by Wilde, Rhea
“Nothing happened, Ariel.”
“But something did happen. I could feel it. Inez could feel it, too. There’s something inside of you. Something that burns… And I could never do anything to satisfy that burning that you have.”
“What must I say to convince you that you are letting your emotions get the best of you?”
“But it’s true, isn’t it? You could never be completely satisfied by sleeping with an ordinary woman like me.”
“Ariel—”
“Wait. Let me finish. When you’re with me, I know that you have to hold back. But how long can we keep doing this?”
“I can do this forever, Ariel.”
“But you’re only saying that. What if I want to mate with you? What if you want to breed with me? I can’t provide that for you.”
“When that time comes, then we will deal with it. I assure you, Ariel. My feelings for you haven’t wavered ever since I first laid eyes upon you.”
“That’s your answer?”
“I don’t know what answer you’re looking for.”
“I just… I just want the truth, Vaughn. I want you to be honest with me. Every clan we’ve met so far… They’ve been led by an Alpha with a queen by his side.”
“And you are my queen, Ariel.”
“No. There’s more to it than that. I see the way you look at Shiva. I see how Jynx and Avina desire you. Daric and Inez could do so much more with you than I can. You would be much happier with them, I know that. You can’t hold back your instincts. It’s not fair.”
“I do everything with your consideration.”
“That’s exactly what I mean. What about your needs? What about your feelings?”
“What would you have me do, Ariel? Would I let Shiva take me as a second lover? Do you want me to be Jynx and Avina’s plaything? Or would you let Inez have her way with me and use me as her personal sex slave?”
“That’s not what I’m saying.”
“Then tell me what it is, Ariel. Please…”
I looked into Vaughn’s blue eyes and could see that he still cared for me. But despite his feelings, the nature of our relationship had changed and I couldn’t ignore it any longer.
“I didn’t get the chance to know the rest of your clan very well. You were the only wolf I spent any real time with. But getting out here and meeting all of these people… I can see how much you’re really holding back with me.”
“Ariel…”
“Vaughn, I want to satisfy you. I want to be a part of your clan. Make me… like you.”
“Ariel, we’ve already been over this.”
“Why won’t you let me make you happy?”
“Why can’t you just accept that I am happy. Ariel…”
I sighed before he could finish speaking. I knew that I was beginning to sound like a broken record at this point. But I thought that he would be able to see things my way after everything we’d been through in New York. I understood why he didn’t want me to be a wolf but it wasn’t enough of a reason for him to stop short of converting me. Seeing Shiva and what she was able to do with Cyrus only made me more frustrated. And they were right in front of us. They were enjoying the company of one another in a way that only wolves could.
I stood up and started to walk away from Vaughn.
“Ariel, where are you going?”
“I just… I just need some time to think, that’s all.”
“Ariel, please relax. You’re wasting your energy.”
“I just need a moment. Please.”
I could see that he was upset but like he always did, he held himself back. He only nodded his head and smiled softly at me. I walked past all of the people lying around me. I didn’t know where I was going. I eventually ended up near the end of the long tunnel that led back up to the forest and found Irvine. He sat there while he calmly tightened the strings on his crossbow.
“Ms. Everhart.”
“Hey, Irvine…”
“Is something wrong? You sound upset.”
He didn’t turn his head up to me as he examined his weapon. I took a seat across from him and let out a frustrated sigh.
“No, I’m not upset.”
“But there is something on your mind.”
“Yeah, but I don’t think I can say anything to you.”
“Ms. Everhart, if you can’t trust me, who can you trust? We’re the only humans in a den full of wolves.”
“You have a point,” I chuckled. “It’s just… Can I ask you something, Irvine?”
“Sure.”
“I know that Vaughn is special. Wolves like him don’t usually get involved with humans. At least, not for long. Do you really think he can keep this up?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, can he really go forever without converting me?”
Irvine sighed then looked down the sights of his crossbow. He closed one eye and pulled on the trigger. It clicked but nothing came out as his bolts were resting upon his hip. He set the crossbow down into his lap then turned to toward all of the wolves that laid in the den below us.
“Ms. Everhart, you’re asking me what beats in the heart of another being. And Vaughn is no ordinary man. I have no idea what his intentions are. But from what I do know of him, he holds you more important than anything. I don’t know what that means to you but you should remember that more than anything.”
Vaughn turned his attention to the sword he had unsheathed. I watched him pull a piece of cloth out and a small bottle of oil. He dabbed the oil on the cloth and proceeded to polish the blade. The way he massaged the blade was hypnotic. He did it in an organized and controlled fashioned. It was clear that he’d done it before. I found myself completely silent and captivated with the way he did it.
“Never a dull moment, never a dull blade.”
I turned my head to the side and Yung was making his way toward us. The old man had a polite smile upon his face like he always did. He took a seat next to the both of us and admired Irvine’s technique the same as I did.
“You did it,” he said. “I don’t know how you did but you did it. I didn’t ever think I’d see the day again when two clans would be mingling with one another in this kind of harmony. To think that we’re actually sharing territory. It almost brings a tear to my eye.”
