by Sara Snow
Not wanting to see a repeat of the fight that had happened between Will and Connor, I quickly stepped in front of Will, my feet crunching in the snow. "Cyrus, I know him. He won't hurt me. And I'd prefer it if the two of you could knock your testosterone levels down a notch and just chill for a minute while I explain."
Cyrus shook his head. “I didn’t think you’d be this foolish, Elinor.” My eyes widened at that, his words cutting me deep. “He’s a vampire, a Skin. He’s not your friend. How did the two of you even meet?”
Clenching my jaws, I stepped forward, my eyes narrowed with rage. "I don't know, Cyrus. Maybe we met the same way Skye met you. You’re the last person who should judge my friendship with Will. While I might be foolish, you're being a hypocrite. Which do you think is worse?"
I hated this. It was the first time Cyrus and I had ever argued. And I was having trouble taking him all in. His form seemed much bigger than the last time I’d seen him. And his eyes were red instead of the black they used to be. He was getting stronger.
His body burst into black smoke. By the time the smoke faded, he had returned to his human form. "I didn't mean to offend you, Elinor. I just . . . you had me worried for a minute there.” He looked at Will over my shoulder, and I watched as his nostrils twitched. “Why don’t you have the same pungent scent that other vampires do?”
I made a face as I turned to look at Will. “You don’t have to say it like that,” I mumbled under my breath to Cyrus. Will’s eyes drifted to me for a moment before he moved his cloak forward to shield his body. “I just don’t. If I knew, I’d tell you,” he answered. Cyrus made a sound in the back of his throat. “That’s doubtful.” His eyes shot to Will’s chest. “You have a heartbeat!” He stepped forward and then stopped, looking between me and Will. “How is that even possible?”
Will didn’t answer right away, and it left me wondering what he was thinking. I squinted, noticing the way his jaw clenched. Sure, Cyrus’s interruption upset me, too. But it seemed as if something else entirely was angering Will.
“Some vampires have special gifts,” he answered. “My gift is a beating heart.”
"Then you're not a vampire, right?” Cyrus said, and I smacked his arm. "What? He's a vampire with a beating heart. But not having a beating heart is exactly what makes a vampire, a vampire, right?” Cyrus posed the question to me, as if he didn’t trust Will to answer honestly.
"Is this really necessary, Cyrus? Yes, he's a vampire. End of story. Do you want to see his fangs? Or better still, why don’t you show him your demon eyes? You know, since you're a demon on wolf territory. It’s better to confirm what we all are, and what we’re not, right?"
“I think it’s time for me to take my leave," Will said as he stepped forward. “It seems like you two have a lot to talk about. But in the meantime, I’ll look into what you asked me about.” He lifted a hand and ran his knuckles across my cheek. Knowing Cyrus was behind me, watching, had me blushing in embarrassment. Will’s lips curved ever so slightly. “I’ll see you soon, Little Wolf.”
Then, right before my eyes, he vanished. A few strands of my hair blew in the wind created by his little disappearing act. Then I turned to Cyrus and growled, “So you’re an asshole now, is that it? You get a new demon form and turn into an asshole? You didn’t have to be rude.”
“I asked a valid question,” he said, shrugging.
“So I’d be in the right if I kicked your ass right now? Because I was in the middle of getting information about Keith’s death.”
He snorted, shaking his head. “Yeah, that’s not what I saw.” He sighed, then blinked three times and crossed his arms over his chest. Confused, I looked him up and down until I realized he was waiting for me to explain.
“I’m waiting.”
“I know,” I growled as I walked past him.
“Does Skye know about this?” he asked as we ambled through the woods, surrounded by the soothing sounds of nocturnal creatures calling to each other.
“Yes.” I lifted my skirt and bundled it in my hand to avoid it getting dirty. “I asked her not to tell you because I knew you’d freak out . . . even though you, of all people, should understand.”
