Chapter Four, Part Two.

The once silent courtyard was now buzzing with activity. Men and women of all ages, even some children, milled about, speaking hurriedly in voices that seemed to hold just the slightest bit of panic, and there was an overall sensation of unrest. I heard snatches of conversation here and there- "Who was it?" "I heard it was a newblood" "I knew this was a bad idea", and so on and so forth. The sensation of having so many wolves nearby was new to me, and their presences buzzed in my head, the pressure making me wince.
"Rafael," I whispered.
"I know you have a lot of questions, but this isn't the proper forum," he replied, uncharacteristically serious.
Unsure of how to respond, I fell silent, following him through the Den's huge wooden doors. There were people here too, though nearly as densely packed as outside. Those who were in here seemed to be more collected here than outside. And they seemed to be generally older, too. Outside, no one noticed my presence, despite the fact that they cleared the way for Rafael, owing, no doubt, to his position as Beta. In here, I could feel the weight of the others glancing at me discreetly, and by no means accidentally. It was uncomfortable. I could feel that not a single person here was human, so perhaps only the higher-ups knew of me, as a Princess. Or maybe they knew that I was... a mutt. I still couldn't get over the revelation that I was not only a wolf, but royalty and an outcast. It was hard to tell what they saw in me, because their faces held no emotion. It was kind of creepy, and I unconsciously pressed closer to Rafael's back. He glanced over his shoulder at me, and I just stared back wordlessly. Weaving through the passages, we arrived at the carved double doors that marked the Council chambers. He breezed through, and I followed in his wake.
They were all there: Dionysia, Tassilo, Celestria, Adellinde, and... Aubrey... Their eyes were all hard, their mouths set in identical grim lines. However, the Alpha's held some softness, concern softening his gaze just the slightest bit.
"Athaliah," Aubrey said, his voice hard.
I flinched. "Yes?"
"Do you have any idea why you're here?"
"Rafael said someone is dead."
"Not dead," Celestria cut in imperiously. "Murdered."
My response was to stare at her blankfaced, though my thoughts screamed, "You fucking witch, accuse me of being a killer already." Rafael's face shifted to a look of mixed suspicion and understanding at the same time. He subtly tapped Aubrey's wrist, and they exchanged looks.
"If you cannot hold your tongue, Celestria, it can be arranged for it to be held for you," he said calmly, smiling through the threat. She stiffened, glaring at him. He turned to me again. "You are here because we need to know that you had nothing to do with it," he said. Celestria glared at me darkly, her eyes bearing nothing but pure hatred. It was clear that she felt certain that I was to blame.
I looked him dead in the eyes and replied, "I don't know anything about what happened."
"Do you swear on your sister's life?"
It was a strange response to my answer, but I answered "yes" unwaveringly. He nodded. "Well, she's the last. We're finished here," he said, standing up. As he swept out of the room, he grasped my upper arm and led me out. "We need to talk," he said.
"What, you don't believe me?" I snapped, planting my feet.
"That isn't the issue," he replied, attempting to pull me along.
"Answer the damn question."
He sighed. "I can't trust your answer. You don't have the experience that I do, and you have nowhere near the knowledge that I have. You need to accept this."
I set my jaw and didn't reply, though I was furious that I was being suspected for doing something that I hadn't. Or had I? If even Aubrey suspected me, something was definitely wrong. He had more faith in me than anyone else; sometimes even more than I had.

Chapter Four, Part One.

When I woke up, I found a note left on my bedside table. In excruciatingly beautiful calligraphy, Aubrey explained that my sister was in the elementary wing, and if I could get my butt out of bed, I'd have time to pick her up before class. I delicately tucked it under my pillow, and rushed off to get my stuff together. I got to the room just as Carmen, Delilah, and two other girls were leaving.
"Lali!" Carmen hugged me. "Miss Kathleen" (The housemother, I assume?) "said you were sick, so I'd be with them for a day or two. Do you feel better?"
"Much." I stroked her hair. "Did you have fun?"
"Yeah!"
"Good, because the fun ends tonight, 'cause you're back to being with your boring sister."
She grinned.

