by L. C. Davis
“I love you, too.”
And I did. It was as if the flood gates had been opened, but to what I wasn't entirely sure yet. All I knew was that moonlit spot in the forest, curled up against his chest with the soothing rhythm of his heartbeat playing in my ears, was the only heaven I needed.
20
As a teenager, none in my long line of foster parents had ever cared enough to notice where I was or wasn't. As Sebastian and I crept towards the Lodge and tried to beat the pastel sunrise, our hair still damp from an early morning bathe in the river that had led to another round of passion, I imagined this must be what it felt like to sneak in late with a boy.
I stole a glance at his shirtless body. His tanned skin still glistened with water droplets. He seemed too perfect to be real, and so did the night that seemed to have slipped away like a silk thread – smooth while it lasted, but gone much too quickly.
He caught my looking and grinned. “I always said it looked better on you.”
My cheeks grew warm as I looked down at his shirt. It fell just above my mid-thigh, covering enough but not nearly as much as I would have liked. In the clarity of morning and the calm afterglow of our lovemaking – and it was, however animalistic it had been – I was beginning to regret my reckless decision to leave my clothes strewn around the woods. Sebastian had found them, of course, but they were soaked with the morning dew and destined for the trash bin.
“How are we going to get in without anyone noticing?”
His grin hadn't faded since we left the woods. “You're my mate, I don't care who knows it. But we'll take the side entrance, for you.”
I nodded my gratitude. I would have smiled, but it was hard enough not to wince and betray my weakness as we made our way up the mountain. My entire body was sore, some parts more than others. I didn't know what had come over me as I barreled down that hill, but I was certainly paying the price.
“How ya feelin'?” He looked me over with a critical gaze.
“Fine.”
His lip twitched in irritation. “You're lying.”
I blinked at him. He'd never been able to tell before.
“I'll carry you,” he said, tossing the clothes he'd been holding over one arm.
“No,” I said quickly. That was exactly what I'd been trying to avoid. “It'll look even weirder if someone does catch us. I'm fine, really.” I quickened my pace up the hill as much as it killed me. “See?”
“You're limping.”
“Probably will be for a while after that.”
The look on his face betrayed the fact that he was wavering between pride and guilt. “Guess round two wasn't such a good idea.”
“Probably not,” I admitted. “Worth it, though.”
He smirked. We had finally reached the top of the hill and he motioned for me to be quiet as we crept around the side of the building to another entrance near the garden. He opened the door and looked in before motioning to me that it was okay to go ahead.
I slipped inside, tiptoeing as best as I could while hiding a limp. Sebastian might have been a wolf, but he was built like a horse.
His hand rested on the small of by back, guiding me in the darkness. When we came to the bottom of a flight of stairs, he scooped me up into his arms. I couldn't protest without the risk of alerting someone, but it was a relief not to be on my feet any longer. When he lifted me into his arms, I became acutely aware of where at least some of the bruises from my joyride down the hill were forming. My right thigh seemed to have taken the worst of it.
We made it to the top of the stairs in what seemed like a relatively quiet part of the Lodge. My heart flipped in my chest when I realized why it was so familiar.
“Sebastian,” I hissed. “This is Ulric's study.”
“No worries,” came a voice from the bottom of the stairs. The lights flicked on, but my eyes were adjusted enough from the early morning sun that they didn't blind me. I could see Ulric standing there with perfect clarity. He was already dressed. “I'm an early riser. Though not quiet as early as you, it seems.”
I squirmed until Sebastian grudgingly put me down. “W-we were just, um, swimming. In the river.”
He looked me over and seemed to be trying not to cringe. “I can see that. Did you have a struggle with an alligator who took your clothes, too?”
I struggled to come up with a reply, but before I could, he added, “Ah, wait. Sebastian is holding them. Looks like he was kind enough to lend you some of his.”
Sebastian shrugged. “He's my mate. Nothing wrong with that.”
“Indeed there isn't.” Ulric sighed. “Shall we continue this conversation in my study?” It was phrased like a question, but it wasn't one.
Sebastian nodded and took my hand, pulling me along to wait by the huge wooden door while Ulric unlocked it. I didn't know why I had expected him to be capable of holding up a false pretense. Sebastian was nothing if not honest.
To a fault, sometimes.
“Come in,” said a weary Ulric.
We stepped into the study that was becoming more familiar than I would have liked. As usual, I tried to avoid looking at the lion's head that hung above Ulric's desk, but it was difficult to do while remaining a respectful degree of eye contact.
“Foster!” He called, making me jolt.
I hadn't noticed him in the hall, but the boy appeared a moment later with a sheepish look on his face. “Yes, Sir?”
“Fetch a robe for our guest and a towel before his dog shakes off and ruins my upholstery.
“Yes, Sir!” he said cheerfully, seemingly relieved he hadn't been scolded for eavesdropping.
I made a mental note to watch out for him. The idea of what conversations he might have overheard was nauseating, so I forced my mind down a different road.
Sebastian was clearly less than amused by the dog comment. In fact, the two of them seemed to be engaged in a staring match, which wasn't helping his case.
