Curves & Alphas: A Paranormal Box Set: (BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance) (26 page)

Chapter 19

From out of the fog in front of them stepped a wolf. It was difficult to see his markings in the gloom, but he was lighter in color and large; at least as big as Van. Just as masculine, and powerfully beautiful, too. He advanced towards them, and as he moved, Sophia smoothly reached for her gun. She didn’t even need to think about it; all of Van’s combat training kicked in straight away. It was loaded and ready. She steadied herself and aimed directly in between the wolf’s eyes. It stopped right in front of Van.

Sophia’s finger squeezed the trigger as Van’s words ran through her mind. Offensive not defensive. She firmed her shoulder and prepared for the kick back. Just then, Van turned around and quite distinctively shook his head. Taken aback, Sophia lowered the weapon. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw another wolf step out from between the trees, then another, until they were completely surrounded by wolves. They were all big beasts, but the one standing directly in front of them was the largest, and presumably the alpha male. Whipping her head around, Sophia counted nineteen in total. Nineteen large creatures that she supposed were werewolves very interested in finding out who this mortal intruder on wolf-back was. She guessed that Van knew the pack; she hoped they considered him a friend. 

The pack behind the alpha watched silently for a while, then began making a series of sounds, talking to each other. Low, rumbling growls rolled around the group like a wave, interrupted by the odd high-pitched yelp and low-toned short bark. The alpha male remained silent, eyes locked with Van’s. Sophia guessed they were communicating telepathically, and desperately wished she knew what they were saying. This not knowing was torture. She gripped Van’s back between her knees and locked her fingers around a bunch of his fur. She wanted to be ready if he ran, although she honestly didn’t see how they’d break through the wolf-walls surrounding them, if he did decide to flee.

Just then, the alpha male turned around, tipped up his head, and issued a series of growl-yip combinations. He then moved towards the top of the circle, followed by Sophia and Van. The crowd parted and let them through, then fell into a loose formation behind them as they set off at a steady trot. The terrain had been relatively flat during their journey up until this point, but a short while after they began following the alpha male, giant moss-covered boulders appeared between the trees. Sophia clung on as Van scrambled up and over some stones, and squeezed through narrow gullies formed by others. Things got trickier as they headed up a steep hill, still covered with the same moon-like rocks. About half way up the hill, the alpha led them under a large hanging rock, disappearing into the darkness beyond. Fear gripped Sophia; what if it was a trap? But Van was already following him through, and there was no time to voice her fears. She figured there was nothing either of them could do about it at this point, anyway.

Once inside, the tight entrance tunnel opened up into a vast cavern, the dimensions of which were impossible to tell because it was so dark. Sophia’s eyes began to adjust little by little, but even so, she sensed rather than saw all of the other wolves join them in the cave. Soon the air was filled with the warm, earthy smell of nineteen panting creatures. There was a hint of something else, too. Fear? Suspicion? Aggression? Probably all of those things combined. She climbed down off Van’s back and stood beside him with her hand on his neck. She was trying hard, desperately hard, to remain calm. The whole mission could depend on it. She just had to be patient and trust that Van knew what he was doing. By luck or design, she and Van found themselves surrounded by the pack once more, just as they had been in the woods. In each direction that Sophia turned, she saw shining eyes, all staring directly at her.

Perhaps it was the confined space, but as soon as they were all packed into the cave, the situation began to tip out of control. A few of the wolves near the door started snarling, and little by little, the others caught on and started growling, too. The fur on their backs and necks bristled and they flashed their teeth. Even if they considered Van a friend while they were out in the open, now that they were inside, it seemed that instinctual behaviors were emerging. Van was a newcomer, and these werewolves clearly didn’t want him thinking he could take their spot on the ladder. When Sophia felt the low rumbling begin in Van’s throat, too, she knew that things were about to turn really nasty. There was going to be a fight and this cave would be the place that she died, ripped to shreds by the pack. She needed to do something, now.

She stepped away from Van a little and held up both of her hands.

