The vampires hiss only spurred the Alpha onward, his clothes shredding from his body as he shifted.
"Dog!" The vampire screeched as his fangs protruded from his lips, his pale skin making him look sickly and the color of his eyes shifting to red as he saw his target.
The pair collided with force. The entanglement of limbs and teeth made it difficult for William or Erick to enter the fray. While they cursed it at first, the arrival of several other vampires to their friend's aid made it worth the wait. They quickly shed their clothes and shifted, listening as Everest swore loudly. The pair lunged forward, engaging the three that tried to join their friend.
Henri had just thrown the vampire to the ground and was shaking his leg like it was a rag doll held firmly in his maw. The sound of bones snapping, and the sounds of his victim screeching filled the forest. At the rate the sounds were escalating, it wouldn't be long before more would arrive.
William collided firmly with one attacker, his mouth wrapping tightly about the forearm of the blood sucker. The sound of his bones breaking filled William's ears as he bit harder. He felt the nails of his opponent rake his back as he released his hold. Growling and snarling as the vampire adjusted his stance. A few seconds of feet shuffling, and they lunged for each other once more.
Erick tackled the first to come through toward them, his feet planting firmly on the ribs of the downed creature, listening to the satisfying crack as he bounced off him toward his companion. His sharp teeth missing their mark as the swipe of a large hand sent him to the side. His opponent rushed to aid his fallen companion, both rising quickly to face Erick. His jaw snarled and his lips curled away from his teeth, as he snapped at the air about them. Growling foreshadowed his next move, as he lunged toward the already injured vampire. Ducking away from the swipe of the one beside him, he grabbed the shoulder of his prey. The sound of the bones breaking brought little satisfaction in the moment, as anger raged through the gray wolf. With a force deep within him, he heaved the vampire across the small path. Erick lifted his head with great pride, as he watched the vampire impact a tree. The broken branch that protruded from the trunk of the large oak quickly impaled its visitor, taking little comfort in the screams and ash it brought forth.
The death of one came as a distraction to Henri's opponent, as the two were circling. With a hiss he charged at Henri and with dexterous skill, he dodged the attack. His mouth coming to the nape of his cold neck as he fell to the ground. Henri's nails dug deep into the cold flesh as he tore the spine from his attacker. His cry cut short as the bones were removed from flesh. The body fading to ash as Henri dropped the bones from his mouth. With enraged eyes, the large Alpha wolf looked to the other attackers.
Erick circled one of his attackers, their eyes locked, and an exchange of gnashing and growls filled their space. Looking beyond the pair, William was holding his own. He had the other vampire firmly by an arm, as his paws sat upon his back. The sound of flesh being rent from the body caught their ears, as William tore the arm from his prey. His howl of excitement was the distraction Erick needed to attack his opponent. His maw held open wide as he lunged forward, taking the neck of his victim firmly in his mouth. The crunch was rapid as he descended on the vampire, feeling his life leave him with the snap.
William had finished off his attacker and joined the other two wolves on the trail, their eyes looking each other over to ensure they were unharmed. Henri's sharp blue eyes peered beyond the trees to the two men at the trucks. Denver held a shotgun firmly in his hand, Everest doing his best to mimic the stance of his father. Henri could smell the fear that pooled the area. It was a short nod, from Denver to Henri and back - yet they both understood.
With a sharp turn, Henri trotted further into the woods. His ears listening closely for the sound of running water. Blood covered their fur, and would also cover their flesh, if they did not clean up. With haste and agility, the trio dipped in and out of the freezing cold water. Half yelps from the chill would escape their mouths as they dove or rolled across the watery stones. Their bodies trembling from the cold waters that ran over them.
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.
"I read in here," he spoke softly, as though his voice would damage the text. "There is something that can break curses. Something about a wolf that's been blessed by the goddess?"
"What book is that?" William looked closely, trying to discern the text.
