Oath Keeper

by Shelley Wilson

  ‘Zak explained Ethan’s part in all this to him but he wasn’t shocked. He said that Felicity was a regular visitor at the Somerset academy and the head was worried that our red-headed friend had been leading Ethan astray for some time.’

  ‘That’s the understatement of the year.’

  Elizabeth giggled. ‘He tricked us all, Mia. The bad guy turned good guy ruse had us all fooled.’

  I shuffled then winced.

  ‘You did what you had to do to survive, Mia. Anyone would have done the same in your situation.’

  I smiled at my friend for her kind words but I knew that Ethan’s death would haunt my dreams for a long while.

  ‘Let’s just be happy that Gregory is working with Zak on destroying Evermore,’ she added. ‘That news is something worth celebrating.’

  She was right, of course. I was amazed at the news. Hunters and wolves working together was something I never thought I’d hear about, but it stirred something deep inside me. Sebastian had told me during our car journey that things were shifting. There was evidence of hunter-wolf relationships in my notebook. Blimey, even I was a living, breathing piece of that, but something else he’d said swam to the forefront of my mind. I’d been feverish at the time, but his conversation with Cody at my bedside was burnt into my memory. I believe the barriers between the hunters and the wolves have been changing for some time, but clearly nobody dares talk about it. The horror of what Mr Parker has done might shine a light on a new era, Cody. One that you and Mia are already a part of. Was it possible that we could create a new alliance between the werewolves and the hunters? Could we honour Dr Neale’s legacy and stand by his oath to protect and serve? The thought excited me, and a new surge of power washed over me. For the first time in my life, I knew what I wanted to do, and I wasn’t afraid to do it.

  MY LEGS WERE still a bit shaky, but I was getting stronger every day. For the past week, Elizabeth had come with me each morning to the garden so we could work on our combat skills. Sebastian had taken a couple of wooden staffs from the academy, so we had weapons to train with.

  ‘You keep dropping your left shoulder.’ Miss Ross’s voice was like a musical note as she wandered into the garden, and I rushed to hug her.

  Elizabeth squealed at the sight of our friend and mentor.

  ‘It’s good to see you, girls,’ she said lowering herself into the camping chair Sebastian kept handy should I need to rest. ‘I’m glad you’re getting better, Mia.’

  ‘I still feel like vomiting over my own shoes every day, but Sebastian said that’ll stop soon as the poison is nearly out of my system.’

  ‘Glad to hear it!’

  ‘What are you doing here?’

  ‘Your brother told me you were up and about and I thought you might want some help with your training. I know how important it is to you that you stay in control.’

  She wasn’t wrong. Escaping a violent life changed something inside of me, and when I found that spark in my heart never to play the victim’s role ever again, nothing would allow me to slip back into that darkness.

  ‘May I?’ She stood and walked across to Elizabeth, taking the staff out of her hand.

  ‘I’ll leave you guys to it then.’ Elizabeth dashed off inside the cottage, and I made a mental note to yell at her later for abandoning me to the fate of a lethal hunter.

  Shit. My lesson in recovery was about to start whether I was ready or not.

  I’D FORGOTTEN HOW tough training with Miss Ross could be. I’d only had a few one-on-one sessions with her at Hood Academy before being integrated into main classes, and yet it seemed that now I was a werewolf Miss Ross wasn’t going to give me any special treatment.

  ‘How do you know so much about werewolf training?’ I asked between gasps. ‘I thought you only tutored the hunters.’

  Miss Ross’s smooth complexion hadn’t even broken into a sweat as she’d parried and jabbed relentlessly at me for the past hour. She remained fresh while I looked like I’d been on a triathlon.

  ‘I used to spar with your mother when she was a new wolf. We were only girls back then and didn’t really understand the animosity between the packs and the hunters. Call it a naïve innocence.’

  ‘You two were friends when you were teenagers then?’ I’d known for a while that Miss Ross and my mum had been close friends, so close in fact that Miss Ross was also my godmother, but I didn’t realise they’d been friends from such a young age.

  ‘We were at school together,’ she said, jabbing a fist at my head. I dodged and blocked her swing, which got me a satisfied grunt from my tutor. ‘We were drawn together by some unknown force. Perhaps it was because we were so different from the other kids. We had an unspoken bond due to our heritage.’

