by Cara Wylde
“I’m sorry, but I still don’t understand your position here,” he said. “You’ve been extremely vague.”
After he had saved Avelyn from Sabine and turned back into his human form, the only explanation Viggo had given them was that he was interested in keeping the peace.
“I want to make sure the peace treaty between humans and shape-shifters stays the way it is.”
There it was again: the same damn explanation. Karl huffed. “You were protecting my sister-in-law, not the peace treaty.”
He would have said more, but he wasn’t sure how much the dragon knew about Sabine and the Blackmanes. The situation was getting messier and messier by the second. There were already too many people who knew about Sabine’s imprisonment, that she had bitten Avelyn, which was against the law, and that Avelyn was now a hybrid. The headmistress, her secretary, Dr. Stevens, Avelyn’s friends… James Harington, of course… The last thing they needed in this pot of people who were supposed to take the secret to their graves was a dragon-shifter. Then, there were Sabine’s rogue wolves, and the two fox earths whose involvement he couldn’t even begin to comprehend. How much did they know? How many other people knew how many other things about the clan? Karl pinched the bridge of his nose. They were screwed.
“I can’t thank you enough for saving my life,” said Avelyn, “but Karl has a point. We would all trust you more if you just told us why you are here.”
Viggo rose from his chair and stepped closer to the tall windows that faced the front alley. “Does it matter that much? I’m on your side and I’m going to make sure the peace treaty will not be broken for the thousandth time in the past month. You can count on me to drive those werewolves and werefoxes away.”
Almost everyone in the office gave a deep sigh. Pure frustration made the air almost impossible to breathe.
“But why?” pressed Avelyn. “What’s in it for you? Are you… in the Council…?” Her eyes shifted quickly from Viggo to Max and Karl, trying to determine if her supposition was right.
“No, he’s not,” answered Karl. “In fact, Clan Drekinn isn’t much of a clan, is it, Viggo?” The two locked eyes. “Most of your dragon-shifters are asleep, including your Alpha. Am I right?” Viggo kept silent. Karl stood up and approached the window, facing him. “One of the oldest dragon clans in the world, and the Drekinns have completely disappeared from the social and political life. Your Alpha…”
“Fyrstur.” Viggo corrected him between clenched teeth. The word came out as more of a hiss followed by a carefully rolled “r”. It was the first rank in the dragons’ culture, and it literally meant “first” in their language. They never liked that the werewolves considered themselves important enough to use their own ranks when talking about the other shape-shifter factions. Of all the factions, they had the least respect for other cultures.
“Right.” Karl abstained from making the silly remark that had crossed his mind. It was never a good idea to piss a dragon off. “Your Fyrstur has been asleep for over 500 years.”
“700.”
Avelyn’s eyes grew as wide as saucers. She knew dragons went into hibernation at least once in their ridiculously long lives, but 700 years sounded surreal. Werewolves didn’t live that long.
“Why would anyone want to sleep for so many centuries?” It was rude to interrupt a conversation, but she couldn’t help voicing her bewilderment.
Viggo turned back to the window and took a moment to admire the sunrise. He seemed lost in thought and not very willing to answer her question. Finally, he sighed and broke the silence. He was nothing but a stranger to these people, and it had been foolish of him to think they would simply accept his presence and help because he had happened to save the human bride.
“Eric Drekinn is his name and, yes, he has been asleep for a little over 700 years. You’re right, Karl, we can barely say our clan exists anymore. Most of our dragons are in deep sleep, hundreds of feet beneath the ground. Only I and two other friends have chosen to stay awake and keep the name alive. But we are growing tired, I’m afraid. Clan Drekinn needs to rise again, and that means awaking our Fyrstur, Eric.” He turned towards Avelyn. “I have been watching you for a while now. A little over a month ago, you were bitten and your husband asked Councilor Harington’s son for a cure Harington Pharmaceuticals has been working on off the record. I have no access to that cure and, frankly, I don’t need it. It’s for the werewolf venom. But I knew that if it worked, then it meant it might be possible for the scientists to develop cures for all types of shifter venom, dragon venom included. Now that… is something I do need.”
