by Sky Winters
“Guys, slow down,” Bianca said from the top. “Savannah isn’t as used to hiking as we are.”
They slowed down slightly, after Savannah was able to catch up faster. They kept walking for another half hour, and by the time the girls had finally decided to take a break, Savannah was truly exhausted. Her legs were hurting and she sat down with relief.
“I can’t believe you guys do every week,” she said, panting.
“You get used to it,” Zanna replied. “I would have thought you’d be okay, considering your hike with Xander yesterday--”
“Oh, I guess it was less strenuous than this one,” Savannah admitted.
“What else did you guys do?” Meryl asked.
“Nothing, really,” Savannah replied. “Just a short hike.”
Marissa was very quiet, and Savannah’s doubts started to creep back up to the surface. She looked up sharply and caught Marissa staring. She smiled slowly and her eyes softened, making Savannah wonder if she was just being paranoid.
“Savannah?” Marissa said, looking at her. “Do you like Xander?”
It was far more direct than Savannah had expected. Taken unawares she hesitated a little. “I…don’t know him all that well.”
“Yet you went off with him yesterday,” Marissa pointed out. “All alone.”
“Is there something I should know?” Savannah asked, uncomfortably aware of everyone’s eyes on her.
“This morning I told you only half the story,” Marissa said. “Xander is my friend. He did just get out of a bad relationship, and she did break his heart. What I didn’t mention was that he broke her heart right back.”
“What?”
Zanna spoke up before Marissa could. “What Marissa is trying to say is that Xander can be a little…temperamental. He can be a little…dangerous. He’s a typical bad boy and there’s no changing him. I’d be careful if I were you.”
“What exactly are you saying?” Savannah asked.
“The girl he was seeing? Her name was Zoe,” Marissa explained. “When she broke up with him? Well it hit him hard. He tried to convince her to take him back and when she refused, he got violent.”
“Violent?” Savannah gasped in disbelief.
“He didn’t actually hurt her,” Zanna clarified. “But he scared her pretty bad. She left town because of him.”
I looked around at all of them. “Is this true?”
Marissa sighed. “I’ve known Xander my whole life,” she said. “He’s a good guy, but he’s had a hard life. His father was…very volatile, and Xander suffered the most for it. It left him with…a few problems.”
Savannah remembered the scars etched across Xander’s chest and back and she felt a shiver run down her spine. She reminded herself of how fiery his aura had been, burning with passion and intensity. She had thought it had spoken more to his character than his temperament, but now she was not sure.
“I…I just can’t believe he would do something like that.” Savannah said.
“You yourself just said it, Savannah,” Marissa said with solemn eyes. “You don’t know him.”
I looked up at all of them, hoping that one person would refute the others and tell me it was a lie. I looked hard at Marissa, wondering if I should trust her. There was something about her that I simply could not place. She was like Xander in that way--they all were. All four girls had incredibly bright, burning auras, and she could sense something hidden beneath them, a motive that she was missing.
Savannah tried to make sense of it. If Marissa were jealous, she would have cause to taint Xander’s character so that Savannah would want to keep her distance, but why would her entire friend group be in on it, too, unless they were just that loyal.
“Savannah, I know this is a lot to process, but you need to understand that we’re looking out for you here,” Marissa said. “And Xander, too.”
“Perhaps he just needs someone to talk to,” Savannah said slowly.
“Don’t you think I’ve tried?” Marissa demanded. Savannah felt a wave of hostility billow towards her. She looked at Marissa and wondered if she had been blind to the obvious. Savannah wondered if she had let her desire to cloud her better judgement.
“Sometimes you just need to talk to a stranger,” Savannah said, wondering why she wasn’t backing down.
“He has me,” Marissa said. Savannah heard the possessiveness in her tone.
“He has all of us,” Meryl said, and Savannah heard the same note in her voice, too.
She realized that all four girls had auras tinged with hues of dark red and deep green. The wisps of color danced around them, taking the shapes of their bodies and making them seem otherworldly.
“We should get back home,” Savannah said standing up. “It’s getting late.”
She thought for a moment that they might prevent her from leaving, but then Marissa nodded in agreement. “Savannah’s right,” she said. “We should start heading back. Let’s take the East route, though--it’s faster.”
Savannah had no choice but to follow Marissa and the others on the alternative path. The comfortable contentment that had surrounded her that morning had disappeared in a puff of bitter smoke. She was starting to feel uneasy, and the difference in the girls’ auras was starting to bother her a little.
They walked for about fifteen minutes and before Savannah knew it, it was dark. She hadn’t realized how much time they had spent on the hike and on their talk atop the hills. The darker it got, the more pronounced the girls' auras became. Savannah had never seen anything so bright and wild before. It felt almost like a possession.
The girls raced ahead of her. This time no one looked back to see if she was keeping up with them. She tried calling after them, but no one seemed to be able to hear her. Panic started to kick in when she walked into something hard, and tripped over her own feet.
