((EDITED 5/16/2016))
Picture on the right is Skylar's friend, Will!
--
My dreams were dark and twisted that night. I tossed and turned in my bed, my already hot blood running even hotter, burning and searing through my veins. It wasn't like I had a fever; no, I was burning in expectation. I just knew something was going to happen. As I was forced to give up on sleep around 6am, I knew it had to do with the Meeting.
I slowly sat up in bed, pressing a hand to my burning forehead. My Wolf was agitated; I could feel her growling and pacing deep within my mind. I attempted to reach out and soothe her, but I doubted it had much effect, as I was unsettled myself. I sat there for quite a while, breathing deeply and attempting to calm my burning nerves. What was wrong with me? Was I really that nervous?
I flipped on the TV and mindlessly watched the programs for a couple of hours, not really sure what I was watching, but anything was better than letting my mind take over. After a time, I felt my Wolf settle slightly, though she still felt a static anticipation. 'We must just be frightened of the Meeting. The Black Mountains Pack isn't to be taken lightly,' I whispered to her, feeling a lot like my father.
I swung my legs off of the bed and stood up, stretching. I padded down the stairs to meet the fresh aroma of bacon, eggs, and toast that was wafting throughout the house. I grinned slightly; we would have a long run to get there by evening, as the Meeting was at the far edge of our territory, and we needed all the energy we could get. Despite the fact that the Black Mountains Pack had encroached upon so much of our land, it was still a vast amount of distance to travel until we reached the location of the Meeting. It was a good thing we could run so much faster than normal wolves.
My dad tossed a smile over his shoulder in my direction. I observed him as he cooked, stopping only to greet my mother as she came downstairs. I noticed the tense lines in my father's broad shoulders, and the way his movements were stiff. He was nervous, too, I could tell.
Being Pack Doctor, he had to go. It was his obligation. Our Pack Doctors were trained in battle as well as healing, but it was a sign of extreme disrespect to attack one. My father was high-ranked in the pack and a good negotiator, but he needn't worry about being in danger unless the Black Mountains Pack wished to insult all werewolves by attacking him.
Then again, I thought as I chewed on my bacon, they didn't seem to care much about respecting our laws. They attacked humans, after all. Werewolves may be of superior strength and speed but humans vastly outnumbered us. If it came to all-out war we wouldn't stand a chance.
I scowled into my plate as another round of bacon was shoveled on. I shouldn't think about such things now.
"I think I'll go see Maria before we leave," I informed my parents after I was done with breakfast. My father glanced at me quickly.
"We are leaving in two hours. It will take us until after dark to get there, even at our speed. With you going, there are fourteen of us." I nodded, glad there would be so many of us but not too many to leave the pack unprotected. It was necessary with Black Mountains Pack's superior numbers.
I hurried upstairs and showered, putting on a fresh set of clothes and attempting to tame my frizzy, wayward hair before giving up and exiting the house. My best friend, Maria, was the Beta's daughter and lived several houses down in the valley. Her house was much larger than mine, being that she was of higher rank. It had never bothered me, though, as she didn't treat me any differently....unlike the Alpha's daughter. I growled under my breath at the thought, my Wolf feeling a surge of irritation. My Wolf didn't like Anne either. She took her rank very seriously, and was condescending to many wolves in our pack. Except Maria, oddly. I always wondered if Anne treated Maria more respectfully because the latter was the Beta's daughter, or if Maria was just so nice that their personalities did not clash.
Unfortunately, today was not my lucky day, for as Maria's mother greeted me and led me to her daughter's room, my sensitive nose picked up the dreaded scent there. I scowled, fighting back my irritation as I stood in the door frame. The two looked up at me then, Maria with a friendly smile, Anne with a smile that held thinly veiled contempt.
Maria had very dark hair and eyes with olive-toned skin. She was muscular and tall, unlike me. Anne was blonde and slender, though still taller than me, and her delicate and dazzling looks reminded me of my mother. Unlike my mother, she had quite a mean streak.
"Hey Maria, Anne." My voice sounded slightly different when I said her name, as much as I tried to hide it, and her eyes narrowed, noticing it. Unfortunately I couldn't disrespect her outright, as she was the Alpha's daughter.
"Sky!" Maria said excitedly, bouncing over to me. "I heard that you're going to the Meeting tonight!" She knew how much I'd wanted to go.
