I groan at the multiple boxes around the room, realizing that I should have paid for the moving crew to build the furniture for me. I am an idiot and thought it would be easy.
“Crystalline!” A voice calls out as the front doors open.
“Upstairs Uncle Atti.” With a sigh, I lean against the wall and call down, the vampire appearing within second.
“Hello young o– what’s with all the boxes?” His greeting is cut off as he too searches the room with a multitude of boxes laying about.
“Furniture that needs to be built.” My grumbled response brings an amused smile to his lips as he ruffles my hair.
“I told you to let the movers do it.” He chuckles, pulling me to his side in a hug.
“I know. I should have listened but I wanted to try it on my own. Besides, the pups are with Heidi right now shopping for decorations for their rooms so I have time to work on furniture while they are gone.” My explanation seems to be amusing as my uncle’s chuckles become full laughter. With a growl of frustration, I pull away from him and make my way out of what is to be my bed room and down the stairs. My destination, the kitchen for wine.
“Wine doesn’t fix everything Crystalline.” Atticus states, trailing behind me as I reach the wine cooler built into the wall and take out a one-hundred year old red. Pouring two glasses, I hand one to the sassy vampire then take a sip from the other. Of course he is right, wine does not fix anything, but a drink does help calm me down.
“How about I help you build the furniture and then we can go out for dinner. I could use a rare steak.” He suggests, the idea tempting.
“Deal. But can we start with the kids first.” I agree.
“Definitely.” With that, we clink our glasses together and head back upstairs, Atticus bringing the open bottle of wine with us. Next move I will definitely pay for someone else to do all the furniture building.
…
“So you have never been to The Keg?” Atticus chuckles out, sipping on a glass of wine mixed with blood. It turns out this branch is owned by his friend; a Vampire like him.
“I have only been to allied packs of Alexander’s. I spent most of my life in the palace.” I explain, munching on the warm bread the waitress left for us to enjoy.
“So how long will you be in Toronto?” I sigh at this question, turning to look out the window at the people passing by. Some days I wish I was human, being able to enjoy a mundane life without the hassle of a brother who has tried to kill you as an infant and who is actively wanting you dead. To have to prepare yourself for a war and take back your rightful inheritance.
“A couple of years. I have to work on making allies and train a little longer before I can return to the north to claim my throne.” A gentle hand on mine has me turning to face Atticus, his burgundy eyes warm and inviting and remining me I am not alone here in my temporary home.
“Well, when you decide to move let me know. I want to be a part of your life from now on.” His warm words has tears filling my eyes and I squeeze his hand as a response, too emotional to express my gratitude to this uncle of mine. Thankfully, our waitress has the perfect timing and places an eighteen ounce steak in front of me. Grinning like the Cheshire cat, I dig into the perfectly cooked beef while Atticus brings the topic of school for the pups. We both agreed that a human school will be perfect for them, a place with children their age without the werewolf community around them. After years of abuse, I will have to work on easing Alice and Blake back into the werewolf community with hopes of training the two to control their emotions and their shifts when the time comes. We talk about Nightmare Moon, what Geminie, Amberle and the Temple of the Moon Goddess are doing about it as the Royal pack refuses to step in which led to a spiralling list of illegal activities that have been hidden because of Alexander. By the end of the meal, I felt angry for not paying attention to the forced mating, the trafficking of she-wolves to hunters and the many rogues being captured and sold as slaves.
“When the time comes, will you help me in changing werewolf laws. I need to provide a safe space for my people, including a way to quickly put the Soulless out of their misery so that they can reincarnate to a better life.” Voicing out my thoughts, I close my eyes to calm the rage inside me. The need to kill Alexander so strong that I feel myself on the verge of shifting.
“Of course Crystalline. We can work together while you are in Toronto to piece together those laws and how to execute them once you become Queen.” With a sigh of relief, I open my eyes to see my uncle staring at me with pride, the feeling of the shift receding as my anger settles.
“Why don’t we get going. I am sure Alice and Blake are on their way home and will want to see their rooms.” Atticus suggests, flagging down our waitress and settling the bill before we head out of the restaurant and make our way to the parking garage. The streets are crowded, the bustling city full of life with different people and leaving me in awe. I feel like a tourists, still in disbelief that Toronto is my home right now. And then the scent of blood – werewolf blood- hits me, causing me to stumble. Atticus is quick to catch me, his fangs slightly showing as he too scents the air.
“Rogue?” He asks and I nod, closing my eyes to focus on the scent and locate the direction of where the smell of blood is coming from. There are multiples of victims the scents of at least three rogues being so strong it makes my eyes water.
