Drawn To The Alpha 2 (8 page)

‘Thank you,’ Sophia whispered.

Wilbur moved back around the kitchen island and took a moment to embrace Van before continuing on into the dining room. Sophia and Van followed him. Van put a hand on Sophia’s arm at the doorway.

‘Stay back while he changes,’ he said quietly. ‘And brace yourself.’ He closed the door and they leaned back against it.

Wilbur stood in the center of the large Persian rug beside the dining table. The room fell silent – it was so quiet that Sophia hardly dared to breathe for fear of interrupting him. The only sound was the steady patter of rain on the window. Wilbur stood with his back straight and strong. His arms were beside his body with fists clenched. He kept his eyes open and locked on a point at the opposite end of the room and his breaths were deep and steady.

Sophia’s eyes scanned over his body, waiting for evidence that a transition was beginning. When she’d watched Van change into a wolf for the first time she was mesmerized by the slow evolution of his body from man to wolf and had felt privileged to witness such a phenomenon. But she had no idea what animal Wilbur was going to change into and so no clue as to where to place her eyes first.

Questions began to dart through her mind as she waited. Would he grow a tail or maybe wings? Would he have a dog’s snout or a snake’s tongue? Was he able to turn into just one type of animal or many? What if he didn’t turn into an animal at all, what if he transformed into a woman or a child? Just as it had in the cave on Virgin Island, she was horrified to feel mad laughter begin to bubble up inside of her as she contemplated things like the color of his scales and whether he’d smell like a dog.
Must be nerves. Don’t laugh, please don’t laugh.
She tried desperately to contain herself; what would Wilbur think if she started cackling away? He’d probably turn into a dragon and roast her with his fire breath.

And then he changed. It was so sudden and startling that it wiped any trace of laughter from her lips, leaving them hanging open in astonishment instead. First she noticed a subtle shimmer start to radiate off his body. It quickly built until it surrounded him like a heat wave. Then it spread out and out until it reached Van and Sophia beside the door and she realized that there actually
was
heat emanating from him. Then a sudden rush of air and energy blasted from him, like the shock wave from a bomb, throwing Sophia and Van back against the door. She reached out for Van in alarm and in the moment that it took for her to glance at him and then back again, Wilbur had changed.

Sophia stared, mouth agape, at the magnificent creature that stood before her. Never in her life had she encountered anything so beautiful yet formidable and for a moment she wasn’t sure whether to weep with delight or run for her life.

In the middle of the Persian rug stood a white tiger, ten feet long and at least five hundred pounds. Two curved ears twitched atop an enormous head that was decorated with bands of striking black stripes. He stared at them with those pale blue eyes and Sophia thought she could recognize Wilbur’s thick black eyebrows in the short stripes above the tiger’s eyes. His mouth dropped open a little as he panted, giving a glimpse of long sharp canines, perfectly white. Longer white fur fanned around his face to give the impression of a wise man’s beard. The muscles of his broad chest, flanks and legs rippled with the potential of incredible power and energy. Even his long, thick tail jerked with liveliness.

Sophia looked up at Van in amazement. ‘This is absolutely incredible,’ she whispered. ‘Can I approach him?’

‘Yes. Talk to him too; he can still understand you, although the werewolves’ telepathy doesn’t extend to him, unfortunately.’

Sophia took a deep breath and began to slowly walk towards him. It didn’t seem right to rush up. He watched quietly as she approached with a calm expression on his noble face. When she reached his side she was struck anew by his size and the power contained within his striped body.

‘Wow, Wilbur,’ she said a little shakily. ‘I don’t even know what to say. You’re magnificent. Can I touch you?’

He gave a short nod. Sophia placed her hand on his neck, just behind his ears. His fur was thick and a little rough and it was almost like patting her parents’ cat, but at the same time so far removed from stroking a house cat that it was incomparable. She didn’t touch him for long – she’d only just met him, after all. She moved back in front of him and Van stood by her side. Wilbur looked at them both with his eyes squinted.

‘That expression on his face means he’s happy,’ Van said. ‘He’s giving us his blessing.’

Happiness spread through Sophia to think that Wilbur approved of them together. Then a thought occurred to her; something she’d really like to experience. ‘Can you roar for us?’ she asked him in a hushed tone, expectant excitement rounding her eyes. Wilbur’s eyes flicked open.

‘Tigers tend to roar to communicate with other tigers rather than as a threat,’ Van said. ‘So if he chooses to do it now then it’s a great honor, as if we were tigers like him.’ He turned to Wilbur. ‘What do you say, Wilbur?’

