Chapter Six
The next few weeks went by waaaay to fast. I was blown away by all that managed to happen in a months time. How much things could change.
It was a total confusion—for me—of human and supernatural. I was constantly jumping between the two.
Vincent and Zena left the pack—and town—to start their new life as pack leaders. Amazing as it seemed, I had serious concerns for them. Those three wolves around our border? They were leader-less and Vincent had taken them under his wing. Or whatever. They had followed Isaac and the rest back from their recon and immediately welcomed Vincent—and Zena. From what I knew, they consisted of a woman named Accalia, her son Zev, and her niece Seff. Sadly, I didn’t have the chance to meet them before Vincent and Zena took off without a goodbye.
Unfortunately, since Vincent was no longer in my way, leaving only Antony—and Isaac, I guess—it made Isaac more persistent in his conquest to get me to love him.
Vincent’s pack moved about 100 hundred miles out, far enough that we couldn’t just barge in, but close enough Isaac could keep watch. Farrah was crushed that Zena wanted nothing to do with her—or any of us for that matter—after she had left. It made me sad that Zena had disowned us that way. Like we were trash, but I knew that if she ever came around again, her butt was mine.
Antony was even less fun to have around now. He was mostly doom and gloom, with the occasional joke or smile. It was worse to not have him ragging on me. Like he’d given up. Marion worried about him horribly, but also detached herself, preparing for our fight that was now inevitably coming.
Both he and Zena had dropped out of school two weeks before it was over. How dumb, I mean, two weeks. In the end I was the only werewolf to attend classes till the very last day. But I wasn’t alone.
Ayden and I had become inseparable when together. At first, only I had hung out at her apartment, afraid of what she’d think or see if she came to my place. But on the last weekend before school was out she came over, met my parents and Finn—thank God Isaac hadn’t gotten there yet—and then we walked to her place. So it wasn’t a disaster. The pack slowly accepted her the more I talked about her. We were all dumbfounded by the fact that she was so attached to me. It thrilled me to have a real best friend. The only thing that made me hurt was that I couldn’t tell her what I was. I wanted to so badly.
My birthday passed mid-way through the month, the pack threw me a party I knew Ayden couldn’t come to, so I spent the night at her apartment later that night. We had a blast.
Isaac was almost always at my house now and constantly tried to sweet talk me. Most of the time I shrugged it off, but without my knowing, some of it sunk in and began to plant little seeds of curiosity. I was unaware these seeds were blooming even as they did. What surprised me most of all was that he really meant what he was saying, and he honestly wanted to be with me. What scared me was that I was starting to think I could maybe fall in love with him.
And that made my heart skip beats painfully.
So I talked to him. Trying to distract him from his conquest was difficult, until I started to tell him about my every night dreams of Kerza, the beautiful white wolf. He was intrigued by them. He was almost as determined as me to find out who she was and why she came to me.
Kerza was weak when she came to me now. Not like those first few times. Now she was transparent and limped most of the time, occasionally howling in grief. She said I would know how to help soon, and I really hoped so, because I wasn’t sure I could take watching her pain much longer.
The more I thought of Kerza, the more I thought of Ayden and her obsession with wolves. I was 80 percent positive she would accept me, but that 20 percent doubt, plus Isaac forbidding it squished my dream of telling her way down. In folklore of werewolves the human was usually disgusted or scared. Would I scare her? Would she think my beautiful power was gross? I didn’t think so, but I could never be sure.
On that last Friday of school the air was literally fumed with excitement and anticipation. Before I left school, I made plans with Ayden for her to spend the night at my house for the first time on Sunday. I was beyond excited. But also scared.
“It will be fun.” Finn promised me as we split a sandwich at the kitchen island.
“Well, duh. I know that. Pssh, I am nothing but fun. But it’s Friday and she’s coming on Sunday. What am I gonna do to fill my time till then? Besides explode.”
“I can help,” Isaac said—see? Always there—walking into the kitchen and leaning on the counter across from me.
“I’m sure,” I said sarcastically with a smirk. I took a bite from the sandwich and swallowed noisily.
“What? Do you think I’m no fun? I’m hurt Kara.” Isaac said, grinning.
