Red Is for Traitor

Near the end of summer when the weather teetered between cool mornings and warm afternoons, I sat by Arawn's bedside frustrated. The flower that grandmother treasured as if it was the Fountain of Youth had not worked. Every medical remedy I could think of did not work. I even had the village doctor come by to check him out and still my twin slept and withered. I was on the verge of giving up as the days passed. I watched as Arawn's once tan strong body paled and weakened.
It was a warm afternoon with a few fluffy white clouds slowly drifting across the sky when there was a rap on the door. I let out a sigh before standing up and opening it for my visitors. To my surprise not only was Trista standing outside but also Corbin and Sindri. I blinked a few times before realizing how rude I was being. I gave a shallow curtsy while greeting with, "Good afternoon, a pleasure to see you all." What have I done to warrant a visit from the former Alpha, the current Alpha, and the Beta?
Trista chuckled, easily catching on to how anxious I was, "Good afternoon, Macha. You can relax, you aren't in trouble. May we come in?" I nodded and stepped aside so the three could enter. None of them sat, instead standing near the unlit fireplace. "How is Arawn doing?"
I narrowed my eyes as I hesitantly replied, "No real change. He is not sick, but he still sleeps." I tapped my foot a few times before continuing, "He is losing weight. Even from here you can see his face is hollowing and he is much... thinner than he once was." Corbin nodded before walking over to inspect my twin for himself. "Why?" I demanded, apprehensive at the way the three wolves were behaving.
Trista and Sindri waited as Corbin remained silent for a minute or more. Finally he answered, "The pack and I have talked about another option possibly open for Arawn." I inhaled sharply with what seemed like little notice from Corbin. Although both Sindri and Trista looked at me when my heart rate escalated. "If you grant me permission, I can bite him. We are fast healers and being a werewolf usually means very little can harm or make us sick. There is a possibility that the bite will be the thing needed to wake your brother."
I could feel myself shaking as I asked, "But?"
"But, there is no guarantee that it will work. If it doesn't then he will either remain unaffected or... die."
Unable to remain still I paced to the window and tapped my index finger on the sill. It took me several minutes to form a coherent thought. "Let us say the bite does take, would he be a werewolf?" I wanted every bit of information about what I would or would not be agreeing to.
"Yes."
"Would he be a part of your pack?"
"Yes, I would be his Alpha.
"What would being a werewolf entail?"
Corbin was quiet for a few seconds trying to find a way to gently say I would not be able to see him for quite sometimes. "If the bite takes, he would spend at least a month bonding with the pack. He would learn the different bonds, like how his bond with me would be different than his with my mother or Sindri or Ivy. During that time we would also teach him how to control his shift, the increased strength he will experience, how to hunt in a pack in his wolf and human form, the heirarchy of being in a pack, how to... adjust to the increase senses. The first month being a bitten werewolf is usually all about bonding with his new pack and how to handle the change. It will be a rough month on everyone, but also an experience that is like no other. I can't explain it I'm sorry-"
"Only those who are werewolves would understand." I finished. "It is fine, continue please."
"Depending on how he does after that month will determine if he's ready to leave our Den. We will go on short trips to get him used to the forest and the scents it has to offer. The trips will be short at first and then gradually longer and farther from the Den until he is able to control himself fully. He'll be treated almost like a pup. Constant supervision until we know he can handle not attacking or shifting when presented with too much stimuli or emotions from another.
"The process could take a few months or longer than a year. It all depends on Arawn's personality and how he adjusts to being a werewolf."
I nodded, still not looking at the wolves. Quietly I asked, "Would I be able to see him?" I knew the answer, but I wanted to hear it. I needed that painful confirmation.
"No, I'm sorry. You-"
"Are not pack." I did not need any super hearing or smell to know the wolves looked at me in sadness.
"He needs to bond with the pack fully before facing anything else. I know you are his sister and I really am sorry, but until that bond is forged you mustn't see him."
"What are the chances that he will not take the bite well and instead slowly turn mad?"
Trista looked at me in surprise as did Corbin. Few ever thought of that side effect. "It's rare for a human to react that way to the bite. His mind would have to be unwell for that to happen."
"We do not know how is mind is right now. Not since the accident anyways. With that, what do you believe his chances are?"
"...Low, but not slim to none."
"Thank you. I would be able to see him when his bonding period is over, correct? If he does not go mad of course."
"Yes. It maybe a year, but once he is settled, you will be able to see him."
What the pack offered him was a second chance at life. A life that should never have been taken from him in the first place. A kindness for helping a village finally returned by creatures the villagers did not know existed. But was I really doing him or the pack a favor if I agreed to the bite? What if he turned out rabid? "What would happen to him if he became mad?"
"...If there was no signs that his aggressive behavior would not pass, we would mercifully put him down."
Cannot have a rabid wolf running around... "Are you okay with my brother receiving the bite Sindri?"
I felt his strange colored eyes bore into me. With some hesitation, but a firm voice, he replied, "Yes. I will accept your brother into our pack as if he was always one."
I nodded as I continued to weigh the pros and cons of my choice. Would it be a blessing or a curse for my brother to become a wolf? Would he embrace it or reject it? Curse me for trying to do what I thought was better for him? Was I ready to become alone, to walk the forest and live in a cottage by myself? But was I not living like that already? I had lost so much already. Could I live with the consequences of being permanently alone if Arawn, my dear young twin I was supposed to take care of, became a rabid mindless animal?

