Aspen County

When we land in Michigan, we immediately head for the transportation, looking to find a cab. A polite woman calls for one for us, and the cabby soon arrives.

"Hey, where you two off to?" he asks. The cab is cluttered, but the man seems nice enough.

Louve hands him the paper with the coordinates on it. He begins typing them into his GPS and drives off. "There are a few airports closer to where you're going. You two didn't really do your research before planning this out, huh?"

"No, it was kind of a spur of the moment, last minute decision." I glance bitterly at Louve, and she doesn't give any indication of having noticed.

"So, what's drawn you two into Michigan?" the man asks, trying to make conversation. "It was the quiet for me—I love New York, but the chaos and noise can keep you awake for days."

"We came here for…a fresh start," I say quietly, gazing out the window and hoping that that's something that we can have.

The cabby meets my eyes in the mirror. "You two are European, huh? No wonder you're up so late. It must be morning for you guys over there."

"Yeah, we're from France, but we've lived in the United States for six years." I understand that he's trying to be kind, but I wish he'd just leave us alone.

"So what have you liked best: America or France?"

I meet his friendly eyes, never actually having thought about that. France has had so many unpleasant memories for me, but then I've also had a fair share of misfortune since moving to the States. "You know, I don't know. But we're going to find out soon."

The man smiles and goes on chatting with us. Louve stays silent, but I offer affirmation here and there that I'm still tuned in. It takes almost three hours before we reach a foresty region of the state. We drive over dirt and cobblestone roads, and it reminds me of our home back in Pennsylvania. Bad things may have happened, but that cabin that we shared with our friends really was our home.

The cabby stops at the end of the road. "Welcome to Aspen County: Home of the wolves," he says with a chuckle when he stops.

Having begun to doze off, Louve and I look up, alarmed. "What?" we ask in unison.

The man laughs nervously. "Read the sign." We look past the windshield to a wooden welcoming sign. "And this part of the state is very well known for its wild-life, especially the wolves. Unfortunately, I can't drive you any further, but that dirt path there should take you where you need to go. I hope you two find what you're looking for."

I hand him Rudi's debit card and get out of the car, eager to find more people like us. It's true that Louve and I need a fresh start, and I think that this will be where we can find it. And maybe we can finally get rid of this thing.

We bid the cabby goodbye and begin trekking through the forest, our eyes rapidly adjusting after leaving the cab and its bright headlights. It's a quiet walk, both Louve and I lost in thought. "Lovett," she finally whispers after about an hour of walking. "What if they shun us? We're not natural. We shouldn't exist. You shouldn't be able to touch steel, and we shouldn't be able to Change at free will. What if they make us go away? Where would we go?"

I sigh. "I don't know, Louve. We'll figure it out. Let's just meet them first and see if we can talk to this Wise Woman. We'll figure everything else out as we go along. That seems to be what we do anyway." I offer a tight but reassuring smile, and she nods and focuses on her feet. After another hour or so of walking, the path disappears, but we can see outlines and shadows of buildings beyond the trees. We hurry forward and through a last thin layer of trees, a whole community is spread before us.

Louve and I gaze in wonder. Everything seems so natural and yet so surreal. The whole community is down a small but steep slope from the tree line in a huge meadow. There are small houses scattered about in rows in various places, each very close to the next. In the very back of the community is a slightly larger hut with smoke coming out of a chimney, the only one of its type. In the back right corner is a slightly larger establishment. Opposite that is a dome-shaped building.

We don't even know where to go. We can only stare at it in awe. It's only as I look around for what's probably the fifth time that I notice a boy walking right towards us.

"Hello," he says politely, bowing his head to us. He's wearing shorts but is missing shoes and a shirt despite the chilly, late autumn air, revealing calloused feet and a tan, ripped body that could put some of the guys in my Pack to shame. His wavy black hair is long and messy, and he appears to be about my age. His face and dark brown eyes are kind, and I trust him immediately; I am however shocked that he looks so alert at such an early hour so far away from the last and the next Full Moons. "Welcome to our home, where you will always be welcome."

"I'm not so sure about that. You don't know who we are."

He chuckles. "Believe me, I do. My name is Keene, Shaman in training, grandson of Egeria, Wise Woman. As I said, you will always be welcome here, Chosen two. Now, I hope you don't mind as I know you both must be exhausted after your long flight and the journey here and the late hour, but my grandmother wishes to speak with you both before I show you to your lodgings. I hope that's okay with you both."

Too shocked to say anything else, I simply stutter out some form of agreement. Keene smiles, revealing the tell-tale sharpened teeth of a werewolf. He turns on his heel and begins leading us to the dome in the back of the village.

