Electrum

Blood. It was all around him, consuming all his senses. But Lucian had become accustomed to this. They all had.

“You’re late,” Mathis stated, calling everyone to attention with a sharp bark. “If it happens again I may have to rethink my decision.”

The darker wolf panted for breath. “My apologies.” He didn’t give an explanation, none of them needed to know, least of all about Isabella.

He took his place between October, one year his senior, and Alexandra, one year his junior. Though on the battlefield it really didn’t matter all that much. Soon enough they would all be on equal footing. The fourteen-year-old Lucian stood straight at attention with his comrades. This evening would be the changing points in their lives, the point where they would graduate from the pack’s young folds and become full members.

The three wolves looked up at Mathis, Rias’ second-in-command. He had been the one guiding them through their training, creating monsters bigger than himself. Ebony would be next in a few years, then Topaz and Yvette. Failure was not a choice, if they did so chances where they wouldn’t even live long enough to regret it.

Little was known about the man before them, as it was for Rias’ inner circle. Mathis was an enigma in him, and despite being flanked often by Cobalt and Halifax, they knew few details about him either. All they needed to know was that he passed the test, and therefore they had to as well.

Mathis nodded, not questioning the young teen. “You three know what to do. Dismissed!”
And with that, they turned and ran. Lucian shot through the trees, barely comprehending as the wind rushed through his fur. If he passed, it would be cut short. No detriments or vanities in the Aliath.

“Two kilometers now, north-northeast,” October instructed. He, being the oldest, had unquestionably taken charge of the operation. He was also one of the most promising recruits, a natural fighter.

“Translation please?”

“Fifty five degrees to your left,” Lucian explained for the girl. They all turned in said direction, moving as smoothly as though they were one wolf.

Keeping cover in shrubbery, they made it to the outskirts of the town. Three wolves clearly just couldn’t march into a populated area, so they stopped to change back. But the human guise would be shed soon enough. Then again, they couldn’t march straight into town stark naked, unless they wanted to be arrested for indecency. Despite this, they still looked like hobos.

They slunk around with ease, for the sun was setting. Lucian stared up at the reddish hue that donned the horizon. Isabella would be picking her little sister, Anna, up by now from her rescheduled ballet lesson. She’d been sick the previous week. Then they’d all be off to celebrate her grandfather’s birthday. Isabella’s family hadn’t a problem in the world, and he understood that. His problem was making sure his family didn’t get involved, that they didn’t have any.

“How’s your girlfriend?” Alex broke the silence.

“How about keeping out of my business?” Lucian shot back. Now he thought of it, he couldn’t remember ever mentioning Isabella to anyone. Relationships with Aliath members never ended well, you just didn’t hear of them actually dating anyone. Most of the fully fledged Aliath…just took what they wanted and left. And yet here he was, a boy of fourteen, with his first girlfriend. And he couldn’t even boast about it. “And how the hell did you know about that?”

She shrugged, picking at a loose thread in her sleeve. “No can do. I just sort of…guessed?”

“Then what else did you ‘just sort of’ guess?” The stress was beginning to get to him.

“Well, Rias actually has a son as the result from one of his raids. Halifax has been buying marijuana from Paul, who is running his own drug ring. Cobalt’s black eye came from when he snuck into Erate territory and Roxanne’s been sleeping her way up the ranks…I could go on for quite a while.”

October interrupted, suddenly showing interest. “Wait, wait, who’s been sleeping with who?” The other two shot him identically exasperated looks.

“Now he starts listening,” Alex muttered.

Lucian looked slightly disgusted and cleared his throat. “That was actually more than I really needed to know about Roxy.” A small green grass snake slithered over his foot. “Shit!”

“Aww, what’s wrong Lu? Afraid of Mr. Snakey?” October teased.

“Get stuffed, it caught me by surprise. I just don’t do Mister Snakeys,” he defended sharply.

The older boy grinned, shaking his wavy hair. “Don’t do him, eh? Neither do I - we’re just good friends.” Bending down, he picked up the reptile by the tail.

“Idiot.” The dark-haired boy wrinkled his nose as October waved it mockingly in his face. “Put that thing down!”

