The Wolf's Song

A Man-to-Man Advice

Michael

I waved off Francis’s worries aside from changing my plan to accompany Diana to the hospital. I actually needed to talk with him, and it would work better if Diana weren’t here to happen upon it. Though she missed our other conversations, those were work-related, I had no doubt the one time she would stroll by would be when I needed advice about her, but before that, it was business as usual.

“What is it?” I asked. He still looked down on not being able to question the werewolf more, but when the locals were involved, I knew our hands were sometimes tied. If he ever managed to escape, however, well, that would be a different story altogether.

“I couldn’t accept coming up empty-handed, so I snuck into his hotel room. He’s definitely not from around here. His room was full of wolfsbane and sleeping pills, muscle relaxers strong enough to knock out a horse, beer bottles and cans littered the floor,” he described.

“You mean he was trying to suppress his werewolf? I’ve never heard of one that resisted the kill,” I said.

“Me either, it didn’t make sense, so I kept looking. Under his bed was a folder with news clippings. It was a man, a woman, and two teenage boys. The headline said they were all killed in an animal attack, but the man was definitely our guy. There were other articles about similar attacks all throughout Europe, if they are all him, then he’s been busy,” he finished.

That wasn’t good. Werewolves lived for the kill, once they tasted human flesh, it was all they craved. Even after killing his family, he still couldn’t control the beast within.

“You think Bamberg was just a stepping stone to his next location or was he looking for something, or someone?” I asked.

It was curious that though a few had gone missing recently; it was only after Diana arrived did a mass killing spree occur and now there were werewolves. This only confirmed what I was beginning to dread. I could only protect her so much, but keeping her in the dark could end up being more of a hindrance. How could I expect her to stay out of danger if she didn’t know what to look for?

“No idea. Besides that folder, there was nothing else of interest. Now we wait until he tries to escape, which I have no doubt he will do.” Francis said.

I agreed. Werewolves weren’t one to handle punishment for their slaughters, they simply created another one rather than submit to rule and order.

“Great, another mystery. I’m beginning to think I know far less about the world than I first thought.” I groaned as I dropped into my office chair.

“Are you talking about Diana?” he asked, reading me as only my Beta could.

“Partly. I believe hiding the truth from her will keep her in more danger. Thankfully, Damien showed his true colors, but she doesn’t know the full extent of what he can do.” I hated that she was thrown in the middle of our war, but the more Damien sought her out, the easier it would be to convince her just who he was.

Francis glanced around before coming to sit across from me. He crossed his legs and relaxed as if preparing for a discussion. I might be the Alpha of the pack, but what would that matter if I didn’t have a Beta who got me without even having to send out commands?

“You’re thinking of confessing.” It wasn’t a question, but I answered it as if it were.

“I don’t know. I’ve never felt this conflicted; it seems to be my natural state since her arrival.” I groaned.

He laughed a low but compassionate rumble, a knowing laugh. “I get it. Can I offer some advice?” he asked, already leaning forward to maintain my attention.

“I would welcome it,” I answered. His wife Anne knew about his wolf, so he would be the expert on this topic.

“You have three options and all of them feel like a punch in the gut,” he started. “Option one: You keep her in the dark, you don’t tell her. The secrets between you grow and trust eventually is lost. Option two: You tell her. Outcome one: she rejects you and then you are faced with letting her leave knowing your secret, trusting her to keep quiet, or you are forced to quiet her yourself,” he said.

I grimaced at his bluntness, but I valued his honesty as I knew he too had to consider these choices as well.

He continued, “Outcome two, she accepts you, which initially sounds perfect, everything you ever dreamed, then you remember she is human. Humans age faster than we do, and even though she accepts who you are, she will leave you by way of death. This then leads to Option three: she accepts you and you turn her, so not to lose her, but you must watch her go through the first shift, the rage haze of the full moon as she will need to be trained. You run the risk of the wolf’s call being too much and can only watch as she hunts mercilessly and without restrictions.” He sighed and worked his jaw.

Anne wanted him to turn her, but he had refused; I now understood why. When he asked to bring Anne into our fold I had my reservations, but seeing him with her, I could not find peace in hurting one who had served me without hesitation, denying him the pleasure of love too cruel a way to repay him for his obedience and loyalty. I could see he didn’t regret it, but now he and I were at the same crossroad.

“So, my advice is picking a choice you can live with, one that leaves you with the least amount of regret and pain,” he added, clearly at odds with his choice. When he had ready, he would confide in me, for now, he had his battles, and I would tackle mine.

“Thank you, Francis.” I had always respected him, and I made it a point to remind him that I value his input. He nodded, having said all he needed, and made his exit.

I sighed as my mind went over the options. None of them screamed to pick me, which only made it worse. I growled as I stood and headed for my gym room. I didn’t know when she would be back, but I needed to get my head right before she did return.

As I stomped through the house, I pictured her rejecting me. Could I hurt her to keep my secret? Hell no, even the thought was sickening. I reached the gym, heading straight for the bag setup. But could I let her go? I doubted it, I couldn’t even let her return to New York, so never seeing her again wasn’t an option. Then finally the last one, could I turn her? Shifting now didn’t hurt, but I had yet to meet a shifter that didn’t remember their first time. Everything was heightened, to call it overwhelming was an understatement.

But then, I wondered what her wolf would look like. Mocha fur, perhaps a white stripe down her nose, a bushy tail, flicking my snout, brushing her scent against mine. Would her howl move me just as her playing did? I could almost feel us running through my forest, a connection beyond any I had ever known. The thought both thrilled and terrified me.

It was dangerous to dream, or would the real danger be to resist what we have? My phone went off. I finished with the punching bag, sweat pouring from me, I didn’t wipe it, needing to feel the fruits of my frustrations. It was from Diana; they were leaving the hospital now. I hadn’t realized how long I had been contemplating turning her or not. I should shower. The last time I met her after working out she was stuck for words.

I smiled at the memory. Now that was something I could get used to.