Wolves of Dawn

EIGHT

Asa’s eyes drifted open, but her body refused to move. She knew it was time for her to leave, but she didn’t want to leave – partly because it has become her home, partly because of Keldar.
Birds started chirping outside her window when she decided it was time – if she procrastinated any longer, everyone would be awake, and her chance to flee would disappear. She hurriedly dressed and tiptoed downstairs. The house was still quiet, and she left with heartache.
The hardest part came when she thought she could just walk out at the border, but the men greeted her gleefully.
“Hey, you’re up early! Going out for a hunt?” One man, Yuge, spoke. These were the warriors she had been spending all her time with lately. Some have become friends, and some have become brothers.
“Yes.” The lie came out easily, making her feel worse.
“Have fun.” The other spoke, and she smiled at him. It was a home she was leaving behind.
She walked away slowly until she was out of sight and started sprinting; Keldar would be awake by now, and she couldn’t risk him catching up.
Her feet dug in the dirt as she ran away from the territory. Her ears listened intently at any sounds that would alert her. But Keldar ambushed her the same way the feelings for him did, silent and all at once. His steps grew closer and nearer before she could get too far. Within a moment, he was close enough to tackle her to the ground.
“What are you doing?!” The angry shout in his voice made her lay still on the floor as he positioned himself to trap her. She was angry, but her face didn’t show that at all. She had honestly thought she could leave and never see him again. “Why would you disappear like that?!” He was still shouting at her, his anger overpowering so much he couldn’t see the emotions raging across her face.
“You know I have to leave!” She shouted back, struggling against him. Asa pushed hard, and he tumbled over, granting her the upper hand. She pushed him to the ground, but his strength was still overpowering, and he retook the lead. “You said you’ll wait!” He struggled as much as her to keep her hands at bay, but she wouldn’t give in that easily. They stumbled on the ground for dominance until their clothes were covered in mud and leaves.
She pushed him back and sprung up, backing away. “Stop!” She shouted at her alpha, willing him to obey her. He stopped in his tracks and stared at her with anger. “What changed?” The question made her gulp at how calm he suddenly was.
“Nothing.” She dusted her hands, trying to get rid of all the dirt.
“Asa… What’s going on?” He stepped closer, trying to persuade her, but the moment she stepped back, he stopped.
“I saw Keran in my dreams again.” Keldar took a step back, knowing what that meant.
“Is he coming back?”
“I don’t know, but I can’t stay long enough for him to find out.”
“What if he finds you again? You might as well stay here and talk to him.”
“And say what? I’ve hurt him enough as is. I don’t have anything to say, and I have nothing left to give him.”
“Don’t leave.” He stepped forward again until he was in reach. “Not like this, at least.” He took her hand in his, pulling her into a tight embrace.
“I’m sorry I didn’t say goodbye.” She whispered into the soothing scent he offered.
“I wouldn’t have allowed you to leave anyway.” He chuckled into her hair, and she breathed in deeply.
“How did you find out?”
“Did you honestly think I wouldn’t ask my men to keep an eye out for you?” His words hurt; lately, any words he would say seemed oversensitive in her ears.
“To ensure I don’t kill anyone…?”
“For protection.” He squeezed her tighter, and a smile appeared on her face. “You seem weak. You could have taken me easier if you had your full strength.” She moved away from him and shook her head. “It’s okay; I’ll hunt on my way.”
“To where?” She closed her eyes at her own stupidity; of course, she couldn’t do one right thing.
“I’m going to find the shaman.”
“On your own? Are you insane?” She huffed and crossed her arms.
“I can take him on my own; we need him to undo what he did and end him for it.”
“You truly are insane.” She smiled at him, his joke making her feel happy.
“Goodbye, Keldar.” She turned around to retreat again, but a hand caught hers.
“I’ll go with you -.”
“No.”
“Yes. I am your alpha, after all, and I think you need the extra protection.” He smiled at her, and she couldn’t help but give in; her willpower was not strong enough to resist.