Wilbur paused for a moment, seeming to be thinking about the proposition, and then began pacing around the dining room. He shook his head a little then opened his mouth and began a series of roars. It was a deep, throaty sound that reverberated around the room and travelled through every inch of Sophia’s body. The hairs on her arms and the back of her neck stood on end and a thrilling shiver ran through her body. There was no denying the power and majesty behind the sound and yet on some level Sophia felt that it was a mournful sound as well, as if he were communicating the desperate plight of the tiger in this world of men.

She reached out and held Van’s hand, feeling that the sound also reflected the dual significance and desperation of their personal plight. He squeezed her fingers and when she looked up into his eyes, tears glistened in their brilliant blue depths. He understood.

Chapter 13

Wilbur rejoined Sophia and Van in the kitchen with no apparent ill effects from his transformation back into a man. The changeover from man into wolf and back again took a tremendous physical toll on Van, but Wilbur seemed quite unaffected. There was not a bead of sweat on his forehead when he sat down beside them, and even the handkerchief in his top pocket was still neatly folded in place.

‘Thank you so much for sharing your gift with me,’ Sophia said, even more in awe of him now than ever. She hesitated, unsure if her next question was too personal. ‘You said before that only Van and your best friend knew about this. Even though I’ve only known him a short time, I consider Van my best friend. Can you tell me, is Nancy, your wife, your best friend too?’

Sadness crossed over his features. ‘I wish I could say that she was. What you and Van share is a beautiful and precious gift. Never let it go. Unfortunately the thing that my wife and birth sons value most in this world is money. Any potential threat to the source of their worldly pleasures is viewed most unfavorably, so I’ve never dared to tell them in case they consider me a danger rather than a wonder.’ He reflected sadly on this for several moments before visibly bolstering himself. ‘But right now it’s time to focus on what’s important at this moment. The two of you have a difficult task ahead and I want to help you.’ He looked at Sophia. ‘Sophia, your energy is low. Anyone could tell just by looking at you and I can feel it as well. I fear that it may be too low to accomplish what needs to be done.’  

Tears sprang unbidden to Sophia’s eyes as Wilbur voiced her biggest worry. ‘We just have to do our best and hope for good luck,’ she replied shakily. ‘I feel anxious to get on the road; it’s impossible to know how long I’ve got left.’

‘Indeed,’ Wilbur continued solemnly. ‘The situation may be even graver than you realize. In my experience, once energy transfer has begun it often increases exponentially over time.’

A fresh wave of fear washed over Sophia and her throat choked up as she began to cry in earnest.

Van rubbed her back gently ‘Stay strong in your head, my love, even when your body is failing you.’ To Wilbur he said, ‘There are less than two weeks until the next full moon. That’s thirteen days to find the grey wolf and convince him to sacrifice his life for the good of all werewolves. We can do this.’ The final sentence he seemed to be saying to convince himself.

‘Yes. And I will help you,’ Wilbur agreed firmly. ‘We’ll take my private jet to the town nearest Weiser State Forest and I’ll arrange a car from the airport; that’ll save time on the journey and you can bring any gear you need. When we arrive at the Forest I’ll transition and scout the area for the grey werewolf while Van guards Sophia; there’s no way you’ll cover enough ground in time otherwise. Then I’ll lead you to him and leave you to complete your mission alone; he may not trust a tiger like he would a fellow werewolf. It won’t be easy, but I think Van’s right. We can do this.’

Sophia felt a little ray of hope pierce through the bleak melancholy that surrounded her. All of a sudden success seemed a real possibility rather than a pipedream. She threw her arms around Wilbur’s neck. ‘Thank you, thank you,’ she said into his thick hair.

He held her at arm’s length. ‘There’s more. I may be able to help raise your energy in preparation for the journey ahead. I once witnessed a ceremony in which a shape shifter like me gifted some of his life energy to a dying woman. The boost didn’t last long, maybe only a few extra days, but for you a few days might mean success or failure in Weiser Forest. Shape shifters operate on a much higher vibration than mortals,’ he explained, ‘they have to in order to achieve transformations. That’s why it’s possible to transfer some energy without weakening ourselves too much.’

‘Is it possible for Van to simply return my energy, then?’ Sophia asked.

Wilbur glanced at Van, who was staring at the floor. ‘Werewolves are a little different. The darkness they carry in their hearts means that any energy they gifted a mortal would be destructive not positive.’

Sophia felt a pang of sympathy for Van, the man whose gorgeous exterior hid the shadows that lay within. The thought motivated her even more to help him and all of his kind.

‘What do we need to do?’ she asked Wilbur. 

Before she even had time to fetch her raincoat, Sophia found herself mustering up all of her remaining energy in order to follow Wilbur’s marching grey-suited form down the outside steps and through the forest towards Trinity Rock. The rain still poured down, penetrating the forest canopy and plopping giant drips on their heads and shoulders.

