There was no sight nor sound of the rest of the pack; the other wolves that had chased Sam strangely absent. It was peculiar that they had been so close to catching him, only to disappear when they were beaten to the punch. One moment they had been inches away from ripping him to shreds, only to have vanished as if they were terrified of the one who had bested them. This man had to be the alpha of the pack, his size and speed proving that he was the most dominant amongst them. He had to be the one calling the shots, the howl that all the others had reacted to.
A rustling of leaves signified the approach of another, but the bestial man's eyes didn't look away from his prey for a single moment as his nose sniffed at the air. “What is it Rahna?” He growled with obvious irritation in his tone.
The shadow of a large wolf appeared between the branches, just a short distance away. However, it wasn't a beast that stepped out from the trees, but the slender form of a woman. “Vincent…” She spoke quietly and cautiously as she took another step forwards, moving out of the darkness and into a beam of moonlight that poked its way through the tree canopy.
Sam could see the woman clearly now, her slender yet muscular form almost as intimidating as that of the man who she addressed. She was as savage in appearance as the one she called by name, her tough exterior mirroring his in more ways than one. Her movements were steady and deliberate as she stopped a few feet back, bowing her head with respect. Countless twigs and leaves were caught in the tangled locks of her long, black hair, her dark skin glistening in the silver light.
As naked as she was, Rahna was a wild and untamed woman, a strong willed being who couldn't be caged. It was clear from looking at her that she was the type of creature who would rather die under the stars than face a life in captivity; a free spirit at heart.
Raising her head once more, Rahna licked her lips before speaking. “Grizz made the call. He says your brother and the bitch he protects are heading south.”
Vincent bared his teeth. “Then they're making a break for New Orleans.” He continued to glare at Sam as he spoke. “If she makes it across the Mississippi we've lost her.”
Sam couldn't do anything but listen, his attempts to struggle only serving to use up what little energy he had left. The fingers around his neck tightened a little further, sharp claws close to piercing through flesh.
“Gather the pack and load the trucks!” Vincent barked, his orders clear and simple. “We're heading out!”
Rahna bowed her head again before raising her hand to gesture towards Sam whose body was still writhing against the tree. “What about him?”
Vincent's eyes narrowed into slits, a hint of the red glow returning. “We're bringing him along for the ride.”
Chapter Four: Tracks in the Dirt
“Sam?!?” Alice called out in to the night, the panic inside of her beginning to rise. “Sam, where are you?!?” She had been searching for him for over an hour now, but had so far found neither sight nor sound of him.
The thought of losing Sam again was something that Alice couldn't bear. It had upset her enough the day that he left had Birchfield to travel the country alone; then she had been completely devastated as his parents informed her that he had died of an overdose in Seattle; and now she was already close to tears, not knowing where her friend was or what state he was in. She had sensed that something had gone wrong while she and Matty were on their supply run, but they hadn’t made it back there fast enough. Whatever had occurred in their absence, her best friend was now missing and neither of them had any idea why, which somehow made it worse.
Matty was calm and collected as he crept through the woods in his military style clothing, searching the undergrowth for any clues as to what had gone down there just a short time ago. As Alice continued to call out for Sam, hoping for a response that still wouldn't come, her companion continued to scour the surrounding area. He examined broken branches, crouched down over scattered leaves and carefully checked for footprints, pieces of fabric or anything else that would lead them to the answers they sought. He was methodical in his actions, instilling at least a little confidence in Alice that her childhood friend might actually be found unharmed.
There was something strange and unsettling about the woods tonight, an odd feeling that sent chills down Alice's spine. The nocturnal calls of agitated birds made her feel uneasy, their disturbed warnings clear to those who took the time to listen. Their cries were the first sign that a weather front was coming in, the clear skies now blanketed by fast moving clouds that blocked out the moon’s light. The cool breeze brought with it the sinister whisperings of leaves as they rustled by in the darkness, their motives both alien and unknown. Swaying up above, the twisted limbs of ancient oaks creaked and groaned under strain, their mysterious song carried away on the wind.
Matty was hunched down over something he found in the dirt, his hand brushing debris away as he leaned in for a closer look. At first Alice thought nothing of it, her companion having gone through the same motions several times over since their search began, however this time something was different. This time he lingered there for a few moments longer, staying silent as he seemed to examine the spot closer than anything else that they had discovered so far.
“Ally, I've found tracks.” Matty said in hushed tones, his voice showing no sign of excitement. He didn't even look up as he spoke, his focus entirely on what he had found.
As Alice rushed over to see for herself, Matty began to carefully move along what appeared to be a trail of some sort, still crouching low to the ground. He seemed to be following something, perhaps a set of footprints that would lead them to their missing friend. As she reached his side she saw more than she had expected to see there in the undergrowth, not a single set of tracks but several of them, both human and animal alike.
“Do you think it’s Sam?” Alice enquired as she peered down at some shoe shaped prints surrounded by what looked like paw prints. The space between each step was long, as if their pace had been hurried, the animals most likely in pursuit.
