by Sonja Bair
“How did you escape without a scratch?”
“I’m quicker, stronger, and more intelligent than you.”
I laughed through the peas. “I’ll give you the first two, but never the third.”
“A smart person would have run away as fast as she could if she got pulled into this werewolf mess. Sticking around was not a bright thing to do.” I felt him smooth the hair away from my face. “Let me take a look at your shiner.”
Peeling back the makeshift ice pack, I looked up at him. His face was soft with concern and his hand lightly brushed over my cheekbone. “We should put a butterfly bandage on your eyebrow. It’s still gaping open.”
“I think I have some in my medicine cabinet; I’ll do it in a second. But seriously, how did you get so good at fighting? Is it natural for werewolves?”
He paused a moment, his eyes losing focus. “It’s somewhat inborn,” he answered. “I believe we have a natural reservoir of aggression that most people don’t possess, but most of us learn from our pack to control it from the very beginning. Then sometimes, when the pack is getting restless and hasn’t been physically active, fights among werewolves start breaking out. Little irritations grow bigger, and then there will be some terrible brawl and people will get hurt. Alphas generally try to keep these fights from happening by making sure the pack retreats to some wild space to run and hunt animals. But my father believed in being proactive about preventing aggression. He had taken boxing lessons as a child and thought it was a good tension releaser. He started me boxing as a little kid, and I was pretty good at it. When I was older, I started with mixed martial arts. So I’ve had lots of training. Perhaps more importantly, although I tried denying it for a long time, I’m an Alpha. Power and control are part of who I am, and those traits help in a fight.”
“That reminds me,” I said, sitting up and dropping the bag of peas on the bed. “What in the world were you doing when you were speaking at the meeting?”
“What do you mean?”
“When you talked about the werewolves all having special strengths, I could feel the power of each of the packs rise and join together. You’ve done it before with Gina and other pack members, but those times, it was more like you sucked the power out of the room. I used to think it was good posturing or a stunning sense of presence, but now I think it’s something you actually control.”
He looked over at me, smiled sheepishly, and reached for my hand, interlocking his fingers with mine. “I think we can put another item on the ‘should have told you’ list. I didn’t mean to keep it from you; it’s such a part of who I am that I sometimes forget about it.”
“That is one lame excuse,” I said.
“I know,” he replied with a shrug. “So what you felt goes along with what I said before, that I tried to deny being an Alpha for years. But I have been able to call out power in the room since I was a teenager. I hid it for a long time, because it’s a skill that all Alphas and higher-ranked werewolves had, and I didn’t want to be part of their world. Maria and Robert barely had the ability and I didn’t want to call attention to myself. But now that I’m Alpha, whether I like it or not, I have started to use the power.”
“Okay, but what is it?”
“The best I can describe it is that Alphas bring out the inborn strength of will and power in other werewolves and then either share it with others or temporarily freeze the power. Like you noticed, I have used this freezing skill a couple of times, with the others in our pack. But today in the meeting, I didn’t want to stop their powers. In fact, I doubted that I could with so many strong Alphas in the room. Instead, I wanted to show the werewolves’ combined strength in a visceral way. What I didn’t know for sure, but what I hoped, was that your own strength would show up for everyone to see and feel. And it did, much to everyone else’s surprise. And here’s the really crazy part.” He let go of my hand and placed a hand on either side of my face, gently turning me to face him. “Your power was different than everyone else’s. Maybe a little softer on the edges. But it was strong—very, very strong. So strong that everyone in the room noticed. Some people were pleased that this new power was part of the werewolf community, but some people felt threatened and intimidated by it. It was a very effective way to see who was going to be on our side and who we would have to watch out for.”
Removing his hands, I shook my head. “Okay, fine. I have power and am part of the werewolf pack. But how is that going to help people like Jerry, werewolves that are about to lose it?”
“Like I said—have faith. Since we are doing all we possibly can right now, let’s see if the problem will work itself out. And don’t make yourself to be someone you aren’t. So please don’t force yourself to be act like every other werewolf. As Viktor said, you can be an unexpected resource which will help us solve this issue. So just be yourself.”
I thought about his words for a moment. His calm in the midst of chaos was surprisingly refreshing. Have faith. Okay, maybe I should try that although I didn’t see any clear path to fixing the problem. Previously at the USN or with Alva business, I could see the next logical step to solving a crisis, but with the werewolf problem, I didn’t see that next step. So instead of worry about something I couldn’t solve immediately, maybe I should trust whatever powers might be that made me the first and only non-werewolf Alpha of a werewolf pack and just be myself.
Closing my eyes and straightening my shoulders, I mentally rearranged my thoughts, trying to focus in on my own skills. After a few seconds, my eyes popped open.
“How are a duck and a grape alike?” I asked David.
“Is this a joke?” he replied cautiously, confused, I would guess, by the abrupt change in conversation.
“Possibly. How are a duck and a grape alike?”
“Okay. Tell me how a duck and a grape are alike.”
“They are both purple. Except for the duck.” I bounced off the bed and slipped on my shoes. “Let’s get back to the meeting.”
