Blood for Wolves

by Taft, Nicole

  It didn’t take the thing long to realize that wasn’t right. I dug my hand into my own pouch and pulled out the vial of juniper and clover. Please let this work. I smashed it against a building, ignoring the pain of glass shards biting into my palm, and wiped the bolt down with the liquid in my hand. The werewolf spun around and leaped at me. I ducked out of the way and its claws swept past me, grazing my arm. The beast skidded to a halt and snarled at me over its shoulder. Then it froze. It looked at its claws. Black tendrils reached up from where my blood wetted its claws and slithered up its arm. Its fingers started to disappear.

  I didn’t know what it was doing, but I wasn’t going to wait to find out. I jumped onto a stack of crates and then onto the back of the creature, holding onto it for dear life. The thing whipped around, and I caught sight of its hand disappearing. Dark smoke rose up to engulf us both. Behind us Wolf shouted my name. I pulled my arm back and shoved the bolt deep into the werewolf’s back.

  This time it didn’t go through its body like smoke. It let out another bellow, and I thought my eardrums would burst. The beast bucked and howled like it had been shot. I let go, tumbled through the smoke, and crashed to the ground. A burning pain stabbed through my arm when I hit. Wolf was at my side in a moment. I looked over my shoulder where the creature thrashed and convulsed. Finally it dropped to the ground, the darkness washing over the street like a black liquid, before finally dissipating into the air.

  I lay where I was for several moments, breathing hard. My hand shook, bleeding from the pieces of glass sticking out of it. But we’d killed it. We’d defeated a magic spell. Probably not in any normal way, but who cared?

  Distant shouts and cries of surprise floated down the street to us.

  “Time to leave,” Alex said. He held Marianne in one arm, her face buried into his shoulder, and threw my daypack to Wolf.

  Wolf hauled me to my feet, and together we ran from the town.

  We traveled the rest of the day, Wolf tenderly picking the glass out of my hand and occasionally giving it a lick. Marianne hadn’t moved from Alex’s shoulder. I supposed she was in shock. I wanted to talk to her, but I left her alone for the moment. Alex was already doing a fine job of that, speaking to her quietly and telling her positive things. I hoped she would come around soon, though I wouldn’t have been surprised if she ended up scarred for life. And who could blame her?

  “So what did that?” Alex finally asked.

  “Juniper and clove oil,” I said as Wolf licked my palm again.

  “Mm,” Wolf said. “Maybe.”

  “What do you mean maybe?” I winced a little as he pulled a sliver of glass out of my finger.

  “There is something undeniably sweet about your blood,” he said as if that were completely normal conversation material.

  “I thought you were fixed now that the full moon was gone.”

  “I am. But there is something in your blood. Remember how it was so much easier for me to find you when you started bleeding?”

  “Okay, can we discuss this later?” Alex said, frowning uncomfortably.

  But I already knew what Wolf meant. The harpies. He’d said he was able to find me much quicker after they’d injured me, all thanks to whatever was in my blood. I’d just chalked it up to the amount of chocolate I ate. Then again, when the phantom werewolf clawed my arm, its entire hand began to disappear.

  “How is she?” I looked to Marianne.

  Alex sighed. “Still hasn’t said anything. Probably still thinking of snowdrops.”

  A muffled noise escaped Alex’s shoulder. “No, I’m not.”

  I couldn’t help but smile with relief. Marianne finally peeked out, first eyeing me and then Wolf.

  “What’s he doing here?” she asked.

  Wolf released my injured hand and tried to look at docile as possible.

  I patted his cheek with my good hand. “He’s on our side. I know that must sound strange to you, but he’s been helping us find you so we can take you back home. That’s how I was able to find you when the giants gave you to those men.”

  “Wolves don’t listen to people. My papa told me that.”

  “I know honey, and most of the time they don’t. Your papa’s right. But this one listens to me.”

  I shot a glance at Wolf, hoping that was an okay thing to say. The corner of his mouth quirked in a smile.

  “He was going to eat me!”

  Wolf huffed. “I was not.”

  “Were too!”

  “Was not!”

  “You had a big knife and you were going to carve me up and make me into stew!”

