Keeper of the Wolves (11 page)

The black alpha stopped a few feet away and
studied me. I met his eyes, then casually let mine drift to the
side to acknowledge his superiority. In the human language that now
ran through my mind, the tones and notes that made up his name
translated to Shadow Runner. He and his mate, Silver Leaf, had
raised me for as long as I could remember. I owed them my life and
my respect. I loved them the same way I imagined human children
felt for their parents after being apart and realizing how much
their parents did for them.

I crouched so that Shadow Runner understood
I still accepted his dominance. He had chosen to follow me with his
pack for a full year, showing a devotion I had yet to see in
humans. He and the pack had howled songs of courage and bravery
each night, pleading for me to survive. He had kept me alive, and
the thought that he might turn away, that I might have changed so
much I no longer belonged to the pack, brought tears to my
eyes.

Shadow Runner’s head tilted to the side as
he studied my face. He took two steps forward to close the space
between us. I heard Joven whisper a reassurance to Koya in a tight
voice as though he was also uncertain of my safety. The black wolf
stared at me, no challenge in his eyes, only curiosity. Silver Leaf
gave a slight whine and he let out a huff in response. Silver Leaf
leaped forward and jumped on me, her licks and whines welcome after
the long absence. At Shadow Runner’s acceptance, the six other
wolves bounded into the clearing.

Four of them had been pups when I was taken.
Cricket, Pond Jumper, Trace, and Night Seeker now ran on long,
lanky legs they were still getting used to. They tripped over each
other and ended up in a sprawling pile a few feet away. Traveler
and Gull stepped around them. Traveler’s fur held so much gray the
black that marked him as Shadow Runner’s father was barely visible.
Gull, slender like her sister Silver Leaf but brown and white like
the birds that circled the lakes, brushed my shoulder with hers and
nipped at the back of my head.

I smiled but remembered not to grin. Wolves
didn’t show teeth to each other lightly. It was surprising how
easily the human expression came to me. Traveler sniffed my hair,
then sneezed. The yearling pups finally untangled themselves and
gamboled over to me. Their paws were large and heads big, but their
bodies were still lanky and they had yet to grow into their long
limbs. All four pups were healthy and had thick coats. Pond Jumper
licked my face and when I tried to push him away, Trace jumped on
my back. Within seconds, I had a full wolf-pile on top of me. Paws
and teeth made marks on my skin, but I pushed back in play. I was
used to the wrestling and biting and had long ago perfected the art
of fighting off such attacks, though the wolves had been much
younger.

I shoved the last one away and let out a
mocking growl. The younger pups growled back in voices much deeper
and fuller than I expected. I glanced over my shoulder and saw
Joven and Koya watching me. Koya had a hand to her mouth and her
eyes were wide with dismay as though she thought the wolves were
going to eat me any moment. Joven’s face was pale and he held an
arm protectively around Koya’s shoulders.

I looked back at the wolves; they had
noticed the humans. Shadow Runner lifted his lips in a snarl, sure
I was in danger. I lifted a hand to calm him, then dropped it
again, amazed at the human reactions that overtook the wolven
instincts that had been my life for so long. I blew air through my
nose and gave a short grunt. The alpha refused to be appeased. I
wished I was in wolf form so I could communicate better, but the
moon was still bright overhead and wouldn’t be releasing its hold
anytime soon.

I turned my back on Shadow Runner and heard
his surprised outlet of breath. I rose slowly and walked back to
Koya and Joven. The siblings watched me warily as if afraid that I
was as wild as the wolves behind me. Their lack of trust shouldn’t
have hurt given the short time we had known each other, but the
faint scent of fear that wafted from them both struck me to the
heart. I stopped a few feet short and held out a hand.

Koya glanced at Joven who refused to take
his eyes off me. His easy smile and casual manner were gone.
Instead, I saw a protector who would defend his sister against a
pack of eight wolves capable of taking down full-grown moose and
elk. I admired his courage, but hoped it didn’t get in the way of
what I wanted to do. Koya gave him one last look, then slipped her
hand into mine. I walked back mindful of her smaller steps and the
hesitancy in her posture. Wolves sensed weakness; I could only hope
they would trust her because I did.

