‘Honestly,’ he tried to reassure her once more. ‘It’s an inconvenience, not a problem.’
‘I know,’ she said, a plan suddenly springing to mind. ‘Why don’t you come through the rock in human form this time?’
‘I’ve thought about that, and it’s definitely an option,’ he replied. ‘But I think the potential risks outweigh the benefits. We’ll need to use the relationships I’ve built up with the other werewolves in order to move quickly and find the Pack Leader. If I go through as a man, the werewolves won’t recognize me and we’ll be back at square one. It’ll also be easier to travel if I’m a wolf and you can ride on my back. We’ve only got two nights with the moon full enough to travel, so we’ve only got two nights to get the job done. Otherwise, we’ll be stuck in on the other side until the next full moon, and I don’t think either of us wants that. We’ll need to work quickly and efficiently to find the Pack Leader.’
They turned their backs on the lake and headed into an area of denser bush. They were close to Trinity Rock now; Sophia could feel it.
‘Can we keep travelling during the day in oak tree forest?’ she asked.
‘No. If it turns out that we need two nights to find the Pack Leader, just before sunrise, we’ll need to find cover. If I’m still out in wolf form when the sun comes up, I’ll be weakened and blinded, and may even transition back to a man involuntarily.’ He held a branch aside for her. ‘We’re here.’
Just as they stepped out into the clearing, the clouds parted and the moon burst out from its covers. Trinity Rock glowed, seeming expectant. All at once, Sophia stood straighter and felt her anxieties become replaced by self-belief. The moon was a sign. They could do this. They would find the Pack Leader. They would get home safely.
They walked hand in hand to the rock. Van was suddenly all business and Sophia was glad of it. She wanted to get on with it, too, before she was struck by another attack of nerves.
‘Are you ready?’ he asked.
‘Yes. We’ve got this.’
He knelt down and boosted her up onto the top of the rock. She slipped a little on the smooth surface, but found some hand holes and pulled herself up. The top of the stone was broad and flat, perhaps ten feet wide. She leaned over the side and offered her hand to Van.
‘I’ll transition up here,’ he said with a grin once he was up. ‘It’s too bloody difficult to climb up as a wolf.’
He stripped off his clothes and sat down at the edge of the portal. Sophia sat opposite him and they held hands over the top of the hole, looking into each other’s eyes. Van began to speak in a low voice that sent shivers up Sophia’s spine.
‘Sophia: we’re going on this mission because I believe that you’re my Pure Soul, my destiny, and the one true love that each of us is granted, but only a few are fortunate enough to find. I feel humbled and awed that you’re going on this journey with me, and I will lay down my life to keep you from danger. It’s my deepest wish that we return safely and can live our lives out in peace and love.’
Sophia’s eyes welled up with tears. She wasn’t expecting such a speech, and felt deeply compelled to say something profound in return.
‘I’m honored to do this with you,’ she said. ‘I can honestly say that I’ve never loved anyone like I love you. It was instant and undeniable. I’d do anything in my power to have the chance to live my life with you.’ She felt a pang of tenderness as she saw tears shining in Van’s eyes too.
He sat back a little and turned his face up to the moon.
‘Remember your training,’ he said just before his transition began. ‘If in doubt or in danger, go on the offensive. Don’t wait until you’re on defense. If we get separated, try and make your way back to the big oak tree as fast as you can. I have friends in the forest, other werewolves. They may be able to help you. Use them as much as you can. When you get back to the oak tree, lie in between the two large roots at the foot of the tree – you’ll know them when you see them – that’s the site of the portal.’
With those final words, he began to change, and any time that they had to say a few more words was over.
Chapter 18
It was a tight squeeze for both Sophia and Van to fit into the portal hole once he’d changed. Sophia felt an attack of the giggles coming on as wolf-Van draped his front body over her legs.
‘This is cozy,’ she giggled.
Van replied by licking her cheek with his rough tongue. She wrapped her arms around his soft, warm neck and waited.
The night was so still she could hear the roaring starting in her ears long before it got so loud that she clamped her hands over them to try and block it out. But the sound was coming from inside, and there was no escaping it. Her vision got narrower and narrower as blackness crept in from the edges and eventually took over. She was expecting to faint as Van had described and, in fact, would’ve welcomed it if only to escape the dreadful roaring sound. But instead, she stayed conscious in a strange in-between world, staring wildly into the impenetrable blackness like a deranged woman. She could feel Van’s body beside her, but he was limp; unconscious and sweetly oblivious to the terror of vision with no sight.
But the darkness was preferable to what came next.
Vivid images began flashing up against the blackness; terrible images that remained regardless of whether Sophia opened her eyes or squeezed them shut. It was as if every nightmare, every distressing picture or movie scene that she’d stored in the deep recesses of her brain, was being squeezed out and replayed in high definition, punctuated by screams and evil laughter. To her left, a soldier stood, holding his stomach in agony and crying out for help. His intestines spilled out between his fingers. She turned her head from him, only to see a skinned rabbit hanging by its feet from a tree branch, circling slowly, lifeless eyes wide and accusing. She screamed as a masked man whispered in her ear that he was going to skin her like the rabbit and violate her exposed body. Every so often, a softer picture would appear; her childhood teddy bear, her mother singing a lullaby; but the relief was momentary and only made the next hideous scene more disturbing by comparison.