  Wolf growled a little to himself. “I never should have picked up that knife. Everyone’s been judging me more on that than being a half-wolf.”

  I shook my head and then put a hand on Marianne’s shoulder. “I thought he was going to hurt me too, but I was wrong. He was just a little confused.” Not really, but it was the best I could come up with. “He’s been very good since then.”

  “You never said anything about a knife,” Alex said, giving me a disturbed sidelong look.

  But before I could answer, Marianne finally seemed to realize another strange person was carrying her.

  “Who are you?”

  Alex gave her his most dazzling grin. “I’m Caroline’s brother Alex.”

  Marianne leaned back enough to examine him. “You look like one of those men from the castle.” She mulled this over for a moment, then pointed at Wolf. “Aren’t you supposed to be chasing him?”

  “I’m not actually a Sentry and no. I don’t hunt wolves.”

  Marianne looked more confused than ever. I tried to think of a way to explain things.

  “Do you remember when you first saw me?” I asked.

  She nodded. “I went through the pond because I thought it would be safer on the other side.”

  “So you knew there was another side?”

  Her head bobbed again.

  “That’s where Alex and I come from. That side is very different from this place. That’s why I didn’t know about the giants or the wolves. I’ve never been to this side.”

  She considered this as we walked. Wolf took up my hand, gave it one last lick, and then smeared chewed up lavawort all over it. He must have grabbed some as we walked. Then he smoothed a gum leaf over the mess of red and green.

  “Try not to move your hand too much,” he said. I smiled at him and he turned his attention to the claw marks on my arm. Luckily they weren’t too deep.

  “Do I get to go home now?” Marianne asked.

  “Yes,” I said. “That’s where we’re taking you. But we need to know some things so we can make sure you stay safe on the way.”

  “Like what?”

  “Why were your parents taking you to the kingdom? You said they wanted you to be safer there. Why did you get to go and none of your friends did?”

  She made a face at the thought of being forced to leave all her friends. “I don’t know. I think it’s because the wolves killed my sister. I think they were worried they might kill me too.”

  There had to be more. No one would send such intense magic after a girl born in a fairy ring for no reason. Way too many puzzle pieces, and I didn’t know how to make them fit.

  “What about your friends? Weren’t their parents worried too?”

  Marianne went silent as she thought. And she thought about it for too long. The answer was no, it had to be. No other parents were worried because Marianne was special in some way. I wondered if maybe her sister had been a part of it and maybe that killing Marianne would finish some kind of job. I switched tactics.

  “Is it special to be born in a fairy ring, Marianne?”

  She shook her head, abandoning her other thoughts. “No. Fairy rings are dangerous though. My papa was worried that both me and mama would be taken away.”

  “Your daddy’s right about that one,” Alex said. “I walked into a fairy ring before we found you.”

  “How did you get out?” />
  Alex pointed at Wolf. “He saved me.”

  Wolf performed an elaborate bow.

  Good old Alex. He’d mentioned his fairy ring mishap just to give Marianne a little more faith in Wolf.

  “Is that why everyone wants to eat me?” Marianne asked after a moment. “Because I was born in a fairy ring?”

  “I don’t know,” I said, “but I’d like to find out.” I glanced at Wolf. “Do you know why whoever rescued you is after her?”

  He shook his head. “We were never told. It was just, ‘You’re free now. Put on these collars and do what I say.’ I was just happy to be out.”

  “Out of where?” Alex asked, a look of disapproval forming on his face.

  Wolf scratched at his neck uncomfortably and muttered, “The Impound.”

  “You were in the Impound?” Marianne gasped. “You are bad.”

  “I am not. All I did was eat some sheep.”

  “Yeah, and we all know where that tends to get you,” Alex said.

  “They’re just sheep. I was hungry.”

  “All right,” I said loudly, “all right. Everyone chill out. We’ve been through this. What we need to focus on is getting Marianne home and finding someone with magic power to protect her until she gets to the kingdom like she’s supposed to.”

  For a few moments we were silent. Wolf sulked beside me. I patted him on his arm and in return he gave me a weak smile.

  “I’m hungry,” Marianne said at length.

