WolfHeart

by Konstantina P.

  “You are late,” she whispered into Steven´s ear, licking along his earlobe and making him shudder.

  “I didn´t realize we had an appointment.” The man took a small step on the side trying to escape her but she was relentless. She copied his step and caught a whiff, screwing up her nose in displeasure.

  “You stink of sex,” she said and leaned closer trying to identify the second, less overt odour coming from him. “And magic?” She leered. “Seriously?”

  Steven caught Jason´s eyes across the room. The Beta´s angry frown sent a chill through him. He knew he couldn´t hide what had happened -not even if he had scrubbed himself clean- but he had hoped to have the chance to speak privately with his friends first. Kate sniggered next to him and he rolled his eyes but, before he could utter a word, Jen´s rising voice caught their attention.

  “We don´t have the manpower to go against so many magic users! You don´t have any Humans and ours are barely enough to defend this town!”

  By the end of the Queen´s spiel, Kate´s plan had already formed and, throwing a mischievous look over her shoulder at Steven, she walked towards the throne mindless of the looks she was receiving. “That´s not entirely true though,” she said and the council room went silent. “If my information is correct you have the most powerful weapon we could ever hope for at your disposal.” She looked back at Steven and gushed, “You have Cora Larson.”

  A gentle murmur rose from the crowd, agreeing in nature but still apprehensive, and Steven´s pack drew closer to their Alpha.

  “She is in no position to help.” Jen kept her gaze steady and her chin up, conveying to everyone she was in charge.

  “I bet if you asked nicely she would fall all over herself to serve you,” said Kate, her eyes seeking out Steven.

  “She doesn´t have magic anymore,” Joe interjected.

  “Or so she says,” one of Kate´s advisors answered. “Do you honestly expect us to believe that the most powerful witch alive suddenly went completely powerless?”

  Jen felt her canines digging twin holes on her lower lip as she tried to rein her frustration in. She felt her mother´s hand on her shoulder and quickly quelled her annoyance. “We won´t lose anything by asking,” she relented.

  “If she says no to you, send your brother next,” Kate retorted, trying to rouse a reaction from Steven. Jason took his claws out to help his Alpha concentrate, using them as pressure points on the man´s side; not enough to break skin, but enough for him to feel the pain. If someone in the room hadn´t already taken notice of Steven´s rumpled appearance, the loud growl that escaped him was enough to make even the Humans turn towards him in question.

  Jen dismissed the council soon after that, wanting to protect her brother´s dignity and have a few choice words with him herself. When only the Anders packs were left in the council room though, Steven didn´t give her the chance as he quickly retreated to the sanctuary of his room. Jason, accepting the Queen´s prompting gaze, followed behind him with barely concealed fury.

  “Are we going to do this now or you´d like to get your story straight first?” The Beta demanded.

  Steven sighed and fell on his bed, burying his face in his pillows and pulling a ratty old blanket over him. “You found a new topic to prattle on about?”

  Jason wanted to argue that their problem remained the same but he laid that detail to rest in lieu of more important issues. “How is she?” He asked instead, rocking back on his heels.

  “I don´t know. I haven´t seen her,” Steven shrugged and flopped onto his back. “I was in a hurry for the council.”

  “So let me get this straight,” Jason started and plopped himself down into a nearby chair. “You kissed Kate and slept with Cora all in a day´s work.”

  “In my defence, Cora was a night´s work. But it gets worse,” the Alpha grouched at his friend.

  “Don´t tell me. Please, if you value our friendship, don´t tell me. Just fix it.” Jason had the sinking feeling that his Alpha wasn´t inclined to.

  “I can´t let her dictate the rest of my life,” Steven admitted in a subdued voice.

  “Cora or Kate? Because let me tell you... The only one who has ever tried to control you is that bitch.”

  “You are wrong,” Steven shook his head. “The little witch has more power over me than even Jen.”

  “Because you love her.” For the Beta this was already a fact, even if Steven still tried to deny it.