‘Please listen,’ she said, her voice echoing around the cave. She was pleased to sound bolder and calmer than she felt. ‘We don’t mean any harm. Please let me explain why we’re here.’

This silenced some. Others left their teeth bared, and still others continued growling. She pressed on, certain that transparency was the key to calming this situation.

‘Van is a werewolf, just like you all. I think you know him already. But you don’t know me, and I’m sure you’re all wondering why I’m here, in your forest. My name is Sophia and I’ve traveled here with Van through the oak tree portal. I am Van’s Pure Soul and we’ve come to find the Pack Leader. We hope that he can tell us how the Pure Soul reverses the werewolf curse so that Van can live out his days as a mortal man with me. We don’t want any trouble; we just want to find out what to do, then go home.’ 

She realized she’d been holding her breath, and let it out in a slow stream. The cave was silent and the air thick with tension. She was hoping for a sign that her speech had put them at ease, but they seemed even more alert, as if waiting for something more. Of course, she suddenly thought, all of these werewolves are yet to find their Pure Souls. How will they feel, knowing another werewolf has found his? Will they be jealous of Van and wish us harm? And why are they all staring at me like that?

With a rush of dread, she wondered if she’d made a mistake. Perhaps the full truth wasn’t always the way forward. As she looked into one wolf’s eyes, and then another’s, something strange began to happen. She heard a voice. It was distant at first, as if the speaker was shouting across a great distance. She focused her gaze on one werewolf and stared intently into his eyes. Is it you? Are you talking to me? Then, there it was again. Just a word to begin with, and then a phrase. She tried to reach out and grab them within her mind, but they were difficult to catch. Then all the words started to overlap and become jumbled in her mind, so picking up on one single message was impossible.

Pure…

East…

Pack Leader…

Colti Vampires…

Death…

The mother…

The messages might have been jumbled, but she was definitely reading this werewolf’s thoughts.

‘I can hear you!’ she cried. ‘I can actually hear you!’

A ripple of movement and sound flew around the cave. Sophia ignored the excited barks and concentrated as hard as she possibly could on the wolf that she’d connected with.

Tell me your name,
she shouted in her head.

Jack.

His reply was so clear that she jumped back in surprise and gave a great whoop.

‘His name’s Jack!’ she shouted. ‘He told me with his mind! This is amazing!’

The cave fell silent once more. Then something incredible happened. One by one, the wolves crouched down and tucked their tails under their rumps. Beside Sophia, Van did the same thing. Sophia slowly turned around, awestruck. It almost seemed that they were bowing down to her.

‘What’s going on?’ she wondered aloud. ‘Why are you all crouching?’

The alpha male, who was the only one left standing, slowly walked around Van and stood before her. He regarded her steadily. Following her instincts, she knelt down to show she respected his position, and looked into his eyes.

Thank you for helping us,
she said
. Please tell me what’s happening.

For a moment, she wondered if he couldn’t hear her. Then she heard his voice, which had a thick German accent. She could hear him clearly, in full sentences. It seemed amazing; perhaps the telepathic powers of the alpha male were stronger, giving her more access to his messages.

My name is Reinhart, ‘The Brave One’. I’ve met Van before during his excursions into our forest. I led you both here to shelter until tomorrow night. Tomorrow we will all travel East with you to Virgin Lake to find the Pack Leader.

Thank you. I can’t begin to tell you how grateful I am for your help. But why? I know you’re friendly with Van, but why risk yourselves to help us? And why is everyone crouching down?

Everything will be revealed in due course,
he said, maddeningly cryptic.

Well, can we leave tonight?
Sophia asked.
We don’t have long to get back through the Oak Tree portal.

No,
he replied.
You need to gather your strength. East is where the Colti Vampires live, and they won’t make it easy for us to pass through their territory. He paused. This is a special day. A momentous day. Never before has a Pure Soul visited our forest. Most werewolves know of the legend of the Pure Soul, but many believe it is just that; a legend. The Pure Soul seems to appear somewhere else, to someone else, never to them. Your presence will intrigue them, and unsettle them, too. We will be watching closely to see if you can truly undo the spell that has cursed Van, and the rest of us, as well. If it’s true, all of our lives will be changed forever, too. You’ll give us hope that we too might change our destinies.

