by Sarah Elliot
Shaking his head, he rose to a standing position and moved away from the fire, extinguishing it with a wave of his hand. He still had to figure out how to get past the defenses and also a way to infiltrate the very strongly bound pack but he felt at least a little confident now that there were at least a few places where the defenses were weaker. Briefly he headed to the place where the werewolf had been slain but knew that it would be next to impossible to pass that way again without alerting the pack that he was around. Blood was a very dangerous component in any type of magic and even in the quick way that it had been haphazardly used, the effect would be something extraordinary to behold.
Reaching a crossroads in the path he was following, the vampire paused for a few seconds before opting to take the longer road which appeared to swerve off into the distant tree line of a nearby forest. The other two pathways appeared to lead back towards the pack Den and he did not like the idea of coming face to face with a grieving wolf pack. He could just about recall the pack that used to guard his family and how they had gone crazy upon the death of one of their lower members.
Slowly he made his way down the previously unexplored path and Mephistopheles found himself wandering slightly away from the forest where he had presumed that it would take him and into the wide open fields that were usually hidden from human view. There was a slight incline to his steps, suggesting that this was the start of a hill or a mountain.
Vaguely the vampire frowned, wondering why the wolves would choose such a place when he just caught the sound of something approaching. Quickly the tall vampire pulled himself back into the shadows and masked his presence as best as he could. Though he did just briefly take note that the defenses here were next to none existent, before the cold grey eyes focused in almost directly on a pure white wolf which had literally just stepped cautiously down into the clearing and was sniffing the air as if it were aware of something being amiss.
The creature looked starkly beautiful, highlighting the snow around it; the fur seeming to shimmer gently in the rays of moonlight which were creeping across the expanse of the early night. Even for a creature that would normally be repulsed by the other, Mephistopheles had to reflect silently that the wolf was a prize to behold. A few purposeful strides were taken by the creature and it lowered its black nose to lightly sniff at something the vampire couldn’t see. The muscles weren’t as defined, suggesting a youngster underneath and a certain fineness which lacked from the usual maddening brood.
For a second the vampire thought that he may have been spotted as the wolf turned to look directly at him, amber eyes boring into the space where he was. Blinking in shock, Mephistopheles felt his jaw virtually drop. That beautiful and prize-worthy-looking wolf was his missing half-bastard sister Ekata?
Surely this had to be some form of trick; she was a repulsive creature and should have looked like a scruffy mongrel. But there was no denying it, those strange eyes were fairly unique and he noted briefly that there was a newer flame in them, something that hadn’t been there before. There was still the fear, testament to the years of enforced terror at the hands of their mother but at the same time there was something new. Something he hadn’t ever seen before in the midst of those strange orbs.
A will to survive, a purpose for living other than just existing. Was she in love? How was such a thing possible, she was a disgusting Volf a creature made up of a vampire and a werewolf? She was unbalanced, dangerous and impossible to predict for all the wrong reasons. How could anything come to love something so dangerous and monstrous?
The amber eyes blinked once before turning away to focus on a second wolf that appeared. This one was clearly a werewolf, much larger and sleek with tinges of white to define the midnight-black fur. The creature moved towards the female and gently nuzzled against her head, as if checking that everything was okay. The size difference almost made it appear to be a completely different type of relationship if it wasn’t for the fact that the fresh scent on both of them was particularly strong. Mephistopheles snarled quietly but then sharply focused on hiding his presence all the more as the male wolf had turned his attention towards the tree line where he was.
The creature’s eyes were burning silver, something which was a physical impossibility, or at the very least should have been one. But it was right there in front of him.
So that is the Guardian of the Silver Maiden he thought quietly to himself. No wonder the old tales speak of a great warning of him. Even though I despise myself for it, I must say you definitely choose well, Ekata. All for naught though, for I will take that little brat down if he dares to attack me right now.
Mephistopheles noticed that Ekata had hunkered down in the snow a little, the male wolf stepping around her and beginning to bare his large white teeth. A smirk crossed the vampires features, hand slipping down towards the dagger which was just at his side and he prepared for the fight which was brewing. The thrill of it, the taste of two adversaries facing one another. It had been such a long time since he had even had the slightest taste of something that worth his attention and it was only several hundred years of training which stopped him from leaping at the werewolf first and drawing forth that heated blood.
A lone, mournful howl suddenly hit the air and ripped apart the surrounding silence. Even the vampire was surprised by the sound and stepped back further, wanting nothing more than to get out of the way of such a horrible sound. It spoke of sadness, anger and regret and was quickly joined by others, turning it into a wail that echoed back off of every root, trunk and branch in the forest.
The vampire covered his ears as best as he could, feeling the wave of emotions running through his body as if he were being struck by thousands of volts of electricity. Very slowly the sound faded, sweeping down the hill as the message was passed on and Mephistopheles removed his hands.
He wasn’t surprised to see small spatters of blood on his skin and was pretty sure that he had bitten his lip enough to draw his own blood as well. Running a hand across his mouth to confirm, the vampire stared grimly to the last place he had seen the two wolves and noted that they were now gone. Only paw prints just about visible in the snow as the heavens above had deemed it a perfect moment to start a new flurry of the frozen water crystals.