  “Because she makes me feel responsible for her.”

  “I thought you didn´t feel the bond,” Jason fished.

  “I can feel her other... assets,” Steven smirked, making his friend lose the last threads of patience.

  “Wow! Just when I thought you couldn´t get any lower.” The younger man stood up and made for the door, not bothering to reason with his Alpha anymore. “If you don´t get your head straight soon, then search for another second for your pack. Because I´m done.” That parting blow had quite an impact on Steven who, in spite of already knowing he had majorly screwed up, he never thought it would cost him his best friend. He had some serious thinking to do.

  In the meantime, Jen hadn´t wasted any time and after making sure her brother would have company for the evening, she decided to pay a long time coming visit to Cora. The girl was still dressed in her nightgown, the bed unmade and the tub full with cold water. She was sitting on her bed, leaning against the headboard and staring at the window, able now to watch the dance of the sunbeams but still keeping the curtains closed. Jen clicked the door shut softly behind her and moved to draw back the curtains, startling Cora when the sudden light hit her eyes. The Queen sat next to her, leaning back herself, trying to find the words to account for her brother´s actions.

  “When Steven first turned into an Alpha,” she eventually said, “for the first couple of months he was lost. On the one hand he got power hungry trying to one-up me any chance he got and on the other he felt the guilt for killing another Werewolf deeply. Part of his behaviour now, his submission to me, is because of what he did those first weeks.” Jen held out hope that offering an explanation first would pave the way to her apology, making it easier for Cora to accept their muddled decisions.

  “It couldn´t have been that bad,” the witch said in a timid voice.

  “You have no idea,” Jen snorted. “He is a stubborn bastard, I´ll give him that. But thankfully things didn´t get public. We managed to keep our dirty laundry between us. I was dreading that I´d discover people preferred him over me.”

  “How did you get him back?”

  “Mother and I thought that he needed someone to balance him out. A young, beautiful and smart Beta seemed the best choice. Of course, it helped that she was the heir of the most powerful pack after us. I needed the support. Not once did I think that she was just as crazy and that she would end up luring him deeper into his quest for power.” A deep regret settled over Jen, both for her choice back then and the fact that she was making her brother relive Kate´s abandonment.

  “He fell in love with her,” Cora shrugged, her tone not judging in the least.

  “That´s not love,” Jen shook her head. “That´s lust, at best. He was consumed with desire and so was she, at first.”

  “So why did she leave him?”

  “Her father died, the Alpha power of the Bamans passed into her and Steven, an Alpha but not a born one, was suddenly beneath her. He was heartbroken but at least something good came out of it. She remained loyal to us because she had broken her word and my brother got a wakeup call and turned towards his pack.”

  “He still wants her though.” This time Cora´s voice turned sour, even the thought of it leaving an acrid taste in her mouth.

  “If I judge from last night´s events,” Jen smirked, “he´s well on his way of getting over her.”

  Cora blushed and ducked her head trying to hide it.

  Jen´s smirk turned into a soft smile at the girl´s reaction. “My brother has a big heart. Don´t give up on him yet.
”

  “He wants nothing to do with me. I don´t know how to change that.” The girl lowered her voice letting her confusion show. “I don´t know if I want to change that.”

  “I can´t claim I know what you are going through right now. When I lost Alan at least I knew he loved me.” Jen´s eyes shut tight from grief in the mere mention of her mate´s name.

  “He really did,” said Cora, sharing Jen´s loss. Alan was the first friend she ever had; the first person to show her that love gives strength. Jen reached for her, clasping her hand in hers in silent acceptance. Cora flinched but didn´t withdraw her hand. This impromptu confession still made her wonder. “Why are you telling me this?” She was determined to get her answer even if she had to tolerate her torturer´s touch.

  “We need your help... Again.” The Queen admitted in defeat.

