The Wolf's Song

The Twilight Howlings

Michael

The evening began to fall as I took Diana home. She took my hand in time and chatted about everything. About the weather, about her home in New York; she told me about her mother and her friends, about the life she had chosen, and about the decisions that had brought her to Bamberg.

Martha was doing well, and luckily, she had been discharged, so we had agreed that for now, Diana would stay home, as she had to take care of her grandmother a bit. I didn’t want to leave her alone, separating from her caused me almost physical pain, but I understood that it was necessary, so I assumed my role in returning her home, at least for now.

We arrived at her home, which caused certain uneasiness in my chest. She looked at her home unwilling to go into it, but apparently knowing that she must.

She sighed, looked at me then and her lips pout without her realizing it.

“Will you text me?” she asked with a hidden plea in her voice. I laughed and kissed her hand, which entangled with mine.

“As soon as I can,” I promised. I had to lie to her, I told her I had a business meeting, it was the closest lie to the truth I could tell her.

“It’s all right. Have fun at your meeting.” She sighed and kissed me. Her lips were warm against mine for a time that felt too short.

I waved her goodbye as I watched her leave, and as she entered the cottage. Martha welcomed her with open arms and gave me a suspicious look before locking the door.

The phone rang. Francis, as if he knew I had said goodbye to Diana, called out.

“Is everything all right?” he asked calmly.

“Everything is in order,” I affirmed, as I started the car. “See you at the usual place.”

Damien’s territory started from the end of Bamberg, half an hour away in the car along an abandoned road that led straight into the mountains. The road was full of side roads that I didn’t usually travel by car, as I normally crossed these forests in my wolf form.

But today, protocol demanded that I acted diplomatically, more or less. Delving into Damien’s lands in my Alpha form would be seen as a clear threat, so I avoided it. At least, for now.

I got Francis and Robert halfway, and as I unlocked the car for them and waited for them to get dressed, I counted the minutes ticking by. Overhead, twilight was falling. A perfect time for me to meet the enemy pack.

Damien had not claimed any human territory for himself, as some of his wolves had tendencies that we could classify as “undue,” so the agreement said that he could do whatever he wanted in the mountains, as long as he stayed away from humans and Bamberg, which was for both of us, neutral territory. He could enter the village and make a life in it, just as his wolves could, but never putting any of its inhabitants at risk.

It was assumed, and this was something I made clear long ago, that if one of his wolves harmed any inhabitant of Bamberg the pact would be terminated, and my pack could wipe out his.

My pack’s feelings about Damien were no better. They themselves had their own reasons for hating them and wanting them dead, both Francis and Robert were bitten by Damien’s wolves, many years apart. Francis, however, lost the most, as his fiancée at the time died at the hands of one of the members of another pack. In retribution, Francis killed the wolf and had been waiting ever since for the order to kill the rival pack to go after them.

But years have passed since then. The last man to be turned by Damien’s pack was Robert; after his conversion, I confronted Damien and threatened him, so since then he and his pack had been more or less quiet. Or at least, that was the way it had been until now.

“They’re coming,” Francis whispered in the back seat of the car, and I nodded. We had entered a part of the forest that not even the inhabitants of Bamberg frequented because of its known danger. It was a vast territory full of crags, fierce bears, and especially--wolves.

Damien’s wolves followed us all the way, their howls crossing the distance in a warning. I recognized them without having to see them, as the car moved forward and noticed how they followed us through the brush.

Damien was waiting for me at the end of the dirt road, the last bit before it disappeared and the forest opened up into its vastness. Wearing a sharp suit and had his hair combed to perfection, so he was probably not in his wolf form.

“I had a feeling I was going to see you today,” he communicated as we got out of the car. The sly smile on his face as always. “Should I feel honored? It is such an honor to see you so often. An honor that I can assure you, I would rather not have.”

“You know well why I’ve come,” I assured him, as Francis and Robert flinched at my sides. Behind Damien stood his wolves: tall, imposing, hard-featured, and almost dehumanized. Unlike my pack, Damien’s wolves had embraced the animal nature within them to the point of almost losing the memory of the men they once were.

“Let’s see... Well, if I had to guess, I’d say you came because you blame me in some way for what happened at Bamberg yesterday.”

“You endangered Diana’s life,” I told him.

“She forced me,” he replied, his lips losing their smile. “She did something with my mind... I couldn’t be aware of my actions until I had you in front of me. I was unhinged by the resonance of her melody; it wouldn’t let me think.”

“Diana is human, what do you think she could have done to you?” I mocked, ignoring the fact that she made me feel the same way.

“She’s human, but she’s not common. You know that as well as I do.” Smelling the air, he looked at me suspiciously, smiling wickedly.”I feel her scent clinging to you. Strawberries, petrichor... There’s something else, isn’t there, can’t you tell? She seems to be related to us somehow.”

I growled and in response, I got another response from Damien’s wolves. Francis and Robert became alert.

“This will be my last warning, Damien. I don’t know what you’re up to, but if I find out that you’re related to anything that’s been going on at Bamberg, I’ll come after you.”

“Good. I sincerely hope so,” he replied, the smile rising to his eyes. “I’m tired of hearing so many threats, so many promises in vain. Is this how you rule your own? Lately, you’re just a voice, but your scent, not so much in the forest as before...”

I immediately understood his hint, what he meant. I had moved away from the forest to be with Diana.

His eyes revealed to me that in fact, he knew that I had gotten the message.

“Don’t you find it funny how every time you take care of something, in the end, you only damage it?” he asked wryly, “Watch out for her. This Diana of yours seems to be more interesting than I expected. If you keep putting so much pressure on me to stay away from her, I might do the opposite and end up seeking her company.”

His words managed to get on my nerves. I took a step forward and Robert and Francis followed me, but Damien’s wolves immediately stood up, snarling in our direction. Only then I looked at Damien and understood; I understood that he was trying to annoy me in order to cause a war. The end of the pact and his tacit permission to do with Bamberg whatever he wanted.

So I controlled myself, just this once and growling, I turned away from him.

“It won’t be the last time we see each other,” he promised, as he watched me retreat to the car.

“For your sake, I hope so,” I replied.

He waved me goodbye, as Robert and Francis got into the car. I started the engine and started the car without giving him time to follow me or respond, letting my anger float in the air. Night fell behind us, but Damien’s eyes, clear and dangerous as the moon.