When we were within a few paces of the pack,
I motioned for Koya to crouch. She surprised me by kneeling in the
grass, taking away her ability to run if things became dangerous. I
followed her example and knelt beside her. Shadow Runner watched us
carefully, his body still and the other wolves crouched behind him.
The pups peered around their elders, but they wouldn’t break the
line unless allowed to do so by their alpha.

I ducked my head and Koya did the same. Her
hand still held mine and the slight trembling of her fingers was
the only thing that gave her away. When Shadow Runner refused to
step forward, I lifted my head and met his eyes. He gazed back
calmly but with the everlasting stubbornness of the wolf. He
wouldn’t budge.

I was about to give up when Silver Leaf
stepped forward. Shadow Runner growled a nearly silent warning, but
she refused to listen. She kept her head up and ears pricked
forward as she closed the distance between us. Koya’s hand
tightened in mine, but she kept her eyes down and waited. I heard
her breath catch in her throat when Silver Leaf paused only inches
from her.

The wolf who had been my mother looked at
me. I tipped my head toward Koya and gave a short whine. Silver
Leaf sniffed Koya’s golden hair, the fine fabric of her blue wrap,
the silver circlet that held back her hair, and bent her head to
sniff our hands entwined together. She then nipped me on the
shoulder faster than I could move and gave Koya a quick lick on the
cheek before she returned to her mate.

Shadow Runner gave a quiet sniff of
reluctant approval and the pups ran forward to greet Koya. She
laughed when they licked her hands and nipped at her hair. She
smoothed their fur and didn’t mind when they licked her face. Joven
let out a quiet breath and I turned to see him step forward. When
he crouched, the pups ran up to him without preamble and began to
prance around as if they were much younger. Traveler gave a sneeze
that substituted for a laugh and Gull leaned against Silver Leaf
while both sisters watched the younger pups play.

“
They’re not very scary,”
Joven said with a laugh.

“
They’re adorable,” Koya
agreed. She ran a hand down Cricket’s back and the pup licked her
arm happily. Night Seeker and Pond Jumper chased each other around
her while Trace leaned against Joven who scratched the top of his
head as if he was a dog.

It was funny to see the wolves act so docile
and to watch Joven and Koya’s walls break down as the wolves
accepted them. I sat near Silver Leaf and Shadow Runner feeling
more complete than I had for a year. Both wolves gave quiet huffs
of approval and Silver Leaf kept watching me as if reminding
herself that I was really there. I settled back on my elbows
content to feel the comfort of their presence once more.

“
This is what the guards are
afraid of?” Joven asked with a scoff.

A strange scent touched my nose and a growl
ripped from Shadow Runner’s throat. I sat up slowly. A surge of
adrenaline ran through my limbs.

Joven paused in the act of ruffling Pond
Jumper’s fur. Both he and Koya stared at the alpha. “What’s wrong?”
Joven asked quietly.

I stood with my eyes still on the wolf and
my nose searching the breeze. The scent it brought was vile, dark,
and sour like rotten milk and mildewed stinkweed. It turned my
stomach and set my teeth on edge. I searched the forest but
couldn’t see anything unusual.

Shadow Runner and Silver Leaf stalked toward
the tree line. The pups waited near Traveler and Gull like silent
shadows amid the grass. The way the wolves acted let me know that
they had encountered the creatures before. Shadow Runner and Silver
Leaf paced side by side instead of flanking as hunting wolves
usually did. Their ruffs were up and teeth bared, but their snarls
had died away to silence as they neared the trees and waited.

I followed them as I would have done when I
ran with the pack. “Be careful,” Koya called softly behind me.

I peered into the shadows with a hand on
each wolf’s back. Every muscle in my body was tense and ready for
the unknown. The smell grew stronger and a shudder ran down my
spine. I wished I was in wolf form. I had never been able to figure
out fighting without sharp teeth and the agility of a four-footed
animal. A shape moved within the shelter of the trees. Cold flooded
through my body. I blinked and willed my eyes to make sense of what
I saw. A gasp left my lips.

A white skeletal face looked out at me, but
it was completely wrong. Skin hung down in shredded sags, long
white pieces that fluttered in the faint breeze and gave off the
vile smell. Sunken holes took place of eyes, and there were no
lips, only bare teeth jagged and yellow in the gaping void of a
mouth. The creature stood as a human but taller, and in the place
of hands its white skin ended in tattered claws. Clawed feet stood
on the forest floor, but when it took a step forward, no sound
betrayed its presence.

