by Willow Rose
I focused on not thinking about anything, so I filled my mind with childhood memories. I thought of my mother in the kitchen cooking, my mother reading to me, even my father when we went hunting together, among the best days in my life. I thought about all that and witnessed Mantin grow angry in front of me trying to pick my mind. Then he let go of my thoughts. I felt him withdraw.
“Where do you come from?” he asked. Then he sniffed me. “I don’t know your scent. I have never heard of you, nor seen you before. Who are you?”
“I’m new,” I said.
Mantin growled again. “Did Caspian make you?”
“I was already a wolf. I have wolf-blood in me. He just woke it up.”
“Hmmm. I didn’t even know there were werewolves in these areas. Which pack do you belong to?”
“I don’t. I’m on my own.”
“Who’s your Alpha?”
“I have none. Caspian is my maker. He taught me all I know.”
Mantin leaned his big torso in over me. I tried hard not to show fear. He sniffed and snarled. Then he snapped his teeth. I gasped and drew backwards. Mantin looked at me and then burst into a hoarse laughter.
“What do you want from me?” I asked. Drops of sweat caused by anxiety appeared on my forehead.
Mantin smiled and tilted his head. “I want the book.”
My heart froze. I felt Mantin was picking my mind again and tried to block him out. I thought about everything else but the book and what Caspian had just told me. Mantin growled in anger. He grabbed my throat and lifted me up. “Tell me where it is! I know you have it. Caspian has given it to you, hasn’t he?”
I felt my feet leave the ground. I gasped for air. Mantin tightened his grip. “So Caspian has told you everything, huh? Has he told you that a wolf can kill another wolf, has he? Has he told you that I could strangle you right here and you would be gone?”
I tried to make a sound but nothing came out of me. I shook my head hoping it would make him let go of me.
“I thought not,” he said. He exhaled then let go of my throat. I fell to the floor. While gasping for air I tried to get back on my feet.
“Well now you know. Wolf can kill wolf,” he said. Mantin turned his back to me and walked towards the window. “You see, Sami, the thing is I could use you. You and me we could help each other. I could teach you everything you need to know about your fate, all that Caspian hasn’t told you. All that he has kept from you.”
Mantin turned and looked at me. The room was still turning but I was slowly getting back on my feet. A ray of sunlight hit Mantin’s face and shone on his cheek with the scars.
“He did that to you, didn’t he?” I asked. “Caspian hurt your cheek so bad it left a scar.”
Mantin touched the scars, his eyes filled with anger. For a second I could see his wolf, but then he calmed himself down and it disappeared. He walked fast towards me, then lifted his boot and kicked me in the stomach causing me to bend over in pain.
“Do you think he is stronger than me? Do you think he is better than me?” he yelled to my face. “Well he’s not!” Mantin spat as he spoke. Then he turned his head in anger and walked away. Alexandru was staring at him. I sensed his fear all the way across the room. He was terrified of Mantin.
“What do you want from me? Why are you keeping me here? Why are you keeping Catalina?” I asked.
Mantin turned his head and looked at me again. Then he scoffed. He walked a few steps closer. “He really didn’t tell you, did he?” he asked.
“Tell me what?”
Mantin laughed. “Of course he didn’t. Well I might as well tell you. I trapped Catalina because I wanted to use her to get to him, to get Caspian to reveal himself to me. He has been hiding for almost a century from me and when one of my scouts found out that he was here, protecting Catalina I knew I had found his weak spot. If I got to her then Caspian would come to me. See Catalina is more than just some random girl.”
“I know who she is,” I said. “She is the princess of the Bakhtu, the Wind-People. Caspian didn’t need to tell me that.”
Mantin laughed again. “No, but did he tell you that she is also his daughter? She is the daughter of Slavia, Queen to the Wind-People and Caspian the human wolf.”
Startled, I drew backwards. No, Caspian had certainly not told me that. It explained a lot, I thought.
