Chapter 1 - Rhys #2
“I don’t mind moldy books,” Neville, the other Kingsville elder, replies. “I’m having a great time out here.”
Darla shoots him a nasty look, and he smiles pleasantly back at her.
The six elders were voted in by each pack, chosen by the majority. Not by each other, and it shows.
Faye sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Can we continue, please? It’s getting late, and I’m tired, as I’m sure all of you are.”
She blinks, rubbing her eyes, and I realize that she’s having trouble seeing in the poor light, just like I am. The idea of such a strong woman falling prey to this curse strikes fear right into my heart.
Until now, the elders were immune. Is that why they’ve been up here? Because the curse has now touched every single wolf in all three packs?
“Of course,” Rafe says, nodding. “Let’s get on with it. Boys, all of you have only been in your positions for about six months, and you’ve faced unique challenges within that time. This is the only reason why we haven’t made finding your mates a priority.”
A faint twist of anxiety pangs through me. Even though I knew the moment had to come, I haven’t been looking forward to it.
“We were appointed in a bit of a rush as well,” Shane adds. “Usually, we’d have some idea of marriage arrangements at the time of ascension, but it was all so sudden, there wasn’t even time for traditional ceremonies.”
A hushed silence falls, and I know we’re all thinking the same thing, but no one will say it out loud.
The alpha of Silver Valley, my father, died from the disease. My mother soon followed, and the alphas of Diamond Springs and Kingsville, Shane’s grandfather and Owen’s uncle, took to the hills to search for answers in the old caves… and they never returned.
Darla takes a sharp breath, and I try to keep my eyes down.
Owen’s uncle is her mate… and she won’t appreciate my sympathy.
“Moving on,” Sylvie says briskly. “We found an ancient ritual that will connect an alpha wolf to his true mate. It fell out of use years ago, when marriages began to be arranged for connections between families. This ritual promises ‘restoration of the primal soul in the alpha, full power to his mate, and through this union, strength to the entire pack under their rule.’”
“Ritual?” Owen asks. “That sounds a bit like magic.”
Tension builds in the air, and the anxiety in me rises a notch.
Magic is forbidden. Witches are to be executed on sight. Never waste seed on a human—protect the bloodline at all costs.
These three tenements have been passed down through the generations as law. The strength of our packs depends upon it, and any wolf who breaks these laws can be subjected to imprisonment or even death.
“I am aware of that,” Neville says. “But it isn’t strictly magic. In any case, we really have no choice.”
“There is always a choice,” Darla hisses. “If we darken ourselves with witchcraft, it will only bring our end to us sooner.”
“People are dying!” Thorne roars, suddenly standing up and smashing the table with his fist. “I don’t like this—but I’m willing to try anything at this point.”
“Even breaking the ancient law?” Darla shoots back.
“The ancient law is a result of The Rift,” Neville says calmly. “Now, if you would just—”
“No!” Darla snaps. “I can’t believe we’re even contemplating this.”
“We all agreed, Darla,” Faye says in a low voice.
Darla folds her arms and shakes her head, tears shimmering on her eyelashes. I look over at Owen, and he gives me a little shrug.
“Rhys,” Rafe says, leaning forward a little. “You’ve been chosen to go first. This does blur the lines of what we consider magic, but honestly, we think the risk is worth it.”
“What does the ritual do?” I ask.
“It leads you to your true mate,” Faye says. “And once you marry her, the union should bring a wave of power and good health to the entire pack. It will heal any… disease.”
I can tell from the way her voice trailed off that she really wanted to say “curse.”
“I suppose I don’t have much choice in this,” I say. “As alpha, I have to step up and take any measure necessary to help my pack, don’t I?”
“Yes,” Rafe agrees, nodding.
“I want it officially on the record that I have predicted disaster if we go through with this,” Darla says. “It will only kill us off faster if we poison ourselves with magic. These rules have kept us safe for generations—it was the only way we survived The Rift.”
The Rift…
Everyone goes quiet, and it’s as if the shadows are hissing at us, filling the air with paranoid whispers.
When we first settled here, shifters and witches lived in harmony.
They worked together to build this community and the manor itself.
Details have been lost to time, but all we know is that the alpha wolf and witch queen became enemies overnight, and the rift between them tore the community apart.
Witches were hunted almost to extinction and driven out of the area, and laws were put in place to protect our bloodlines and only produce pureblood shifters.
“I don’t believe that,” Neville says, replying to Darla. “There is magic here still—”
“I don’t care what you believe,” Darla hisses. “You have no right to sit on this council.”
“Elected by the majority, just like you,” Neville replies in a challenging tone.
She scoffs and looks into her lap.
“We should get started, Rhys,” Faye says, standing up. “Come over to the fire.”
I follow her to the bookshelf, where she pulls out a large scroll and hands it to me. It’s heavier than I expected, with big brass handles and thick parchment that almost feels like leather.
“Spread it out on the floor,” Faye says, kneeling down beside me as I sit to unroll the parchment.
It’s a map of the area as it was in our founding days, without all the settlements that currently exist. Strange drawings loop across the borders of the page, and arcane symbols decorate the depictions of forests and rivers that cross the map.
The others gather around me, all of us staring at the parchment in the dim firelight.
“Do you have your knife?” Faye asks.
“Yes,” I answer.
“You’ll need a drop of blood,” she replies, pulling a pouch out of her pocket. She reaches inside, takes out a small pinch of fragrant herbs, and scatters them across the map.
I take out my knife and make a small cut on my finger. Faye directs me to hold it above the map.
“Repeat after me,” she instructs. “‘I, the alpha, begin the search for she who is dearest to my heart. Our souls are entangled, and our strength is shared—by becoming one, let all curses be undone.’”
I repeat the words, aware that it feels a lot more like magic than what they led me to believe. The drop of blood falls from my finger, and to my surprise, it skitters around the map like a drop of water on a hot plate. Eventually, it comes to rest, spreading out into the shape of a little star.
“Holy shit,” Shane says. “That’s in Folsom.”
“Yes,” I reply. “And there are no wolves there.”
“I told you,” Darla hisses. “It’s a trick. You can’t possibly marry a human.”
“Maybe it’s not a human,” Rafe says. “We don’t know that.”
“Would marrying a human be so bad?” Neville asks.
“YES!” Darla and Thorne immediately scream, turning to him in fury.
“Enough!” Sylvie yells. “Go to Folsom, and find this woman and bring her back here. Then we can decide what to do. We may complete the ritual just to see if it actually works against the epidemic.”
“And if it doesn’t work, we can dissolve the union,” Neville says.
“Or just kill her,” Darla says. “If she’s human, we’ll have to just get rid of her, either way.”
Even though I can feel emotions rising in the room as everyone reacts to Darla’s words, all I can think about is the wolves in my pack that are slowly dying.
And, yes, my own weakness as well. I can’t deny I have selfish motives in this.
“Okay, everyone,” I say. “I will go out and find this woman. We can decide what to do when I bring her back.”
Even though I can feel an argument simmering, I don’t wait to hear it boil over. I take one last look at the map to memorize where I’m going, then get up and stride quickly out of the room.
I’m not sure about this course of action—but at least I’m finally doing something!