I smiled slightly, my nerves jumping into overdrive. "Yeah, they decided to let me," I replied. They must have heard my heart rate increasing because Anne smirked slightly while an understanding look appeared in Maria's eyes. Maria indicated her blonde friend. "It's Anne's first time, too," she said, trying to lighten the mood.
Anne stood up smoothly. "Fortunately, my father has been well preparing me for this for a while. Wouldn't want to go in scared," she said lightly, staring at me with a knowing expression. Her eyes flicked to Maria. "I've gotta go, Father will want me to help with the preparations. You know, higher-up stuff." She tossed me one more look, this one with scarcely concealed dislike, before exiting the room, leaving me to scowl after her.
"She's just wonderful," I muttered under my breath, my fists clenching. Maria rested a hand on my shoulder. "Ignore her. Let's watch TV until it's time to go." Smiling at her, I was grateful for the distraction and I eagerly lost myself in some crime show for the next hour and a half.
--
Oh, the joy of running.
Despite the sense of seriousness and nervousness that was pressing down on our group, I knew the wolves running beside me could also feel it. It was the full moon, and our senses felt even more alive than normal, our Wolves howling with joy within us. As I glanced up into its silvery brilliance I wondered if we were the only creatures that loved the moon so much. I knew instinctively that we were not the only supernatural beings in the world; I'd heard whispers of others, although I'd never encountered them. I figured they were rare and I would cross that bridge when I came to it. Still, I couldn't help but consider the idea of other powerful beings.
We did not bother to hide the noise our paws made as they crashed against the ground, for nothing would dare approach us. Instead, we took pleasure in each other's company, in the thrill of having large muscles and nearly endless endurance, in the thrill of being more alive than any other creature could imagine. My blood ran hot and my panting was loud but I welcomed the smells and sensations. One could almost have forgotten the reason for our journey during a time like this.
We had been running for hours now, stopping only twice to rest, eat, and drink. In our wolf forms we burned four times as many calories as a normal human and frequently needed sustenance. It was worth it, though, for we could run in Wolf form for a couple of full days without tiring when properly nourished and rested.
I knew we were only an hour away now, and as I thought about it I felt the nervousness rise despite the joy of my run. I glanced up at the moon, as if for guidance, but it did not hold the answers I sought. I knew a few other wolves had not yet been to a Meeting and I could smell their wariness around me. Even the veterans had reason to be scared.
I closed my blue eyes briefly and bared my long canines in irritation. I was a werewolf, for crying out loud! I should not be dwelling on weak emotions such as fear. I knew it was my Wolf that was guiding these latter, braver, thoughts but I didn't think she had convinced herself, either. I sighed and then turned my head, ears swiveling as a large brown wolf ran up to my side.
It was Will, a pack member about my age and one of my best friends. I had a crush on him when I was younger due to his innocent charming looks, but I had grown out of that phase and just considered him a friend, and a good one at that. I spent a lot of time with him and with Maria. They had never been cruel to any of the other wolves and had never thought it strange that I hadn't inherited my dad's Affinity. I could never appreciate them enough.
Will had his mouth open and his tongue hanging out in a wolf smile, and I returned the gesture.
'Nervous'? He asked me. I wrinkled my snout.
'That obvious?'
If he was in his human form, he would have shrugged, and I could almost sense the action. 'This is only my second Meeting. I was nervous my first time, too. Still am, actually.' My Wolf noticed that his Wolf grew slightly embarrassed at that admission. I made a huffing noise, amused, before quickly growing serious again.
'Is there anything in particular I should know? Any advice?'
Will's blue eyes narrowed thoughtfully for a moment and the only sounds were our beating hearts and the thudding of paws.
'Be careful about eye contact. Be careful what you say. We're werewolves, and we're prideful, and it's in our nature to hold our own.' I could sense my Wolf's agreement and pride before he continued. 'But whether we want to admit it, they're more powerful than us. Their Alpha...' He trailed off, and I sensed a series of dark emotions flitting through him, as my Wolf detected the fury of his.
'Yes?' I prompted, shuddering at the thought of the dark looming figure. Truthfully, I had no idea what he looked like, but I'd heard he was huge and frightening. Pretty much fit his actions.