Mantin smiled widely. “Well I hadn’t quite counted on running in to you while looking for him. But Alexandru here had a feeling that you could be a wolf. He said he saw it in your eyes, he saw the beast like he sometimes saw in my eyes. He thought you were Caspian. He thought he had found Caspian and let me know that he had found the wolf we had been looking for. The wolf that was looking after Catalina. He tried to make it appear during the interrogation, but when he realized he couldn’t hurt you he knew you had to be a wolf and he knew he had to drive it out of you in another way. That was why he let you go after the interrogation. He let you on that train knowing it would drive the wolf out of you. It had to. He wanted you to reveal yourself. And so you did. I came here thinking we had found Caspian. I hadn’t counted on finding two wolves.”
I growled and snapped my teeth at him. Mantin laughed again. “You’re no match for me. You’re nothing but a puppy. All I want is the book. Tell me where it is and I’ll let you go.”
“Why do you want the book?” I asked.
Mantin came up close to me. His face was next to mine. “Because it belongs to me. I am its rightful owner. As the Alpha of my pack it belongs to me. Caspian stole it knowing it should be with me. I am entitled to posses the powers that it provides. But Caspian cheated me of my rights. That is why he will die and so will you if you don’t tell me where the book is.”
Mantin grabbed my neck and held it tight pressing his fingers hard against my skin. I bent over in pain.
“Tell me where it is!” Mantin’s face was strained in anger, froth around his mouth. He had the same look in his eyes that I had seen in Caspian. The manic look of a wolf craving human flesh. His wolf peeked out smelling my skin.
“I don’t know,” I moaned. “I don’t know where it is!” I fought hard to think about everything else other than the book, but wasn’t sure how long I could control it. It worked if I focused on my mother and my childhood memories while I sensed how Mantin tried frantically to pick my thoughts. Then he gave up with a groan and let go of my neck. When he let go he pushed me to the floor. Then Mantin said something that made me doubt I would be able to hold it much longer.
“Bring in the girl!” he shouted.
Chapter 36
Catalina screamed, frightened when they dragged her through the door to my father’s old study. The sound made me uneasy as it felt like it penetrated my bones. I hated seeing her distressed and anxious. They had blindfolded her again. It hurt to see her like that. She called out for me when she sensed my presence in the room.
“Sami? Is that you?”
I approached her and they let me. I grabbed her hand and held it tight in mine. “I’m here. Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”
“We’re not alone, are we?” she asked.
“No you’re not,” Mantin answered.
I felt how Catalina trembled at the sound of his voice.
He walked close to her, sniffing her and snarling behind her. My heart was racing with anger and I had to restrain myself to keep my wolf back. Mantin was so much stronger than me and he could easily kill Catalina who was so fragile. I growled at him to get him to back off. He looked at me with one of his malicious smiles. He enjoyed this battle of power. Then he put his hand on Catalina’s neck. She jumped from his touch with a gasp. Then he leaned over and kissed her ear.
Catalina let out a small shriek. I jumped forward with a deep growl. Mantin lifted his head and stared at me. I was breathing heavily and angrily, ready to jump him if he touched her again. My heart was pounding in my chest, the adrenalin pumping. “Leave her,” I growled.
I felt someone behind me and r
ealized it was Alexandru. He grabbed my arms and forced me to bend forward, my head on the floor. I felt the tickling sensation in my fingers and realized the claws were beginning to grow. I tried hard to restrain it, since it would do me no good. Mantin would just let his wolf out and then fight me. I would be defeated since he was so much stronger than me. Alexandru turned my head so I was forced to watch as Mantin let his hand caress Catalina’s cheek, then her hair and soon he put a hand on her breast.
I growled again. Mantin spoke slowly one word at the time while he touched her. “Just ... tell ... me ... where ... the ... book ... is.”
Everything inside of me screamed. I had seen them mistreat her in my dreams, in my thoughts, in visions and I could take no more. It hurt so deeply. Catalina cried as Mantin lifted her dress and touched her legs, letting his fingers gently slide up inside of them.