Matty nodded, his fingers tracing the outline of several different shapes in the soil. “They're the right shape and size to be his, but look here…”
Alice peeked over his shoulder, looking down to where he was pointing now. It looked as though several of the animal tracks had vanished, instead replaced by various sizes of human shaped feet. She had seen something like this before, both her and Sam following a similar trail around the outskirts of their old home in Birchfield. She still remembered the dead cow that had been dragged off by a wolf and the paw prints that changed into those of a human. They had never seen the creature in person, but had witnessed everything that it had left behind.
There was a time that Alice had believed in the existence of werewolves, but Katherine had dashed any dreams of ever meeting one by informing her of their unfortunate extinction. Despite the disappointment that she had felt at the time, there was still so much for her to discover about the supernatural world that mortals rarely laid eyes upon. She realised that if this wasn't proof of the existence of a werewolf, then it could only be one thing. A vampire with the ability to shapeshift.
“Vincent...” The name fell from Alice's mouth, one that she hadn't spoken for quite some time. “It has to be him, and whatever's left of his pack. They were here… He must be the one that Katherine sent after us.” Her voice was full of the dread that she felt in that very moment. If Vincent had been the one to find Sam, then it wouldn't be long before Katherine had him within her grasp; and as much as Alice hated the thoughts that entered her head, part of her knew that it might already be too late for him.
Matty seemed to have other ideas. “We don't know that for sure. It could have been werewolves, although the tracks are a little small.”
Alice shook her head, still staring at the ground as she spoke. “No, they're extinct; Katherine told me as much. She told me everything that she knew about them.”
Something about that seemed to amuse Matty as he loo
ked up with a smirk, however slight as it was. “She's not the authority on the subject. They're still around, I’m sure of that; they’re just better at hiding than anyone gives them credit for.”
Alice hadn't expected such a response, her concern temporarily replaced by a renewed sense of curiosity. “...What? Are you serious? Have you seen one before?”
Something in Matty's eyes seemed to trigger as he pondered for a moment. It was the look of a man who had seen something that he would rather forget, something so awful that the memory still disturbed him. “Yes... Up close and personal.” He looked away, appearing as if he were ashamed of whatever memories had pushed their way back to the surface. “I'm lucky to be alive... They don't usually leave anyone behind to tell the tale.”
Alice could feel her eyes open wide in surprise. “Really? I had no idea…”
Matty nodded once and looked back down towards the tracks that he had been following. “You're probably right though. It makes more sense that it'd be Katherine's men after us. Werewolves don't like vampires in their territory, but they wouldn't risk exposing themselves, not like this.”
Still fascinated by the subject, Alice questioned him further. “What are they like?” She hadn't forgotten about Sam despite her interest in the conversation, beginning her own search of the area again as she waited for an answer.
“Who?” Matty was concentrating again as he continued to follow the trail. The further he progressed along the tracks, the more the human footprints replaced those belonging to the wolves.
“The werewolves.” Alice slowly followed her companion, still looking for anything else that would help their cause. The conversation had distracted her enough to prevent full on panic from setting in, the thought occurring to her that it just might have been Matty's plan to keep her calm. He had to have suspected Vincent from the start, but was using Alice's own natural sense of curiosity to help get her through it.
Stopping to examine one of the larger trees, Matty could see that the bark had been stripped from the trunk by some kind of impact. “They're bigger and stronger than you could ever imagine, at least when they're in their war forms.” He picked up a piece of debris lying on the ground and examined it a little closer. “It's hard for the mind to work through… An eight foot tall wolf, walking on its hind legs, with claws so powerful that they can tear a car apart.”
Alice stopped on the spot, staring wide eyed at Matty as he wandered off into the forest. “They’re eight feet tall?”
“In their war form, yes.” He continued to work as he answered, following each clue along the way as if he were examining a crime scene. “They take on many different shapes, but that's about all I know. That and even our kind can struggle to recover from an attack. There's something about their bite that infects the skin.”
It wasn't hard for Alice to imagine a creature of that size, as her vivid imagination was always considered to be one of her strong suits, but the fact that they had more than one form that they could take on simply blew her mind. What else were werewolves capable of? Were they able to hide among wolves as easily as they were amongst humans? Did they live with them too? It occurred to her that she could have met one at some point in the past, but would have been completely clueless to their presence at the time.
Surely, if Alice had come face to face with a werewolf since becoming a vampire, she would have sensed it. Or perhaps they would have recognised what she was and have avoided her altogether. She could only presume that werewolves either smelled strange or moved differently to humans, but if they were really that good at hiding amongst mortals, then that might not be the case at all.
“The tracks go this way.” Matty mumbled as he changed direction, causing Alice to snap back to reality. He had quickened his pace as if he was closing in on something, meaning that she had to hurry after him so that she wasn't left behind.
They were heading back towards the main road, likely a mile or so from where they had parked the campervan. Alice noticed that all the tracks were human now, every set of them barefooted apart from one, the single row in the center of the group most likely belonging to Sam. They were set much closer together than before, their movement having slowed to a crawl. It appeared as though it had no longer been a chase at this point, but a group escorting a prey who had since become their prisoner. This knowledge gave Alice a sense of renewed hope, as there was a distinct possibility that her friend might still be found alive.