“Lucian’s afraid of snakes! Lucian’s afraid of snakes!” October sang. “Ouch!”

“That’s what you get.” The dark haired boy sill remained wary though, as the small creature slithered into the leaf litter.

Alex frowned, trying to recall fragments of a map in her mind. “Ballet studio should be left, yeah?”

“Right,” October said. Both Lucian and Alexandra turned right. “No, no!” he shouted. “You’re supposed to be going left!”

“You said right,” Lucian retorted.

“That’s not what I meant. Just go with the other right, alright?”

“Just shut up and take this seriously! October, this is why you haven’t been nominated for this exam before! You’re fifteen, get a grip.”

Hushing them, Alexandra whispered, “We’re here. Possible target at six o’clock.”

“Um…that’s an old man.”

“Ugh, I meant that way,” she hissed back, pointing at a young brunette preparing to leave the ballet studio. They were standing on the opposite side of the road.

Lucian growled, despite his human appearance. He always got like this before a fight. October took his position beside the entrance. “Her name’s Susan or something, right?”

“Shut up!” Lucian hated putting names on those who would soon be dead. He preferred to keep his kills at an arms length. “And why the hell do we have to do this in broad daylight, in front of heaps of people?”

Alex began, “To analyze our - ”

“I know that!” He’d heard it a thousand times from Mathis already.

“Then why did you ask?” October inquired.

If enduring fights as a fully fledged member wasn’t going to kill him, these two probably would be the death of him. Lucian had a quick temper, and he never could be bothered toning it down because there was simply no one worth toning it down for.

Except Isabella.

Yeah, he kept himself in line as much as he could around her. Otherwise he just felt like a great, gruff oaf undeserving of her company. Never before in his life had the boy felt so self conscious. “Positions.” He grunted, taking a stand on the opposite side of the road. October moved sideways, leaning casually against the side of the door.

“Target exiting in five…four…three…two…” Alex counted down. A jingle chimed as the door was opened. The brunette girl, her face had been unclear in the translucent glass, waved goodbye to her friend and exited the building.

Immediately, October lunged forward, morphing on the fly. His claws slammed into the girl’s shoulders, ripping through the fabric of her dress and drawing blood. His teeth moved to her neck, ready to rip her throat out and complete the mission.

But it wasn’t Susan. It was Isabella.

“OCTOBER, STOP!” Lucian shouted in horror, slamming his smaller wolfish frame desperately against the older boy. October paused for only a moment, just long enough to look carefully at the trembling figure below him. Who wasn’t the target.

A gunshot blasted through the air. Pedestrians screamed and ran, not even understanding what was going on. Where were these wolves coming from? Who had fired the gun? What was going on? Was anyone hurt?

Isabella’s father stood out near his van, a large hunting gun clasped so tightly in his hands the man’s knuckles were white. Lucian’s girlfriend had boasted that her dad had never missed a shot, and he had been aiming at his daughter’s assailant.

October collapsed, blood spreading alarmingly from his chest and spilling over Lucian who had tackled him. Alexandra yelped and took off, something she would regret for years to come. Their injured comrade shuddered and was still, falling to one side, blood pooling all around his form.

October was dead.

Lucian pushed his nose against Isabella’s neck, trying to encourage a response. She shivered and cried, suddenly screaming and trying to shove him away. He growled in reflex, trying to reassure her, but Isabella only began to tremble further as tears overflowed from her eyes. Without the pressure of October on her body, the brunette curled up into a ball, rocking back and forth.

She looked into his eyes, an expression of shock and absolute terror spreading across her face. “Y-you!” Isabella rasped, and Lucian wasn’t sure which was worse – the fact she had recognized him or the look she was giving him. Her voice was garbled, voice barely being able to form the words. “Get away from me!”

Her voice shocked him a few paces back. “Wolf people…everywhere…they’re going to kill me…I’m gonna die…wolf people…” Isabella curled up tighter as she mumbled, resting her forehead on her knees. She looked so small, so helpless. And it was he that was causing her such trauma. He had to get away. Then Lucian did the only thing he could. He turned tail and ran.