Through all of this, she was coping, using deep breathing to help push down the panic that rose in her throat like bile. It’s all just a dream, she told herself time and time again, even though it didn’t feel like any dream she’d ever experienced before. The moment she lost control was when Van appeared before her, as a man and not a wolf. His beautiful face was thin and torn to shreds, and his clothes hung off his wizened body. He reached out a trembling hand to her.
‘It’s a mistake,’ he called, his voice hoarse and weak. ‘You’ve got to go back. Go back while you still can.’
‘What do you mean?’ Sophia called to him. She tried to take his hand, but her fingers moved right through his, like a ghost. ‘What happens to us?’
The image just kept on repeating the warning, over and over, maddening in its simultaneous clarity and ambiguity.
‘Why?’ Sophia screamed. ‘Why should we go back? What’s going to happen?’
Sweat poured off her forehead and her heart raced dangerously fast. She was spinning out of control and was only vaguely aware of what was happening when she bent over to the side and vomited. When unconsciousness finally took over, it was a sweet relief like no other.
She woke up on her back on the damp, cold dirt with a pounding headache and covered with sick. She groaned and tried to sit up, but felt utterly exhausted. Another wave of nausea struck her and she was rolled over to the side to vomit once again. All she could attend to was the immediacy of her weakness and nausea. It took several minutes before she felt well enough to attempt sitting upright.
Van sat with his back to her a few yards away. He was very still and didn’t turn around throughout her noisy suffering; something she suddenly realized was probably putting them both in grave danger. She quietly reached into the backpack and took a mouthful of water. She looked in disgust at the nasty remains of vomit all down her jacket, and brushe
d it away as best she could with a bunch of leaves.
Finally, she felt prepared to take in her surroundings. She was sitting in between two massive tree roots, each bulging out of the ground by at least two feet. Burnt orange leaves were scattered all around, and she looked up to see the towering oak tree that Van had described. Sophia suddenly thought of the oak tree series that hung in Van’s entrance way, and was instantly certain that this was the tree he’d depicted. She couldn’t see the whole tree, though, as the top branches were hidden by thick fog that hung over the clearing and surrounding trees like an eerie blanket. The air was chilly and damp, and had a lush smell about it; you could almost hear all the tiny organisms growing all around. Aside from the big oak, the forest appeared to be made up of tall, thin evergreen trees, but apart from those in the immediate foreground, it was impossible to see what lay beyond, due to the fog.
Sophia got to her feet and crept over to Van’s side. Her legs felt shaky, but she was quickly recovering from the awful journey. She was already dreading taking the return trip, but tried to push the thoughts aside. She needed to focus on the here and now. She crouched down beside Van. He looked at her and she could read concern in his eyes.
‘I think I’m alright now,’ she whispered.
He dipped his head in acknowledgement.
‘Are we alone?’ she asked.
When he didn’t nod or shake his head, she whispered, ‘Blink if you’re not sure.’
He blinked.
She looked anxiously at the murky shadows in between the trees, imagining dozens of pairs of eyes watching them. She took a deep breath and reminded herself where her weapons were. The sky was hidden, so her newly learned skills of navigating via the stars were useless. She’d have to try and keep her eyes peeled for landmarks as they moved. She had to be able to get back to the portal if they got separated.
Van stood up and presented his back to her. She climbed on and they set off. Unlike the cracking pace of her last wolf ride, this time Van was in stealth mode. Each footfall was measured and cautious, and they moved very slowly. Every so often, he paused mid-step, his foot hanging in the air, listening intently at some noise he’d heard. They stood like a statue for what seemed like whole long minutes. During these pauses, all Sophia could hear was her thundering, expectant heart. Surely any moment there would be noise and chaos and running. But each time, Van eventually moved on once more, and soon they’d been travelling for an hour, then two, and the chill of the night was settling into Sophia’s bones.
Her body began to ache from lack of movement, and she could only imagine how difficult it must be for Van to carry her all this way. He didn’t falter, though, and on they went, further and further into the woods. She rocked gently on his back and became almost hypnotized by the movement and the eerie monotony of the forest. One thing was for certain: each tree looked exactly like the one before, and the persistent fog showed no sign of lifting. There was no way she’d be able to find her way back to the Oak Tree. The thought was not a pleasant one.
After perhaps three hours, Van stopped mid-step once again, but by now the pressing anxiety she’d originally felt each time he’d done this had worn off, and Sophia barely noticed. She was hungry and tired, and completely over it. She’d known this mission was going to be tough, but there’s a difference between knowing something and experiencing it, and she was struggling with the latter.
But then it all changed.
