by Sarah Noffke
Liv furrowed her brow. “What truth? I’m absolutely confused, and don’t know anything.”
Fane finished his tea, holding the mug out for Alina to take. She dutifully did so, returning to the kitchen to stir the contents of the pots on the stove. “Your name isn’t Sally. What is it?”
Liv blushed, having not expected the question. “I’m Liv. Liv Beaufont, the second of my parents’ children to take on the role as Warrior.”
Grief edged Fane’s eyes. “I’m sorry. It appears that the tragedies for the Beaufonts continue. It is hard for the noble to escape persecution, though.”
Liv noticed then that the scratches that Fane had on his hands were all gone. Now they were only faint pink lines.
“Liv, you know what Lupei is, right?”
She nodded, thinking back to Bermuda’s book. “It’s where werewolves originated.”
“That’s right,” he affirmed. “It was a curse that an incredibly powerful magician put on the town centuries ago. Now it’s our bite that spreads the disease. Only those from Lupei can turn someone into a werewolf.”
Liv didn’t say anything, only sipped her tea, waiting for him to go on.
“When your mother came here, she discovered what was going on,” Fane continued. “It wasn’t the werewolves here who were creating the problem. It was the Bulgarian pack, trying to get us into trouble by setting us up. She helped us to get rid of them.”
Alina looked at them from the kitchen. “That was when my momma left. She liked them better.”
Fane sighed. “Nicoleta wanted notoriety, and she wasn’t going to get that here where we’re all the same. However, away from here, she’s stronger than the others because of the curse, and she has the power to turn others into werewolves.”
“I still don’t understand,” Liv stated, trying to piece all the strange bits together. “What’s the secret?”
“The secret your mother withheld from the council kept us alive. No one knows that only a Lupei werewolf’s bite can spread the curse,” Fane imparted.
“So that’s it?” Liv asked. “You’re part of the original pack that carries the curse. Did my mother fear what the council would do if they found out the truth?”
He nodded. “She knew they’d require her to exterminate us. Werewolves aren’t a problem the House likes dealing with. All the other magical creatures would support them in this. If others knew that it was only the Lupei pack that could spread this curse, we’d be wiped out, and there would be no more worries about werewolves spreading.”
“Wow,” Liv said, running her hands through her hair as she tried to digest this. “It’s crazy that a pack of ten are the only ones who can infect others.”
Fane’s eyes skirted to his daughter briefly. “That’s the other part of the secret, which you may already have figured out if you think about it.”
Liv blinked at him, trying to understand what she was missing. She’d experienced so much since arriving there that morning that she hadn’t had a chance to analyze any of it. She thought of the inn with the brutal scratch marks everywhere, and the locals dressed in patched clothes. Then she remembered the general store where she found the strange werewolves. It all wove together and she suddenly understood, nearly dropping her mug.
“There isn’t a pack of ten in Lupei,” Liv stated. “Everyone in the town is a werewolf, aren’t they?”
Fane let out a heavy breath. “Yes, that’s correct,” he affirmed. “The magician who spelled us made it so that anyone born here is cursed.”
Liv glanced at Alina, who was busy slicing bread. “So, your daughter?”
Fane nodded morosely. “Her curse is dormant, as is the case for over half the residents. It comes out on the full moon, but only then. For the rest of us, we turn every single night.”
Liv thought of the woman in the bar whom Sorin had asked to take her cane. She had to be an outsider.
“And those people in the general store?” Liv asked.
“Those are some of our oldest residents,” Fane explained. “They have trouble turning back, something that affects us as we age. Claudia watches them, ensuring that the tourists don’t see them.”
“Claudia spoke to me,” Liv admitted. “You said she hadn’t spoken in a long time.”
“Claudia hasn’t spoken to an outsider in a long time,” Fane stated. “I’m surprised she said anything to you, but that was one reason I brought you here. She doesn’t trust those from outside Lupei. We’ve had to deal with so much, and many werewolves who have been turned and come here seeking information, which she refuses to give them. No one can know the truth. If they did, I fear what the council would do.”
“If being born in Lupei is what creates the curse, then…”
It seemed so obvious to Liv, but she didn’t know how to finish her question, feeling like she was being rude.
“We haven’t always thought of being werewolves as a curse,” Fane offered. “It was intended to be when the magician cast the spell, but over time, we took great pride in the fact that we were from the only place in the world where pure werewolves roamed, not these half-breeds who had been turned by those who left our town. My father’s and mother’s family were proud of our heritage, and I was too. Nicoleta and I wanted our daughter to share who we were. And because of your mother, we were sure she’d be safe to grow up in this world.
“For centuries, before the Bulgarians invaded our border, we’d lived peacefully, raising our livestock and feasting on that, never harming humans. Every few years, one of our own would grow restless and leave, spreading werewolfism around the world. However, that was a rarity.
“Recently, though, there was a shift in pack order. Our long-time alpha Relia died, and since then, everything has gone to hell. The new alpha isn’t content with surviving the way we always have. That was when tourism started in Lupei, and the bloodbath quickly began. What happens at the inn isn’t something that most of us here condone. We want to be separate from it, but we’re powerless against the current alpha.”
