Chapter 5: Wolf's Hunger
Nora's Perspective
My hunger growled loud enough to rouse the dead when I woke up before morning. My hands trembled and my muscles cramped as the hunger struck me like a physical blow. This appetite was not typical. There was something more fundamental and profound here.
My wolf was going hungry.
I ate a few meals and had trouble maintaining my weight on my little frame when I was Nora. Elena would always blame it on my innate fragility. One more untruth. My appetite had also been affected by the wolfsbane, which kept my wolf undernourished and feeble.
My body was requesting what it needed now that the poison had left my system.
Kai gave me some clothing, which I put on after sneaking out of bed. Aria's taller figure was well-suited to the basic trousers and t-shirt. I walked to the door and then halted.
I would face the danger of bumping into Kai or Elena if I went downstairs to the kitchen. I was not yet prepared to confront any of them after what I heard the night before. I needed time to plan and think.
My wolf also had to hunt.
Silently, the window opened. Aria's form was designed for this kind of agility, yet the drop to the earth was farther than it would have been in my own body. I fell on the soft grass below, crouching.
I was drawn to the wilderness. Now I could smell everything: the early dew, the damp earth, and the innumerable animal scent trails that had traveled throughout the night. Compared to this, my previous wolf nose had been lifeless.
I moved away from the pack house and farther into the trees. I let the shift take me until I was certain that I was far enough away to be unheard.
Compared to previously, the shift felt entirely different. This was a smooth, natural process, not the sluggish, agonizing one I recalled. My bones grew longer and more symmetrical without pain. I became more perceptive until I could hear mice rustling fifty yards away in the underbrush.
I gasped as I looked down at myself at the end of the shift.
Aria was a gorgeous wolf. The body was slender but strong, coated in silver fur that shone like starlight. This wolf was designed for power and speed, whereas Nora's had been little and feeble. I thought I could run indefinitely without growing weary.
I took a few experimental steps and thoroughly tested my new form. There was no sound from my paws on the woodland floor. Every muscle obeyed my directions flawlessly. It was meant to feel like this to be Moon-blessed.
My stomach knotted with hunger as the smell of rabbit hit my nostrils. Like a phantom, I moved through the trees, following the route. Long before I saw the thing, I could hear its heartbeat thanks to my improved hearing.
It had no idea that I was there, just grazing in a little clearing. It would have been quite difficult for me to capture prey this huge in my previous form. I was too clumsy and too slow.
No more.
With all of my instincts that I had never been able to access coming to life, I edged closer. It was with deadly accuracy that I leaped. The rabbit was unaware of what had struck it.
It was euphoric to taste fresh blood on my tongue. This little meal felt like a feast to my wolf, who had been deprived of good nourishment for so long. With each bite, I felt power returning to my body as I gobbled up every scrap.
After I was done, I raised my head and paid close attention to the surrounding woodland.
Compared to before, everything seemed so much clearer. In the trees above, I could tell the heartbeats of several bird species. Yesterday, I could smell the pack's border patrol's territorial markings. Even the subtle magical signal that hovered about Elena like a poisonous mist was detectable to me.
However, there was another factor. My fur stood on end from the smell.
vampire.
It smelled ancient, perhaps a day or two old, but it was there. How could a vampire have been so near pack territory? Unless they were seeking trouble, they tended to stay away from werewolf areas.
As I followed the scent trail, my newly developed senses vividly depicted the events that transpired. From a tree forest around half a mile distant, the vampire had been keeping watch on the pack house. Before continuing on toward the eastern border, it had remained there for hours.
Why would the Silverback pack be the target of a vampire spy?
I stopped in my tracks as I smelled something unfamiliar. It was considerably fresher this time. Something else blended up with humans. Something that brought to mind Elena's enchanted signature.
I stayed low and took shelter in the underbrush as I made my way toward the scent's origin. My blood ran cold when I discovered what I did.
At the foot of a big oak tree, a woman dressed for trekking lay crumpled. She was barely breathing. Her arms had odd marks that resembled bite wounds, and her skin felt chilly and pale to the touch.
However, these were not bites from vampires. The punctures were too exact and too little.
I transformed back into a human and crouched next to the woman. She had the type of tan that indicated she spent a lot of time outside and was young, perhaps in her early twenties. A few steps away, her backpack was lying with its contents emptied, exposing camping equipment and a map of the nearby hiking routes.
A visitor who had ventured too near a potentially hazardous area.
Her arms still bled slowly from the bite marks. More appeared on her neck as I looked, as though her life energy were being drained by unseen fangs.
Enchantment. From a distance, someone was gradually depleting her energy, utilizing her as a magical battery.
A little of my Moon-blessed strength poured into the woman as I put my hands against her chest. Her face took on some color again as the silver light soaked into her skin. Her breathing became a little more steady.
It might give her some time, but it was not a long-term solution.
Carrying an unconscious human back to the pack home would raise concerns I was not prepared to answer, but I had to get her to safety. Furthermore, taking the victim straight to Elena would be signing the woman's death warrant if Elena was responsible for this magical attack.
I heard a twig snap behind me.
Despite the early hour, Kai was fully dressed and stood at the edge of the clearing when I turned around. As I kneeled next to the wounded person, the silver light still dwindling from my palms, his golden eyes took in the scene.
"Interesting," he muttered. "I did not know rogues could use healing magic."
My thoughts were racing. He had seen how much? He had been observing me for how long?
I answered cautiously, "She needed help," without turning away from the woman.
"Yes, she did." Kai took a step closer, and for the first time since my metamorphosis, I was able to properly smell him. There was more to his wolf smell than that. My augmented senses recoiled at something.
I had noticed the same magical signature on Elena.
"You know what is happening to her," I replied. There was no question.
Although Kai's face remained the same, I could see his muscles tensing up a little. Prepared to fight if needed.
Calmly, "Elena's been looking for a new test subject," he stated. "This one strayed directly into our area. Very practical.
"Test subject for what?"
"The same thing you are going to be used for, eventually." His smile was icy and piercing. "However, Elena would like to wait for your contribution until the full moon. Something about the ritual's importance in timing.
I carefully stepped up, separating myself from the unconscious woman and Kai. "And what exactly is this ritual supposed to accomplish?"
Kai said, "Immortality," plainly. "Elena found a method to permanently absorb the essence of the moon. She just needs to make the appropriate sacrifices at the appropriate moment.
The parts came together with a click. Elena had more in mind than simply robbing me of my authority. She intended to transform herself into a deity.
"How many?" I inquired. "How many Moon-blessed wolves has she killed for this?"
"Does it matter?" Kai gave a shrug. "Aria, you cannot halt what has already begun. Or, Nora, shall I say?
My blood became icy. They had been aware all along.
As Kai got ready to transform into his wolf, his body started to change, muscles rippling. However, there was a problem with his metamorphosis. When his fangs came out, they were too long and too pointed, and his eyes went entirely black.
He was no longer merely a werewolf.
His jaw became longer as he stated, "Elena's been sharing her gifts with her most loyal followers," his voice warped. "I am much more than I used to be."
With my own wolf ready to change at any time, I retreated into the treeline. However, something encircled my ankle and pulled me off my feet before I could move.
When I looked down, I saw a shadow that held me in place like rope. From the woodland bottom, other shadows sprang out, aiming for my throat and arms.
With dark energy wrapped around her hands, Elena emerged from behind a tree.
"Hello, sister," she said, flashing an overly wide smile. "Ready to finish what we started?"