Sophia bowed her head, overwhelmed by the thought that more lives than Van’s and hers could be affected by this journey. All of these wolves had once been men, just like Van. Now they’re forced to live an endless existence in this cold, dark cave, hiding from a world that feared and reviled them. 

Do you think that others will search for their Pure Souls, too?
she asked
. Is that what you meant when you said I give the others hope that they can change their destinies, too?

He was silent for a long time and Sophia began to wonder if she’d said something to offend him.

Everything will be revealed in time.

Chapter 20

A little later, a small group of werewolves went out hunting and returned with four fat rabbits that they placed at Sophia’s feet. She was building a fire a short distance from the cave, watching Van and Reinhart out of the corner of her eye. They stood quietly together near the cave entrance, in deep conversation. She still hadn’t had a chance to talk with Van – Reinhart had whisked him away as soon as the group in the cave had disbanded – and they’d been talking for a long time. Sophia felt more than a little irritated that there was something important going on that she wasn’t allowed to know about.

Everything will be revealed in time. How exasperating. And how presumptuous of Reinhart to think that his judgment about what she should and shouldn’t know was more sound than hers. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate his help, but she felt it was her right to be a main player in the planning, not some silent accomplice. It was understandable that she’d be in the dark if she wasn’t able to communicate with them, but she’d proven herself perfectly competent with telepathic communication, and this mission was as much about her as it was about Van. So why were they still hiding something? She planned to grill Van as soon as she got the chance.

Adding to her increasingly foul mood was her hunger and fatigue. She felt like it must have been three or four o’clock in the morning by now – a long while since Van’s risotto – but she was loathe to dip into her meager food supplies just yet. She needed Van to catch them some meat, but he was too busy talking.

So, she asked another werewolf for permission, and then started building a fire to cheer her mood. She’d also be ready to cook some meat when Van finally got away from Reinhart. When the werewolves placed their slightly gruesome but very welcome gifts beside her, Sophia felt so pleased that she actually hugged them.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said, stepping back. ‘I’m not sure if you all want to be hugged. I’m just really tired and so hungry. This is just wonderful. Thank you, thank you.’ She picked up two of the rabbits and offered them back. ‘Please; we don’t need all of these. You eat them.’ The two wolves at the front took the rabbits gently in their mouths and retreated into the woods to eat them.

Sophia looked determinedly at the two corpses in front of her. This was her chance to use some of the skills that Van had taught her, and also prove to everyone who was watching (but pretending not to watch) that she wasn’t some prissy city girl. Once the fire was going, she retrieved a small knife and some rope from her backpack. She found a suitable tree and tied the first rabbit upside down, then set to work.

There was no denying that it was unpleasant work. But, she worked steadily, and as she severed the head from the spine and detached the skin from the meat, she couldn’t remember a time in recent years when she’d felt so proud of herself. Next, she quartered and cleaned the bodies, and then constructed a spit from three small saplings. By the time Van finally joined her, both rabbits were cooking over the fire. She could feel him trying to make eye contact with her, but Sophia continued to rotate the meat for a while without talking to him. In truth, she was desperate to try out her telepathic skills with him; how many couples could say that they could literally read each other’s minds? But, for now, she wanted him to know that she didn’t appreciate all this secrecy.

He lay down beside her and nudged her leg with his head. She sighed and looked into his eyes.

Congratulations on the fire and the meat,
he said.
You did an incredible job.

She softened a little; always a sucker for flattery. Plus, it warmed her heart to hear his voice again.
Thanks. I just realized you would’ve probably preferred yours left raw.
She paused, giving him a chance to tell her what he’d been talking to Reinhart about, but he’d turned away and was staring into the flames.

‘Van, can you please tell me what’s going on?’ she said quietly enough that others wouldn’t hear. ‘I’m feeling a little left out here.’