  ‘Did you fight with her?’

  Miss Ross chuckled as she spun on her leg and knocked me to the ground with her foot. ‘Oh yes! We used to train together like we’re doing now. I helped her through her transition to a werewolf, and she helped me hone my skills as a tracker.’

  I sat on the floor my chest heaving from the effort of breathing.

  ‘She’d be very proud of you, Mia.’

  She extended a hand to help me up, and I took it gratefully.

  ‘Mum never wanted this for me though. She never wanted me to be a wolf.’

  ‘Your mother didn’t want either you or Zak to go through the turn. She wanted to protect her children from the pain, suffering, and mental torture of being a wolf. I think, despite the fact you did turn, she would be proud of how you handled yourself, how you coped with the transition, and the young woman you’ve become.’

  ‘Thank you,’ I whispered. It felt good to have someone recognise what I’d achieved. Not so long ago I’d wished that I could turn, longed for it because I thought it was the only way to feel like I belonged, and I’d been bitterly disappointed with my hybrid status. However, the more I read about my ancestors, the more I realised what a great honour it was to be different.

  ‘Can I tell you a secret?’

  One of Miss Ross’s eyebrows rose as she waited for me to spill my news.

  ‘Well, actually, I need to show you rather than tell you.’

  This got her second eyebrow twitching high up on her forehead.

  I took a deep breath and extended my arms out a little from my body. As I concentrated, the sharp claws stretched out from my fingers. I lifted my chin and opened my mouth enough to show the smooth curve of my fangs.

  Miss Ross’s eyes widened as she took in my hybrid frame. She approached and gently lifted my right hand, running her finger along the claw. Turning my hand over, she examined the points of my fingers where the claws replaced my fingernails. Her hands moved up to cup the sides of my face as she stared at my fangs and then right into my eyes. I saw something shimmering in her gaze, something I used to see in my mother’s expression: joy, love, and pride.

  ‘It’s incredible, Mia, but how is it possible?’

  I shook my hands, and the claws retracted along with my fangs. I’d only discovered this ability the other day when Elizabeth had left me alone to fetch a sandwich from the kitchen. Stretching out to grab a glass of water I’d watched my claws shoot out. It had stunned me at first, but also fascinated me. I’d been able to retract and extend them at will for several minutes until Lizzie arrived back. I hadn’t told her. I don’t know why, but in a way, I was glad that Miss Ross was the first to know.

  ‘I think me hearing that Parker was responsible for my mother’s death triggered my turn because I was so angry. I’d never felt rage like it before. I’m not sure, but I think I’m always going to be a hybrid with the ability to turn only if I need to.’

  ‘The full moon is in two days. If you’re a true wolf, then you won’t be able to resist the turn. It’s the law of nature.’

  I nodded as I remembered her lesson on full moon activity.

  ‘Are you going to tell Zak?’

  I shook my head. Zak had been sensitive to the point of annoying recent
ly. I knew he was worried about me, but I needed him to appreciate how tough I could be. Cody knew how resilient I could be. He had been helping me control my senses as I lay in bed recovering. He understood that my differences were what made me unique.

  ‘No, he’ll only worry even more about me. By the time the full moon rises in the sky, I’ll be ready to join the pack at the farm. I’ll deal with whatever happens when it happens.’

  ‘Probably a wise decision. Your brother still thinks of you as his little sister, and I doubt that’ll ever change.’

  Our exchange was interrupted as Sebastian strode out of the back door, lifting his hand in a little wave when he spotted his fellow tutor.

  ‘Miss Ross, how good to see you.’

  She nodded her head but took a small step backward. Evidently, the breach in their friendship hadn’t been healed after my father’s craziness, and Sebastian remained at arm’s length.

  ‘The GA has left,’ he said, either ignoring or not noticing Miss Ross’s standoffish manner. ‘They packed up this morning and handed the academy back to me.’

  He was beaming, and I felt a tug of pride for him. Without Parker’s blackmail threat, and with the destruction of Evermore, he was free to run the academy as a headmaster should. Of course, I had wondered what his intentions were in that direction but hadn’t been sure how to broach the subject. As it was, I needn’t have worried as Miss Ross had it covered.

