Red Wolf

Chapter XXIV

I ran my fingers along the fog coated windows, drawing a variety of swirls and patterns along it.

I was still in shock of what happened. The mate bond disappeared with my transformation. How could that even be possible? Caden didn't even recognize me, and I think that's what broke my heart the most.

Right now Caden and I were driving to the witch that his pack, well my pack, uses, who is also apparently some distant relative of his.

We continued driving along the windy, dirt path to the abode of this crusty old lady.

*****

Did I say crusty old lady? For some stereotypical reason I assumed all witches must be a hundred years old, but this girl was gorgeous. She had long, waist length frizzy hair and eyes a strange white color. No, not grey, but just a few shades darker than the whites of her eyes. An off-white, I guess.

"Belinda, you have to help us," Caden pleaded as we sat on the worn couch opposite his relative. She replied with a smirk and questioned, "What will I get in return?"

"I'll pay for a new crystal ball." At first I thought Caden was joking, but I saw her contemplate his offer while staring at a cloudy sphere on her table.

"Throw in a broom and we have ourselves a deal," she countered, crossing her arms and looking at him.

"Of course. So can you help us?"

"What's the issue? Who is she?" Belinda questioned, cocking her head and looking at me.

"This is...erm, possibly was my mate Lily." Caden saying "was" felt like a stab to my heart, even though I knew it could be true.

Belinda furrowed her brow, looking at me with curiosity clear in her features. "What happened?"

I decided to speak up, so I could at least join the conversation. "We were mates, but we never completed the process, he just marked me. I had a weird transformation where my hair, skin and eye coloring changed and now the mate bond is nonexistent."

Belinda made a clicking noise with her tongue, tilting her mouth. "Are you a white wolf, by any chance?" She questioned, looking at me.

"No, I'm a red one," I replied.

She looked at me in surprise. "Wow, a red wolf, wow, I did not get that from you. Terribly sorry if I was disrespectful in any way," she told me, tilting and cringing away as if she was scared of me.

"I only know of one thing. There have been tales passed down of red wolves, and that the mate bond does get broken after a certain amount of time, along with a huge shift in the person. Usually it is a personality change, but I have heard no stories of a physical one. Legend says that the only way to reverse the transformation and heal the bond is to get the Ruby of Woku in the Misty Mountains."

I gave her a weird look, getting a strange Lord of the Rings vibe from this whole situation. "The Ruby of Woku? Is that a joke? Who even came up with that name." I chuckled softly. Woku. How lame.

"The only problem is that the legendary tribe Wōlok tribe guards the mountains, and it would be borderline suicidal to try and defeat them. Their tribe has remained the supreme werewolf league for centuries. Caden, your pack is strong, but you don't stand a chance."

Caden looked at her in the eyes, emotionless, and said, "So, how can we beat them?"