“Yeah, you look real crushed.” I muttered, then said, “Whatever.”
Isaac smiled wider. I wanted to smack him and hug him at the same time. Ugh.
“Just ’cause I said I’m okay with you hitting on my little sister now doesn’t mean you can do it in front of me.” Finn grumbled, both of us swallowing our last bites at the same time.
I sighed. “Yeah, it bothers me too.”
Isaac rolled his eyes at us. “Funny,”
Finn growled, got up, then stomped out of the kitchen and up the stairs where I heard his bedroom door slam shut.
I wanted to run from the kitchen as well, but more importantly didn’t want to look like a coward.
“So…don’t see you much anymore. How’s life?” I joked awkwardly.
“Swell, didn’t you know? Sure do stay out of touch.” Isaac said.
“Can’t help it. Some things require more attention than you.”
Isaac looked hurt, but I wasn’t sure he was faking it or not. “Aww, that’s not nice.”
“Never said I was.” I mumbled.
Isaac suddenly straightened up. “Kara, won’t you give me one chance? One night? I could show you if you ever spent time alone with me.”
I tried not to grimace. “But we are alone, Isaac. We’re always alone. Your always trying to show me. It is night time.”
He shook his beautiful blond head. “No, no, no. That’s not what I mean—”
I cut him off. “I know what you mean. I’m being a smart-alec. I’m sorry, but I just don’t know how else to deal with the situation.”
He studied me for a moment then said, “Why? I deserve at least that. Why won’t you try it with me?” He sighed as he spoke and laid his head down on the counter, an inch from my fingers. I gulped and stared at my hand.
Honestly I would be lying if I didn’t admit to seriously considering him. I wouldn’t admit it then—not even to myself—that I was falling for him. But still the age difference was bothering me. Maybe because it was all I could cling to.
“Age, Isaac. It still manages to make me squeamish when I think about it. It doesn’t seem…” I trailed off under his piercing green stare.
“What? Natural? For humans. Kara, it’s gross when pure-breds mate at that age, but for us it’s acceptable. Natural. It’s fine.” He softened his words with a smile. “We are full-breds. Werewolves. Our rules are different than theirs.” He stood up straight—he could never stay still around me—and laid his arms on the counter.
“Don’t tell me no because you think it would upset the pack, either. Vincent and Zena are gone, Antony poses almost no threat now because Vincent is going to offer him beta.” Isaac pushed back from the counter as he delivered this news, and walked around to my side.
“Really?” I squeaked. That left me alone. I was the only one left. And I couldn’t fight Isaac. Especially not now. Because even if he would fight me, I wasn’t sure I could fight him.
“Yes,” He said, suddenly right next to me. I tried not to jump. His fingers brushed my hair back.
I gulped and stepped lightly off my stool and turned to face him.
“Um, I have to…call…uh…” I coughed, unable to make up a lie he wouldn’t see through.
He chuckled under his breath, and stepped forward. I started to step back, but he gripped my arm, kissed me lightly on the cheek, then released me and strode out my back door silently.
Well, silent until I could hear him laughing all the way into the woods.
I smothered the urge to childishly rub my cheek, and instead ran up to my room.
I took out some clothes to sleep in and tried to relax and calm down in a hot shower.
I felt it deep in my bones that my final choice would have to be Isaac. But I was still unaware of if I was ready—and willing—to accept that choice.
I turned the knobs and shut off the shower and stepped out, wrapping a towel around me before I brushed my teeth.
There was a muted thud, like someone’s feet touching the ground, outside my bathroom door, in my bedroom. I immediately tensed, feeling my inner wolf stir, and laid my ear against the damp wooden door to listen for more.
Silence.
That tactic failed, I took a deep breath and tried to capture a scent. The smell was all mine tinted with something…sweaty.
I threw open the door and growled. “Hey, jackass! What the hell are you doin’ in my room? Stupid…” I curled my lip at Vincent, who was lounging casually on my purple bed.
“Oh, relax. I’m only here to chat.” He smiled.
I frowned and looked at him distrustfully. “Well? What, then?”
I felt super self-conscious. My hair was tangled and dripping wet on the floor. It dawned on me that I was only wearing a small towel barely concealing my mid-section.
