Pureblood (Pureblood series)
Page 8
‘Come on! The pack is waiting!’ She heard her friend’s voice inside her head.
‘Okay,’ she said back as she followed her friend outside.
Most of the wolves had run off in groups, but some did wait for the two as they came over nuzzling and sniffing them. Beatrice had hung back to wait for Elizabeth, she then approached her newest pack member. The hybrid knelt down with ease, tail wagging a little behind her.
“You have a beautiful coloring, Elizabeth. I am happy to welcome you personally to your first Full Moon Ceremony.” She extended her arm and strange-looking paw to the side where a small pond was set nearby the cavern opening. Elizabeth walked over, a little clumsily, to the pond indicated and looked down at herself. Her blonde hair had turned into a dark golden fur coat that layered over her new wolf body. Lighter highlights layered down as she turned sideways while her paws were entirely light gold. Her emerald eyes were drastically darker than while human, practically glowing in the moonlight reflecting off the pond. She looked back toward her friend, her pack, and her Alpha. Maybe she did belong here.
“Now, let’s go,” Beatrice quietly ordered, as she took off into the woods. The pack followed her, including Elizabeth. Running like the wind itself she was flying along the ground faster then she ever thought possible on all fours. The wind whipped through her fur as her powerful legs propelled her forward. She easily kept pace with the wolves around her, even catching up to the Alpha and Camila. The sensation was surprisingly freeing, running along in a pack of werewolves. She sensed their thoughts and followed their movements. Her other self now side by side in her mind, instead of taking a backseat.
They weren’t really hunting anything, which surprised her but also made her happy. She wasn’t sure she was ready for that. She was using her nose, however, and smelled small animals and heard them darting into hiding. She also became quickly aware that they were approaching somewhere that smelled a little familiar. She couldn’t quite place where it was, she didn’t recognize this area, but it smelled familiar so she made a mental note to check it out later. They ran and ran, as fast as their paws could carry them, Camila being the fastest and winning the race. Elizabeth tackled her in celebration at beating even the males and Camila rolled over on her back, submissive but playful. After getting off her friend and nudging her to a stand, the group ran back the way they’d come. Beatrice had left their group sometime during the race to attend the other groups. Perhaps someone called her, Elizabeth couldn’t be sure.
Eventually, the rest of the wolves ran in one direction, while Camila and Elizabeth continued on their path. Camila was all too willing to follow her new friend, even if it was against the pack rules for a Bloodline to follow a Turned, especially one as new as her. So Elizabeth had no problem swinging back towards that familiar area and sniffing around. Camila on the other hand wanted to move on, to keep running. Elizabeth snorted at her and kept sniffing, following the trail until it hit her. This smelled like chickens. It was a lot stronger than she remembered it, but this was the scent of chickens. Not just any chickens, either. She had followed the feed store owner’s words and used a special kind of bedding for their boxes, one that no one else in her area used. This might just lead back to her house!
Camila huffed again, and Elizabeth knew she had to safeguard this knowledge away, so she sniffed at her friend and took off, challenging her to another race back towards the den. Camila took the bait easily and chased after her. While she did her best to keep ahead of her friend, Camila caught up quickly and pinned her down, panting with her tongue lolling out of her mouth. Elizabeth panted too, she was feeling the exertion of everything as she rolled over and stood. At a slower pace than when they started, they made their way back to the pack den.
Elizabeth had a plan and, thanks to tonight, she had a direction too. Now she just needed the opportunity to set everything up. As they approached the den’s entrance, a few wolves were already returning. Elizabeth was unsure what to do now, so she followed Camila’s lead. Together they entered the cavern, prowled down the corridors until they reached their dens. Camila shouldered her door open, so Elizabeth took that to mean that they should go inside to shift back and get dressed. Elizabeth realized getting inside for her den would be a bit harder ,since she’d closed her door. After a few failed attempts, Camila came out of her den after shifting, laughed at her friend’s failure and politely opened the door for her. She huffed her thanks and kicked the door shut again with her back paw, Camila laughing loudly behind it.
Her shift back was easier than shifting into wolf form. Once the shift was finished, the constant humming of other’s thoughts and feelings went away, much to her delight. It gave her a little bit of time to analyze all that had happened tonight so far. She had found her home! Well, technically she’d found the trail that led to her home. She also figured out why she had been bitten in the first place, their hunting trails lead right to her farm. She’d thought she was losing chickens to dogs, turns out she was feeding werewolves.
Something else happened tonight that she couldn’t understand. That pull she felt when she saw Nicholas. He felt it too, but didn’t seem to understand it either. Maybe she should ask Camila. Elizabeth quickly changed and met her friend outside her door, the other throwing her arms around her in a hug.
“That was amazing! You’re a beautiful wolf, Liza! I can’t wait till we can run again, you almost beat me!” She teased, it wasn’t even close.
“If you say so. So we’re going to the Lorekeepers now for the story, right? Do you know what it’s gonna be yet?”