“I don’t think you can give us too much credit yet,” I said. “The Shidos seem intent on taking the place of the Nakas if that opportunity arises.”
“The Shidos are a large clan. But I do not sense from them what I do from the Nakas. The dark wind only blows from the direction of a single clan. Only the Nakas seek to rule with an iron fist. I know Daric.”
“You do?” I asked. “What do you know about him?”
“He is a conceited man. Egotistical. When he was younger, he always had a thirst for power. But his drive was fueled by his desire to impress the fairer sex.”
“Women? He’s doing it for women?”
“Yes,” he nodded. “That’s not exclusive to wolves, is it? Is it that out of the question that a man is doing something simply to mate with a female?”
“Ha!”
Yung’s comment got a laugh out of Irvine. The focus he had while he polished his blade was still there as he listened to us.
“So what do you think?” I asked Yung. “Do you think we will be able to convince the Nakas to stop?”
“I’ve never heard of anything happening like this before,” he said. “You’re discussing negotiations when our clans live by the laws of the jungle. The jungle of New York City, despite its reputation, has never had something like this happen before. We’re talking about civil war here, Ariel. Your intentions may be pure but bloodshed seems inevitable.”
The grave ramifications of what was happening hit me. To think that I was caught in the middle of all of this made my stomach turn. My life was on the line before I’d even come here and with each passing moment, it remained in jeopardy.
“What are you doing?” Yung asked me.
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“What?”
“What are you doing to prepare? You. Hunter. You’re this woman’s protector, are you not?”
“One of them, yes,” Irvine said.
“You must prepare for the worst,” Yung said to him. “There will be a time when you or Shadow will be unable to stay in contact with her. Ariel, you must learn to defend yourself.”
“What? But how will I—”
“Hunter. You have weapons. Something to spare. You’ve sent this poor girl out there in the line of fire with no means to protect herself.”
“I suppose I could—”
“Don’t suppose. Do it. She doesn’t have to be a master swordsman like you. But you must have some weapon you can spare.”
Irvine and I looked at one another.
“You’re right,” Irvine said to Yung. “Let me see…”
Irvine reached into his jacket and pulled out a small dagger. It was the same knife he used to cut open the wound on Rio. He tossed it around in his hand.
“This looks like something you can handle, Ms. Everhart.”
“Good,” Yung said. “Teach her. Let her practice. Time is running short.”
The white-haired old man pushed himself up off of the floor. He nodded to both of us before slowly turning around.
“It’s a dangerous jungle out there,” he said as he walked away. “You would best be prepared for any beasts you might encounter.”
As Yung walked away, I looked back at Irvine, who had sheathed his blade. He flipped the blade up and down in his hand like some kind of knife-tosser at the circus.
“It’s been a long night, Ms. Everhart. We can get started after you get some rest.”
“No. I have the energy right now.”
“Very well. Let’s get started.”
Chapter 21
We stepped out of the den to begin training. Even though the clans were resting peacefully right next to us, we were still in some danger from simply being in the forest. The night air was colder than it had ever been. I was wearing nothing but a shirt that was torn and covered in grime. Normally we would be walking through the trees. Now that we were just standing here, I could feel just how cold it was tonight. My body started to shiver. When I did, Irvine removed his jacket and offered it to me.
“No,” I pushed it away. “Just teach me how to use that. I’m going to be working up a sweat anyway.”
“Right.”
Irvine flipped the blade in his hand and then caught it, holding the handle out to me. I took it into my hand and gripped it.
“Don’t just hold it,” he said to me. “You have to wrap your fingers and squeeze it.”
I nodded and did what I was told. I held the ivory grip in my hand and he let it go. Even though the blade was small, there was a weight to it. It took more effort than I was expecting to stop my hand from drooping down.
“Now what?” I asked as I held the dagger up.
Irvine stood off to the side and watched me.
“Extend your arm, Ms. Everhart. Hold it out but keep your grip firm. That dagger is only so long. More than likely anything you use it on will be in arm’s reach. Make sure they’re close. Don’t overextend. Now bend your elbow and drive it forward.”
I wasn’t sure what to do. I had never wielded a weapon like this before.
“I’m doing this wrong,” I said as I shook my head. “I feel like an idiot.”
“Patience, Ms. Everhart. You’re only just beginning.”
He stood behind me and continued to observe my technique.
“Get used to the motion of stabbing the dagger,” he continued. “You have to use all your strength to drive it into them. Even though the blade is sharp, there will be some resistance. The flesh of a wolf is much thicker than an ordinary man.”
I stabbed forward over and over while Irvine watched me. Even though I didn’t feel like I was getting it, he continued to encourage me. He told me everything I was doing was right and made me repeat it. It wasn’t long before I started to build a sweat from the thrusting motion.
“Very good, Ms. Everhart. Keep doing it and it will become natural. Do you feel it?”
