by Sky Winters
“Whoa! Hold on,” her mother said. “It’s too early to leave yet, and you haven’t eaten anything.”
“I’m not hungry,” Savannah replied.
“Never mind,” her mother said. “Eat something anyway.”
“That's always the case, isn’t it?” Savannah flared up. “It doesn’t matter what I want or what I feel like, I should do it anyway! Have you ever stopped to consider how unfair you both are being?”
Her parents looked at her in shock, taken aback by the sudden outburst, but Savannah was not prepared to apologize just yet. “All of my life you’ve moved me from one place to another without ever stopping to consider my feelings. Did you ever ask me if I wanted to be a nomad who had no real home and no real friends?”
“Savannah--”
“I don’t want to hear that you know what’s best for me.” Savannah refused to let either one of them interrupt her. “Because it’s not true. I know what’s best for me, and I’m tired of being told what I should and should not do. I’m tired of following the rules and I’m tired of other people making decisions about my life.”
She descended into silence, and her parents kept looking at her with surprised but calm looks on their faces. Savannah sighed and shook her head. “You don’t get it.”
“Savannah,” Her mother’s voice was gentle. “We do get it. I know it doesn’t seem that way, but we understand how hard all this moving has been on you.”
“No, you don’t,” Savannah said. “You have each other. I don’t have anyone, no siblings and no friends I can talk to.”
“What about your new friend?” her father asked. “The one that picked you up for school yesterday?”
Savannah felt a stab of pain in her gut. “He’s not my friend,” she said. “We’re not friends.”
“Savannah,” her mother said. “Did something happen between the two of you?”
“Nothing happened,” Savannah snapped. “I just…I just…”
“Listen, kid,” her father said, “I get that you’re going through a lot, and I also understand that it's partially our fault, but if it’s any consolation, you’re eighteen now, and in a few months you’ll be graduating from Grey Mountain High, which means you’ll be the one calling the shots.”
“What if I want to move across the country?” Savannah asked.
“We will make it happen,” her father replied.
“What if I want to…move to Japan?”
“We will make it happen.”
“What if I wanted to live in an igloo in Antarctica?”
Her father gave her a small smile. “We will make that happen, too,” he said.
Savannah sighed. “Thank you.”
“Do you need a ride to school?” her mother asked, sensing the storm had passed, and Savannah’s mood had shifted back to calm.
“Yes, please,” Savannah said, nodding.
After her parents dropped her off, Savannah walked up the steps of Grey Mountain High without enthusiasm. It felt as though all the color had been drained from her world. Xander had told her he had no choice but to stay away from her, and Savannah didn’t doubt he would; he was stronger than she was.
She was at her locker swapping out her books when she noticed Marissa walking down the hall. Zanna was at her side, and they were in deep conversation. They were a few feet away when they noticed her, but neither girl slowed their pace. They shot her appraising looks of contempt before they simply breezed past her as though yesterday had never happened.
In the clear light of day, Savannah still found it hard to believe those girls had the ability to transform into wolves. It all seemed so…fantastical. It was the kind of thing that belonged in novels and movies. Savannah couldn’t help but keep an eye out for Xander, longing for the sight of him, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Her first class of the day was biology, and the hour went by excruciatingly slow. When Savannah walked to her next class, she realized Marissa and all the girls were there, as well. They eyed her with muted hostility, and Savannah sensed the burn of jealousy waft toward her from where they sat. She chose the seat furthest from them, and kept her eyes firmly planted on the whiteboard in front of her.
She sensed their eyes on her, but she didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of turning around to let them know they were bothering her. She spent the entire class in a fog of thoughtful silence, and when the bell rang, she grabbed her books, and headed straight for the door. She sped to her locker and checked her timetable for the day. She had a history class in an hour, but the next period was free.
Savannah walked toward the library. She felt negative vibes aimed straight for her, but she didn’t pay them any attention. Now that she knew what they were, it didn’t bother her as much.
The library was still and empty, and Savannah uttered a silent prayer of thanks as she slipped between the shelves, trying to get lost in the sea of books.
“Did you enjoy your hike last night?”
Savannah spun around to come face to face with Marissa’s blue eyes. For a moment, she thought she saw the face of a wolf in place of Marissa’s stunning features. She was alone, free of the usual band of girls that surrounded her.
“Did you enjoy yours?” Savannah demanded, refusing to be pushed into a corner.
Marissa smiled. “I did, actually, But I was unfortunately interrupted--”
“Is that a hobby of yours?” Savannah demanded. “Luring newcomers into the woods under the pretext of friendship, and then trying to scare them to death?”
“It’s an acquired taste,” Marissa joked, but her eyes were stone cold.
“I did nothing to you,” Savannah reminded her.
“I told you to stay away from Xander,” Marissa said, narrowing her eyes.
“Yeah, well, I’m trying this new thing where I don’t listen to everything everyone else tells me,” Savannah retorted. “I heard you, but I decided to make my own decision.”
“Hence the little hiking trip,” Marissa said.
