Shadows of the Ancients

by Christine M. Butler

  “My children are trying to kill me.” She looked at me then, “how are you the only one of my children who does it the right way?” I laughed, and went over to hug her.

  “Oh, Momma Reynolds, when I’m your last hope, all is lost.” She swatted at me playfully, and I just continued hugging her, because she was most certainly not fully recovered from all the shocking news yet. She was shaking like a leaf in my arms.

  David had walked over to Jeff while I was playfully bantering with Evelyn, and he put his arms around his son, and said, “we’ve always known, boy.” He looked at his wife then, and added, “we were just waiting on you to tell us.” Tears started streaming from Jeff’s face. It clearly was not the reaction he had anticipated. “Now that everyone has cleared the air, maybe we can get back to some normal family stuff.” He looked at Jack, “let’s get back to it, boy. I’m gonna have you beat in no time, werewolf strength or not, your skills are lacking.” Jack smiled and moved forward to join his father again. On his way by, he clapped Jeff on the back one good time in solidarity.

  We spent the rest of the day with everyone catching up on each other’s lives while we prepared for the huge dinner Evelyn had planned. Even though both Jack and Ashley had dreaded his moment, no doubt Jeff too, it turned out to be an amazing day. They were all surprised by their parents, and I was reassured that there was still good to be had in the world. This was what pack life should have been like for me, but I missed out on a lot of the comradery, because I couldn’t shift into my wolf in front of them. I was lucky to have my half human pack to fall back on.

  As the night waned on, and dinner wound down later, we all sat around the large fireplace talking. David was giving Asi and Evan the third degree about their intentions to stick around the area for a while. He reminded them that both himself and Evelyn were human, and how that wasn’t going to change before they died, so they were going to need to spend a lot of time with their daughters before that happened. Evan and I were seated on the floor, me sitting between his legs, in front of the fire, and he held me tight as he listened to David recount the night I had met his family. It brought tears to my eyes, knowing how much he cared for me from the start.

  David’s story was interrupted when both Asriel and Evan’s phones started blaring loudly. “I’m so sorry,” Evan stated, as he jumped up and walked out of the room to answer the phone. He came back looking a little stricken, and leaned down to kiss me. “I have to go. Mikael is up to no good again,” he whispered to me. “I’m sorry, Asriel and I will have to go for a little while. I just opened a club in town, and there’s been an accident. Someone was hurt. We really need to be there when the authorities arrive.”

  “Go, handle your business,” David told him. “If you need any assistance, give us a call and I’ll head out to assist. Technically, I’m on vacation right now though. We’ll see you both in the morning?”

  “Yes, sir. We’ll be back as soon as we can. Thank you both for your hospitality.” He said as he clasped David’s hand, and smiled over at Evelyn.

  I walked them to the door, as did Ashley. I kissed Evan goodbye. “Be safe,” He said to me before he left. Then he looked over my shoulder at Jack, “you keep her safe!”

  “I will.” Jack said, a look of confusion crossing his face.

  When the guys finally left, I turned with Ashley, to her family, and filled them in on everything that had been happening with Zach, Marcus, and the fact that I was the legendary white wolf. Sierra was the only who really grasped the importance of the white wolf.

  “Oh God! That can’t be. My mom used to tell me stories about when the white wolf used to rule. She said the white wolf brought good tidings to our people, prosperity, and peace.” She was awestruck now as she looked at me. “Can I see?”

  “You’ve seen me before,” I said, thinking back to the day when Jack had accidently shot her.

  “I honestly don’t remember anything about that day, Jess, aside from the fact that I followed you out into the woods to give you a talking to about Zach.”

  “Oh, I thought you knew all this time.”

  “If I did, do you think I would have been so damn snotty to you?” I looked at her funny then. “Okay, I probably would have, but I would have at least thought better about it first.”

  “I’d like to see too,” Evelyn said calmly. “Two of my children are now wolves, and I’ve never seen any of you turn.”

  I stood up, and moved back away from where everyone was sitting. I noticed Evelyn flinch, and it hurt me inside to think she was afraid of me. “I won’t hurt you, so don’t be afraid. I will need something to cover up with once I change back though.

