Drawn To The Alpha 2 (3 page)

Chapter 5

That evening, as the werewolves filed out of the cave and separated off into hunting parties, Sophia and Van were no closer to finding an answer. Sophia sat beside a fire that she’d made despite Van’s advice to the contrary. She was using her small knife to sharpen the tip of the new stake she’d made from a branch.  As far as she could tell, none of the werewolves were running in panic from the flames. It was selfish – she knew that – and she genuinely hoped that none of the wolves were afraid. But she also desperately needed something to lift her flagging spirits, and the fire had done just that. Van had made his way over once it was fully established. He sat down beside her, looking cagey.

Why are you afraid?
Sophia said.
It’s only a campfire. You make them all the time when you’re a man.

I can build a fire as a man,
he replied.
But I can also put a fire out as a man. As a wolf I can’t do either of those things. The only defense we’d have if your fire went out of control would be to run.

It’s under control,
she said more confidently than she felt. She looked up at the hot sparks flying through the night sky, suddenly a little sheepish. The truth was that she’d never thought of the risk her fire posed to all of the forest animals. She’d only been thinking of her own needs.

The Colti will also smell the smoke,
Van continued.
They’ll know for certain that a mortal is on the island – you – and that she’s probably the reason for the gathering. You just confirmed yourself as a target and increased the risk of a night attack.

Sophia felt chilled despite the warm fire and thoroughly rebuked. 
I’m so sorry,
she said.
How stupid of me; I guess I just didn’t think it through.
She stood up and began kicking dirt over the flames. When it was out she sat back down.

Why didn’t you say something about the fire outside Reinhart’s cave?
she asked.
You congratulated me on how well I’d done with that one.

I could see you were so proud of yourself for making your first fire and I hated to crush you at that moment. Also there wasn’t the same danger of a vampire attack that night.

I was also super mad because you and Reinhart were whispering secrets. You were probably too afraid to tell me off.

There was that too,
he admitted with humor in his voice.
 

I’m sorry, Van.
She cuddled up to him but then had to twist around to look at him. This telepathic thing was amazing, but a little inconvenient at times.
I know
I’m not pleasant to be around at the moment and I really am sorry. I’m just so damn frustrated that we can’t figure out this puzzle. Maybe it’s not a puzzle at all; maybe I really will die. Maybe my death will somehow enact The Mother’s powers too. Who knows?

No.
Van was firm.
You’re not going to die. I won’t let it happen.
They sat quietly for a while longer and then Van stood up.
I’m going to catch us some dinner.

Sophia looked at the smoking pit where her fire once was.
Guess I’ll be eating it raw,
she said wryly.

I’ll try for fish; you like sashimi, right?

Sophia laughed. It felt good to open her mouth wide and laugh on a day where her lips had been permanently pressed together with tension and worry.
I love it.

I’ll stay nearby; at that stream just beyond the clearing. It’s unlikely that the Colti will attack tonight; there are still too many werewolves here. Unlikely but not impossible. If there’s any sign of trouble, head straight for the cave. I’ll meet you in our usual spot.
He saw that she was wearing her garlic and cross and nodded approvingly at her new stake. He looked up to the sky, where the moon was just rising.
I think the moon’s still full enough to travel through the portal. Just.

Not that it matters,
Sophia said glumly.
It’d take a miracle to get us home tonight.

Never count out a miracle.

As it turned out, the miracle came in the form of a golden brown werewolf named Lucas. He and Dorin appeared beside the remains of the fire shortly after Van had left on his hunting trip. Dorin introduced Lucas and explained that he’d travelled from a neighboring region when he heard the news of The Mother.

I hoped to arrive last night,
Lucas said,
but the journey took longer than I expected and I had to take cover nearby when the sun began to rise. The woods were thick with vampires last night.

Dorin nodded.
Lucas is a senior pack member of the Southern Forest werewolves,
he said to Sophia.
He’s brought a message from his Pack Leader that I think you’ll be very interested in.

Sophia looked at Lucas with excitement. Could this handsome wolf, with fur the color of smooth caramel, finally be bringing some good news? She invited him to sit next to her.

It’s an honor to be here with you,
he said.
When I heard that The Mother was amongst us, like many others in my pack I could hardly believe it. And yet here you are, a beautiful woman with golden hair and green eyes who is talking to me as if she was another werewolf. It’s truly amazing.

I’m so happy to meet you,
she said earnestly.
And it’s me who’s honored to have this ability to talk telepathically and gain such an insight into your world. But, please tell me why you came. I really need some good news. Is it something to do with the Pure Soul code?

He nodded solemnly.
It is. Knowledge and beliefs vary between werewolf packs, but the way that a Pure Soul reverses her true love’s curse is fairly well understood amongst the Southern werewolves. My pack leader suspected this knowledge might not be as well disseminated in these parts of the woods, so he sent me to tell you.

Dorin understands that I must sacrifice my own life in order to save Van. Is this what you know too?

