by Sky Winters
“Oh,” Xander said with interest. “What did you tell them?"
“I told them I was staying for myself,” Savannah replied. “I told them that I was doing this for no one else but me.”
“That’s good to hear,” Xander said, kissing the top of her head. “How are you feeling about…everything? We never really got a chance to talk about…the pregnancy.”
Savannah’s hands fell to her belly. “It feels…unreal at this moment, but I’m also starting to feel--”
“Yes?”
“Protective,” Savannah said, “in a way I've never felt before--”
“I think they call those maternal instincts,” Xander said.
“It must be,” Savannah said. .
“What are your plans for today?” Xander asked.
“Well, I was hoping to spend the day with you,” she said.
Xander’s face broke into a huge smile. “Well, we can,” he said. “We can be together, now that no one and nothing can stop us.”
Savannah nodded. She allowed her worry to dissipate for a moment in an attempt to savor her happiness. “They’re really going to support this?” she asked, feeling the need to be reassured.
“They’re really going to support this. My uncle's behind us, one hundred percent.”
Savannah nodded, taking comfort in his words.
“Let’s go to the cabin,” Xander said. He rose to his feet and extended his hand out to Savannah.
They started walking toward the house, hand in hand, enjoying the oaky scent of the forest trees, and the subdued sounds of the animals.
“I have to start learning,” Savannah said as they approached the cabin.
“Learning?” Xander asked.
“Learning about what it means to marry a shifter,” Savannah said, “and how to raise children who are shifters. I should know about your history, your traditions, and your rules, don’t you think?”
“Of course,” Xander said, nodding. “And you will learn, in time.”
“Why don’t you teach me now?”
“Because I don’t want to overwhelm you,” Xander said simply. “You already have a lot to adjust to, and a lot to process. Why make it harder for you by giving you too much information all at once?”
“I can handle it,” Savannah said defensively.
“I know you can, but for right now, I don’t want you to have to think about anything other than yourself and the baby. Trust me, there will be more than enough time for you to learn our ways and traditions.”
They entered the cabin together. Xander went right to the kitchen, and took out a loaf of bread and some eggs from the refrigerator. “Sit down,” he said, “and I’ll make you some breakfast.”
Savannah smiled. “I’ve never had a man cook for me before,” she admitted.
“Get used to it,” Xander said, moving around the kitchen with confidence.
In less than half an hour there was a table full of food, and Savannah was actually beginning to feel hungry again. Xander sat down next to her and spooned scrambled eggs onto her plate. Every once in a while, he'd rub her back protectively, as though to make sure she was all right.
“There’s still so much we don’t know about each other,” Xander said.
Savannah nodded. “I was thinking about that, too. It feels as though I’ve known you for a hundred years, but when I stop to think about it, I realize that we’re technically strangers to each other.”
“My mother used to tell me that strangers are made based on how you feel about them,” Xander said. “She said that she’d known people for a lifetime and they were still strangers to her. I think she might've been talking about my father.”
Savannah noticed how soft his voice grew when he spoke about his mother. She sensed how much Xander loved her, and how much it hurt him when he'd thought he'd lost her.
“How did she die?” Savannah asked.
“She was sick,” Xander said. “She was sick for a long time, and my father…well, he didn’t care. I think his indifference only made her illness worse. Sometimes I wonder if she didn't just stop fighting because it was easier to leave than to stay here and get hurt.”
Savannah sensed the burning anger beneath Xander’s calm façade. He was resentful and hurt, but he was also furious at how things had turned out.
“She would've tried to stay alive for you, Xander,” Savannah said, even though she didn’t know it for sure.
“I don’t know about that,” Xander said evenly. “She really loved my father--”
“She loved you, too.”
Xander smiled a sad smile. “Sometimes it's not as simple that that. People are complicated. Sometimes they’re weak, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it's just how we’re made. My mother, she was a strong woman, but she had moments of weakness. When my father did what he did, a part of her died. She became sullen and withdrawn, which only aggravated her illness. It was a massive humiliation for her to endure, and I think she wanted to leave it all behind.”
Savannah reached out and took Xander’s hand. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I wish there was something I could say--”
“You don’t have to say anything,” Xander said. “You don’t have to fix it or make it better. Some things just are, and accepting them is the only way forward.”
“Acceptance.” Savannah nodded, latching onto the word. “It’s harder than most people understand. I’ve always been so sensitive to what other people feel, and it's made me realize that acceptance is one of the hardest things to do. It– ”
Savannah’s words were cut short by a flashing image that burned in her mind’s eye, so bright, she moved to cover her eyes with her hands, but the vision had already passed.
“Savannah!” Xander said, panicked as he grabbed her. “Are you all right?”
Savannah breathed deeply. She managed a nod. “I…I think so--”
“What was that?”
“I had a vision,” she stammered. “I saw something, but it wasn’t clear.” Savannah searched her memory, but she wasn't able to see the vision again, or make sense of what she'd just seen. All she knew was that she was left with was a new sense of foreboding.
“Xander,” she said tearfully.
“What is it?” he asked with concern. “Tell me.”