Will's fear was palpable. 'I don't think he has a soul. When we made eye contact...there was so much rage. Hatred. It was terrifying. He snarled at me and I wanted to turn and run, werewolf or not.' Surprisingly, his Wolf was silent, and I was surprised that he would shoot down his own pride like that. The thought made tingles shoot up my spine and it was not a pleasant sensation.
'You'll be able to understand why their pack is so dark when you see them, especially him. Just...just don't look at him. I don't know how Alpha Brett does it.'
I nodded my head, accepting this. I wasn't plan on ogling the other clan. I wanted to observe what was going on, but I knew it would be safer to stay out of it.
Will was continuing, and I snapped back to attention to catch his words. 'They say he doesn't have a Mate. Not that he hasn't found one, that he doesn't have one at all. It would make sense why his soul is so fractured.'
Once again I shuddered. Sure, I wasn't ready for a Mate, but knowing there wasn't anyone out there was something different entirely. 'Okay, new subject,' I finally said, as my nerves were becoming explosive at this point. Shooting me another wolf grin, Will happily complied.
---
Finally, we could smell them. Over a dozen wolves, gathered in a clearing a few miles up the path. Judging by a low howl that came from the distance, they had discovered our scent, too. Front the front of the pack, Alpha Brett began to slow his pace. He was a dark grey wolf, larger than the rest of the pack, and a firm but great Alpha. I liked him, except for the fact that his daughter was...well, horrible. I noticed her sleek form standing next to him, her fur even darker than his.
'All right pack, it's time to stop and shift to our human forms,' He instructed calmly. Both sides chose to appear in their human forms because they were less of a threat and less likely to violent outbursts. In wolf form, our inner Wolves were much more difficult to restrain from completely taking over our human side. Also, while Shifting in front of your own pack was common, it was considered inappropriate to show a bare body to a wolf from another pack, especially an enemy pack.
Closing my eyes, I willed my human body back. I felt the dizzying and contracting sensation of fur and claws receding, my bones shifting and melding back into their original form. Originally the process had hurt; now it felt as natural as breathing.
We always tied our clothes to our ankles before Shifting, as the size increase in our ankles was less drastic between forms and it was the most convenient way to bring clothes along. Quickly, each wolf began to dress. I swiftly maneuvered into my bra and panties, followed by a loose pair of pants and shirt. We very rarely wore shoes, unless venturing into human settlements. I turned to the others as they finished the process. Once we were all clothed, we faced Alpha Brett. He was a large, muscular man with golden-brown hair and piercing hazel eyes that his daughter had inherited.
"Ready?" He called out, and we nodded in unison. Through my erupting nervousness I noticed Will's lanky figure come stand by my side. I smiled up at him, grateful for the reassurance.
As a group the fourteen of us began a brisk walk down the path, moving much more quickly than humans would have been able to. As we approached, something began to tickle my nose. Frowning in confusion, I tilted my head and sniffed the air. Several different scents mingled in the air along with my pack's, so it was hard to differentiate, but one in particular stood out. Well that was....strange. It smelled of musk and pine trees and spices, and I found it strangely alluring, drawing me towards it. I couldn't stop sniffing as we continued to approach. It was like all of my favorite scents rolled into one.
After a moment, I noticed Will was looking at me strangely. "What the hell are you doing?" He asked, eyes glimmering with amusement. I felt my pale cheeks flush and I instantly looked down. "I don't know." I muttered truthfully. I decided to stop breathing so deeply, for the scent was incredibly intoxicating and distracting, and I couldn't fathom what would cause it.
I heard the different voices before I saw them. My nervousness spiked and I heard heartbeats all around me increasing. I mentally chastised myself; I couldn't let them smell my fear. We had to be strong and keep our pack formidable. I took a few deep calming breaths through my mouth and hoped the others would do the same. The voices of the Black Mountains Pack were relaxed and amused, which was completely unexpected. Then again, they knew they'd be coming out of this ahead.
We entered the clearing. It was bathed in bright silver moonlight. A small stream trickled nearby, and there were a few assorted rocks and boulders around the clearing, which was plenty big to hold all of us and more. In the middle was a slightly tall rock; I assumed that's where the Alpha would stand. I snarled inwardly thinking about it.
And still, the intoxicating scent pressed in all around me, but I couldn't think about that. There were more than a dozen Black Mountains Pack members scattered in a half circle and their hungry eyes were fixed on us. Some stood while some lounged on the boulders nearby.