Yes,
he said solemnly.
It seems cruel but honestly, it’s such a rare occurrence for a werewolf to actually find his Pure Soul that most in our pack don’t give it a thought from year to year.

We think there must be some way around it,
Sophia said.
Everyone tells me that I’m The Mother.  I can’t die saving Van.

Then he said the words that Sophia was longing to hear.
You’re right. You can’t die. There’s more to the legend than you know.

Please tell me,
she said urgently.
How do I do it?

He gave a long pause and her heart began to pound.
This is what you must do,
he finally said.
To avoid gifting your life energy to your true love in order to reverse his curse, you must convince another soul to give his life in exchange for yours.

Sophia sat back, blinking.
Someone else has to sacrifice themselves for me?
She thought of the werewolves who had died already. Didn’t they count?

It can’t be just any life,
Lucas continued
.

Who then?

It must be the werewolf who bit your true love and gave him with the curse in the first place. That werewolf must know the full truth about The Mother – you must tell him – and you must convince him to willingly sacrifice his life anyway.

Sophia let out a long, slow breath.
It’s tough. How do we know he’s still alive? And how on earth will we find him?

These are the challenges you’ll face.
He stood up.
There’s one more thing.

Sophia’s heart sank. There was more? This already seemed a daunting task.

He must be in wolf form when he dies. And you must be the one to deliver the death blow.

Sophia gasped.
I
have to kill him?

No one else, only you.
He dipped his head.
I wish you luck, Sophia, our Mother. All of the Southern Werewolves are with you. Now I must eat and then make my return journey. My pack will be eagerly awaiting news. Many, like I did, doubt that it’s possible that The Mother is amongst us. But I will tell them the truth. It’s just as the legend states. The Mother is here.

Sophia thanked him and wished him luck on his journey home. She watched him trot away, her head spinning with everything he’d said. She knew she should be leaping to her feet, finding Van and preparing to leave straight away. They needed to get through to the portal before sunrise and there was much planning to do once they were back before they set off to find the werewolf that bit Van all those years ago. She had no idea how long it would take for Van to take over all of her life energy, but she feared that it would be shorter than they would like.

Yes, they needed to get moving, but at the same time she was shell-shocked by Lucas’s message and needed a moment to let it sink in. Her heart ached to think that another life must be sacrificed to save hers and she was sickened to think that she was the one who had to kill him.
Why does the path to true love have to be bathed in blood?
She desperately wanted her fairytale ending, but not when death was part of the equation. At the same time, it seemed that there was no other way.

Dorin remained quietly beside her, as he had the entire time she spoke with Lucas. She turned to him and asked him if he knew what the golden wolf had said. He nodded. Sophia noticed that the familiar sparkle in his eyes was back. During the formal ceremony earlier that day, with all the werewolves present, she’d felt intimidated by him. But like this, one-on-one, she was relaxed and comfortable and felt that they could be good friends, all the way back in the real world.

You’re feeling smug, aren’t you!
she exclaimed, nudging him.
I can tell by the look on your face.   

Who, me?

Yes, you. You said that the solution to our problems would present itself if we were patient and it has. And we didn’t even have to wait very long at all.

I might be a little smug.

Sophia thought that he winked at her, but couldn’t be sure.
Do you think we can do it? Can we find the werewolf that bit Van all those years ago? And will I be brave enough to do what I have to do?

He looked at her knowingly.
All the answers are within you, Sophia. Together with Van, you have everything you need.

Chapter
6

Clouds rolled over as they hastily made their final preparations. A small band of four werewolves would travel with them to the big oak, mainly for the purposes of guiding them around the Colti territory. It was too dangerous to take the most direct route and no one could be sure that they’d be able to cover the extra ground before sunrise.

At first Sophia was shocked to see that Dorin had assigned such a small group as their guides. She’d quickly grown accustomed to the security of the wider group and had expected to travel with large numbers guarding her, as Reinhart’s wolves had done on the trip to Virgin Island. But when she raised her concerns with Van, he agreed with Dorin.

Stealth is the key tonight,
he said briskly.
Not defense.

No one wanted to say it, but if the Colti attacked en route they would easily overwhelm the travelling party, even if the group were five or ten times the size. It wasn’t like a few nights ago, when the vampires were initially cautious of the werewolves. Now they knew that something important was happening on the Island. Maybe they’d already know that this mortal woman walking amongst the wolves was a very valuable prize. Their attack would be swift and deadly. Their only chance was to avoid Colti territory and move quickly and quietly.    

On a whim, Sophia hugged Dorin just before they left. She wasn’t sure if it was correct behavior to throw her arms around the Pack Leader and kiss the top of his head, but she didn’t care. She might never see him again, and she wanted him to know that she valued the beginnings of the friendship they’d created. Then she climbed on Van’s sturdy back and raised her hand in farewell to all the werewolves. There was no howling as they departed, no great send-off. In fact, there was barely a sound as they snuck away into the dark night.