“Tch,” he commented to himself, glancing around to make sure that there were no more surprises waiting for him before heading back towards the small camp. They would have to move and he would rather deal with a hurting and angry Siren any day of the week than listen to the howls of sadness that were undoubtedly going to fill the air for the rest of the night.
Plus, they had to find somewhere a little safer to hide, even in the middle of winter the sun was lethal in the open areas that they had surrounding them. Grimly he set off, wondering just how he was supposed to deal with this ever-growing situation. “Damn brats, I should have just done the job myself when I first learned the truth. Then I wouldn’t be dealing with this mess.”
~~
Fiero paused only briefly in the doorway, changing back to his human form though he could already feel the sadness and anxiety in the rooms ahead. Ekata was quickly by his side, shaking in fear and there were already trickles of tears falling down her face. Silently he passed her a piece of clothing that was hanging on a peg near the back door, not even bothering to check to see what it was before stepping forth to find out the full extent of the emotional outburst. It didn’t matter that he was about to walk stark naked into the room, there were probably a fair few others who were in the same state of dress but he knew that his mate was still a little unused to this whole situation and it would not do to distress her any more than undoubtedly this situation would.
Still he had to smile faintly when he felt her fingers latch lightly onto his own, he could virtually feel her heart beat racing through the delicate touch and lightly he sighed. “Whatever we’re about to face in there, Ekata,” he whispered quietly to her, “it’s not your fault.”
“How can you say that, knowin
g what I am?” Ekata whispered back, sounding more desperate than she had done before. “I should have left as soon as I woke.”
Rather than dignifying that statement with an answer, Fiero tightened his grip on the little female and led them into the room. Almost instantly, the stench of blood and death hit him and he wasn’t surprised to see virtually all the current pack members joined together in their shared grief. A few of the younger ones glanced up in their direction, but their eyes quickly averted. They were only curious to see who was arriving so late and no questions were brought to them.
Stepping closer, the werewolf felt his heart clench in sudden pain upon seeing Jared lying out on the floor, his body forever trapped in its last form and the dagger protruding from his chest. He didn’t need to ask what had happened, none of it mattered. The heir to the pack was dead, killed within his own territory and mercilessly left to the whims of the wood.
Grabbing hold of his mate, he pulled the sobbing girl into his tight and loving embrace and mentally told her to remain silent. Now was not the time for words, they were merely here to share in their grief of the situation. Glancing towards his Uncle Rosario, he saw the old wolf looking lost and strained, almost as if he didn’t quite believe that this was happening but there was a distinct edge to the other, something that gave away the perfect meaning of why he was still the alpha after all of these years. The wolf stood over his first son, dark fur rustling back and forth in a silent wind of anger and hatred but it was clear to see that grief was his primary concern right now.
Slowly the dark eyes flicked up towards the pair and narrowed only slightly for a second but more in an acceptance of the fact that right now he didn’t want to talk to anyone. Fiero knew that Rosario wouldn’t blame Ekata nor would he want her out of the Den anytime soon. Whilst her presence had instigated this whole scenario she had never deliberately set it up and after all his years as a Hunter it would be foolish to lay the blame solely on the girl. The eyes flickered away from the pair though, an almost casual head toss indicating to the younger wolf was to take the girl away from this scene in order to calm down and regain herself. It wasn’t a rejection from the pack or anything, just an acceptance that Ekata was an outsider who wouldn’t know how to deal with these occurrences.
Silently nodding, Fiero gently picked up his mate and headed out of the room, barely aware that none of the other wolves even paid attention to his departure. Silently he pushed the door closed and debated where next to head, as he knew that he had to calm Ekata down and talk rationally to her but also make her understand that she was still very much loved and wasn’t about to be rejected. At least not by him in the grand scheme of life. He took a step towards the room where she was staying before changing his mind and turning back down the long winding corridors to his own room. It was far enough away from the one currently filled with grieving wolves but close enough that if they were needed to be summoned then they could be easily found.
Quietly he opened the door and shut it before moving to lay Ekata on the bed. Before she could even begin to mutter a single word towards him, the werewolf placed his lips on hers in a slow and long passionate kiss. Gently he ran his fingers through her long fine hair but couldn’t think of a way to start explaining anything. “Ekata,” he murmured quietly, pausing to take a breath of air only to find that the girl returned to the kiss, gently wrapping her arms around his body and pulling him closer. He didn’t ask anything more, or try to explain. They both just needed to let themselves be ruled by emotion right at that second in time and neither one was going to deny the other of that attention.
Chapter 11
What must come to pass
The day was nearly over, the moon appearing faintly in the sky above as Ekata stared silently out of the window, amazed that she was even able to stand right now. Whilst she still didn’t quite understand what was going on in her head regarding Fiero, her heart and body knew to yield to inner instincts and not to question too much. Never before had she experienced anything like this, not to say that she wasn’t entirely innocent as there had been others in the past, potentials who had either slipped from her grasp or else simply faded when she had been forced to move on; but Fiero stood out beyond all of those prior and not just because he was the first werewolf she had ever fallen in love with. Gently her white ears flicked at that thought, love was a very strange emotion.