We spread apart slightly, forming our own half circle, Alpha Brett taking a few steps forward while Jack, the Beta, strode over to stand near him. My father, who had checked in with me numerous times during the journey, shot me a reassuring look before standing near the other two. I tried to relax slightly.
I noticed Will standing close to me and he briefly grabbed my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. I smiled up at him again; he really was a good friend to have. Slowly, forcing my heartbeat to slow down through my controlled breathing, I turned back to observe the Black Mountains Pack. I'll admit, I was curious what they were like.
Most of the people in the clearing were males, although I did spot a few women. They all were very tall and muscular, with a hard glint in their eyes. Almost every single one had one or multiple visible scars on their tanned skin. They looked like they could weather any hardship thrown at them. The smirks on their faces, combined with their menacing stance, proved that they had absolutely no fear of us. And why should they, I thought bitterly. They could wipe us out by sheer numbers.
Will leaned in close to my ear, his voice barely a whisper so they wouldn't hear, as they were only about thirty feet from us. "I don't see the Alpha or Beta..." he trailed off as suddenly, in one motion, the Black Mountains Pack stood up and straightened, looking at attention. Their eyes were wary but respectful and their posture was stiff, which could only mean their Alpha was approaching.
Footsteps came from the trees from behind them and two men emerged. I was forced to hold my breath as the intoxicating scent became overpowering, which left me furrowing my brow in confusion. I couldn't focus on it for long, though, as I honed in on the Alpha and Beta.
The Beta alone was as big as Alpha Brett, but he paled in comparison to their Alpha...Gabriel, I remember hearing. He had to be several inches over six feet tall, and even from this distance I could tell he was built of solid muscle; it was as if his body was carved from stone. He wore a tight shirt, which further displayed his musculature, and I could see several visible scars.
His hair was as dark as midnight and tousled, really a good look on him, but I couldn't think of it in an admirable way knowing who he was. He had high cheekbones and a strong jawline. If it were anybody else I would have been dazzled at just how stunningly attractive this werewolf was. He looked almost surreal. The moonlight reflected off of his taut muscles and gave him a nearly unearthly glow, and I hoped I didn't look like I was drooling over the monster. I was expecting to feel a rush of hatred from my Wolf upon seeing him for the first time.
But instead, my stomach clenched in a strange way and I felt fear strike me as I quickly looked at the ground, glad he hadn't looked our way and caught me staring. My Wolf was oddly silent, withdrawn, and I could tell something was wrong by the tension that crackled within me. What the hell was going on? My breaths came rapidly, but I forced myself to stare at the ground, grateful when Will took my hand again.
I heard the Alpha address his pack and then climb onto the rock. I peeked up just enough to look at his pack, forcefully keeping my eyes from him, remembering Will's warning. The Beta was standing by the rock; he had chocolate skin and a shaved head, his eyes regarding us coldly. Then the Alpha spoke.
His voice was a very deep timbre and incredibly husky. I swallowed hard, feeling my knees turn to jelly and a strange mix of fear and...something else...stir within me. I was a whirlwind of emotion and couldn't figure out what was going on. I had to brace myself against Will, who thankfully just assumed I was terrified and wrapped his arm around me, holding me close. That was it right? I was just terrified? I hated and despised this man after all, and he was incredibly imposing. All of this emotion was just building up.
He began to address us formally, about how this was a ritual and it was our duty to negotiate and such, but I couldn't listen to his words. I was too distracted by the sound of his voice. My various emotions were derailing my coherent thought and I was unsuccessfully trying to encourage my wolf to come out of her dazed state, but to no avail. I glanced up at his pack. They were staring up at him with admiration written plain on their faces. So my father had been right, then. He was a visionary to them. And we despised all of them.
I continued to look around the clearing as he spoke. Anything but focus on the Alpha, for something was seriously wrong with me and I had to just pretend he wasn't there. I had to stare at something else, so I resolved to deliberately avoid glancing anywhere near him, instead focusing on inanimate objects around the clearing. A rock, a tree, anything! I began to mindlessly count the trees, aware how stupid it was, as the minutes passed by. I just knew that I couldn't look at the Alpha on the rock. Hopefully he wouldn't notice my inattention. I figured it was safer to space out during the meeting than lose my mind by staring at his perfection again. I could figure out what the hell was wrong with me later.