"You will also be meeting with the Council of Elders today. Grandmother has already assembled them so that the process will be as quick as possible for you both. Most decisions of the Pack lie with Grandmother, but there are some cases in which the Elders are called upon. However, yours is an especially unusual one, and everyone is eager to meet you two. Grandmother has foreseen your births and knows of your struggles of the past twelve years, especially of those in more recent years."

"How?" I ask disbelievingly. No one outside of our family, both by blood and extension, knows of what we have endured.

He smiles mischievously. "They don't call her the Wise Woman for nothing. Many seek her wisdom on a wide array of conundrums, a large factor in that being the fact that she doesn't judge and that she generally knows what the source of their dilemma is without them even having to explain."

We nod and continue to follow him. We finally arrive at the large dome, and Keene opens the door, ushering us inside. Up ahead is a short platform with a huge, regal looking chair in the center and a well-toned, elderly woman sitting proudly and gazing at us approvingly. There are two men on her left and two women on her right—all of whom are very fit like the middle woman and seem tired but just as alert as Keene and very curious—in chairs slightly smaller than her own. Behind her is a quilt with the moon cycle sewn into it in the form of the werewolf calendar, all 28 days of each of our 13 months woven in their proper order. Benches are placed around the room with a door on the right hand side between the men and the last bench. Another bench is in the center of the room, and Keene leads Louve and I to it before stepping up onto the platform and standing behind who I assume is his grandmother. Not knowing what to do, we stand before the Elders awkwardly.

Keene's grandmother smiles warmly down at us. "You may sit, Chosen Two," she offers gently, seeming to sense our anxiety. "You need not fear us, nor do you have to fear our people. You will always find a home here in the heart of werewolf society. I welcome you, Lovett and Louve, son and daughter of Adolphe and Lucille. You have followed our culture as well as you have been able to in your isolation, for which I commend you." She seems to reflect for a moment. "I am Egeria, Wise Woman and Head of the Council."

"It's an honor to meet you, Egeria," I whisper, bowing my head like Keene did earlier when he met Louve and me. Louve does the same.

"The honor lies with us, young ones. I'd like to introduce you to the Council, Esarosa, Lupita, Seath, and Faolan. We will help guide you two in your time here should you seek our assistance—we are all well aware of why you have sought our community."

I lean forward, hopeful. "Then you can help us?" I ask desperately.

She closes her eyes and leans back in her chair. "Only time can tell, young one. However, I sense your exhaustion. There will be plenty of time to talk in the coming weeks. For now, allow Keene to lead you to your quarters."

"Thank you," Louve and I say with our heads bowed.

"We will be seeing you both very soon," Egeria calls as Louve and I get up. Keene kisses her hand and joins us. "May the light of the moon guide you both."

We smile, nod, and follow Keene out.
* * * * *
As tired as I am, once Keene drops Louve and I off at small the two-bedroom hut-like house, I am unable to sleep. The whole place is so foreign and furnished but plain. As similar as the simplicity is to our old house, I simply feel ill at ease here. I just need to adjust. It really is a strange transition from isolation to an entire community of people just like us.

I sigh and get up, beginning to pace and wondering what I'll do with my sister. I suddenly hear a strange noise from the living room and hurry through, panic seizing me and making me doubt our safety here. I do a thorough search to make sure that Louve and I are alone. I check up in her room, and she seems to be peacefully sleeping. Her lips are soundlessly moving, and I wonder if she's talking to that voice thing again.

I shudder but decide to just let her sleep and head back to my room. When I step through the door, I immediately notice a small yellow square in the middle of the soft green blanket on the bed. Suspicious, I sit down and read the messy handwriting:

'Lovett, Grandmother asked me to give you this message. You cannot tell Louve about it! It is essential that she stays in the dark for the moment. Let me explain before you grow upset. At the moment, the Voice exists in her mind, and she has no control over it or its actions. If she knows what we are planning, the Voice will no doubt know as well—don't question its powers. But, Grandmother has a way to fight it. The Prophecy that foretold this event is as follows: "The child born to a human and wolf will inspire and lead our race during their time. They will have the power to touch that which harms our race the most, be gifted with the Sight, and be capable of Transformation under the light of the sun or any phase of the moon. The gifts bestowed upon them will be the ultimate trial to show their dedication to the Pack, and Death will guide them down their path. In order to free themselves from Death and control the curse that the Sight causes, they must wage battle with the Entity. Should they succeed in their battle, they will prove their worth and be freed from Death's clutches with His respect; however, should they fail in this internal war, they shall remain Death's slave for eternity and bring only grief to our people." The parts involving Death were foretold by Grandmother, long after the Prophecy was seen. You and Louve must battle this Voice to weaken and her. There is no way for you to kill her, but you can imprison her where she can no longer control you, but only in Louve's mind. However, you are able to aid her as pieces of the Prophecy allude to you as well. You must tell Louve all of this, and you two must prepare immediately, but you must be wary of how you go about it all. The battle will be waged two New Moons from now, Day One. You and Louve have the capability to go within your heads, and you must use this. Tomorrow evening, go to sleep, but when you do, make sure that Louve is asleep, and call her mind to you, not through the Bond, but through your spirit. Once you tell her what is going on, she will know how to fight the Voice. Do not speak of this to Louve, Grandmother, me, or anyone else. You never know where she is and if she is watching. I wish you both the best of luck and do not think about this at all costs!
-Keene
(P.S. The noise you heard was me. I cannot talk to you about this, so I had to draw you out of the room in order to sneak in the note. So sorry if I scared you.)'

