Tanya didn't even wait to regain her breath, an incoherent babble spewing from her mouth, "Ray….Ray….thank the Lord you are here. Neil….Neil...he...he...is a..a...werewolf. In front of my eyes….he….changed into a…..wolf. We have to escape...run...from here. He will come after us. Please Ray...let us go back into the town and tell everyone…." she mumbled, clutching at Ray's shirt and shaking him. "Calm down Tanya," Ray shook her, trying to bring her back to her senses, but she was beyond reason. "Please Ray...we have to escape before he comes back….for god's sake, lets go…" she uttered as if in a litany. Catching her by the hand, Ray pulled her towards one of the wooden benches in the garden. Seating her beside himself, he held her close, comforting her till her tremors subsided. It was a good twenty minutes later that Tanya regained an awareness of her surroundings and calmed down a bit. Looking her in the eye, Ray asked, "I guess you saw Neil shift today? Was it in the woods?" She nodded, explaining as well as she could, "We were taking a walk when wolves attacked us. Neil….he….turned into a wolf….just as they showed in the movie…" Her eyes were wide with wonderment at the scene she had witnessed. Ray smiled. Did he just smile? Is he crazy? She thought. Why was he so cool about the matter? As if he already knew about it. Yes, that was it. Ray knew. He had tried to warn her, but she had refused to listen. She had been madly in love with Neil. Come to think of it, she still was. "Where do you want to run to Tanya? To the town. I wouldn't advise it." "Why?" she queried, until comprehension dawned on her. "There are others like him?" she felt a shiver run through her body. "Listen carefully Tanya. This town belongs to the Northern Mountain Pack, a group or pack of werewolves who have been residing here for centuries." "Neil?" "Neil is their leader. An Alpha werewolf. He rules the pack. They consider him as their king, and now you are their queen or as they call it, their Luna." "How do you know so much about it Ray? Did Neil tell you himself?" she was curious. She wasn't very reassured by what he had told her. She was not yet sure that she could trust anyone who changed their form so swiftly. Ray smiled again, "I am Neil's cousin. Our fathers were brothers."
Neil looked in the direction of the crag. Should he follow behind those 'familiars' or should he turn back? He wanted to storm the castle where the coven resided, and tear into that witch Marina. The curse was her doing. She had been a bane to his pack for long. He hated her with all his being and would find nothing more satisfying than ripping her head off her body, but he was alone. Now was not the time to enter the enemy territory. The witches were extremely powerful and one of their spells could cause irreparable harm to him. He would gather his army, the best of his warriors, and come another day. He looked down at himself. His fur was dirty with the dried blood and dust sticking to it. Also, his clothes had been damaged beyond repair. He remembered suddenly, that Tanya had been with him when he shifted. What happened to her? She was sure to have freaked out. He just hoped that she would not take it into her head to walk back towards the city. Being a human, she was not safe by herself in this region full of strange beings. He had to get back to the house to put something on, and then go find her.
"He was with the girl. We tried to face him but he attacked. We lost Jingles," Bogart's plaintive voice echoed in the hall. Marina scratched her chin, her eyes on the drooping shoulders of Bogart and Duffy. The mission had been a disaster. Her familiars had not only returned empty handed but they had also lost Jingles, her favorite. "We did see the girl though. She is pretty," Duffy cut in. Though he was hurt, with blood dripping down his forehead, but he was eager to please his mistress. Marina looked at the various wounds on the bodies of her helpers. "Go to Sabine. She will heal you," she ordered. "Next time take some Wolfsbane with you. You know these werewolves can't stand it." With that, Marina returned with leaden feet to her room. So, now he knew that they were after the girl. She hoped that he would desist from doing anything which will destroy the uneasy truce between both the communities.
Tanya was digesting the bombshell which Ray had just dropped. So, he too…..he too was a werewolf. Somehow she had never associated boyish, amiable Ray with anything so dangerous. Even now, sitting next to him, she somehow felt safe. He lacked that aura of danger and mystery which surrounded Neil. She had always been a little in awe of him. Maybe it was his Alpha personality, but one could never be at ease with him as one could be with Ray. She had a gut feeling that she could rely on him. Addressing him in a shaking voice, she asked, "What do I do now?"
Emerging from the forest, the first sight which greeted Neil's eyes was his wife sitting beside his best buddy, who had a protective arm around her shoulders. Though the domineering male wolf part of him felt a low growl of possessive ownership escape from his throat to see his female with another wolf, his human part was relieved that Ray was there. He had obviously stopped Tanya from taking any foolhardy steps. Neil neared them, his approach silent. Ray smelled him before he saw him. Neil was emerging from the woods, his black wolf form majestic. Neil had a lithe, athletic physique with broad shoulders and a well muscled body. Even his wolf was huge, twice the size of other wolves in the pack. Only the one with the best genes was chosen to be the Alpha and Neil was descended from a long line of alphas. Even at a glance, anyone could make out that he was the king of beasts. Ray felt Tanya stiffen with anxiety, wide eyed with fear. He held her hand, drawing her to her feet and towards Neil. "Come Tanya, it's just Neil. He won't pounce, I promise you," he crooned as if speaking to a child, cajoling her with soft words.
With great trepidation, she neared him, taking hesitant steps, ready to flee at the least sign of aggression from the gigantic beast. Although where she would flee, she had no idea. She seemed to be in the midst of a strange world, populated with creatures she had thought to be mythical, only encountered in fantasies, but here, before her very eyes stood Neil, the man she loved, in his lupine form. He bent his head as she approached, as if inviting her to touch him. Gingerly, encouraged by Ray, she extended her hand, touching his black, shiny fur, fearfully at first, and when he did not snap at her, stroking it lovingly. She wondered at her own temerity, when Neil brushed her legs, rubbing his head against her skin. Before returning, he had taken a swim in the pool in the woods, washing off the grime and gore, and now his coat shone like velvet. Once he was assured that Tanya was not going to run away in fright, he left them behind, bounding towards the house.
"There! It wasn't so bad, now, was it?" Ray smiled at her. Tanya smiled back, still unsure of herself. Ray glanced at the pale face of the woman before him. He could not but admire her courage. Few humans would have been so accepting of the situation. She obviously loved Neil absolutely, to accept his true identity. She had not balked at the prospect of touching Neil, nor shrunk away from Ray himself. The woman he had always thought of as simple and timid, was anything but. His heart ached when he contemplated the fate in store for her. Neil did not know how lucky he was to get her as his mate. If he had any sense, he would think twice before subjecting her to that terrible fate. Though he had dated Rhea for a short time, and even nursed the illusion that they were mates, but he knew she was nothing compared to Tanya. He had broken off with her, once he knew how she had taunted Tanya, threatening her for being with Neil. If the Moon God blessed one with a human mate, then he wanted that woman to be like his cousin's wife. He knew he should warn her. This time she would not disbelieve him. He should safely see her out of here, back to the big city, among humans, but he knew he couldn't possibly do it. Neil would be enraged if he thwarted his plans, and as an Alpha he could even punish Ray with death. He was also responsible for the safety of his little sister Tara. He did not want Neil wrecking vengeance on his family. His cousin was notorious for his ruthlessness, not only in his own pack but in all packs across the state. He would have to think of some other way. Holding out his hand to her, he offered, "Shall we?" She placed her hand in his, walking with him towards the house, unknowingly advancing towards the fate which awaited her there.