“Hmmmm. Well, I wanted to let you in on my opinion. I think you should take up Isaac’s offer. It’s the easiest way.” He said, sitting up to stare at me.
I couldn’t believe that was why he was really here. He had to have an ulterior motive.
“Thanks, but your opinion means little to nothing to me. So don’t bother. Now why are you really here, Vincent?” I asked, determined not to fidget at the uncomfortable stare he had me under.
“Oh, I came to talk to Antony. Too bad the pup turned my offer down.” Vincent stood up and towered over me by a good six or seven inches.
I cleared my throat and looked up at him. “Great. I think it’s best you leave,” When he didn’t budge I added, “Now,”
I was fuming under his stare, my blood so hot I was surprised the water on my skin didn’t sizzle, and kind of relieved, kind of mad that Antony was still in my way.
“I can see why Isaac likes you.” Vincent teased, sizing me up.
My fingers itched to drop the towel and lunge at him with fangs and claws, but I refrained as he laughed quietly and jumped out my window.
I growled and shuddered, the towel dropping from my grasp. I wasn’t even close to being tired now. I would just go run, or…could I go see Ayden? It would feel majorly stalkerish to spy on her, but I was curious.
I dug through my closet and pulled on my favorite dress, a yellow cotton one, and nothing else. Less clothes to take off.
“Kara?” Finn called from the hallway.
I headed out to see him standing there, looking at me warily.
“Yeah? I’m gonna go run.”
I pulled the edges of my dress down and shrugged passed him. It wasn’t until I was down the stairs that he responded.
“What did Vincent want? I heard you two talking.”
I grunted, “If you heard us talking, then you heard what he wanted. Heh, bye Finn.” I smiled and ran out into the night as fast as possible.
Luna and Marshall were out having their occasional date night, so they probably wouldn’t be back till the moon was high in the sky.
I reached the trees and slipped off my dress, my skin already prickling like a thousand needles were softly poking it and my mind filled and expanded. The hot liquid melted and reshaped my bones and my fingers and toes popped. Naked, I got down on all fours, my breathing accelerated and my hair stuck to my sweating body, becoming fur. The beautiful beast tore out of my skin and left me breathless.
I shook out my fur and curled my toes on the leaves, grinning at the satisfaction I felt when they crunched under my weight. I listened to the birds tweet goodnight around me and the insects come to life. The moon was large, but not full. It wouldn’t be full for another few days.
I started at a heavy jog towards the hills where our territory ended and cleared my head of anything but the power and beauty of such a night. Half-way there, a deep unfamiliar howl broke the peaceful night air. I pulled my forelegs in faster and began sprinting towards the sound, listening for more. Another, shorter howl filled the air as I approached the area it was coming from.
I held my breath and scanned the outside perimeter.
Who’s there? I sent that out into space, waiting.
A second later a short black wolf with reddish brown sprinkled around his body appeared from behind a bush. He appraised me then dropped his head and hunched his shoulders, behind him, his tail was almost between his legs. Submission.
My name is Mareck. I am looking here for someone named…Kara. His mental voice sounded strange, like he had an accent, and hesitant when he thought my name. I perked up slightly and nodded at his show of lower class.
That’s me. How do you know my name? Or me, period? I demanded.
He straightened a little. I’m on a…mission to alert and help half-bred werewolves transform. I’ve been watching one, a girl, I heard her speak of you. I had to wait awhile to be sure, but after a bit of searching I found out you were a werewolf. And so I sought you out. Mareck explained.
I knew what half-breds were. The result of only having one werewolf parent, which is why there was a strict rule for full-breds to only mate with others, but still some fell in love with pure-breds. It was such a sad result for the half-pup. Because they were doomed to a life feeling their inner wolf, but not being able to express it, because half-breds have to be taught how to change.
Who is it? How do they know me? I asked. I stood a whole foot taller than Mareck and glared down.
Well I’m surprised you don’t know. It’s quite obvious in my opinion. She’s very sick. She has terrible dreams and it’s obvious she feels it inside. I’ve watched her almost a month and it’s getting worse. He shook his head sadly.
