WITCHES OF WOLF CREEK: TRUTH

3: Elinor

I know it’s raining. However, there is no window in Cooper’s suite, which is also mine today.

This confinement scared me at first. I wondered if I could handle it. That was before I realized that I no longer needed to see the sky to feel in my bones the immutable course of the stars, the coolness of the rain, the breath of the wind, the brightness of the moon or the burning of the sun.

It’s one of the many gifts Cooper gave me by biting me. Today, it’s a bit like being an integral part of the teeming universe that surrounds the Bretton lair. I belong to nature, to a pack, to a whole.

I am a wolf and a witch.

I love and I am loved. Therein lies my strength and my power.

Humming, I leave my apartment. The day is off to a good start, but I feel no fatigue, no weariness. I am active, as I haven’t been for a long time. There are so many things to do here… And I have so many things to learn. It’s a new world opening up to me, and I don’t want to waste a single second.

As I walked down one of the lair’s stone corridors, I took a deep breath. Immediately, my thoughts are agitated, my heart beats faster. I feel alive like never before.

I pass a few wolves on the way to the classrooms of the young people in the pack. I still discern distrust in their gaze, but this glimmer is fading day by day. I blend into the landscape and try to make myself useful on a daily basis, and Cooper’s unfailing presence by my side is a serious support, let’s face it.

Cooper… Just these few letters, rolling and turning in my mind, make me feel even better. A blush rose to my cheeks. If I get so active with my new peers, it’s also to make the time pass faster. In a few hours, we’ll close the door to our quarters, and the Bretton Alpha will be all mine.

Like a fool, I chuckle. This time, it’s no longer wary looks that I get, but smirks. I imagine that the pheromones that I am broadcasting leave no doubt about the content of my thoughts. Damn wolves guess everything!

At the corner of a new hallway, while the characteristic hubbub of cubs in full activity already reaches me, I stop to regain my composure. Not that sexuality is a taboo subject within the pack, quite the contrary, but all the same, I try to show my competence with the mothers of the community.

I inhale, exhale, feel my complexion recover to a more decent colour, my heartbeat slows down, and the inferno in my stomach subsides.

Finally, I reached the entrance to the class of the little ones. Here, I don’t feel the anguish of Wiccard Academy. No, something has changed in me. An irrepressible instinct drives me towards the offspring of the pack. A desire to protect them, to be with them and to share drives me every day. I guess it’s part of my new nature.

The first few days, I dared not approach. The suspicious looks of the females, but also of the males, who take the education of their young just as much to heart, made me feel uneasy. What could I teach these cubs? I was not from their world, I was not born a wolf...

And then, Sybil, the junior class teacher, reached out to me. Literally. She saw me prowling the corridors around the classrooms, melting into the shadows at each recess, then disappearing at the end of the day.

So she came to get me.

"Elinor?" she asked me.

I just nodded, my throat tight, my palms sweaty.

"I’m Sybil. Come with me, the little ones are dying to meet their Alpha’s mate."

She introduced me to the class, but she didn’t have time to finish her sentence, so I found myself crumbling under the attention of the young people. Their sticky little hands and their smeared mouths moved me to tears. Why had I never felt such an attachment to the Wiccard kids?

Admittedly, it was difficult to feel touched by a Lise-Ann in her socks, but there were other kids, they were certainly not all odious, and yet...

I was afraid of experiencing mortal anguish by setting foot again in a classroom, and I realized that, on the contrary, I was perfectly in my place there.

Since that day, I spend most of my time with Sybil. I’m not yet the referent of any group, but it will come, that’s a certainty. Cubs are often mixed, but age classes nevertheless exist to meet certain physiological needs. Rest time, hours and frequency of meals… Here, everything is done so that young people can flourish. We are far from the elitist ambitions of the Wiccard and of my dear friend Levenach Hawk.

Today, I work with children to tell them about the sorcerering world. They love my stories, my tales of the arrival of the first of us in the region, the founding of the great lineages… Their gaping mouths and shining eyes move me to tears. Never had I succeeded so simply in captivating my sorcerer students.

But as I take a first step into the classroom and smile at Sybil, I freeze.

"Answer and come, Elinor,

Answer and do not ignore."