  “Oh, you’re clothes don’t just… I don’t know, magically appear and reappear with you?” I smiled at Evelyn’s suggestion.

  “I really do wish it worked that way. It would have saved me the loss of a few favorite shirts over the years.”

  “Wait,” Evelyn said, “what about the clothes you’re wearing now?”

  I looked down at my t-shirt and jeans with a sigh. “They’ll most likely be ruined, but I’d rather that than having to get naked in front of you all first.”

  “Go ahead, get naked! We won’t mind!” Jeff said with a laugh. David popped him in the back of the head with the comment, “aren’t you supposed to be gay?”

  I laughed, and with that, I didn’t wait any further, I shifted to my wolf, ending up tangled a little in my clothes as they fell around me. I shook out of what was left of the shirt, and stepped out of the ends of the jeans that were still cupped around my back paws.

  “Oh my…” Sierra came closer, reaching out a tentative hand to touch my fur, “it’s true.”

  “Oh dear lord,” Evelyn’s awestruck comment was for an entirely different reason. I don’t think she understood the importance of the fact that my coat was pure white. She was just awed by the fact that where Jessica the girl was standing seconds ago, a large white wolf now stood before her. Tears were in her eyes as she took in the sight of me. “I knew, but I never really knew.” Even David looked awestruck, sitting forward more on the couch, taking me in with his saucer-wide eyes.

  “Jess, can I touch you!” Jeff asked, and I let out a small howl of laughter, which the other wolves in the room understood, but the humans thought I was growling at him. Instead I shook my muzzle carefully up and down.

  “Go ahead, Jeff. She was laughing at you. I’m sure she was having impure thoughts about you touching her.” Ashley was smirking, and Jeff joined in the fun as he moved forward.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll stay away from the danger zones, Jess. I’ve seen your boyfriend.” He inched forward at a painfully slow pace, clearly a little scared, even if he was trying to joke his way through it. I lowered myself to my belly, and inched forward slowly to meet him half way. When his hand reached out and connected with the top of my head a small whimper escaped me. “Wow, you’re so soft.” The surprise was evident in his voice. “You’re eyes are the same green though, well, aside from the crazy glow you have going on. Wow, it’s really you. You’re really a wolf. I mean, Wow.”

  “Is that what you look like?” David finally spoke, looking at Ashley.

  “No, my fur is red with little patches of black here and there.” She looked down at me, and smiled, as her brother scratched behind my ear. “I can show you, but not until Jess changes back. It’s harder for me to control my wolf instincts, because it’s so new. I’d feel more comfortable if she was here to knock me down if I needed it.”

  “Does that mean you’d attack?” Her dad asked.

  “It means, if you spooked me, I might run or…” her head hung down a bit.

  “It’s okay, Ashley, we understand it’s new to you. Jack didn’t come around us for two years. The fact that you’re here, now…” David blinked hard and tucked his head behind his hand for a minute. He was from a generation that didn’t believe men should cry in front of people.

  I whined a little and nudged a blanket that was on the
chair beside me. Jeff caught the hint, and tossed it over me. I shifted back, and tucked the blanket in around me, as I stood up. “Give me just a minute to toss some clothes on, okay?”

  I picked up my bag and walked back to the bathroom to change. I put another pair of jeans on, and thought I felt the familiar sprinkling of power that usually accompanied a wolf shifting nearby. I thought maybe Ashley had changed to her wolf form without waiting for me to get out there, so I hurried to get my tank top down over my head. I Was sliding my arms into my cardigan sweater as I heard a thump in the living room. Something wasn’t right about that, and at first I thought maybe Jack had to tackle Ashley or something, but then it struck me how quiet the house was. The laughter, and banter that had been there moments before was gone now. I pulled open the bathroom door, and stuck my head out looking around for whatever had caused the silence and thumping. Everyone was still there, but they were too still. Evelyn and David were slumped closer together on the couch, as if they had passed out while waiting for me to change. Jeff was lying on the floor, looking like he was sleeping, or dead. Sierra was in her wolf form, but she looked like she had fallen asleep in mid-jump and had splatted down on the living room floor. Jack and Ashley were also knocked out. I tried processing each aspect of the picture before me, and things just wouldn’t click together right away. By the time I realized they could all possibly be hurt, I felt the sharp sting of a needle in my neck. I reached up and the tips of my fingers brushed against the cold steel that protruded from my skin. My hand swiped it away as I lost balance and toppled forward into darkness.