I was becoming aware enough of the strange little culture within the pack to know better than to interfere. They would work it out amongst themselves. Intervening, whether to calm Sebastian down or come to his defense, would only humiliate him.
Foster came in with the robe and towel not a moment too soon. “Thanks,” I smiled at him, gratefully pulling the robe around me and tying the sash around my waist.
“You're welcome!”
He handed the towel to Sebastian and got barely a grunt of acknowledgment and a withering gaze. The poor boy slunk out of the room with his tail between his legs. I imagined it would have been a literal description if he were in his beast form. Curiosity seized me as to what that might look like. I couldn't imagine him looking anything like Sebastian.
Sebastian dropped the unused towel to the floor. It was hard to mistake it for anything other than a challenge, but to my surprise, Ulric didn't explode.
“Sorry. Rough morning,” he sighed, folding his hands in front of him.
Sebastian seemed to relax a little. “It's a bit early, even for you.”
“Yes, well, there has been a lot to research. I also had some calls to make. You remember Anaru, the leader of the pack in Melbourne?”
“Been a long time since I heard that name,” said Sebastian, leaning forward with interest. “Are they still having trouble with the ferals?”
“Always, but that's not what the conversation was about. Anaru is the only other wolf I'm aware of whom I would consider even more proficient in the psychic arts than your brother.”
Sebastian winced at the mention of their familial connection. “So?”
“So, since Victor is... indisposed at the moment,” he sighed, putting on his reading glasses, “and since the harvest moon grows closer with no sign of enough progress to help him shift, I thought a consultation was in order.”
I didn't really mind being spoken about as if I weren't there, as long as they were giving out information, so I waited patiently and listened intently.
“Any luck?” asked Sebastian.
<
br /> “A bit. Even he is a bit rusty on the lore but he seemed quite fascinated with your situation, if a bit envious. His pack's records go back further than ours. He said he's sending me a tome on loan.”
I don't know what came over me, but I giggled. I stopped myself as soon as I started, but it was too late. They were both looking at me.
“S-sorry.” My cheeks flared red with embarrassment. “It's just... tome and loan? It-it sounded funny.”
Their expressions told me I wasn't doing anything to help my case.
“He's been weird like that for the past couple of days,” said Sebastian.
He ignored my glare of betrayal.
“Anaru did say something about that. The closer it gets to the first harvest moon after a wolf is marked, his behavior starts to change. Aggression, mood swings, carnal urges,” he said, giving me a look, “all grow stronger. Inhibitions lower, especially under the light of the moon. It's supposedly to bring the bonded pair closer and make the wolf nature easier to accept before the first transformation.”
He sighed. “In most cases, the mark would be made just after the harvest moon so the fledgling can have a full year of lunar cycles to adjust to the changes, but since he was marked barely more than a month out, everything is condensed.”
Sebastian looked crestfallen. “So even with the psychic stuff, if I had waited to mark him, this wouldn't be happening.”
“It certainly would have given us all more time to figure things out, but it's not entirely your fault, my boy.” He stood up from his chair and headed over to the drink cart. “The lion's share of the blame rests on me. It's been so long since a fledgling appeared, I took it for granted, like most of the others, that it wouldn't happen under my reign. I was careless, and for that you are both paying the price.”
“Wait, what's a fledgling?” I interrupted as he poured two glasses of a dark amber liquid I could only assume was bourbon.
Ulric looked at me. “You. It's simply a term used to differentiate the born, original wolves from the typically smaller, weaker wolves who were once known as our soulmates.”
“What do you mean once? Why does everyone keep talking like this is so rare?”
“Because it is. No one has seen a fledgling since around the time of the Great Depression. At least, not in our part of the world.” He handed Sebastian a glass. “We still keep up the customs, but it's all been show. Until now, at least.”
“If I'm part of this and even you don't really know what's going on, maybe it's time you filled me in? Especially if I'm going to die because of it.”
“I'm not going to let that happen,” said Ulfric and Sebastian in unison.
The graying wolf sighed. “Would you like a glass of water?”
“Can I have whatever you're having?”
He looked down at the glass and reluctantly handed it to me. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, thanks.” I took a sip and struggled to keep a straight face as the liquor burned the front of my mouth.
After pouring another for himself, Ulric returned to his desk. He seemed to want to say something but wasn't sure how to find the words. I took it as my chance to finally get some answers.
“This whole soulmate thing,” I began, “what does it have to do with the dream Sebastian keeps talking about?” I left out the fact that Victor spoke of the same dream. He was their Alpha, but if Victor hadn't told his own brother, I didn't see why he would have told Ulric.
He sighed deeply for what seemed like the hundredth time and took a sip of his drink. “I did bring you here so we could all be on the same page before your transformation. I'll answer any questions you have – at least, to the best of my ability – but we have to start at the beginning.”
He seemed to wait until he was sure we were both listening to go on. To my surprise, Sebastian was listening just as intently as I was.
“The story of the wolves and their soulmates goes back much further than that,” he continued, opening a large leather-bound tome. “Further, even, than the history of our pack.”