Apparently, Aubrey had found a way to inform my teachers that I had been "sick". I made up most of the work in study hall, ignoring the notes and paper planes flying through the air. What struck me as odd was the look that crossed over Mr. Conricht's face when I came in. It was totally respectful, and if I wasn't mistaken, he inclined his head slightly. I sat at my seat and pretended I hadn't noticed. Aubrey behaved no differently, and neither did I, though it kind of stung that he was pretty much ignoring me after everything that had happened. Trent was in detention for the week because he'd set off a stink bomb in the girls' locker room, so it was quite peaceful. Brenner would never behave like his usual sycophantic self without someone stronger to instigate any harassment. Finishing my test, I looked up at Aubrey. When he was in class, he was a completely different person. Though I understood the need for a somewhat different attitude to hide his secret, why such a change? Maybe he'd tell me if I got up the nerve to ask... After all, we were partnered for life.


Lunch period came and went, the same as it always did. Overall, life remained largely unchanged, aside from my desire to howl at the moon whenever I caught sight of it, but that was to be expected. I fell back into my regular routine. That is, for a few weeks.
I was sleeping soundly when a sharp tap-tap-tap came from the window, rousing me. I figured it was just a tree branch, tossed in the wind, so I ignored it, rolling over to go back to sleep. The tapping came again, louder and more insistently. Okay, so maybe it isn't a tree. Annoyed, I rose and walked to the window, and there was Rafael, sitting in the tree. He was also knocking on my window with a really big stick.
I opened the window, stage-whispering. "What in the hell do you think you're doing? It's like, two in the morning!"
"You need to come with me."
"It's two in the morning, in case you missed that last part of my statement. What could possibly be so important?!"
He looked me dead in the eyes, all trace of his obnoxious sense of humor gone. "Someone's dead. And a wolf killed him."

End of Chapter Three.

School is starting in about a month, and I've been trying to make the time I have with my boyfriend meaningful, and make this summer really worth remembering, so I may not be writing very much. Sorry. Do know that I haven't forgotten about this story, it's just... Sleeping.

Thanks for reading!
~Jacki

Chapter Three, Part Six.

Author's Note:
Oh, gosh, I am so sorry this update took so long... Like, what, four months(!)? I've had all this written for a while, but I just haven't had the time to type it, nor been in the mood (Cue guilt). Hopefully I can make up for it by the length of this part of the story. Chapter four is beginning, too!
As always, thank you for reading. Those few of you who are. :P