  HOSTAGE

  My world was made up of the throbbing pain in my head. It felt like a freight train was running through it at the moment that I started waking up. I couldn’t even open my eyes. It hurt to even attempt the action. Instead I focused on what I could. The ground was cold and hard beneath me. The lemony scent of floor polish told me I was indoors somewhere, and not outside. Underneath the scent of lemon, was a floral smell I couldn’t place. It stung my nose a bit, but I chose to focus on more important matters first. I listened to see if I could pick up on any signs of others in the house. I didn’t know what had happened to Ashley, and everyone else, but I hoped they were okay.

  I didn’t hear anyone else in the room with me, but I could feel ripples of power washing over every now and again. Someone was definitely here, and they weren’t human. The fuzzy ache in my head didn’t clear right away, but I struggled anyway to open my eyes. They felt gritty like sand paper had been lining my eyelids. I realized then that I was dehydrated. My tongue felt too thick for my dry mouth, and fear rose up with bile in the back of my throat, as I began to question what the hell had happened. I had no clue how long I had been knocked out.

  When I finally pried my eyes open, I looked up into the midst of a small, dull room. I could make out curtains on a far window, and the darkness beyond them told me it was nighttime. A thermos sat in front of me, promising relief from the aching thirst I realized was contributing to my headache. But that wasn’t what held my focus, no matter how desperate for a drink I was. The bars that surrounded me had all my attention now. I began to move, taking in the fact that bars surrounded me, and I was not going to be able to do much more than sit up straight, because the bars hung low over my head too. I reached out with a tentative hand, intent on testing their strength, but as soon as I touched them, a sharp burning pierced my flesh. My fingertips were still sizzling when I drew them back away from the bars. “Ahhh,” I yelped.

  “The bars have all been treated with Aconitum Vulparia, my dear, you won’t want to touch them again.” I recognized the voice, and turned to see Marcus standing on the other side of the room behind my cage.

  “Marcus!” I hissed at him.

  “Yes, of course it’s me. Who did you expect? Perhaps your new boyfriend’s family? I hear they aren’t too keen on welcoming a Lesser into their ranks. Maybe, if they had known what you really are, they wouldn’t have been so quick to rush to judgment.” Even in the dim lighting I could see the smirk that graced his face. “It’s funny, because for someone who vowed to protect you, that boyfriend of yours sure was ready to run off and save his brother instead. Not that his brother even needed saving, we just got him all riled up until he lost it in front of a few other people at the club.”

  Marcus’s plan was becoming clearer by the moment. “Where are the others? Did you hurt them?”

  “They’re all fine, and they’ll stay that way so long as you cooperate. We left them as they were, simply tranquilized. They’ll wake up, be pissed off, and look for us everywhere. I’ve covered our tracks well though, and I’m positive our scent can’t be followed. We’ve got a little while before part two of my plan falls into place, so I’m going to ask you to be patient. You may also want to drink up some of that water. You look absolutely parched.” He snickered. “I hear the tranq darts do that to you.”

  “FUCK YOU!” I yelled at him. Power flared across the room and hit me full force as he got closer.

  “You are going to learn some manners while you’re here, wolf.” He looked down on me with disdain evident in his eyes. “Now, drink!”

  I opened the thermos that was lying beside me, and the same floral smell I scented on the air got stronger. I closed the thermos back up without taking a drink. “No,” I said. His power slammed into me again. It was painful, but not something I couldn’t withstand.

  “I am giving you an order,” he sneered in my general direction, “now drink up.”

