Wolf of Choice (The Shifters and Sorceresses Trilogy Book 1)

by Shay Laurent

  He looked up at me. ‘Hey, I was thinking, we should start taking shifts to sleep now that we are close to the valley. I know we agreed on the other side, but I think maybe we should now, just in case we run into trouble.’

  I exhaled in relief. ‘Yeah, great idea. Do you want to sleep first?’

  ‘Nah, it’s all good, I’ll take the first watch.’

  ‘Okay, cool.’

  We chatted for a while, then I decided I should get some shut-eye so we could both have a decent amount of rest before we had to go in the morning.

  Snug under my blanket, my thoughts drifted back to my family, but my last thought before I went to sleep was of how soon I’d be Shifting for the first time; it was almost my birthday.

  DOM’S FACE HOVERED over mine. His finger across his lips. I was instantly awake. I nodded and sat. He moved back a little, so I didn’t crash into him. His eyes had left mine and were peering around. I listened. There was a rustling in the trees.

  I looked to Dom and waved at the stuff around us. He shook his head. It’d be too loud, I knew, but I didn’t want to lose our stuff. I pointed to our weapons. This time he nodded. We’d fight.

  I picked up my weapons belt as quietly as I could and slipped it around my hips as I rose from the ground. I buckled it on slowly. The rustling was moving closer. I stepped behind a tree. Dom moved in the opposite direction and did the same.

  The noise came closer again. A shadow moved. It wasn’t human height. I took a gentle sniff, trying to catch the flavour in the air. Shifter. Dom had realised the same. He signalled to me to indicate Shifting by pointing to himself and then lowering his hand down to a shorter height, a questioning look on his face. I shook my head. It would be easier with two of us to ambush the intruder with the weapons.

  The shadow was almost on our makeshift camp, which was just visible from the faint light of the moon. From my vantage point, I saw the large, black wolf step into our small clearing and snarl. I could hear the spittle fly from its mouth and connect with the leaves on the ground nearby. I looked at Dom. Our eyes connected. He gave a slight nod and I gently pulled one of my short swords out. He had pulled his throwing knives.

  Dom took a swift step from behind his tree and threw a knife. The wolf was already moving. The knife missed. It pounced for him. I launched from behind my tree, sword already moving in a tight arc towards the wolf. It changed course at the last second, the fur on its haunches sitting on end. Drool slid from between its canines as it looked us both over. Sizing us up. Feral.

  It catapulted from the ground, right at Dom. He’d been pegged as the bigger threat. I swung forward as the wolf connected with him and sliced its back open. It gave a snarl, abandoned him and came at me. I retreated, using my senses to avoid the trees. I could see behind the wolf that Dom had pulled himself up and was collecting the bow and arrows from the ground.

  One step. Another. The wolf stalked. My mind flashed to my father stalking toward me in the cave, then back to the black beast in front of me. Its lips pulled up. The wolf’s weight shifted. I held my ground, trusting Dom. Two noises sounded at the same time: the wolf shoving leaves into the earth as it launched from the ground, and the sound of an arrow being released from the bow.

  I dropped and spun to the left. The arrow connected, the wet puncture hitting my ears as the wolf charged into my shoulder. I hadn’t moved far enough. The impact was like being hit with a bag of stones. But the arrow had worked; it was embedded in the wolf’s side. The animal snarled and howled. It snapped at me. Then, it ran back toward the valley and away from us.

  I stood shakily, clutching my shoulder. ‘I guess you did see something after all.’

  Dom looked at me, face grim. ‘I guess I did. We shouldn’t stay here the night, in case he returns. Do you think we should go back or forwards though?’

  I thought for a few moments. ‘Probably best to continue ahead. If we have to face him again, at least we’ll be going in the right direction. Turning back now will mean we won’t make the mountains once the storms are in full force, and they never take long to hit once the snow starts in winter. We don’t want to be trapped with nowhere to stay when that happens.’

  ‘Yep. Makes sense. All right. Let’s get our stuff.’