“You need a cure for the dragon venom,” said Max. “Why? And how… How did you even know that Harington Pharmaceuticals has been working on that? This has so many loose ends.”
“I think it’s called espionage.” Viggo smiled mischievously. He would have never told anyone about this, but he believed he was rather safe given that Clan Blackmane was in over its head in much fishier affairs. “I have been keeping an eye on Arthur Harington’s labs for years, since he publicly stated he was working on a cure and wanted the Council’s approval. It didn’t work out for him, but I knew he wouldn’t stop there. It was a fascinating endeavor, and men of science aren’t known for giving up on their projects simply because the public doesn’t approve of them. So I followed their work from the shadows, patiently waiting for a breakthrough. Now I’m here, standing before the first hybrid in the world.” He pointed towards Avelyn, a huge smile on his face. “The changes you’re going through… they never cease to amaze me. You haven’t turned, still you possess the strength, speed and, probably, the long lifespan of a werewolf. You’re carrying a baby in your womb. Avelyn Blackmane, you might be the key to bringing Clan Drekinn back from its endless slumber.”
Avelyn swallowed heavily. There was something in the dragon’s golden eyes. Hope? Enthusiasm? Anxiety because what he had in mind might not work for him in the end?
“How…?”
“I don’t know yet. What happened to you is no more than a promise… a promise that in the near future shape-shifters won’t be forced to watch their human mates die of old age.”
Max rubbed his short beard in thought. “If you put it that way, it makes sense.” When he had given him the cure, James Harington had only talked about humans and shape-shifters meeting halfway, and about how shifter females would be able to have children again. Of course, that was the outcome James was interested in: less power imbalance between humans and shifters, and no more boarding schools selling human girls into what was uncomfortably close to slavery. Now, Max could see there were so many other advantages of a cure being made legal and public. His own father had seen all his three human wives grow old and die. But what would the disadvantages be? He couldn’t help but notice neither James, nor Viggo had mentioned them, and if he could understand that in James’ case because he was a human and he had his species’ interests at heart, he couldn’t understand it in Viggo’s case. Avelyn’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
“How much do you know about what happened to me?”
“I know you were bitten, otherwise you wouldn’t have needed the cure.”
“Do you know who bit me?”
“Until last night, I had no idea and I couldn’t care less. I still don’t care.”
“Well, that’s a relief…” Avelyn gave him a crooked smile, making sure he saw she was being ironic. Apparently, she had just been saved by a guy who didn’t give a toss about her as a person. Maybe as a test subject…
“Accidents happen,” Viggo continued. “I know the Council likes to think they have everything under control, but humans still get bitten from time to time, especially human brides. If it’s not a rogue shifter set on stirring chaos, then it’s an overly enthusiastic shifter husband who digs his fangs too deeply into his young bride’s neck during mating. When I found out James Harington had given you the cure, the only thing I was interested in was to keep you under my radar and observe how it
worked. Now I know that crazy she-wolf bit you. Sabine… right?” He looked at Max. “Your ex-bride, if I gathered that right.”
“Yes…” Max didn’t particularly enjoy sharing details of his past with a stranger.
“Relax, I don’t care. My interest is strictly personal. Your wife is the first hybrid in the world, and all I want is for her to be safe.”
“But you already know the cure works,” said Avelyn. “What else do you need?”
“I need to see that your child is healthy. Also, have you ever wondered what it would be?”
“We hope it’s a boy,” she answered enthusiastically, her face lighting up with joy. She squeezed Max’s hand.
Viggo smiled indulgently. “I sure hope it is, but that’s not what I meant. Will it be a werewolf? A hybrid? Will it have any human traits at all?”
A small crease appeared on Avelyn’s forehead. Indeed, none of them had thought about that.
