Chapter 51
But I have a feeling that I wouldn’t be able to refuse her anyway. I don’t know why or when it happened, but my wolf spirit seems to have a soft spot for Asya—even after everything she’s done to both of us. So there’s a high chance the wolf would be sulking for days if I didn’t agree to help her, and if you’ve never shared your heart with a displeased magical being, trust my word, it’s not fun.
The next morning, as soon as the sun rises, I go up the mountain path and back to the old pack residing on the other end of it. It takes me less time to get there than before—probably because I don’t have to pause and sniff every tree in search of a mark or trail away to hunt for a rabbit. I reach the settlement in a few hours when the sun is still up in the sky, and only then stop to take a deep breath. There are no fresh traces of wolves or humans, so I turn back into my human shape and slowly enter the tiny village.
It turns out to be not so tiny, after all. At least, it’s no less than the one belonging to my family’s pack. I walk past a dozen empty huts that faintly smell of wolves and decay until the scents of life become clearer. Everything is quiet here, except for the birds' thrills and the buzz of bugs in the grass. I try to walk without a sound as well, carefully studying the settlement.
It looks like no one has been living here for a long time. But at the same time, the houses look clean and taken care of—the doors are locked, and the paths between the buildings are swept and tidy. I don’t see any clothes that a shapeshifter would have dropped behind in a rush—and that’s a shame, to be honest, because I haven’t brought anything with me. But for a shapeshifter it’s nothing new to show up in a bare form, so when I hear the weak rustle of a movement, I don’t even think about it before turning in the direction of the sound.
It comes out of one of the huts in what I guess is almost the center of the settlement. Someone walks so quietly that a human wouldn’t be able to hear even a hint of their steps—but my wolf spirit perks up in interest, sensing a familiar soul. While I step closer, as carefully as possible, the door of the hut opens and someone comes out, making me still in my tracks.
It’s a woman, maybe ten years older than me, in an old but clean robe and with her brown hair tucked into a bun. She carries a stack of clothes in a straw basket to the ropes stretched between two wooden poles, and I don’t have to take a second glance to recognize a shapeshifter in her. The speed and carefulness of her movements are instinctive, no tension in her arms under the weight of the basket, and she does look like the place is her home.
When the woman reaches the poles, she bends down to put the basket on the ground—and only then freezes for a moment, sniffing the air, before slowly straightening up and turning to face me. She doesn’t look scared or surprised. On the contrary, the woman remains calm and unhurried as her eyes study my naked form—and then, she suddenly chuckles and gestures at the basket.
“Do you need anything?”
I nod, too baffled to say a word, and the woman beckons me closer before digging into the basket with a hum. “There must be something…Oh, here.”
She pulls out a shirt and a pair of shorts, both damp from the washing and too small for me, but I guess it’s the best she can offer. While I get dressed, the woman studies me with a thoughtful gaze, a calm smile on her lips as if I haven’t entered their settlement out of the blue.
“Are you one of the new wolves from the town?”
I blink, unable to hide my surprise, and glance at her. I didn’t know they'd already seen me, but there is no point in excuses, then.
“Yes. I’m Owen.” I hold out my hand for her to shake, and the woman takes it without a hint of hesitance. Her hand is strong, the look in her eyes steady with confidence, and something tells me I’ve come across one of the highrank members of the pack.
“Fiona,” she introduces herself and gives me a reserved, polite smile which I readily return, cautious in every movement. My wolf spirit senses her strength and
quietly rises in alert, friendly but cautious. “Where did you come from?”
“Pennsylvania.”
“That’s quite a journey.” She hums and crosses her arms with a thoughtful squint. “Are you in one pack with that young wolf mated with the witch?”
Shit, how does she know so much? I swallow, discomfort tightening in my stomach. Have they been watching us all this time, and I didn’t even know? Apparently, my thoughts show on my face because Fiona suddenly lets out a barking laugh and waves her hands.
“Ah, don’t look at me like that. Yes, we visit Raywald sometimes. We can’t live only on fish and deer, you know.”
“Why have you never talked to us?”
She shrugs and eyes me with a vague meaning. “Because it’s dangerous. No one here would be able to challenge an adult wolf, even more so, four at a time. So we prefer to stay quiet.”
I frown curiously and glance around. “Why? Where’s your alpha?”