I growled, though I had a horrible suspicion. That doesn’t answer my question! Who is it?
Mareck stepped back and nodded toward the west, the city. Follow me, He said, then took off, careful to avoid the boundry.
I shrugged off my anger at being bossed around by him and followed him closely, though I was sure I knew where we were going. My breathing was so fast I was getting dizzy. Could I be right?
I noticed a messenger like bag strapped around his body, and realized he must travel.
I followed him at his painfully slow run, and confirmed my suspicion as I recognized the area we were in. And it opened up a broad new horizon. My mind revolted at the same time it frantically put all the pieces together. If I was right, then how had I not put this together before? Because this seemed so strikingly obvious.
Mareck? I called, slowing to a walk to wait for him to turn back to me. He turned, stopped, then panted his way over.
Yes?
How did you know it was her? I had to know how this lone wolf had detected it before me and why he did what he did.
Mareck licked his snout and huffed. Because I am a half-bred werewolf. I know the signs.
I considered that and for a second the thought made my unclaimed alpha rights take over. I growled at him, lifting my muzzle to show dominance. He shrunk back and sniffed.
Shall we?
I glared at him and nodded.
I already knew where we were going, my heart skipping faster the closer we got, so it came as no surprise as we snuck behind the outer trees of the Remsfield apartment complex. Right next to a very familiar apartment door.
Once I came face to face with the fact that Mareck had led me to Ayden, I was thrilled. She can be like me! I can show her who I am. I thought enthusiastically to myself. Ayden can be her favorite animal. It was apparent now why she loved wolves so much. Why I felt so attached to her. It was a bright moon shining on my dark night.
But…how had she become a half-bred? I’d seen her mom, and that definitely wasn’t it. So it must be her dad. Someone she never mentioned. How could her dad do that? He knew what would happen, every full-bred was taught when they were born. So why didn’t he stick around?
Anger at this invisible man flared in me. It was so wrong to do that to an unborn daughter.
Ayden, I whimpered as my eyes caught her curtains flicker in her bedroom on the bottom floor. I wanted to go closer, but couldn’t see how without leaving the complete cover of the trees. It wouldn’t be smart to let a pure-bred see me in my fur. They would most likely freak out and call animal control. We didn’t look like any dog, we really looked 95 percent like real wolves. And there was no wolves in this area.
Word would spread that a massive beast with purple eyes was lurking among the shadows. Hysteria was then destined to sprout and whispers of werewolves would reach pack ears. We would have to move. And I couldn’t help in another state.
With those dark imaginings counteracting my happiness at Ayden, I stood close to the cover of an old Elm tree.
I would shed my fur and lead you to a closer look, Mareck thought beside me, his ears barely reaching the height of my throat. But it looks to me that you don’t have clothing.
I growled in frustration and stamped my paws.
I scanned the area around me and my gaze locked on an old broken down truck with no tires. If we could get into the bed, we would be elevated and close enough that we could see perfectly, without being seen ourselves.
That truck. Do you think we could jump in unseen?
Mareck sniffed the air and twitched one ear. Yes, He hesitated on his forelegs and watched me warily, waiting.
He didn’t seem to accustomed to the rules of a pack, or the etiquette of a lone wolf and a dominant peer, especially a potential alpha. He was lucky I hadn’t yet claimed my rights or I would have bared my fangs and snapped my teeth at him when he first bossed me.
I snorted, trying to make him realize his lower status, and hesitantly led him to the side of the truck. This close the smell of mold and rust was almost unbearable, but I swallowed it back and kept a straight face. I heard his claws tap the pavement behind me as we left the safety of the woods. I readied myself and leaped gracefully into the truck bed with one swift jump.
I stretched, groaning as the tendons popped and cracked, while Mareck jumped in beside me and laid beside me to watch on. We settled as two bundles of fur and raised our eyes just above the truck.
The view was perfect.
Ayden walked to her lamp and switched it on, lighting the darkness of her room just a bit. She had her hair tied back in a pony tail, different from her usual braid. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but Mareck whimpered beside me, so I expected something bad.