“Can you blame me?” he asked. “Yeah, I get it. I’m a demon and he’s a vampire, and in terms of danger, there isn’t a big difference between us. But honestly, that’s exactly what concerns me. And I sure as hell would have preferred it if you’d told me he existed before I discovered you just inches away from a strange vampire in the dark of night in the middle of the forest. Especially after a vampire almost killed you not so long ago.”
I sighed. “Yeah, I get it. Sorry. But you don’t have to worry about me. Like you, he’s different from the rest of his kind.”
“Yeah, his heartbeat confirmed that much,” he grumbled as we stopped walking a mile from Skye’s house. “So, how did you two meet?”
I took a deep breath, then told him all about the evening I’d met Will. At the time, he’d been nothing but a vampire passing by, but afterwards, he saved me in the woods when I was attacked by Bleeders.
I told Cyrus about all the times we met up after that, and what happened at the cliff with Connor. As I spoke, Cyrus remained silent.
After I finished speaking, he just looked at me, not saying a single word. I wasn’t bothered by that, though. Cyrus wasn’t normally chatty. However, after five minutes had passed, I started to get a little worried. “Cyrus?”
“We should hurry back,” he said in response.
But I stopped and took his arm. He turned to face me, inhaling deeply.
I couldn't decipher the look in his eyes. Was there disappointment there? "Say something, please. You always know what to say, Cyrus, and I value your opinion. I know this is a lot to take in. And I realize that getting close to Will, especially in the beginning, was foolish. But it just happened."
Cyrus shook his head. “I want to tell you to stay away from him, that he’s dangerous . . . But you were right—I don’t have the right to say that. Not when I’m here, with you and Skye and your pack, not when I’m in lo—” He looked away quickly as he bit down on his lip, and my eyes widened at what he almost said.
“I know,” I told him, and his cheeks turned red. “I already know.”
“Anyway . . .” He turned away as we continued walking, and I watched as small snowflakes fell onto his cloak. “You all accepted me as a demon, so it’s not my place to say this, but . . . they’ll never accept Will. Honestly, I just hope you know what you’re doing.”
“But what if I don’t?” I said more to myself than him.
He said nothing in response as he took my hand and squeezed it. "Just be careful, okay? Just because he has a beating heart doesn’t mean he wouldn’t suck you dry if he got thirsty enough.”
Alpha Grayson
I watched the leader of the witches as she conversed with the leader of the elves and found it curious that they both had paper white hair. I could hear their conversation clearly as they spoke among themselves about the meeting we’d just had.
As expected, there was little to no information about who had killed Keith and the others. Ione’s vision had proved useful, though. The Werewolf Council sent an Enchanted to meet with her in hopes she’d somehow be able to get more information from the vision.
Enchanteds—said to be descendants of our Goddess—had always been a mystery to me. Elinor’s bright eyes flashed in my mind, and I thought about the myth surrounding wolves with pure white fur like hers. At least the information about Enchanteds being the descendants of the Goddess was actually factual and not just a bedtime story for pups. But ever since Elinor had first transformed, I knew I’d have to protect her at all costs. Now, we barely spoke to each other, and I had no one to blame but myself.
“Thank you for the information you provided, Alpha Grayson.” Faelen—the Enchanted sent by the Werewolf Council—sat down beside me as she, too, observed the witch and elf. She chuckled as she ran a hand down the thick white braid that pooled in h
er lap. “I guess having white hair isn’t that unique, huh?”
“For Enchanteds, it is,” I told her. She turned to face me, her striking blue eyes blinking slowly. "Thank you for your help with this hunt. It would seem you have a promising Enchanted amongst your pack."
“She’s still learning, but I know one day when she becomes as powerful as you are, she’ll be walking around with white hair like an elf, too.”
She chuckled. "Hey, don't tease. All elves have white hair, but for an Enchanted, it’s a sign of our strength.” A smug smile appeared on her lips. “Besides, I quite like my white hair.”
“Of course,” I replied, and we sat in silence for a moment.