“It’s a long story,” Fiona sighs, and I feel a flash of tension—she isn’t avoiding the topic, I hope? Because it’s something I’d like to hear more about. But she only watches me for another moment, her eyes sharp and unreadable, before gesturing at her hut. “Do you want to come in?”
I want to, and Fiona leads me inside, ignoring my growing tension as I step over the threshold. What if someone’s hiding inside? What if it’s all just a pretense? But the house turns out to be as simple and quiet as it looked from the outside. Almost everything inside is made of wood and rocks, rough but useful, similar to my own home back in Pennsylvania. There is some basic furniture and dishes, a sink and a stove that look like they’ve been here for at least a decade, and even a small refrigerator that works on batteries.
“We used to bring a lot of stuff when Derek still had a car,” Fiona explains, noticing my surprise and curiosity, and walks to a jug of water—from the nearest creek, I suppose. “Water?”
“Yes, thanks.” I take a seat on the bench by the small table in what looks like a living room. “Where is it now?”
“What?”
“The car.”
Fiona shrugs, walking back to me with a cup of water and a bowl of wild raspberries. “I don’t know. Probably in Raywald. No one here knows how to drive anymore, and after Derek died, the boys took it away.”
I nod my thanks and take a few berries, taking a sip of the water. It tastes of the forest and of home, better than any of the bottled drinks I’ve had in a while. I sigh and take another gulp before turning to Fiona. She watches me with a knowing smile and quietly waits for the next question.
“Was he your alpha?”
“Derek?” She chuckles joylessly and shakes her head.
“No, he was a beta. But all of them have died or disappeared, so now it makes no difference. He could have protected us, at least.”
“What happened to them?” I can’t help but frown, premonition growing in my chest, and the wolf tenses up, listening carefully. Fiona shrugs and looks away, trying to appear careless, but I can see in her frown and the downward curl of her lips that it’s hard for her to bring it up.
“A curse, probably.” I only stare at her in astonishment, unable to say a word, and Fiona glances at me before continuing, “There are plenty of them in these woods. We’ve been trying to survive for decades—but eventually, the witches’ rage got us all.”
“Why would they be so angry with you?” I frown, thinking about Abel’s curse. His father had pissed off a faerie that cursed him in return, but that was a one-time thing, right? It’s not like they do it to everyone.
"Not us—our grandparents.” Fiona looks away, the look in her eyes distant and grim. “Shapeshifters had been living in these mountains for ages, but after the witches settled in the valley they wiped out most of us one by one. Only our pack survived—but the ancient curses get even more wicked with time, and even the strongest can’t fight them."
Well, this is an interesting story I got myself into. I frown, thinking about it for a moment, trying to imagine a bunch of witches hating the shifters so much that they simply decided to get rid of them.
"Why did they hunt for you?"
"Who knows.” She chuckles without a hint of joy and looks at me again. “Maybe they didn't want to have neighbors."
I hum. Okay, then. "And what now?” I look her in the eyes, still thoughtful. “Are you going to leave?"
“Leave?” Fiona laughs with what sounds like genuine amusement and shakes her head. "Oh no. Can you imagine us leaving our settlement without an alpha? We'd rather fight for ourselves at home than take off without a direction."
No matter how dangerous these woods are, it makes sense. I bet everyone who was ready to leave on their own has already done it—but for children and unmated females, it can be too hard to go against their instincts. They need protection, whether as wolves or as humans, and it’s an alpha’s responsibility to provide it.
"Don't you have anyone who could be an alpha?" I look at her, genuinely worried for the pack at this point, but Fiona shakes her head with an unhappy smile.
"Our boys are too young, and for the girls…I'm the oldest one in the pack, but even for me it's too much." Fiona pauses, and I see a glint of interest in her eyes as she studies me for a moment. "Is that what you want? To build a new pack?"
I shrug and look around. After everything she has already told me, there’s no point in hiding my intentions. "Yes. I think it's a good place. And if we build a connection with the town instead of walking into unknown territories, curses shouldn’t be a problem anymore. It is possible to deal with them.”
Especially with the help of witches. Asya’s pale face and curled fists flash through my mind—but before I can think about her any further, Fiona hums and slowly nods.
"You are young. Maybe you can come up with something, but…You can't do it alone, you know that?" She looks me in the eyes with a silent suggestion, but I don’t understand and only straighten up with a frown.
"I have my brothers, they'd help you—"
"No, that's not what I mean.” Fiona smiles with amusement and holds my gaze with a growing smirk. “You have to have a mate to prove that you are a leader."