  ‘Do you intend to train those girls to kill and torture the werewolf community?’

  ‘Absolutely not. There are going to be a lot of changes in the future, Miss Ross, and I hope you’ll join me in implementing them.’

  ‘What kind of changes?’

  ‘For one, I’ve rewritten the hunters’ oath.’

  I gasped and covered my mouth with my hand. He wasn’t kidding when he said big changes. That oath was first recorded in 1862, and now Sebastian was going to rip apart a piece of history.

  ‘Is that wise?’ I asked.

  ‘You haven’t heard it yet.’ He was grinning like an excited schoolboy, and I couldn’t help but get swept up in his euphoria.

  ‘Go on then, Sebastian,’ Miss Ross said, crossing her arms across her chest. ‘Share it with us.’

  He cleared his throat, and I stuffed down the urge to giggle.

  ‘To every pack, a cub is born, and every hunter gets their dawn. Nurturing friendships that grow deeper, united together as an Oath Keeper.’

  The forest seemed to hold its breath along with Miss Ross and me. It was beautiful. Right there in the heart of the forest, surrounded by the wonder of nature I felt a lightness in my chest. With a few simple changes, Sebastian had forever changed the course of history for the hunters.

  ‘I don’t know what to say,’ Miss Ross whispered, clearly as much in awe as I was. ‘You’ve done a wonderful thing, Sebastian.’

  He huffed and rolled his shoulders back.

  ‘But will the GA accept this?’ she added. ‘They’ve stood by the original oath for hundreds of years, what makes you think they’ll conform to this?’

  He glanced over at me and smiled. ‘I shared something else with the GA when I was questioned. Something that I hadn’t told them before. They knew I was a hunter, but they’d never traced my bloodline. When I told them I was a direct descendant of Dr Neale they came round to my way of thinking.’

  ‘You’re a descendant of the first hunter?’ Miss Ross’s jaw dropped at his revelation, but then her face changed as she calculated the rest. ‘Oh, Mia. That means you were his—’

  I held up a hand to stop her. ‘Yep, great-great-great whatever! I know, it’s cool.’

  ‘Well, if the GA is happy then I’m happy,’ she said, offering her hand to Sebastian.

  He took it with good grace and beamed at my godmother.

  ‘There’s something else. They want me to join the GA as chief consultant. I’ll still be based from Hood Academy, but all GA policies will go through me.’

  ‘That’s amazing!’ I cried, genuinely pleased for him.

  ‘It means I need to find a new headmaster for Hood Academy, or perhaps a headmistress. What do you think?’ Sebastian asked Miss Ross.

  I’d never seen her so gobsmacked in the short time I’d known her. It was a huge position but an honour to receive. Taking control of the academy and the future of the hunter line was an incredible task, one that I knew, as did my father, Miss Ross was fully capable of handling.

  ‘Yes,’ she said softly. ‘I’d be delighted to accept.’

  I couldn’t stop myself from squealing as I leaped at Miss Ross to wrap her in a tight hug. Times were changing, and everything was going to be different from now on.

  SITTING AT MY bedroom window, back at the Mills family farm, I gazed up at the darkening sky. It wouldn’t be long until nightfall and the rise of the full moon. Cody had said he’d stay with me for the turn, but I’d brushed him off saying I’d done it once in front of an audience and I quite fancied the next time being a private affair. He understood and went to join the pack for whatever ritual they had on such a night.

  The truth was I wasn’t sure if I would turn. I suspected that I was back to being a hybrid and only something truly horrific would trigger my inner werewolf.

  I’d eventually told Elizabeth my suspicions and hoped she’d help me deal with whatever happened over the next few hours.

  ‘Hey, Mia.’ Ari burst through my bedroom door and bounded up to my side followed by Lizzie. ‘Aren’t you coming down to join the pack?’

  I circled the little wolf into a tight hug and pulled her up onto my lap. She had proved herself to be an incredibly capable young girl, leading the other pack kids to safety and keeping them calm. Her parents were bursting with pride and Ari’s mother had taken to trailing after her making sure everyone she spoke with knew about her darling daughter. It was cute.