I wasn’t nearly prepared for what I saw. She was walking normally until she was half way to her bed. She stumbled a little like she’d suddenly gone blind and fumbled her way to her bed. There, she sat down and winced, like every movement was painful. She gripped the sheets and her face contorted in pain as her whole body shivered and she gasped once it slowed. I gaped at her. Her body…it was awful. I choked back a whimper and tried to keep tears from my eyes. Again, she tightened her grip on the sheets and her body shivered, her skin almost looked like it was…rippling. Muscle spasms. I recognized the movement of her skin, because our skin rippled just like that when we changed, but it looked like her body was trying to stop it from happening. Two sides of her were warring for power.
She whimpered little choking sobs as it kept going. She yelped something that sounded almost wolf-like and I watched as her face twisted into the most pained look I’d ever seen and then she just collapsed onto the bed. Her body a crumpled heap of muscles twitching and little cries every now and then. Her spine at one point surged upward and I saw the vertebrae under her shirt, and then she collapsed again, this time asleep.
I wanted to hug her. To make all that pain go away. I couldn’t believe she went through that every…
I bumped Mareck. How often does that happen?
His eyes gazed at me sadly. Every single night. For me it started when I was six. They thought I was mentally sick. I don’t know her details. But watch. That was only the beginning.
Only the beginning? I reluctantly returned me gaze to her sleeping form.
She was asleep peacefully for awhile—thank God—but not soon after she was whimpering again and whispering in her sleep. I struggled to make out what she was saying, but after a minute it was clear.
“Where are you? No…it’s almost time…no.” Her voice was raspy and rough, like that of a growl and she just kept repeating that. Over and over.
Then she gasped and leaped out of bed, staggering for a moment at suddenly being awake, then darted out of her room. I distantly heard the sounds of her vomiting in her bathroom.
I opened my mouth to speak, only to remember I was a wolf and ended up uttering a sort of choking sound.
Oh my…this is…I can’t even think of the right word. Awful. Horrible. What was she dreaming about? I asked anxiously, twitching now.
Mareck sighed. I have no clue. Though it seems she doesn’t remember when she wakes up. Because she always seems confused and sad. However, she does know when one of those…attacks is going to happen. Like you saw, she stays in her room. She hides from her mom and waits for it to strike.
There was some kind of connection I wasn’t making. It was in the back of my mind, struggling to be recognized. I tried to grab it, but it darted back out of reach.
I’ve seen enough. I’m leaving. I thought at Mareck. I stood up and as quick as lightning, sprinted back into the trees.
Wait! Do I have Tor’s Blessing? Mareck asked behind me, outside the border, using the proper question we were supposed to ask to be allowed into another’s territory.
See, Tor was an ancient alpha male who led the largest pack in werewolf lore, dominating a territory that ranged over most of Russia. He had a problem with wolves crossing into his territory without him knowing, so he devised a way of knowing. Wolves had to howl a certain tune—the same one Mareck had used before I found him—and then await the answer. If you howled correctly—if you were given Tor’s blessing—, Tor would let you in, or kill you if you didn’t get it right. Therefore creating the question Mareck had asked.
I kept running along the border, but slowed enough so he could catch up.
It was usually the alpha’s job to give Tor’s blessing. So that meant it would have been Isaac’s job. A wolf could, but would be reprimanded harshly. But…I needed Mareck and really didn’t want to call Isaac out.
Yes, I told him. He relaxed a little as he stepped over the invisible territory line.
I was sure to be given a good biting from Isaac for allowing Mareck in. even under our current predicament, Isaac couldn’t slack on his duties.
Ayden’s back arching kept replaying in my head, and my happiness from earlier disappeared. I shook my head.
We neared where I left my dress hanging, a little ways from my backyard and I turned to Mareck.
I think it’s best we talk before I let the pack know I gave you Tor’s Blessing. I said, nodding towards my dress. A confused look glazed over his eyes, but he slunk off to change himself.
With a heavy heart I stretched back into my human form and yanked the yellow cotton over my head.
I hadn’t given much thought to what Mareck’s human self would look like, so when he walked into my line of sight, I tried to keep my jaw from dropping.
He had beautiful dark brown hair that fell in soft layered waves to his shoulders and stunningly attentive green eyes. His skin was a luxurious caramel and flawlessly smooth, like porcelain. He was tall, but not much more than me. He had a certain mystery to him that drew me in.
