was only sixteen years old and looked even younger. He was his mother’s child with dark hair and an olive complexion. The Tollesons were known for their Viking ancestors' giant stature and blond hair. He was slender and lean like his mother’s people. Where his father was a white wolf when he shifted, Keng’s wolf was as black as night with tips brushed in silver. But as much as Keng took after his mother’s people, he had the Tolleson eyes—a green as deep as the Baltic Sea. When he shifted, the dark pupils were surrounded by a ring of amber.

His mother named him Keng.

Keng means great—great in the soul, great at everything. It is the best name for you! she always said.

Jasper approved, if only because it sounded like king. King Tolleson. It was a mighty name, but the successor to Jasper’s kingdom was not ready. He was still a boy!

Dad, what do I do? Keng’s voice shook as he stared at his father.

Jasper, who had been silent most of the night, opened his familiar green eyes. He used to be so strong. Keng didn’t recognize the frail man staring back at him. The honey blond of his long Viking hair was no more than a dull grey. Keng wasn’t prepared for his words.

You run! Jasper coughed violently. As Keng startled in surprise, his father grabbed his wrist. You’re not ready, and that bastard is a cold-blooded killer. Family means nothing to him. You run. Get strong. Find her, and you’ll have a fighting chance.

Her?

What do you mean? Whom do I have to find? Keng was confused.

Jasper was breathing quickly now, as though his lungs were shutting down. It made his son all the more anxious.

Your mother . . . she was special, Jasper said the words carefully between each haggard breath.

Keng’s eyes rounded at the unexpected words. His father had truly loved his wife. He became an empty shell when she disappeared. Keng half wondered if the old man was finally losing his mind on his deathbed.

When we mate, it has to be with someone special—someone who helps us become better. Your mother could heal people. She healed me so many times when I should have died! Jasper was gasping for breath now but kept going. She was my mate, and she made me strong. Your uncle took her from me.

Keng leaped to his feet, leaving his father’s hand to grasp at air. He was about eight when his mother hugged him for the last time. She enjoyed scavenging for mushrooms and berries in the redwoods and promised to come back soon to prepare dinner. He remembered her beautiful smile and the light in her dark eyes as she turned and left. Keng never saw her again. They found her red raincoat and bucket in the woods, but her body was never recovered. Nothing had been the same since. Without his wife, his healer, Jasper became weak.

Keng had never met his uncle but had heard stories from different pack members. There was nothing admirable to be told. Another coughing fit resulted in blood spewing from Jasper’s mouth.

Did Ren kill my mother? he asked in a softer tone.

But Jasper rambled on as though he hadn’t heard the question. He thought she might change her mind after living with him. At the very least, he hoped to absorb her energy so he could become stronger. Your mother was human, but she was strong in her own way. Everyone wanted her for what she could do, but she chose me. That bastard kept her locked up like a damn bird! They kept moving constantly, and they were damn good at hiding. By the time I got there, it was too late.

There was a period after Ka’s disappearance when Jasper continually looked for her. He would return home briefly to check on Keng, only to head out again. But one day, he stopped with no explanation.

What happened? Keng prodded.

He killed her. The powerful Alpha of the North Pack cried. A moment later, he pulled a small dagger from underneath the pillow. With this!

The silver edges of the blade gleamed in the dim light. Keng took the dagger and turned it between his fingers. His mother wore it as a hairpin, pulling it out whenever necessary to cut this or that. Sometimes, when Keng had nightmares, she placed the dagger under his pillow to protect him from evil spirits. He hadn’t seen the blade since she disappeared.

His fingers curled angrily around the handle. Tell me!

By the time I found her, he was already gone. She was on the ground and so pale—oh, God! He stuck the dagger right into her heart, Jasper gasped.

I’m going to kill him! Keng swore with a vehemence beyond his tender age. Soon, his ears twitched at the rumble of motorcycle engines headed toward their cabin.

God damn it! Despite his current condition, Jasper still managed some ferocity. You will run, or he will kill you! Damn it, boy, I need you to listen to me. For your mother’s sake. Run! Jasper’s wolf ears could hear the engines, too. They were nearly there.

Dad— Keng protested.

Jasper grabbed his collar and yanked so hard that Keng nearly fell over. You remember this, Keng Tolleson. You are the Alpha of the North Pack. You will take back what’s yours. For now, your mother and I need you to survive!

Jasper’s eyes started to spasm. He had withheld death for far too long. The roar of engines soon accompanied the dogs barking outside. His uncle and his pack had arrived.

Run! Jasper looked at his son with the searing glare of an Alpha. It was his last command.  Then the light in his eyes faded, and the green irises rolled back into his head. He was gone.

Keng threw his arms over him and clung to the last essence of the late Jasper Tolleson. He trembled from sadness and rage.

Don’t worry, Dad, he swore. I won’t forget!

Keng left his father and ran. As someone kicked in the front door, the boy shifted into full wolf and broke through the nearest window to escape. There was a symphony of shouts and growls as they shifted to pursue the boy who would be Alpha.

Keng ran into the redwoods, his mother’s favorite place in the world. He ran with the swiftness of the wolf legs his father had passed down from their legacy of werewolf guardians. When the gods created all the life forms on earth, they included unique and powerful creatures like the werewolves to watch over them. His father’s people—Keng’s people—were designed to guard their kind and humans against forces that might otherwise harm them all. Sometimes, it was their own people that posed the most danger.

The young wolf sensed them close behind, and his snout twitched with fear. He had gained a good distance at first, but there were too many of them, and he was starting to slow. Keng felt the blow against his body before he saw the flash of fur. A tail whipped him across the face, snapping his neck to the side. As the wolf boy fell onto the ground, another wolf leaped on top, sinking its teeth into his shoulder. Keng howled as the creature drew blood, tearing away the fur and