by Mia Rose
The leaves rustled in the wind and everyone turned to look in that direction. Declan had an idea. “Why don’t we do some sparring?” he said to Dustin. “Some of the members can let out their frustrations and the others can watch. And on top of that, we’ll be building up our strength.”
Dustin smiled at his suggestion and nodded. “That’s a really good idea.”
Dustin quickly called over all the pack members and they gathered around him. He announced that they would be holding a friendly sparring match while they waited for the hunting group to return. The members looked around at each other anxiously, and it was clear that they all wanted their turn.
Declan smiled inwardly, and he realized that for the first time in a long time, he seemed to make the right call. The members formed a circle and Dustin stepped in the middle first. He eyed the newest member that had ridiculed Declan earlier in the day and he called him forward. The boy looked petrified, but he stepped inside of the circle to accept the challenge.
“Ryan,” Dustin said loudly, so that the rest of the pack could hear him loud and clear, “you were taught an important lesson today from Declan. A lesson about respect and loyalty. Isn’t that right?” The boy nodded slowly, not entirely sure where this would lead.
“Good,” said Dustin. “Now, I think we are all curious to see how that might have ended up for you had you not chosen to walk away.” Dustin laughed and the boy swallowed the huge lump that had formed in his throat. “Are you ready?” Dustin asked. His face grew fierce and his skin rippled with anticipation. His inner wolf was scratching at the surface, clawing to get out.
The boy nodded once and he closed his eyes as his own skin started to shred and fall from his body. His deep brown hair emerged from beneath, and his coat was short and rough. He smiled ferociously, revealing his razor-sharp teeth from beneath his muzzle. Claws took the place of fingers, and his four paws hit the ground with a thud.
Dustin looked at the young boy’s form in admiration. He truly did love and appreciate all his members. Dustin leaned forward and his own skin peeled from his body, revealing a luminous white coat. Declan’s eyes opened wide —he had never seen a wolf of this color before. His coat was so bright, it was almost blinding. The stark contrast between his fur and the blackness of his lips only made him all the more frightening.
Without a moment’s hesitation, the boy ran toward Dustin. But he dodged out of the way so easily, it was as though he was liquid in form. Declan watched in amazement as the two wolves sparred. He had seen excellent fighting in his day, but nothing like this. Dustin did not ever attack the boy, called Ryan. Rather, he just melted from the place where the boy attacked. He was exhausting Ryan, and the boy’s moves were becoming less strategic and more, undeniably rash.
Ryan ran toward Dustin again, and right before he got to him, he lunged into the air in an attempt to slam into Dustin’s body. Dustin lifted his own front paws from the ground, and in one swift motion, he slapped Ryan down from mid-air. Ryan laid on his side on the ground, breathing erratically. He turned back into his human form and managed to pull himself up on his knees as he panted.
“One way to always ensure a victory,” Dustin said to the pack while still in his wolf form, “is to use your opponent’s strength against him. You can reserve your energy, and let them expend theirs. And when the moment is right, you attack. They will not be able to recover.”
Dustin turned back into his human form and walked over to Ryan, offering him his hand to stand up. Ryan locked hands with Dustin’s and Declan saw a transformation in the boy’s eyes. Gone was the haughty confidence, and in its place, Declan could swear he saw a seed of humility beginning to take root.
“Who’s next?” Dustin asked.
One woman with slightly greyed hair stepped into the group at the same time as a younger man, with muscles all the way to his neck. The woman smiled at him softly and they both changed into their wolf forms. The fight was over in minutes as the woman expertly swirled around the circle, causing the male wolf to trip multiple times. She slammed him to the ground and smiled at him in victory.
“Never underestimate your opponent!” Dustin yelled into the night air as the woman lifted the man from the ground. He smiled at her gratefully and the two of them walked from the center of the circle together. “Next!” yelled Dustin. But before any other members could step into the circle, they heard yelling from the edge of the camp. The members started looking around at one another to see who was screaming.
Declan closed his eyes and concentrated on the screams. He could tell it was coming from the east, and he took off running, followed closely by Dustin and a few other members. They did not have to run far to see who had been screaming.
“Help!” it was coming from Maria. She stood over the body of one the pack members and the group watched as his skin disintegrated from his body.
“Silver,” Declan whispered. The wolf was gone and there was nothing he could do at this point.
The others of the hunting group walked up slowly behind them and Maria returned to her human state. She looked up at Dustin and said, “There were more tonight. They are becoming a bigger group. What are we going to do, Dustin?”
He did not respond. He picked up what was left of the werewolf’s body and walked back to the camp in silence. The pack members began howling as soon as they saw what he was carrying. Declan’s own heart ached for this person he had never even met.
Maria walked behind him slowly in defeat. Dustin threw the remains into the fire and they all watched as the flames burned steadily on. The other pack members laid down the bodies of two small deer by the fire, but no one seemed that interested in eating anymore. Quietly, some of the members retreated into their own tents.