“Kind of…”
“Well, you don’t have a target to practice upon but I assure you that it will be enough if the time were to come. Now, your stance…”
Irvine moved back around me and toward the side. I could see him from the corner of my eye, crouching forward.
“Don’t stand straight up,” he said. “Bend your knees just a little bit. This not only helps your balance but allows you to create the energy needed to drive it into them. It starts from your feet, up your legs, through your arms and exits through the tip of the sword. Try it.”
I nodded then awkwardly tried to follow his instructions. I lowered my body and bent my knees. Then I drove my body up and extended my arm, driving the dagger into an imaginary target. Irvine gave me his approval and I repeated the steps. I didn’t want to admit that I was beginning to get the hang of it. With so much on my mind, I focused solely on building the movement into my muscles.
“That’s it, Ms. Everhart. Just like that. Drive the dagger in through their skin. Feel the life beginning to drain out of them. Imagine the blood squirting from the wound.”
I closed my eyes and focused. The sweat was dripping down my forehead and my arms. My arm started to get sore, so I switched it into my other hand. I continued to thrust the blade forward over and over. I did it without thinking. Irvine’s voice suddenly disappeared and all I could see were the wolves surrounding me. One by one they leapt at me. I shoved the blade into them before they fell upon me. The blood sprayed everywhere. I began to shout every time I killed one. The sound of their yelping grew louder.
“Ms. Everhart…”
I screamed with each thrust. Wolves of all different shapes and sizes started to attack me. I gave them no mercy. I killed each of them, driving the dagger past their fur and into their flesh. The crimson sprayed from their wounds. The floor was painted red. My arms were burning but I didn’t stop. I kept going.
“Ms. Everhart!”
Something grabbed my arm. I opened my eyes slowly and saw that Irvine had stopped me. I was panting. My heart was racing as it beat against my chest.
“I think you’ve got the hang of it,” he said as he released my arm. “Don’t strain yourself.”
“I’m sorry. I… I don’t know what came over me.”
“You don’t have to explain yourself. But save your zeal for when the time comes. I’m the only one who is here and I am not your enemy.”
“I know,” I laughed, trying to catch my breath. “I just wanted to make sure that I got it right.”
“I suppose I should have told you from the start.”
“Told me what?”
Irvine moved in front of me.
“Hold the blade out to me,” he said.
“Irvine?”
“Do it, Ms. Everhart.”
I slowly raised the dagger up and pointed it forward at him. He took off his jacket and threw it to the side. Then he slowly started to walk toward me. He started to get closer to the dagger and I took a few steps back.
“What are you doing?” he asked me.
“You’re getting too close. I don’t want to—”
“Just hold it steady, Ms. Everhart. I promise you won’t hurt me.”
I wasn’t sure what he was trying to do. But I followed his orders. I held the blade up and kept it pointed at him. I squeezed the grip. Slowly, Irvine started to make his way toward me. The tip of the blade touched his shirt. He moved his body forward until it cut through the fabric. Then I could feel it pushing against his skin. Before it could dig in any farther, I pulled the dagger away quickly.
“What are you doing?” I asked him.
“Did you see that? The dagger is sharp enough to cut through my skin. You didn’t move it. All I did was walk up to it. If these wolves attack you, they will go for blood. They won’t hold back. They will come at you with
all of the strength they can muster.”
“So I use that strength against them.”
“That’s right, Ms. Everhart,” he nodded. “Just let them use their own power against them. All you have to do is hold it there. That’s a dangerous tool in your hand. You can kill even when you’re not trying to use it.”
I nodded in understanding. I looked down at the blade to see if I actually cut him but there was no blood on it. I lightly placed my finger against the edge of it and could feel how sharp it was.
“It is dangerous,” I said. “But it’s still short. I have to put myself close to them.”
“If you’re forced to use that, you’re in danger either way.”
“I think I got the hang of it. Maybe we should move on to the next lesson.”
“I’m afraid I don’t get your meaning, Ms. Everhart.”
I pointed at his hip with the dagger. We both looked at the sword that he had sheathed. He then looked at me and started to laugh softly.
“I don’t think we’ve gotten to that point, Ms. Everhart.”
“How do you know if you won’t even let me try?”
I stared at him, no smile on my face to let him know that I was serious. I didn’t feel safe out here. I wanted to use everything available to me. Irvine sighed and held the blade up. He removed it from his sheath then turned the handle to me.
“All right, Ms. Everhart. Let’s see if you can handle a bigger weapon.”
I dropped the dagger down to the ground and took the grip of his sword with one hand. He let go of the sword and gravity took its effect. It fell down to the ground with a thunk, taking my arms along with it.
“Both hands,” he chuckled.
“Right.”
I wrapped both of my hands around the handle and picked it up from the ground. Even though the weight of it was something I wasn’t used to, I was still able to hold it up without dropping it. My arms were straining and my muscles were flexed but I was able to wield it with some degree of competence. Irvine stood off to the side as I jokingly mimicked the way he used it.
“This what you look like,” I said as I made the same motions with the sword that he did.
“Is that what I look like?” he smiled.
