The Vampire and the Alpha's Son

Enter the Wolf

I ran swiftly out past the edge of town, which wasn’t very far. I ran a little further still, until I was shrouded by a nearby forest, in case there should be any watching eyes from town. I collapsed amid the pine trees, taking in deep, ragged breaths to try to calm myself. I willed my body not to change, and though it was a struggle, I was finally able to regain control. As I did, I sensed an intense presence within me. It had been there ever since that moment in the hall, but I had been too panicked for it to register.

Hello, David, came a strong, deep voice inside my head.

You must be my wolf, I stated calmly. It felt strange, but at the same time, I felt like I was finally complete.

Yes, he replied, My name is Caldus.

But how can this be? I’m not eighteen yet, I asked, incredulous. 

Our mate’s honor was in danger, so I came to you a little early, he answered triumphantly.

There wasn’t any danger, I explained with an exasperated sigh, He was just flirting with her.

I don’t see any difference. His tone of voice indicated a shrug.

Wait a second, I started as what he said suddenly dawned on me, So Liz is our mate, then?

Of course she is. You already sensed it.

Ha! I knew it! I sprung up from the ground and punched a tree in my excitement. It barely stung and didn’t even break my skin. I was very strong, even for a wolf, mostly thanks to my Alpha blood.

The next instant I was hit by the strong scent of chocolate covered strawberries. I whirled around as my lovely vampire mate entered the woods a few feet from me. Her face was concerned, but not afraid, even though I nearly shifted in a hallway and almost attacked a human for merely looking at her.

“David?” she called out to me tentatively as she stepped closer. The forest floor made no sound beneath her feathery footsteps. “Are you alright? What happened?”

Caldus reacted hungrily to the sight of our mate before us. Go to her! Mate her! Now!

Now is not the time, nor the place, I tried to explain. He replied with a frustrated grunt.

“Liz,” I said, my voice unsteady, “I, um, I got my wolf.”

“But how, when you’re still seventeen?” she asked. She was not as surprised as I thought she would be, meaning that she either already guessed what had happened, or had sensed it somehow.

“It’s not impossible,” I answered with a half shrug, “But it is very, very rare.”

“Then why did it happen?” she asked instead, continuing to walk toward me. She did so slowly, carefully.

I turned away from her as she stopped a few inches from me. I was embarrassed to tell her the truth.

“Was it because of Daniel?” she whispered gently, bringing her hand up to brush her fingers along my cheek.

“Yes,” I replied reluctantly. I shivered at her electric touch. “He thought your honor was in danger.”

“From that loser?” she laughed heartily, “I’m not a virgin anyway.”

“Yeah, but that was long before I was born, so it doesn’t matter,” I explained sheepishly. It was mostly true. I didn’t care what she had done since it was such a long time ago. Regardless, it still bothered me a little because I was a virgin while she was not. She would be my first, and I selfishly wished I could be hers.

“What’s his name, your wolf?” she asked, changing the subject.

“Caldus,” I responded simply.

“Hm, that’s interesting,” she mused.

“What’s interesting?”

“Caldus is Latin for ‘hot, prompt, new’,” she explained, “Speaking of which, your skin is hotter than before.” Her hand was still resting on the side of my face. She breathed in deeply and continued, “And your scent is much more intense than before.”

“What do I smell like to you?” I pondered with a grin. I wrapped my arm around her waist and brought her closer, until our bodies touched. Caldus was writhing. 

“Mostly like dog, but also like wet grass and petrichor,” she answered, smiling back at me.

“What’s petrichor?” I asked, tilting my head to the side.

“You know that smell right after it rains?” she inquired in reply.

I nodded.

“That’s petrichor.”

“Interesting,” I pondered with a furrowed brow, “And this is appealing to you?”

“Very,” she confirmed with an alluring grin. She pulled my face to hers to give me a quick kiss. “When do I get to meet him?”

“Who, Caldus? You really want to see my wolf?” I balked. I was shocked and flattered, but at the same time, it instinctively felt like a bad idea.

“Of course. Why wouldn't I?” she asked, confused. She seemed completely unphased by the idea.

“Because, you’re a vampire…” I sputtered, unsure how to explain my unease without being offensive. The last thing I wanted was to upset my love.

“He’s just as much a part of you as you are, right? So therefore, I want to meet him too,” she said with a finite little nod.

Honestly, I was overjoyed that she truly wanted to know me in this way. It was right for my mate to know me completely, especially where my wolf was involved. So then why did I feel so worried about it? Was I worrying over nothing, or would something bad happen if I shifted in front of her? I guess only time will tell.

“It’ll have to be some other time, then,” I finally answered her question, looking down at my watch, “I’ve already been gone long enough. I should go back.”

“Yeah, ok,” she agreed reluctantly. 

She stroked my jawline with her fingertips, making me shiver like I did every time she touched me. She traced my lips with her thumb, the softness of her caress contrasting the coolness of her skin. I closed my eyes and inhaled, relishing her scent and her touch. She leaned in close and gingerly kissed my neck. I moaned, my wolf’s excitement growing as we longed and wished we could make love to her right here, right now. 

“Will you come see me tomorrow?” she whispered into my ear, her breath tickling my skin.

“I’ll certainly try,” I answered, opening my eyes to look into her shimmering emeralds. I knew better than to make a promise, but I would do everything in my power to come back into town tomorrow.

She smiled sweetly, but it was somehow a sad smile as well. She kissed me once more before pulling away and running back toward town. It took all my self-control not to stop her from leaving me. I stood there for a moment longer, then sighed heavily and started my run back to the packhouse. It would have been easier to take the car, but I had told my dad I was going for a run, so that would have been suspicious. It was a half hour drive, so it would take me just under an hour running at my fastest speed, which was fast for a human, but not fast enough.

I could get you there faster, you know, Caldus suggested.

I know, I replied, but I want our first shift to be in front of our Liz.

That’s fair. I can agree to that. He was quiet for a few minutes after that.

It was early in the evening yet and the sun was still working on its decline to the horizon. Its darkening rays twinkled between the eaves of the browning leaves. 

You are worrying over nothing, by the way, he finally spoke again, referring to my unease about shifting in front of Liz.

Yeah, probably, I agreed, but I still felt hesitant. Why did the Moon Goddess pair me with a vampire anyway?

She has her reasons, he answered simply, and refused to say anything more. We spent the rest of our commute in contemplative silence.