21
“In the beginning, there were two kingdoms that ruled the earth. The kingdom of the Sun was ruled by the kings of man, while the kingdom of the Moon was ruled by the creatures of the night. Werewolves and vampires were Her chief descendants, but there were countless others. Were creatures of a variety of species, from the majestic lion to the smallest mouse, ghosts, banshees, even angels who had fallen from the highest ranks of the Sun kingdom to conduct their business here on earth.
The creatures of the night lived a relatively separate existence for a time, until the inevitable union between the celestial Lord and Lady forced them to coexist. Although the children of the Sun were weaker and their lives shorter, they were only children who were held in the highest regard. He took such great delight in them that he was content to look upon them far past the hour when the children of night were due for their fair turn to roam the earth.
While this understandably angered the children of the night, they all handled it differently. The lions were envious and sought to join the ranks of the Sun's chosen ones. Many of them succeeded, becoming some of the greatest generals and leaders throughout the history of mankind. The vampires – they were not the creatures we know now for the blood lust had not yet come upon them – were furious. The wolves were angered as well, but only out of longing to bask in the cool glow of their mother's rays. They sought to convince Her to reason with her new husband about the unfair treatment her children had received before taking any drastic action.
Then, of course, there were the demons. Thrown from the gleaming kingdom of the Sun due to their dangerous gift for playing in the shadows of the very brightest places, they had no sooner swept the dirt off their robes from falling than they began to foment dissent among the children of night. They saw the shadow of envy within the hearts of both the lions and the vampires, who were not unlike the angelic brethren they despised for casting them out, and they sought to exploit it. The vampires had been blessed by their mother with great cunning, poise and swiftness, but they lacked the courage of the lion and the devotion of the wolf. They were weaker than both in body and in spirit, and the demons were able to turn their hearts against their mother with a disgraceful lack of effort.”
“Wait,” I interrupted. I had waited as long as I could, but I couldn't escape the feeling that Ulric expected me to be taking this seriously. “I'm sorry, I just don't understand. Am I supposed to take this as lore or fact?”
Ulric smiled dimly. “Take it however you like. I would have known my answer, until recently. May I continue?”
I nodded, feeling guilty for the interruption. “Please.”
“The demons continued to whisper in the ears of the vampires at night, softly laying plans of vengeance and treachery in their minds. The demons could not act freely as citizens of neither kingdom, but they knew that the vampires could act as the arbiters of their plan. In addition to their intelligence, which was far superior to all other children of the earth, the vampires were highly gifted in the art of persuasion. The demons knew their only chance of waging war upon the children of the Sun was to use the intellect of the vampires to manipulate their wolf brethren into a long and raging battle that neither side could truly win.
Sadly, they succeeded. Little by little, the vampires preyed upon the strength of the wolves until it turned into weakness. Like demons themselves, they whispered half truths and conspiracies in the wolves' ears while they slept. When convincing the wolves that their mother had betrayed them failed, they circumvented loyalty and went for the protector's greatest weakness. They finally succeeded in convincing the wolves that the Moon was weak and incapable of defending herself or her children against the mistreatment of her husband.
Brokenhearted and weary of mind after a full year of fitful sleep, the wolves agreed to wage war upon the kingdom of the Sun and retrieve their mother whom the vampires swore had been captured. Flanked by the pitiful remaining ranks of lions and
spurred on by the vampires, the wolves launched a full assault on the greatest kingdom of man, ruled by the Sun's most beloved child. Despite their lesser numbers and low morale, the wolves fought valiantly on behalf of their mother's imagined plight, and decimated the ranks of man.
When the battle was done and the king of the land had been laid open for the crows, his blood soaked into the burnt yellow grass, and his eyes set upon the shining gaze of the father who looked upon him with delight for the very last time, the Moon was nowhere to be found.
The wolves searched desperately in every dungeon, forest and river the dead king had once ruled, but She was not there. When the wolves realized the treachery of the vampires, they set upon them in rage and grief.
'How could you make us do this to our mother?' cried the strongest of the wolves.
'We made you do nothing,' hissed the most cunning of vampires. His eyes were the color of blood and the wolf realized he had been consulting with the demons. His teeth were sharper and they dripped with fresh and innocent blood.
'Brother,' cried the wolf. 'You have taken their curse and betrayed us all.'
'Curse? The demons have offered a gift and we had the foresight to accept. You may still be stronger but I am now invulnerable and cunning enough to compel a fool like you to do my bidding.'
As the brothers argued, the Sun turned away, unable to bear the sight of the beasts of night who were beginning to rip the flesh of his dearest child. He disappeared behind a wall of clouds like none the creatures of earth had ever seen. The clouds soon split and torrents gushed from them.
The beasts who had begun to devour the greatest king scattered for shelter. The wolf's fur was soaked with tears and rain as he watched his brother try to escape in the chaos. Before he could pursue him, the fallen king began to rise. As he stood, his entrails drew back within him and the blood that had soaked into the ground returned through his palm, forcing its way through his flesh and into his veins.”
My blood ran cold at his words. It was easy enough to cast everything aside as a fairy tale, but this bit was far too much like my grotesque hallucination for comfort. I unconsciously rubbed my palm and pulled the sleeve of my robe over it.