A bullet whizzed overhead, but he paid it no notice. Lucian darted into a shed, relinquishing in the darkness as he allowed his human self to return. He didn’t want it to though, he wanted nothing more than succumb to instinct, to not feel anything.

Hot tears trailed down his face before the dark haired boy could do a thing to stop them. He sat down, back against the wood, gasping for air with the occasional throaty cough. What the Hell? Lucian didn’t cry. It was unheard of in the Aliath! Besides, he never cared enough about anyone to miss them.

Climbing up onto the rafters, Lucian sat on the wooden beam trying to calm himself. For a few seconds he closed his eyes, trying to focus himself. His concentration was broken when the door creaked open, spilling a sliver of light into the room below.

“Hello?” a feminine voice called. “Is anyone in here?” She stepped forwards, squinting into the gloom.

The light shone over her face, giving Lucian a clear view of her identity. “Holy shit…” he whispered, a saying he had picked up from October.

No, he was not going to think about his dead comrade. Or the other one who had completely bailed, but he couldn’t really blame her. The older boy had been the older brother figure for most of the younger recruits. Except for Yvette at the moment who had a kiddie-crush on him, but she changed infatuations every month or so. Oh God, now he’d have to tell her October was dead.

This was worse than the time Mathis had gone missing for a week. The full members had shoved the others around at every opportunity; Roxanne had left a three inch gashes in Topaz’s cheek with her fingernails while slapping the little girl around.

None of the others had realized it, but it was then that Lucian appreciated Mathis. Before he went missing, the boy had always held some slight resentment towards him. For being so highly ranked, for having so much power, for forcing them to do things they didn’t want to, and most of all, being so close to Rias. Stupid suck up, so Lucian thought.

But when he had gone missing, Lucian had found himself worrying. When Mathis was around, he kept Cobalt and Halifax in check. No one else was able to tell Paul to get his act together, or get Roxanne to keep her damn talons to herself. And all that time he had been such an ignorant little kid.

Mathis had been protecting them all that time. And the shock from those months ago had done nothing to prepare him for the shock he had now, the one that had surprised right through is grief.

It was Susan.

For a second he had thought it was Isabella. Even at closer glance he could have sworn they were relatives. Siblings, or first cousins perhaps. And Lucian hated it. Was the world mocking him? Making the target look so much like…like…her.

Lucian knew the whole Isabella thing had already jumped out of hand from the second they’d gone out for pizza. He was out of his depth from the second he’d realized an interest in her. It had been like trying to watch your footing with a blindfold on, knowing there were open manholes lurking in unknown places. A total train wreck, that’s what he was.
He could still complete the mission. He could leap out before Susan knew what was coming, transform, and tear out her throat, no, her heart. Susan wouldn’t even get the chance to scream let alone defend herself. A growl rose in the back of his throat, and a ripple went down his spine in anticipation.

“It’s alright, you can come out. I just want to talk, okay?” Clearly she couldn’t see him as she entered, and was blissfully unaware of how directly below she was to a sharp pair of fangs. Lucian stayed still, not moving, not trusting himself to move. He would not attack. And since when did he start referring to her by name? She was supposed to be the target! Not anymore though. Not to him.

Susan sighed, Lucian’s keen ears picking up the sound with ease. “Fine, have it your way. Oh!” Jumping, she rummaged in her pocket, checking a text message. “Camden you idiot.” She muttered, turning to leave. “Just so you know,” the ex-target said to empty space, “the other wolf that was with you…she’s safe. A little beaten up, but safe.” That probably had something to do with the Camden guy she had mentioned.

She turned to leave. “Thank you.” Lucian rasped through dry lips. Susan smiled, not pursuing the location of the voice, and closed the door behind her without a second glance. Leaving the hidden boy in the dark once more.

Climbing down, he squared his shoulders, rubbing his cheeks clear of any tear residue, and marched straight out of the door again.

Surprisingly, the Susan girl wasn’t outside waiting, as Paul’s brother had been known to do to Lee. The 25 year old boxer would hover outside the bathroom door whenever Lee ran in for shelter. Soon as the little boy thought the coast was clear and dared to come out, Paul would pounce.