“You mean Sorin?” Liv asked.
Fane cocked his head to the side, obviously not expecting that question. “Sorin? Oh no, he isn’t our alpha. Vera is. She was the one who killed Relia and took over the village. She’s tired of us living under the radar, but she doesn’t understand what we stand to lose. It was her sons who ran off and started the Bulgarian pack. That family doesn’t get it. They want violence and blood, and they don’t care who gets hurt or if we have to pay the price for it. They don’t understand that killing innocent people is wrong.”
“Wow…Vera,” Liv said, having trouble believing that the old woman behind the desk was the mastermind of everything. “And the pack members who do what she says in the inn…”
Fane nodded. “They approve of Vera’s ways, although the rest of us keep to ourselves.”
“Not Papa, though,” Alina said, bringing over a steaming bowl of stew. “He goes out at night and tries to stop them.”
Liv took the stew, enjoying the savory aromas.
“I try, but it’s no good,” Fane stated. “They are too strong, and won’t listen to reason. Every night is a different bloodbath with innocent people at the center of it. Vera has her men sell their stuff outside our borders and uses the money to advertise more about Lupei, ensuring that more tourists show up every single day.”
“That’s sick,” Liv said, suddenly not wanting to eat.
Alina delivered a bowl of stew to her father. He took it, groaning deeply as he took a seat. “Can I trust you, like I trusted your mother?”
Liv took the piece of the crusty bread Alina offered her with a polite nod. “Yes, of course, you can. I know all too well what would happen if they learned the truth.”
“But they’ll want the names of the alpha and pack members,” Fane stated.
“Yes, and you just have to tell me who those other men were in the tavern who were working with Sorin,” Liv stated.
Fane’s face turned dark. “Not all
of them are bad. Sorin is, for sure. He’s been wanting someone like Vera to take over for ages so he could run the show. However, many of the men don’t have a choice. An alpha like Vera has a way of spreading influence. She makes threats until she gets her way. Before, when Relia was in power, things were peaceful. Those men were never a problem. Everything comes down to the alpha, and although I’ve tried to fight it for a long time, it will only be a matter of time before she has us all doing her bidding.”
Alina sat down with a small cup of stew by her father’s feet and looked up at him. “You aren’t like them, Papa. You can resist the alpha’s call.”
Fane dunked his bread in his stew and shook his head. “Not for much longer, my sweet Alina. Once the alpha exerts her dominance, I’ll be powerless to resist it.”
“Then every active werewolf in this village would be murdering tourists, wouldn’t they?” Liv asked.
Fane chewed, his eyes sliding to the side. “It’s worse than that. Vera has the power to draw the dormant wolf out. She could demand that our children turn at times other than the full moon.”
Liv shivered. Werewolf children mauling innocent mortals? That was by far one of the sickest things she’d heard.
“Can you leave here? Get as far away from Vera as possible?” she asked.
Fane looked at his daughter. “I can’t. For one, I’m bound to this alpha whether I like it or not. Her power over me is too great. Some have broken away, but the wolf is strong within me. Also, I can’t abandon my village or those elderly in the general store. Or Claudia. They need me, and they can’t up and leave.”
Liv nodded, understanding at once. “I’ll craft a plan to tell the council just enough information, then I’ll return and help you take down Vera.”
Fane’s eyes glowed for a moment, nearly making Liv drop her bread into her stew. His gaze flew to the high windows. The sun had almost set.
He stood, setting his food on the counter in the kitchen. “I have to go out.”
“You’re shifting,” Liv guessed.
He nodded. “I’m not a danger to you. I can control myself. All werewolves can. Most just don’t want to. However, you’ll need to stay inside with Alina. No matter what you hear, do not leave this house until morning.”
Fane pointed to the cane sitting next to Liv. “No matter what, don’t let that weapon out of your sight. It is the only silver in this village, and your only hope of surviving should one of Vera’s break in here tonight.”
Chapter Seventeen
Once Fane left, Liv commenced pacing. There was no television to distract her, and no phone she could use to call Clark. No way to quell the anxiety building inside her.
After Alina excused herself to get ready for bed, Plato materialized beside Liv. She started, nearly screaming due to the tension bounding out of her chest.
“Where have you been?” she whisper-yelled.
He glanced around, taking in the humble dwelling. “It’s not that easy for me to be here. There’s something unnatural about this place, and it keeps trying to force me out.”
“That’s because everyone here is a werewolf,” she whispered. Yes, Fane’s secret was safe with her. She wouldn’t even tell Clark, fearing that he might be bound to disclose the information to the council due to his oath. However, Plato was different. He was part of her, in a way, and she had to tell someone.
Plato nodded. “That makes more sense now. What doesn’t make sense, though, is why you’re in a village full of werewolves at night.”
“My magic is locked, and someone stole my cell phone,” Liv explained. “I can’t leave until morning, and even then…” Her voice trailed away, eyes widening with excitement. “Hey, can you go see Clark? Tell him to activate my magic. Tell him I’m okay, but I need to get out of here.”