“All that stuff about Xander and his ex-girlfriend, that was all a lie, wasn’t it?” Savannah asked. “He was never violent, and he was never a danger to anyone.”
“Of course not,” Marissa said. “Xander is…well, Xander.”
Savannah caught the subtle note of warmth when Marissa said his name, and she suddenly understood why Marissa was so much more passionate about everything than any of the other girls. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?” Savannah said.
Marissa looked taken aback. Her expression froze in place, but then anger and annoyance flooded back into her features. “He’s my friend,” she said, refusing to admit it.
“I can sense it, Marissa,” Savannah said. “I was so preoccupied with my own feelings that I didn’t realize it at first. This isn’t just about you being a tribal shifter, this is about more than you being ancestrally and genetically perfect for Xander. You want to be with him, not because you have to, but because you want to.”
Marissa’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t know me.”
“Actually I know more than you think,” Savannah said with conviction.
“What does that mean?” Marissa asked.
“It means…you have your gifts, and I have mine,” Savannah said.
Marissa looked at Savannah with a sudden confusion that turned quickly to suspicion. She took a step closer. “You are not fit to marry an alpha of the Fire tribe. You are not fit to be his wife or bear his children. The best thing you can do for Xander is to stay away from him. He has a calling, one that transcends me and you.”
Savannah stared at Marissa. “I know,” she said at last.
“What?” Marissa said in shock.
“I know,” Savannah replied again. “Xander explained all this to me last night. He also explained why we couldn’t possibly be together.”
“He’s…not going to see you anymore?” Marissa asked.
Savannah sighed. “No, he’s not, so this conversation is really unnecessary.”
<
br /> Marissa’s anger seemed to instantly fade. Her eyes and her aura lost some of its fiery burn, though it was still beautifully bright. She processed what was obviously new information to her, nodded, then turned to leave the library.
“Marissa?” Savannah called out before she left.
Marissa turned and looked back over her shoulder.
“He’s going to keep away from me, and I will respect that,” Savannah said. “He’s made his choice to be the alpha, and that means he will have to choose one of you to marry one day, but don’t you dare think, for one minute, that this is a victory. Whether he marries Bianca, Meryl, Zanna or you, it won’t be because he wants to, and it won’t be because he loves you--any one of you.”
Chapter Eleven
Savannah raced out of Grey Mountain High the moment the bell sounded. She had no desire to be there any longer than she had to be. She had told her parents that she would get a ride back home, but the truth was she just wanted to walk by herself to let her thoughts run wild for a little while.
She was half way home when she heard a rustling in the trees behind her. She instinctively knew that it wasn’t the wind. This sound promised another living presence. She might have been a little nervous, had it not been for her senses alerting her to the fact that she wasn’t in any danger. She stopped walking and turned in the direction of the sound.
A moment later, Xander stepped out from between the trees in a pair of shorts and nothing else. His hair was windblown, and swept back from his face, his grey eyes were bright, and his skin flushed from exertion. He panted softly, and Savannah tried not to be distracted by the wall of muscles that ran down his stomach.
“What are you doing here?”
“Running a patrol,” Xander replied. “Are you walking home?”
“Yes,” Savannah nodded.
“It’s a long walk.”
“It’s just until my car arrives,” Savannah nodded.
“You could have asked me for a lift.”
Savannah shook her head in frustration. “That would have made it hard for you to stay away from me, remember?”
Xander sighed. “This is harder than I expected.”
“Is this you trying?”
“You’re angry today,” Xander said, moving forward.
“Can you blame me?” Savannah demanded. “I’ve never felt connected to anyone this way before, and the first time it happens he has a noble calling, and I end up being the less important one.”
“Don’t say that,” Xander said. “You’re not less important.”
Savannah gave him a pointed stare. “That’s what it feels like.”
“I’m sorry,” Xander said after a heartbeat of silence. “I probably shouldn’t have come up to you--”
“It’s fine,” Savannah said quickly.
“I’ll leave you to your walk--”
“No,” Savannah said, reaching out for his hand. “You’re here now, you may as well walk with me.”
Xander nodded once, and then he fell into step beside her. They walked in silence for a few moments, the air thick with things unsaid between them. Savannah felt the history of their whole relationship standing between them, and it felt large enough to fill the space of a lifetime, rather than the few short days it had been in reality.
“When will you have to marry?” Savannah asked, unable to stop herself from asking the question.
Xander hesitated, obviously uncomfortable with the question. “When I become the reigning alpha,” he replied.
“Which is when?”
“I don’t know,” Xander replied. “It could be a few days from now, it could be months, or it could be as long as a year or two. That will be determined by the current ruling council.”
“How will it be determined?”
Xander glanced at her. “It’s an ancient ritual,” he replied. “They watch the stars.”
“The stars?” Savannah repeated.
Xander nodded. “The stars will give us the answers.”
“And then you will become the alpha, and you will have to marry?”
“I will have six months to choose a bride,” Xander said, “and then yes, I will have to marry.”