“Let’s get you something to eat; how about a deer?”
“No, thank you.” She interjected, knowing he’ll suggest worse soon enough
“What do you want then? You probably have a preference for your animals.” He chuckled at her bad look, gaining a disgusted face from her.
“Human. I want human blood.” He didn’t even bother to hide his disgust, and for a moment, she wanted to give in and accept his deer offering, but she stood with her words and looked at him.
His face shown irritation, and he sighed deeply, changing it into frustration. “If the animal blood bothers you that much, you can drink from me, but I won’t allow you to harm an innocent human.” He rolled up his sleeve, exposing his beautiful skin.
Tempted to jump at the offer, she swallowed. “I’m not going to kill anyone if that’s what you want. I just need a bit of their blood.”
“Then it won’t make a difference drinking mine either, as long as you don’t mind the wolf blood too much.”
She almost wanted to laugh at his words, mind it? She craved it. “You’re disgusted with the fact that I need blood, and now you’re offering me yours?”
“You’ve been eating human food, and I know you didn’t drink much of the deer either. I think I would be a rather bad friend if I didn’t try to understand at least that you need  blood.” Only the word friend hopped around in her head, so she nodded without knowing what he said.
The familiar burn in her throat started as she looked at his wrist. Her mouth watered with the idea of biting into it, not because of the blood, no. It watered because of him; the passion he ignited within her overtook all senses, and she couldn’t stop it from overtaking her mind.
She would part ways with him soon enough; he would live a happy life without her, and she would become a distant memory. She couldn’t have him, not now, nor ever, but she could have this moment. That was more enough for her to step closer, knowing that he was willingly giving himself to her.
She traced the veins on his wrist, the skin illuminated under the dawning sky. Then, as she had the first time, she looked into his eyes and slowly bit into his flesh. He looked on as she savored each drop, savored every part of him. She drank purposely slow, and he could feel it, but neither wanted the connection to end.
Taking a step closer until their bodies were one, his fingers brushing over hers hesitantly until he interlaced their fingers and squeezed. There was nothing intense or fierce about the ordeal. It was slow and calm, but the passion suspended in the air was overwhelming.
Breathing wasn’t a necessity for her, but it was as if she needed to gasp for air.
Her eyes fluttered open, and she let go, but he fiercely kept their fingers locked. Stepping forward, he lightly brushed a kiss against her forehead, neither of them ready to move. “Do you feel better now?” His soft voice washed over her.
“Yes, much better. Thank you.”
“We are both headstrong and stubborn. This complex dilemma hanging over us like an axe….But you don’t have to pretend or hold back with me.” She couldn’t see his expression, but his strong arms promised safety and trust, which she wanted more of. “I won’t judge or harm you. You’re finally allowing me and others to see who you really are, and I don’t want you to be scared anymore.”
“Why are you saying this?” She mumbled into his clothes.
“Because you need to hear it. I’m not a part of your curse, and you are not mine. We are linked; if one dies, so does the other, not because of a stupid prophecy, curse, or destiny, but because we chose it. So whatever decisions you make, I don’t want you to base on something you don’t know about.”
Her heart thudded loudly; she almost felt terrified that she would die from it. Her mouth ran dry, and all the liquid seemed to move to her hands. A fire burned across her skin with his simple words, being in his arms only feeding it further.
“I’ll allow you to track down the shaman, but after that, you need to return to your pack; you’re their alpha after all. Their protection must be your first priority.” He let her go suddenly and stepped back.
“I understand.” She squinted at him; he just admitted to being headstrong and stubborn, yet he was giving in fast. Nodding her head, she started on her path again.

It seemed like they’ve been on the same path a million times, having to save someone from danger, yet this journey felt different. She had promised before that it would be her last time seeing Keldar, but this time it felt final.
