For The Love of An Alpha

To Arms

The cracking of a branch had their heads turning, Denver and Everest were approaching.

Henri was the first to shift back, his stance steady and body unmoving from its position. His naked skin pricked with goose flesh as the breeze rose from the highway. William and Erick followed suit, waiting patiently for Everest to adjust to what was going on. With a halfhearted chuckle, flannel shirts were tossed to the bare wolves.

"Dress quickly, storms coming." Everest's voice was firm, as though everything made sense and he was not afraid anymore.

"We'll make camp here." Denver said gruffly, "A fire will do some good." He pointed to the half-naked, and still mostly wet, werewolves. Henri giving him half a smile as he approached the pair, reaching for the pants that were laid on the few packs they had brought with them.

"A fire would do some good." His voice was calm, as though the fight satiated some primal urge deep within him. He pulled the pair of pants on, before turning to gather wood. William and Erick following his lead closely.

Nothing was spoken amongst the three as they gathered wood, aside from a few grunts and grumbles as they set about their duty. A small fire lit the way through the woods to the space they had claimed for the time being. The smell of the coming storm striking the senses of the wolves, as they set the wood in a pile. The space wasn't much of a clearing, and the tight growth of shrubs and trees would protect them only mildly from the coming storm. Looking about, they noticed Everest latching down straps around several tree trunks in the area. The bright yellow straps began to move with the breeze as it picked up.

"Best hurry, boy." Denver spoke as he watched the small flame flicker as the storm moved in.

"Yes, sir." Everest rushed to anchor a dark tarp about the space, held in place securely by the straps that wrapped tight about the trees.

The tarp stopped most of the wind that threatened to demolish the fire that had just briefly come to life, allowing it to pull energy from its fuel. The five men gathered about the warm fire as it flickered and fought to live. Unspoken words passed through the air, carried on the crackles and embers of a friendly fire. Tradition alighted new, as two humans shared a fire with three wolves. As history was fated to repeat itself, the childhood stories of the two men that broke bread with the first of the local Alpha line. When Elijah Alpine, the great-great-great grandfather of Denver, sat about a fire with the great Alpha and his kin. The man and his son vowed to help the wolves find a home, to be safe and find peace. They fought alongside the werewolves, swords and knives fighting alongside teeth and fur. The kinship would bring them to this point, when generations later, their lineage would converge once more to defend the land.

"Is it as my father says?" Everest broke the silence, his inquisitive brown eyes watching the flames lick at their fuel.

"It is." Henri spoke calmly, his elbows resting comfortably on his knees.

"He said that our ancestor made a blood pact with your kind," his brow pulled tight, "that we are sworn allies?"

"We are." Henri again spoke calmly, giving the young man plenty of time to process everything.

Everest's lips pursed tight before he licked them nervously, "Is it..." he took a deep breath and pulled his eyes from the warm blaze, "Is it true that darkness is coming?"

"I believe it is." Again, Henri's voice was calm. He chuckled to himself, how far he had come in the last few years. So much in him has changed. As silence settled in once more, his thoughts drifted back to the woman who had enthralled him.

"I," Everest hesitated to break the silence, "I think I may know how to break the curse."

Every eye bolted toward the young man; their gaze wide as they took in his actions. With a nearly trembling hand he pulled a small leather-bound book from his pack. Henri glanced within the pack, inside was nothing but books, about five more. The leather book was wrapped in a leather cord and cinched tight. Everest calmly unwound the cord and opened the book, flipping through thick canvas pages.