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“Vira.” I tried to be gentle. “All you have is the words of a couple of old men. By the sounds of it, you’re not allowed to think for yourself. What if they’re wrong? What if they’re lying?”
“The proof is right here, with Margo,” she said. “Can’t you see it? Your kind seems determined to make their mark in the world again. Fine. Push forward. Take the risk. But know that you will be noticed which means people like me will come to stop you, and if Margo gets in their way…” She shivered.
“What will they do to her?”
“I don’t want to think about it. I don’t want to remember…” She looked away. “She can’t stay hidden forever. Her only hope is to go to them first and offer herself up. If we do it the right way, they’ll teach her, make her follow the right path.”
“As if Margo will let that happen.” I sighed. “What did they do to you to make you so afraid?”
She inhaled sharply, turning away from my gaze, my touch. Her shoulders shuddered as though she were trying to regain control. When she finally turned to me, her eyes were blank and emotionless. “If she can’t be controlled, they’ll purify the earth of her existence. If they find her here first, with wolves, of all things, she will suffer so much more.” She sneered. “That’s if you people don’t kill her first. Her destiny is death, it seems. All I can do is warn her and try to make her passing as easy as possible, but she won’t even listen to reason.”
I took a step back without even meaning to. The chill she exuded was almost too much to bear, far more intense than anything I had experienced around Margo. “Why would anyone want to hurt her? She’s not harming anybody.”
“Some creatures were never meant to be,” she said. “I made the mistake of creating an impure child. She’s far too stubborn and obstinate to obey the Elders. Everything I thought I could do for her, she has rejected. I see it now. She’s not like me at all, and for her sake, I’m beginning to hope you kill her long before the harbingers find you. You should run and hide, boy. You’re no match for death.”
“How can you say things like that?” I said, baffled. “You didn’t come here to do this. I know you didn’t. Sometimes you talk like you’re another person. Is that what it is? Are you spouting somebody else’s words?”
She wasn’t listening. She had a distracted look in her eye, a twitch in her cheek, and the chill became all-consuming.
“Vira,” I said sharply. “What are you doing?” Her gaze had gone completely blank, reminding me of Margo while in the throes of a sleepwalking session. “What’s happening right now?”
I touched her shoulder. She shivered but almost immediately came to, focusing on me, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “No,” she gasped. “Her death is soon. I feel it. I see it.”
“Are you talking about Margo?” I demanded. “Tell me!”
“Is this what it means? Is this the danger?” She gripped my hands, her fingers like ice. “Find her before your own kill her. Please.”
She collapsed into my arms, shuddering as though she had been submerged in a cold bath.
“Nathan!” I screamed. “Somebody!”
Victor raced out of the gate as though he had been waiting for my call.
“Get help!” I shouted at him, easing Vira to the ground. “A wolf is after Margo right now!”
“I knew this would happen,” he snarled. “That woman’s arrival freaked out too many of the pack.”
“Whatever. Just hurry!”
I stripped off and shifted right there on the street while Victor dashed inside. Vira let out small gasps of pain, but she seemed unconscious. It didn’t matter. All I had to do was reach Margo.
I raced off, startled a few moments later when I sensed Victor behind me. I glanced over my shoulder at him, wondering how he had even caught up to me. The better question was why? For an instant, I suspected him of being the threat and barked a warning.
He whined, staying behind me as though to reassure me that he wasn’t trying to get to Margo first. After everything we had been through, I needed to believe he was on my side. We raced on, trying to avoid humans while taking the shortest route to Margo’s house. Why would anyone go after Margo? I cursed myself for not warning her before I shifted. Stupid animal brain. If Victor had warned the others, Perdita would almost certainly try to contact Margo. It would be okay.
My heart raced as I ran, a million thoughts conflicting together until I caught the sour, angry scent of a familiar wolf, Pavel. Why on earth would he go after Margo?
Victor let out a loud growl, and I knew he realised the same truth. Vira was right. One of our own was trying to hurt Margo. I had brought danger her way again, after all. We ran through a couple of back gardens, hearing a child shout from a window. Luckily, the sky had already begun to darken, and we were long gone before anyone else came out to investigate.
We burst out onto Hazelwood Avenue as Margo’s parents’ car was pulling to a stop outside her house. They had likely made a stop on their way home, giving me time to reach them. A dark voice whispered they could have been attacked elsewhere, that I had taken too great a risk going directly to their house.
Margo stepped out of the car as I barked a warning. She froze then took an instinctual step back. An awareness of danger must have triggered in her brain because she rushed to get back inside the car, shouting at her parents.
It was too late. A dark brown wolf shot towards her, knocking her against the car door. She cried out in pain and alarm.
Several things happened at once.
Mrs Harding screamed. Victor howled. A second car screeched to a halt nearby. And I let my wolf free, blind with anger, as I tore the wolf off Margo. Margo’s dad hurriedly ushered her into the car, her arm hanging limply at the side. I held on to the wolf until the car door closed behind them. Pavel broke free then dashed in front of the car, baring his fangs. I didn’t care. It no longer mattered that he was a pack member. It no longer mattered that he was more dominant than me. If he hurt ours, he was no longer ours, and that was all the wolf cared about.
