Wolf Omega: The Lykanos Chronicles 2

Chapter Twenty-Four

The weeks that followed were the happiest of my life.

The sensation of dreaming, or that Castello Palatino might somehow be unreal, left me forever when Sempronio called my guardian into the light. Like an itch finally scratched, the wolf was a wholly satisfying resolution. I had not truly been myself until that night, and being whole now meant that even the most demanding trials brought me joy.

With my rebirth, I felt unafraid for the first time. The absence of fear was, for me, the essence of true freedom, and I savored it with each breath.

In the weeks just after my transformation, Sempronio's lessons became intense. He insisted that I devote almost every hour of the day to my studies. Only my insatiable thirst for more eclipsed my master's insisted devotion to learning. I would learn everything, I decided. Nothing seemed more crucial than absorbing every bit of knowledge available in the world. No matter how awe-inspiring or trivial, I demanded that each subject reveal its secrets to me.

When I was not studying, I trained with the pack to familiarize myself with its disciplined functions. Duccio designated me to be the pack's omega. My role was, at any moment, to be at the command of any other pack member. My priority of obedience lay with the member's order of seniority. It was the lowest position, the least crucial to our pack's viability, and it suited me just fine. It was the perfect opportunity to be one of them without shouldering the burden of most expectations.

In the late evenings, I shadowed them in the field. Duccio or Ambrosius, his beta, assigned duties to both pack teams. Zacharia, the gamma, or Pompeia, the delta, led the two parties. As Zacharia was a warrior, he paired with Domenico, a hunter. Similarly, because Pompeia was a hunter, she paired with Maximo, a warrior. The balance of roles within the teams better ensured their viability in the field.

My first assignment was to Pompeia's team.

"You should ask your questions now," she said as the carriage pulled us through the country road outside of Cantù. "Once we begin, you'll stay silent, even telepathically, unless I call for your response."

"What can I expect of the encounter?" I asked evenly, attempting to control my excitement.

"This is reconnaissance, and nothing more," she answered patiently. "We go to search for answers. There's little chance that any of us will be called upon to transform. It is not a lycan we track, but a human. If Max or I call out, you'll respond at once. Otherwise, you'll do nothing but shadow our movement in silence and observe."

And learn, I thought. I knew only that Ambrosius had ordered us to Cantù to identify an informant. He never provided a reason for his order.

"Why were we sent here? I mean, what value is this man to Ambrosius?"

"I know little more than you do of his precise value," Pompeia answered, "but it's not uncommon for lycan from neighboring kingdoms to infiltrate our borders for information."

"For what purpose?"

"To spy on us," said Maximo.

His answer did nothing less than shock me.

"Spy on us?" I frowned. "Whatever for?"

"To learn of our movements or strengths," he said.

I tried to make sense of their answers but rejected the very idea.

"Why would anyone care?" I asked. "Sempronio would welcome all in his house; there's no doubt in my mind. So, why spy on us? We are not their enemy."

"Certainly, we are," Pompeia responded. "We are a threat to the ambitions of many houses. You're right that the master would welcome all lycan to our home, but that invitation comes with the understanding that all guests will respect his rules. And many disagree with his way of life—his methods and traditions."