The Great Wolf: A Legacy of Kilkenny Novel Book Three (The Legacy of Kilkenny Saga) (8 page)

I leap across and snag the flag on the first try.  Not
pausing long enough to hear the griping from the other wolves, I maneuver
myself out of the tree. 

Soon I have eight flags and only one other person at my
heels.

“You don’t seem too
great
to me.  I’m an
ordinary
wolf who’s about to beat your ass.”

I turn to the trash talking guy.  I recognize him; he’s the
Canadian who has eight flags too. 

“Beat my ass, huh?  Come on, if you think you can, please
try.”  I give him a once over before saying anything else.  “It doesn’t take
being a Great Wolf to win, it takes being the one who can make it through the
obstacles without dying.  Oh look,” I say and point to a flag.  I reach for the
flag in one swift movement, securing it with the other eight.  I turn towards
the Canadian in time to see he’s not as confident as he was one minute ago.

“You asswipe, you stole my flag!” He shouts behind me.

Don’t listen to him, he’s pissed off because he knows he
can’t beat you.
  I tell myself.  Someone is screaming, I look around to
figure out where the screams are coming from.  Another scream, only this one is
high-pitched and scared. 

“What, you can’t handle a little screaming?”  He chides at
me.

“What’s your problem?  Someone’s hurt!” I shout.  My wolf is
trying to pinpoint where the screams are coming from.

“You’re a dumbass if you turn around for some pansy wolf who
can’t make it through an agility course.  See that up there?”  He points to a
flag.  “That makes number 9 for me; I guess you’re not so great after all.”

Screw him. 
Another scream, louder than the first two,
fills the air. 

“Some things are more important than a gold medal,” I say
and turn around to run back towards the screaming.  No sooner do I turn, an
arrow zips past me and into the Canadian.  I flip around in time to see his
eyes grow wide and his mouth opens to say something, but he tumbles to the
ground instead.  His breathing is labored as he flails back and forth in pain.

I race over to him and assess his wound.  The arrow is
straight through his chest.  There’s no way he’s making it out of here alive. 
“Hold on, a medic will be here in a second.”

It doesn’t matter, the injury is too bad for his wolf to
survive.  The light goes out of his eyes as they stare off with a blank gaze.

Damn you! 
I have no idea what else to think.  It
could have been me if I hadn’t turned around when I did.  The cries have
stopped.  The competitors who’re left are headed my direction. 

The medics appear out of nowhere and I force myself to run
away and win the competition.

  ****************

“You’re convinced this is the right thing to do?” Dolly
asks. 

We’ve been talking to Quinney for the last hour, going over
the visions he’s been having.

“It’s the
only thing to do. 
She and I make a good
team.”  I reply. 

“Okay, let’s go talk to the pack,” Dolly pulls me in for a
hug.  “You’re going to be great.  You and Pru will make our pack proud, I have
no doubt.”

“Thank you.”

****************

The conference room is once again the meeting place. 
Someone spots us and our presence is brought to everyone’s attention.

Across the room I see Oakley, Pru, Shaynie and Bryon.  I
walk over to the four and ask them to come out into the hallway with me. 

“Hopefully I won’t hurt any feelings; I had to make a
decision that will work for the pack.  It isn’t something worth dragging out. 
If someone died in front of me on the agility course, the seeker course is
going to be more dangerous.  Bryon and Oakley, you won’t be going in with me.” 

Oakley has on his poker-face, but his body language says
he’s not happy. 

“I’ve decided to take Pru with me.”  I stand tall to back up
my conviction.

“She’ll be too distracted guarding you, leaving her
vulnerable,” Oakley growled.

Pru turns to him and punches him in the upper arm.  “I’m not
an idiot, Oak!  Abel, we’re going to kick some serious ass!” 

Without warning, she pulls me into a bear hug.

“To be honest with you, I’ve been trying to find a way to
discourage you from taking me, so I’m relieved,” Bryon admitted.  “Not that I’m
a wuss or anything…”

“Don’t worry, no biggie.  Of course you’re not a wuss, I’d
never have considered you if you were.”  I reach in my pocket and pull out the
Pack Coin.  It’s a silver coin with our pack name on one side and the Celtic
Tiquertra with a wolf’s head on the other.  There are two coins, one for each
competitor of the Seeker.  “Hey, we need to go inside and make the
announcement.  Pru, you and I will talk after the meeting.  Oakley, I’m sorry
man.”  It isn’t as though I can tell him about the vision Quinney had, or he’d
not let her out of his sight.

