Bloodrite Pack's Thief

Chapter 3

The job was to retrieve a gemstone that was kept in the office on the second floor. Hurrying along the first floor hallway that also had that plush red carpet that helped muffle my footfalls, I cursed silently at whoever’s bright idea it was to have the staircases at opposite ends of the mansion! Not that it was of much concern to me, I was good at my job, very good.

So far, I had never been discovered on a job, being small and light meant I could sneak into places some of the men couldn’t and I could run faster than most of them too! Reaching the end of the hallway i paused briefly at the foot of the second staircase which was easily wide enough for two people but no where near as fancy as the first one. Continuing up the stairs and onto the second floor i was glad to see that red carpet continued up here, as i hurried to the other end of the hallway, where the office should be. I was taken aback at the wording ‘Pack Alpha’s Office’ on the last door I came to, it was a odd thing to call an office. Shrugging it off I quickly picking the lock before slipping inside and glancing around the darkened room, I noticed the full length blackout blind up at the small window –someone must like their privacy  - it was useful for me though, as it would easily block out the light from the small desk lamp that I could turn on to help with my search. I quickly checked all the usual places you find expensive items, the locked drawers on the desk, under the pictures where there might be a safe, the bookcase where there might be a hollow book, or a special lever to a secret room. Nothing, my search of the room came up with a big fat nothing! Well s**t, now what? I couldn’t leave empty handed, not if I wanted to keep breathing! Defeated, I slumped into the arm chair, trying to find anything that looked out of place - like a foot high wolf head sculpture on the desk -yer coz that not weird at all! I scoffed at my inner dialogue, I learnt a long time that that my sarcastic attitude normally wasn’t appreciated, least not by anyone but me! So I had started talk to myself, in my own mind. Now I just sound crazy! 

Getting up I ran my hand over the wolf’s head, finding a small and virtually undetectable raised bump behind its left ear, a visual inspection didn’t detect it though, it was smaller that a pea, pressing down on it i wasn’t shocked when nothing happened, “because that would be too simple” I whispered to myself. Running my hands over every inch of the status I found another almost undetectable bump, this time inside the wolf’s open mouth, just behind one of the teeth. When i pressed it and nothing happened i tried again, this time pressing both down simultaneously only this time I heard an audible click and something drop on the other side of the desk. Walking round the large desk I found a small hatch had opened just underneath where the status was. I had to get on my hands and knees to reaching into the small compartment before carefully pulling out a small box. The wood looked really old but was still in a sturdy condition, it was the same size as a shoebox and adorned in small gemstones, with a carving of a wolf howling at a moon on the top and a gold clasp on the long side of the box. With locking picking one of my best skills it took me mere moments to open it, carefully lifting the lid my jaw dropped when i saw what was inside it. There was an old looking scroll, complete with wooden handles and sealed with wax, who even did that anymore?  Next to it were several diamonds and rubies, as tempting as it was to take one I knew that Jason would find out and I’d end up being severely punished at best. Even knowing the smallest one was worth thousands i wasn’t foolish enough to think i could run from him, he had so many contacts he’d find me, there where no safe place on this planet from him. I’d have to go to the moon to have any chance of escaping him! Forcing myself to ignore the other items in the box i focused on the one other item in there. Pulling out something heavy that wasn’t far off the size of my hand, carefully unwrapping the silk cloth i found a aqua blue gemstone that had a wolf carved on the side of it, cautiously i flip it over where it had an inscription in red carved into it, “Human born, wolf bitten, actions will destroy a pack, words will bond another, she’ll control the alpha with the bloodrites” i repeat the words on the gemstone, more confused than ever. “What is this thing?” Almost hypnotically i run my thumnb over the enscription, fingers curling round the other side of it, i have no idea why i’m removing the gemstone from the silk it’s as if i’m not in control right now, it warm which can’t be normal and then all of a suddenly i’m snapped back to reality, “what the fu-“ my words cut off as I’m suddenly knocked back, my vision clouding over until there’s only darkness.

I was in a small clearing in the middle of a forest, the only light coming from the moon as several wolves stalked out of the trees. I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, it was as if I was just a passenger, looking out through someone else’s eyes. Wait, I am looking through someone else’s eyes! I watched, fascinated as the wolves grew closer until one by one they stopped. Muzzles lifting to emit a long howl as I now watched in horror as the first one started to shimmer, bones cracking, bodies elongating as fur turned to pale skin and then material, I didn’t recognize the style of clothing. He was transforming, from a wolf into a human! As I looked around I noticed that the rest of the ‘wolves’ were also transforming. As the world started to darken around me again I felt myself falling backwards, as if I was falling out of someone else’s body, my last sight was of five human men, knelt on one knee, their left forearm clasped diagonally across their chest, somehow I knew they were pledging their allegiance to the man who body I had been in.