After at least twenty minutes or so of following the trail through the forest, the pair reached the side of the road, the trees opening up to give way to asphalt and painted lines. It was there that the tracks ended, the hard ground unable to preserve any evidence of their passing. Vincent and his pack could have gone either way from this point, leaving Alice and Matty none the wiser. To the west, the road led back into town where they could hide amongst the people who lived there, whereas the east side passed deeper into the woods and then towards the highway beyond. Whichever direction they had picked, if the pack were proceeding on foot there might still be time to catch up to them.
“We didn't pass them on the way here.” Matty stated, still managing to think logically. “So my guess is that they went east.” He knelt down at the road's edge, noticing something there that Alice had missed completely. “Tyre tracks… At least three vehicles.”
Alice moved to follow his gaze. Of course he was right, he always was when it came to these things. There were multiple tread marks cutting into the mud, the deep ruts looking as though they were heading east. Long muddy streaks had been left on the road's surface as the cars moved from soft ground to the hard paved surface, the trail ending not long after. Unfortunately, this proved that the pack was no longer on foot, a fact that made Alice sick with worry. Their own vehicle was parked by the side of the road in the complete opposite direction, which meant that they would lose precious time if they went back to recover it. No matter how little of a head start Vincent had, she began to realise that catching them now would now be close to impossible.
Matty confirmed Alice's concerns. “The road splits that way. We won't be able to follow them without knowing where they were going next. I'm sorry, Ally… Sam's gone.” He sounded genuinely apologetic, but that didn't ease her mind.
Alice felt defeated. It may as well have been Katherine herself plucking Sam out of the woods, as there was no way that they would ever be able to catch up to Vincent or his pack before they delivered him to her. She blamed herself for the whole situation. It was her fault that her friend had stayed behind and she knew it. Alice's close relationship with Matty meant that Sam still felt like an outcast, even amongst friends. There had to be something more that she could have done to make him feel more welcome.
“I shouldn't have let him stay behind…” Alice murmured, her sadness apparent in her voice.
Matty strode towards her, placing his large hands on her shoulders before speaking softly. “Don't blame yourself, there's nothing that either of us could have done. He's almost as headstrong and stubborn as I am.”
Alice would have usually chuckled at such a comment, but she couldn't even manage a smile this time. “I just don't know what to do… I can't believe that I've lost him again.”
Strong fingers gave Alice a gentle squeeze as Matty tried his best to comfort her. “Not yet we haven't. We don't know where Vincent is, but we know where he'll be going.”
“Calgary…” Alice confirmed, her own words sounding empty and hollow.
“Exactly.” Matty nodded, his smile awkward but reassuring. “We'll just need to get some backup on the way.”
Feeling a little less overwhelmed, Alice looked up into her companion's eyes, her own swelling with pools of blood that threatened to run down her cheeks. “You almost sound as though you have a plan.” She sniffled, managing to pull herself together for the moment.
“I thought about contacting the King of Baltimore, but with how I left he’d just call for my head.” Matty said, a serious look returning
to his face. “And rumour has it he's as terrified of Katherine as everyone else; but he won't ever admit it.”
There was a brief moment of silence as Alice continued to stare into Matty's dark eyes. She could see the determination behind them, the belief that not all had been lost. Matty wasn't the sort to give up easily, and would stay strong in the moments when she was close to breaking. He was her rock and had been for quite some time now; the one person who she could lean on in tough times. He would pick her up, dust her off and carry her when she couldn't walk another step, the thought of which brought her great comfort.
“So what should we do next?” Alice finally replied, still fighting to keep her tears at bay.
Matty gave a single nod, strong feelings of self certainty emanating from him in waves. “I have an idea, but it’s a long shot.”
Chapter Five: A Woman's Strength
The sound of hooves against stone echoed in the night as the horse-drawn carriage turned on to a long driveway that led halfway up the hill. Barely visible from below and somewhere near the very top, sat an old manor that was trapped in an obscuring mist that had swallowed it whole. The pace of the four horses slowed from a quick canter to a steady trot, signalling that the long and exhausting journey was coming to an end. They were finally free of the thick mud of the main road that had made their passage along it slow and grueling, but the uneven spacing between the worn stones now caused the rickety wheels to creak and moan. The half rotten wood seemed to mimic the sounds of the dead forest that encroached on the manor from all sides, answering the call of their ancient ancestors.
A damp breeze swept leaves across the open ground, the cool air wafting the tattered lace of the carriage’s drapes around lazily. Through the opening, Katherine could make out the faint outline of the manor as it basked in the failing moonlight, the rays struggling to poke their way through the thick cloud cover as it made the night much darker than most. She felt underwhelmed by the sight in front of her, but now understood why it had been so difficult to track Alexander down. If he did indeed reside within this place, then he intended to remain hidden from both vampire kind and mortals alike. It was never meant to be easy to find him, as the man never wanted to be found.
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