I blinked as I took all this in.
He assessed me much as I had him, then flashed a blinding smile.
“Hi,” I coughed, jerking my jaw back into place with a pop.
“Hey, you wanted to talk to me?” He asked in a thick British accent.
Ahhh, his weird mental tone made sense now.
“Yes,” I glanced behind me, to the dark outline of my house, and urged him to follow me away from it. “But we’ll need to go further into the woods. They’ll tattle if they see me with a stray.”
“Why?” Mareck wondered, keeping pace with me much easier human.
“Uh, because only alpha’s can give Tor’s Blessing. Duh. I can only hope Isaac will let me explain first.” I shot Mareck a weird look.
“You…are not alpha female?” He asked with another smile, seeming amused by me.
I groaned inwardly. He was almost more annoying human. Despite the fact I couldn’t stop staring at him, I wanted to smack him.
“No,” I snapped. “But that’s not why I want to talk.”
Mareck ran his fingers through his hair and cleared his throat. “She needs help. Desperately. You saw that. Help I can give. Actually, you could also, but I’d need to tell you how. It’s mostly a lot of guidance and support. And it needs to be soon.” He sighed, glancing up at the glowing moon.
“I didn’t even know. We met a little over a month ago. She’s obsessed with wolves. Now I know why. I cannot imagine the pain at having to hide her beautiful wolf.” I said, and realized Mareck had gone through exactly what Ayden was. I softened my expression.
“Yes,” Mareck said a little sourly. “Full-breds are lucky. I only want to help others like me. We don’t deserve this.”
I didn’t feel angry at his implement. I wanted to help him. He was right, half-breds didn’t deserve this.
“Your right, you don’t. I wish other Full-breds would understand their actions have devastating consequences, but they don’t. Not all of them. But I do get it, so I’ll help you, help Ayden.” I said, giving him a reassuring smile.
He nodded and smiled back. He looked to be Vincent’s age, around nineteen or twenty, but acted more mature.
As we walked he explained his story. He said he’d lived in the mountains of England with his crazy Aunt most of his life before he turned fourteen and met his father for the second time in his life. Apparently, his mom—the werewolf in the equation—had died giving birth to him, and his dad wasn’t ready to raise a kid on his own. But when Mareck turned fourteen, his dad decided to give it a shot.
Even then his dad was barely around, so he never saw the attacks that kept coming more frequently. At sixteen, Mareck said he saw his first werewolf, although he didn’t know that at the time. He had been walking through a park when a large brown wolf started to follow him. He was—uh, duh—frightened but felt weirdly connected to the wolf, so he didn’t run.
Mareck went on to say that he’d have feeling like his stomach was wrenching apart when he’d get angry, and never felt totally connected to humanity. So when this wolf appeared, he knew it was a sign. Mareck said he’d have dreams of howling at the moon, and running free with the fur of a black wolf. And the day he saw that werewolf, all that suddenly became too much for him.
He said that the wolf followed him as he started to cry. And when his sobs finally stopped, the wolf darted off, only to return as a dark skinned man named Leif Fenris, a werewolf healer that new exactly what Mareck was, and even his true wolf name.
“I was born John Shupe,” Mareck said. “But Leif called to the moon goddess to determine my real name.”
Before mother she-wolves gave birth to their cubs, they followed an ancient tradition and prayed to the moon goddess to hear her sing their future pups name in their dreams.
Leif helped Mareck change the first time and coached him on how to make it easier. And after three times, it was.
Mareck decided to travel, searching for the scent of those who were half-bred, just as he was. When I asked how he knew the scent, but I hadn’t recognized it, he said that half-breds stuck out to each other. So Mareck traveled to help others, and he had already helped four others, then come to America to spread the word among more of us.
“Wow,” I yawned as we strolled casually back to my house. We had gone to the outer boundary on foot and were already over half way back, and it was dawn now. The early morning sun promised extreme heat later.
“Yeah, sorry to bore you.” He teased, yawning also. I almost didn’t understand him with his accent. His dark green eyes sparkled with amusement.
