The Wolf Heir

Chapter Nine: Two Wolves

After that dream, nothing was the same. I couldn’t stop thinking about those cloaked figures and, as much as I hated to admit it, I was scared, especially since I hadn’t had vivid dreams like that one since then. I even tried shifting a couple of times, as if that were a trigger for the dreams. My wolf didn’t say anything, but I could hear her chuckles in my mind as I became frustrated with not being able to see a sign or something that pointed us into Morgan’s direction.

Elizabeth came by more often now, my mother looked suspicious, but she didn’t say anything about it. My friend helped me with my chores even though she knew I hated it and spent most of the time talking. She was really excited to be able to shift, and from what she had told me this last week, she had shifted more times than I had.

I hadn’t mentioned the dream to her but now that we were hiking, further than we had ever been from home, I thought it was best to let her know what I had dreamt. “Elizabeth, hold on,” I said softly, and Elizabeth stopped, her hand was just on the rock in front of us.

Noticing my change in attitude, she stepped back and looked at me confused, “what’s wrong? Did you hear something? Are you feeling alright?”

I nodded my head and crossed my arms in front of me. “I had a dream recently; it didn’t involve Morgan but there was something bad about this dream. There were men gathering around a fire, they called themselves The Clan of Wolves and they were talking about driving werewolves to extinction. There was something evil and dark about them, Elizabeth. And I am starting to think we’re not safe here on our own. We need to find Morgan, somehow,” I finished, making sure she heard the urgency in my voice.

Elizabeth nodded her head slowly before talking, “I understand, and you’re right, we should be more careful from now and on and only shift when it’s really necessary. But how should we find Morgan? We have no idea where she could be,” she said defeatedly.

I nodded my head and shrugged, “I don’t know, I tried making myself dream of her or dream of something, but nothing worked. I don’t know what else to try.”

Elizabeth pondered with her thoughts for a minute, she sat down on a rock nearby and scrunched her forehead as she stayed silent. “We should find more like us, werewolves. Maybe that’s how we are going to find Morgan. From what we know about wolves, they live and travel in packs and their strength resides in their pack. There is also a strict hierarchy, but I think I already know who the Alpha is, I mean, your wolf made it pretty obvious the other day.” Elizabeth raised an eyebrow and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“We don’t know if there are others or if there are even some nearby but, I think we should visit people who went to school with us; for some reason there’s a feeling inside of me that something else is missing and I am guessing whoever else is a werewolf must be our age,” I suggested and Elizabeth got to her feet in a hurry.

“Let’s go,” she said cheerfully and started to make her way down the hill we had been climbing. My eyes widened as I saw my friend speed down the hill, dodging rocks and trees on her way down. I chuckled and followed after her.

…

By the time the day was almost over, Elizabeth and I had visited a couple of our old classmates. Some were married, others were working to pay their family debt and others still lived with their parents. It was strange to think that not so long ago, we were still going to school together, playing out in the fields and seeing each other daily. Now that familiarity was gone.

None of them had looked too pleased to see Elizabeth and me, surprised, yes but not pleased. Either way, none of them showed any signs Elizabeth and I had presented, not even when we touched them. It was no use. We were alone.

My friend and I were walking on the trail leading us back to our houses, in silence, when we heard the sound of hooves on the ground behind us. We quickly stepped to the side to let the rider and his horse through but to my surprise, he stopped.

“What are you girls doing here alone?” Jonas Gordon asked, on his face was a bright smile that would melt any girl’s heart.

“We are walking home, we have to get back before it gets dark,” Elizabeth explained nonchalantly, and I glared at her from the corner of my eye. She pretended not to notice as she kept her eyes fixed on Jonas, eyeing him approvingly.

Jonas smiled and got off his horse. He stood in front of us and pointed to the wagon his horse was pulling. “I could take you girls home if you’d like.” He kept his eyes set on me, there was a certain intensity to his stare, and I shivered pleasantly. My heart was racing nervously, and I could feel a blush beginning to reach my cheeks.

I quickly broke eye contact and shook my head. “That’s not necessary, Jonas,” I said, more confidently than I actually felt.

Jonas stepped closer to me, so close that I could feel his breath. He was taller than me and I stared at his chest, not wanting to look up and get lost in his eyes. I had never felt like this before. What was happening?

