by Arwen Rich
“Come,” Jala said, and led me to a quieter part of the clearing. She took a seat on a roughly-hewn log near the edge of the firelight, and patted the log beside her.
“What's bothering you?” she asked.
“My dreams,” I said. “Ever since you told me that I have the same ... gift that you have, I can't stop thinking about them. Some show scenes of violence.” I thought of the dream where the naked man stood at the foot of my bed. “And I can't tell which are prophecy, and which are meaningless.”
A warm smile played on Jala's lips as she studied me. The firelight illuminated her cheekbones.
“Not all dreams speak of the future,” she said. “But none are without meaning.”
I was feeling more puzzled each moment. “How do I tell which ones predict the future?”
“Only time can tell,” she said. “The best you can do is prepare yourself for what you think may be coming. The dreams will become clearer in time, and easier to decipher.” She placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “You will be a great seer. But you need, above all, to trust your instincts.”
We lapsed into silence as I digested her words. Though I was no closer to understanding any of my recent dreams, her advice and her presence were comforting.
We sat together for a while, watching the fire and the people and wolves milling around it. The pack was happy. I could see it on their faces, and smell it on their collective scent.
I felt at home. I was glad that I had decided to move back here, to my hometown, to live with Heath. What had originally been a short trip back had become something permanent. I'd only been back a month, but I was sure I was here to stay.
The murmur of intertwining conversations around the fire lulled me, along with the dancing flames. I jumped when Heath put his warm hand on my shoulder. I hadn't seen him approaching.
“Off with the fairies again,” I said, smiling. He leaned down and kissed me.
“Fairies don't exist,” he grinned. “Werewolves either.” He gave Jala and I a hand each, and lifted us to our feet. “The pack's about to run,” he said. “Are you guys ready?”
The pack spent the next few hours as wolves. We all transformed together in the firelight, before descending as one into the dark, inviting forest paths.
Heath and I led the pack, air streaming through our fur as we flowed between the trees. I forgot my troubles as the vestiges of my humanity faded away, leaving only the joyful pounding of heart and paw. Power surged through me. Beneath the glittering stars and the gleaming, red-tinged moon, the pack coalesced into the night.
After a time, I found myself alone with Heath, running side by side. By now, the rest of the pack had either fallen behind, or gone their own way.
As much as I enjoyed running with the entire pack, I always loved to run alone with Heath the most. And I knew that he felt the same way. We played as we ran, racing and nipping at each other, weaving between trees and ferns. It reminded me of our youth, when we were eighteen and only just beginning to control our wolf forms. Discovering the freedom and pleasure of becoming one with the forest. And the immense crush that I'd had on him.
But as we ran, something began to unsettle me. A familiar and disconcerting scent.
Plastic and perfume.
I stopped, and Heath did too. We both stood in the forest, sniffing the wind, our ears pricked. My hackles raised uneasily. Although the scent was faint, I knew who it was.
Athena.
She was out there somewhere. Exiled.
Was she watching us now?
I remembered again the way she had attacked me in wolf form, pinning me to the ground and trying to crush my windpipe. And her final threat. The vehemence with which she had spat it, with venom on her breath, made me sure that she had all intentions of following through.
It was just a matter of when.
Heath and I continued on for a short while longer. But the mood had changed; I was uneasy now. I realized how tired I was suddenly, and slowed my pace. Heath saw the shift in my mood, and kindly turned us around to head home.
I fell into bed exhausted. Heath kissed me goodnight and took me into his arms. With his heart beating against my ear, I sank into a deep and dreamless sleep.
But a sharp rapping at our door tore me from my slumber. Heath quickly sat up beside me and drew the covers, and the rapping came again, urgent and hard. My heart began to beat nervously in my chest, and through my fog of sleepiness, I had the sick feeling of impending disaster.