The most dangerous leg of the journey was the first one. There was no option but to cross the narrow stretch of water directly into Colti territory. Once across they would head north, before cutting back in towards the Oak Tree portal once out of the most unsafe area. There were hazards everywhere, but they wanted to avoid Colti land most of all.

Sophia climbed off Van’s back, preparing to wade across the waist-deep water as she’d done when she arrived. But as the wolves glided noiselessly into the water and began to swim with only their heads above water, it became clear that it would be much better if she swam as well. She had her black hat on and her face camouflaged once more, but to splash across the water to the mainland with her body sticking out of the water announced her so loudly that she might as well holler across the water for the vampires to come and get her.

So, she quickly took off her jacket and stuffed it into her rucksack in the vain hope that it might stay dry. She slid quietly into the water, holding back the gasp that came when the chilly waves enveloped her. It wasn’t yet winter, but the temperature was still frigid enough to take her breath away. She felt her rucksack grow heavy with water and knew that she could add being cold and wet to the list of challenges to face tonight. She suddenly had a feeling that this might have been a terrible mistake. She paddled on her side after the werewolves, much slower and more awkward than them, but remaining as soundless as possible.

When she emerged she started shivering almost immediately. She knew she was in trouble. Van shook himself dry and looked at her, concerned. 

You’re freezing,
he said.
Why the hell did you go all the way in the water?

I wanted to stay quiet,
she replied. Her teeth began to chatter.

Van shook his head.
Now you’re soaking wet with no dry clothes on a cold night. This is not good. Strip off your pants and wring them out as best you can. Then leave your wet sweater off and just wear your jacket; hopefully it’s a little drier.

The werewolves kept their eyes trained on the dark woods beyond, watching for trouble, as Sophia did as Van said. She struggled to remove her pants and squeezed as much water out as she could before putting them back on again, conscious all the while of precious minutes ticking away and the danger of their position. Her jacket was damp but not wringing wet. Would it be enough to keep her warm on tonight’s journey? She wasn’t sure.

As soon as she’d stuffed her wet sweater back into the rucksack and repositioned her hat, they were off. Their pace was swift and Sophia had to concentrate to hold on to Van’s fur with her chilled fingers. They followed the lake until it curved away to the right, then headed inland. Sophia had to trust that their guides knew the way; this forest was still so unfamiliar to her that she felt instantly disoriented the moment they lost sight of the lake.

It was hard, so very hard. As the trees whizzed by, Sophia did her best to hold on and stay alert, but she was so terribly cold and it was impossible to think of anything other than how miserable she was. She felt herself sinking deeper and deeper into a black hole of despair. The moon remained blanketed by thick clouds so it was impossible to see ahead. All she wanted to do was snuggle up in a warm bed and go to sleep. Sweet, sweet sleep. Her mind began playing tricks on her, telling her she’d be warmer right now if she went to sleep. She’d be happier asleep. Just go to sleep. Sleep, sleep, sleep.

The pace was relentless and the werewolves took brief rests every so often, their heavy breath creating a cloud around them. At the first stop, Sophia rolled off Van’s back and stood beside them. With five pairs of concerned eyes on her, she tried to say something reassuring, even something funny, but all that came out were mumbling sounds. She frowned. Seemed that her mouth wasn’t working properly now either. She stumbled over to a grey wolf and threw herself onto his back. Before they left the island, Van had agreed that the wolves should take turns to carry her to the oak tree, for speed’s sake. Sophia had felt proud of him for setting his ego aside and admitting that sharing the load was wise. During their desperate attempt to flee the Colti vampires and reach Virgin Island, Van had refused to let any other wolves help him, with nearly disastrous results. But here no one doubted Van’s strength or stamina and it just made sense to share the work.

She lay down on her stomach on the grey wolf’s back with her arms and legs dangling down towards the ground. She was no longer able to hold on while sitting up. Precious warmth rose up from his sweating, steaming body and she cuddled in a little tighter. She turned her head to the side and saw Van approaching.
Look at that handsome wolf,
she thought drowsily.
My Van. My wonderful Van.

Can you hold on?
Van’s tight voice snapped her out of her reverie.
You’re hypothermic; we’ve got to get you back and warm as soon as possible.

The rest of the journey was a blur. Later, Van would tell her that she rode on each of the werewolves’ backs that night, staggering from one to the other each time they stopped. Van carried her for the final leg; a desperate push towards the Oak Tree Portal just as the sky began to brighten behind the clouds. She was vaguely aware of being deposited on the ground and feeling Van’s body pressed close beside her. The other werewolves gave a series of sharp barks then tore away to find cover before the sun came up.

Sophia knew she was between the big roots of the Oak Tree Portal and she waited for the blackness to descend that signaled they were travelling. But it seemed to be taking an awfully long time. Were they too late? In her drowsy state, the thought of avoiding that awful journey and staying here on the ground next to Van seemed rather appealing. When the blackness finally descended, she wasn’t certain if she was travelling or simply passing out, but the sensation of sinking into unconsciousness was merciful and she welcomed it.