Neeve. And she’s not alone. Six? No, I don’t feel her presence at the end of the link. So who? I shake my head, both delighted and annoyed. Glad to see my friend who I miss so much, and annoyed to see that she allows herself to bring people to our lair.

Above the ambient hubbub, I challenge Sybil.

"I’m sorry, I can’t stay. Can we postpone it?"

She responds with a knowing look. We have known each other for a short time, but we already understand each other so well. With a last smile, I turn around and hasten to reach the entrance to the cave.

Despite myself, I feel light. In a few minutes, no, a few seconds, I’ll see my best friend’s sweet face. Besides, I’m a little ashamed; I could make sure more often that she’s fine. When we call each other, well, when I come out of the den to call her, she always tells me it’s fine, but I’m not fooled. I know that the return to reality was painful for the three of us. Even if it is probably Sixine who suffers the most.

Six... I wish she’d come with Neeve. I miss her so much, too. I am aware of her resentment towards me, even if she only half-admits it. She thinks that I fled, that I abandoned them...

But it was that, or die slowly among my people. However, that doesn’t mean that I forget my friends or my family. I would defend them tooth and nail if need be. Until death. How can Sixine doubt me like that?

Nevertheless, guilt grips me. During our captivity, we all doubted each other, myself included. We have experienced such upheaval, far from our daily routine, that all our bearings have been shattered. And I didn’t behave any better than my friends.

Finally, I see daylight. No more than a few steps.

The contrast with the interior overwhelms me for a moment, and I falter. This time, it’s the influx of scents from the forest, teeming with life, which invades me and invigorates me. Yes, because I’m not always locked in the den. After dark, I run with the wolves, and I’m the happiest.

Neeve is there, she seems to understand that I need a few moments to pull myself together.

I also recognize the man who accompanies her. Mark. A big smile immediately rises to my lips. Okay, Neeve shouldn’t have risked bringing him here. But I’m still happy to see him.

I throw myself into their arms, laughing like a kid.

"So you’re coming to pay me a courtesy visit?"

"Yeah, but I admit, we forgot the cupcakes," laughs Neeve.

Her hazel eyes sparkle in the sun, and what about her flamboyant hair? She is superb, even if I can see bluish-dark circles nibbling her cheeks.

"As for the cupcakes, I remind you that we have the best cook in the world at the Bretton Lair," I told her.

I feel like my smile is going around my head and my heart is going to explode with joy. I realize at this moment the intensity of the lack that I feel. Admittedly, I chose my new life, and I don’t regret it at all. Cooper has become my balance, and the pack my refuge. But I would like to see my family again, and Neeve and Sixine are part of it.

"Mark, were you dragged here by your sister?"

Neeve again, replies:

"He wanted to come. He’s curious like a kitten, you know him…"

"A hell of a big kitten, then... and who has greatly abused the catnip."

"Come on, come on," I told them. "Considering your condition, you must be starving."

"Damn right. I’m hungry," Neeve says.

I guide them inside. We follow the corridors to the kitchen, where the extraordinary Kyle officiated. Neeve doesn’t stop chatting, about everything and nothing. I know her well enough to understand that this hides a certain nervousness in her. Is it due to being here, or is it some external event?

As for Mark, I find him very quiet, contrary to his habit. I glance at him on the sly: he observes everything around him, visibly fascinated by what he discovers. I feel a surge of pride. The Bretton Lair is magnificent, carved into the rock like this. It offers an elegant blend of simplicity and comfort, which I appreciate more and more every day.

"There you go, Mark. Do you smell those good aromas? Well, the kitchen is right in front, come on."

Indeed, delicious scents reach us. Well, yummy to me, because I see Neeve tweaking her nose a bit. As usual, Lyle has mainly put meat on the menu, and my friend is a vegetarian.

"Don’t worry, I force him to have vegetables at every meal now. And then, there are always cakes," I whispered to her, shaking her hand.

"That reassures me, damn, I thought I was going to have to watch you eat."

I laugh. I also missed her outspokenness.

"Lyle, did you see who’s here?"

"Oh, it’s not true! My little red wolf! My pretty vegetarian!"

Lyle wiggles his moustache. I know he particularly likes my friend. Her natural side seduced him at first sight.