Breathing heavily, I turned my back to him, facing the balcony.
"I am not a beast. I'm a Shadow Child, not...That."
"You're right. You are no beast," Aubrey replied softly, appearing at my shoulder. "But make no mistakes: though you are not a Shadow Child, you're not a Hunter, either."
"So I'm back to when you first dumped all this on me. I don't know what I am... All these years, I thought I was human; I never questioned it for a second.Suddenly, I discover that I'm not, nor was I ever. And now, even my existence as this... thing... is up for debate." I dropped to my knees. "God... What the hell am I?"
Aubrey knelt, lifting my chin to meet his eyes. "You are Athaliah, daughter of Joche, the sole possessor of the blood of the original lycan line, and you are a myth incarnate."
I looked at him, grasping for words.
"There was a story about a wolf a long time ago who was the bastard son of a Shadow Child and a Hunter. Unfortunately, his mother, shamed by his paternity, deserted him in a village. Though he was taken in by a couple in the village out of pity, he never let go of the pain from his abandonment, and that weakness allowed his stronger Hunter blood to reign supreme. Susceptible to the full moon, he transformed into the sort of wolf that legend describes: not quite wolf, but not human, either, walking on two legs, with a beastlike muzzle and a mouth full of teeth designed to rip flesh from bone. He slaughtered the inhabitants of that village, including his adoptive parents, and those of two other villages before the survivors managed to trap him in a house that was burned to the ground.
Being of both clans, he could have begun to bridge the rift between us. But because he was raised in ignorance, he only contributed further to the necessity of living our lives in the shadows. You can do what he didn't. It's your choice... Unlike that pitiful creature, you have everything you need to know at your fingertips. And your Shadow Blood, being pure, runs stronger in your veins than your Hunter blood. Your first change showed that- you were in control one hundred percent."
"But I'm not supposed to exist."
"Yet here you are."
I had no reply to that, so I simply sat in silence for a while. "How did you know what I am? I don't mean you, specifically, but all of you."
"Your fur."
"...Huh?" The simple answer baffled me.
"We Shadow Children are all solid shades of varied browns. Hunters are always black. Your fur is black, tipped with brown."
"Oh." All this other crap is complicated, but that is the one thing that's simple? Christ...
"You are the most beautiful wolf I've seen. Celestria can say what she chooses. She's stubborn on a good day, and flat-out arrogant and self-serving on a bad one. I wonder if her skills as a negotiator went to her head."
"Oh, I've been meaning to ask you something else."
"And what would that be, Princess?"
"Why do you flirt with me? You took over Vera's job, and it doesn't seem that you've told me anything she couldn't."
He fidgeted. "Uh...God, you're probably going to eat me alive..."
"Just tell me already. I'm tired of being in the dark."
"Well, wolves don't choose their mates as humans do- you know, trial and error. We just... know."
"Okay, so what I'm getting here is that you're weird and you're acting like a human boy."
"Ehh, not really... Look, when I first met you, you were an infant. It's going to sound creepy, but the instant you opened your eyes and saw me, I knew it was you."
I stared at him, gaping. "You're lying."
"No, I'm not."
"Then why didn't I feel it?"
"You didn't?"
"Well, I um, I don't know how I'm supposed to feel or anything..." I mumbled.
"Look, why do you think you feel the need to defend me? Why did your heart beat so fast when we spoke alone for the first time?"
I flushed bright red and looked away quickly. "I don't know what you're referring to."
"Oh yes, I know about that," he said, laughing.
"So... What? We're going to get married, ride off into the sunset on a white horse, and live happily ever after?"
"We could, if you wanted to. We would still need to stay in contact with the pack, though. They need us," he replied, looking thoughtful.
"...I was being sarcastic."
"I guess I did a bad job of playing along." He cupped my cheek in one hand. "You're not ready for this on top of everything else. You've had your world turned upside-down, and then was tossed into another one. I know that, and so do you. When you are ready, I'll be here."
"I...I don't know what to say."
"You don't need to. Just answer this-Did you feel like you've known me for years when we met?"
"Yes."
"That's because you have. From the first touch, our souls have been connected permanently." he chuckled. "Sorry, that came out cheesier than I thought it would."
"But it's true, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"When do I go back to the Academy?"
"Whenever you like."
"I'd like to go now. Carmen needs me."
He leaned towards me and lightly pressed his lips to my forehead. "As you wish, your Highness."
And we left. Not another word was said; I was too busy absorbing everything I had just found out. I don't think he was so preoccupied, though, because he was sure to stroke my hair and kiss me again before he left my room.

Chapter Three, Part Five.

Awed, I sat in silence. Even though I knew none of them well, this ceremony forged an unspeakable bond between us all. And with others who were not in attendance... I could sense their vague presences in the distance, probably sitting awake in the dorms of the school.
Then, it was time to go. In the same way we arrived, we left. Upon reaching the Den, the Council slipped back into the building, in step as humans. Noticing that the Alpha stayed back with me, Rafael paused at the doorway. Aubrey waved his hand, dismissing him. With a polite nod, he silently reentered the building, his eyes lingering on me with a look of unease on his face.
"We have a few things to discuss," Aubrey said.
"You're tellin' me. I've got a few questions for you!" I barked. "Like... How in the hell do I change back?"
He grinned. "This is your first change, so we'll have to get you out of the moonlight first. Come."
He walked back inside with me trotting beside him. "I'm gonna be naked when I change back, aren't I?"
"That you are," he laughed.
"Fan-flipping-tastic."
"Don't worry, I won't stare at your glorious nudity."
"Shut up."