Fear ran down my spine in an icy rush. No
such creature should be alive, yet its chest rose and fell and I
could make out the vague, stuttered beating of a heart. Malice
rolled from the creature in waves. It meant to hurt anything in its
path.

The creature took another step forward and I
heard Koya gasp when it came into view. I glanced back at the
brother and sister and said the first human word of my existence.
“Run.” It came out guttural and animalistic, more of a growl than a
spoken word, but Joven grabbed Koya’s hand and pulled her back
toward the wall.

I turned with the wolves and bared my teeth.
The creature took another silent step forward and though its
drifting skin caught on the bark of a tree, there was no sound and
the creature gave no acknowledgement of pain.

Shadow Runner and Silver Leaf stalked
forward. Neither would let the creature near the pups. Instead of
flanking to either side like a wolf would when facing a mountain
lion or a bear, they met it head on. It wasn’t until the creature
walked out from the shelter of the trees that I saw the reason why.
Jagged stalks stood out along the creature’s back and sides like
branches that had been broken off. There was no way to attack those
areas without being hurt.

Its clawed hands moved almost faster than I
could follow. Silver Leaf jumped out of the way, but not before a
claw scratched along her chest. She let out a yelp of pain. Shadow
Runner leaped up and tore a big shred of skin hanging from its
shoulder. The creature turned with its mouth open in protest, but
no sound escaped it. It caught Shadow Runner by the throat and
threw him against a tree. Shadow Runner limped back and let out a
fierce growl.

Gull and Traveler joined the pack. Each
paced to either side of the alpha. He lowered his head and
flattened his ears. The creature wasn’t going to hurt their family.
I looked around for anything I could use as a weapon. My human body
felt inadequate to fight something so fierce and full of rage. I
needed to defend my loved ones, but didn’t know how.

The creature swiped at Gull but she darted
out of the way. It turned back with incredible speed and slashed at
Silver Leaf’s muzzle. She ducked and a claw cut the tip of her ear.
Shadow Runner jumped at its side but missed its neck and bit down
on one of the stalks. The creature merely shook him off as though
it barely felt it.

Gull and Silver Leaf attacked at the same
time, biting its legs while Traveler tried to grab its throat. It
caught Traveler in its claws and picked him up by his neck. I
grabbed a branch lying on the ground and hit the creature’s stomach
as hard as I could. The branch broke and the creature fell back a
step, dropping Traveler.

The creature grabbed the branch and jerked
it out of my grasp. It gnashed its teeth at me but no sound came
from its mouth. It turned toward Silver Leaf again and I saw an
opening. When it reached its claws forward, a small hole under its
arm revealed sickly gray muscles. I grabbed the branch the creature
had discarded and drove it into the hole. This time a shriek
sounded so loud the wolves fell back and Koya let out a scream. The
shriek came not from the creature’s mouth, but from the hole where
I had driven the stick.

“
Keeper, look out!” Koya
shouted.

The creature stumbled back, then turned and
grabbed me by the throat with a speed that was inhuman. I struggled
but couldn’t get free of its claws. The wolves jumped at it, but it
ignored their attacks. It lifted me higher and opened its mouth
further than any human could. Koya let out another scream.

Before it could bite me, Joven dove in and
shoved the stick further into the hole beneath the creature’s arm.
It dropped me and stumbled back against a tree. It grabbed at the
stick and tried to pull it out, but its claws scrapped uselessly
against its side. A sticky, white substance began to ooze from the
wound. The wolves grabbed its arms and legs in their strong jaws
and brought it down to the ground. It was dead before it hit the
flattened grass.

The foul stench of rotten milk and mildewed
stinkweed hung in the air. Joven stared at me, his face pale and
expression one of shock at his own actions. I gave him a nod of
gratitude and glanced back at Koya. She looked scared and her hands
trembled slightly, but she gripped a stout branch like she had been
ready to use it. At my look of surprise, she dropped the stick and
brushed her hands self-consciously down her dress. “N-not how a
lady should act, right?”