by Sky Winters
Savannah tripped over her own feet and fell to the ground as she searched for the mammoth form of her unlikely saviour. She stared in shock when she realized it was another wolf. This one was the largest of the lot, but it didn’t seem remotely interested in her. It snapped its jaws and growled in fury at the other four wolves in the dense little clearing.
With howls of defeat, the four smaller wolves took off into the dark night, leaving behind the gigantic, russet-brown wolf. The animal's back was to her, and Savannah wanted to take the opportunity to flee in the other direction, but the moment she stood up the wolf turned slowly, its eyes fixed on her with a deadly calm. For one frantic moment she considered that this wolf had tried to protect her, but now she was starting to believe it had simply chased away the competition.
Savannah froze in place as she sensed something familiar. She stared at the massive wolf in front of her and its eyes caught hers. It was almost as though she recognized the creature. Without thinking, she took a step forward, and moonlight fell directly onto the animal. Its eyes were haunting pools of silver-grey and Savannah gasped as realization dawned.
“Xander?” she whispered.
The air changed, and Savannah felt something was about to happen. The wolf began to shiver, slowly at first, but then more violently. Suddenly the beast transformed into a man right before her eyes, and Savannah found herself facing Xander, completely naked, and seeming completely unaware of what had happened.
“Xander?” Savannah gasped. “Did that just happen?”
“This is not the place or the time for explanations,” he replied. “Let’s get you out of here…now!”
Savannah didn’t argue. Instead, she followed Xander through the forest until they came upon his bike, camouflaged between a thicket of shrubs and bushes. She got on behind him and they sped through the forest until they reached a little cabin, hidden in a dense and concealed part of the woods. Xander set his bike aside and led Savannah into the cabin.
It was only once they were inside that Savannah felt a little calmer. The cabin had a rustic charm about it. There was a big sofa in the center facing the fireplace, and a table with chairs beside the cabin’s large, generous windows.
“Why don’t you sit down?” Xander suggested.
“I don’t want to sit down,” Savannah said, turning to him. “I want to know what just happened out there.”
“Why on earth did you go off alone with Marissa and the other girls?” Xander demanded.
The heat of his words took Savannah back, “I…please…are you trying to say that…every one of you can…turn into wolves?”
Xander stared at her for a moment, then he sighed deeply. “Just sit down, Savannah. I’ll get you something hot to drink.”
“I don’t want anything to drink.”
Xander came up close to her and put his hands on her shoulders. He was so close that Savannah could smell every scent that perfumed his body. He smelt of oak and earth, of fire and sweat. He smelled like an animal and a man at the same time.
“You’re in shock,” Xander said slowly. “Your body needs rest or you’re going to pass out. I will tell you anything you need to know, but first, I’m going to need you to sit down and drink something.”
Savannah felt the weight of his words, but she felt the weight and passion of his aura more potently. She sat back on the sofa and moments later Xander brought her some hot coffee. He sat down beside her and gazed at her with searching eyes.
“Did they hurt you?” he asked as Savannah sipped the coffee.
“I…no, no,” Savannah stammered. “They didn’t get a chance to.”
Xander nodded. “Are you cold? Do you need a blanket?”
“I’m fine,” Savannah said impatiently. “What I want is answers.”
Xander sat back. “Okay,” he said.
“The four wolves that surrounded me…that was Marissa…and Bianca, and Meryl, and Zanna, wasn’t it?” Savannah asked in a hushed voice.
“Yes.”
“And they can turn into wolves?”
“Yes.”
“And you can turn into a wolf?”
“Yes.”
Savannah took a moment to let that sink in. She felt light-headed, but it had more to do with the information she had just received than anything else.
“How is that possible?” she asked after a long pause.
“It just is,” Xander replied shortly.
“You’ll have to elaborate,” Savannah insisted.
“We are a part of an ancient breed of humans. We are a tribe that has the ability to morph into wolves. Different cultures call us by different names--werewolves, shifters, guardians--It's a part of the legend and the history of this town.”
“It’s true?” Savannah said breathily.
“Most of it's true.”
“You made me believe it was all nonsense,” Savannah reminded him.
“Would you have believed me if I told you the truth?”
“Why?” Savannah asked.
“Why?”
“Why do you turn into a wolf?” Savannah asked. “What's the purpose of morphing into an animal?”
“Of all the ancient terms used to describe us, we prefer the term Guardians,” Xander replied. “We came into being in order to protect those who could not protect themselves.”
Savannah stared into Xander’s pale grey eyes. Something didn’t make sense to her. “Marissa and the others…they belong to the same tribe?”
“Yes.”
“Then why were they trying to kill me tonight?” I demanded.
“They weren’t trying to kill you,” Xander said slowly. “They were trying to frighten you.”
“Why?”
Xander looked down at his hands for a moment before his eyes met Savannah’s again. “Because they need you to stay away from me,” he said.