“Don't worry,” Heath said, seeing my expression. “It's probably nothing.” He climbed from bed and left the room, and I heard him open the door to let somebody in. They conversed for a moment, two deep, subdued voices tinged with urgency. And then Heath came back into our room, with Aaron, his second-in-command in tow. Aaron was naked, having probably just transformed from wolf-form. I sat up, still half-asleep. A strange sense of unease stirred inside me.
“There's been a breach of security,” Heath said. “Some exiles have entered our territory. I have to apprehend them before they cause trouble.” He was alert and brisk. “Aaron, I want you to stay here and look after Serena for me. Will you do that?”
Aaron looked directly into Heath's eyes and nodded, and I felt that stir of unease again.
“I have to go now,” Heath said, coming over to me. “Don't worry, you'll be fine with Aaron here to protect you. I'll be back soon.” He kissed me on the mouth before I could say a word, and then turned and quickly left the room, leaving me shocked and alone with Aaron at the foot of my bed.
Finally the veil of sleep slipped away, and I knew why I felt uncomfortable.
It was the same as my dream. The naked man at the foot of my bed was Aaron. The only difference was, he didn't hold a snake in his arms. But as I looked at him, I noticed a tattoo on his forearm that I had never before noticed.
Coiled around his wrist and forearm, a green viper with glowing red eyes.
Horror gripped me. I knew that the dream of him was connected somehow to my visions of violence. Adrenaline pumped through my veins as I tried to formulate a plan. I had to get out of here. I had to get away from him.
Aaron must have seen the expression on my face. “Don't worry,” he said. “Heath will be fine.” He sat on the end of my bed, and I coiled away from him.
And then his expression shifted. He knew that I knew something was wrong. His face lost all facade of innocence and he leaped forward across the bed, trying to grab at me.
I shrieked and flinched backwards, letting fly a kick that landed squarely on his jaw. Aaron fell backwards onto the floor, bellowing with pain, and I took the opportunity to jump out of bed and run.
I nearly made it to the front door before he caught me. He wrapped his thick arms around me, enveloping me in a bear hug. I struggled and tried to yell for help, but his hand clamped over my mouth.
“You're coming with us,” Aaron said dangerously in my ear. “Whether you like it or not.”
Us?
As the question came, the front door slammed open to reveal two lithe, mangy-looking young guys I had never met before. Beneath the unwashed and filthy scent of their bodies, I could smell that they were shifters too.
Exiles.
“Quickly,” Aaron said to one. “Leave the note on the table over there – ” he gestured back with his head, and then said to the other, “Did you bring the chloroform?”
The second man gave a sick smile, revealing yellow, jagged teeth. “Right here,” he said, lifting a cloth. I realized what it was for and began to struggle again. I bit down on Aaron's hand and he yelled out in pain. As I writhed in his grip, the guy with the cloth came forward and clamped it onto my face.
An overwhelming stench of chemicals, and then the world went black.
I woke sitting in an uncomfortable position, my head pounding. I opened my eyes, and saw that I was inside a dimly lit, dank structure, like a basement. I was bound to a chair, facing a door which was guarded by the two ratlike men who had helpe
d Aaron kidnap me.
I smelled her before I saw her. Sickly-sweet and artificial.
“Good,” her voice emanated from the darkness. “You're awake.” Her slender form slipped from the shadows and came towards me. The beauty of her face was twisted into an ugly hatred.
“Athena,” I said. “What the hell are you doing?” I struggled at the ropes that bound my wrists, but they only bit more deeply into my skin.
“I'm keeping my word,” she said, bringing her face close to mine. Her scent made me nauseated. “And I'm taking what's mine.”
“You're trying to take Heath from me? Because you're going the wrong way about it.”
“I don't want him any more,” said Athena. “I've found someone else. Someone stronger than Heath, and more willing to do what it takes to rule.” She beckoned into the darkness, and Aaron came out of the shadows to stand obediently beside her. “No,” she continued, “I'm not trying to take Heath away from you. When he gets here, we are going to kill you both. And then claim this territory as our own.” She crossed her arms, and tapped her foot impatiently. “We kindly left a note at Heath's house; he should be here any second.”
