The Wolf's Song

A Bloody Consequence

Michael

I couldn’t find her. Damn that Damien! I cursed him. Just as I called to her, he threw me into the path of the werewolf. It caught me off guard and I was tossed back, and I lost sight of Diana. I tried to seek out her scent, but the musk of fear was thick, blocking my senses.

I called out to Francis and Robert; they heard my call, but getting to me was easier said than done as the chaos was absolute. Avoiding shoving people out of my way, I started my search for Diana. I caught a whiff of her but spotted her grandmother knocked down on the ground. I growled, unable to leave her. I scooped her up and handed her off to the nearest officer. I heard her heartbeat and knew she was alive, but I couldn’t delay any longer. Separating myself from the crowd, I sniffed and finally found her scent and it was dripping with terror. My own nightmare was made real when I smelled Damien’s scent as well. Barely keeping my wolf at bay, I raced toward them, knowing they were near each other. If he had touched her, disbanding his pack would happen much sooner than I had anticipated, his mysterious plan was damned.

“Not to him! To me!” I heard and increased my speed, no longer caring who might spot my unnatural speed. I skidded to a stop as Damien grabbed her, the space between us was closed in a blink as I grabbed his coat and tossed my arm back, him included. I scanned over Diana quickly and noticed the blood, but it didn’t smell like hers. I turned my back to her and sent all my anger at Damien.

“I’ll kill you for touching her,” I growled, my voice harsh as I choked down my wolf. I hadn’t felt the blood rage in decades, but as Damien smirked at me, fixing his coat firmly over his shoulders, I wanted to give in.

“Kill me? I just saved her life.” He provoked. “Or did you miss that?” He clicked his tongue, knowing exactly why that was.

“I’ll give one final warning. Drop this now or suffer the consequences,” I hissed.

The usual calm, if not annoying, a chipper-mocking facade that was ever present with Damien vanished as his face twisted with hatred.

“Consequences?!” he roared. “This is your consequence, not mine! If you hadn’t tried to woo her away from me, she wouldn’t have been there that night! She loved me! She would have picked me!”

“Anna is gone, Damien! I had nothing to do with it!” I yelled back, tired of his delusion, lest he forgot we both were bitten that night, meaning we too died. Of course, by the time we woke, Anna was gone, only a pool of blood remained from where her body fell. I woke to him crying, clawing at the spot, his broken nails adding to the blood.

As much as I wanted to end him now, I would never forget the look he gave me when he noticed I was up--anguish I had never seen before, anguish and despair.

He snarled at me, debating if it was worth shifting now and truly driving a wedge between Diana. She grabbed my shirt, her trembling noticeable. He decided now wasn’t the time and reeled in his rage, though still shaking with it.

“You’ll feel this pain, Michael. Only then will you understand this endless pit in me. It’ll be your only companion.” He tilted his head, but I blocked his view of her. “See you soon Freesias.” He flipped the hood up on his coat and rejoined the now quieting crowd.

I heard Diana gasp as if she were holding her breath. I spun around and took her into my arms, kissing her head, and rubbing her scent over me as a personal comfort.

“I’m so sorry.” I bemoaned, holding her tight. I couldn’t think about how close I was to losing her, or else I would follow him to ensure there wasn’t the next time.

“Michael.” She sobbed my name. I sighed, getting myself under control. Still holding her, I glanced down at the werewolf. It had been a minute since I’d seen one. I heard there were a lot in England and that area, but not many on this side, at least not in a while, and especially not in or near Bamberg. My pack would have noticed the killings, as werewolves were careless in their kills.

“Come, let’s get out of here.” I offered, but she pulled back. Despite her shaking, she increased the distance between us.

“That thing almost killed me, but it wasn’t the creature from the forest. This one is different, I know it. Michael, what is going on? Are there shifters in Bamberg, are the stories real?” Her voice was the most stable part of her.

“Come on, not here.” I tried again to get her to leave, but she didn’t move. I knew that creature wasn’t dead, and I didn’t want her anywhere near it when it came to me again.

“I need to know what I’m up against Michael, because clearly beyond a decade-old grunge between you and Damien, something is after me. Tell me!” Her control slipped as she pieced together what I had been failing at.

She was right, the she-wolf had plenty of targets and yet she followed after Diana. Then this werewolf only had eyes for her, and only those that got in its path paid the price. I knew I had to give her something, and if that meant admitting that the legends were real then so be it. I wouldn’t give my own truth; fear of rejection wasn’t my only deciding factor either.

“You’re right. Shapeshifters are real and Bamberg has had many sightings.” I said, keeping my words crisp and clear, wanting nothing to be missed.

“That’s a shapeshifter? Like what you told?” She nodded toward the werewolf.

“It was. That…” I said with disgust. “Is a werewolf.”

“Well, what’s the difference?” she gasped, and in her case, I got it. Both have tried to kill her.

“Werewolves are said to be shifters who eat human flesh. Not saying that shifters don’t kill humans, as you saw, but they don’t consume their flesh. If they do, they turn into that. A creature driven by simple basic needs. They are abhorrent in nature,” I said.

I stopped speaking to keep my own bias at bay. I couldn’t express too much or else she would see how I hated that anyone of my kind could turn into that.

“If it’s going on basic needs, why did it hurt me? Why did it suddenly change?” she asked.

“Another mystery, but please, let’s get you checked out.” I tried again, holding my hand out to her.

“Oh Maya, she got hurt,” she sobbed.

“We’ll find her, together.” I waited as she glanced at the werewolf again. Finally, she nodded and took my hand. I knew my grip was tight, but it was nothing compared to the hold she had on me. She led me to Maya, and I lifted her easily enough. She had a wound on her shoulder and a huge knot on her head, but her heartbeat was steady.

“She came to my aid and got hurt because of me.” Diana’s words reached my ears even though she spoke them softly.

I glanced down at her friend and saw her anew. She didn’t know it, but this librarian had earned my respect and gratitude. I made a note to repay her for it in kind. We flagged down an EMS personnel and they took her from me. I remembered her grandmother and reunited with them. Diana’s rejoicing was genuine as she joined her grandmother, their reunion warming my heart.

As Diana sobbed with her grandmother, I couldn’t help but wrestle with the thought of letting her go, solidifying her safety, or risking it all to keep her.