“We need to see where the blood is coming from. Can you drive while I direct us?” I ask, Atticus nodding in agreeance as he does his best to hid his fangs from the view of the humans. In silence, we rush to the garage, me throwing my keys to Atticus and climbing into the passenger seat as he puts the vehicle into drive.
“Right at the exit.” I state, making sure all windows are open. Eyes closed, I cling to my moonstone, feeling the magic strengthening my senses.
“Left in three hundred meters.”
“Right then straight for five hundred.”
“Left right here.” I continue to navigate, the smell growing stronger until a scent trail appears in my mind. Some times it will fade away and we will have to wait a few minutes until the scent reappears again, until finally we find ourselves parked behind a shady looking warehouse, the scent of blood, wolves and dogs so strong that I have to cover my nose with a bandana to breath.
“Where are we?” I ask, seeing a grim look on Atticus’ face as we climb out of the vehicle.
“The heart of little Portugal. Most of the hunters hide in small communities like Little Italy, little Portugal and China town. I have a feeling we have ran into one of their hide outs.” I frown, the scent that has been haunting me strengthening once again as a trailer door opens and a body is thrown out onto the hard pavement.
“Just leave this mutt out there. He is going to be dead anyways.” A voice shouts from inside, ordering the two that just threw out what looks to be a large dog.
“I mean, we can always skin his pelt and sell it on the black market.” One of the men chuckles out, the trailer door closing right away. Without a second though, I rush to the body, the scent of rogue wolf strong. Before me lays a black wolf, his body covered in wounds both old and new and a collar burning into his throat. I gasp, ready to kneel beside hi and assess his injuries when Atticus pulls me back, keeping his body between me and this rogue.
“You can’t just rush in!” He hisses, his eyes trained on the barely breathing body.
“He needs my help Uncle!” I argue back, trying to move around the unmoving immortal.
“And you need to learn not to be so reckless!” he growls, placing his hands on my shoulders and stopping me in my place.
“Then help me help him!” My eyes are trained on the wolf as I plead with the vampire before me. I know he is scared to lose me, the daughter his best friend never got to raise, the niece he has been searching for all these centuries, but I cannot just stand there while a werewolf slowly dies.
“Fine. I will go fold the back seats down and we can shove this rogue in through the trunk. But do not go near him!” Finally, my uncle concedes before zipping away to where we left the Hummer. I count to five, making sure he is busy before turning back to the wolf and rushing to his side.
“I’m here to help!” I coo softly, kneeling behind him so that if this injured wolf were to attack, I can doge quickly. The black wolf lets out a growl, his deep brown eyes glaring at me as blood seeps out from the corner of his lips.
“Oh shush. You’re going to die if I don’t help.” I sigh out, placing my hand gently on his flank. He snaps at me, but I am quick to move my hands and grab his muzzle with ease, the anger and hatred evident in the wolf before me.
“Either I help you, or you die. Chose.” I growl back, allowing my eyes to glow silver. I watch as he thinks over my words, realizing that I only have a moment before Atticus returns when I hear the start of the engine. But finally the growls subside and the wolf lowers his head, allowing me to do what I can to save him. With a sigh of relief, I gently smooth the fur away from some of the wounds, bending down to gently sniff at them and feeling confident that I can help this wolf heal when no scent of poison is present. Now onto the biggest problem, the silver collar.
The skin below it is burned away, the scaring unable to heal with constant contact. Without a second though, I rush to find a way to remove it, jumping back when the wolf winces and snarls.
“I’m sorry but bear with it please. Silver doesn’t burn me and I can remove it quickly from you.” I explain, slowly moving around so that the wolf can see me. Kneeling once again, this time by his muzzle, I wait for the wolf to trust me and quickly get to work on removing the collar when he gives a slight nod. He growls as I work my fingers around the metal but does not attempt to attack me anymore. Finally, with a loud click the collar opens and I am able to remove the metal from his neck.
“I thought I said to stay away from him!” Atticus growls out as he backs the hummer with the trunk open towards us.
“And I thought I did not agree to that!” I argue back, gently running my fingers through the wolf’s fur. His breathing has even out but his brown eyes glare at my uncle.
“You can trust him. He and I are going to bring you away from here.” I assure him, bringing his attention to me. I see the internal battle in his eyes, the wolf at least six feet in length from snout to tail debating on if he can believe me or not. I guess his decision is taking too long as Atticus takes the silver collar from my hand using a silk handkerchief and throws it into a dumpster before returning and hauling the black wolf into the Hummer without a second thought then throws me into the passenger seat before zipping to the drivers side and speeding away from the warehouse just in time for the doors to open again and two men walk out.
“Just like your father, always wanting to save the damned.” He mutters angrily and I smile, leaning onto his shoulder and placing a kiss on that flawless cheek of his.
“Thank you Uncle.”