“I’m good,” Oakley says as he opens the door to the room.

The pack is anxious to find out who’s going into the arena. 
I take Pru’s hand into my own and we hold up our coin with the other hand.  A
few mini-gasps go throughout the room; they’re soon drowned out by the sound of
congratulations
from everyone else. 

My parents are leaning up against the back wall with worry
written all over their faces. 

One by one, each member stopped on their way out, to give us
a word of encouragement or advice.  The rest of the night is reserved for Pru
and I to run together and go over our plan of survival.

 ****************

“Did you get any sleep?”  Pru asks.  She came to the room
early to have a private breakfast with Oakley. 

I shake my head no.  “I’ll be fine,  Sapphire and Parker are
waiting to go down with me.  Enjoy
breakfast.
”  I wiggle my eyebrows up
and down at them.

I watched a movie called The Green Mile, a year or so
ago…the walk to the elevator reminds me of the movie.  Walking the walk to the
executioner after serving time in prison on death row must feel like this. 
Sapphire is talking to Parker and it reminds me that life goes on, with or
without you.

We had breakfast catered so the pack could eat alone.  I’ll
miss seeing Brianna before I disappear into a maze filled with death defying
obstacles.

“Any news about Kane?” Bryon asks me.

“No, why?”

“I don’t know, Dolly has been talking with his wife for the
last thirty minutes.  I thought maybe they’d heard something.”

“You’re aware of how she is when she’s nervous, she likes to
talk.  I’m sure his wife is losing her mind.”  I reach for a pair of tongs and
pick up a giant sticky cinnamon roll.  “Carbs, my favorite.”

Bryon pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket and sets it
in front of me.  “Here’s a note from Brianna, she asked me to give it to you
this morning over breakfast.”

My wolf nods in approval. 

“Oh, you can’t read it in front of anyone,” Bryon demands.

“What?  Why?” 

“She’s a girl, that’s why.  She came over to me and talked
to me in that cute, hard-to-understand-at-times accent and told me not to let
you read it in front of anyone.  I’m passing the 411 to you, now if you don’t
mind, I’m starving.”

“You’re aggravating.  Her accent is cute isn’t it?”  I smile
to myself as I imagine her talking to me.  Here comes my mom, she’s crossing
the room towards me.  It’s like her to want a hug and give me a pep-talk.  This
morning, she’s trying her best to hold it together, unsure if I’ll make it out
of the game alive.

“Abel, don’t do anything to show off.  I know you have all
of those fancy abilities, but don’t get yourself killed.  Don’t let Pru die
either,” she reaches up to touch the side of my face.

“Mom, I won’t show off any of my fancy abilities,” I tease
her.

“I’m serious, son.”

“Mom, don’t fret, we’ll be fine.  I love you.  Pru and I
will see you soon.”

“I love you too, Abel.  Be good.” She gives me a quick kiss
and I walk her to the door so she can go to the parents waiting area.

I stood at back of the conference room and watched my
friends eat their breakfast.  It’s hard not to think, soon, I’ll be their
alpha.  Everything will change the moment I accept the destiny of the wolf.  So
much of the werewolf lore is tied to Ireland, in fact, I’m drawn to stay here. 
I’d never leave Oklahoma, or my pack, but something is calling to my wolf. 
I’ve tried to ignore it by saying its Brianna that my wolf is drawn to, but
it’s more than romance that’s pulling me.

 Everyone is busy eating so I sneak out to the hallway to
read my note. 

Abel,

I know this is silly, but I wanted to wish you luck in
the Seeker event.  No matter what, be careful.  You’re so different from what I
expected.  You’re warm, funny, and I think you’re going to do awesome.  Don’t
forget, clothes are hidden throughout the game so when you shift back to human,
cover up!  LOL

In all seriousness, thank you for taking me out and for
being you.  I think you’re pretty great already. Be safe.