“Yeah, to the Lorekeepers, and no I don’t know but I can hope! Please let it be the Huntress and the Wolf, I love that one!” She got so excited and it made Elizabeth happy to see her friend in this state. As they made their way back downstairs, Elizabeth expected to see Nicholas soon to greet them, but he was nowhere to be seen.
“Mila, have you seen Nicholas?” She tried to figure out where he could be. Shouldn’t he be making sure she came back? Curious how her first “hunt” went?
“Hmm, now that you mention it, no. He should be at the story though, we can see him there. He might be saving us good seats!” she exclaimed.
“Maybe,” she responded. They made their way down to the Lorekeeper’s sanctum, following the flow of the rest of the pack. Even if they didn’t go to the ceremonial hunt, they could still join in on the story. All the children gathered around in front of a large stage, their parent’s behind them. Females and male were allowed to intermingle here even if they were single, mainly because a certain level of civility was required within these sacred walls. Speaking of the walls, Elizabeth thought as her eyes scanned the room.
Each area of the wall seemed to be segmented with ornate stone pillars leaving bare stone between them. No wall space was open, however, as ancient tapestries hung in each opening around the room. Each one depicted different stories, from the looks of them, but they seemed to be in some kind of order. Camila noticed her friends sightseeing as she elbowed her a little, effectively getting her attention to urge her onto the cushioned pews she had lead them to. With a shy smile, Elizabeth sat down and continued to scan the tapestries.
“Look, see that one there? It’s called the ‘Huntress and the Wolf’! Maybe we can get closer and look at it once the story is over.” Camila grinned widely at her friend. Elizabeth smiled back, eyes trailing to the hanging piece she had indicated. It showed a large gray wolf hiding from a white haired woman with a bow. A full moon was displayed bright and beautiful above the scene, the wolf perfectly hidden from the huntress. There was a second part to the tapestry, but just as she was getting ready to look at it, the twin Lorekeepers took the stage.
“Greetings to you, our family, we welcome you to the Full Moon Ceremony!” Alex started.
“Tonight we shall gift you all with a story of old, one that the Lorekeepers before us have titled,” Ariel continued before they both said together, “The Awakening of the Purebloods!”
“Great, I guess.” Elizabeth said.
“First,” Ariel said, “I shall set the stage.” Ariel glided around the edge of the room to one of the tapestries. Carefully taking one from the walls, she gently carried it to the front and hung it behind her brother on the stage. It depicted three wolves, standing just off center, and a pack of cubs and humans below them. Writing in another language was carefully sewed around and interwoven around the pictures. It was beautiful in itself, but something about it felt off. Why were the wolves off center?
“I shall begin the telling. Sister, if you please?” Alex bowed to his sister. She bowed back, rose and touched the old fabric and Elizabeth saw the picture move! The children in front squealed in delight, so it wasn’t her eyes playing tricks on her. She glanced at Camila, who was already enraptured by the magic before them.
“Thousands of years ago, before our grandfathers and our great grandfathers, there was the Three! Lord Faust, the kindest. Lord O’Brady, the bravest. Lord O’Connor, the strongest. They worked together as one pack, protecting each other and their children from the ruthless humans seeking their skins!” As the names of the wolves were spoken, the wolf who had been named reacted. Faust had bowed his head, O‘Brady held his higher, and O’Connor took a step forward. The little pups and humans played together in the snow at their feet. Elizabeth was completely drawn in by the scene that she smelled the pines, felt a chill in the air that shouldn’t be.
Ariel picked up the story, saying, “Each of the Three had their own special power given to them by the Goddess herself, based on their traits. Faust was given the ability to see into one’s heart and sooth their woes. O’Connor was given the gift of the flame. With it he could create a fire to warm the pack’s den and help keep everyone comfortable and safe. O’Brady was given the gift of the earth itself, so that he may brave the deepest reaches and find safe places for all of his pack to live happily. Each gift had its own purpose and uses for the pack’s well being as well as for defense. Faust could use his power to make his enemies cower in fear! O’Brady could open great chasms to swallow those who tried to do harm to those under his care. O’Connor, it is said, would breath fire to life to burn attackers alive.”
Elizabeth got chills running up her spine. Seeing the wolves breathing fire, howling massive holes in the ground, and watching little human figures run away from illusionary monsters. The story was amazing, to think such things existed. Of course, a lot of this might be a fairy tale, but what if some of it was right? She didn’t believe werewolves were real until recently, so anything was possible, right? Alex began the story again, taking her from her thoughts and back onto the moving tapestry before her.
“Before too long, the Three realized they could not remain where they were, they had to split up. They promised to keep in contact as they each picked a direction and traveled with their families. Faust chose to travel to the East, towards the area now known as Russia. O’Brady traveled North to the later known island of Ireland, while O’Connor chose a nearby island. While Faust traveled the farthest from their friends, O’Connor and O’Brady did not stray too far, for they were brothers. O’Brady shared stories of vikings with his brother, while O’Connor shared stories of the Kings and Queens of England. The battles the Vikings fought and the rise and fall of royalty amused the brothers who outlived them all. Until word came from Faust, about an invasion heading their way.” Ariel let go of the tapestry, Alex taking full control of the piece as the scene changed completely. What once showed the wolves separating, showed them coming together again. Ariel stepped forward, to finish the telling.