“Something…something bad is going to happen,” she said. “I can feel it. It's coming.”
“What did you see?” Xander asked. Savannah sensed his worry burgeon in response to her reaction.
“I…can’t be sure,” Savannah said. “I think I saw a man, a tall man, but I couldn’t see his face. He’s…trying to destroy us all. I…”
Savannah’s words froze on her tongue, and Xander looked up in alarm, as though he'd heard something. “What is it?” Savannah demanded.
“You’re right,” Xander said. “Something has happened--”
Savannah gasped. “I…what is it? What’s happening?”
“I don’t know yet,” Xander said desperately. “I heard the call--”
“The call?”
“The pack call,” Xander said. “It means--”
“You have to go,” Savannah finished for him.
Xander fixed his eyes on Savannah. “Stay here,” he said. “I'll be back as soon as I can.”
“Okay,” Savannah said, feeling helpless.
“Stay here and lock the doors,” Xander said. “I’m sorry--”
“No,” Savannah said, cutting his apology short. “This is your job. Go and do it. I’ll be here when you get back.”
Xander nodded. He grabbed Savannah and kissed her hard on the lips. He leant his forehead against hers for the briefest of moments, and then he was gone.
Chapter Three
Savannah tried to find things to do around the cabin that would keep her mind off of whatever was going on outside those walls. She tried to clean the living room, she tried to arrange the sheets, and she tried to scrub the sink, but she gave up in the end in favour of staring out the window and w
aiting for Xander's return.
Her mind fabricated new worries, and new concerns with each passing second. She was starting to work herself into such a panic that she considered leaving the safety of the cabin behind in order to venture forth and find Xander herself.
Just as her resolve was beginning to harden, she saw something move between the trees in the distance, followed, almost immediately by a bright aura that was recognizable, but not altogether familiar. She was trying to decide if she should be scared, when she saw two tall figures emerge and start walking toward the cabin.
She recognized them instantly. The taller, dark-skinned boy with dark hair was Johnny, and just behind him was red-haired Gordy. They both wore nothing but shorts, and Savannah knew they'd probably made most of the journey to the cabin as wolves. She rushed from the window to the door, opening it before they had reached it.
Johnny looked at her with calm, serious eyes that gave nothing away, but she sensed the worry in his aura. Behind him, Gordy watched her, his face expressing more panic than worry.
“Johnny,” Savannah said. “Gordy. Where’s Xander?”
“He’s with the elders…conferring,” Johnny replied. “He sent us here to stay with you.”
“To stay with me?” Savannah repeated.
“He didn’t want you to worry--”
“I’m already worried,” Savannah said, trying to keep her tone even. “He’s been gone forever.”
The boys exchanged glances.
“What?” Savannah asked.
“He answered the pack call forty minutes ago,” Gordy told her.
Savannah raised her eyebrows in disbelief. Those forty minutes had felt like a lifetime.
Johnny and Gordy pushed past her and into the cabin. Once they were inside, Gordy bolted the door behind them.
“Are you going to tell me what happened?” Savannah demanded, unable to wait out her curiosity any longer. “What was the reason for the pack call?”
The boys exchanged glances again. “Maybe we should wait for Xander to get back here,” Johnny suggested.
“Or how about the two of you just tell me?” Savannah said. “Unless you can tell me he’ll be here soon.”
“We don’t know how long he’ll be,” Gordy replied.
“Fine,” Savannah said, “so go ahead.”
Johnny sighed as he sat down on the couch. “I think it’s best you hear this from Xander.”
Savannah wanted to scream. She knew something was wrong--she could feel it inside her--but her senses would give her nothing more than just that: a feeling. She felt like a blind man who was able to see shadows, but no definitive shapes.
Savannah sat down on the coffee table that sat just in front of the couch so she was able to see both Gordy and Johnny. “You two are close to Xander, aren’t you?” she said.
Johnny nodded. “Very close.” “We grew up together,” Gordy said.
“I know,” Savannah said. “I can sense how much you care about him, and how much you trust each other. I can also sense the fear and uncertainty you're both feeling. Johnny—you're concerned, and Gordy--you’re not sure about me because of what it's done to your pack, am I right?”
“How do you know all this?” Johnny asked suspiciously.
“Because ever since I was born I’ve been able to sense things about people, it's like I was born deaf, but nature found a way to compensate,” Savannah explained. “I feel more than a normal person can, as a result, which means I can feel that something is wrong…with the pack, and I want to know how that'll affect my family. And the thing is, my family doesn’t just include Xander, the baby, and myself, anymore--my family includes you, too. My family is the pack, and I can’t be kept in the dark about it.”
Gordy glanced at Johnny, but his eyes were fixed firmly on Savannah. He took a deep breath and leaned back against the sofa, and she knew his resolve had weakened.
“All right, fine,” he said, after a long pause.
“Johnny!” Gordy said.
“She’s going to find out anyway,” Johnny said impatiently. “Xander can’t control everything. He’s going to need to make sure Savannah has enough information to protect herself.”
