Mark of the Goddess

Chapter 5 - Into the Night

L.J.’s POV

Throughout the entire meeting Skald and Tally just stood at the doors. Watching and waiting. As if someone or something was about to come through those doors. Their statue-like stance, had everyone in the room a bit uneasy. Even if I tried to get them out of the room, they probably wouldn’t move. So everyone will just have to deal with it. I couldn’t help but take an occasional glance at Eldwin. He was looking through the file that Nascha had handed out to everyone an hour ago, regarding her flock’s research into the infected cure. I was more concerned for my sister. She had to be the reason Skald and Tally were so occupied on the doors. 

“Thank you everyone. If any of you would like to find a room for the night, we can accommodate you all as best as we can,” Father said as he rose from his seat. “I apologize for keeping you all here but I hope that you all will meet us in the dining hall for dinner.” He looked down at his watch and readjusted his cuffs. 

“Thank you for your hospitality, Pride Father,” Nascha said as she rose up as well. 

“You know us, Lionel. We will all have our normal rooms,” Barnaby said. He was already standing. I noticed Kosovo, myself and Tesla’s bear friend. He looked slightly upset. I don’t blame him, I haven’t even said ‘Hi’ to him yet. I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck and nodded to him. Silently telling him, ‘things are crazy’. Kosovo nodded his head at me as he followed Baranby towards the doors. I watched as everyone, except Eldwin and his pack mates, left. Skald and Tally were still unmoving, not even as everyone passed them. Those who left were cautious as they walked back the pair. I turned to my Father. 

“Something is up,” I almost whispered to him. He nodded. 

“What are you thinking?” He asked me out loud. I shrugged my shoulders. 

“They won’t listen to anyone else. So, I’m not sure how to really get them to move,” I said as I took a step away from my Father. 

“What were their names again?” Eldwin asked as he placed his hands on his hips. 

“Skald and Tally,” I said as I pointed out which was which. I walked around towards them and squatted down in front of them. They seemed to look right through me.

“You mind if I try to get their attention?” Eldwin asked as he turned towards us. I shrugged.

“I guess.” Eldwin paused for a moment. It was obvious he wasn’t sure on what to say. 

“Skald. Tally. Come here,” He spoke with power behind his voice. Both dogs turned their heads toward him. Tally’s ears were pinned back and Skald’s were up and alert. I chuckled.

“Well, then. At least you got their attention,” I said just as they slowly turned their heads back towards the open doors. “Well, for a moment at least.” I looked up at my Father as he approached me and the dogs. 

“Makes sense that they would listen to the mate of their alpha,” He said as he peaked out into the hallway. Sighing, he looked at his watch again. “It seems that Tesla is either hiding, or she’s patrolling. Normally, whenever I allowed wolves here, that is something she’d normally do.” I scoffed. 

“Yeah. If she’s hiding then she won’t be found until she wants us to find her,” I said as I rose up. Eldwin and his pack mates were staring at us. 

“Well, then. Shall we show you gentlemen to your rooms?” Father said as he pulled out the call device to summon a Pride member. Just as a young woman from our Pride approached Skald and Tally bolted out of the room. 

“Hey! Wait up you two!” I called to them, knowing damn well they wouldn’t listen to me. I ran after them down the hallway. Sliding slightly as I rounded the front door to the Pride House. They were already gone. I grumbled, just as Eldwin and his pack mates were at my side. 

“You think Tesla is in trouble?” He asked as he started to take his shirt off. I knew what he was thinking. 

“No way of telling, but I’ve had a bad feeling this whole time,” I said, copying his motions. “Since we are shifting, and I am assuming this, all of you have to stick with me. There are lionesses who will see your shifting as a threat. So long as all of you are near me, they will not attack.” I looked at each one of the men as they all stripped off their clothes. Eldwin nodded in agreement to me. 

“Lead the way,” Eldwin said just before he shifted. His pack mates followed suit with him. I shifted and led the pack in the direction that Skald and Tally went in. We’re coming Tesla, whether you are in trouble or not. 

~~

Tesla’s POV

I have been in this same spot for far too long. Much longer than I had liked. Skald and Tally would chime in to check on me, but I didn’t Answer them. I needed quiet to figure this situation out. I observed the Vargs as more and more showed up. I’m surprised that they hadn’t followed my scent. Then again they were more concerned with claiming the scent for themselves. I was starting to get impatient. Their stench probably seeped into my coat by now. I’ll be smelling like Vargs for the next week or two. I no longer felt like I was going to throw up, thankfully. 

I jumped as two Vargs started to fight. Their snarls and growls echoed through the tunnel. I peaked out to see a very large black Varg ripping and tearing into a smaller one. It looked slightly different from Vargs I normally see. His spine looked as if there were spikes coming out of it. Its ears were longer and its muzzle slightly pointed. Longer and sharped claws. Longer canines as well. What surprised me the most, was the Varg’s eyes. They were a disgusting greenish-yellow. 

I watched as black ooze dripped from its muzzle. It looked around as it stepped over the dead smaller Varg. It turned to look at all the eyes that watched it. It let out a roaring snarl that it honestly made me jump again. I felt the power behind it. Power only an alpha wolf could have. I took a step back and felt stepped on a dead root. Making it snap. It sounded so loud, even though it truly wasn’t. I froze as I watched the entrance to the tunnel I was in. Silence. s**t. I knew they had to have heard it. I can take down a few Varg at a time on my own, but I know there’s no way I can completely defeat an alpha. Injure, maybe, but not kill. I am not a part of a pack, so there’s no extra strength for me. 