Faelen was second in line to become a Grand Elder. Much like witches who had coven leaders and a Grand Witch, Enchanteds had a Grand Elder. The Grand Elder was a powerful Enchanted with a strong connection to the Goddess. Because of that connection, she was able to cast certain spells—much like a witch could. Although they were werewolves, Enchanteds couldn’t transform, and for that reason, they had their own governing council.
If you asked me, Enchanteds probably should have been in charge of all werewolves. After all, they were the ones with a direct link to our Goddess. But other werewolves argued we should choose our leaders from the strongest among us, and werewolves who couldn’t transform didn’t stand a chance of competing in brute physical strength. I thought it probably had more to do with many of the males not wanting to answer to female leaders, but that was difficult to prove.
“How’s your daughter?” Faelen asked as she turned to me. “Is it true what they say about her?”
I didn’t answer right away, but I knew there was no point in trying to hide the truth. After Elinor took part in the Werewolf Guard examination, news of the existence of a white wolf spread throughout the packs like wildfire.
“Yes,” I told her, and her eyes glimmered with curiosity.
“Your daughter is a special girl, indeed,” she murmured under her breath. “Keep her close.”
"So, I guess you believe the stories? She's my daughter, and although she’s incredibly stubborn, I can attest that she's just a girl—a normal girl."
She smoothed her hand down her light purple dress, and her face grew serious. "Don't you? Believe the stories, I mean? I do, regardless of whether you do. I believe wolves with white coats are descendants of the first wolf created by the Goddess."
“She’s a normal girl,” I repeated, but Faelen shook her head.
“Have you ever allowed an experienced Enchanted test her blood?” When I continued to stare at her, she elaborated. “I’m guessing that’s a ‘no’. An Enchanted’s blood contains divinity. The stronger the divinity, the stronger the connection to the Goddess. There are spells that can detect it.”
“I didn’t know that,” I told her, but deep down, I knew I’d never subject Elinor to testing. I doubted she’d even allow it.
After everything I’d put her through, she'd probably fight me on anything I said. I was an Alpha—a leader—and a damn good one. But waging a war against my own daughter was getting tiring. One day, she’d realize that everything I did was for her own good.
And what if an Enchanted performed this test, and results showed she actually did have divinity? How in the world would I protect her? She would be hunted for far more than just her hand in marriage.
Faelen placed her hand over mine. “I know what you’re thinking, and you’re right to worry. That is why I insist you do the test and get in front of this. There are many ways to test her blood without her knowing, and all we’d need is a drop.” She removed her hand. “If it turns out she has divinity as well as the ability to shift, she’ll be sought after for many reasons, both good and bad. And this—" She waved her hand between us. "—unknown predator we’ve been discussing will be the least of your problems."
“The Council will try to take her,” I said under my breath, low enough so only she would hear, just in case our conversation was being overheard. She nodded. “A werewolf with both divinity and the ability to shift would make history. The Council will want her close to watch her. She might develop abilities much like an Enchanted, perhaps even stronger.”
Then Faelen’s eyes grew bitter. “Of course, they’ll want to control her, the same way they control us Enchanteds.”
I clenched my fists. As much as I’d rather forget this conversation ever happened, I couldn’t help agreeing with Faelen that it was better for us to know for certain. I couldn’t focus on that right now, though. The threat against my pack was growing, and I had to handle the problem before someone else got hurt. So many members of my pack were at that festival that night, including my daughter.
My clenched fists relaxed as a thought occurred to me. “It seems like the killer is moving in a straight line from one town to the next. Maybe we should start watching the next town a few miles away from mine in case they get hit next.”