Keldar sat next to her rigidly as the bus bopped up and down over the dirt path. It wasn’t awkward in the loud bus with natives singing and dancing, but they did stand out like a sore thumb. He caught her staring, and embarrassingly she smiled and looked away.
They stepped off the bus with the group in the next town, waiting for time to pass, for darkness to cover their anticipated act. The shaman’s village wasn’t too far, and the sun was ready to set; soon, he would pay for his betrayal.
The pair walked down the road inconspicuously, the silence a friendly welcome.
All too soon, they were before the same village not too long ago.
“Ready?” Keldar asked. Asa showed her hands, her claws out, ready to find the man that had lied to them. She lifted the cloak over her face, concealing the other monstrous parts.
“Let’s get him.”
In the dark of the night, they maneuvered between the huts, listening to the ignorant families inside. The few men they bumped into previously were easily avoidable now that they weren’t being led into the danger.
Asa followed Keldar’s instructions to the detail as he flitted from one place to another; her eyes were better than his, but her trust in him was strong.
They stopped before the hut, listening to the occupants. Keldar nodded his head for her to enter, and quickly she sneaked in. It was as small as she remembered, and she moved fast toward the shaman who seemed startled to see her. She pounced on him, her claws at his throat, one hand clasping over his mouth. “You have something that is mine – I want it back.”
As she spoke her words, Keldar stepped into the hut, a small blade in his hand. Like the gun before, she found it strange that this wolf used human weapons instead of his natural given ones.
Underneath her hand, she felt the man smile, and he started to mumble. She took it away, hoping to hear the whereabouts of her DNA. “Alert anyone, and I will kill you.”
“Oh, I have no doubt about that.” He chuckled as if she told a joke. “I knew you two would grow close.” His eyes penetrated Keldar, and Asa knew from the growl it upset him.
“Where is it?” Keldar demanded, stepping closer with his threatening blade. The shaman held his hands up, slowly pointing toward his enclosed neck.
“We’re faster and stronger than you, don’t try to escape.” Asa let him go after she warned him, slowly retracting her claws.
He dramatically stepped away and dusted his skirt. “Before I tell you anything, I need you to promise my safety.”
Keldar growled again, trudging forward ferociously.
“Tut, tut, tut, brooding mister.” The shaman taunted, causing Asa to hold on to Keldar. All too knowingly, the shaman smiled. “The other lad was here a while back, asking exactly what you are asking for.” He looked at the pair up and down judgingly before turning away and disappearing into a room. “Of course, I will say the same to you as I did to him…” His voice grew softer, forcing them to follow him.
They entered a foul-smelling room, limbs of animals hung from the ceiling, with a jar filled with miscellaneous things, among them body parts and organs. Asa drew her nose up, the scent of death and rot mixing in with the pungent spices clinging in the air. How had she not noticed this before?
The shaman was fiddling between different jars, moving from one end to the room to another, in search of what Asa hoped it was.
He walked toward them with a rag made of skin and opened it to reveal a piece of brown locks; Keldar’s locks. He thrust it toward the owner, who reluctantly took it.
“There we go.” He started shoving them towards the door, “The spell I did cast on both of you is irreversible, so don’t bother asking – one dies as does the other. That’s it, you can go, goodbye.” He tried to turn around, but Keldar grabbed his long hair, forcing him to turn back.
“You think we came all this way for my hair? Where’s hers?” He growled down at the man.
“You’re the abominable alpha. Why wouldn’t you want it back?!”
Keldar snarled at the man, ready to rip off his head.
“I already gave it to someone else!” The shaman backed away, putting space between himself and the monsters; he seemed terrified of them for the first time.
“Who?” Asa asked.
“I don’t know! It was an old vampire! I’ve never seen her before. She wasn’t one of those who came with your brother.” The man held his hands up at Keldar, backing against a wall.
“What do you mean?” Asa and Keldar looked at each other, hoping that the shaman was lying.
“Your brother came with many vampires, but the women had already taken your hair; I couldn’t do anything. She wasn’t like other vampires.”