Savannah sensed a whole host of different emotions coming from Xander’s aura. It was as though he couldn’t contain the intensity he was feeling. She was being sent so much information that she could only really understand half of it. She could feel anger, resentment, bitterness and pride. She could sense the overwhelming need to prove himself, contrasted against the desire to break free.
Savannah could feel a longing inside of him that teetered toward her, as though they were somehow connected. In becoming aware of Xander’s feelings, she suddenly become aware of her own. It felt very much as though they were bonded together, but there was no reasonable explanation for why. After all, they were virtual strangers to one another.
“Can you explain that to me?” Savannah asked.
“Every tribe that has ever existed since its inception has had a leader,” Xander started. “The leader of a wolf pack has a great responsibility, the greatest of which is to find a partner and produce the next generation. It is actually more than a responsibility--it's a calling, a sacred obligation that must be fulfilled.”
“Okay,” Savannah said, trying to understand.
“I am the next leader,” Xander said. “I am the next alpha.”
“I still don’t understand.”
“An alpha can only mate with one of his own kind,” Xander continued. “Meaning I can only mate and align myself with another shifter. Which means--”
“You can’t be with me,” Savannah said, finally understanding.
“Yes.”
“What will happen if you do?” she asked, frightened of the answer.
“I will be forced to leave you…at some point,” Xander said. “And if I don’t, they will find us both and break us apart, anyway.”
“They as in Marissa and the others?”
“No.” Xander shook his head. “The Elders.”
“The Elders?” Savannah repeated.
“They are the current ruling pack,” Xander explained. “But a new cycle is coming into place, and when it does, I will have to take over as alpha. When that happens, I will also be required…to take a bride.”
“You have to marry?”
Savannah said incredulously.
“Yes.”
“But…you’re so young.”
He smiled, but it was a sad smile. “I know it sounds strange to someone on the outside, but it is the reality of my world and my people. I've grown up knowing that if I were to become the alpha I would have to marry young and have children.”
Savannah looked into his eyes and she saw the connection between them, clearer than anything she had ever experienced before. “I’m not insane, am I?” Savannah asked. “You feel this…bond that lies between us.”
“I felt it the moment I set eyes on you that day,” Xander said without hesitation. “It was the most powerful, most potent thing I have ever felt in my life.”
“Is that why you approached me in the library?”
“I was confused at first,” Xander admitted. “I felt as though I couldn’t trust my feelings. I needed to find out if it was all in my head, or if what I was feeling was real.”
“And what did you find out?” Savannah asked.
“I think you already know the answer to that,” Xander said simply.
Savannah looked down at her hands, because staring into those perfect grey eyes was just too painful. “I don’t know what this means.”
Xander reached out and took her hand. He brought it up to his lips and kissed it gently. “I don’t either, Savannah,” he said softly. “For the first time, I’m completely lost.”
“You can’t be with me?” Savannah asked.
“No, I can’t.”
“So that means the only alternative is to stay away from me,” Savannah pointed out.
“Yes.”
“Can you do that?”
Xander’s eyes were filled with turmoil. It was as though he were having a great internal battle within himself. “I have to try, for your sake and mine, but…”
“But?”
“I don’t think I can,” he said. “There is only one way.”
“What?” Savannah asked.
“You have to stay away from me,” Xander said. “If you can live your life and forget about me, I think I can respect your need to move on.”
Savannah knew what he was asking, but he was wrong in thinking she had more of a choice than he did. “You expect more from me than you do of yourself,” Savannah said. “That isn’t fair. I feel this connection as strongly as you do, if not more, and I can’t ignore it. If you don’t want to see me anymore, then you’ll have to make that decision, but I’m not going to stay away from you, because I don’t want to.”
Savannah knew what she had just done. She had drawn a line in the sand and now she had to wait and see if Xander would cross it.
Chapter Nine
Savannah saw the whole spectrum of emotion reflected in Xander’s eyes. She knew she was making this harder on him, but she didn’t care. For once in her life she knew unequivocally what she wanted, and she wasn’t about to let that go, simply because she had to follow the rules.
“I don’t know what to do with this feeling,” Xander said. “I can’t get rid of it.”
“Do you want to?” Savannah asked.
“I have to,” Xander said slowly. “We can't stay together, Savannah. They will not allow it.”
“The Elders?”
“Yes.” Xander nodded.
“Because I am not…a guardian…shifter, whatever it is that you are.”
“Yes.”
“Will that have such an impact on…things?” Savannah asked. She didn’t even have the words to ask the questions she needed answered. She felt as though she was grasping at straws, trying to figure out a new world that was completely foreign to her.
“Alpha’s are born from a pure breed line that goes back centuries,” Xander explained. “The first born child of the alpha will become the alpha, in turn. “Savannah wrinkled her brow in confusion. “So does that mean one of your parents is the current alpha?” she asked.