‘Can’t we do this ceremony inside?’ she muttered to Van, who was squelching along behind her. ‘I’ll be just as likely to catch my death of cold out here as anything else.’ All of a sudden he scooted past her, stopped and presented his back. Sophia shrugged and climbed on. It felt rather novel to ride on his human back rather than his wolf back and she allowed her cheek to rest on his broad shoulder. She kissed the wet skin of his neck, making him chuckle.

‘It’s vital to be out in the elements during a ceremony such as this,’ Wilbur called from the front. He strode through the mud and rain without any concern whatsoever for the state of his suit and shoes, which Sophia thought were probably worth more than the contents of her whole closet combined. ‘Nowhere is a human’s energy vibration higher than in nature, and that counts for shape shifters too. We’re absorbing it from every living thing around us. The trees, the insects, the birds, even the elements.’ They emerged into the Trinity Rock clearing. ‘And I don’t know anywhere with a more palpable energy field than this piece of stone right in front of us.’ 

Sophia nodded in agreement. Even in the gloomy weather, Trinity Rock glowed as if the sun were hiding inside it from the rain. Her fingers and toes prickled with static electricity as they walked towards it. Van set her down under the overhanging portion of rock and stood back outside with the rain streaming down his face while Wilbur joined Sophia under cover. Just as Wilbur took Sophia’s cold hands in his warm grip, lightning forked across the sky above them, followed only seconds later by a mighty clap of thunder. Wilbur grinned, white teeth shining.

‘That’s a good sign.’ His face shone with rain and exhilaration. But Sophia wondered, was he enjoying it too much? Was there a touch of madness in those eyes too? He continued on before she had a chance to ponder the thought any further. ‘Here’s what we’re going to do.’ He paused as another flash of lightning lit up the sky and Sophia jumped as the thunder boomed even louder than before.

‘We’ll stay holding hands, just like this. I’m going to begin my transition, just like in the dining room before, except this time I’m only going to go half way, just to the point where the heat wave begins to shimmer. When I’ve built up the energy to that level, no further, then you’ll begin to receive it through the touch of our hands.’ A cold wind suddenly blew up, scattering leaves and forcing Sophia to strain to hear him. Van sheltered as far under the rock beside them as he could. ‘But it’s very important that I don’t let the changeover go too far,’ he said. ‘I can’t let it tip over into full transition while we’re connected.’

‘What would happen then?’ Sophia shouted.

‘If the force field from a full transition hit you while you were still touching me, the impact would kill you.’

Sophia looked fearfully at Van. Her legs felt so weak, like she could hardly support her own weight, and her vision was beginning to blur around the edges. She was fading fast; there was no denying it. But could she trust Wilbur to contain his transition?

‘Do you think you can control it?’ she yelled to Wilbur.

‘I don’t know,’ he replied with a grin. ‘I’ve never tried.’

‘I’m not sure, Van,’ she said, noting the concern on her lover’s face. ‘Maybe we shouldn’t do this. Maybe it’s too dangerous.’

‘You may not have a choice,’ he shouted back. ‘You’re so much weaker than yesterday. At this rate you won’t even make it to the forest, let alone last until the next full moon.’ He cupped her cheek in his hand. ‘Be brave, my love. I’d trust Wilbur with my life and I’ve no doubt he’ll do everything he can to save yours too.’

Sophia gave a little nod. ‘Alright,’ she whispered.

Wilbur squeezed her hands and began. His eyes locked into hers but he was no longer looking at her. His gaze was focused but distant, as if he was staring through her rather than at her. His chest rose and fell steadily and he stood perfectly still. With the wind, rain and thunder raging all around them, he seemed like the eye of the storm.

Perhaps it was the power of the storm, perhaps because he’d transitioned only an hour prior, but Wilbur’s energy field began to build immediately. What began as gentle warmth in his palms soon built to intense heat. Sophia had to force herself to maintain her grip on his hands, denying the strong impulse to drop them and protect herself. With his blank, fixed gaze and the supernatural heat that emanated from him, Sophia experienced a fresh wave of fear. What if he couldn’t stop himself?

Those empty eyes would be the last thing she ever saw. She wanted to glance at Van, to reassure herself, but she was trapped in Wilbur’s gaze. The wave began to waft off his body, heating their little space intensely, making it feel even more like she was sinking into the depths of hell. The mad thought occurred to her that this was all a trick. Wilbur was actually Lucifer, hiding in the body of a man or a tiger. Now his scorching hands had come to drag her to the burning underworld below. She screamed, but still she couldn’t break the gaze or drop his hands. Somewhere in the distance was Van’s voice but she couldn’t hear his words and it wasn’t until she fell into unconsciousness that peace finally came.