He turned his head to her again, and she could tell by the look in his eyes that he wasn’t going to give her everything she wanted. Sophia began firing questions at him in her mind.

Why did those wolves bow down to me in the cave? Is it because of the telepathy? And why are they all putting themselves in danger to help us find the Pack Leader? What were you talking about with Reinhart all that time? I mean, seriously! You were over there for at least an hour! What am I meant to think, sitting over here by myself? Give me something, please!

He heaved a weary sigh. No doubt he was exhausted and hungry, too, and Sophia felt a little guilty for interrogating him. Still, she deserved to know.

Reinhart and the pack believe there is something very important going on; something much bigger than our original mission. Yes, your telepathic abilities are part of it. But I’m afraid I can’t tell you at this point. We need to think of your safety first, and our primary objective is still to get to the Pack Leader.

But why can’t I know?
she demanded
. This isn’t fair!
She felt a little like a child talking to a parent; a dynamic she wasn’t fond of.

He gave an exasperated growl
. If anything happened on our journey East, then you’d be in much greater danger if you knew.

If what kind of thing happened?
she insisted

If you were captured by the Colti Vampires! He was irritated now. She’d made him say the thing he feared, and she got the feeling that now he was going to tell her the unfiltered truth about what might happen, whether she liked it or not. God forbid, if they ambush us tomorrow night and take you prisoner, then one of two things will happen. First, they’ll kill you. A friend of the werewolves is an enemy of theirs. And let me tell you, it won’t be a quick or painless death. Second, they’ll keep you alive and use you as a bargaining tool. If they knew what you really were, you’d be a much more valuable prize. Once they get what they want, they’ll probably kill you anyway. So you see; we can’t risk you knowing until we reach the Pack Leader, and all the werewolves of the forest can guard you properly.

Do you really think I’d tell the vampires all our secrets, just like that? Don’t you think I’m trustworthy enough?

He shook his head, exasperated
. It’s nothing to do with trust. I trust you; you know that. But the werewolves also know how evil the Colti Vampires are. They’d do things to you that’d mean you had no choice but to tell them everything. Colti means fang in Romanian; they’re an ancient Romanian breed of vampire with huge front teeth fangs rather than subtle canine fangs like other vampires. They’re hideously ugly, with bulging yellow eyes, huge deformed ears, and waxy skin that’s covered in festering sores. Forget anything you’ve seen or read about sexy vampires. These guys are absolutely repulsive. Not only that, but they’re vicious, too.

Apparently they’ll occasionally convert one of the villagers, if numbers are dwindling, but mostly they kill just for blood. Once they’ve drained the blood, they tear the corpse into pieces and scatter it around the forest with no regard for the soul of the victim. The villagers are terrified of them and are forbidden from going outside at night. But this doesn’t protect them. The Colti use their long, sharp fingernails to carve through the glass windows of their houses, then open the windows and creep inside to claim their victims. The blood of small children and babies is their favorite, as well as virgins, but I can imagine that a Pure Soul will be high on their list, too. Can you understand why we can’t give them any more reason to go after you?

You’ll be protected by the pack on the journey tomorrow, but Reinhart thinks the Colti numbers are up around fifty or sixty. They’re not afraid to sacrifice some members of the group if there’s something they really want. We’ll be no match for them if they know the truth. We’ll be very lucky to get to Virgin Lake with you unharmed anyway. I’m not happy about taking the journey at all and putting you in that danger, but we don’t have a choice. This thing is already bigger than the two of us.

Sophia put her hand on Van’s neck and stroked him gently.

‘Thank you for telling me,’ she said. ‘I understand what you’re saying. Everything you’ve said frightens me beyond belief, but I’m still glad that I know a little more now.’ She checked the meat, which smelt absolutely delicious. ‘These guys look about done. How about we eat, then get some rest?’ She had a feeling that getting to sleep in the cave might be easier said than done with the prospect of tomorrow’s dangers fresh in her mind, as well as all the questions that remained unanswered. But she sure planned to enjoy that rabbit first anyway.