I felt sick. A wave of terror washed through me as I struggled in the chair. I considered transforming to wolf, but I didn't know whether the transformation would break the ropes holding me – and I was outnumbered anyway. Athena began to walk in leisurely circles around me, looking pleased with herself.
“You won't get away with it,” I said through gritted teeth. “the pack will never accept you as their leaders.”
Athena laughed. “The wolves follow strength,” she said. “When Aaron and I command them, they will obey. Aaron is second-in-command – when Heath is killed, Aaron is the default leader of the pack.” She reached a hand out to Aaron and stroked his thick, muscular arm.
He looked nervous, shaken. As if he was aghast at the plan he was about to execute.
“How could you do this to your best friend?” I said, turning my head towards him. “You're pathetic.”
“I deserve to be Alpha!” He said. He began to pace back and forth, clenching his jaw. “I'm stronger than Heath!” he stabbed a finger at his own chest, and I saw that his hand was shaking. “There's ... there's no other way,” he said lamely, and turned to look at Athena. He was pale, and his resolve seemed to be crumbling.
Athena raised an eyebrow quizzically.
“Suddenly having misgivings?” she sneered. “Afraid you can't take him?”
Aaron's face darkened. “I can,” he said. “And I will.”
At that moment, the door the two ratty men were guarding was smashed inwardly off its hinges, falling into the room. The two filthy men stumbled forward, shielding their heads. Dust and particles of wood swirled in the air, and through it a figure took shape.
“Aaron,” a voice harsh and dangerous emanated from the doorway. “Where is Serena?”
Heath stepped through the dusty air and into the room. His face was pale and cold, his golden eyes burning with rage. He was naked, having just transformed, and I could see the veins and muscles standing out on his shoulders as he clenched his fists. A flutter of hope mixed with the dark fear swirling inside me.
Heath's eyes adjusted to the darkness and he saw me sitting there, bound to the chair. He began to stride forward, but then he froze.
Something cold touched my throat. A blade.
“Take another step,” I heard Athena say from behind me, “and I'll cut your bitch's head off. She could stand to lose the couple of pounds,” she giggled. The knife moved lightly across my skin, and I cried out. My eyes, wide and terrified, locked with Heath's across the room.
“If you hurt her,” Heath said, his voice low, “I will tear you to pieces.” But he didn't move. The two ratlike men moved to Heath's sides and grabbed his arms.
“Oh,” laughed Athena, “I'm going to do much more than hurt her. But first Aaron is going to take care of you.”
Heath turned to look at Aaron, his jaw clenched hard. “I treated you like a brother,” Heath said. A cold fury burned in his eyes, and for a moment, shame flitted across Aaron's face. “I trusted you to protect Serena,” Heath continued, “and now I find you taking orders from this whore.” He gestured towards Athena with his head.
The shame on Aaron's face hardened to stone, and he stalked over to Heath and slapped him across the face, as the two men held him.
“Don't ever speak about Athena like that,” Aaron said. “I wanted her from the very start, but I stayed away because she wanted you. And you ignored her, like she was nothing. But now she wants me, and we're going to rule together.”
“She is nothing,” Heath said. His teeth were bared, his jaw clenched. “And now you've let her drag you down with her. I thought you had a sense of honor.”
“Actually,” Athena said behind me, “he does.” She stroked my face as she spoke, sending a cold shiver of fear down my spine. “I wanted to murder you both in your sleep,” she continued. “But it was Aaron's idea to bring you here. He wanted to kill you in a fair fight.” She pulled my hair back in order to reveal more of my neck, and my heartbeat pulsed against her knife.
Aaron punched Heath in the stomach, and Heath grunted and doubled over.
“Let him go now,” Aaron said. The two henchmen released Heath.
Like a flash of lightning, Heath leaped up and swung an uppercut at Aaron that connected with his jaw. Aaron reeled backwards, and Heath took the opportunity to swing again, landing a punch in the center of Aaron's face.