Gordy fell silent, and Johnny turned his eyes to Savannah. “Dominic came back into town last night,” Johnny said, “and he found out what happened. He knows that you’re pregnant. He knows that your union with Xander will be allowed, and he also knows he has no chance of taking the pack because of it.”
“The man in my vision,” Savannah whispered under her breath.
“What?”
Savannah shook her head. “Nothing,” she said. “Go on.”
“After you and Xander had the meeting with the elders, it created some tension…among the pack,” Johnny said. “Xander isn't alpha yet, and the bonds that hold us together have not yet been cemented. The news of your pregnancy was…unexpected, to say the least.”
“What happened after we left the clearing?” Savannah asked.
“There was a…discussion–"
“There was an argument,” Gordy corrected.
“Marissa,” Savannah said instinctively, and both boys looked at her in surprise.
“Did you sense that, too?” Johnny asked.
Savannah shook her head. “No. Some things don’t require heightened senses to figure out. I knew Marissa wouldn't be happy about any of this.”
“We all knew she wouldn’t be happy,” Johnny continued, “but no one thought she'd have this strong of a reaction to the news.”
“What do you mean?” Savannah asked, feeling her worry grow. “What did she do?”
Johnny took a deep breath. “After you and Xander left, Marissa got into a shouting match with the elders. She felt they should have opposed your union with Xander, regardless. She believed they were letting you off the hook on a technicality. She raged and fought with all the elders, but mostly with her mother.”
“What happened?”
“She was told that the decision had been made, and that she'd have to bend to the will of the council and accept that Xander would eventually marry you.”
Acceptance. It was a hard thing to accomplish, especially when your beliefs, your hopes, your needs burned so brightly. Accepting something you did not want or desire was, in some cases, an insurmountable task.
“What did she do?” Savannah asked again.
“She left,” Johnny said, but there was a dull hollowness to his words that conveyed more than was obvious.
“She left?” Savannah repeated.
“She left the pack,” Gordy said.
Savannah looked first at one of the men, and then the other. “I don’t understand,” she said, shaking her head. “She left--does that mean you have to find her now?”
“You don’t understand,” Johnny said patiently. “It’s not that we lost her, it’s that she's chosen to break with us…with the pack.”
“How can she do that?”
“She can do that only if there's a suitable alternative left for her,” Johnny explained.
“But there is none,” Savannah said. "Is there?"
“There actually is,” Johnny said. “He came into town last night.”
It took Savannah a moment to decipher what he was saying. When she did, she felt her body grow cold. “No,” she whispered. “She didn't.”
Gordy nodded. “That’s exactly what she did,” he said.
“She left the pack to join with…Dominic?”
Johnny nodded. “Yes.” His face was creased with worry.
“What does this mean?” Savannah asked.
“It means we're in trouble,” Johnny said without emotion. “It means there’s a battle on the horizon, and we're no longer a united front.”
Chapter Four
“Wait,” Savannah said, scrambling to understand. “You still have the whole pack. Marissa and Dominic are just two against many.”
“Marissa knows all of the pack secrets,” Gordy said with venom. “She can tell Do
minic all of our weaknesses, and they'd be able to destroy us without even trying.”
“I still don’t understand,” Savannah said. “How is that even possible?”
Johnny sighed deeply. “Our history plays an important role here,” he said, “and sometimes, a legend is just history in disguise--”
Savannah's instincts kicked in. “The Wolf Prince,” she said.
Both Gordy and Johnny looked at her in amazement. “You know the legend of the wolf prince?” Gordy asked.
Savannah nodded “Yes. I may not be a shifter, but that doesn’t mean I’m not interested in learning about you and your history, especially since it’ll be my child’s history, too.
"I know the legend of the wolf prince. Kato, the only wolf-child of Mira and Kian, fell in love with a human girl, named Alais. They wanted to leave Grey Mountain and travel the world together, but first, Alais needed the power to transform into a wolf.”
“So they went to a woods witch,” Gordy said, taking up the narrative when Savannah paused. “They made a deal with her: Alais would be transformed into a wolf, but both she and Kato would be bound to Grey Mountain. Since they could never leave, they could never be truly free.”
Johnny turned to Savannah. “Dominic's a lone wolf. He has no ties to anybody, which means he can move freely. Alone, he was outnumbered and weak, but now that he's made an alliance with Marissa, all that has changed.”
“How?”
“Marissa’s ties are to this land, to Grey Mountain, or whatever you want to call it. Her bond is with this land, and by leaving her pack and aligning herself with Dominic, she's given him powers in this territory, our territory. Anyone who allies themselves with Marissa and Dominic can enter Grey Mountain and fight for control.”
“You’re saying Marissa has the power to open a door that allows Dominic and anyone who follows him to pass through?” Savannah asked struggling to keep up.
“She’s already opened the door,” Johnny said, sounding hard. “We have no doubt Dominic's amassing a pack of his own to contest us for power in these lands.”
“That sounds like--”
“It’s going to come to a battle,” Johnny said.“We’ll have no choice but to fight.”
“What does that mean?” Savannah asked.