Plato’s eyes closed for a half beat. “I’m sorry, but only you can request your magic to be activated.”
Liv deflated. “Well, can you at least tell him I’m not dead?”
Plato sighed. “That’s really not how I work, but…”
Liv flashed him a murderous glare.
“Yes, fine. I’ll tell him you’re okay,” Plato said at once. “But my question is, are you okay? There are werewolves everywhere, and I can’t stay much longer. The little girl is about to return, and she’s one of them. I can’t be in the same room with her.”
“The rivalry between dogs and cats is never over, is it?”
“Something like that,” Plato answered.
“Please just tell Clark that I’ll call tomorrow, although I don’t know how to reach him without my cell phone with all its numbers,” Liv stated. “My money is all in my bag, which the dumb dogs took, so I don’t even know how to get myself anywhere once I’m out of this village.”
“Just get to the city,” Plato offered. “I’ll meet you there with Clark’s contact information.”
The door to the bathroom opened, and Alina appeared a few seconds later, a cautious look on her face. She was wearing a plaid nightgown, and her hair was pulled back from her face. “Who were you talking to?”
Liv looked around, grateful that Plato had disappeared. “Myself.”
The little girl picked up the book she had been reading before and curled up in front of the fire. She patted the floor next to her, looking up at Liv. “Will you sit with me? I’ll read to you from my book. That will help distract you.”
Liv was about to ask “from what?” when howls cut through the night air, sending a shiver down her back. She tensed all over, her eyes darting to the door, which was thankfully securely locked.
Again Alina patted the floor. “Come. Sit with me. The pack will be up all night. Just try to ignore them. I’ll read to you until you fall asleep.”
Liv didn’t know what to say. This little girl, much like Sophia, had had to grow up fast in a strange world. She knelt beside her, leaning against a pair of cushions and forcing a smile to her face. “Thank you,” she stated.
Alina’s eyes landed on the cane that Liv had left lying beside the couch. “Remember what Papa said.”
Liv reached for the cane, pulling it to her side.
Alina nodded and opened the book. “Don’t worry, they won’t get in here tonight. But just in case.”
Liv held the cane close to her chest as the girl started to read and the sounds of screams filled the air in the village of Lupei.
Chapter Eighteen
Not until Fane returned the next morning and gave Liv the all-clear did she set off for the hills. She could feel him stalking her from a safe distance, which made her feel slightly better. However, seeing him fresh after his night as a werewolf was jarring. He’d arrived at his home battered and bruised. When she had asked him if he was all right, Alina had cut in, stating he’d be fine by the afternoon.
After a long and strenuous hike, Liv met the farmer, Palin. He didn’t make any conversation as he drove her to the nearest city. When she got out, he sped away before she could thank him.
All Liv wanted was her magic unlocked so she could return home and try to figure out how to deal with the werewolves, and more specifically Vera, the woman who had turned a perfectly peaceful village of werewolves into monsters. It filled Liv with a sense of pride that she was working a case that not long ago, her mother had worked. She had never thought her life would parallel her mother’s this closely. At times she felt like they were living in parallel dimensions, crossing paths, but only on the quantum level.
Liv had a lot of time to think about all of this, since when she finally got hold of Clark, he informed her that Adler was absent, and therefore they couldn’t activate her magic.
“I can’t stay in Romania,” she complained, keeping her voice down so the shop owner who had allowed her to make the international call didn’t hear.
“I don’t know when Adler will return,” Clark stated. “It’s not like him to just disappear like this.”
“But don’t you have a meeting with the Seven tonight?”
; Clark was silent for a long few seconds. “He won’t be here.”
“What?” Liv groaned. “I have to get home.”
“I realize that,” Clark stated. “I’ve bought you a plane ticket, and I’m wiring you some money. I’ve also pulled some strings so that identification shouldn’t be a problem. You’ll be home tomorrow, and Adler will have returned by then. That’s when we’ll unlock your magic.”
“Can’t you portal here and get me?” Liv asked, suddenly feeling very high-maintenance.
“I can’t,” Clark said regretfully. “We’re knee-deep in sorting through information on the elf negotiations.”
Suddenly Liv wished she hadn’t sent Stefan away.
“Don’t worry,” Clark consoled her. “We’ll get you home, and then everything will be okay.”
No, it wouldn’t be, because she was going to murder Adler Sinclair for this, and then have to face the council’s wrath.
Liv gritted her teeth, thinking that the timing of Adler’s long-needed vacation day was very strange. She then pictured the albino sitting on a beach in a Hawaiian shirt, lathering tons of sunscreen on as he read a cozy mystery. It was a visual that took away her appetite, although she hadn’t been nearly as hungry as usual since not having her magic.
Thankfully, Alina had sent her with fresh bread and a bundle of dried fruit and nuts that had tided her over after the long hike. The little girl had also given Liv some money she’d pulled from a tin can they kept in the back of the cupboard. Liv left some of it for the shop owner who had allowed her to use his phone and left without a word for the airport.