  The witch drew her hand away scornfully. “I can´t help you. My magic is drained.” It piqued her interest that the Anders were desperate enough to ask for her help, but she couldn´t stop feeling annoyed with the fact that it wasn´t Steven facing her.

  “I know. Peter said it´s because you are emotionally empty.”

  “That´s one way of putting it. I don´t know who to fight for anymore. You or them? It´s not like either one of you deserves it.”

  “I hope you´ll find the guidance you seek. Figure out what´s right and wrong,” Jen said and stood up to leave.

  “You are not going to force my hand?” Cora asked disbelievingly.

  “There´s nothing I can do if you won´t decide whose side you are on first. It will only backfire on me.” Cora nodded but didn´t let her leave just yet.

  “That´s all? I feel you forget something.”

  The Queen froze on the doorway. She knew that Cora deserved what she was demanding but still, how could someone like her bend the knee?

  “If you can´t find the guts to say it, you have no right asking for my help,” the girl continued, showing Jen she was her equal in spirit.

  Caught in a trap of her own making, the Alpha squared her shoulders and in a steady voice said “Thank you. And I´m sorry.”

  The witch felt vindicated when she heard the Alpha Queen admitting her misconducts, even if she did so with her head held high. “Not very heartfelt but it will do,” she said with a warning tone. “For now.”

  Jen nodded but had one last piece of advice to give. “Do yourself a favour and lay low for a while. Try not to cross Kate´s path. She will eat you alive.”

  “I´m not afraid of her,” the girl said haughtily.

  “I am, and so is my brother. So tread carefully.” Jen left and Cora decided to get dressed and face the rest of the day.

  18. YOU ARE YOUR OWN MAN

  The Magic troops had been camping outside the Anders town for three days without any incident. The rest of the Werewolf kingdom was deserted and those few who hadn´t made it to the Anders´ capital sought refuge in the mountains surrounding their land. Most of them, unable to fight either due to old age or conviction, put their trust in Moira´s kids, waiting for a sign that it was safe to come out of hiding. Despite their cowardliness that left the Anders exposed, Jen sent Joe and her father to ensure their timely retreat so when Larson crossed the country towards the Werewolves´ main town, he found it entirely empty.

  Lynn and Mark, under Cora´s instructions and careful guidance, had managed to place charms around the town´s outskirts that were able to filter out all potential Magic attacks before any irreparable damage was done. It was a waiting game, the Magics trying to breach an invisible wall while Jen and Steven got their heads down trying to come up with a plan that wouldn´t risk the civilians´ lives. Inside conflicts rose aplenty though when the Baman pack started getting restless, not used to biding their time. Kate was using her time either making Steven´s life difficult or tormenting Cora with unwanted advice and criticism. The young witch´s resolve hadn´t broken yet but Steven´s indifference had started grating on everyone´s nerves.

  “You can lift one of the charms but afterwards you´ll have to redo it from scratch. It will take time that they will surely take advantage of.” Cora, after Joe´s and Jason´s insistence, had started sitting on the council and her knowledge had proven to be invaluable, much to Kate´s annoyance. Her charms had foreseen the need of other Werewolves slipping inside the protective circle, only lighting up when Magics tried to crawl their way in –or Humans, just to be on the safe side. But no one was supposed to get out.

  “I´m afraid we don´t have a choice. We need those provisions if we are to hold for the month,” Moira said. The carts that were supposed to be there last week had yet to show up and the Anders feared they were intercepted on their way to town.

  Kate turned to Cora full of irony. “Can´t you just use your majestic powers to, I don´t know... Silence the alarm?”

  “No.” The witch didn´t take the bait. “Besides,” she looked at Steven, “don´t forget that whatever I feel regarding magic and this land my father also feels.”

  “That´s because you still haven´t cut him off.” Kate tried for nonchalance but she didn´t fool anyone. Her efforts to poison Cora´s intentions were in vain though as the girl didn´t need to prove herself to the Anders anymore.