That was when I let go. I simply couldn’t hold it any longer. I tried to fight it but it slipped out anyway. No book was worth this. In my mind I pictured the place that Caspian had told me about just before the soldiers had taken me. I saw the field, the small clearing with the big oak tree where I had left him. Then I pictured the stones that formed a cross. I bent over crying while Mantin told Alexandru to let me go and he let go of Catalina.
I was lifted to my feet and Mantin approached me. He grabbed my chin with his hand. “That-a-boy,” he grinned and petted my head like I was a dog. Then he turned his back to us while walking away.
“Kill them,” he said without even looking at us.
I was blindfolded as well and dragged outside. I struggled and fought the soldiers, but soon felt the cold gun pressed against my neck by someone I guessed could only be Alexandru. I knew it carried a bullet that would cause the most painful death of having silver spread slowly through my veins and clot. I groaned and growled, but obeyed. I felt the fresh cold air on my face and even a snowflake that landed on my cheek. I heard the gravel under my feet as I walked and knew we were in the courtyard in front of the house. What was their plan? Liquidation? Were they going to shoot us right here in front of the other soldiers with silver bullets and then watch us die slowly and painfully? Was that enough satisfaction for them? Somehow I had a feeling it wasn’t.
“Bring them over here,” I heard General Mantin say.
I felt hands on my body again as I was dragged across the gravel. Then we stopped. My blindfold was removed. I blinked my eyes and spotted a figure in front of me. A man it seemed to be. Then I heard growling. I blinked again and realized it was Caspian who was in front of me in his wolf-form. He was being held back in a chain around his neck. His eyes were manic and wild, his mouth white with froth. He growled and barked at me.
“Caspian?” I said.
Caspian snapped his teeth, trying to drag himself towards me like he was ready to attack at any moment.
Mantin clapped his hands in delight. He smiled and looked at me. “Now you fight.” He turned and looked at me.
“A fight to the death.”
Chapter 37
I stared in disbelief at Mantin.
“He is sick, can’t you see that?” I yelled.
Mantin laughed. “Well that’s the fun part, isn’t it? Caspian the holy has become like the rest of us, given in to the desires of the human flesh. Now he hasn’t satisfied his wolf’s cravings for days. And look at you right there in front of him in your human form. Tastier than ever. He will do anything to sink his teeth into you, well into any meat, human or animal, it doesn’t matter any longer. He is maddened with starvation.”
I struggled against the arms holding me. Catalina was brought out as well and placed next to me. Her blindfold was removed. Mantin clapped his hands in joy again. “Look now there are two of them. What a feast for dear, old Caspian,” he exclaimed. “If you want to survive you’ll have to kill him. If you want to save your girlfriend, you’ll have to kill him.”
I stared at Caspian with desperation. He growled and groaned in madness. I really didn’t want to kill him. I cared for him. Even if he wasn’t the same any longer. He had been my mentor, my friend. Caspian stared at Catalina and snapped his teeth at her. She pulled back with a gasp. “No matter what happens.” Those had been Caspian’s own words to me. I had given him my word on it. I exhaled deeply as the soldiers released the chain holding Caspian back and he leaped forward with a huge growl. In less than a second he jumped Catalina and caused her to tumble to the ground. Filled with anger and desperation I let my wolf out. Right before I leaped towards his back I saw his teeth sink into the pale skin of Catalina. I screamed as I leaped on his back and forced him to get off her. We tumbled into the gravel, biting, growling at each other and soon we were both on our feet again. Catalina cried and screamed. She was bleeding from her neck where Caspian had bitten her, the smell of her blood was intoxicating to me, causing me to lose my senses. The smell seemed to make Caspian even wilder and stronger. He ran towards her again with his mouth open showing his fangs preparing them to once again sink into the soft human flesh of Catalina. I jumped in front of him and blocked his way, showing my teeth, snapping at him, growling from deep within. He growled back trying to force me to back off. I stared into his eyes trying desperately to find just a glimpse of the man and wolf I had known before, before this madness had taken control of him. But I found none. I heard Catalina moan behind me and fought against the scent of her blood. It was depriving me of my strength, it was luring me, calling for me to drink it and every cell in my wolf-body craved it passionately. To just taste it one time, just one drop.