  ‘Not this time, Ari. I wanted to do this privately, you know, until I get the hang of it.’

  Ari giggled and pulled on her pigtail. ‘I know what you mean. I threw up in front of Ben Clifton when I turned, and he teased me for weeks after.’

  ‘Oh really, is Ben your boyfriend then?’

  ‘Ugh, no way. He’s a smelly boy that lives next door.’

  Elizabeth laughed out loud at Ari’s reaction, and I couldn’t help but giggle at her disgusted expression. She was only ten years old and had plenty of time to learn about boys, crushes, and falling in love.

  There was a light tap on the door, and Ari’s mum stuck her head through the gap.

  ‘Sorry to interrupt but Ari needs to head downstairs, the alpha is addressing the pack in a few minutes.’

  Ari leaped from my lap and hurtled out of the room, then thundered down the stairs. I had a sneaking suspicion that the little wolf didn’t like young Ben Clifton because she had a crush on my brother.

  ‘Are you okay, Mrs Fletcher?’

  The petite lady smiled and walked into the centre of the room. She fiddled with her sleeve as her gaze wandered over the furniture, walls, and my belongings. She couldn’t stop fidgeting, and it was making my head spin. I stood up and grasped her hands in my own.

  ‘Are you okay?’ I repeated.

  ‘I spoke with Dr Roberts about Ari and Toni, her sister.’ Her voice grew quiet as she brought forward the memory of her lost daughter. ‘He was interested in testing Ari’s blood to see why she had survived that nasty stuff that Evermore was peddling.’

  ‘Did he find anything?’

  Her eyes filled with tears and the tiny woman let out a loud sob before collapsing onto the end of my bed. Elizabeth rushed to close the door, and I dropped to my knees in front of her, patting her hands and offering soothing sounds.

  ‘He told me his suspicions as to why some of the children survived, and I was so ashamed.’

  I peeked at Lizzie over the top of Mrs Fletcher’s head, and she shrugged. No, Sebastian hadn’t told me about his suspicions either. I was almost too afraid to ask.

  ‘What su
spicions does he have?’

  Mrs Fletcher raised her tear-stained face and peered at me, holding my gaze and tensing her jaw.

  ‘Ari is only half wolf. You see, I had an affair and only discovered I was pregnant after we split up. Pete never knew that Ari wasn’t his.’

  I was amazed that she’d shared such a sensitive secret with us, but the cogs were turning in my mind as I processed what she was saying and compared it with what Sebastian had said.

  ‘Can I ask you a question? Did you have an affair with a hunter?’

  More sobbing and shaking and plenty of tears but eventually Mrs Fletcher nodded.

  ‘Yes, he was a hunter, and I was a wolf. My pack would have killed me if they’d discovered our relationship. I couldn’t talk to anyone, and I prayed that when she reached sixteen, she would turn like her dad and me.’

  It all clicked into place. The serum had killed her sister but only forced Ari to turn. That same serum had caused me to have hallucinations, sickness, and pain but I’d ultimately remained the same.

  ‘Have you seen Ari turn?’

  ‘Yes, we watched it happen over and over.’

  ‘What are you thinking, Mia?’ Elizabeth had seen that look on my face before.

  ‘Ari is half wolf and half hunter. She’s a hybrid, like me.’

  Mrs Fletcher’s eyes grew wide. ‘Does that mean she can stop the turn?’

  ‘Maybe,’ I said. ‘If it’s okay with you, Ari could stay with me tonight instead of joining the rest of the pack. I’ll see if it’s possible for us to stay human on a full moon.’

  ‘Oh, Mia, that would be wonderful. Thank you, thank you so much.’

  ‘It does mean that Ari should know the truth about her dad, Mrs Fletcher,’ I said gently. Telling your daughter that her dad isn’t really her dad would be tough and yet ironically, I couldn’t help but notice how the little wolf’s life mirrored my own in that respect.

  ‘I know,’ she said. ‘I’ll tell her.’

  She rushed out of the room in search of her daughter. I was pretty sure Ari wouldn’t thank me for taking her away from Zak’s big speech, but if I was right, there was a strong possibility that the two of us could resist the full moon.