  Back in the scattered camp, we repacked out bags. My face wrinkled with worry when I saw Dom flinch as he bent down to get his things. His shoulders were tight, bracing for the pain of each movement. It was lucky Shifters healed pretty fast, but we’d both need to walk instead of run for the next part of the journey, to give our bodies the best chance.

  As the moon crept toward the horizon and the sun began to show its first rays, we trudged through the ankle-deep snow at a snail’s pace. If anyone was watching, we were essentially sitting ducks. I looked around constantly and kept my ears focused on our surroundings. By the time we made it to the other side of the valley, the sun was well into the sky, making the frosty air more bearable.

  The forest on this side of the valley was different. It was filled with a range of trees, like white oaks and green ashes, as well as some shrubs and plants. Vibrant flowers and fruits were scattered about. Even better was the sound of running water.

  ‘There must be a stream close by,’ I said thirstily. It had been a long time since the last sip of water. In anticipation, I pulled out my flask and upended the last of it.

  ‘Yeah, probably. But you maybe should have kept that until we were sure the water was good to drink.’

  ‘Oh, yeah.’ I was a little dumbfounded that the thought hadn’t crossed my mind.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘I’m sure the water will be fine out here.’

  If only I could not worry. An extra thing to panic about was really just one more than I needed on this journey. I lifted my ear in the direction of the stream straight ahead.

  Hopefully that Shifter didn’t run for the same thing. Some water before another fight would be great, not to mention a bit of a wash.

  I knew I stunk because I hadn’t been able to bathe since we’d left. The only stream we’d passed was too close to the Academy to bother stopping at.

  ‘Do you think we could head straight to the stream before we stop? I’d love a wash and a drink.’

  He nodded. ‘Yeah. Good idea. And hey, maybe when we get to the mountain, we might even find a hot spring! That sounds pretty great after the beating we just took. Not sure our dads would be too impressed with that effort.’

  I laughed quietly. ‘Yeah, I think you’re right. My dad would be pretty disappointed, considering all the training I’ve done.’

  We continued straight ahead until we made it to the stream. I was excited that it actually seemed to be quite deep. I leaned down and drank a few handfuls of water. My shoulder ached and I began daydreaming about finding a hot spring, like Dom had mentioned. A long sleep would work, too, but I knew that option was even less likely than the hot spring.

  I peered up at Dom. ‘I think we should use this water to bathe and wash our clothes. What do you reckon?’

  ‘Yep, I agree. Do you want to go first?’

  ‘Yeah, thanks! But, uh, would you mind not going too far, in case the Shifter comes back?’

  ‘I’ll just go behind the bush over there and set up some food, if you want?’

  ‘Perfect.’

  I filled up both of our flasks then took them to Dom before grabbing fresh clothes out of my pack as well as some soap. I walked back around the large chunk of greenery, then started stripping down. I kept my weapons close to the edge of the water, just in case.

  I slid into the stream and felt the icy liquid envelope my body. It came up to my waist so I immediately lay back into the water so I could enjoy the feeling of floating. I exhaled loudly. Hot would have been better, but it was still bliss. I made quick work of washing myself and then my clothes, and spent a few minutes longer floating around, enjoying the feel of the water running over me.

  ‘Food’s out,’ Dom called.

  I dropped my
feet down at the suddenness of his voice, my heart racing and my cheeks heated. Relaxed, I’d forgotten about him being close by. I looked over to where he was, but I couldn’t see him there, nor did his voice betray having seen me floating about.

  You’re being silly. Of course he wouldn’t peek.

  Peering through the forest, I checked it was clear then pulled myself up out of the stream, managing to stay clean by using the leaves rather than the dirt. I towelled myself dry, grateful that I’d thought to stuff it in, then pulled on a new outfit almost identical to the old one. I strapped on my weapons belt and picked up my wet gear.

  Once with Dom, I hung my wet clothes on a couple of low-hanging branches and sat down to eat.

  ‘Feeling better?’

  I smiled. ‘Much better! Thanks for letting me go first and laying out the food. I suppose we should start collecting some as we go now, before we hit the mountains and it becomes sparse.’

  ‘All good. I didn’t mind, and besides, I got to sneak in a few bites.’ He grinned.

  We sat and ate mostly in silence. He looked preoccupied.

