Drawn To The Alpha 2 (10 page)

Chapter 16

The Volvo station wagon cruised down the narrow track to a basic campsite a few hundred yards from the road. The clearing was surrounded by trees and invisible from the road. At one end stood a simple shower and toilet block and there were several concrete parking pads. Van eased the car onto one of the pads and turned off the key. He looked through his side window at the deserted clearing.

‘It may not be ideal temperatures for camping out, but at least we won’t be bothered by other campers,’ he said. ‘Can’t imagine anyone else coming out in this.’

Sophia remained huddled in the back seat. It was growing dark outside and the evening was clear and cold. The prospect of leaving the warm interior and pitching a tent was distinctly unappealing. Wilbur hadn’t said a word since they picked up the rental car in Harrisburg. Now he swung around in his seat and faced Sophia and Van with the same gleam in his eye that Sophia had noticed during the ceremony at Trinity Rock. It appeared that he was in his element when the prospect of a little danger or adventure presented itself.

‘Here’s my suggestion,’ he said excitedly. ‘Van, you set up camp here and both of you have a warm meal and get a decent night’s sleep. Sophia, any kind of effort will result in energy loss, so it’s extremely important that you don’t exert yourself unnecessarily. That means Van’s in charge of pitching the tent and preparing dinner.’

‘Sounds good to me,’ Sophia said with a broad wink in Van’s direction.

‘I’m going to head out and scout the area,’ Wilbur continued. ‘The moon is in its third quarter, moving into waxing gibbous and not full until the end of next week, so there’s a good chance the grey wolf is in human form at the moment, unless he’s chosen to live permanently as a wolf. I’m simply going to search for any possible candidates, wolf or human, and report back to you.’

‘What kind of distance can a tiger cover in a night?’ Sophia asked.

‘Twelve miles, maybe a little more.’

‘How big is the forest?’ Sophia replied nervously.   

‘Fifty square miles,’ Van said breezily. ‘But remember, he’ll be tracking, not wandering aimlessly.’

‘I may not be back tomorrow morning, or even the morning after,’ Wilbur continued. ‘If I’m hungry I’ll catch a deer and then rest up during the day. Don’t be tempted to go wandering around yourselves during the day. Your best plan is to preserve Sophia’s strength and go directly to the wolf once I’ve found him. Do you agree, Van?’

‘Absolutely.’

‘You’re both awfully confident,’ Sophia said, thinking aloud.

Wilbur fixed his pale gaze on her. ‘There’s no other way to be.’

Wilbur transformed a short while later and disappeared into the inky forest with barely a rustle of leaves. Sophia, who had managed to coax herself out of the back seat but not much further, watched his white body slink into the trees until he disappeared.

‘Good luck, white tiger,’ she whispered. ‘We need this.’

Van was industriously occupied, banging tent pegs into the ground and carting equipment from the back of the car into the tent once it was erected. He then set about pumping up the airbed with a small foot pump. Sophia sat nearby on her backpack, feeling a little guilty for not helping but admiring the view nonetheless.

‘Nice butt,’ she commented with a flash of her eyebrows. Van flicked his hair out of his eyes and grinned. Warm from all the exertion, he was back down to his t shirt and looking more handsome than ever. Each time he lifted a heavy bag or box from the car his biceps bulged in a very alluring way and Sophia became more and more convinced that she wouldn’t be able to resist investing some of Wilbur’s energy in a little airbed fun.

Sure enough, warm from the campfire and with a meal of surprisingly delicious canned stew in her belly, she gazed at Van across the flickering flames with a look in her eye that she knew he wouldn’t have any difficulty interpreting.

‘I’ll wash up,’ he said throatily. ‘You get yourself ready for bed.’

Sophia was more than willing to follow his command. Van helped her remove the bandages on her hands and then she hurried to gather her towel and toiletries, ready to head over to the shower block. She noticed on the way out of the tent that Van had positioned the gun in an easily accessible spot near the main door. The sight of it reminded her that they weren’t here on a fun camping trip. They were hoping that Wilbur would find the grey werewolf, but there was no reason he wouldn’t find them first. If he did, there was no way of knowing if he’d be a friend or foe. She grabbed the gun as well as a bright lamp and took them with her to the bathroom.