Your friend,

Brianna

My friend Brianna,
I say over and over to myself.

****************

When I was a kid, I’d play hide and seek with my sister,
Allie.  She earned her nickname Allie-Cat by the way she would hide in peculiar
places, typically somewhere up high.  When I’d find her, she’d look down on me
as if she was a predator and I was her prey.  Even the way she moved was cat-like. 
We’re wolves who’re going into an arena, but we need to think like predators. 
Who else to mimic, than the panther or other type of large cat?  They’re
calculated with every move they make, and that’s how Pru and I need to attack. 

I’ve had the chance to see almost everyone compete and most
of them are fast and go for the gold no matter the risk.  That type of thinking
will either get them killed, or cause them to make mistakes.  It makes me
recollect what happened to the competitor from Canada.  He would be alive if he
hadn’t been greedy.

After a moment’s hesitation, I take Pru’s hand and walk with
her to the starting gate.  Nervous tension is vibrating through the air as
everyone gathers to the starting area.  My nerves are uncommonly calm.

“You ready?” I ask.

“I got this,” Pru replies.

“
Prudence, we’re going in as a team, we’re coming out as
a team.  Don’t forget,”
I think to her. 

She started to say something, but the announcer’s voice
boomed overhead, telling us to check in.

“Oh Abel, you know I’ll save your ass, I wouldn’t leave you
behind,” Pru teases out loud.

“Nice, okay little Miss Pru, we’ll see who’s saving who.” I nudge
my shoulder into her.  I hold the double door open to the check-in building and
do a double-take as I see
her
.  Brianna is putting on her competitor
bracelet that we have to wear when competing.  “Brianna is here,” I state the
obvious.

“Wow, did she tell you she was going to be considered?”

I stare off into the distance and shake my head no.  “It’s
all strategy.”

“Seems as though you’re going up against your girlfriend,”
Pru said.

“She’s not my girlfriend; she’s been showing me
around….pshhht.”

“So you see better with your tongue down her throat?”  Pru asks.

“Yes, it’s all the craze.”  I glance over at Brianna, hoping
she isn’t listening to my conversation.  Her lips curve up in a half-smile;
obviously, she is listening. 

I follow Pru to the Phelan Pack table.  It’s where we pick
up our survival backpack filled with various items we’ll need if something goes
wrong.  It has a couple of military issued MRE’s for us to eat which isn’t my
favorite.  Nothing like a
meal ready to eat
in a camouflaged plastic
bag.  Each MRE has a main course, snack, instant coffee with a little heater
thing to make it hot, and waterproof matches.  They’re hit-or-miss on edible or
not, but they’re filled with calories, which we’ll need to keep our wolf
energized.  Each team is given a map of the wooded areas along with an
emergency beacon and a burner phone to check in with our pack.  If we set off
the beacon, it will take us out of the contest. 

The final item we’re handed is a small amber colored vile. 
The alchemist handing out the potion has a small yellow rose tattoo on her
wrist.   She’s a part of the Rosicrucian Provincialis Order, the same as an
alchemist I met in Paris.

We’re instructed to remove the lid and drink the elixir in
front of her.  This is the scariest part of the entire Olympics for me personally;
we’re cutting ourselves off from our pack.  One drink will last 72 hours and
keep us from communicating with the rest of our pack with the exception of our
teammate.  Most werewolves aren’t able to communicate when in human form, but
as wolves they are able to talk to each other.  Even though I’m not the
official alpha yet, I’m able to communicate with everyone in our pack, human
form or not. 

Pru and I clink our vials together and say, “Salute.”

The caramel flavored liquid has a bitter aftertaste. 

“What do you call that stuff?” I ask.

“Disgusting,” Pru responds with a chuckle.

The alchemist isn’t amused by the sneer on her face.  “You
need to report to the exit desk, the starting gun will be shot in seven
minutes,” she says dryly.

Pru and I walk through the doors and take our place in
line.  The maze is comprised of bushes with various entrance points along the
length of a football field.  My instincts say to go to the closest entrance
from the path.  Once inside, the maze will shift like a hall of mirrors does. 
Even though the maze part will be different, the obstacles will be the same.