The note leaves me completely befuddled. I reread it a few times to make sure that I'll be able to tell Louve everything before stuffing it under my pillow and trying to clear it from my mind. I have to put all of my faith in a stranger and his grandmother and a prophecy that was created hundreds of years ago and then updated. I close my eyes and lean back on the bed, not having any idea how to get into my sister’s mind, let alone learn how to fight this thing. If I wasn't able to sleep before, I have even more trouble now.

It's all I can do to shove the note from my mind and struggle to obtain a distant, restless sleep.
* * * * *
In the morning, I feel like Louve knows something. I know it's impossible, but the lack of sleep makes me paranoid, and I have to get out of the house and away from her prying eyes. I mutter something about wanting fresh air and stumble out of the hut and in the general direction of the forest.

Outside, all of the villagers mill about, some of them staring at me openly and whispering in wonder. Right now, I don't want to face the curious eyes of the residents of the village who want to know more about their savior who will 'inspire and lead our race' or those piercing ones of the Elders who want to tell me what to do. I just can't handle it right now. I find myself just wandering through the forest, reminding myself of the one back home. It feels nice to have something at least somewhat familiar as comfort.

I eventually come to a small space between the trees, at the center of which Keene is sitting with his eyes closed and his legs crossed, meditating. I prepare to turn and leave, but he stops me.

"It's okay, Lovett," he calls, his friendly, brown eyes opening and catching in the sunlight creeping through the space in the canopy above. "I wasn't getting any great inspiring messages from the past Wise Women of the village anyway."

"Huh? I ask.

"Grandmother tells me to meditate. She says that if I do, I may be gifted with a vision by the great Wise Women who have come before her. She's preparing me to take her place when her time comes and goes." A haunted look passes over his face. "I don't know how—I will be the first male Shaman of the village—but if Grandmother says that I am to take her place, it is not my place to question her. She knows what is best and what I am capable of, much as she does for you."

"She doesn't know me." I sink down and lean against a tree across from him.

"My parents were killed just a couple of years ago. Just a few months ago, I lost my sister. Grandmother refused to train her daughter, my mother, to take her place in death, a route which no one saw coming—the eldest daughter of the Wise Woman is always trained from birth. When word spread of my elder sister's conception, it was likewise believed that she would be trained to take Grandmother's place. However, it wasn't until I was to be born that Grandmother claimed that I would be trained. It wasn't that her gifts skipped my mother and sister; Grandmother simply knew that I was to be the one to take her place."

"I'm sorry for your loss, I truly am, but what does any of that have to do with my sister and me?"

"Grandmother knows more than you may be willing to believe, Chosen One. She says that you and your sister are to be great, and will be remembered years after your demise. If she believes this, it will be true."

"How does she know?"

"The same way that I know that you are as haunted by the entity within your sister as she is. It will not always limit itself to her mind, Lovett—that much I myself can sense—and you must prepare yourself for when it no longer does. Once it chooses to consume your mind as well, no single thought within your head or item that you see will be a secret to only you any longer, whether you choose to reveal it to another or not."

"How do you know this?" I demand, beginning to become frustrated.

He tilts his head up to the sky and seems to gaze past the clouds and the sea of light blue. "It has been whispered to me in the time between waking hours and those of sleep." He turns his face back towards me. "I will warn you now, Lovett. Be wary. I understand how difficult it is to behave normally when under a great strain, but it can be done, and I know that you will be able to do so. You asked for this as much as I did to take Grandmother's place as the person that all villagers shall come to in their time of need, but these are the roles that Fate has chosen for us, so they must be fulfilled. For if we are to deny our own destinies, what will come to pass in the future for those who we leave to defend themselves?"

I nod and stand. "Well you're right about not wanting this responsibility that I've been given." I sigh, turning back in the direction I had been walking before coming across Keene. I look at him once more, but he's back to his meditating position. "Thanks. I'll see you around."

He opens one eye and looks at me before closing it again. "Get some sleep, Lovett. You seem to be in need of it."

Not knowing whether he’s alluding to the task that I must fulfill tonight as a way of wishing me luck or just the fact that I didn't get much sleep last night and he can tell, I continue strolling aimlessly and leave him to meditate in peace.