I saw a black muzzle slowly creep from the left side of the tunnel. My heart raced as my body froze. The power that radiated from this Varg grew intense. I willed my breathing to be silent as the Varg’s full face came into view. It slowly turned its bald head towards me. Tilting its head in an abnormal way to the side. Its growl had a hint of a hiss behind it, as it slowly took a step. I stayed as still as I possibly could. Its glowing ugly green eyes didn’t see me. If it had seen me, then it would have already attacked. I mentally took note of this. I willed my body to stay as still as possible as this creature creeped closer to me. Its stench was far more foul than normal Vargs. I did not dare turn my head, but I took in its features. I noticed it was a male and quickly turned my attention to the Varg getting so close it almost touched me. So many scars on black skin. 

His skin was wrinkled and had a few peach fuzz patches on various areas. His ears were slightly torn and nicked in a few places as well. I thought my heart would burst at the sight of his deformed pack mark. It looked just like mine, although it was a deep dark purple that stuck out from the rest of his dark body. My eyes wide with fear. This can’t be. They were attacked. Eradicated. The Silverbloods did not survive the attack from the King of Wolves personal pack. I guess in a sense this wolf did not survive. He went Varg, but still. Questions bombarded my thoughts as the Varg sniffed at the ground behind me. He was smarter than the rest, but he was still a Varg. I turned my attention towards the exit and kept still as other Vargs began to follow their alpha. They were definitely much smaller than this first one. Normal Vargs. They trailed behind him sniffing the ground and keeping their distance from him. 

I counted them as they made their way past me in a similar fashion as he did. One. Two. Three. Four. The fourth one sniffed at the ground hungrily. Getting very close to my belly. 

Leave. Leave. Leave. I kept repeating in my head. I could hear this Varg snuffling around very closely to me. My hounches twitched as I fought to stay still. My legs began to shiver a bit from me staying so stiff. I bit back any sound that dared to try escape from my throat. The Varg huffed with dissatisfaction and continued to follow his fellow Vargs. I made sure no more followed, looked back at the rear ends of the bald creatures and creeped forward. I took care in my steps this time. As I entered the makeshift room, filled with more Vargs than I could see, I kept glancing sideways to make sure that they couldn’t see me. They were too busy eating the dead Varg that their alpha had killed. I could see the slightly darker entrance that I had come in through. I took a deep breath as I sighed with slight relief, while reminding myself that I was not out yet. 

Just as I took another step, two Vargs started attacking each other over a spot at the dinner table. So to speak. They rammed right into me and I let out a yelp as my body slammed into the dirt wall. Luckily their snarls covered my sudden yelp that none of the others could hear. As they rolled and writhed around on the ground. I took in deep breaths, to regain my composure and catch my breath. I raised myself back up onto my paws and resumed my stalking stance. The sounds of their teeth meeting the bones of the carcass and the smacking of jaws made me want to throw up. I wanted to get out of her as quickly as possible, so I started to move slightly faster. My patience has run out. 

A growl erupted behind me. I froze in my tracks. Slowly, I turned my head to see the alpha. He was looking directly at me. s**t! The eating sounds had not stopped as the alpha approached me. I couldn’t tell if he could actually see me, but regardless I held my body as still as I could. My head at an awkward angle now, compared to moments ago. He sniffed around the wall before reaching my fur. I felt all the fur on my skin stand up. I didn’t move my head but I could still see his face. He roared as he lifted up his head. That was all I needed to dart towards the entrance. I slid to a stop as a smaller Varg leapt in front of me. I took a last minute turn as a Varg behind me leapt and landed his canines around the other Varg’s muzzle. 

I ran around the hoard of confused Vargs that surrounded the carcass. Running into the next tunnel, I pushed my legs to move faster. Panic and fear fueling my adrenaline. 

Tally! Skald! Danger! Help! Was all I could send through the pack link as I took the twists and turns of the tunnel. I could hear the Varg close on my tail. Panting, I found myself in another large room, filled with what looked like more carcasses, but these were different. That’s when the scent filled my nose. 

NO! s**t! I screamed in my head. I took the tunnel that the infected were-beast smell came from. Looking around, I couldn’t believe how many were here. Lions, bears, wolves, avians. I didn’t stop moving as I ran and jumped over the zombie-like were-beasts. Vargs piled into the room as the infected started to stir and rise from their slumber. The infected raised onto their paws and claws, much more slowly than the Vargs would have. I came to a wall  and darted forward as a few Vargs leapt at me. I heard the crunching of the bones in their muzzles snap on impact with the dirt wall. I ran along the wall until I found another tunnel. I didn’t hesitate to go down it. I had no other choice. The Vargs and the infected were getting riled up with each other being in the same place. Snarls, sqwuaks, and roars echoed through the tunnel. I didn’t look back. I didn’t want to. Roots slapped against my face as I ran through the tunnel. 

That’s when I saw a light. My hopes brightened as I pushed myself to go faster and faster. I burst through the tunnel exit and rammed my head into something. I fell backwards and stumbled on my paws. I looked around to see where I was and what I hit. I had ran right into the night. Had I been in that den all day? I scanned the area around me and saw a woman and a man. The man brushed himself off with disgust before he looked up at me. I gave a low growl. 

“Well, well, well. Look what we have here,” The woman said as she looked at me with an unsettling grin. Her voice was the same one that I had heard earlier today. I took in her appearance. She was dressed casually. Ripped jeans and a tight fitting top. Head draped with auburn curls, that outlined her small breasts. She was tall and slender. Ivory skin seemed brighter in the darkness of the night. Her emerald eyes filled with desire. Her very energy made me uncomfortable. 

“A little she-wolf,” The man spoke, drawing my attention to him. He was much taller than the woman but not by much. He was dressed in a dark suit with a red tie. His short blonde hair was randomly spiked up. His skin was much paler than that of his acquaintance. Those eyes of his were an ice blue with a hint of red. The scent that came from him was that of roses and iron. The smell of a vampyre. 

~~