Your Silver Bullets Won't Save You Now

It had been two days since I’d attacked Eric. He was better, still unconscious, but everyone was assuring me that he’d live. Damien had given me a wide berth, I’d seen him in the evenings when they’d have a big meal. He was sat at one end of the long line, of miss matched tables and I the other.

My new shadow, Zack sat with me, Feher, who’d decided that he hated Zack and finally Tom, who refused to look at me most of the time and spoke only in short sentences.

I feel he might not forgive me any time soon for trying to kill his brother.

It was a relief not to be near Damien, I refused to consider what was going to happen in a few weeks. Marrying Damien, marrying Damien is a burden that I’m not even sure I want to suffer.

Mainly, although not entirely, because of Max. Every time I think about him, my chest constricts, but thankfully the same pain as before hasn’t come back. After speaking with Zack, he suggested that when I passed out in Damien’s office, it was something to do with this stupid mating thing.

He hadn’t said Max was my mate, but he didn’t say otherwise either. But with Max dead, surely I’d be dying or at least suffering with this stupid Anxiety Separation thing? However, it hadn’t bothered me at all.

I was beginning to give up on everything, deciding I don’t want to be Alpha anymore. I was stuck, in this house, with the Galiks. Zack watched my every move and Feher seemed to be not far behind. Feher didn’t like Zack, and especially didn’t like the fact that Zack and I got along. Because in all honesty, we do.

I’d spend my days with Zack, talking and waiting for my pack to arrive, because they are not far off now, I can feel them. One more day and they’ll be here. Feher would sit with us sometimes, in one of the broken rooms of the house and we’d talk, or read some of the books that one of Damien’s men had found.

Dare I say it, but Feher and I were almost becoming friends. And, again dare I say it, I had a strong feeling that I could consider Zack a friend. I’d been given a room to sleep in, different to the one I’d woken up in, because that room was now Eric’s. When I’d first been shown the room, I’d question the second bed, but Zack soon explained that he was to be my shadow, unquestioningly and that Damien had ordered him to be around me constantly.

So each night we’d sit up and talk. I’d stare out the window, wishing I wasn’t who I am and Zack would try to convince we that everything would be fine and that marrying Damien may not be so bad.

It was strange, I trusted Zack more than I probably should. But as my fourth day with Galik’s began and I could feel my pack no more than a couple of miles from me, I couldn’t help but bound out of bed and poke his sleeping form.

It was funny, when he slept he looked so calm, so peaceful. Normally his deep green eyes looked troubled and his entire body exuded stress, but as he slept, he looked truly peaceful.
“Wake up Zack! My packs nearly hear!” I complained as I grabbed his wrist and yanked it. He stirred, but only slightly.
He growled lightly in his sleep and his other wrist snapped up to grasp my arm, holding onto his. With a quick shuffle and a sharp tug, I landed heavily against his chest. I squealed in protest as he shifted around and pulled me into his side, his chin resting on the top of my head. His arm wrapped securely around me, held me tightly into him and he sighed contentedly in his sleep.

“Zack.” I barked as I fought against his arm, trying to life the heavy object from around me, but my protests only made him growl and hold me tighter, before he shifted so that he was practically on top of me.

I growled, feeling my wolf surface, she liked being trapped no more than I did. Just as I went to reach for his throat and throttle him out of his sleep, my claws already breaking through my finger tips, the door swung open and heavily footsteps echoed across the room.

A barely audible line of curses escaped the intruders lips, before Zack was torn from beside me, his grip on me not loosening until the final moment, sending me rolling to the floor. I cursed and pushed myself up, flicking my long brown hair from my eyes, as I glared at the man who now stood next to me, in his hand he easily held Zack’s ankle.

The Galik had finally woken up and surprise turned to anger as he fought against his assailant. “What in the meaning of hell, do you think you’re doing?” He screamed, as he batted off Fredricks hold on his ankle and fell with a thump to the floor beside me.

I sat up and then stood up, brushing my clothes off as I did so and looked into the face of someone I hated seen in months. My father, it turned out, had sent him out on a hunting mission of sorts. Designed to find other packs to come and help us with the vampires.