“It would be no trouble. I insist,” he whispered, and his tone seemed to caress my cheek in a soft, soothing way.

Before I could respond, Elizabeth interrupted and tangled her arm in mine. “We’d be honored. Thank you, Jonas. My house is just a few kilometers that way and Katherine’s is a couple after,” she said happily.

Jonas nodded his head and helped us onto the wagon. When he extended his hand to help me get onto the wagon, I pretended not to see it and got on by myself. He quickly regained his composure and walked back to his saddle.

Elizabeth was looking at me with a look I couldn’t place on her face. It looked like she was accusing me of something. I quickly shook my head and waved her off. She raised her eyebrow for a moment, meeting my eyes, before breaking eye contact and shrugging.

“It’s been a long time since we last saw you, Jonas,” she said, it wasn’t weird of her to try and make a conversation, she couldn’t keep quiet even if her life depended on it.

“I know, I lost all tracks of you, although, I saw Katherine recently,” I blushed as I recalled how nervous I had been then and how he had made me feel. A slight shiver ran through me and I ignored my friend’s surprised look in front of me. “How have you been, Elizabeth?” Jonas continued, thankfully, and instantly, Elizabeth’s attention left me.

“I’ve been well, very good in fact. I’m getting married in a couple of months,” she said cheerfully. A bright smile covered her face and I tensed. I hoped she wasn’t going to tell her future husband about our current situation, he was the mayor’s son, after all.

Jonas turned to look at Elizabeth, a shocked expression on his face. “Really? Already?” Elizabeth nodded her head enthusiastically.

“My marriage has been arranged since I was little, Jonas. It’s no surprise that it is happening soon,” she responded with a shrug. “I’m not worried about me, who worries me is Katherine. I see no sign of a man lining up at her house to ask for her hand.”

I stiffened and the blush on my cheeks intensified. She was doing this on purpose.

Jonas laughed and shook his head. Something inside of me stirred, it was a sad feeling that I had never felt before. Somehow, it seemed Jonas was laughing at me. And I didn’t like that, it felt… painful.

“Katherine is a strong, young woman. She ain’t going to take any man that just happens to show up at her house. I think she needs to feel something for the lucky man before she decides to marry,” he looked at me from the corner of his eye and I my eyes widened. He talked about me as if he knew me, and to my surprise, he had echoed my thoughts.

“I know, I just worry she won’t ever find someone to grow with,” Elizabeth said with a shrug before standing up on the moving wagon. “Well, this is my stop. Thank you for bringing me, Jonas. I hope I get to see you another time. See you tomorrow, Katherine.” My friend jumped off the wagon and landed on her feet gracefully.

All of the color had left my face as I glared at her for being so reckless. She ignored me before waving goodbye to Jonas and me as the wagon kept on moving. There was a silent hanging over us, it wasn’t uncomfortable, but I would have preferred to walk alone to my house.

“So, you’re being very serious, Katherine. Did Elizabeth make you uncomfortable with all the talk about marriage?” he asked, his tone was soothing, and he seemed genuinely interested in what I thought.

I sighed. “A little bit. Marriage isn’t a subject I particularly enjoy. I just hoped I would never have to think about that,” I admitted, for some reason I felt as if I could trust Jonas. I knew in my heart; he would keep my secrets and try to help me without judging me.

“I understand. I think people marry for the wrong reasons these days. They marry to have more power or to have more money. I promised myself and my family, that I would not marry unless I found someone I could love. Someone I could cherish and spend my life with, happily,” he said softly. I stared at him wide-eyed. It wasn’t common for a man to say things like that.

I didn’t respond, I didn’t know what I could say. So, we spent the rest of the ride in silence.

When I began to see markings I could recognize, I knew we were close to my house. Relief started to fill me just as the barn came to view. Blaze was outside in the corral, sniffing the air. He must have caught a slight breeze with mine because he instantly neighed and turned my way.

I smiled and began to get up when Jonas’ voice stopped me. “Hold on, let me stop the wagon and help you down.” Confusion filled me and Jonas came to an abrupt stop, making me squeal in fright and tumble forward.

Jonas was by my side in an instant, he had managed to catch me before falling to the ground. I was panting and my heart was racing, although I was starting to think it had nothing to do with falling off the wagon.

