The Heat 2 - The Fire

Chapter 8

     Skoll was hurting all over, indescribable agony shooting through him. He could feel his ribs against the hard, cold concrete ground of the cell he'd been thrown in. How long has it been since Maybell had come visit to mock him? He couldn't remember.

     He'd started hallucinating. When he closed his silver eyes her golden ones would flash behind his eyelids. When an unexpected breeze flowed from the crack under the wretched door, the golden wolf would think it was her soft hands running through his sun-like fur.

     Sometimes he could hear her voice in his mind, soothing him in the nightmares that shook him to his core.

     Sometimes he wished she'd leave him alone in his misery, he wished she would stop inviting herself into his memories, sending emotional pain hurtling through his very veins. But she wouldn't. Skoll didn't even know if she was real at moments. Had he dreamed that beautiful goddess up? Had he ever really held her in his arms as she whispered in his ear how much she loved him? Had they really chased Grian the Golden and Ghealach the Silver around the lands? Had he imagined her soft curves beneath his hands, her silvery pelt underneath his nose?

     He didn't know.

•••

     I stared intensely at my Beta. Rannalufr didn't flinch under my golden eye's attention.

"Are you sure of this?" I uttered, leaning forward on my throne.

     Two weeks of sitting on it and it still felt as amazing sitting on it as the first time.

"Yes. The Trackers reported a small camp in this territory, with the smell of several packless Wolves. There was a moon design on a tree on the outskirts."

     I tilted my head to the side, eyes narrowed.

"Ask him to draw it."

     Wulcan, the Head Tracker, nodded and gestured to a figure behind the doors. I sniffed the air, the smell of deer, rivers, hunts and games in the forest invading my nostrils.

"Alpha Cassandra," the young Tracker bowed, fist to the heart.

"What is your name?"

"Hunter of Red Hawk Pack, Alpha."

"Original," I smirked, a corner of my lip turning up. "So tell me, Hunter, what exactly was the design of the moon you found?"

     The male ran a hand through his sandy brown hair and sighed.

"It was a waning moon, black outline, colorless inside," the Tracker described.

"Just that?" I asked.

"Just that, Alpha."

     I straightened and turned to Lycaon who was standing a bit to my left, along with Teras, Morrigan, the twins and Eclipse and Sahara. I would need to get them seats on the council. It wasn't fair they had to stand up. I'd have to have a throne made for Fenris too, I decided. He couldn't sit on my armrest all the time.

"That is Luna's mark right?" I questioned.

He turned wide eyes to me, "Yes."

"Fuck."

     A confused expression took over Beta Rannalufr's face.