Dustin sat next to the fire and dragged his hands through his hair, tears visible in his eyes. Declan could not find any words to say that might offer comfort. Maria sat down next to Dustin in silence. Declan joined them, and the three of them, although not speaking, shared the same thought. What were they going to do?
Noelle slept in fits. She would wake up suddenly, drenched in sweat and then fall right back into the same dream.
She was standing in a forest, and suddenly, the trees would shift away from her and a small circular clearing would appear. On the edges of the circle, there were logs set up connecting to one another. In the center of the circle, there was a small stone.
As Noelle stepped closer to the stone, she heard a rustling behind her. Declan would step out from behind the trees and he looked at her, but he didn’t seem to notice her. Another man emerged from behind him and walked to the stone. He did not seem to see Noelle, either.
The man placed his forehead against the stone and started speaking. “Brothers and sisters, I am calling out to all of you as a cry for help. Our packs have been under siege from the hunters and we have lost many members. They have not only killed members, but have taken them away from us for reasons which we do not yet know. We have an alpha in great need of our help.”
Noelle’s eyes shot open again and she was breathing hard as though she had just been running for hours. The dream stuck with her this time, and she had this unfaltering feeling that she knew exactly where she would be able to find Declan.
“What were they going to do?”
Chapter 10
The Meeting of the Alphas
“She couldn’t explain it, but the further she walked into the forest, the closer she felt to finding Declan.”
Noelle could not fall asleep again after she’d woken up from her dream. Her heartbeat had returned to normal, but she still felt antsy. She walked into the living room and she could see that it was still dark outside. She peered into Edmund’s room and her parents’ room and everyone was sound asleep.
Taking a piece of paper, she wrote, “Had to get out for a bit to come up with a plan. I’ll be back soon. Please, don’t worry about me. Love, Noelle.”
She knew her father would be upset that she had not disclosed h
er location, but then again, she did not even know where she was going. There was just something tugging at her, and she knew she had to trust the instinct inside of her.
She walked out of the apartment and toward the road. Her feet carried her forward and the moment she tried to think about where she was going, it seemed like she didn’t know which direction to head. She closed her eyes and recalled the dream and she began walking again.
She wound up at a bus stop and waited there patiently for the next bus to come. As the driver pulled up, he opened the doors for her and she climbed inside. The driver smiled at her as she took her seat. She watched as the trees passed by her window in a blur of colors. She didn’t know where she was supposed to get off, but she assumed that she would just do it when the time was right.
The bus kept moving forward and stopped periodically, but no other people got on or off. It was only Noelle and the driver. The sun broke free from its resting place and bathed the earth with its luminous colors; a subtle suggestion for people to get moving.
The bus driver pulled up at the next stop and announced that this was the final stop before he headed back. Noelle stood up automatically and got off. She stood on the side of the road staring into the forest.
“Okay,” Noelle spoke to herself, “now what?”
She looked around, and in every direction, all she saw were trees. She decided to walk forward and it suddenly hit her that she could easily get lost in these woods and no one would ever know where she was. Still, she forced herself to move, driven by her intuition. She couldn’t explain it, but the further she walked into the forest, the closer she felt to finding Declan.
Beads of sweat formed gratuitously on her forehead as she marched on. She was aware that the wolf inside of her was begging her to set it free, to allow it to run, but she didn’t want to take that risk. The hike would have been pleasant had she been properly prepared with water and food.
Noelle came up to a river and knelt down to splash some of the cool water against her face. When she looked up, she noticed a woman sitting on the opposite bank, staring at her curiously. Noelle waved cautiously and the woman smiled at her. Knowing no other way to cross over to the other side, Noelle went into the water and started to swim. It was deeper than she imagined, and once she reached the middle, the current fought strong against her. Noelle wished that her body would just push forward a bit more, but the current started taking her away.
She started to panic as she kicked her legs in the water. She looked up and saw that the woman was no longer there. Noelle groaned as she could think of only one thing that might help her —she would have to transform.
As she closed her eyes and prepared herself for the transformation, she felt a hand on her arm pulling her forward. She opened her eyes and saw the woman there, pulling her. She was definitely strong and in a few swift motions, she was able to rescue Noelle from the current. The two of them swam to the other side where Noelle climbed on shore and laid there, trying to catch her breath.
“Not used to the current?” the woman asked, smiling down at Noelle. Noelle wanted to smile in return, but she was too exhausted. “Come with me,” the woman said calmly. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
Noelle stood up from her spot shakily, and managed a small smile of thanks. It had been more than a close call for her.
“I’m Maria,” the woman announced.
“Noelle,” she said in response, extending her hand in greeting. Noelle noticed the woman’s eyes grow wider and she didn’t miss the slight hesitation before Maria shook her hand.
The two women walked the rest of the way in silence. Noelle wanted to believe that Maria was an honest person just trying to help her, but there was something inside of her that felt like there was more to the story. Maria pushed aside some branches and Noelle walked into a huge campground with tents scattered about. In the center, a large firepit stood, with small pillars of smoke still rising into the air.