The only thing that would calm Lee down would be Topaz, and at the moment, Roxanne had it in for her. Regardless of what happened to her, Topaz would always held tough. One of them had to. Lee looked to her for support, and she had be a lot stronger than she actually was. She was his parent. Not in the typical sense, but she was the one who took care of the younger boy. Lee’s mother worked as a bartender, and Lee had been an ‘occupational accident’. Meaning the by-product of a one night fling, but only Ebony would be so crass as to say it like that.

He walked down the street, back to the scene of the accident. An ambulance was just beginning to roll away, and workers were hosing down the blood from where October had fallen.

“Did you hear about that wolf?”

“Jumped out of nowhere, it did!”

“That poor girl…”

“That creature deserved to die!”

October hadn’t deserved to die. Isabella hadn’t deserved to…what had happened to her? Lucian saw her father, sitting grimly in his truck, talking into a cell phone. He would never know he was a murderer. But he’d been protecting his daughter, who could condemn that? Her mother had been there before the incident too, she must have gone in the ambulance with Isabella.

His best friend. His family. The laughing, inappropriate, laid-back October. The one he had fought alongside, been through thick and thin. Then there was Isabella, who he had loved in a very different way. If he felt sympathy for one, he felt guilty, like he was betraying the other.

“H-hello, Mr. Hughes…” Lucian stammered as the man closed his phone.

Evan Hughes looked almost as bad as the teen before him felt. “Oh…you’re…Lucian?” Lucian nodded. “Isabella talks a lot about you.” And mumbles incoherently now, thanks to him not being fast enough to stop October.

“Thank you, sir…” Really, he didn’t know what else to say.

“You’re wondering how she is?” Mr. Hughes said. “Look…I’ll be honest with you. You’ve probably heard about the wolf attack…Isabella’s not hurt. Not physically. But…the doctors say she went into serious shock. Maybe she’ll recover, but maybe…”

It was obvious he was unwilling to confirm Lucian’s fears. “Thank you, sir.” He was beginning to sound a bit like a robot. “I-I’m sorry…”

How lame was that? Like apologizing could do anything. He’d probably heard it a thousand times from those around him. But none of them could have done anything. If Lucian had only ran faster, paid more attention, shouted earlier, they might have actually got that Susan girl. Before Isabella got hurt, and before he started thinking of Susan as an actual person. He left Mr. Hughes, feeling a pair of dark brown eyes identical to his daughter’s burning into his back.

“Knew you’d be here,” a quiet voice came the form of a girl leaning against a wall away from the commotion.

“Alex…you traitor!” He needed someone, anyone, to blame for this.

“You couldn’t kill her – don’t blame me. Lucian, the Aliath is not for someone who cares too much,” she said coldly.

Lucian sniffed. “Easy for you to say.”

“Understand you won’t be seeing me again,” she finished, limping straight past him and towards a strange car, a man gripping her forearm roughly and throwing her in. “Goodbye, Lucian.”

It was a strange feeling, to suddenly be alone after in a pack for so long. Walking home had felt twice as long, without October’s pointless banter, Yvette’s whining, or even Ebony’s rude comments. Granted, he was never able to communicate on their level, but their company was never unwelcome. Heck, he would have given anything just to have Lee wiping boogers on every passing tree and hoping no one noticed.

His mother smiled when he came home, for the blank look on her son’s face was more or less permanent. “Your friend is waiting for you upstairs.”

Friend…what friend? Probably Cobalt coming to drag him back into an Aliath meeting, where he would be disciplined for his failure. Shaking his head, Lucian climbed the stairs, not even caring what punishment he would face. He just wanted to get it over with, no matter how severe, so he could just go to sleep and forget about it.

The dark haired boy was surprised at the young man sitting on his bed, flicking through an old copy of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. “Mathis?!”

Mathis snapped the book shut. “The one and only.”

“What are you doing here?”

“What do you think I’m doing here?”

“I know exactly what you’re supposed to be doing.”

“Do you now?”

Lucian glared. “Yes, I do, and you’re talking without saying anything. It’s annoying.”

Mathis moved to the shelf and put the novel away. “So I’ve heard.”