Both of them hug each other forcefully until Lyle pushes her away at arm’s length to better examine her.

"Don’t worry, my dear, I have everything I need to welcome you back. No meat, only sugar and fat and flour."

Immediately, a wide smile bloomed on my friend’s face.

"Thank you, Lyle. And... meet my brother, Mark Foris."

A shadow passes over the cook’s gaze.

"Sweet… You shouldn’t bring people here, you know. It’s not prudent. Neither for us nor for him."

"I know, but… We miss Eli."

"Come on, it’s OK this time, Neeve. Come, both of you."

I lead them to my suite, to make them sit at the large solid wood table. Mark has his nose in the air, he seems to like what he sees. Neeve quickly resumes her habits and sits cross-legged on the bench.

"Well, then," she said. "How’s your new life going?"

The rascal. I know what she’s doing. She wants me to talk, so she doesn’t have to confide in the worries that are gnawing at her. OK, I’ll play her game, but I’ll also get my way.

"Very well," I just say with an air of indifference.

She widened her eyes in astonishment.

"What, is that all?"

"What do you mean is that all?"

"Is that all you have to tell me? Damn, you suck, Eli, I didn’t come all this way for that!"

"No, sweetie, you came all this way for my little cakes," Lyle said in his deep, warm voice.

She turns and sees him with a plate full of cakes in his hand, and smiles broadly. Decidedly, their complicity is beautiful to see.

"It’s true, I admit. But all the same, Lyle, don’t you think she’s the abuser talking to me like that?"

The Bretton pack cook laughs happily.

"If you want her to tell you, you’ll have to open up a bit, I think," he replied, giving me a wink.

Holy him! His analytical finesse, his understanding and his acceptance of others never cease to amaze me. While Cooper is a born leader, Lyle is clearly the best of diplomats, which is just as helpful to the balance of the pack.

Neeve grumbled under her breath, before complaining again:

"But I have nothing interesting to say…"

Beside her, Mark clears his throat, suddenly looking uncomfortable.

"Tell me, Eli, is it really serious, between this Cooper and you?"

I watched him carefully. When I was a kid, I was secretly in love with him. He was older than us, rode motorcycles, and went out with the most beautiful girls in Wiccard … And then, we grew up, and things turned around. When he started to take an interest in me, I only saw him as my best friend’s older brother. But Neeve told me once that he had real feelings for me. Is it jealousy that I read on his face?

"Yes, Mark," I said softly. "I was marked. It’s more than serious. I’m committed for life, and in wolves, that’s not just a way of speaking."

He lets a moment of silence pass, only marred by the chewing noises of Neeve throwing herself on the cakes. Then, finally, he nods and smiles fondly at me.

"I’m very happy for you, you know."

"Thanks. And I’m sure you’ll find your wolf eventually, too."

He widens his eyes. The same hazel eyes as his little sister.

"By wolf, I mean the one who will make you happy."

He looked relieved. I believe that the great mix between our races still has a long way to go before it takes root in everyone’s minds. However, when Sybil walks into the kitchen to pour herself a coffee, I notice the appreciative look Neeve’s brother gives her. Finally, here is one who will have no difficulty getting used to the idea of mixing! It must be said that my new friend is charming, with her very dark brown hair with auburn highlights and her big black eyes that devour her little face with their mischievous expression. And yet, I know that she’s not a child, the way she leads her group of Cubs testifies to it.

"Sybil, do you want to join us? I present to you Mark, Neeve’s brother, whom you must have already seen here…"

Sybil smiles sweetly at my best friend and gives Mark a puzzled look. Non-wolves are rare in the heart of the den.

"Well, to tell you the truth, I would have loved to share a moment with you, but I have to go back. You know how it is…"

I nodded my head. I am happy to hear sincerity in the words of the teacher. She doesn’t leave us out of fear of the unknown, but out of obligation. All is not lost. The fact that Cooper and I are linked seems to have opened some minds.

"Can I join you?"

Just hearing the hoarse and enveloping voice of Cooper, a furnace is born in my lower abdomen and my cheeks ignite.

"Of course," I just answered.

Our looks say much more than our words. Our gestures, too. Cooper Bretton slides in beside me, his thigh against mine, and immediately, I feel deeply serene. In my place, fulfilled.