People milled about not even taking notice of the soaking wet Noelle standing there. Maria took her hand and directed her to a small tent that was pushed further away than the rest. She lifted the flap and Noelle walked inside. It was much bigger inside than she would have thought. Maria looked through a few drawers and finally found what she was looking for. She handed Noelle a simple black tank top and a pair of faded jeans.
“Thank you,” Noelle said graciously.
Maria nodded, and told her that she would be right outside if she needed anything. As she changed from her wet clothes, Noelle wondered what kind of a place this was. Was this one of those communes that she had read about? Ones full of people who called themselves travelers? Noelle doubted that, because this place seemed permanent, as though it had been here for years and years. She slipped on the shirt and tied her hair back in a messy bun. She took one final look around the tent before emerging.
She almost ran into Maria who was standing guard at the door. Maria looked at her once over and nodded approvingly. Noelle felt a sort of uneasiness around her, almost like she was intimidated, which seemed ridiculous as she was a petite woman with wavy blonde hair —not exactly your worst nightmare come true.
“I’m assuming he didn’t know you were coming,” Maria said as they walked through the tents toward the center.
“Who?” Noelle asked, but before Maria could answer, she saw him.
Declan was sitting across the from the firepit, next to the other man that Noelle had dreamed about. She had to blink a few times to make sure that she was not seeing things. Butterflies swarmed in her stomach at the sight of him and she could feel that familiar heat rising up in her body.
Dear god, he is beautiful, Noelle thought to herself.
At this, Declan looked up and straight at Noelle standing there, causing her to flush all over. Maria looked at Noelle and laughed lightly.
“Come on,” she said to Noelle, pulling her by the hand toward the men.
“What are you doing here?” Declan asked in disbelief. He noticed her hair soaking wet and he had this overwhelming desire to embrace her and kiss her, but he resisted.
“Declan,” Noelle managed. She did not resist —she fell into his arms and the pair of them stood there holding onto each other for a long time. They had not even noticed that Dustin and Maria had left them to be alone.
“How did you find me?” Declan asked, finally pulling away from her.
“I had the strangest dream,” Noelle said. “I can’t even explain it. Declan, we have so much to talk about, you have no idea.”
He nodded in agreement. “Noelle, there’s something I need to tell you first.”
“What is it?” Noelle asked.
“I —I’m not really sure how to say this exactly, so I’m just going to say it, okay?” Noelle pulled her eyebrows together, concerned about the possibility of Declan’s admission. “I can’t transform into a werewolf anymore —I’m human.”
Noelle watched his lips as he spoke, and although she heard his words, she so wanted to kiss them. But she knew it would have to wait.
“I know,” she said quietly. “I’ve been with my family and the rest of the pack. I know that you’ve put Gabriel in charge as the alpha. Romi explained to us what happened that night of the ritual.”
Declan resumed his seat and pushed his hands through his hair. “I have to go back there.”
“Yes.” Noelle nodded. “You do. Your pack needs you.”
Declan offered her a sad smile and said, “Noelle, these people are in danger here.”
“Why? What’s going on? Who are they?”
“They are another wolf pack. The guy I was sitting with before —he was actually the one that turned me. I mean, the story is longer than that, but that’s the highlight, at least.”
Noelle bit her lip and Declan could sense that there was something she needed to share with him.
“What is it, Noelle?”
“Declan, I —I need to tell you something. And it’s hard for me to explain it, exactly.”
“Well, try,” Declan said as he leaned forward toward her. He took her hands in his and she smiled at him softly. Oh, how he had missed that smile and the curve of her lips and face. And those eyes…
“Declan, I know that you aren’t able to turn because of the elixir that Edmund gave to you. He kidnapped me —that’s why I was missing. I didn’t leave you, or my family.”
Declan’s face contorted with anger as he heard this and he started to say, “That slimy, son of a…”
Noelle held up her hand to quiet him down. “There’s more,” she said.
She proceeded to explain to Declan about her ancestry, and how Edmund had told her she was a hybrid wolf —at this Declan’s eyes grew wide in disbelief, but Noelle did not stop. She continued to explain to him that it was her blood that was needed to complete the elixir. She told him everything she had learned from Edmund and his family —she told him about the council rebels which Edmund claimed to work for, and how they had reached out to her. She concluded her tale by recounting the night of the ritual from her standpoint, and when she admitted to Declan that she had transformed into her wolf form, he grew completely still.
“So,” Declan said quietly, “you mean to tell me that you’re a wolf now?”
“Well, not exactly. I’m both, I guess. I’m human and wolf —my body is made up of both. But the thing is Declan, because of the hybrid status, apparently I am meant to be the alpha female.”
Declan looked at her for a while before responding. Suddenly, he understood how she had found him. She was not even here for him at all —she was here for the meeting of the alphas that Dustin had called yesterday.
Dustin walked up to them and he placed a hand on Declan’s shoulder. “Hey, I know you two have a lot to catch up on, but we should get going. The meeting will start soon.”
Without lifting his eyes from Noelle, Declan said, “She is coming with us.”