She looked thoughtful for a moment. “You’re right. I hadn’t noticed the pattern because we’ve all been so focused on figuring out who or what kind of creature it could be. I’ll speak to the Council and have—”
“No,” I cut her off. “There are no packs in or near to that town, and it’s a small one, so the number of Guards we’d need is minimal. We don’t know what this thing is, or if it’s intelligent and not just acting on instincts. We can’t suddenly have Guards swarming the town.” The wheels in my mind started to turn as I leaned forward, my eyes glued to the witch and elf as they slowly walked away, “To avoid suspicion, we should ask a few witches to go to the town, just to keep an eye on things. They could have a portal on standby if they discover who is doing this.” Yes, this could work.
Faelen stood, and I followed suit. She smiled. “And Guards could be kept on standby elsewhere, ready to be teleported in at a moment’s notice. It’s a good plan, Grayson. The sooner we find this creature, the sooner we’ll be able to confirm other matters.”
“What other matters?” I inquired. The hesitation on her face as she looked around us was a bright red flag. Something else was definitely going on here.
“People have been disappearing,” she said, low enough for only me to hear. “From all species and long before we found the first drained body. The disappearances have been growing in number recently. We have to do something about it.”
“What disappearances? If people from all different species have been vanishing without a trace, why weren’t the Guards made aware of it?”
“We needed to avoid panic at all costs. Because once again, we have no leads. A Council representative attended a meeting for leaders of all the species. But nobody had any answers. Now, we’re finding bodies. Is it the same killer? We don’t know, but we have to find out before more people go missing.”
“How bad are we talking?” I asked, and she sighed heavily.
“More than two thousand supernaturals are missing at the moment. Reports keep coming in from all across the country. There are sixty-eight reported missing from this region alone.”
I thought of Elinor and my pack, of my wife and son and the people I held dear. My instinct as an Alpha to protect my people kicked in, and I felt a great need to return home immediately.
Elves, witches, centaurs, satyrs, humans, shifters, and naiads that lived within the forests—they were all in danger . . . and they knew it. Peace between the species had always been tenuous, but at times like this, we all had to put our differences aside for the common good.
A thought occurred to me, causing an unsettling feeling to rise in my chest. "What if both cases aren't the same? "
7
Elinor
The snow was finally melting as the sun beamed down on the earth. For three days, a strong blizzard had trapped us all indoors.
As much as I had enjoyed the sound of the howling winds outside, I worried about my father. I mean, he was an Alpha—I was sure he could survive any snowstorm he got caught in—but despite our strained relationship at the m
oment, I’d hate for anything bad to happen to him.
There was one good thing about the storm. Since the blizzard forced everyone—humans and supernaturals alike—indoors, whoever had killed Keith wouldn’t be able to do any more hunting.
Beside me, Skye sighed as she lifted her head upward, soaking up the rays of sun beaming down on us. She stretched out her legs and crossed them at the ankles before resting her head against the tree trunk behind her.
“Are you comfortable enough?” I asked, chuckling as she bobbed her head.
“Oh yes. You know how I hate being trapped inside. That storm was a pain in the ass.”
"Three days trapped inside with Cyrus couldn’t have been that bad," I said.
She closed her eyes, crossed her arms and began shuffling to get comfortable. “It was okay, I guess. I spent a lot of time asleep.”
“Yeah, I bet you were both tired.” I moved away quickly, but she still managed to smack my arm. We both laughed. “I’m glad Father had agreed to this,” I told her as I listened to Cyrus and the children inside the small building to our left. They were all eager to speak to him, and he sounded excited to be there. “He’s doing great.”
Skye looked towards the building and uncrossed her arms. “You should have seen him with the kids from the orphanage.”
“Did he tell you he met Will?”
Her head whipped toward me. "Oh yes, he did. He said hearing Will’s beating heart was creepy. His words, not mine."
I nodded. “I get that. It was creepy to me too—and confusing. As we walked back to the packhouse, I told him about Will and the time we’d spent together. Did he tell you what happened at the cliff?”
She shook her head. “We didn’t talk about it much. My mother was around the entire time.”
“You remember how Connor caught Will and me together, right? I asked Will about it, and he said he used an ability called compulsion to erase Connor’s memory. He made Connor think I almost fell off the cliff.”