"It's Elijah's journal." Everest spoke, looking to the wolf beside him, "Every generation is required to keep one, to teach of what we've walked and help guide you." He met William's gaze, their brown eyes piercing into each other. "My relatives spoke of a curse that came on the lands before the darkness came." His fingers continued to move slowly through the pages, "Grandfather Elijah said there was a wolf that cried out to the goddess for help, and she came to him." Elijah's finger began to move across the text as he read aloud.
"It happened, that when the moon had risen to its place in the sky and darkness washed over the land, that the Alpha's cry was heard. It carried throughout the mountains and to every wolf, calling for their aid. The goddess answered as she descended from the sky like a shooting star. The Alpha's cry paired with another, as they cried out in the darkness." Everest swallowed as he reread a section and moved further through the pages. "Here!" His finger slammed into the pages, "So it was, with the joining of the two, that the darkness could no longer remain. As true love's... something... breaks light free."
"Something?" Erick chuckled.
"Sorry, it's a damaged page." He turned it about and showed it to the lumberjack, who scoffed at the pages.
"This is gibberish."
"No, it's a kryptos." Denver corrected, "We spend our lives teaching our young the inscriptions and how to decode them."
"What?" Erick turned to Denver, "Is what's in those books really that important?"
"It is the life and death of every generation of Alpines. The only living relative to the first Alpha that was not turned." Denver looked to William, "We carry a gene in our bodies that makes us immune to being turned. When this was discovered, Elijah vowed that we would record our lives to be able to help and hold the true history for our family."
"Wait, you never said..."
Denver cut Everest off, "I know, it was something you would have discovered later. As time is not on our side, it is best we cover this now."
Henri cleared his throat. "I know what was told by my uncle. That his father was a descendant of the first Alpha, bound by blood to the Alpine family. I never knew it was because we're... family."
Everest looked over the man across from him, this distant cousin he did not know if he wanted. The leather book held tight in his hand, as he processed more information. The day was full of surprises, and sill it had just begun. His eyes shifted to the sky, watching as snowflakes fell slowly from the treetops. A deep sigh slipped through his nostrils, his shoulders relaxing. "What do you think it is?" His voice a whisper in the cold wind.
"What, what is?" Denver asked his son, the raspy tenor sounding more exhausted as the storm's chill picked up.
"The something." Everest looked to his father, who was shaking his head.
"I am afraid I lack the knowledge to tell you, my son." He leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. His age had dulled his mind some, but his senses still lingered strong about him. His fingers entwined about each other as his palms met before him, his eyes tracing the grooves of scars and calluses that riddled his hands. He had worked hard to reach this point, blessed with long life that his wife did not have. Facing the future without her and alone, yet his son still stood to his side. Would it be the coming darkness that would rend him from this world? His thoughts permeated his soul as the group grew silent. Determining in his heart, that he would lay down his life so that his son would live.
The elder looked to each member about the fire, nearly able to see the story being retold before him. Henri was the image of the dark-haired Alpha, bent on breaking the curse and stopping the darkness. Erick the fitting image of the guardian to the Alpha's line, large stocky. His brow held tight in thought as he cracked the knuckles on his hands. Slowly, Denver's eyes moved to William, the leaner of the three, though no less dangerous. He would be the hunter, the one that would track down the mystic to the edge of the world if necessary. He sighed as he looked to his son, how much he resembled his relatives was uncanny. Elijah's genes were strong in his son, just as they were in himself. Elijah's journal boasted of his son's knowledge and uncanny knack for understanding things. How smart he was to be able to figure out problems that the other's struggled with.
He massaged his tired eyes, hiding the tear that slid from its prison. Elijah had given his life for his son, saving him from the death of the onslaught of enemies. The sacrifice that was heralded as the one that bound them by blood to the packs. Yet Denver knew the truth, as it had been passed down from father to son over the ages. Nodding slowly to himself, as the storm moved over head, he came to terms with the concept. That he would lay down his life for his son, just as those before him had done.