  Noticing his distraction, I decided to check in. ‘Everything okay? You’re not too badly injured, are you?’

  ‘Nah, I’ll be right. Just a bit sore. I was thinking about my dad, actually.’

  ‘What’s up?’

  He ducked his head a little. ‘Just hoping he’s not too disappointed or anything.’

  ‘I’m sure he’ll be okay, Dom. Don’t worry. I mean, I’m sure both our dads will be worried about us, but they’ll be fine once we’re back. Well, after they chew us up, anyway. Hey, what about your mum?’

  My chest tightened. I’d never actually asked about his mum. I hoped I hadn’t upset him further.

  ‘Oh, she’s pretty cruisy about everything. She’ll worry a little but she always thinks that I’ll be fine.’ He laughed. ‘She’s probably a little too chilled, really, but I guess with Dad being Beta, now Alpha, she has to be.’

  I smiled. ‘It’s great to have at least one chill parent, I’m sure. I wonder if my mum will be like yours, or if she’ll be more like my dad.’

  He grinned. ‘She’ll probably be calm, like my mum. Surely you can’t have two stressed-out, protective parents with super-high expectations!’

  ‘I hope not! But really, I think I’ll just be happy to have my mum back.’

  ‘That makes sense. Worry about that other stuff later. Anyway, thanks for distracting me a bit. I’m gonna go have a wash.’

  ‘No worries. I’ll hang out here.’

  He grabbed his towel and new clothes from his pack and walked off towards the stream. I kept my weapons close by, but laid down on my mat. I closed my eyes, focusing on sounds and scents.

  The forest around smelled lush and green, despite it being a few weeks into winter. The flowers nearby had a sweet perfume, and I thought I could smell some sort of fruit nearby. These parts must have been inhabited at some point, for the food to be so plentiful. I’d spotted a section of banana trees back near the entrance, but only managed to grab one bunch on our way in.

  At the end of each exhale I held my breath and listened, casting my senses out as far as I could. Dom moved through the water; it seemed like he was paddling along the stream. There was the sound of little feet moving, perhaps through the trees or over sticks on the ground. The squeak of a mouse or tree-dwelling animal.

  My intakes of air kept drawing in the scent of food. After a few extra rounds of breathing, I could hear my stomach grumbling. Embarrassed, I sat up and clutched at it. Remembering the food I’d picked up and placed next to me, I started eating. The banana was mostly ripe and sweet. I devoured it in no time at all and peeled another one, hoping Dom wouldn’t mind and that we’d be able to find some more on our way through to the mountain.

  I kept the scents in my mind as I laid back down after eating. I’d need to discuss foraging for food when Dom got back from his wash. We’d have to collect a decent amount before we reached the mountain or we wouldn’t have enough to make it through.

  It would take us about a week from the base of the mountains, including stopping to sleep and preparing for Crone Keep. I sat up when I heard Dom on his way back from the stream.

  ‘You look a bit more refreshed.’

  A smile lit up his face. ‘Yeah, I’m definitely feeling better after that. Amazing what a bit of water will do for you. Do you want to keep moving or rest a while? I don’t think that Shifter will be back any time soon, not with the arrow sticking out of his side.’

  ‘Rest, I think. We could both do with a bit of recovery time and to gather some food. Besides.’ I looked at the ground. ‘If I’ve been keeping track right, it’s, uh... It’s my birthday today. Well, tonight.’

  ‘Oh, no way! Crap, I’m sorry Elita, I should have asked exactly when it was. Happy birthday! I can’t believe I didn’t know. And we’ve been attacked and everything. And you got injured.’

  I peered up at Dom. ‘It’s okay. With everything going on, and me being unsure about what’s going to happen when I have my first Shift, I haven’t really been as excited about it as I used to be.’

  He nodded at me, a serious expression on his face. ‘It’ll be okay. No matter what happens. Do you want to talk about it?’

  I thought about it. On the one hand, it would be nice for someone to know what I was thinking. On the other, I didn’t want to seem like I was just complaining. I knew there were worse things that could happen than me not being able to Shift.

  Maybe. Well, talking helped last time. It’s worth another try.