Back in the tent, with her hands freshly wrapped in clean bandages, she burrowed into the airbed with its layers of blankets underneath and thick sleeping bags acting as blankets on top. It really was remarkably cozy, like she imagined a bear would feel huddling down into its grass-lined den. She listened as Van finished up the last of the jobs outside. A delightful anticipation built in her stomach and between her legs, and by the time Van zipped up the tent and joined her beside the bed, she felt a little giddy. Van peeled off his jacket, sweater and t shirt, followed by his jeans. He climbed in beside her wearing only fitted black boxers that bulged with his desire.

Sophia giggled as Van’s weight made the airbed rise and tighten. She pressed her pajama clad body against his smooth, naked skin, making satisfied little noises in her throat.

‘Shouldn’t you leave your clothes on?’ she asked while kissing his neck and chest, making it perfectly clear that she wanted him to do nothing of the sort. ‘You know, in case you have to run outside in a hurry.’

‘Don’t forget,’ he replied, reaching down and caressing her butt while she kissed him. ‘I’ve got super sensitive hearing. If anything comes near us, I’ll already know.’

Sophia frowned a little. She tended to forget that Van possessed special sensory, speed and strength abilities, even when he was in human form. She briefly wondered how many times he’d heard her fart or burp when she thought she was doing it in private, but quickly disregarded the thought. It didn’t contribute to the mood of the moment, after all.

Instead, she raked her fingernails down Van’s broad back and marveled over the sharp bumps of his abdominal muscles. His nipples were hard and she pinched them gently, then a little harder. He grinned and nipped the soft skin of her shoulder. She slid her hand down past the elastic of his boxers and found the silky firmness of his erection. She was a virgin the first time she saw his magnificent cock and had wondered how on earth such a member could ever fit inside of her. Now all she could think about was how good it would feel as her wet pussy stretched to accommodate him. To be fucked from behind, completely filled by Van’s cock, with his heavy balls banging against her round butt – that was nearing ecstasy for Sophia. But, she knew that she’d have to wait a while longer before that fantasy was realized.

‘Once this Pure Soul thing is done,’ she whispered thickly, ‘I want you to fuck me doggy-style, harder than you’ve ever fucked me before. Promise?’

He made a little growling sound in the base of his throat. ‘Oh, I promise.’ He tugged at her pajama bottoms. ‘Now get these off; I want to taste you.’

He disappeared under the covers, impervious to Sophia’s protests that he’d be too hot down there. She felt hands at the waist band of her pajamas. She lifted her butt as he slid them down off her feet. He passed them up to her and she threw them aside. She was naked underneath and a few seconds later Van’s breath tickled her thighs as he got himself into position. He hadn’t shaved since the previous morning and his stubble grazed the sensitive skin right at the top of her inner thigh. His chin and cheeks were rough, but his tongue felt perfectly smooth as he began licking the hood of her clit and down the sides of her pussy lips. As he started focusing in on her clit, she lifted the blankets. The whites of his eyes shone back at her from between her legs.

‘I really hate to interrupt you, because that’s so good,’ she said, beaming. ‘But I’m worried you’re going to pass out down there from lack of oxygen. Here, let me pull the covers back for you.’

‘Then you’ll get cold,’ he replied. ‘I’m fine. I’m more than fine.’ He dipped his head, kissed her sex and grinned. ‘Besides, if I died down here, I’d die a happy man. You could write
Suffocated Contentedly
on my gravestone.’

She laughed. ‘Do you want to be buried? I’d definitely rather be cremated.’

‘Let’s talk about it later,’ he said. ‘Now please close the curtain; I’m busy.’

Sophia laughed and then let the covers drop and her head sink into the pillow as his hot tongue sent forks of pleasure shooting through her body.

Chapter 17

Sophia spent the morning the next day watching the trees, waiting for Wilbur’s return. As the sun made its slow and low progress across the sky, she became more and more frustrated.

‘Oh, shit,’ she muttered while boiling some water for a cup of coffee at two o’clock. She’d just managed to spill half of the coffee on the ground and drop her teaspoon in a muddy boot print. The tiny yellow blisters on her palms had burst, meaning the bandages on her hands had to stay, despite the inconvenience they caused. Her hands were sore, something that hadn’t bothered her particularly yesterday – it was a small price to pay for the benefits. But today the constant burning sensation was tiresome.

‘Is there anything I can do to help you?’ Van asked from a camping chair nearby. He’d been tiptoeing warily around her since she snapped at him for no particular reason just after breakfast. It was as if she was the ferocious tiger in the camp, not Wilbur.