“An invasion of this scale would surely discover them and they must protect what the Goddess had gifted them. So gathering all they could, they boarded a set of massive ships and sailed west. West to the rumored new world, where wide open space was plentiful and untouched by the civilized life as they had come to know. It mattered not to the Three, because they were used to the old ways, and they would thrive in this new land. And thrive they did, spreading out far and wide across to areas even the humans had not been. All was good, as new wolves were added to the packs. Some were Turned, some were the newly formed Bloodlines, wolves from the original Three who had mingled with the Turned. As time passed, O’Connor came to his brother and long time friend and confessed that he missed their old world, and wished to return. Feeling saddened, but understanding they bid farewell to him and his family. Sadly, he passed shortly after founding their new family pack den, where his kin lived and honored him to this day.” Alex released his touch from the Tapestry and it returned to normal again.
Elizabeth felt herself release a breath she didn't realise she was holding. The story, the way it was spoken, the moving pictures on the fabric, all of it was magical. She felt like she had lost a part of herself at the end as O’Connor passed seemingly peacefully. Beside her, Camila was nearly inconsolable in her grief. She patted the girls shoulders in a hug as she wept. As she did so, she looked around still unable to find Nicholas. She could understand if he didn't want to hear about his ancestors, but no one knew what the story was going to be tonight. He should have been here. She made it her goal to find Nicholas and ask him about the day's events.
Chapter Eight
After making sure Camila got back to her den safely, Elizabeth went back to the lower level to see if she could find Nicholas. He would sometimes go to work out in the training room at this time of night, so she checked there first. There were a few other wolves of both genders there, she recognized some of them and greeted those she knew, but didn’t see Nicholas. She left there and glanced into the dining hall, but she didn’t find him there either. It was as she was heading back up to check his den when she almost ran right into Beatrice. She was shifted back into her human form, a surprised look on her face for a second before a smooth smile replaced it.
“Elizabeth, I’ve been looking for you. I hope you enjoyed your first Full Moon Ceremony with the pack,” she said sincerely.
“Oh, um yes, I did. Thank you for allowing me to go on it. Running tonight felt really good, it was a little surprising.” She smiled as she remembered the sensation. Beatrice smiled back at her, but that quickly changed as Elizabeth asked, “Hey, have you seen Nick? I’ve been wanting to tell him all about it.”
“No, I’m afraid I’m not sure where he is right now. He could be training, did you check the training room?”
“I did, but he wasn’t there. I was about to check his den. If that’s alright with you, excuse me.” Elizabeth nodded to her in show of respect, but before she began to move past her Beatrice reached out and grabbed her arm.
“I did say I was looking for you, didn’t I? Due to certain circumstances beyond my control, we haven't been able to get much of your information. I’d like to do that now, if you have time.” Beatrice had a smile on her face, but her eyes were not as friendly. Elizabeth felt on edge already because of everything that had happened before the hunt and the fact she couldn’t find Nicholas, but now with the Alpha’s eyes and her hand on Elizabeth’s arm, she felt defensive. Her wolf was ready to come out if Beatrice didn’t release her hold soon. Elizabeth needed to get better control of her emotions.
“I’d rather do it tomorrow, if that’s all right. I really need to see Nick, I need to ask him something. It’s important.” She reasoned that since Beatrice had put Elizabeth into Nicholas’s care, then she should understand that she still had questions. Elizabeth had only been a werewolf for little more than a week and this was the first time she had done something even remotely werewolf-like besides classes.
“Oh, I’m afraid that’s not wise. The police are still searching for you, or your body at this point, and I don’t wish to upset your family and friends any further. I’m sure
your parents miss you terribly. Don’t you want to put their fears at ease?” Beatrice’s eyes mirrored the kindness in her words, but Elizabeth could only hear the slight mocking in her tone. The Alpha still thought less of her because she still had human relations, because she was Turned. Her anger, caused more by her wolf than anything else, made her to pull her arm out of her Alpha’s grip and take a step back.
“Can’t you look me up with a background check and find them yourself? Surely you have resources for that with your Cool Type clothing line.” She snapped. She hadn’t meant to, but she needed to get to Nicholas and this woman was stopping her. Beatrice flinched at the other’s tone and stood up straighter, asserting her dominance.
“I can, but I am giving you the chance to help me before I find things that may not be favorable for you in your past. Perhaps the reason you ended up so far away from your family? I’m sure you have some dark things you’d rather forget in your past, some I know already from your diagnostic tests. How long has it been since your...incident?” Beatrice asked, raising an eyebrow as her eyes scanned down the other woman’s body, resting on her lower half. Elizabeth knew immediately what she meant, and knew she deserved this tone of voice. She had snapped and didn’t mean to.