His bright emerald green eyes dancing, he smiled. “Thanks for deciding to be yourself—bad jokes and all. That’s the person who I treasure.”
“Arrggh, matey. And me treasure be that a-way. Let’s get back to the meeting.” I pointed out the window to the Eagle.
“Only Freya Holm could treasure a 1986 AMC Eagle. Yes, let’s go see what madness has happened in our absence.”
“In a mad world, only the mad are sane.” Grabbing my keys, I quoted Akira Kurosawa, the famous Japanese film director.
David opened the door for me. “Does that make us sane or insane?”
“Yes.”
The Elders had returned for the previously scheduled meet-and-greet dessert reception with the Alphas and this time, everyone looked much more friendly and relaxed. Viktor and another Elder were speaking with Carole in one corner. The other two Elders were talking with separate groups around the room. The previous early arrival was certainly not planned, but maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing. While I gave most of the credit in the change of attitude to Viktor’s impromptu, but brilliant, speech, I allowed myself a small pat on the back for helping facilitate it.
Alrik had joined the Elders for the dinner meeting. Looking impeccable in his khakis and charcoal button-down shirt, he stood off to the side of the room, surveying the crowd. I touched David’s arm and motioned toward Alrik. David nodded understandingly and peeled off to talk to some werewolves standing by at the edge of the room, arms crossed and frowns dug into their faces.
Alrik hadn’t been with the Elders previously, and there was an aura of reserve and distance surrounding him that the other Elders didn’t display. Heading toward him, I passed two small groups of Alphas and caught a couple hints of conversation. People were discussing Gina’s speech mostly, questioning what her visions possibly meant. Gina, herself, was in the middle of the room, speaking to her brother animatedly. Julia and Amir were nowhere to be seen.
The moment I got close to Alrik he scowled at me.
“What
’s wrong with your face?” He practically growled out the words.
“What’s wrong with my face?” I asked. “What’s wrong with your face is a better question, and one I’ve wondered for a long time.”
Alrik scowled deeper and reached toward my eye.
“Ouch. Don’t touch it,” I said defensively, stepping back.
“I didn’t touch it. Who gave you a black eye? Is he here?” He scowled deeper and looked around the room.
“No, she isn’t here. I was defending Gina from her murderous mother, but while I was busy doing that, Gina managed to get the other werewolves on her side and invite her to stay. She’s quite the little politician, if I may say so.”
“Sounds like an interesting meeting so far. Viktor told me about arriving earlier. How did that happen?”
“I was going to ask you the same thing,” I replied. “The itineraries never even mentioned the earlier gathering, so I have no idea how they ended up here.”
“Neither do I.”
“But Viktor did a great job of putting the werewolves more at ease. Overall, I think that it may have been a good thing.”
“Possibly. But the question of who passed the incorrect information to the Elders still remains.”
“They all got text messages, right?”
“Right—from a local number. But the number isn’t registered to anyone.”
The mystery hung heavy in the air. Looking around the room, I tried to imagine why someone might try to force the two groups together ahead of schedule. Was it a werewolf or an Alva? Was it someone with good intentions or someone looking to cause trouble? I shook my head haltingly. There wasn’t enough information to decide one way or another.
“Did you see where Amir and Julia went?” I asked Alrik.
“No, they weren’t here when the Elders and I showed up.”
“They don’t seem the type to simply roll over and play dead when things don’t go their way. I’m worried that they are up to trouble. I think we should take a stroll around the facility and see if they are still hanging around.”
Alrik scanned the room. “Are you sure you aren’t needed right now?”
The previously cantankerous-looking werewolves who David had joined now appeared to have relaxed and had actually motioned an Elder to join their conversation. David could charm the ticks off a dog if he wanted, and his charm was turned up all the way right now. The room would be mere putty in his hands.
“Nah. It looks like David is doing a fantastic job working the room. I don’t think my presence would make things any better. Let’s see if we can hunt down Amir and Julia.”
Chapter 17
The sun had set behind the golden hills near the vineyard. Without the radiant heat from it, the temperature was dropping precipitously. Shivering slightly, I realized I had left my sweater back in the room. The intense, searching look on Alrik’s face prevented me from suggesting we go back for it so I mentally shrugged the cold away and searched the night air along with him. Amir and Julia’s car was still in the parking lot, but they weren’t anywhere to be seen. There was a light on in the main house and I could see motion behind the sheer curtains—the owners of the vineyard, I assumed. Other than the shadows in the window, Alrik and I were the only ones around.
I motioned to him that I was ready to continue the search. After making a complete circuit around the building and not finding any lurking werewolves, we paused and reassessed the situation.
“Should we continue? There’s a lot of hiding places away from the conference room; it may take us all night and I’m not sure it’s worth it for something we don’t even know to be a threat,” I said.
Alrik, surveying the land, didn’t say anything for a moment. “I don’t like it that we don’t know where they are. On the other hand, a room full of werewolves and powerful Alva certainly isn’t defenseless. I say we let Gina’s parents lick their wounds for a while and allow them to rejoin us when they are ready.”
“Fine with me. It’s getting cold out here.” I rubbed the goose bumps on my arms.
