Without a Wolf

15

"What do you mean by too powerful?" Emeric asked Selene, and he stepped closer to me after hearing her words.

"This magic was uncontrolled," Selene told him, before she flicked her eyes towards me, just for a second, before returning them to Emeric.

"What does that mean?" I asked her, not understanding. How can magic be uncontrolled? Emeric looked surprised that I had asked a question, since I had been quiet since the beginning of the attack. He seemed to contemplate my words, and look towards Selene as though he had the same question.

Selene turned her gaze towards me again, and I could feel the intensity of her stare. "It means that the wielder of this magic was not in control of it," she explained, her voice low and measured. "This was a powerful, untrained magic that was released without caution or direction. It could have been an accident, or it could have been a deliberate attack. Either way, we need to be prepared for the possibility of it happening again."

I felt a shiver run down my spine, imagining the potential danger that lay ahead. The idea of someone wielding such powerful magic without knowing how to control it was terrifying. Who could have done this? And why? The thought made my heart race.

"But you don't think it was a wolf?" Emeric asked her, the calm in his voice was just slightly off.

Selene let out a small sigh. "I have known very few wolves who have held that amount of power. It is possible, there are some." Selene said, looking directly at Emeric this time.

"Celestina?" He asked Selene. The name fell useless on my ears, but Selene seemed to understand immediately.

Selene nodded slowly. "It is possible," she said. "Celestina was the most powerful magical wolf that I have seen. But she hasn't been seen in these parts for a long time."

Emeric's face hardened at the mention of Celestina's name. "If it was her, then we need to find her," he said, his voice filled with determination. "We can assume the reason why she's here. We need to make sure she doesn't pose a threat to our pack or to Gem."

Selene nodded in agreement. "I will do what I can to track her down," she said. "But be careful, Emeric. Celestina is not someone to be taken lightly. Her power is immense, and if she's lost control of it, she could be dangerous."

Emeric nodded, the weight of her words settling heavily on his broad shoulders. "We will remain vigilant and strengthen our defenses. The safety of our pack, and Gem, is my utmost priority." He looked around at the wolves who had paused their search to listen, their ears pricked and attentive. "Spread the word. We must be ready for anything."

As the wolves dispersed, Selene approached me, her eyes filled with concern. "Stay close to the Alpha, and do not venture out alone," she warned. I nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. Selene turned, not waiting for a response from me. She walked slowly, heading in the direction of the ominous forest.

"Are you okay?" Emeric asked me, once Selene had disappeared in the trees. He turned towards me, placing both of his hands on my shoulders.

"I'm fine," I told him, nodding my head with my words. "None of the glass hit me. I'm okay."

"I know none of the glass hit you, Gem, I wouldn't have let it. I mean emotionally, are you okay?" Emeric said, his words coming out so quickly that it felt as if he had them planned.

"I..." I started, but my voice dropped when I realized I didn't know the answer. "That scared me."

Emeric's eyes softened as he heard my answer. He let out a breath, before answering. "It scared me, too."

"Really?" I asked him, feeling my eyebrows raise in skepticism. "I thought Alphas weren't supposed to be scared."

Emeric's lips turned into a smile, and he shook his head slightly. "I wasn't scared for myself, or my pack. I was scared you were going to be hurt."

"Oh," I said, feeling slightly awkward. I broke our line of sight, looking down to my feet. "Well, I'm not."

"I know," Emeric said softly. "You're okay."

He was silent as I continued to stare down at my feet. To my surprise, I felt his fingers delicately grasp my chin, applying a gentle pressure to lift my gaze. Without resistance, I allowed him to guide me. As I looked up, his eyes were already there, patiently waiting for me to meet them.

"Gem, I promise I won't allow anything to happen to you while you're with my pack," Emeric told me, and every word he spoke sounded genuine. "You can trust me."

"Emeric?" I said his name, which from the look that fell on his features, seemed to bear a similar feeling as the way it felt to him when our skin touched.

I pulled his hand away from my chin, the adrenaline that was leaving my body allowing me to remember what had happened in the garden right before Selene disappeared. It was a wind that had felt just like the one that broke the windows.

"When I was outside, working with Selene..." I hesitated, but for some reason, I felt like I could trust him for now. "I heard a brand snapping in those trees, and then there was a gust of wind that was like the one that came through your window."

Emeric's eyes narrowed, his brow furrowing as he processed the information. "That's... unusual," he murmured, concern evident in his tone. "I'm not sure what's going on, Gem, but we'll figure it out."

"Who's Celestina? And why do you think she might be behind it?" I asked him, hoping this time he would tell me the truth.

Emeric let out a deep sigh, letting go from his grip on my shoulders. "Celestina is a powerful wolf, but she's more than just a wolf. She's a magical being, like Selene."

"She's one of The Five?" I asked him.

"No," he shook his head. "She's not one of The Five. Selene is the only one left of The Five still on this earth. Celestina is descended from one of The Five witches, though. So, while she's powerful, she's not as powerful as Selene," Emeric explained to me, and in his eyes he looked thankful that it was the truth.

"Why would she do something like this?" I asked him. "Why would she attack your pack?"

"Celestina could have been a positive force in this world, but she ended up with the wrong pack. She became something she was never supposed to be. Certainly not what her ancestors intended for her to be." Emeric hesitated, darting his eyes to the left before speaking again. "I don't think it's my pack that she wants, Gem."

"What do you mean?" I asked, the panic in my stomach beginning to rise once more.

"Celestina was part of the Hunters, Gem," Emeric told me, and the seriousness of his words could not be understated.

There was only one reason for the Hunters to be here, in North Dakota and not in Arizona. They were looking for me.

And they've found me.