I watched him silently for a moment and he grinned at me, as Zack climbed to his feet and stood next to me scathing, no doubt trying to understand what the hell just happened.

“Hello Fredrick.”

“Hello little sister.” He said with a smile, as I launched myself at him, holding him tightly.

How I’d missed Freddie, without even realising it. I realised that the last time I’d seen him, had been when I’d just agreed to marry Feher, albeit accidentally when he’d come over for dinner at my house. I hadn’t even noticed his disappearance at first, too caught up in Max and the Vampires. Yet here he was, looking better than ever.

“You look older Freddie.” I told him as he released me.

“So do you, Alpha.” He said with a small bow of respect, his actions not hiding his mocking tone. I smiled and looked down.

“Yeh well, things have changed.” I told him gently. “Is the rest of the pack here too?” I asked eagerly as he turned and headed out of the door, me following.

“I ran on ahead, they’ll be here shortly. Where’s Feher? Eric? And Tom? Are they well?” I paused, not really wanting to answer that question.

“They’re down the corridor to the left, go and find them yourself.” Zacks voice was cold and grumpy. My brother mentioned something about foul-faced Galiks, before disappearing off down the corridor, calling Feher’s name.

“Want to explain to me what just happened?” Zack asked me, I could feel his gaze on me. I turned slowly, he looked angry.

“Well I woke up, tried to wake you up, you grabbed hold of me and pinned me to your side, then my brother got here and dragged you out of bed and off of me. That’s about it really.”

He didn’t say anything for a while, so I looked up at the normally chatty Galik. He was blushing lightly, his gaze on the floor. “Sorry.” He mumbled.

I considered dragging out the conversation further, but I could hear their paws padding along the road and I knew my pack were home. “We’ll say no more about it.” I promised before I turned and sprang from the room, pushing past Galik’s as I made my way down the stairs, throwing the door open, as a Galik stepped from the shadows to stop me from leaving.

I glanced at him, but didn’t pay much attention as the first of the wolves came bounding through the door. I stepped back and watched as they all came running in, filling the already busy house. In the distance I heard a door open and close and could feel Damien’s eyes on me, without needing to look.

Zack was stood behind me, once more. Always lingering in my shadow.

“Alpha.” Toby, one of my former suitors stepped forwards. “We have all missed you. And we have great news, we have successfully gained the trust of other packs. They have agreed to aid us if needs be. The vampire attacks are well-spread now. We do not have long until they are everywh-“

“That’s quite enough Toby. The Alpha can hear the rest later. For now, all of you, come in, get out of the sun.” Feher instructed, I smiled at him slightly, he was useful if nothing else.

As all the wolves piled in, I noticed a strong sense of worry emanating off of a few. “Is there anything else you need to tell me, Toby?” I asked as we all walked through into the living room.

I watched him shift and mumble and struggle with words, as he lingered in the doorway, but the words he couldn’t speak were said for him, as another wolf walked through the doorway. A wolf I had not seen, but was sure I knew. A new wolf in my pack.

The wolf looked hesitant, and I noticed the leash on it’s neck; on her neck. This wolf was a female. My eyes, no doubt wide darted up to Feher, who looked overly smug. Had he had something to do with this? Had they added a female to the pack against her will?

I took a deep sniff of the air, her scent was familiar. But I thought I was the only female wolf in a wide radius, any other wolves had to be made. Was this one a made-wolf? Sniffing again I suddenly realised it was true, she was a cross-bread, turned by someone in my pack.

“You turned a human against her will and then forced her into the pack. Have you lost your mind?” My scream was loud and it silenced the room, if not the whole house.

Damien lingered in the hallway, watching me through angry eyes. For a second I wondered why, before I realised that I had promised him the hand of a female from my pack. That had meant me, because I was the only female, but now – Now there was another.

I looked to Feher, although he could sense my anger, he still seemed pleased with himself. Tom stood next to him, his eyes downcast, had he known about this plan?

“Feher? Do you know anything about this?” I seethed, my fists clenching.

He cleared his throat and stood slightly taller, “To save you Carta, I took it upon myself to have another female added to the pack. This way we still complete the deal with the Galiks, but without compromising you as Alpha.” I took a step towards Feher, ready to maul him like I should have done the day I met him, but Zack’s had landed on my wrist stopping me. I looked briefly up to him and felt some of my anger dissipate.

