A fabled wall, marking the territory of the werewolves and adorned with the severed skull of a once great alpha, stands between Natalya and her prey.
When she finds the body of Anesa, her beloved mentor, she is determined to hunt down the vampire r...
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The morning sun brought welcoming warmth onto Natalya's face, and her eyes fluttered under closed lids. Her dreams faded into nothingness as she lay peacefully. Then the memories of last night flooded in her mind. She jerked upright, her eyes flying open. Running barefoot in the moonlit forest, Voren ahead of her, his golden eyes, his brutal transformation and the murderous skeletal wolf— the images all flashed in front of her, and she knew she had not dreamed any of it. For a while, she lay under the rising sun, watching the clouds through the opening at the top of her teepee, thinking intently.
All of these years she had never known. Her lids closed into darkness and in her mind's eye she could envision the pack running in front of her. In essence, they were true wolves with flashing amber eyes and pink tongues that lolled from open mouths. Their fur shined in the sun, not uniformly grey, but every shade of white and silver. Their muscles gathered and released into bounding leaps that propelled them gracefully through the trees. They were beautiful to behold, and Natalya mentally savored the traditional image of the wolves she had held in her head.
In slow motion, the wolves ran, their paws outstretched as they leapt forward and as they landed they began to change horribly. Their jaws parted, revealing sun bleached fangs as the fur melted from their skulls, exposing the bone. Their hair rolled from their sleek bodies in clumps, leaving bare patches of stormy gray skin. Ribs jutted from their emaciated bodies as the fat shrank from their bones. Their eyes were the last to change though; foggy tendrils radiated from their pupils until the entire socket was clouded over in glowing white. The werewolves in Natalya's mind stopped their running and turned their unfeeling gazes onto her, and she gasped aloud. The image shattered, and she sat alone, shaking in her teepee.
The hours passed and still she did not venture outside of the dwelling. It was nearly dusk when she heard her name questioned in her head.
Natalya? The voice growled, and she recognized Tovu's voice. She parted the cloth to the teepee and stepped outside to see the werewolf waiting just outside. His cloudy eyes were spinning almost quizzically, and a dead rabbit was dangling from his mouth. She was so happy to see him with his white eyes and furry face that she nearly threw her arms around his neck. She resisted the urge though and hung back while the werewolf surveyed her curiously.
Is everything alright? he asked, and she shook her head. The werewolf narrowed his eyes at her, and she knew he was not convinced. He shook his shaggy head ruefully and glanced wistfully at the path leading into the woods, while the rabbit's ears were dragged through the dirt.
I brought you some meat. Why don't you start a fire and then tell me what is on your mind? Some of the others forget that you still must eat to live so you will have to excuse them, he growled with the slightest spark of humor in her head. He dropped the carcass and nudged it nearer to her.
"Thank you," Natalya said. "But you did not have to hunt for me."
You are our guest here, Natalya. It was an honor, he replied. She started a fire and began gathering kindling while the werewolf stood watch. She picked up the carcass and fished out a hunting knife from her teepee. She sat on a log bench outside and began skinning the rabbit, starting at its head. She finished the task quickly, and by the time she had finished, the roaring fire was ready. She offered the pelt to Tovu, and he accepted, dipping his head to her in thanks. Natalya smiled back, knowing one of the female werewolves would find a use for it.