Finally I turned and looked straight at Corbin, "Bite him."
"Are you sure?" Corbin wanted a confirmation that I had thought it thoroughly through.
"Yes, but with one stipulation." Corbin nodded for me to state it. "I want to be the one to kill him if his madness is permanent."
"Macha-"
"You may be his Alpha and the one whom bit him, but I am the one condemning him to whatever fate this bite leads him."
Corbin clenched his jaw before nodding, "I will agree, but with my own clause. If you are unable to for whatever reason or he is about to kill any of my pack, I will not hesitate to administer the killing blow." I nodded my agreement. "You may want to wait outside."
"I am not leaving my brother." I replied firmly and planted myself where I was.
"Mother." He jerked his head in my direction and within second Trista was next to me.
"Precautions." She smiled with a hand on my shoulder (and of course a jerked away a little) before turning slightly to watch. While Trista stood by me, Sindri walked over to his Alpha's side to assist him if anything happened. Corbin nodded to his brother and then brought Arawn's wrist up to his mouth. His eyes turned a molten silver as his blunt teeth lengthened and sharpened into carnivorous fangs. With learned precision, his mouth clamped down with a majority of his teeth piercing the left nearest the thumb. I watched in apprehensions as scarlet pooled around the Alpha's mouth and dripped onto the blankets, bed, and floor. Seconds later, Corbin removed his mouth and watched my brother carefully. At first nothing happened. Arawn was completely still except for the slow shallow inhales and exhales of his breathing. But over time you could see his chest expand more as he took deeper breaths.
Suddenly Arawn's once light green eyes shone silver as they flew open confused. Disoriented from months of being asleep, he jumped into a crouched position and bared his newly sharpened teeth at the room. I took a step forward, concerned for my dear brother but was easily held back by Trista's arm. Corbin tried talking him down in a soothing yet commanding voice, but Arawn was too confused and over stimulated to listen. After trying several times to calm my brother and being swiped at with claws, Corbin asserted himself as Alpha. He grabbed Arawn by the collar and flipped him onto his back. Corbin pinned him down and growled deeply; the sound inhuman. Arawn struggled at first, thrashing and growling back as he tried to escape. Quickly however, he recognized his Alpha, settled down, and bared his neck in submission.
In a gentle, yet still commanding voice, Corbin asked, "Arawn, can I let you go?" Receiving a whimper, Corbin backed off of the bed but still stood between Arawn and the rest of the people present.
Coming out of his dazed stupor, Arawn asked weakly, "What- What happened?" He sat down with his head in his hands and stomach rumbling. As Corbin slowly talked to Arawn, I carefully fetched food that I passed to Sindri who handed it off to Arawn.
"What do you last remember?" Corbin asked watching his new pack mate tiredly eat his overcooked stew.
"I- was- I was, I think with the woodcutters. We were... We were cutting down a few trees."
"Anything else?" Arawn though hard but shook his head. "A tree fell on you." Arawn looked up sharply, startled enough that his eyes flashed silver before settling green. "The tree was removed and you were treated, but you fell into a coma... You have been asleep for weeks if not months."
"How am I still alive?"
"Macha's a master at what she does." Arawn's searched the small cottage for me. When his eyes finally landed on mine, he moved to get up but Corbin blocked his way. "You can't go near her right now."
"Why?!" Arawn demanded, eyes turning and a small growl escaping.
Corbin growled back causing Arawn to shrink back in submission. "In order to wake you up, I gave you the bite." He picked up Arawn's wrist to show him the scarring puncture marks. "You are a werewolf now, an untrained new werewolf. Almost no better at controlling yourself than a pup. To ensure her safety you are not to go near her unless supervised by one of us. Even then you are not allowed to touch her. The reason is two folds: Because you are new and because you are entering the bonding period. For the next month or until your bond with the pack is fully forged and you are able to control yourself, you are to stay within the Den limits."
"You are telling me I am not allowed to see Macha, my twin sister at all for the next month or so?" Arawn's voice raised in distress.
"Unfortunately no. This rule may seem cruel but it an important time for the pack. Werewolves more so than wolves are almost dependent on the bond of the pack, without it we can turn insane. The wolf inside of you needs to bond with its pack or you may turn mad from the war within you. This bonding period is about forming bonds with the pack, learning to control yourself, and more importantly to sync with your wolf and become one."
"But Macha is my pack! She's my family."
Corbin opened his mouth to reply, but I beat him to it, "I may be family, but I am not pack, Arawn." Arawn's sad eyes looked at me and I could see the protest forming in his head. "You know the difference as well as I do. I will always be your sister, but I cannot be your pack." I rolled my eyes at his whimpering. "Ar, a month is nothing. You will see me soon enough. If they will allow it you probably could visit with Trista and Zane." He perked up and settled. The small grouped talked a little more before the pack started the walk back to the Den.
Before leaving, Arawn paused and looked at me hopefully, "I will see you in a month."
"See you in a month, brother." I gave him a sad smile and watched him leave. I watched from the door way even after they were gone. Only Sindri looked back before disappearing behind the tree line.