Savannah landed on the muddy forest floor, narrowly avoiding knocking her face against a sharp rock. She glanced up, breathing heavily, and realized the last spotlights of sunlight had disappeared and darkness had well and truly arrived. She also realized she was completely alone. The girls were nowhere in sight, and her senses were telling her that something dangerous was coming her way.
She reached for the cell phone in her pocket only to discover it was no longer there. She looked around, trying in desperation to see if she had dropped it in the fall, but it was nowhere to be seen. The wind picked up and on its tail came the same, strange scent Savannah had smelt from the window of her bedroom.
She froze in place and stared off into the dark trees. She saw nothing yet, but she sensed something was coming--a large animal, maybe more than one. Fear gripped at her throat and she could not bring herself to make a sound. She turned on the spot, trying to find some way out of this, but all she saw were the silhouettes of trees against a great canvas of black.
Then she heard it, a scraping, scratching sound that promised pain. It was a rasping, clawing, grating sound that had the hairs on the back of Savannah’s neck standing at attention. She saw its eyes first--they looked almost red, but as it came closer, she realized they weren’t red at all. They were a stony, steely blue that had an intelligence Savannah couldn't even begin to fathom.
She could only stare at it in shock and fear before she realized that the beast was not alone. Behind it, Savannah spied three more pairs of bright eyes, all of which narrowed, hungrily, in her direction. They moved forward, together, in beautiful synchronization. The light of the moon hit them all at once, and Savannah’s breath stilled as her body grew cold.
They were mammoth, larger than she had ever seen before. They were beautiful, terrifying monsters, and Savannah knew she was completely and hopelessly trapped.
“Wolves,” she whispered, knowing that no one would hear her.
Chapter Eight
They stared at her calmly, and Savannah felt almost as though she were being studied. She took a step back, and a low rumble of growls went up among the wolves. The largest wolf bared its
teeth, and Savannah froze.
Slowly, the wolf at the head of the pack started moving forward, toward her. It was so deliberate a move that Savannah's fear increased, tenfold. She sensed she was not dealing with normal wolves here, and that something was very, very wrong. She could feel it too, that these wolves were playing a game, and she was stuck in the center of it.
She felt a chill run down her back when she realized the wolves had surrounded her. She had been so focused on the largest one standing in front of her, that she hadn’t even noticed how quickly they had moved to encircle her, closing ranks so that she had nowhere to run.
“This isn’t right,” she whispered to herself. “This isn’t normal.”
The blue eyed wolf in front of her starting growling fiercely, and Savannah had no choice but to stand there, still and silent, with no way of defending herself. The animal’s teeth were long and large; they glinted threateningly under the light of the moon. The wolf advanced, and Savannah felt the other wolves mimic the leader’s movements.
The wolf in front of her hunched down into a position of attack, and Savannah knew she was staring death in the face. She closed her eyes, having no alternative left.
Then there was a howl, and Savannah turned toward it to see a massive creature speeding through the trees towards them. For a moment she thought it was coming straight for her, but then the creature changed course and flew at the wolves that had encircled her.
Savannah tripped over her own feet and fell to the ground as she searched for the mammoth form of her unlikely saviour. She stared in shock when she realized it was another wolf. This one was the largest of the lot, but it didn’t seem remotely interested in her. It snapped its jaws and growled in fury at the other four wolves in the dense little clearing.
With howls of defeat, the four smaller wolves took off into the dark night, leaving behind the gigantic, russet-brown wolf. The animal's back was to her, and Savannah wanted to take the opportunity to flee in the other direction, but the moment she stood up the wolf turned slowly, its eyes fixed on her with a deadly calm. For one frantic moment she considered that this wolf had tried to protect her, but now she was starting to believe it had simply chased away the competition.
Savannah froze in place as she sensed something familiar. She stared at the massive wolf in front of her and its eyes caught hers. It was almost as though she recognized the creature. Without thinking, she took a step forward, and moonlight fell directly onto the animal. Its eyes were haunting pools of silver-grey and Savannah gasped as realization dawned.
“Xander?” she whispered.
The air changed, and Savannah felt something was about to happen. The wolf began to shiver, slowly at first, but then more violently. Suddenly the beast transformed into a man right before her eyes, and Savannah found herself facing Xander, completely naked, and seeming completely unaware of what had happened.
“Xander?” Savannah gasped. “Did that just happen?”
“This is not the place or the time for explanations,” he replied. “Let’s get you out of here…now!”
Savannah didn’t argue. Instead, she followed Xander through the forest until they came upon his bike, camouflaged between a thicket of shrubs and bushes. She got on behind him and they sped through the forest until they reached a little cabin, hidden in a dense and concealed part of the woods. Xander set his bike aside and led Savannah into the cabin.
It was only once they were inside that Savannah felt a little calmer. The cabin had a rustic charm about it. There was a big sofa in the center facing the fireplace, and a table with chairs beside the cabin’s large, generous windows.
“Why don’t you sit down?” Xander suggested.
“I don’t want to sit down,” Savannah said, turning to him. “I want to know what just happened out there.”
“Why on earth did you go off alone with Marissa and the other girls?” Xander demanded.