We reached my mother's, well, perhaps mine at this point, room, and went in. I sat in front of the armoire as Aubrey flopped on the bed rather ungracefully.
"Are you going to tell me how to do this or not?" I demanded.
"All in due time." he answered.
I scowled, replying in my most impetuous tone, "If you don't tell me, I'll find someone else."
"Yeah, yeah; first, shut your eyes, and clear your mind."
I shut my eyes for a few seconds before opening them again. "It's kind of hard to clear my mind with you staring at me."
"Okay," he replied cheerfully, grinning.
"Face the wall!"
"I am facing the wall."
"The other wall."
"Oh. Well, you didn't say that. You should be more specific." He rolled over.
"You should be less dense," I muttered under my breath.
"Shut your eyes again. Clear your mind."
I obeyed.
"Imagine yourself changing from wolf to human. Really focus. There is nothing there but you."
True enough, my body changed again, and there I was, sitting naked on the cold tile. I squealed and scrambled to my feet.
"Change scare you?"
"No, the tile is cold!"
He laughed.
"Well, I'm glad to see you find it funny," I said, crossing my arms indignantly. Turning my back to the armoire, I dressed quickly. "Okay, first question. Why did Celestria call me a mutt, and why was she so pissed?"
"Well, dearest, it seems that you are not a pure-blood Shadow Child."
I stared at him silently, absorbing the magnitude of what he had just said. "I...What?"
He rolled onto his stomach and locked his green eyes on mine. "Your mother didn't tell you about your lycan heritage, and I think I know why now. Your father must have been a Hunter."
"You mean, my father was a bloodthirsty monster who murdered people, ripped them apart while... while they were still alive?!"
He didn't answer, averting his eyes instead. "I don't know; I never met your father, so-"
"No!" I screamed, cutting him off. "My father may have been a coward, but he was no homicidal maniac!"

Chapter Three, Part Four.

The Council trailed behind as the Alpha led me out into the courtyard, beneath the light of the full moon. I stared up at it, marveling at its beauty. A snuffled pulled my attention away. They had all changed into their wolf forms. Aubrey, slightly larger than the others, looked at me for a second, and then took off running. Though it took me a second to register what had just happen, it was instantaneous for the others.
He twisted through the forest, the Council moving in sync with him. I tried to keep up, but I kept stumbling in my new wolf body, clumsy paws scrambling over the forest floor that was so foreign to me. He finally stopped at a clearing that seemed to glow with its own ethereal light. There was a large, opalescent stone in the center, and the wolves circled around it. They left a gap between Aubrey and Adellinde to his left. She looked at me and gestured to me to fill it. There was another gap further away for Celestria, I noticed. So she was still gone. Why was I on his left? Something to do with the Zeta, maybe? I sat. They all stared intently at the stone. Suddently, Aubrey broke the silence, throwing his head back and howling. Rafael picked up the chorus, and the rest joined in the song. I sat silently, not knowing my own voice. Aubrey pawed my shoulder. I turned. He had stopped howling, and was looking at me with a wolfish smile on his face, tail wagging.
He barked quietly. “Sing!”
“I don’t know how,” I whined.
“Neither do I. Don’t think,” he replied. “Feel.”
He looked to the moon, and, once more, threw his head back and howled. I turned my face up to the skies and closed my eyes. Their woven voices struck a chord in my soul that I had never felt before. The music rippled through my blood. And then I opened my mouth, and let the song free. In one pure, unbroken note, I sealed my destiny. I was now a blooded Lycan, and would die as such. I didn’t notice, but the other voices, save one, dropped off. It was just Aubrey and me. And when, out of air, my voice dropped into silence, his continued as if it would never stop. I was still holding my breath when his song spiraled into nothing.

Chapter Three, Part Three.