Chapter 19
From out of the fog in front of them stepped a wolf. It was difficult to see his markings in the gloom, but he was lighter in color and large; at least as big as Van. Just as masculine, and powerfully beautiful, too. He advanced towards them, and as he moved, Sophia smoothly reached for her gun. She didn’t even need to think about it; all of Van’s combat training kicked in straight away. It was loaded and ready. She steadied herself and aimed directly in between the wolf’s eyes. It stopped right in front of Van.
Sophia’s finger squeezed the trigger as Van’s words ran through her mind. Offensive not defensive. She firmed her shoulder and prepared for the kick back. Just then, Van turned around and quite distinctively shook his head. Taken aback, Sophia lowered the weapon. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw another wolf step out from between the trees, then another, until they were completely surrounded by wolves. They were all big beasts, but the one standing directly in front of them was the largest, and presumably the alpha male. Whipping her head around, Sophia counted nineteen in total. Nineteen large creatures that she supposed were werewolves very interested in finding out who this mortal intruder on wolf-back was. She guessed that Van knew the pack; she hoped they considered him a friend.
The pack behind the alpha watched silently for a while, then began making a series of sounds, talking to each other. Low, rumbling growls rolled around the group like a wave, interrupted by the odd high-pitched yelp and low-toned short bark. The alpha male remained silent, eyes locked with Van’s. Sophia guessed they were communicating telepathically, and desperately wished she knew what they were saying. This not knowing was torture. She gripped Van’s back between her knees and locked her fingers around a bunch of his fur. She wanted to be ready if he ran, although she honestly didn’t see how they’d break through the wolf-walls surrounding them, if he did decide to flee.
Just then, the alpha male turned around, tipped up his head, and issued a series of growl-yip combinations. He then moved towards the top of the circle, followed by Sophia and Van. The crowd parted and let them through, then fell into a loose formation behind them as they set off at a steady trot. The terrain had been relatively flat during their journey up until this point, but a short while after they began following the alpha male, giant moss-covered boulders appeared between the trees. Sophia clung on as Van scrambled up and over some stones, and squeezed through narrow gullies formed by others. Things got trickier as they headed up a steep hill, still covered with the same moon-like rocks. About half way up the hill, the alpha led them under a large hanging rock, disappearing into the darkness beyond. Fear gripped Sophia; what if it was a trap? But Van was already following him through, and there was no time to voice her fears. She figured there was nothing either of them could do about it at this point, anyway.
Once inside, the tight entrance tunnel opened up into a vast cavern, the dimensions of which were impossible to tell because it was so dark. Sophia’s eyes began to adjust little by little, but even so, she sensed rather than saw all of the other wolves join them in the cave. Soon the air was filled with the warm, earthy smell of nineteen panting creatures. There was a hint of something else, too. Fear? Suspicion? Aggression? Probably all of those things combined. She climbed down off Van’s back and stood beside him with her hand on his neck. She was trying hard, desperately hard, to remain calm. The whole mission could depend on it. She just had to be patient and trust that Van knew what he was doing. By luck or design, she and Van found themselves surrounded by the pack once more, just as they had been in the woods. In each direction that Sophia turned, she saw shining eyes, all staring directly at her.
Perhaps it was the confined space, but as soon as they were all packed into the cave, the situation began to tip out of control. A few of the wolves near the door started snarling, and little by little, the others caught on and started growling, too. The fur on their backs and necks bristled and they flashed their teeth. Even if they considered Van a friend while they were out in the open, now that they were inside, it seemed that instinctual behaviors were emerging. Van was a newcomer, and these werewolves clearly didn’t want him thinking he could take their spot on the ladder. When Sophia felt the low rumbling begin in Van’s throat, too, she knew that things were about to turn really nasty. There was going to be a fight and this cave would be the place that she died, ripped to shreds by the pack. She needed to do something, now.
She stepped away from Van a little and held up both of her hands.
‘Please listen,’ she said, her voice echoing around the
cave. She was pleased to sound bolder and calmer than she felt. ‘We don’t mean any harm. Please let me explain why we’re here.’
This silenced some. Others left their teeth bared, and still others continued growling. She pressed on, certain that transparency was the key to calming this situation.
‘Van is a werewolf, just like you all. I think you know him already. But you don’t know me, and I’m sure you’re all wondering why I’m here, in your forest. My name is Sophia and I’ve traveled here with Van through the oak tree portal. I am Van’s Pure Soul and we’ve come to find the Pack Leader. We hope that he can tell us how the Pure Soul reverses the werewolf curse so that Van can live out his days as a mortal man with me. We don’t want any trouble; we just want to find out what to do, then go home.’
She realized she’d been holding her breath, and let it out in a slow stream. The cave was silent and the air thick with tension. She was hoping for a sign that her speech had put them at ease, but they seemed even more alert, as if waiting for something more. Of course, she suddenly thought, all of these werewolves are yet to find their Pure Souls. How will they feel, knowing another werewolf has found his? Will they be jealous of Van and wish us harm? And why are they all staring at me like that?
Curves & Alphas: A Paranormal Box Set: (BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance) Page 23