“Bore? Nah, it was fine.” I smiled.
A gust of wind ripped through the trees and carried the musky stink of deer our way. My mouth watered, I hadn’t hunted in almost a month and the full moon was so close, but deer was dis-gus-ting.
“Oh,” Mareck breathed. I heard his stomach growl as his grip on his bag strap tightened. “That smells…” He took another deep breath. “Good. I haven’t eaten two days. Not much to hunt ’round here.” He licked his lips and his pupils grew larger.
“Why don’t you go hunt some? I can wait.” I offered. It wasn’t like I couldn’t give him food from home, but I saw the hunters gleam in his eyes and knew he was already lost.
He nodded and stripped his bag and clothes off. I tried—believe me I really tried—not to watch as he changed, but couldn’t help admiring the way he expanded into a wolf. Just like a full-bred.
He lithely stalked towards the smell and it wasn’t long before I heard the sound of pursuit, then the finalization of a neck bone snapping. The smell of deer grew closer and I pulled myself up into a tree and draped my legs across my branch casually.
Mareck dragged the dead female deer into the clearing where I perched and dropped it below me. He turned his bloody muzzle up to me and whimpered, then looked back down at the deer. The invitation was clear. He was offering his kill to me first since I was a part of the pack in this territory.
I shook my head. “No, eat Mareck.”
He didn’t need to be told twice. He tore into it until it was mostly bones and his head and neck were drenched in blood. He licked his muzzle mostly clean, but was still covered.
I remembered that small meadow with it’s beautiful sunlit pools of water and jumped to the ground. We had to be close to it now.
“There is some small ponds a little northwest of here. You can clean up there.” I said, gesturing that he should follow. When he didn’t I turned to see he was staring at his clothes.
Oh. Yeah.
“You can come back. It’s a minute walk at best.” I kept walking.
He sighed and followed me. As we entered the meadow, he took it in with an awed look, then lapped up the water and dipped his neck in until he was clean. He shook his fur out, sprinkling me with water and making me laugh, then he darted back where we’d come from. He returned a minute later human.
“Ah, much better.” I was rewarded with a gleaming white smile.
“Mmhmm. Let’s go.” I walked away.
I went down the trail from the meadow, walking fast and having a half hearted conversation with Mareck.
“How many are in your pack?” He asked as I told him about Vincent and Zena’s pack.
“Now? Eleven. Antony is the only other potential alpha. He’s my age.” I said.
“And what is your age?”
“Sixteen. How about you?”
“Eighteen. Hmmm, I’ve been wondering…when do you think females first started to take the males role? No offense, of course.” He winked and waited expectantly for my answer.
“Well, legend has it that Liv was the first to break the mold because the gene was too strong in her that she beat all the males. She was supposedly bigger than the males and had the Voice of a Leader.” I smiled proudly.
“Oh, that’s right. Liv’s Walk. I forgot about her.” He murmured.
Liv’s Walk was sort of…a proposal in human terms. Like getting engaged, only this was more binding. In a pack, if there’s only one alpha male or one alpha female, is when they can ask another wolf—a reluctant one—to take Liv’s Walk. Surprisingly, even though a female invented it, it’s mostly alpha males who ask it. And once they do, the trial begins.
It condemns the asked wolf to walk between those of it’s pack and up to the alpha at the head. At the end when they look the alpha in the eye, they either lick the alpha’s muzzle then expose their belly, or bare their fangs.
The alpha if given submission, will then lick it’s new mates muzzle and it’s over. If shown fangs, the alpha has the right to let them go or kill them on the spot.
As I thought about this, a new panic rose in my throat. Isaac could ask me. Isaac could resort to asking me to take Liv’s Walk. I sucked in deep breaths and tried to calm my racing pulse. I would have no choice. I would have to walk it and submit, or defy him and take the Fang Challenge on him. And the latter was unthinkable.
What should I do?
I looked over at Mareck as we walked to the edge of my backyard and faked a smile, but not before I heard Luna shouting at Isaac, and turned to see him shuddering over my mom, his hands claws.
“No! I don’t want to pretend I’m completely okay with this!” Luna screamed.
Isaac raised his fist and I lurched forward.