  “Are you?” I said. “Then we’ll take a break and get you something to eat. We’ve got some supplies in my pack.”

  We detoured off the path far enough to be out of sight in case something unwanted decided to come down it. Alex sat Marianne down on a fallen log and set about helping Wolf clear a small area for a fire.

  “Wolf, is there a lake or a river or something around here? We need water.”

  “Yes. Just a little ways through those trees,” he said, pointing.

  No doubt located through scent. I pulled my water bottle out of my pack and set off.

  “Wait, I want to come with you,” Marianne cried behind me.

  I stopped and offered her my hand. She ran after me and latched on tight. The poor thing. I could only assume she didn’t want to be left with Wolf, even with Alex around. Together we made our way through the trees, eventually arriving at a wide lake with a surface like a mirror. A set of mountains pointed into the sky beyond the trees on the other side, echoed in the quiet lake waters. A few birds chirruped in the branches above me. I closed my eyes for a moment. Relaxing. Sunny. Warm. For a moment I made myself believe I was at home, in my world, finishing my recent checkup on the Blue Royal Wolf Pack. That I’d named the pups and had all my notes. That I wasn’t scarred up and trying to figure out magic.

  Then I gave up, filled the one water bottle I had, and we returned to our camp.

  Chapter 15

  They already had a fire going, and Wolf was rummaging through my pack in the search for food. I pondered our situation. I wanted to shower. I was covered in dirt and dried blood and sweat and felt gross in every way. I could hop into the lake, as cold as it might be, and try to scrub some of the grime away. Yet at the same time, I wasn’t comfortable leaving Marianne for any length of time. As Wolf pulled items out of the pack, an idea hit me.

  I picked up the small leather pouch he’d set on the ground and circled around everyone, sprinkling salt on the ground.

  “What are you doing?” Alex asked.

  “Making a barrier. That way nothing can get us when we sleep tonight, and I can go for a swim in the lake to try and clean up and not worry about you guys.”

  “You think that’ll work?”

  “Salt was listed everywhere in those books. It’s practically an ingredient for every potion ever made.” I’d seen it enough times in multiple books to feel safe about using it. I cinched up the pouch, satisfied. I tossed it to Alex. “Okay, I’ll be back. Thirty minutes tops.”

  I walked away, but didn’t make it more than ten feet before Marianne latched onto my arm.

  “You’re leaving?” Her eyes were wide and frightened.

  I smiled and kneeled down, setting a hand on her head. “I’m just going to wash up. I’ll be back. Don’t worry.” I touched the new strand of morning glories I’d woven around her neck. “Keep these on and stay inside the circle. Alex will look after you until I come back. I’m your Guardian, so if any magic comes near us, I’ll know it.”

  Then I realized I’d just mentioned my Guardian status aloud. I looked over at where Wolf and Alex sat. Wolf was staring in my direction, but the moment my eyes met his, he glanced down into the fire. Had he heard me? I didn’t know what it might mean if he had. The witch warned me not to tell him. I sighed inwardly and patted Marianne’s shoulder.

  “Go back and get something to eat, honey. I’ll be back in just a little while.” Then as an afterthought, I added, “And I promise Wolf won’t hurt you.”

  After a few more moments, she finally nodded and returned to the inside of the circle. Alex handed her some slices of jerky.

  Once at the lake, I stripped down and did what I could to wash my clothes in the water. They’d dry fast enough under the sun while I washed. I spotted a clump of lavawort nearby and rubbed it into the fabric. Lake water wouldn’t get out the scent of week-old unwashed me, but lavawort could at least mask it. Then I laid them over tree branches in the sunlight to dry and without another thought, ran straight into the lake.

  It dropped down quickly and I went under, but I welcomed it. The cold water shocked my skin, but at the same time I felt vibrant, alive. I scrubbed more lavawort into my hair, on my skin. The lake was incredibly blue where the water went deep, clearer near the surface. I swam, twisting and water dancing like an excited kid in a pool. My feet indulged in the relief of having hiking boots and thick socks off. I was free to kick and feel water rush between my toes. I would have to tell Alex he should go for a dip. I dove deep, laughing under the water from the sheer rush of feeling good.

