"So then, do you accept it, my child?"
Zilda, sobbing inwardly, nodded. And then the dark-haired woman, whose eyes were as black as the darkness of her own heart, took from her robes a golden chalice, studded with rubies, and handed it to Zilda. She took out a small knife, which had an intricately carved handle and some inscription in a language that was completely unknown to Zilda, and pressed the tip of the weapon against the skin of her own wrist. She lifted her arm so that it was right over the goblet and pressed the blade down against her skin, causing the blood to begin to drip.
After a few words were recited, as some kind of incantation, Zilda noticed that a considerable amount of the red viscous liquid was filling the chalice. Morana, the witch, took the wound to her mouth and licked the spot a few times, stopping the bleeding instantly.
"Who accepts this wine of life?" She asked the weeping girl in front of her, whose eyes were as blue as a summer sky and now were reddened and puffy by her crying.
"Zilda, daughter of Tybalt and Maëlys." The girl answered, regretfully. She knew her life would completely change that night, she just couldn't imagine how much.
"Drink up, child. Drink this juice and be rewarded with what your heart desires most." Morana avidly watched Zilda lift the chalice to her lips and, after closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, spill all of its contents into her own mouth.
Zilda expected to feel the metallic taste of the blood, as she had already injured her hand several times, while helping with the house and castle chores, and almost every time she would take the wound to her mouth to stop the bleeding. However, for her surprise, what invaded her mouth was a thick but sweet liquid with a fruity aroma that made her head feel light.
The good sensation didn't last long, being replaced by a tingling that went down her throat, in addition to the bitter taste. She could feel something coursing through her entire body, spreading all over it, burning like wildfire. She wanted to scream, but no sound came out of her mouth. Falling to the ground, Zilda shuddered and struggled, agonizing in what felt like a terribly slow death. Her chest ached, her was heart being kneaded by an unseen hand. And then, darkness engulfed her mind.
Morana, whose name was that of the Goddess of Winter and Death, walked around the girl's body, smiling, rejoicing that her plan had worked. She saw that beautiful reddish orange hair spread across the floor, covering part of the face of the girl they called Zilda--whose name suited her, as the beauty that she was--, as she writhed in pain, until her body stopped moving. Morana was angry with the girl, for Zilda looked a lot like her own mother, except for her eyes, which were like her father's.
"You stole my love from me, Maëlys, and I am returning the favor." She said softly, using her bare toes to nudge the body that was lying on the floor. Her black dress trailed across the floor behind her, as she walked over to the fallen goblet. The rubies, once bright red, were now dull and gray. "Now, Wolf, it's your turn."
*
"Oh please, I can't believe I'm gonna to have to go to Colorado myself, to solve this damn thing!" Said Faolán Quinn, Alpha of the Mac-Tire Pack, huffing, as he leaned back in his office chair, running a hand through his dark hair. His green eyes gleamed with irritation.
"And what do you think I should have done? Threatened to bite her?" Zander Williams snapped, arms crossed in front of his chest. He was almost as tall as Faolán, but not as strong. Being the Beta, he was responsible for taking care of certain details, while the Alpha was supposed to remain with the Pack, ensuring the protection of its members and of their territory.
"Of course not." Faolán replied, sighing deeply. They couldn't go around threatening humans, like they did to other werewolves.
"Not that the idea hasn't crossed my mind. For a human, she is very beautiful and attractive." Zander spoke, smiling, his eyes dreamy. Faolán raised an eyebrow and shook his head reproachfully.
"You're hopeless." He slapped his legs and stood up. "I'll pack my bags. I can't go from here to Colorado running as a wolf. Let's see if this human can overcome the power of an Alpha. Despite everything, she is still an animal."
Faolán walked out the office door, with Zander hot on his heels.
As soon as he turned fifteen, he had decided that he wanted more out of life. And, seeing how the technology of the modern world was becoming more and more present, especially with GPS and the blessed Internet, Faolán understood that either he did something about it, or the Pack wouldn't be able to remain hidden from humans much longer. He had asked his father, Emyr, for permission, so that he could be sent to a university to better understand how the human world worked. That way he would know how to protect himself and the Pack from the humans. Emyr was a responsible and open-minded Alpha, therefore he agreed to his son's wishes, but on the condition that the boy would never forget where his heart was, as well as his responsibility.
Faolán finished his specialization in the Business Management and Administration field. And, not even two days after he got his Diploma, the territory of his pack was hit by a terrible fire. So far, they didn't know how it had happened, despite the suspicion that it was either an enemy Pack, or the rogues. Unfortunately, his father was one of the fatal victims, which forced him to become Alpha sooner.
Their land was damaged to the point that it was no longer suitable for planting, which meant they had to move. The problem was getting a good land. And in the modern world you had to prove to be the owner of your land, or wait for the fine day when a building contractor would visit and snatch the land away.
He found the perfect place for them. However, another company decided to buy it, getting into a dispute with him.
"I'm going to take a bath, first." He informed Zander, who agreed and detoured on his way to the training ground.
Faolán filled up the bathtub and let himself soak in the warm water for a few minutes. To think that he had bought the construction company UpRise a year ago to increase the Pack's capital and, later on, be able to expand the territory, without imagining what he would end up having to use the money to move everything around. And he could easily have done it, if it weren't for this nosy CEO of Paradise, meddling in his business. Now he, who had barely made it to the Pack and officially became the Alpha, would have to leave Wyoming and be more than 400 miles away. Tomorrow he would have to make the announcement to the Pack members and he knew it could cause instability, after all, the territory without an Alpha in it was an enemy's target.
He finished bathing and put on a simple outfit. The day was muggy, and he had no interest in sweating. Gray shorts and a black t-shirt were the first two pieces of clothing he saw when he opened the wardrobe, in the 'summer clothes' part. He put them on, took a look in the mirror while combing his hair and putting on some cologne. When he was satisfied with his appearance, he went back to the closet and removed the small suitcase from the top shelf. He didn't intend to spend much time away--maybe a day or two, at most. After picking out a few changes of clothes and arranging them inside his briefcase, he packed a pair of flip-flops and a few personal items, including his civil ID. In the past, werewolves did not register themselves under the American Government's law; but now, with advanced technology, some members, such as Alphas, Betas and others who may need to leave the pack, needed to have official identification.
As soon as the suitcase was almost ready, except for the items he would still use, Faolán sat at his desk and turned on his laptop to look for plane tickets for the next day. He decided he would make the announcement tonight, about the need to leave, and explain the situation to the pack.
'I feel this trip will be promising.' Rafe, the wolf inside Faolán, spoke.
'I hope so, Rafe. I'm tired and I can't even mourn my father's death in peace.' Faolán mentally replied.
'I know. Unfortunately, that's the burden of an Alpha.' Rafe stated.
Rafe had been with Faolán since the guy had turned fifteen. Normally, wolves appear when humans turn sixteen, but for Alphas, it's always a year earlier. They shared the same body, the same sensations, as well as the same tastes in everything. They were the exact match between wolf and man, making a complete werewolf. The wolf was the mirror of the man's heart.