Chapter 5: The Silver Wolf

The howls transform into growls as people begin screaming. Selene opens her eyes but can only make out the ripples of cloaks as coven members try to flee.

The group disperses enough for Selene to see a large black wolf charging toward her. There are more wolves behind him, quickly darting through the panicked crowd. What they don’t have in number they make up for in size. Selene has never seen creatures as large as them before.

Her heart skips a beat as the Alpha lunges for Marcus. His dark coat shines in the light of the fire as he lands on the High Priest. Selene expects the cave to look like a bloodbath, but the wolves aren’t actually killing anyone. Even the Alpha is showing restraint in how he’s dealing with Marcus.

Selene tries to loosen her bindings as the two leaders struggle on the ground beside her. A sudden yelp pulls her attention away from the ropes. The Alpha jumps away from Marcus and growls, showing a large set of sharp teeth. Selene notices a long wet gash along the wolf’s front shoulder. The dagger in Marcus’s hand is dripping with fresh blood.

Selene is overcome with anger. She feels her heartbeat quicken and her thoughts begin to rush. A pulse of strength washes through her and she’s finally able to break free of her restraints. Selene falls to the ground and is aware that the fighting around her has stopped. The cave suddenly fills with the light of the full moon.

The Alpha’s voice whispers to Selene somewhere in her mind.

“We have to get out of here.”

Selene looks over at him and notices the determination in his eyes has changed to shock and fear. She nods.

“Stay behind me and keep close,” the Alpha commands while darting for the cave entrance.

Marcus has gotten back on his feet and is trying desperately to cast a spell, but his magic is no good. Selene chuckles to herself upon remembering all the binding spells he had placed around the cave to prevent her from escaping. His own blood magic turned on him, just like Gram said it would.

Selene makes it to the entrance of the cave before noticing something feels different. She glances down to check her feet but sees a set of paws in their place. Not just two paws, but four. She’s a wolf!

“What is going on? What happened to me?” she wonders.

As if reading her thoughts, the black wolf’s voice is in her head. “Don’t worry about that right now, just follow me and keep up!”

The Alpha’s stern tone upsets her, but he’s right. They need to get somewhere safe and they need to do it quickly. The coven may have been scattered and caught off guard, but they will reassemble and come for them. The cave had blocked the magic before, but out in the open they are easy prey.

Selene is surprised by how quickly they are traveling. The distance to the cave from her home had taken a good fifteen to twenty minutes before. On foot, running with this pack, it barely takes five. They come to the wide river that separates her home from the shifters’ forest.

The Alpha stops at the shore and looks back at the others. “Get across the river and head for home. I’ll make sure we aren’t being followed.”

He is panting and looks weak. Selene doesn’t like this at all. “I’ll wait here with you.”

“No, you need to go with the pack. You have somehow managed to shift but that doesn’t mean you know how to fight. You will be more of a liability than an asset right now.”

“I wasn’t asking for permission,” Selene replies, trying not to make eye contact. Looking into his eyes makes her thoughts spill and her stomach flutter, and she needs a clear head right now.

The Alpha stares at her for a long minute before turning to the other wolves. “The rest of you go, we’ll be right behind you.”

The others jump over the wide river without hesitation. Selene marvels at the fact they don’t need a boat. As the last pack member makes it across the distant, sound of angry voices can be heard. Selene’s stomach flips as she looks at the Alpha. She isn’t sure how she’s going to make it over the river.

“Just jump,” the Alpha replies.

He backs up a few steps and gets a running start before flinging himself to the other side. The black wolf lands hard and looks back at Selene before collapsing to the ground. This was what she was afraid of. She knew the injury from the ceremonial dagger was still festering. Her shoulder where Marcus drew the blood with the tip is still throbbing. With the Alpha in distress, Selene doesn’t think twice about hopping over the water.

She lands beside him. “Are you okay?” she asks while sniffing the Alpha’s face. Some actions are purely wolf instinct. She doesn’t understand why she’s compelled to do it, but for some reason, it just feels right. She begins to lick the wound on his right shoulder. The taste of copper floods her mouth as the Alpha flinches.

“Onyx,” he says.

“Excuse me?”

“That’s my name,” the Alpha replies. “I would give anything to hear you say it just once before I die.”

Selene stops licking and drops her head down to him. “You’re not going to die, I won’t let you. I’m going to lift you onto my back and we're getting out of here, together.”

The voices are getting closer as Selene crawls under Onyx’s body. He’s only able to lift himself a little, but that’s all she needs. Once in place, Selene marvels at how light he feels on her back. There’s no time to celebrate, she needs to catch up to the pack.

“There they are!” someone behind them screams.

Selene doesn’t wait to see who it is. She takes off in the direction of the others, following their scent. The trees of the forest fly by as she runs. Pure adrenalin is the only thing keeping her going. She still feels weak from her own ordeal, but Onyx needs her. He wouldn’t be injured if it wasn’t for her.

The scent of the others is her only guide as she weaves in and out of the underbrush. Branches steadily scratch against her new body, but she pays them no mind as she runs.

“Are you still with me?” she asks, but Onyx doesn’t reply. She knows he’s still breathing, and she can feel his heartbeat. The scent of the pack is starting to dissipate as an immense rocky wall comes into view. She stops in front of the barrier and looks for a way around.

A voice in her head suddenly yells. “Selene, come this way! Down here, now, hurry!”

She turns to her right and sees a wolf jumping around trying to get her attention. Selene hurries to them, not sure of how far ahead of the coven she is.

The wolf reaches up and pulls on a vine, opening a passageway to the other side. Selene darts through with Onyx and the other wolf follows. The passage slams shut behind them.

“I’m glad that worked,” the wolf says. “We haven’t used the passage in ages.”

Selene says nothing as she follows the shifter through more trees. The woodlands eventually stop and she can make out a village ahead of them. As they get closer, Selene can see people of all ages standing outside of their huts. They all gawk at her as she hurries behind the pack member.

“Are they all shifters?” she wonders. “Do they have a whole village that nobody knows about?”

“Mommy, is that a silver wolf?” a little boy asks as Selene walks past.

The woman just stares and nods.

“I’ve heard of silver wolves, but I have never actually seen one,” one man whispers to another. “I thought they were extinct. Is she carrying the Alpha?”

Selene tries to ignore all the whispers and pointing as she moves quickly along. Onyx needs her help.