“Don’t be weak.” I heard Caspian’s words again and again in my mind. Alexandru, Mantin and the soldiers were cheering for Caspian to kill us both. The smell of blood drove Mantin’s wolf out and soon I heard a huge growl behind me. I turned and realized he had turned and now an enormous black wolf was in front of me, staring at me, staring maniacally at Catalina who had lost consciousness and lay pale and lifeless in the gravel while red blood flowed slowly down her throat and colored her white dress. I looked at Mantin and the madness in his eyes, then at Caspian who was licking his teeth. I breathed heavily fighting my own desire to drink the blood as well. I shook it, fought it with my every sense and tried to block their way as they slowly came closer and closer to her.
I searched frantically for a solution for some way out for the both of us when Caspian suddenly jumped through the air and landed right next to Catalina. He was snarling and growling, froth running from his mouth. Mantin was close now too. I felt my heart race in my chest as Caspian bent down over her face and started licking the blood from her throat and neck. Mantin growled and walked faster to get his share of the feast. He was circling her body, staring at it with manic lust and desire. Everything inside of me screamed and cried out when suddenly something truly amazing happened. Somehow I saw it in Caspian’s eyes as he turned and looked at me. The manic in his eyes was suddenly gone and I spotted a glimpse of the hero, the mentor I had known and loved.
In the second before he jumped onto Mantin’s back I heard Caspian whisper in my mind.
“Go! Run! Get the both of you out of here now! Go find the book. Keep it safe.”
Startled and desperate I answered through my thoughts: “But ... But I failed. I couldn’t keep your secret. It’s too late. They know where it is. Mantin has probably already sent his soldiers to find it.”
My eyes looked into his and I saw no condemnation from him. Then he spoke.
“No. It’s not too late yet. I lied. They don’t know where it is. I knew they would pick your mind for it, so I lied.”
“But how do I find it then?”
“You already know where it is.”
With those last words I watched Caspian jump into the air and sink his teeth into the back of Mantin. Within a matter of seconds Mantin was bleeding from Caspian’s bite. Blood poured from the bite and I saw Mantin fall on his front paws groaning and whining. Knowing I had few seconds to react before Alexandru and his soldiers would interfere, I
stormed ahead and grabbed Catalina. I lifted her with my teeth and as I did she woke and somehow managed to climb on my back and grab on hard to my fur.
I took off towards the forest while yelling and gunshots sounded in the icy air behind us.
Chapter 38
We fled through the forest all night. Catalina was moaning on my back and barely holding on.
Just a little further, my love, I thought.
I can’t Sami. I can’t hold on any longer.
I found a small clearing and stopped. Carefully she slipped off my back and landed on the cold ground. Her face was torn in pain. She was sweating heavily despite the cold wind. I knew that wasn’t good. It had to be fever. She opened her eyes slowly and looked at me with glassy eyes. Then she reached out and touched my face gently, letting her fingers explore my fur and snout. She smiled gently.
“I love you, Sami the Wolf,” she whispered. “You were always there, in my darkest hour, in my pain when I couldn’t see anything, when there was nothing but darkness and I felt forgotten and left, you were all I could see. I heard your thoughts, I followed your concerns, your worries. In glimpses I saw what you saw or had already seen. I was with you, Sami. Did you know that? I was with you on that journey and it gave me such hope. Knowing I hadn’t been forgotten, knowing that you were out there.” Catalina coughed heavily, then moaned and closed her eyes.
“Shh,” I said. “You need to rest now. We will continue when you’re rested.” I grabbed her hand and held it tight. She smiled as she dozed off.
I watched as she slept for several hours. Night became day and I watched over her. Every now and then I touched her and felt how the fever grew stronger and higher. Soon she was burning hot. It worried me.
Near nightfall she finally opened her eyes. I was so relieved and caressed her cheek for a long time not saying anything, just staring into her beautiful emerald green eyes.