  Finally I got out. I had to chew up more lavawort and plastered a new gum leaf to my injured hand and arm since I’d completely forgotten about them during my bath. The wounds were still raw and sore, but a great deal better after already having a few hours worth of lavawort on them. I stood, wringing out my hair as best I could with one hand, tilting my face toward the sun with my eyes closed. Spring hadn’t yet turned to summer here, so the breeze was slightly chilly when it swept across the water. When I opened my eyes I was only half surprised to see Wolf crouched at the edge of the trees, watching me. A few lavawort leaves danced on the end of their stem as Wolf chewed lightly on the other end.

  At any other time, I would have felt vulnerable, standing there naked with a man staring at me like that. But now, after being through so much, I didn’t. Instead, standing naked in a forest with a half-wolf looking at me somehow seemed natural. He wasn’t staring at me in a hungry way; meal or sexual-wise. In fact, he looked completely normal. More normal than even a regular man would have looked when faced with a naked female. I wanted to know what it was he wanted, but there was something going on in his head that I didn’t want to interrupt.

  After a few more moments he stood, keeping his eyes lowered, and walked toward me. He took the lavawort stem from his mouth and tossed it to the pebbled ground. The moment he reached me I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could he dropped to his knees before me. I gazed down, surprised into silence. Then it hit me. He was being submissive. But why?

  “Forgive me,” he said.

  “For what?”

  “For hurting you. For forgetting you. I shouldn’t have. I should have been stronger for you.”

  Was he talking about the barn incident? He was still berating himself for that?

  “Oh Wolf,” I said quietly. “Stand up.”

  He obeyed and reluctantly looked into my eyes. I smoothed his hair, giving him a soft smile.

  “I forgave you that same day.”


  He stared at me a few minutes more before his arms went around me and crushed me to him. I could almost feel the relief flooding his body.

  “You jumped on that pyre for me. You were going to die trying to save me,” he murmured at my ear.

  “I had to try. You’ve already saved me more times than I care to count. And I didn’t do a very good job anyway,” I said, hugging him back, indulging in his warmth and strength.

  He released me from the hug, settling one hand on the side of my face and pressing his cheek to mine. He breathed in deep, then sighed, contented. Then I felt his other hand grazing over my shoulder. Over the place where he’d bitten me. The wounds were still covered in now-soggy gauze and duct tape. He gently peeled it away and ran his fingers over the ugly red scabs that had formed.

  “It’s okay,” I whispered, running my fingers through his hair.

  He tilted his head and placed a soft kiss along my throat. Then another. And another. Then he pulled his face back enough to stare into my eyes. I loved the beautiful hazel color of his, the mix of earth and sky.

  “I was wrong,” he said.

  “About what?” I asked, confused.

  “When I said you would spoil your scent with water.” He smiled. “You smell even better when you’re clean.”

  I laughed and kissed him. It began lighthearted, but quickly grew deeper, slower. He tasted like fresh lavawort, warm and delicious. He held my face in his hands, his mouth slowly working at mine. This was a different kind of kiss. Something special. An indescribable feeling knotted in my chest. I wanted to be closer to him. Always. Forever. I wrapped my arms around his neck. Finally he pulled away, both of us breathless, Wolf resting his forehead against mine.

  “I love you,” he whispered, and for the briefest of moments, it sounded like he was losing something when he said it.

  I brushed my lips against his, my heart pounding. “I love you.”

  We kissed again, and this time when he broke away, he shrugged off his jacket and laid it on the pebbled lakeshore behind me.

  I briefly reached out, searching for magic, and found only the tiniest bit from Wolf’s ankle collar, the ring of salt, and the protective power of the morning glories. I refocused on Wolf, sliding the shirt off his body and running my hands down his powerful chest. I followed their descent with my mouth, kissing his scarred flesh and feeling his lean muscle under my lips. He groaned and pulled me back up. His bare arms encircled me and his mouth fell on mine again, exploring me with his tongue. I luxuriated in the heat of his skin against mine, the sensation of my breasts against his bare chest, the strength of his arms. Wolf planted a series of kisses down my neck. His hands caressed my back, one hand snaking up to twine into my hair to gently hold my head as he worked at my mouth.