“Because if the offspring of a shape-shifter and a hybrid retains both human and shifter traits, then we’ll have to start thinking about the future of humanity. A world populated by hybrids. People with incredibly long lifespans. I can’t even begin to imagine the implications.”
“There they are,” thought Max, “the disadvantages…”
“Anyway, that’s a whole different discussion,” concluded Viggo. “My point is that Avelyn Blackmane has to be kept safe. Whether you trust me or not, I will keep those rogue wolves and foxes away from her. All I’m asking is to let me stick around to see exactly what the cure does in the long run.”
“Speaking of which,” intervened Karl, “what’s the deal with the two fox earths? Why in hell’s name would they ally with a rogue pack of wolves? They’re blatantly violating the peace treaty. And for what? What do they have to gain?”
“I don’t know,” said Viggo.
There was a long pause in the office. Everyone was thinking about Karl’s question and trying to come up with some valid ideas, but it was no use. They would probably end up with far-fetched speculations.
“And, again, I don’t care,” added the dragon-shifter. “Let’s just solve this the only way we can: crush them and make sure no one ever hears about what happened here. Avelyn being bitten by that crazy she-wolf, the newly turned humans, the werefoxes with their hidden agenda, the cure… Let’s crush something that can clearly go badly for everyone. We’ll think about the consequences later, but I assure you they will be less horrible than if we let this reach the Council’s ears.”
“We can’t just kill everyone!” Avelyn jumped to her feet, ignoring Max’s attempts to calm her down. “That’s what you’re saying, right? That we should just kill everyone because it makes things easier for us.”
Viggo crossed his muscular arms over his chest. “You know what they say: dead men tell no tales. In this case, dead shifters tell no tales.”
“That’s awful! It makes me sick! You make me sick!”
“Shh… baby,” cooed Max, “we’re not going to kill anyone. We’re not murderers.” His last words were aimed at Viggo. The weredragon merely rolled his beautiful eyes.
“And it’s certainly not going to happen in my town,” said Miss Delacroix.
“Look,” said Viggo, “we can talk about this for hours, but we all know there’s no other option. So, are we really going to argue about it until the crazy she-wolf attacks again? And, believe me, this time she will be better prepared.”
“No, we won’t,” answered Avelyn. “Because there’s nothing to argue about. We’re not killing anyone.”
“Let me talk to Sabine,” said Christine, her voice weak and tired. She might have been a werewolf, but her hundreds of years were showing on her wrinkled face and in the prominent veins on her arms. “I took care of her for so many years… She’s the daughter I never had. She will listen to me.”
Avelyn sighed. “No, she won’t. I’ve told you before, and I’m telling you again: if there’s anyone she hates more than me and Max, it’s you.”
The old woman shook her head in denial. “No… No… She’s just confused. She’s so alone and confused…”
“Please understand…”
“Here we go again…” said Jocelyn. She stood up and headed to the door. She had no intention of hearing the same conversation for the millionth time.
Karl threw a glance at the clock above Avelyn’s and Max’s heads and noticed Viggo was also staring at it impatiently. For the first time, and maybe the last, they seemed to be on the same page. “This is a waste of time,” he said.
“I agree,” said the weredragon. “We’re tired, we have two badly injured werewolves, two dead human guards, and only one sane solution. Let’s end this here.”
“No!” Avelyn took a couple of steps towards Viggo. “No one agrees to your solution!”
“Avelyn…” Max squeezed her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. “You’re so tired, you haven’t eaten anything… Let’s take a break.”
“No!” She struggled out of his embrace and turned to face him, her eyes throwing daggers at him. “This isn’t right and you know it.”
Jocelyn opened the door and motioned for Ryan, her Beta, to follow her. “I, for one, need to eat, sleep, and think about it. We’re out.”
“Jocelyn,” Avelyn’s voice was low and threatening. “No one is going anywhere until we settle this. Close the door.”