‘No, I can do it,’ she snapped. She glanced up at him guiltily. ‘Sorry. And thank you, anyway.’ She managed to prepare the drink successfully and made her way over to Van. But as she sat down she slopped the hot liquid on her pants.

‘Dammit!’ She brushed at the spots. ‘This day is just so damn
frustrating
.’

Van passed her a towel and then continued to sit with his hands folded in his lap and his legs crossed at the ankles, a picture of contemplative patience. Sophia drank her coffee, barely tasting it, then scanned the forest keenly, immediately jittery from the caffeine.
Come on,
she thought anxiously.
Show me a streak of white fur, a grey suit… something. Anything!
But there was still nothing. 

‘Ugh,’ she groaned. ‘I can’t stand it. Do you know what the definition of limbo is?’ She didn’t wait for him to reply. ‘I’ll tell you what it is: torture. I
hate
waiting, not knowing, and I’m really terrible at it. As I’m sure you’ve probably noticed by now. Funny what you learn about people under times of stress, huh? You, on the other hand, are apparently the most patient person on the planet.’

Van looked at her with interest. ‘I suppose I’ve had a lot more experience with sitting around, waiting for something to happen. Decades and decades of it. If it makes you feel any better, Wilbur did say he might be away a few days, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s three or four.’

‘Don’t say that. I couldn’t stand it.’

‘You needn’t worry about him, anyway. And I know for a fact that he won’t want to come back empty-handed. He’ll be laying low during daylight, waiting to head out again tonight. He can’t risk being spotted by a tramper. Can you imagine the fuss if someone snapped a picture of a white tiger on their phone, in the middle of Pennsylvania?’

‘It’d go viral within an hour,’ Sophia said, nodding.

‘Viral?’

Sophia rolled her eyes. ‘I keep forgetting you’re completely technologically inept. ‘Going viral’ means becoming very popular on the internet.’

‘Oh. I do know that this campground would be filled with news trucks within the hour and our whole mission would be screwed. The point is that Wilbur knows he needs to be patient, and if you’re honest with yourself, I think you know that you do too.’

‘You’re right, of course, and I’m sorry. This whiny, impatient side of me is completely unattractive and I promise that it’s something I’m working on. In fact, I’m going to work on it right now.’

Sophia dug her novel out of her bag, amazed that she had the foresight to bring it – on some level she must have known that boredom would be a part of this process. For the rest of the day and into that evening she managed to curb her sharp tongue and hide the gripping impatience in her gut. It was still very much there, but she buried it as best she could. Just before bed she scanned the tree line one last time before giving up and burrowing into her nest. An aura of sexuality still lingered in the sheets and there was a smile on her face as she drifted off to sleep.

‘Van,’ she hissed the following afternoon. ‘Come over here,
right now
.’ She was poised beside the water canister, filling the pot for yet another cup of coffee. She gave the appearance of being intently focused on her task, but behind her sunglasses her eyes were directed at the far corner of the clearing where, thirty seconds ago, she’d spotted something that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

It was a man. An old man, lean and tall. It was difficult to tell from a distance but he seemed scruffy and ill kempt. His clothing was dark brown and hung off his body and it seemed that he wasn’t wearing any shoes. His hair was long, grey and scraggly. But it was the way he was staring at them that made Sophia’s fingers grip so tightly around the pot handle that the stubby ends poking out of the now-dirty bandage had turned white. He was standing perhaps a few yards from the tree line, perfectly straight and still, with his arms hanging by his sides. He was already in this position when Sophia caught sight of him, so she had no idea how long he’d been there. He was in such plain view that he clearly wasn’t worried about being caught in his surveillance, and indeed he could have been watching them secretly from the bushes for hours before stepping out, for all Sophia knew. The thought was distinctly creepy and she instinctively calculated how many steps to the tent and the precious shotgun.

Van wandered over to her side and began stacking and re-stacking plates in the washing up bucket. He had his sunglasses on too and was so busy doing nothing, there was no doubt he’d seen the man too.

‘What do you think?’ Sophia asked quietly, remaining casual in her appearance. She put the lid on the pot and set it on the burner nearby. ‘A vagrant? He’s awfully scruffy.’

‘We’re quite far from a town,’ Van muttered. ‘Most likely he lives in the woods.’

‘Do you think he knows anything about a certain werewolf?’