  “We can´t ask her to go against her own blood. She´s done enough already,” Jen said, trying to be supportive after the revelations about Cora´s sacrifices. The Magic Princess lifted an eyebrow in pleasant surprise, not expecting Jen to heed her words despite their last sincere talk; especially when they would create further dispute between the Queen and her only ally.

  Before Kate could make another aggressive comment, Steven decided to weigh in on the conversation. “I´ll go have a look. And if they were attacked somewhere on their way, I´ll seek help from somewhere else.”

  “We can´t afford you to go,” Jen said. “We will need your strength here.”

  “Three Alphas better than two,” Kate smirked and gave Steven a lascivious look, resting her chin on his shoulder. Jason and Cora locked gazes and the Beta rolled his eyes, leaving Cora trying to suppress a laugh. Steven shrugged Kate off and took a step back after noticing his friend´s exchange with the girl and remembering Jason´s ultimatum.

  “Then I´ll go in his place. I´ll take Danny with me. The two of us have a better chance of going undetected anyway.” Steven nodded at Jason´s suggestion -Jen needing his permission to send his men away- and so it was decided.

  Cora, Steven and the two healers headed to the stone wall at the east side of town, the part closest to the forest. With less wide space to cover, the two Betas could find immediate cover once outside the safety of the town provided their friends would give them enough time to escape the Magics´ close ring. The witch got to work quickly, unearthing a heavy emerald stone from the base of the stone wall. An intricate rune was painted on it with white paint in a language only she, Mark and Lynn could understand.

  “We have to break this,” Cora said and Steven took the rock from her, brushing his fingertips against her open palm and drawing unswerving patterns on the dirt left behind. He clenched his fist and the stone turned into dust and scattered in the wind just as the rest of the pack joined them. Jason and Danny had packed lightly for the journey, knowing they would need to move swiftly.

  “You need to go, now! We are wasting time,” Lynn snarked and took a new stone out of her satchel. The two Betas didn´t go very far though as an unseen force sent them flying, landing in a heap on the ground.

  Four Magics came out of the forest wearing similar ivory cloaks fastened on their shoulders with a copper brooch.

  “Not so fast,” one of them said and the ground started shaking, making the Humans lose their balance. Steven and the others created a line hiding the healers and Cora behind them.

  The Alpha crouched low, claws out and teeth sharp. “Get ready to run,” he yelled at Jason and Danny and charged forward, easily dodging the balls of fire and debris the two Magics threw his way. Ian moved to his Alpha´s left a
nd Erin to his right, dividing their opponents´ attention. One of them still managed to slip through their grid though, preparing herself to land a traitorous blow.

  “Finish this, quickly!” Cora yelled at Lynn and Mark and threw herself at the closest Magic who was about to hit Ian from behind. The Magic was quick on her feet though, turning around and burning Cora on the shoulder. The girl screamed in agony but the distraction was enough for Steven to slice the woman´s throat open.

  “Go! Now!” The Alpha ordered and Jason and Danny took off without hesitation, disappearing from their friends´ sight in an instant. Erin made quick work of her own opponent and teamed up with Ian to take his out of the picture. That man was stronger though -his magic more advanced- making it difficult to approach him close enough to do any damage. Cora looked at Lynn noticing she had almost finished drawing the rune and yelled at her to wait. Ian kicked his rival hard in the stomach making him stumble back and, at the same time, Steven grabbed the last one by the arms and threw him in the air way over his head.

  “Do it!” Cora screamed and the two Magics that had suddenly found themselves inside the charmed circle burst into flames as Lynn painted the final line.

  Steven lashed out at Cora who was clutching her wound tightly before any of them had a chance to catch their breath. “What the hell were you thinking?”

  “I wasn´t,” the girl said, hissing when a throb of pain shot through her shoulder.

  “Let me see that.” The Alpha took a step closer and pried her hand away.

  “It´s nothing.” Before she could finish her sentence, the wound started healing in front of their eyes leaving a soft, scarred tissue behind that soon faded into unblemished skin.