Savannah nodded as though she were completely unaffected by the thought of Xander marrying someone else. “So…who do you think it will be?” Savannah asked. “Marissa, Bianca, Zanna, or Meryl?”
“Savannah,” Xander said, carefully. “I really don’t think we should be discussing this.”
“Personally, I think Bianca would be the best choice for you,” Savannah said, interrupting him and barrelling on with the conversation.
Xander stopped short and glanced at her. “Bianca?” he repeated.
“Yes.”
“May I ask why?”
Savannah shrugged. “I don’t know. There’s something about her aura that’s…calmer, more in control than the others. I could sense she wasn’t as mean-spirited as Marissa, Meryl, or Zanna.”
Xander gave her confused look. “You sensed…her aura?”
“Oh,” Savannah said, realizing she hadn't explained her gift to him. “I never told you, did I? Well, for as long as I can remember, I’ve been able to see people’s auras. I can sense things about them normal people can’t.”
“Really?” Xander sounded fascinated.
“Really,” Savannah said. “I think it’s sort of like…compensation. I was born deaf, but all of my other senses were heightened. Sometimes I even see things.”
Xander stared at her for a moment. “You see things?”
Savannah nodded. “Flashes of light that hold images in their center,” she explained. “Sometimes I barely understand what I’m seeing, but then later it makes sense.”
“How does it make sense?”
“Well, I’ll see something move with blinding speed, and then a couple of hours later I’ll watch this car whizzing past, and I realize that I saw the same image, hours earlier.”
“Are you saying that you can see the future?” Xander asked incredulously.
“No, no,” Savannah said quickly. “I wouldn’t say that. Well, I mean, I guess you could say that, but it’s not a very strong gift, and it doesn’t happen very often, either.”
“Did you see something about… us?” Xander asked.
“I saw the image of a wolf,” Savannah said. “Before I knew what you were.”
Xander looked amazed. Savannah caught him shooting little glances her way as they walked along the abandoned road. “What did you sense about me when you first saw me?” he asked after a moment.
Savannah couldn’t help but smile. “Your aura…it’s so strong,” she said. “It’s so bright and so incredibly beautiful. And it’s colorful--I’ve never seen so many colors on one person before. You’re full of passion, you have strong opinions, and you’re incredibly loyal. You can be stubborn and quick to anger, but you always admit afterwards if you feel you’re wrong.”
It was as Savannah was talking that she realized how much she had picked up about him over the last few days. She had never thought to put it into words, but now that she was doing it, the words came easily. She knew Xander, not just because of the connection they shared, but because she could read him better than anyone else.
“You hate your father, but you’ve also been hurt by him, even though you will never admit it. You loved your mother to death, and miss her still. You’re scared because you don’t know if your half-brother will succeed in becoming alpha. You’re scared for your pack, and what it will mean for them if Dominic takes control.”
Xander stopped walking. He stood there, staring at her as though she had revealed she, too, was a wolf. Savannah smiled. “I didn’t know I knew that much myself,” she admitted. “Am I…right?”
Xander shook his head in disbelief. “You are. Can you do that with everyone?”
“I don’t pick up that many details with other people,” Savannah admitted. “But I pick up a lot, a significant amount at least.”
“You
have a gift, Savannah,” Xander said.
Savannah smiled. “I know.”
When she looked back up, she spotted her house some distance away, and knew Xander would have to say goodbye again. They started walking again, but Savannah made it a point to slow her pace down so she could prolong the moment.
“It was nice to share that with someone,” she said softly.
“Nobody knows?”
“You’re the only one,” Savannah said. “It’s fair, now I know your secret, that you know mine.”
Xander smiled. “Thank you for telling me.”
“Of course,” Savannah nodded.
They stopped just outside of her house, and Xander’s eyes grew cloudy. “I’ll be seeing you, Savannah,” he said, and she knew he didn’t want to say goodbye again.
Savannah nodded. Xander turned and disappeared into the trees. She stared off after him, wondering if her entire life would just be a series of unending goodbyes.
Chapter Twelve
The library had quickly become Savannah’s second home. She moved between her classes with her head down and eyes firmly fixed on the ground in front of her. She saw Xander every day, as well as Marissa and the rest. Sometimes it all got to be too much for her.
Whenever she had a moment of spare time she'd find solace in the library, especially during lunch break when she couldn’t really avoid anyone. There were a few kids that tried to befriend her, but Savannah simply did not have the energy to invest in a new relationship that probably wouldn’t last very long anyway.
Savannah heard the laughter and bustle coming from the cafeteria as she passed it by. She noticed Xander there, surrounded by his friends, but he didn’t see her. She kept walking and went straight to the library, which was completely empty. She moved to the back where no one could see her, and moved through the shelves, searching for something that would distract her, if only for a few minutes.
She was about to move on to the next shelf when she spotted a thin, black, bound book with gold lettering on the spine. Its title read, "Legends of Grey Mountain." Gingerly, Savannah pulled out the book, and scrolled through its contents list. She stopped short when she came upon chapter seven, which read "The Legend of the Wolf Prince."