Blood burst from Aaron's nose and he fell down onto his ass. He looked up at Heath, a stupid stunned expression on his face.
“Don't let Athena do this,” Heath said. “She's tricking you, she doesn't really want you –”
Aaron's face turned scarlet with rage and he got to his feet and charged at Heath. He tackled him, and they crashed back, crushing the plaster of a wall. Aaron pinned Heath to the wall, and they grappled for a moment, their sweaty arms slipping over one another.
Behind me, Athena laughed.
Heath slipped beneath Aaron's grip and buried a knee in his gut, and Aaron grunted and stumbled back again. Heath began to stalk towards him, and Aaron retreated. He backed over to one of the mangy guys who were watching, and reached for the man's belt. Aaron fumbled with something for a moment, hurrying as Heath neared him. And then I caught a flash of reflected light as Aaron pulled a combat knife from the guy's belt sheath.
My blood ran cold. The knife reminded me of the one I'd been dreaming about, which rose and fell and rose again, dripping with blood ...
“Heath!” I cried out. I knew, in the pit of my stomach, in the bottom of my soul, that Aaron was going to stab him.
But Heath kept advancing.
His eyes were focused intently on Aaron, and he bobbed like a boxer as he approached. Aaron waited for Heath, and then charged at him, knife raised.
I screamed as the knife plunged down towards Heath's chest.
Heath quickly stepped aside, and the knife sank into his shoulder. Heath hissed with pain, a sound which made me sick, and then he swung a fist which smashed into Aaron's nose again.
Aaron's face was covered in blood now; he looked like a hideous beast with rolling, mad eyes. He raised the knife and plunged it down towards Heath's chest again.
Heath blocked this time, but the knife still sliced through his upper arm. He brought his hand back to punch Aaron again, but Aaron quickly ducked and tackled Heath.
Heath fell backwards, Aaron collapsing heavily on top of him. They both gasped for air, their arms struggling against one another. Aaron raised the knife over Heath's neck, and Athena cackled madly.
“Kill him!” she screamed.
“I will,” said Aaron, through a mangled and bloodied mouth. “And after I kill him, I'm going to put down his bitch.”
Heath let loose an inhuman roar. The deep and raging sound that tore from his throat seemed to shake the foundations of the building. A pulse of whi
te light exploded around his head, and when it faded, I saw the impossible.
Heath's head had transformed into a wolf's.
The rest of his body remained human, but his muscles and veins swelled with a superhuman power. Half man, half beast, Heath roared again. He gripped Aaron's throat and leaped to his feet, lifting the other man into the air before slamming him to the ground. Aaron lay in a limp heap on the concrete floor.
I heard Athena gasp behind me, and then she let go of the knife at my throat. It clattered to the floor.
I took the opportunity to transform to wolf as quickly as I could. Thankfully, the ropes binding me snapped as my muscles swelled and hardened.
I was engulfed momentarily by a white light, and when it cleared, I saw Heath, still human with a wolf's head, swinging his fists and snapping his powerful jaws, as he fought the two ratlike men – one of whom was wielding a knife.
I tumbled from the chair, turning to look for Athena. But as I turned, I was body-slammed to the ground.
Athena had transformed too.
I jumped to my feet and we began to circle one another. I growled and bared my teeth, trembling with rage.
I had fought her cautiously last time, attempting to defend myself. But this time was different. I wasn't going to wait for her to attack.
This time, I was going to tear her fucking throat out.
We continued to circle one another, and I pretended to remain cautious. Pretended to wait for her to make the first move. But all the time, I was waiting for an opening.
I heard a scream of pain, and the sickening crunch of bone, from where Heath was fighting the two men. For a fraction of a second, Athena's attention wavered. I saw her eyes dart towards the battle raging behind me.
I struck.
Summoning all the animal power I could muster, I leaped at Athena. I slammed into her, and as she rolled backwards, I landed on top of her, snapping my jaws at her neck, seeking a target for my teeth. As she yelped and squirmed beneath me, trying desperately to escape, my jaw finally found a hold.