Turning around, we headed in. But before we could reach the entrance, a scream sounded in the night air. It was high-pitched, only lasting a few seconds, but it bounced against the hills surrounding the vineyard. Alrik was off and sprinting toward the noise before I had processed the sound. The scream sounded again twice, each a slightly longer resonance, but the last ended in a moan. Although my heart was pounding and adrenaline was racing, I was able to figure out the source within a few seconds, but within those seconds, Alrik had disappeared into the rows of grapes surrounding the conference center.
“Alrik,” I cried, running toward the row in which he had disappeared. “Alrik, it’s okay. No one’s hurt.” I couldn’t see him. I ducked under a row of grapes, nearly garroting myself with a low-hanging wire. “It’s a cougar. A mountain lion.” Looking up and down the row, I didn’t spot him. I ran away from the conference center and toward the nearby hills. The row ended and another set of rows began, following the contour of the land and striking off at a diagonal to the current row. I jogged down the aisle between grapevines, almost spraining an ankle on a hidden hole in the ground.
“Alrik? Where are you?” I called again. “It was a female mountain lion calling for her mate.” How fast could he run, and where in the world was he right now?
“A mountain lion? That sounded like a woman screaming.” Hearing his voice behind me, I turned.
“Yup, a mountain lion, and we were incredibly lucky to hear her calling. They are exceptionally stealthy and secretive and generally only mate in the winter or early spring. She seems to be a little ahead of time.”
“How do you know?”
“A student was asking about them the other day and I gave her extra credit to make a class presentation. She had sound clips, and it sounded exactly like we heard.”
“Amazing. And you said she was calling for her mate?”
“Actually, it could either be a female calling for her mate or two males in competition for the same female.”
Alrik didn’t seem to be out of breath from his running, but I was still gulping for air from my short sprint. I bent over and placed my hands on my knees.
“So how does the female decide which male she will mate with?” Alrik asked.
Watching Alrik’s feet approach, I shook my head. “Ask the mountain lion, not me.”
Alrik sighed in frustration. “Freya, you are making this tough on all of us. You have two men interested in you. Both of us are serious, and you need to make up your mind.”
I stood up straight and looked at him. “Why do I have to make a decision right now—because it inconveniences you? I didn’t ask for two guys to fall for me at the same time. I didn’t even ask for one guy. In fact, I just moved to a new town and a new job this year. I want a little stability in my life before I go and mess things up by pairing up with another person. So maybe you both should get lost.” I felt like stamping my foot in anger, but that wouldn’t convince anyone that I was a mature adult.
“Only one of the men wouldn’t mess up the stability of your life,” he said as he took a step into my comfort zone. I was now staring at the third button down on his shirt, and it made me furious that I would have to look up at him to make eye contact.
Switching over to Swedish, he continued, “One of the two men interested in you has been around since you were still sucking your thumb. Only one has met your parents, your aunts and uncles, your dozens of cousins and second cousins in Europe. Only one understands what it is like to be an Alva. Freya, why are you making this difficult on yourself? I can make your life so much easier.”
His words made sense. Not knowing what to say to him, I started to bang my head on his chest. He stilled my head with his hands.
“Why are you fighting this?” he asked. “Why are you fighting us?”
“Because I’m not sure.” I replied in Swedish as well. “All of a sudden, I’m shoved into the role of werewolf Alpha. I have a p
ack to worry about now. And I have a pack that worries about me. So basically, I have a new family whether I like it or not.”
Before Alrik could answer, the mountain lion screamed again, this time longer and louder than the previous calls. Both of us stood stock still, listening to the eerie noise. “I’ve never seen a mountain lion before,” I said. “They’re so stealthy that most people around here go their whole life never seeing one.”
“Do you want to go track it down?” he asked. “It’s close and we can approach from the air.”
The idea was tempting and, honestly, any excuse not to go back to the meeting sounded good to me. Before I could think better of it, I unbuttoned my shirt and dropped it, releasing my wings before the shirt hit the ground. I heard a soft chuckle from Alrik at the speed of my response, but he mimicked my actions.
Running through the vineyards had warmed me up, but the newly exposed skin of my large, thin wings felt the chill immediately. Pulling them down, I took to the air. The vines rapidly became thin, dark lines beneath me and the stars twinkled above me. Even with all the stress and confusion, I immediately felt better—I was born to be in the air. With my wings gently pulsing, keeping me steady, I inhaled a long and deep breath, closed my eyes, and smiled. The air currents rippled around me, announcing the presence of Alrik.
“Do you know where the calls came from?” I asked.
“From the small group of trees in the valley between the hills.” He pointed south and east of the conference center.
Wordlessly, we flew in that direction. Alrik was a fast flier, but I could almost keep up with him, only trailing slightly by the time we reached the grove. We scanned the ground, but I couldn’t find any traces of the mountain lion. Alrik circled the outside of the group of trees as I approached the treetops. The sycamore trees with their strong, widely spaced branches provided an easy perch. Although I was almost silent in my approach and landing, the branch groaned slightly as my weight settled down and a big black bird squawked and took off into the night air.
