AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He had us hanging on his every word.
I took a breath. “What of him? What have you seen?”
“Like a ghost, Zale’s wolf has the purest white fur, he seems to appear like the fog, materialising from nowhere. But withherspirit, leaving a trail of death and vengeance in their wake. He is back and he won’t rest until he’s taken all of their lives. Even the father of wolves cannot stop him. We heard the tales, even from far away. Some of the wolves and,” he locked his sorrowful eyes with mine, “and witches have sought refuge in our pack. But we worry that their fate could become ours, by us giving them shelter. You can’t help, just being here puts you in the path of death. You should, we should all leave now.”
I sighed, my limbs like lead I stepped gently towards Bren, my hand resting on his lithe shoulder.
“I won’t do that, I think I can help. You saw what happened with Lycaon, my blood saved him. I have a plan…”
Bren wrinkled his face. “Yes, I watched when Marrock forced you to save Lycaon. I saw what happened. Loren’s soul, she didn’t harm you but...” his eyes closed briefly. “We should leave. Something’s really wrong here. I know they were punished but even tortured spirits don’t tear others to shreds.” Turning his head to Austin, then Hakon, Bren fixed his stare on me. “They can’t help you. Even the two mages. You must go.”
A howl startled us as it echoed around the whole forest. Bren threw off the blanket and started to transform. Austin’s hand shot up to stop him, Hakon grabbed Austin’s wrist, his voice soft, “No, let him go. The lad is terrified. We shouldn’t force anyone to help us. How will you live with yourself if his blood is on your hands? Only those who are prepared to fight this evil, and die, should stay. Leave him.”
Nodding, Austin complied.
I wrestled with my mind, the howling got louder, closer and I wanted to draw my athame. I spun around. Was it Lycaon? Was he hurt? An unusual instinct to run and protect him overcame me. But then there was nothing normal about how I felt about Lycaon.
A cry from behind me had me turn too fast, my head spun as the howling turned to growling. In the distance, I could see under the cold moon, the silhouettes of two wolves. Fighting. One huge grey wolf, I knew that was Lycaon and the other as Bren had said. Large, powerful and brilliant white.
Zale.
Snapping and snarling, the grey wolf lunged forwards.
Legs bent, the white wolf crouched then suddenly sprung up, wrapping his jaw around Lycaon's front paw. Yelping, Lycaon tried to scramble back, whining in pain.
My breath stopped as my heart pummelled, both wolves locked eye to eye but Zale would not let go.
A flurry of fur, Lycaon tried to bite Zale but couldn’t reach as Zale’s jaw locked onto Lycaon’s paw.
Grey and white fur turned red, until he released his maker. Zale bolted off into the depths of the thick coppice of trees whilst Lycaon staggered slowly over to us.
Treading through the undergrowth off the path, we hurried over, though for a moment Austin stood watching in stunned silence.
Then Austin couldn’t contain himself, his voice cut through us, “Bloody wow! The size of him!”
Hakon swallowed, muttering, “Good boy. Stay there, there, there,” a hint of fear in the vampire’s voice.
I stood, hands by my side, limp, feeling powerless as the wolf, Lycaon, hobbled towards me. His head almost reached my height. Hakon yelled as the wolf narrowed its pale eyes as its stare tore into my soul.
The seconds seemed timeless. Blue eyes locked on mine, his musky scent, sweet with moss and bracken, we stood eye to eye. The man trapped inside the wolf. The curse of Zeus.
Then my heart slowed and I felt connected to him. Just as the trees are connected to the earth, or the sun and the sky.
I’d found what was lost but I’d never known that it was missing.
Did he feel the same?
Suddenly he shuddered and spasmed, yelping as he collapsed on the ground. His body breaking as he whined. His back cracked open. Bone splitting as sinew and flesh transformed before my eyes. The scent of blood and flesh filled the air. I was frozen to the spot watching.
Cold crept over my skin until finally the man, the father of the wolves, emerged.
On his knees, he placed one hand on the floor, rasping from the violence of the transformation from beast to man. Shaking, he slowly rose to his feet. Naked and bloody he gripped his right hand, his head dropped.
His long-tangled hair caught the moonlight, the light shone from his skin coated in a sheen of sweat, highlighting his muscular frame.
Unable to stop, I found myself before him. Our eyes locked, my breathing slowed. Noises around us in the forest faded, a crisp silence seemed to hold sway over us. It was as if we were both afraid to step forward. To take that final step. To know the future. Everything would change.
Lycaon closed the gap between us, his tread heavy with purpose, large arms pulling me into him. Yearning, a raw desire. Awakening a passion that burned like wildfire. As he pulled me into him tighter, I felt my body melt into his, my head burrowed into his chest as it rose and fell, his heart pounding. My skin warmed, as did his as we held each other tightly.