Another minute or two trickled by and I began to scuffle quietly at the grass beneath my feet. I felt Will glance at me once or twice, clearly confused by my lack of interest as the Meeting continued. I vowed to explain everything to him later when I had figured it out myself. I just couldn't look up at the Alpha's rock right now. I inherently knew that would be a dangerous action, but I wasn't sure why.
So I studiously looked away during the entire Meeting. The minutes slowly passed by in agony. It was actually a concerted effort to avoid looking at him, and I was shocked that my Wolf was so distant and confused. I clenched my fists, immensely uncomfortable, still trying to ignore the compelling scent.
I dimly registered Alpha Brett's voice as they discussed something, and sensed an angry ripple run through my pack. The feeling of static anger snapped me to attention and I shifted my gaze to Alpha Brett. His face was darkly angry as he stared up at Gabr—The Alpha.
"We have given you everything you wanted. We have showed you the upmost respect-" Alpha Brett began, his authoritative voice ringing out towards the Black Mountains Pack, but the other Alpha cut him off.
"The upmost respect?" He said, the hint of a snarl in his voice. I was listening to him this time and the sound of his gravelly voice again made me shudder, though it wasn't entirely unpleasant. What the hell was I doing? My Wolf had made an odd noise deep in her chest at his husky snarl, and I forcefully pushed her to quiet down.
"You say you respect us," Gabriel continued, voice deadly, "Yet one of your pack members has not been paying attention to anything we have been saying so far this meeting. Her deliberate disinterest is a direct insult to this Meeting."
My heart froze. I froze. Everybody in the clearing froze. I could sense their confusion. My gaze quickly dropped to the ground as I took a shaky breath, trying not to shiver in horror. I felt his burning gaze on me. I didn't know how, but I somehow knew that Gabriel—why the hell was I calling him that—was staring me down.
Slowly, my pack mates turned to face me. I couldn't look up. I wouldn't look up! My Wolf was whimpering deep within me, though I couldn't interpret her tone. Something was telling me to look up at him, but I was too horrified and stunned to move.
"Skylar..." My dad began warningly, confusion in his tone. He spoke aloud for the benefit of the other pack.
"Is it true?" Alpha Brett demanded. I knew it was true. I knew it was incredibly rude to be playing games in my head instead of paying attention, but if they only knew what I was feeling! But I had no explanation.
"I...I..." I managed to stutter out, face burning, throat dry. I was visibly shaking now, and I could feel Will staring at me in horror. He was no longer touching me, though he still remained deliberately close.
I heard the soft noise of someone landing on the ground and I tensed up. Anger was radiating in the air, and this time I could tell it was from the enemy Alpha. He was approaching, godammit! My feet were glued to the ground. I wanted to turn and run as Will had said, but I couldn't move. Panic struck me, and I locked my legs to I would not visibly shake.
Sweat beaded on my forehead. A second passed. Then another. I heard the footsteps stop a few feet in front of me and an angry, deliberate snarl that made me inwardly cringe and renewed my shaking, despite my effort not to show my fear. My Wolf made the odd noise now, almost like a...purr? Why was she reveling in the Alpha's anger?
"Look at me," The husky voice snapped. I felt a strange pull, as if a hand was grabbing at me, trying to force me to look at him. I squeezed my eyes shut. He wasn't using a Command in his tone yet my Wolf was urging me to respond. She desperately wanted to obey his order, even though he wasn't our Alpha.
'Skylar, do as he says!' My dad snapped as Alpha Brett chimed in. I felt their anger through our bond. They didn't understand.
"Look at me!" There was a Command in this one, an Alpha Command I could not ignore. My head snapped up and my eyes met his. I knew something big was going to happen as I finally made the dreaded eye contact with my worst enemy.
And my world stopped.
My inner Wolf jumped out of her daze then and began to howl triumphantly, pouring every ounce of joy she had into her howl. I just stood there, stock-still, unable to comprehend what was happening until my Wolf started forcefully pushing one concept into my brain: 'Mate! OUR MATE!' She crowed repeatedly, as I stared blindly at the Alpha in front of me, blinking in disbelief.
This couldn't be happening. It couldn't be him...but deep down inside, I knew otherwise.
He was my Mate.