‘Perhaps.’

‘Even better,’ Sophia said excitedly, barely managing to maintain composure as the thought came to her. ‘Do you think he
is
a certain werewolf?’

‘I don’t know. But I’m going to find out.’ Van set down his dish brush and set off at a steady pace across the grass. Sophia followed a few seconds later, jogging in order to keep up.

‘Shall I get the gun?’ she whispered loudly, but Van didn’t hear or if he did, he didn’t slow his pace or reply. The old man stayed perfectly still until they were close enough to see his sharp eyes under overgrown eyebrows and the deep creases in his forehead. Van slowed to a walk and raised his hand in greeting.

‘Excuse me,’ he called. ‘Can we talk to you for a moment?’

The man narrowed his eyes a little, twitched his shoulders, and then bolted.

‘Hey, wait!’ Van yelled as the man took off across the grass away from them. He sprinted after him but the old man was so fast that he was well ahead with only a few seconds’ head start. With a quick turn of his head over his shoulder, the man darted into the trees. Sophia was so far behind that by the time she arrived, panting, at the tree line, Van was already on his way back, shaking his head.

‘He was a werewolf, alright,’ he said, still full of adrenalin from the chase. ‘Did you see how fast he moved? He may be old but he’s still got speed on his side and strength too, judging by the breadth of his chest.’

‘It’s got to be him!’ Sophia gasped. ‘Why didn’t you chase him? You’re younger; you’d run him down, surely.’

Van shook his head. ‘I may have age on my side, but he knows this area better than anyone. He’d easily shake me, and I’d be leaving you alone and vulnerable. No, we’ll stick to the original plan and wait for Wilbur.’ He cocked his head. ‘In fact, I think I hear something now.’

Just then, with impeccable timing, Wilbur emerged from the trees back over beside the tent, brushing twigs off the shoulders of his suit jacket. He smoothed his hair and drank a cup of water while Van and Sophia hurried over to his side. Van clapped him on the back.

‘I didn’t expect you to be back so soon,’ he said. ‘Thought you’d be on the other side of the forest right now.’

‘We’ve just seen a man that we think is the grey werewolf,’ Sophia interrupted hurriedly. There was no time for pleasantries. ‘He was standing over there just staring at us, then when we approached him he ran off into the woods. Van chased him but he was so fast…’

Wilbur turned to her with a smile. ‘I saw the whole thing. I think we’ve all been busy watching each other.’ To both of them he said. ‘I haven’t travelled far over the past two nights at all. In fact, I’ve been just over that hill.’ He pointed to a small rise to the East. ‘Little more than a mile from where we stand. That’s where the man with the grey beard lives, in a shack near a narrow river. The shack is close by here, but well off the walking tracks and in a dense area of bush. It’s likely he usually lives there quite uninterrupted.’

‘Do you think he’s a werewolf?’ Van asked. ‘His speed and agility through the trees suggests superhuman abilities. He certainly didn’t move like an old man, stiff from the cold.’

Wilbur nodded. ‘I noticed those things too. He knows these woods intimately; every dip in the landscape and rock in the river seemed familiar to him during the time I was tracking him. Another thing: he seemed to sense you both here, something you wouldn’t expect from a mortal man.’

‘How do you mean?’ Sophia asked.

‘Last night he came out of his shack after nightfall and just stood there, very still, for a long time. At first I thought he’d heard me, as I’d just changed position so I could see through the small window. But then, after sniffing the light breeze that had sprung up, he began marching directly towards the campsite. I followed from a reasonable distance, but even so, something tells me that he knew I was there. He made his way in the pitch dark without stumbling once, stopping right there.’ He pointed to a tree with a thick trunk directly behind Van and Sophia’s tent.

‘You must’ve both been in bed, so there wasn’t much to see, which is probably why he returned today to take another look at you. I don’t understand why he’d position himself out in the open like he did just now, though, having been so cautious previously. It was like he became mesmerized when he saw you, Van, and didn’t snap out of it until you were striding towards him.’

Sophia’s neck prickled to think of silent feet creeping about in the woods while she slept. ‘You didn’t hear him last night?’ she asked Van.

‘No,’ Van admitted. ‘Shows how well he knows this area. A werewolf can only be truly silent in his most familiar territory.’ 

‘So we definitely think he’s a werewolf,’ said Sophia. ‘But do you think he’s
our
werewolf?’