The heat of his words took Savannah back, “I…please…are you trying to say that…every one of you can…turn into wolves?”
Xander stared at her for a moment, then he sighed deeply. “Just sit down, Savannah. I’ll get you something hot to drink.”
“I don’t want anything to drink.”
Xander came up close to her and put his hands on her shoulders. He was so close that Savannah could smell every scent that perfumed his body. He smelt of oak and earth, of fire and sweat. He smelled like an animal and a man at the same time.
“You’re in shock,” Xander said slowly. “Your body needs rest or you’re going to pass out. I will tell you anything you need to know, but first, I’m going to need you to sit down and drink something.”
Savannah felt the weight of his words, but she felt the weight and passion of his aura more potently. She sat back on the sofa and moments later Xander brought her some hot coffee. He sat down beside her and gazed at her with searching eyes.
“Did they hurt you?” he asked as Savannah sipped the coffee.
“I…no, no,” Savannah stammered. “They didn’t get a chance to.”
Xander nodded. “Are you cold? Do you need a blanket?”
“I’m fine,” Savannah said impatiently. “What I want is answers.”
Xander sat back. “Okay,” he said.
“The four wolves that surrounded me…that was Marissa…and Bianca, and Meryl, and Zanna, wasn’t it?” Savannah asked in a hushed voice.
“Yes.”
“And they can turn into wolves?”
“Yes.”
“And you can turn into a wolf?”
“Yes.”
Savannah took a moment to let that sink in. She felt light-headed, but it had more to do with the information she had just received than anything else.
“How is that possible?” she asked after a long pause.
“It just is,” Xander replied shortly.
“You’ll have to elaborate,” Savannah insisted.
“We are a part of an ancient breed of humans. We are a tribe that has the ability to morph into wolves. Different cultures call us by different names--werewolves, shifters, guardians--It's a part of the legend and the history of this town.”
“It’s true?” Savannah said breathily.
“Most of it's true.”
“You made me believe it was all nonsense,” Savannah reminded him.
“Would you have believed me if I told you the truth?”
“Why?” Savannah asked.
“Why?”
“Why do you turn into a wolf?” Savannah asked. “What's the purpose of morphing into an animal?”
“Of all the ancient terms used to describe us, we prefer the term Guardians,” Xander replied. “We came into being in order to protect those who could not protect themselves.”
Savannah stared into Xander’s pale grey eyes. Something didn’t make sense to her. “Marissa and the others…they belong to the same tribe?”
“Yes.”
“Then why were they trying to kill me tonight?” I demanded.
“They weren’t trying to kill you,” Xander said slowly. “They were trying to frighten you.”
“Why?”
Xander looked down at his hands for a moment before his eyes met Savannah’s again. “Because they need you to stay away from me,” he said.
Savannah sensed a whole host of different emotions coming from Xander’s aura. It was as though he couldn’t contain the intensity he was feeling. She was being sent so much information that she could only really understand half of it. She could feel anger, resentment, bitterness and pride. She could sense the overwhelming need to prove himself, contrasted against the desire to break free.
Savannah could feel a longing inside of him that teetered toward her, as though they were somehow connected. In becoming aware of Xander’s feelings, she suddenly become aware of her own. It felt very much as though they were bonded together, but there was no reasonable explanation for why. After all, they were virtual strangers to one another.
“Can
you explain that to me?” Savannah asked.
“Every tribe that has ever existed since its inception has had a leader,” Xander started. “The leader of a wolf pack has a great responsibility, the greatest of which is to find a partner and produce the next generation. It is actually more than a responsibility--it's a calling, a sacred obligation that must be fulfilled.”
“Okay,” Savannah said, trying to understand.
“I am the next leader,” Xander said. “I am the next alpha.”
“I still don’t understand.”
“An alpha can only mate with one of his own kind,” Xander continued. “Meaning I can only mate and align myself with another shifter. Which means--”
“You can’t be with me,” Savannah said, finally understanding.
“Yes.”
“What will happen if you do?” she asked, frightened of the answer.
“I will be forced to leave you…at some point,” Xander said. “And if I don’t, they will find us both and break us apart, anyway.”
“They as in Marissa and the others?”
“No.” Xander shook his head. “The Elders.”
“The Elders?” Savannah repeated.
“They are the current ruling pack,” Xander explained. “But a new cycle is coming into place, and when it does, I will have to take over as alpha. When that happens, I will also be required…to take a bride.”
“You have to marry?” Savannah said incredulously.
“Yes.”
“But…you’re so young.”
He smiled, but it was a sad smile. “I know it sounds strange to someone on the outside, but it is the reality of my world and my people. I've grown up knowing that if I were to become the alpha I would have to marry young and have children.”
Savannah looked into his eyes and she saw the connection between them, clearer than anything she had ever experienced before. “I’m not insane, am I?” Savannah asked. “You feel this…bond that lies between us.”
“I felt it the moment I set eyes on you that day,” Xander said without hesitation. “It was the most powerful, most potent thing I have ever felt in my life.”
“Is that why you approached me in the library?”