Dressed in a strapless white dress that tied in the back and fell to the floor, Aubrey led me forward to a long stone table. Adellinde stood across it, holding a blade as long as my forearm lightly atop her fingertips. Its ornately decorated hilt had a large, blood-red stone set near the crossguard, and the blade was glossy, black, and so sharp it just might cut me if I stared at it for too long. It must have been twenty pounds, but she held it as if it were a feather. The silence hung heavy in the air as Adellinde gestured for me to lie on the table.
As soon as I did, a few hooded Council members stepped forward to bind my ankles and wrists with rope, and retreated as soon as the final knots were tied.
“Don’t watch what I’m doing,” Linde muttered under her breath. “Lock your eyes on the ceiling.”
And then she gripped the hilt with both hands, and made the cut. The black blade was so incredibly sharp that the only reason I knew she’d done it was the feeling of warm blood dripping down my neck. Because it didn’t hurt, I felt a sense of security that would soon prove false; I had forgotten Aubrey’s warning: it wasn’t the incision that hurt. It was the vapor.
She pulled a small vial from her sleeve. The swirling liquid in it was a sickly green color. Remembering her advice, I averted my eyes. It began as a weak warmth spreading from the incision in a neat halo around it, then spread, growing in intensity until my body was on fire. Every nerve blazed with fiery heat. Through a haze, I felt Linde pinch the wound closed, sealing the vapor in my blood. I screamed and curled inward, straining at the ropes that held me captive, skin searing from the inside. As the heat peaked, my bones and muscles began to shift, taking on a new form. They buckled and shifted, growing and shrinking. I groaned, stretched to my limits and then some. After what felt like hours, they stopped, and the pain began to fade, though it lingered a little around my joints. Panting, my eyes fluttered open. Somehow my vision was different, but I couldn’t quite tell why. And it was so, so noisy… The rustling of the leaves outside, the whisper of the wind, the chirping of a chorus of crickets, and the croak of a lone bullfrog thundered on my unusually-sensitive eardrums. Rolling onto my side, my tail brushed on the stone.
My… Tail…? That sensation was new… What the hell, a tail?! I twisted to look for it. Oh my god, I had a tail!
I turned my gaze to the Council. Aubrey’s small smile showed warm pride, though he was the only one showing warm anything. The rest, aside from stony-faced Tassilo, wore mixed expressions of shock, confusion, and horror.
“What?” I asked, but it came out as a bark. “Why are you all looking at me like that?”
Aubrey stepped forward and took the vial from Adellinde. He uncorked it and dipped the tip of the tapered glass cork in the vapor, then reached toward me. I shrank back, knowing full well how much it had hurt.
He stroked my now-fuzzy forehead. “This doesn’t hurt,” he whispered. “I promise.”
I relaxed and looked at him. His green eyes sparkled as he smiled warmly. He leaned forward again and traced a circle on my forehead with the cork. It pulsed with glowing heat, then faded away. That was strange.
He cut my bonds. “Rise, Athaliah, heiress to the Cavailier line. You are now a-”
“Aubrey.” A clear, deliberate voice interrupted.
His eyes flashed yellow as he turned to glare at the source: a tall, supermodel-thin woman who looked like Linde if she were about twenty-seven stepped forward, pulling her hood back. “Do you really believe it is a good idea to initiate this… This mutt,” she growled, icing me over with a cold stare, “into the Order?”
His expression turned hard, angry. I hadn’t thought it was possible for him to show so much fury. “Celestria, you would do well to step down. It is not your place to question my judgment, and I will not allow you to interrupt a trial,” he seethed.
“Look at her!” she snapped. I cringed. “Daughter of the Cavailier line or not, she is not a Shadow Child!”
“Get out,” he growled.
“What?!”
“Did you not hear me clearly? Get. Out.”
Face red, she glared at him defiantly for a few seconds, then turned on her heel and stormed out, still maintaining the posture of a model on a catwalk.
I whined. What was she talking about? Wasn’t I a russet wolf like the rest of them?
Aubrey looked down at me, eyes green once more. “Now, where was I?... Oh, right. Athaliah, heiress to the Cavailier line, rise. You are now a blooded member of the Order, and you will take your place as Zeta.” I got up hesitantly. The dress I had been wearing hung on my body, no longer knotted to my frame. He gently removed it. “Come with me.”
I jumped down and followed him.

Chapter Three, Part Two.