But her thoughts were clouded by the scent of grief that seeped through every pore in the house. She felt her amber eyes sting once again with tears because she knew that regardless of what was said her presence in the Den was the cause of the heirs’ death. If she had never lingered then he would still be alive and enjoying his life. Gently she gripped the windowsill and tried to stop her heart breaking into thousands of pieces.
“You better not be thinking what I know you’re thinking.” Fiero’s voice drifted across before his strong and bold arms wrapped around her body. “You are part of this pack, Ekata, that will not change.”
“I am the reason he is dead,” the girl spoke, trying to keep her voice as strong as possible despite the fact she was shivering like crazy. “Nothing that either of us can say will ever change that fact. If I wasn’t here…”
Fiero sighed. “They would have you captured and tortured for something that you may possibly become. Ekata, I know you don’t want to hear this now but you are not solely responsible for what happened. You didn’t drive that dagger into his heart; you didn’t send him out on that patrol. He knew the dangers of facing vampires alone… he made his own choice.”
“How can you not hate me? He was your brother.” Ekata nearly shrieked as tears began to fall from her eyes. “Wherever I go I bring nothing but destruction and despair. When does it stop, Fiero? When everyone that you know and love is dead?”
Gently the werewolf ran his fingers through his mate’s hair, forcing her to look up at him once again before placing his lips onto hers. This time it was gentle and inquisitive, like a child taking his first steps into the world. “Do you want me to hate you?” he asked, his voice low and tender.
Ekata shook her head, pulling herself against his strong body. “Of course I don’t. But…”
“Listen to me, and listen well.” His voice was firmer now, it held a note of authority and justice about it. “Regardless of what you have been told in the past, you are not to blame for this present moment. If anyone is, it’s me. I should have let you go on that night; I should have stayed indoors and let you run blindly free. If I had ignored the strange feeling in my soul, then this wouldn’t have happened in the slightest.” Gently, he pushed the fragile-looking girl back from him. “But if I had ignored it, then I would have never met you either. I would have never felt anything like this and that is something too precious for me to let go of now.”
Staring at him strangely, the Volf blinked her amber eyes at him almost as if she didn’t understand what he was saying. But a tiny fragment of a smile crossed her lips and her fingers were lightly on the side of his face without any trouble. “What happens if I turn on you? What happens when the blood moon rises and I become a vampire… will you still love me even if I tear out your heart and eat it?”
“You wouldn’t do that.” The smirk reflected in his voice and his eyes flashed silver. “By the time that happens, I hope you’ll be pregnant with the start of our own pack.”
Ekata visibly flinched away from him, blinking in confusion. “Excuse me?”
Fiero frowned at the girl. “You seriously don’t expect that?”
“But I… I can’t…” She looked visibly flustered by the suggestion and also floored that Fiero would think of such a thing. Though she had to admit that it was a perfect distraction to her current mood. “I don’t… I mean. I’m not built… like other women.”
“Other women?”
Ekata looked away. “I can’t bear children. I don’t have anything down there; it was taken away when I was a child…”
Still looking bewildered for a few se
conds, Fiero suddenly chuckled and shook his head. “Oh, my dearest, Ekata, you really don’t know much about being a werewolf do you?”
“Huh?”
Fiero gently shook his head. “Now is not the time but when the grieving is done, it may be wise for you to speak to my aunt and my female cousins. Because regardless of what you have been told, one day we will have cubs of our own. That I can promise you.”
Staring at her - she tried to select the right terminology for what Fiero was to her now but failed as her mind just went around in circles – she tried to think of the possibility of having children with Fiero. Her mind’s eye flickered, imaging what a family with Fiero would look like and she found her lips on his again as joy surged through her.
For a second she felt light and wonderful and so free of all the madness but then another howl cut through the growing darkness, this time it could only belong to Disreli and the sadness refilled her. The kiss broke naturally between them and she rested her head against his chest, listening to his heart beat and allowed herself to fall into the same pattern as the rest of the pack.
~~~
There were virtually no words spoken as Jared’s body was carried to the funeral pyre, wrapped in the blanket that he had held onto since he was a cub and his features appearing to be so serene and peaceful. Almost as if all the pain and anguish had left him. He was supported on a wooden bed that was carried by four wolves, though if truth be told two could have probably managed it. Rosario stood next to the pyre, watching as his son was lowered down with reverence and respect. The wind whipped at the long cloak which he wore, his human flesh barely noting the stinging cold from the ice snow which continued to fall in flurries all around them. Every single member of the pack was in human form, similarly decked out in the long black cloaks, each in their respective places. Excluding Fiero who now stood off to the side from his cousins, his mate next to him, whereas in the past he would have stood shoulder to shoulder with them. He hadn’t been rejected, he had been given new responsibilities and soon would break off from the main family pack to form his own with Ekata.