“Typically it would, but not in my case,” Xander replied. “My uncle is the current alpha and the foremost elder. He was the first child born to Philip, my grandfather, and Jasmine, my grandmother. My father was their second son. If my uncle had had children, then his first born child would have been alpha, but as it happens--”
“What about your father?” Savannah asked. “Shouldn’t he be next in line after you?”
Xander’s eyes grew weary and Savannah felt his body tense. “My father was banished from the tribe years ago,” he explained. “I haven’t seen him since I was a boy. Once a wolf has been banished, the next available successor is groomed for leadership.”
“And that’s you,” Savannah said.
“That’s me.” Xander's voice was heavy with responsibility.
“Is there any way you can…not be the alpha, if you didn’t want to be?” Savannah asked.
Xander shook his head. “It isn’t really a choice, it’s this in-built need to…lead, to want to serve. I don’t think I could fight it, even if I wanted to, in that way, at least. It's like my feelings for you.”
“It’s strange, isn’t it?” Savannah said softly. “This relationship between us. We’re strangers and yet--”
“It feels like we’ve known each other for years,” Xander finished for her. “I know.”
“Do you have an explanation for it?” Savannah asked.
“No.”
Savannah moved a little closer to Xander and she took his hand. “I don’t know what to do now,” she said honestly.
Xander stared at her for a moment with those clear, grey eyes, and then he leaned in and kissed her gently. Savannah felt a stirring within her. It was the strangest feeling, like she was finding herself and losing her soul in the same breath. It was the strangest mix of contradictions, and it left Savannah feeling exhilarated. It was better than riding a motorcycle, and it was better than flying.
Savannah felt Xander’s hands at her hips and back. She felt his fingers slip up her blouse. The feel of skin on skin made her shiver with desire. Then Xander broke away from her, his eyes filled with internal turmoil.
“No,” he said. “We can’t do this.”
“Xander--”
“You’re already in too much danger, Savannah,” Xander said. “I shouldn’t be making this worse.”
“What are you talking about?” Savannah asked in confusion.
“I haven’t told you the whole story,” Xander admitted.
“There’s more?”
“My father…he wasn’t a good man,” Xander said softly. “He was married to my mother. She was a tribal shifter whose ancestry went back generations, and everyone thought they were happy. They were married for four years before I was born.”
Savannah listened intently, waiting for everything to make sense to her.
“It was discovered later that my father had been having an affair. The woman was a shifter from another tribe, and the elders found out he had a son with this other woman. The boy’s name is Dominic Wilson, and he’s two years older than I am.”
Savannah stared at Xander for a moment. “He’s older than you?”
“Yes.”
“Doesn’t that mean--?”
“No,” Xander interrupted. “He may be older, but he is not legitimate.”
“Have you met him?” Savannah asked.
“He came into town a few months ago,” Xander replied. “He came back to claim what he believes is his birth right.”
“He wants to be the alpha?”
Xander nodded. “Yes. If I refuse my role as Alpha, then the Council of Elders will be forced to make him alpha in my stead, and I can’t allow that to happen. Dominic is volatile and dangerous, he would destroy this tribe and everything it stands for.”
Savannah could sense how important the tribe was to him. He was a true leader, and she understood that he had a responsibility that trumped everything else, including her.
“I understand,” she said, taking his hand. “You have to protect your tribe.”
“I have to protect you as
well,” Xander said immediately. “Dominic has been trying to find a way to attack me from the moment he got to Grey Mountain, and I don’t want him using you to get to me. Which is why--”
“You can’t see me anymore,” Savannah finished for him. She expected the words before they had left his mouth. “Is there no other way?”
“I was a fool for bringing you into this,” Xander said. “Even if Dominic wasn’t in the picture, I should have known the girls would be threatened. You don’t have to worry about them anymore. I’ll make sure they stay away from you.”
“I only wish you didn’t have to,” Savannah said, trying to contain the ache in her voice.
Xander cupped the side of her face with his hand. “You have no idea how much I wish the same,” he said. “But now, it’s time for me to take you home.”
Savannah grabbed his hand and held it to her chest as though it were a lifeline. “You can take me home, but before you do, can we just sit here together, for a few more minutes?”
Xander didn’t say a word. His response was to pull her toward him until she was resting against his broad chest. He wrapped his arms around her, and they lay like that, savouring the taste of silence, and the comfort of each other’s presence.
Savannah closed her eyes and breathed him in. She let his aura wash over her, committing every sense and scent to memory so that she might steal some small part of him. It was all she had. Memory was the only thing she would have left once Xander was gone.
Chapter Ten
“Morning, darling,” Savannah’s dad greeted as she walked into the kitchen the next morning. “Are you feeling better?”
“Feeling better?” Savannah repeated in confusion.
Her parents exchanged a glance and Savannah realized they had been talking about her just before she had entered the room. “Well…” her mother started cautiously, “you seemed a little down when you came home last night.”
“Oh,” Savannah said, unaware that she had been so transparent. “I’m fine. It’s just the stress of starting a new school…again. Anyway, I should be getting off now.”