I woke up a few hours later. It was midday, and the sun was bright, casting lines of light on the floor through the gap in the drapes. A few hours of rest and I felt so much more alert… I got up and smoothed the covers out. Time to explore. Well, time to explore after I cleaned up a bit. There was an old-fashioned wash basin sitting on a small table, with a mirror hung on the wall above it. I washed my face and swished some water round in my mouth. A toothbrush and some toothpaste would have been better, but I had to make do with what I had. I put my jacket back on and pulled my boots on, then left the room, shutting the door behind me.
Even though the stone was like what I imagined would be in an ancient castle, it wasn’t drafty or dim at all. More light shone through the abstract stained glass than what normally could be expected. I couldn’t explain the lack of a draft, though… It would take a lot of time and work to make sure the building was sealed against the cold breezes outside. It was one weird work of architecture, for sure.
Suddenly a pair of hands grabbed me from behind. One arm wrapped around my waist, pulling my arms tight against my sides, and another snaked across my shoulders, pulling me close to whoever grabbed me.
“Good morning,” crooned a somewhat familiar male voice at my ear, warm breath on my cheek. I didn’t respond. “Aww, what’s the matter? Did I frighten you?”
I answered his question by digging my long nails into his legs behind me. He jumped back, giving me the opportunity to turn and backhand him across the face. The sound of my hand connecting with his cheek echoed in the hallway.
“Morning, Rafael. Did you sleep well?” I smirked, hand stinging behind my back.
He cracked his neck –what a gross habit- and smirked at me. “Only as well as you did, milady. No one can rest properly when a delicate rose as your majesty sleeps fitfully.” His eyes sparkled with mischief as he bowed in a melodramatic gesture.
“Ugh,” I groaned. “Drop the act. It reeks worse than the boys’ locker room at the end of sixth period.”
“Your suspicious wound me,” he moaned, clasping a hand to his heart with a gasp.
“Did you have something to say to me or are you just here to be obnoxious?” I snapped.
“I merely wanted to wish you luck, Lady Athaliah of the Stinging Backhand.”
“Ha, funny. Thanks, I guess.” Annoyed by his false formality, I turned to leave.
“You’re going to need it,” he said in a sing-song voice. “The Trial’s a bitch.”
“I deal with you on a regular basis, don’t I?” He chuckled as I walked away.
“Don’t get lost, or you’ll be late. First impressions are very important.”
I replied with a rude, one-fingered salute.

God only knows why Rafael annoyed me so much. I probably would have found him attractive if I didn’t want to knock his head from his shoulders ever time he spoke to me. Whatever, it’s not like it really mattered one way or another.
I paused to examine a tapestry hung on a nearby wall. It was a story about wolves, but I couldn’t tell much else. Some parts were faded and threadbare. While I stared at it, trying to discern the storyline, someone ran into me. I stumbled, almost falling. A bunch of heavy books fell to the ground.
“Aw crap, I’m so sorry!” A petite girl –obviously a wolf from her shoulder-length brown hair, light skin, and hazel eyes- bent to pick them up. “I was reading and I didn’t see you there.”
I crouched to help her. “It’s fine. I’ll live.” The books were old, with thick, well-worn covers. She stood up, fixing her glasses and looking at me.
“Ah! Athaliah. It’s nice to actually meet you.” She shifted her books to one arm and offered a hand. Her grip was unusually strong for being so tiny.
“How did you know my name?” Everybody seemed to these days.
“I’m on the Council.” She smiled. “The Memory Keeper, Dionisia.”
“Ohh. Aubrey told me about you.”
She nodded. “I thought he might. Well, I’m sorry, but I have to be going. Important Council-like business to attend to,” she said, making a face.
I stepped aside. “Of course.”
“See you tonight.”
As she walked away, I returned to examining the tapestry. Figures that someone was going for the dark-ages look. The thought struck me that I wanted to see Aubrey again. This place wasn’t telling me anything, and I wanted to know what lay ahead. He was the only one who seemed to know what was going on. I came upon the council doors. Maybe they would open for me, too. Replicating Vera’s actions from the day before, I breathed on the door, palms flat on the wood. Rock ground against rock, and I stepped back. A muscular, ghostly figure with a sword materialized in front of me, and before I could react, he had the tip at my throat. I stood motionless.
“Identify yourself,” he commanded, in a voice that sounded like that of a thousand men, all chorusing the same order. Acting on some unknown instinct, I replied, “Athaliah, daughter of Joche and heiress to the Cavailier line.”
His wrist twitched, and a couple of drops of my blood snaked down the blade. The metal took on a red tint as the individual droplets spread out over it. He paused, examining it, then sheathed the blade, bowed, and disappeared into the air. The doors grated open.
That was terrifying.
I stepped into the room, and the doors shut. Tongues of fire flickered to life one by one in the lamps mounted on the walls. What was I doing here? I sat, pondering the question. In the unlit gloom behind the table, a door opened and, to my surprise, Aubrey stepped out.
“Athaliah!” he said, obviously as surprised as I was. “What are you doing in here?”
“I… was actually wondering the same thing.”
“How did you get in ? “
“I breathed on the door and a guy with a big sword cut my neck, and disappeared, and then the door opened so I came in.”
“Oh.”
“Um…Yeah. Are you going to tell me what happened?”
“No.”
“…Fine.”
“You’ll understand more after the Trial.”
I made a face.