The she-wolf smashed the door closed, but not because Avelyn’s words had had that particular effect on her. “Since when do you think you can order me around?”
“Oh God…” sighed Karl and let himself fall back into his chair. “This will never end.”
***
They argued almost all day, locked up in Miss Delacroix’s office. It didn’t mean they reached a conclusion, and they wouldn’t have probably reached one even if they continued to argue for another day. Or two. Or another year. The headmistress tried to keep the school running, and made sure the students and Alma Venus professors were busy with classes and activities, which drew their attention away from what was happening right under their nose. All they knew was that some rogue wolves had attacked the boarding school for some reason, and the authorities and the Council would take care of it. Only Claudia and Delyse knew the truth, and they also knew that it had to be kept secret.
No one was satisfied with the current situation. Avelyn wasn’t satisfied because she hadn’t managed to convince anyone that no rogue wolf or fox had to be hurt. She couldn’t even believe that killing them was an option the others could so easily consider. Max wasn’t satisfied because he still didn’t have all his wolves with him, having been forced to leave many behind to guard the Schloss and deal with the rest of Sabine’s pack. He had to admit: the she-wolf had proved to be very smart. She had split her pack in two, leaving some of her wolves in the Black Forest Mountains to keep the Blackmanes busy and give them the impression that her intention was to reach the castle, while taking the others with her, to Myrtle Valley. He hated that he couldn’t protect Avelyn, and he had no other place to take her. It was too late, anyway. And Viggo wasn’t pleased because the Blackmanes seems to have a thing for making things very complicated. As far as he was concerned, his plan was sound and effective. He could understand why Avelyn had shown such repulsion towards it, but for the life of him he couldn’t comprehend the others’ attitude. To top it all, the headmistress had forbidden him to use his dragon fire, and even to turn into his dragon form. In all fairness, he had nothing against her decision, and he had to agree that using his powers would have drawn too much attention to Alma Venus and what was happening on its grounds. He didn’t like how helpless this interdiction made him feel, though.
Suffice it to say, no one was pleased, nor prepared for what was to come. For an hour or so they had toyed with the idea of trying to draw the enemy deep into the woods behind the boarding school, but that meant using Avelyn as bait, which did not sit well with anyone involved. Not even with Viggo. Eventually, they were forced to leave
the office in order to eat something and get some rest, and accept the fact that they would never reach common ground. All they could do was make sure they weren’t dead tired from lack of food and sleep when the she-wolf decided to make her next move. The only one who had achieved some sort of victory was Christine, when Max finally told her she was free to try and talk to Sabine if she wanted to. Deep down, maybe he hoped the Elder would be able to show Sabine how misplaced her revenge was. It was highly improbable, but it had to be tried.
This time, when Sabine emerged from the darkness of the forest, followed by her rogue wolves and foxes, her way wasn’t blocked by a useless iron gate, but by a rather large group of Crescents, Moon Children, and Dark Wolves. She started laughing when she saw them all lined up in front of the fence, determined to keep her out of the school grounds. She and her allies still outnumbered them, and the only thing which could have tipped the balance in their favor would have been the presence of the dragon-shifter, but he was nowhere in sight.
“Well, I must admit I’m a tad disappointed,” she said, a large smile on her face. Once again, she was naked, her long, curly hair barely covering her nipples. She was certainly beautiful, in a dark, menacing way. Her brows furrowed when she saw Christine approach her with small, careful steps. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you too old for this?”
The old woman raised her hands in front of her, showing Sabine she meant no harm. “Please, child, stop this madness. We’re not here to hurt you. We don’t want to hurt you.”
“As if you could hurt me…” Sabine huffed and looked over Christine’s head, carefully studying everyone standing behind her. “Where is she? Where is the little bitch?”
“Avelyn is somewhere safe,” answered Christine. “You know there’s no way you will ever get to her, so let’s just talk about this and make a wise decision.”