  ‘I guess I’m still caught up on not being able to fit in with everyone at the Academy. And if I can’t Shift, I don’t know exactly what it’ll mean. Will it mean I’m definitely part... you know, Sorceress? Will I have powers?’

  As anxious as I was about not being able to Shift, I was also a little excited about maybe being able to do magic. Not that I could really tell anyone that. Or, could I?

  ‘So what if you’re half and half? That’d be pretty special. Maybe you’d even have some magic.’

  The tone of Dom’s voice hinted that he thought it would be cool. Could I dare to hope that he wouldn’t be the only one? That maybe I could still fit in with my Pack—unlikely as it seemed at the moment, particularly given the animosity we had for the Crones and their Sorceresses?

  I tried to keep the wonder and excitement from my voice when I answered him, but I wasn’t sure that I really succeeded. ‘I could have magic, couldn’t I?’

  I thought back to the blacks and reds weaving together in the Library attack. It was like a beautiful dance of death made purely of light. The idea of being able to do that was thrilling, but not if everyone would hate me for it. Not if I couldn’t fit in or have my friends.

  I shook my head and came out of my thoughts a little, then looked back at Dom. He was studying me. Had I given myself away? My heart began to race. The last thing I wanted to do was push Dom away while we were out to rescue my Sorceress mum by making him think I was a freak.

  Maybe, after tonight, if things went wrong, he’d change his mind and abandon me. Leave and go back to the Pack without me. Tell everyone what I am, or what I’m not.

  ‘Hey. Stop it. I can see you panicking. I’m not going anywhere. Even if you’re a full-blown Sorceress, you won’t get rid of me. I’m here for you. Though, honestly, you smell like a Shifter to me.’

  I hoped he was right about me being a Shifter. But... a little magic wouldn’t hurt, surely. Besides, would my mum even want me if I wasn’t like her at all?

  Ugh. This is ridiculous. Stop.

  Dom apparently thought the same, because he got up. ‘Come on. Let’s do some sparring. You need a distraction.’

  Chapter 15

  I stood in the small clearing next to the stream, facing Dom. We circled each other slowly, each step calculated. I watched the placement of his weight, the tensing of his muscles, to anticipate his movements.

  His left knee gave
him away. The slight bend showed that he was about to move forward. As he leapt, I took a step to the left and gave him an open-handed hit on the arm, then took a step back. He smiled wickedly. It was close to the target; his chest. But not close enough.

  We continued our circular movements. This time he didn’t make the first move. I did. Instead of pushing up to hit him in the chest, I dove down and took out his legs. When he came down, I leant forward and tapped him on the chest.

  ‘One to me.’ I grinned, feeling a little proud of myself for landing the first hit.

  He laughed good naturedly. ‘Again.’

  We went back to circling. Dom dove towards me, but anticipated my move to the right and had his arm out ready for me. Tap.

  I snarled. Surprised and embarrassed I immediately stood up and covered my mouth with my hands. ‘Sorry,’ I mumbled.

  His shocked look quickly became one of male superiority crossed with his usual laughter. I scowled at his macho behaviour, even if it was playful. I hated it when an opponent got cocky.

  We circled each other again. This time I went straight for the chest. Surprised at my sudden straightforward approach, he didn’t move in time. Tap.

  ‘Two to one.’

  This time Dom scowled at me a little. It seemed as though no one liked to lose. Particularly to someone younger than them.

  ‘Again.’

  The game went on for longer than it should have. The intensity increased as our strategies dwindled. After a few crazy dives, the laughter returned and our matches became light-hearted again, though I was willing to bet we’d be sporting a few extra bruises from the tackles that drove us into trees and bushes instead of each other.

  ‘Okay. Enough! Enough!’ I clutched my stomach, tears of joy leaking down my face at Dom’s latest failed dive that landed him in the stream, completely soaking his fresh clothes. ‘Let’s call it a draw.’

  He choked on the water and his own laughter. ‘Sure, sure. A draw. But just so you know, I’d totally have won.’

  I rolled my eyes, then grinned. ‘Sure you would have. If you were versing the stream instead of me.’