“What are you talking about?”
“She was a hybrid, but not like you; she had magic instead of claws.” He slid to the floor, keeping his hands up in defense. “That’s all I know, I swear.”
Dread filled the room; neither had ever heard of this other hybrid and had no idea what she would want to do with Asa’s hair.
“One more thing; your brother said he knows where to find her.” Apprehension grew with his words. Although Asa was ready to cut all ties with Keran, she wasn’t sure it was something Keldar was capable of.
Keldar walked to Asa; his hand softly graced hers before it disappeared. “We’ll find both of them.” She nodded, unsure of their next moves. Everything became much more complicated.
“Help! They’re here! Help!” The pair stared at the sly shaman, a quick step forward, and Keldar was in front of him again, locking him in a suffocating grip. He squeezed until the moving limbs ceased.
He ran to Asa, grabbed her hand, and dashed from the hut, natives descending upon them. He bumped through them, striking at anyone who was in their way, but the humans were no match for his strength. He pulled at Asa, making her feel helpless, trailing behind as he dropped people left and right.
After they were in the clear, he stopped, pulling her into his chest. He heaved deeply, his sweat clinging to the air. His hand stroked her head, soothing her. “Are you okay?”
“Me?” She chuckled. “You’re the one that ran like a madman.” She pulled away a bit and stared at him. “Somehow, you have turned into my protector…” She smiled at him, her eyes glossy as she stared at the man. Her hands clung to his shirt, holding it tightly in her fists. “Thank you.” She bowed her head back into his chest, closing her eyes and willing this moment to last forever.
She felt a light kiss placed on her temple, shifting her hands around his waist.

Asa woke up to Keldar’s hushed voice screaming into his phone. Getting out of the comfy bed, she opened the door to reveal a frazzled Keldar, gripping at his hair.
“What’s going on?” She asked from the door. He spun around to look at her and shook his head. Listening intently to the person on the other side, he slowly slid the door closed again. Shocked that he was keeping her from this, she sat back down, waiting patiently for him to tell her. Too much time ticked by, and she became anxious, hearing only his side of the conversation and the worry contaminating it.
The conversation ended, and with a click and a sigh, she could hear his footsteps approaching. She subconsciously straightened her clothes like Dea used to and chastised herself.
The door opened, and Keldar stepped in, sitting in front of her on the ground.
“Michael caught a vampire in the territory.” She nodded her head, and although she already knew his side of the story, she didn’t interrupt or pushed him for information. “He smelled many more that crossed or came too close. He thinks they’re planning something, and we need to prepare ourselves.” She nodded again, waiting for the rest.
“Keran was also nearby, but Michael couldn’t track him down.” Her eyes scrunched together, wondering what his brother was up to. Keldar took a while before he said the following line, commenting on what she was too afraid to ask about. “First, the shaman said he was with vampires, and now he’s circling the territory with some of them. I don’t know what is going on with him lately, but I think he needs help.”
Asa moved down from her seat, sitting in front of him. “Let’s go home then.” She smiled at him, but it didn’t reach her eyes. If Keran was close to the pack, it meant her time was coming to an end with Keldar, and very soon, she will have to say goodbye.
He smiled back, but his eyes seemed to convey the same message. He reached for Asa’s hand and squeezed tight. “Let’s stay a little while longer.”
They spent the day in the town, walking around and looking at all the human attractions. Not daring to think about where they had to be or the duty they had, instead, they wanted to steal more moments with each other.
One moment would stay branded in Asa’s heart forever, a moment that made every heartache in her life worthwhile. The simplest of actions, while they were walking down a busy street, made her heartbeat relentlessly fast, and she didn’t mind Keldar knowing. The busy people walked past them, bumping Asa against Keldar, and without skipping a beat, he wrapped her hand in his. A bright blush accompanied her fast-beating heart.
He seemed relaxed and compelling, as if it was the most normal thing for him to do, engraving that moment into time.