Jonas’ arms were wrapped tightly around me, holding me in place. He helped me straighten but didn’t take his arms from me. His eyes were studying me, as if looking for any sign of an injury. When his eyes finally met mine, he blushed, “are you alright?”

I nodded my head as tingles began to run through my body. I looked at his hand that was on my arm; his skin was touching mine and slight sparks were shared between us. “Can you feel that?” I whispered, not taking my eyes off his hand.

“What?” he asked in confusion and I quickly shook my head.

“Nothing, I should go. My parents don’t like it when I am out just as the sun is beginning to set and if they came out here looking for me and saw me with you, they would only get the wrong impression since I was supposed to be with Elizabeth,” I babbled nervously as I toyed with my hair with one hand.

Jonas smiled slightly even though his eyes seemed to show certain sadness. He nodded and slowly put his hands back at his sides. “I understand. I am happy I was able to bring you home safely. Take care, Katherine and I hope to see you soon again,” he whispered as he began to walk back to his horse.

I nodded my head and waved at him goodbye. Just as he was about to ride off, I regained my voice, “oh and Jonas? Don’t worry, I am sure you will find the right woman to love and I am sure she will love you just as much. Both of you will be very lucky.”

Jonas smiled and nodded his head, “thank you, Katherine. Goodnight.” He rode off and I hesitantly waved at him. Once he was out of sight, I let out a big sigh and shook my head. What is wrong with me? Do I really have a crush on Jonas Gordon?

I shook the thoughts away and headed over to the barn to take Blaze back to his stall. The black horse greeted me with excitement and with a loud neigh. He met me halfway in the corral and gently nudged me, playfully.

“Hold on, boy. It’s not time to play. Let’s get you back inside with Storm,” I whispered as I ran my hand through his soft coat. He neighs sounded defeated and sad now, as if he could understand me. I laughed and shook my head, “I promise to take you out tomorrow.” His eyes instantly lit up and I rolled my eyes at him.

Once Blaze was safely inside his stall, I headed inside my home.

Just like last time, my parents were already inside, only this time, they were waiting for me. I saw my mother’s concerned expression and instantly stiffened.

“Mother hold on. I know it is almost dark out now, but I was at the barn putting Blaze in his stall. I got here before the sun set. In fact, Jonas Gordon brought me home,” I said quickly and instantly regretted the comment about Jonas.

My parents’ eyes widened, and they looked at me with confusion. “Why did Jonas Gordon bring you home? Is there something we should know about?” my father asked slowly as he began to cross his arms in front of him. I could tell he was starting to get defensive.

“No father, it is nothing like that. He saw Elizabeth and I walking home, and he decided to take us so we could get to our homes in time. He was just trying to be nice,” I explained softly.

My parents shared a look before turning back to me. “Alright. Just, please let us know beforehand if there is a man in your life. We don’t want any… surprises,” my father said uncomfortably. At first, I didn’t know what he meant, but then the words started to sink in.

“No father, that won’t happen!” my expression was bewildered as I shook my head vigorously. I was not getting pregnant anytime soon, I wasn’t even married yet.

My father nodded and thankfully, dropped the subject. “Let’s eat,” my mother said after a couple of moments and got up from her chair to get the plates. I followed after he and helped her take everything we needed to the table.

In a few minutes, all of us were seated at the table, eating calmly and talking about our days.

When it was all over, my parents headed to their room earlier than usual; my father’s tiredness was noticeable.

I sighed as I got ready for bed and soon, I was laying on my bed, trying to calm my racing thoughts. I couldn’t stop think about the tingles and sparks I had felt with Jonas. There was something… electrifying about it. Something new and lovely about it.

I just knew my crush on him had something more to do with my newfound werewolf nature than I originally thought. Was Jonas some kind of werewolf? Why was I so drawn to him? It felt like the questions were only pilling up instead of getting easier to solve.

I let out a frustrated sigh and closed my eyes tightly. Hoping that sleep would come soon and with it, dreams of clues to get to Morgan. Or at least to find out more about the Clan of Wolves. But as my mind began to drift off, the only thing I could think off were those captivating blue eyes I had seen just recently. Gentle tingles ran through my body as sleep took over.