“Fine, let’s cut to the chase. The mission was a failure, and I’m going to be punished for it. You were sent to take me back,” Lucian stated.

“No, I volunteered.”

Lucian sat down on the desk chair, leaning back. “No difference,” he grunted, “if the others no-show, I’m taking all the hits for them.”

“It’s not your fault, Lucian. From what I know, October’s dead. It was his miscalculation, not yours. What happened to your girlfriend was a tragic accident; don’t beat yourself up about it.”

“Damn it!” The young teen slammed his hand onto the desk. “Who else knows about that, huh?”

“Just me, Alexandra, and Topaz.”

Lucian blinked. “Topaz?”

“She came out and asked me a few days ago. She was so happy for you – you know how much that girl worries. Afraid you’d turn out like me.” Mathis laughed dryly.

There was no humor in his tone. “Oh ha ha ha.”

“You could get out of this. You could just…leave.” Mathis said.

Lucian scowled. “Like I could,” he snarled. “Where would I go?”

“My second cousin lives in California, getting the papers should be a cinch if I pull some strings. I could get you and your entire family out of the country by the end of the week.”
Lucian found himself believing every word of what the Beta was saying. Of course it was true; being in his position would have a lot of perks. But there was something about the offer he couldn’t place. “Why are you doing this?”

“I don’t want you to end up like me either.”

“I can’t run.”

“I know.”

“Let’s go back.”

“Are you ready?”

“Now I am.”

Standing up, Mathis nodded at Lucian, who followed suit. “Don’t tell anyone about this,” he said, “but I botched the acceptance mission too.”

“Huh? But you passed!” This made no sense, Mathis was practically a legend. Whispers spoke of his brutality and how he showed no mercy regardless of age. The mission had been a complete success according to reports, and used as an example every time new wolves went under the rite of passage. Of all great secrets, Lucian couldn’t believe he was being trusted with this.

“What Rias doesn’t know now won’t kill him today.” The taller of the two explained with a wink. “You lose your humanity in that test, I’ve seen it before. Roxy – I mean Roxanne, Paul and I used to be the best of friends when we were younger.”

Oh. A change of subject was in order. “Where’s the meeting?”

“Same as before. It’s not too late to leave.”

So it was in the shed right next to his house. Lucian decided he had better not make much noise; the last thing he wanted was his mother to come running down. There would things she would not need to see.

“I won’t run.”

“You are running.” From the life he could have. “But this is about pride, isn’t it?”

Lucian’s face was set. “There’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

“At least I tried.”

They were in the garden now, and Lucian almost tripped over a shovel that was propped up next to some empty flowerpots. His mother was going to use them to start off an avocado tree, which would be planted into the actual ground when it grew into a sapling. Isabella had loved the idea, and had wanted to be there to help, like with the patch of baby potatoes they had gathered together. It all seemed like such a long time ago. Now everything he saw was grey, just grey and dull and lifeless.

He knew they would beat him, hurt him to the brink where he couldn’t even remember his own name. Halifax had bared his fangs once to Rias, and never had Lucian seen the cocky wolf so reclusive for the following month. Barks, howls, whimpering pleas…and every Aliath wolf were to witness the punishment. Including Lee, who had been barely nine years of age.
It was at times like these where he envied the other pack, the one where Susan was from.

But Lucian was going to steer well clear of the Erate from now on. He wanted to hate his old target, but at the same time he couldn’t help but envy her in the slightest. Wanting to be a part of their pack, wanting to share their lifestyle. But he knew it wasn’t possible, he wasn’t even worthy. And that was another way in which that blasted girl reminded him of Isabella.

The shed would be packed full of Aliath members. Not all of them, for many of the higher-ups would be away on separate missions, and there were only so many one could cram into his childhood playhouse. Either way, they were going to see him suffer. And he was not going to give them the satisfaction of seeing him break.

With that in mind, Lucian squared his shoulders and placed a hand on the rusty knob, turning it slightly. The door creaked slightly on his hinges, and he could almost feel the thirst for blood radiating around the room. He looked up at Mathis, drawing support from him. Then he shoved the door open and entered the world of violence he was so familiar with.

Because blood was blood, and Lucian could not leave that world behind.