Fleur Di Lis

Chapter Twenty

The Chattahoochee Nature Forest was a beautiful stretch of land along the river that was its namesake.  Filled with wildlife and trees of every kind, it was no wonder the forest was such a popular destination for nature lovers and walkers of every age.  The higher up the trail you went, the more magnificent the views were and if you got a chance to step on one of the ridges, you could see the river as it snaked through the land.  No wonder the Native Americans loved this place so much.

And, no wonder the white wolves called it home. 

 Nate parked up the SUV at the visitor parking lot, situated at the mouth of the nature trail.  Kai had called him this morning following his impromptu visit to our hotel room last night, just to let us know that the white wolves resided near the old paper mills that had been built during the Civil War.  Fortunately, Nate had been posted there at one point all those years ago and so knew the exact location.  Kai advised that he'd already let the wolves know that they were coming, but warned to be on our guard in case any rogues decided to join us on our hike and cause trouble.

"Rogues?"  I repeated, panting behind Nate as we trekked along the riverside.  

"White wolves who disobeyed the Alpha or disrespected the pack's beliefs," Nate explained, sounding annoyingly at ease.  I didn't know if vampires even got out of breath during hikes; maybe since they were technically dead, they didn't.  Great.  "Apparently, quite a few of them are scattered around the forest, causing trouble.  If they catch scent of a human, they'll think it's food.  You best stay close," he added pointedly.

I patted my holstered gun, which was filled with silver bullets that Nate had given me earlier that day.  "Trust me, if any rogue wolves come near me, they're in for a silver surprise."

Nate chuckled.  "I don't doubt it."

"Aren't you worried?"  I asked after a moment's silence.

"About?"

"Baxter?  About what he's planning with Alexandria?  The resurrection?" 

Nate sighed heavily, slowing his pace to allow me to catch up.  "Baxter's deranged, but he's smart.  Frighteningly so.  He's had time to think about this, to study it thoroughly.  He's picked out the right spell, he knows what he's looking for, what he needs for the spell to work...  So, in answer to your question, yes - I'm worried.  Really worried.  That's why I'm hoping, with the white wolves' help, I can put an end to this fiasco once and for all."

"And if you can't?" 

Nate remained silent behind me.  In that silence, I got my answer.  He didn't think he could stop it; he was hoping he could.  If he couldn't put an end to it, he would have to face having his maker alive once again, causing havoc on the world with his brother by her side as her personal lapdog.  God only knows what kind of havoc they'd cause together; no doubt it'd be bloody.  I just hoped we weren't doing this journey in vain. 

We reached a level ridge, where Nate grabbed my arm suddenly, making me stumble to a halt beside him.  I turned to him, mouth opened to protest, when he hushed me by putting a finger to his pursed lips, his eyes scanning the terrain in front of us.  His body shifted, positioning himself in front of me protectively.  I looked over his shoulder, scanning the woodlands in front of us with my free hand gripping my gun, ready to pull it out of its holster if necessary.  My heart thumped frantically in my chest, adrenaline pulsing through my veins.  It had been a while since I had been in the front line; the masquerade ball seemed decades away.

"Nathaniel Carey?"  A female voice called out, wary. 

"Depends on who's asking," Nate called back.  "Show yourself."

The trees rustled, and a woman emerged.  She looked to be in her mid-twenties, and was simply beautiful; skin the same colour of mocha as Kai's, with the same platinum white hair and yellow eyes as well.  A skin-tight dress made of the same teal silk as Kai's suit outlined her slim figure.  She must be a white wolf, I reckoned, feeling my shoulders slump with relief.  Beside me, the tension in Nate's body seemed to ease marginally, though I could tell he was still wary.  She glanced between us, her brow furrowed slightly in confusion.

"Malakai said you would bring your human," she said, mild distaste in her voice.  "I didn't realise she was quite as beautiful as he said she would be."

"His human?"  I repeated, eyebrows raised.

"Who are you?"  Nate asked, distracting the woman from my outburst.

"My name is Bree," she provided.  "I am Malakai's sister, and your guide to our home.  Please," she twisted her body towards the forest, ready to walk away.  "Follow me."

So, we did.  The further we ventured through the woods and away from the path, the thicker the trees and the darker they became.  I kept close behind Nate, my eyes scanning behind me, aware that there was something -- or many things -- watching us as we walked through the woods.

Finally, we reached a clearing where a village made of wooden houses bustled in front of us.  The people walking around wore the same teal silk as Bree and Kai had, had the same white hair, mocha skin and golden eyes, which became glued to us as we walked through the village.  I glanced at Nate, who was looking around him with a dumbstruck expression on his face.  I suppose this would have been the first time that he'd been in a werewolf village; this experience would have been daunting for him too.

We came to a stop at the bottom of a staircase that led to the entrance of a magnificent log cabin that had been built at the cliff side and looked over the village.  The Alpha's home, I guessed, glancing over my shoulder at the view.  He could watch over his people, and spot any potential threats before his people could.  I wouldn't be surprised if he watched us following his daughter towards the house.

"The Alpha is expecting you," Bree said, turning to us.  "Good luck."

"Thank you," Nate bowed his head to the woman before making his way upstairs.  I made to hurry after him, when Bree grabbed my arm.

"What the--?"

"You should leave whilst you have the chance," Bree interjected warningly.  "This is not your cross to bear, human."