  “No,” I said again. It occurred to me that the water was most likely laced with whatever was coating the bars. He had said the name of an herb, and a memory was tickling at the back of my mind, but I didn’t have time to think it all the way through. I just knew if the bars burned me, then a thermos full of the stuff was going to be a good weapon to use later. First I needed a plan to get past the bars. Maybe, he’d let me out to pee or something.

  “You think you’re clever? You may be resisting me now, but later on, when it matters, you won’t have the strength to resist anymore.” Marcus pulled a gun from the waistband of his jeans. I thought he was about to hit me with another tranquilizer, and he was right, too many of those and nothing to hydrate with was going to hurt my resolve for sure. “We’re waiting on some friends of mine to set Zach free. So, while we wait on him, we’re going to play a little game, Jessica.” I was eyeing him suspiciously as he turned suddenly and pointed the gun right at me. “We’re going to see how long you can survive.” With that, he pulled the trigger and pain immediately burned a hole through my left shoulder, in the pocket of muscle that lies between arm pit and clavicle. I felt the bullet rip through my flesh. It was a slow burn going in, but an explosion of excruciating pain as it ripped out the back side of my shoulder.

  I’d like to say I was a champ and didn’t let him see how much it hurt, but that was a trick for people in movies to play, because there was no way a real person could ignore that kind of pain. I cried out, falling backwards seconds after the bullet tore its way free of my body. “AHHHHHHGGGGG!” I screamed the pain away.

  “I bet that hurts like a bitch. Remember when you stood by and watched your boyfriend belittle me in front of my subjects?” He was pacing now, in front of the cage, and I secretly wished he’d come just a little closer so I could get my hands on him. I could endure the burning from my flesh touching the bars if I thought I had a chance of ripping him to shreds. “I’m going to make you feel every ounce of humiliation I had to endure. You’re going to wear yours as pain though. For every hour it takes to get Zach here, I am going to put another bullet in you.” He was happy with himself now, smiling as he continued, “and when you get weak enough that I am able to influence you, I will force your change, make you heal, and then start all over again.”

  I was trying to breathe through the pain in my shoulder. It hurt like hell, but I reached up and probably did more damage trying to get my cardigan free of the arm he had shot. Once I managed it, I u
sed my teeth and other hand to rip a piece of the sweater off, and make myself a bandage. I tied it around my shoulder, which caused me a lot more pain, since it took the use of both hands. The left was almost completely useless, but I got a chunk of the fabric tied up to help stop the bleeding. In all the ways I had ever imagined dying, bleeding to death in a cage was not one of the ways I thought I would go.

  “Suddenly, little miss smart mouth has nothing to say.” He paced across the room, taking a moment to glance at his phone every few minutes as he went back and forth. I couldn’t stop the tears from falling down my face, but I wasn’t giving him the satisfaction of hearing me beg, plead, or anything else. I had 45 more minutes now before I knew I was going to get shot again. It was time to come up with a plan.

  “Do you know why your Aunt was excommunicated from the pack?”

  I looked at him as though he were stupid. Everyone knew why. I wasn’t about to answer him.

  “I don’t think you know the whole story. She didn’t just fail to get permission for bonding with that backstabbing bastard, Lucas. She was already promised to another. To me.” He growled out angrily.

  I laughed. I laughed so hard that each jerking movement threw my shoulder into more painful spasms, but I couldn’t help myself. It also didn’t hurt that my laughter was pissing Marcus off that much further.

  “You think it’s funny, do you? We’ll see how funny you think it is when I shoot you again.” He looked down at the watch on his right arm, “in about 30 more minutes.” His pacing resumed. “Your Aunt was supposed to be mine. It was a match made by Drew, your grandfather. I had asked for your mother’s hand the year prior, but he informed me that she was already spoken for by your father. Eileen didn’t even like your father. It pains me seeing how well they bonded after all these years, because she hated him initially.” My mom had told me that much. She thought my dad was an arrogant bastard. She’d told me that when I explained why I didn’t want to be paired with Zach. And now here was Marcus confirming the same thing. “She and I got on so well back then. I just knew it would be a great match.