Neeve doesn’t miss a single thing, which goes without saying.

"Wow, you are too, too cute. Crazy. I’m so happy for you guys."

And she gets up to come and hug us. I want to tell her that she has crumbs all over her mouth, but I don’t.

Especially since I feel the tension in Cooper as he stares at Mark, so I nudge him.

"He’s my guest."

"Eli," he growls.

"What. I live here today, but I had a life before. A witch’s life. That’s also what I am."

Cooper finally takes his eyes off the Foris boy to look at me. He’s pensive but eventually nods.

"You’re right," he sighs. "All these traditions…"

I know it. I know it well. It’s not easy to change a whole system of thoughts, and it will take time. So I smiled gently at him.

"Yeah, traditions aren’t easy ... But apparently, it didn’t bother you too much!"

That’s Mark who just intruded on our conversation as discreetly as his sister. Even Neeve glares at him. But he doesn’t seem to care and goes on:

"Besides, as long as we’re on the subject of traditions, how does the imprinting work? And then the marking?"

I roll my eyes, a little exasperated, but I understood the sorcerer’s curiosity. All this is so different from our world, from the polite rules of the covens … On the other hand, next to me, Cooper is dangerously tense, I don’t need to look at him to know that his pupils have taken on their golden halo.

I have to defuse the situation...

Neeve surprises me and gets ahead of me.

"Hey, Cooper, that’s one hell of a love bite. You must be a really good kisser or what?"

A deafening silence followed her remark. How will Cooper react to my girlfriend’s humour? One, two, three seconds… And Cooper finally bursts out laughing, to my great relief.

A thin smile plays on Neeve’s lips, and a gleam of triumph crosses her irises. Beside her, Mark breathes. He must be squeezing his buttocks. It’s OK to brag in front of an Alpha, but you still have to accept the consequences.

"Yeah, I knew I was good, we tested earlier."

Despite myself, I laugh too. If it could be like this every day. Cooper, my friends, the den… I would be delighted.

"Neeve of the North! You are here!"

Ah, I had forgotten them, the Falck cousins. Tyler and Emmitt, still inseparable, have just tumbled into the kitchen. They immediately spotted their former lover, who glared at them cold and distant. But I know Neeve well enough to understand that she’s hiding her feelings and that the wound is still raw.

She takes the lead, again, to avoid any awkwardness:

"Boys, meet my big brother, Mark."

The expression of the two Betas is less eager, the tender light in their pupils veils a little. They know how to behave when they want, these two crazy dogs. They are not going to attempt a seduction operation in front of Neeve’s brother.

"Hello, Mark," they said in unison.

Mark greets them, but the Falck cousins don’t say anything else and slip out of the room, heads bowed and tails between their legs.

"Okay," Neeve sighs, rubbing her belly. "We savoured Lyle’s delights, maybe we’ll go back to Wolf Creek now."

"Neeve," I called out softly. "You don’t want to sleep here tonight? It’s getting late, it’s not safe to go back through the forest. And then we can enjoy a little more time together?"

Neeve glances at her brother, who seemed pleased with the proposal. Strangely, he doesn’t seem to want to leave.

"Yes, why not…" answers my friend. "It’s true that it’s been a long time since we’ve been together."

But I see that the meeting with the cousins stirred her. I would like the people around us to give us some alone time. She needs me, I feel it, I would like to help her, and that makes me angry. However, there is nothing I can do about it at the moment. Life in a pack does not facilitate intimacy. I am gradually getting used to it, but this isn’t the case for Neeve.

"Come on, come on, I’ll show you where you can settle down for the night."

"OK, but we’ll be back, Lyle, calls out Neeve. Prepare the alcohol!"

A hiss sounded behind me, and I turned around.

Jack is there. Dark, menacing, staring. He still suffers, his mourning never ends, and hatred consumes him. I wish I had spared that other encounter in Neeve. I meet him almost every day, and I know how difficult it is. Even Cooper tried to reason with him, in vain… That said, I can’t forget that he was linked to Masha… How would I feel today, if I were to lose Cooper in such unfair circumstances? I give my bound a knowing look, then grab my friends by the arms.

"Let’s go. It’s getting late."