He didn’t look happy, but he knew I’d regret this decision if I killed Feher. So much was shared in that one look, I was surprised we ever needed to speak to one another.

I felt, more than heard Damien’s angry growl, I looked up to see him stalking away and his office door slammed. Was he angry over the female wolf? Or the way his second in command had just looked at me?

I turned to my pack, there were about 50 of them, all cramped into this tiny house. “The man who changed this female will step forward. She will be unchained. You will all shift to your human form and then you will rest. Soon there will be a marriage-“ I paused, wanting to say it wouldn’t be me marrying Damien, but not feeling like I could justify sacrificing another woman to the same fate, “the Galik’s will then work with us to kill the vampires.”

I’d spoken to Zack the day before about getting the Galik’s to help sooner. I’d asked him to see if it was possible for the Galiks to help us before the marriage. He said he’d speak to Damien and I could only hope that he already had done, because I had a feeling that Damien would never be helping us now.

“Well then, MOVE.” I shouted, when nobody did what I told them, “And someone get the poor girl some clothes.”

A man stepped forwards, his name Berklik, he’d been a good friend of my fathers, “Did you do this Berklik? Force the change upon her and then make her part of the pack?” I barely held back my anger as I spoke.

Berklik nodded, “Yes Ma’am. I was under orders to add a female to the pack to protect my Alpha. I did what was best for you and I would not have done anyth-“ We was silenced as I jammed the blade I’d stolen from Zack’s belt, that I’d seen briefly the day before when he’d stretched up into the cupboard to get me some more cereal, into his belly.

Berklik’s eyes grew wide, before I realised what I was really doing. I’d just killed him. But he had bitten an innocent, that alone was punishable by death and he knew it.

And as that innocent shifted into her human form, her leesh and chain removed and lying in a pile beside her, her shaking hands yanking on clothes to cover her modesty, I realised I’d made the right decision to kill him.

I pulled out the blade and stabbed him again, before Zack wrestled it off of me, his hands shoving me to the side, “Carta, what do you think you’re doing? You’ve killed your own man?”

But I didn’t care what he was saying, as I stumbled towards the girl stood shaking, with tears in her eyes.

I knew that scent had been familiar.

My brother walked into the room, “Carta I just spoke to Eric, what on earth were you th-“ He froze, the paper he held in his hand being crushed as he stopped just behind the girl, as I walked up in front of her.

“Aries?” He whispered, so delicately I forgot for a moment that he was my brother, my brother who could care for no one, or could love the world and the brother who’d written off every one of my human friends as worthless.

Aries shuddered and I stepped towards her again, but she backed up in fear. Her eyes knew me, no doubt they had the whole time since she got here. She probably thought I’d had this done to her. She probably thought that-

“Oh Aries.” I whispered, tears leaking from my eyes, as I watched the girl who used to be my best friend back away from me. “I’m so sorry.” I whispered, my voice cracking as I tasted the saltiness of tears on my tongue.

All through school we'd been inseparable, she was like a sister to me, but I'd forgotten her too when I'd been swept up in the pack turmoil. I hadn't even considered how it must have looked to her. I run out of school one day and then never go back.

I'd spent my teenage years growing up with her and we knew most of what there was to know about one another, she even knew that I was a wolf, but didn't know about the others. I didn't have much choice but to tell her, when you go to a sleepover and it's the full moon and you loose control and turn into a giant fur ball in her living room, it's a little hard to keep it a secret.

Once again she backed away, until she hit my brother’s chest. Skittishly she darted across the room and up onto the sofa, with the wall at her back and watched us all for a moment.

Zack came and stood beside me, he went to say something but I silenced him with a look.
“Fre-Fr-Fred?” Aries voice asked, sounding different to the happy-go-lucky tone that I was used to.

“Aries, shit, Aries. They chose you? As the female to add to our pack? That Berklik, I always knew he was a fool. I’m so sorry.” He gushed as he walked towards the sofa, and caught me off guard by holding his arms open for her.

Nothing could shock me more though, when she accepted his invitation and threw herself into his arms, burying her head into his neck, her body shaking with sobs.

.