Awakening the Wolf (17 page)

Illiana winced at hearing that. Christopher looked around, searching for her. “She’ll be here,” she heard him say.

It was time. There was no way she could get around it. This was what all the secrecy and the sneaking around had been for. Once she revealed herself it would change everything, and she hoped her mother would understand. She prayed Christopher would understand. This was the miracle they had waited for. She was a wolf, and they could be together. He just had to want it. Belik cawed, signaling it was time. Illiana jumped from the tree branch into the shadows, and the wind softened her landing. Once she straightened her dress, she swallowed her fear and stepped into the clearing. The fire spirits within the blaze called to her and jumped several feet high. Some of the pack darted out of the way. She found a space between them and walked directly toward the bonfire. The heat of it reached out and licked her flesh, but she did not fear it. The whispers of the flames reached her ears, but she did not listen. Instead she asked the fire to separate for her and stepped directly onto the hot coals. The heat tingled her flesh, and it warmed her skin.

“I’m here,” she replied, coming out of the fire.

The disbelief on Christopher’s and Simian’s faces was priceless and made her smile, but she kept that hidden. Illiana held her head up high and felt her wolf work under her skin.

“Illiana, what are you doing here?” Christopher stepped forward and put a hand on her arm.

“You told me to come, remember?” She stared into his eyes and prayed he would finally realize she was the wolf.

“This has to be a joke. Illiana, I realize you’re my son’s friend, but our celebration with the flock has ended. This is pack business,” Simian said.

She backed away from Christopher and looked at the pack’s alpha. He was an older version of Christopher, with the same eyes and hair, only he was starting to go gray at the temples. “I understand this is pack business, Simian. I’m here because your son told me you wanted to meet the lone wolf he has been talking with. Here I am.”

Simian stared at her and chuckled. “Darling, although I respect your mother being the flock’s leader, I don’t think she’d enjoy this little joke. It could cause some awful ramifications with our relationships.”

“With all due respect, let me prove to you what I say is true. Don’t I at least deserve that right?”

“Father, can you give me a moment with Illiana, please?”

Simian looked between her and his son. Some of the other pack members were chuckling. Illiana knew what they must be thinking, what the alpha must be thinking, but this was the reason why she had come there to prove to them that she was telling the truth. To prove to them that she belonged with the pack as much as with the flock.

“Fine. Sort this out before this gets nasty. Some of the wolves don’t approve of your relationship with my son. I have tolerated it because you were the only one he opened up to after his mother’s death. Do this quickly and let us return to our village.”

Christopher grabbed her arm and dragged her into the shadows behind the large tree they were standing by. His eyes had turned amber. His nails had lengthened and pushed into her arm. She had never seen him so angry before. He growled so she saw his sharpened teeth. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“You invited me here, Christopher.”

“I didn’t invite you anywhere.”

She touched his face. “Yes, you did. You wanted a miracle. Well, we have it. We can be together.”

“You’re insane. My father was right.”

She slapped him, and that got his attention. “I’ve never lied to you. So don’t call me a liar. Think about it. We were together tonight a few hours ago, and you wanted to see my face. I’m wearing the same dress. No wolf in their right mind would go directly to your window without knowing you first. I’m not that stupid.”

He stepped away. His expression told her he was putting the pieces together. Nevertheless, he still did not want to believe it. Illiana sighed and walked back to the pack. She untied the belt to her dress before slipping her necklace off.

“Illiana, this really isn’t necessary. Let me send someone to get your mother,” Simian tried to cover her up.

“I appreciate your concern, but you asked me to come here. Let me show you.”

Simian gasped as she fell to all fours and her form changed into the black wolf. Illiana stood before the alpha werewolf. Christopher gasped and fell to his knees before her. He reached out and touched her head. She stared at him and cocked her head.

“Do you believe me now?”

The whole pack had gone silent. The fire chirped behind her. She could feel the fire spirits were happy, almost applauding.

“How is this possible? Ravens don’t turn into wolves,” Simian whispered.

“May I turn back now?”

Simian nodded.

Illiana slipped her dress back on and tied it. Last was her necklace. After that she faced the whole pack. She averted her eyes to show respect for the alpha, but Christopher’s face had paled. He shook his head and did not seem to believe what she had just done.

“How is this possible?” Simian asked.

“My father was two-natured. He had the ability to turn into a wolf and an eagle.”

“I remember a wolf coming through here being wounded. Your healers were the ones who fixed him up because ours was unavailable at the time. I was not pack leader at the time. Why are you now coming to us?”

“My mother raised me without telling me about my heritage. The wolf has always been there. She wanted me to be normal and raised in the flock without anyone knowing. I didn’t discover this until the night of my initiation. I woke up on the coast.”

“That’s over a hundred miles away,” Christopher blurted out. “You never told me that.”

“You didn’t ask. At the time I didn’t know how I got there, but I’ve always known there was something else inside of me. I always saw silver eyes. When I finally spoke to my aunt about it, she told me what my mother wouldn’t. It took me a few months, but I learned to tap into the power of the wolf, and now I can control it.”

“What about the fire? You walked through it without even being scalded,” another member of the pack asked.

She turned and saw Jalisa. Her neck was still red from where Illiana had clamped down on it with her jaws. “I passed through the flames and gained control of the fire spirits.” She raised her wrist and showed it to Simian and the others. “This was the mark that I got. Fire is made of tiny spirits, and the bigger ones eat the little ones; all of them are vying for control for the fire until they burn themselves out. The air element has been with me for as long as I can remember.”

The entire pack was quiet. She looked back at Christopher and silently implored him to understand how grueling this was for her. Now they could be together. She looked back at the alpha and saw him studying her.

“Why do you want to become a member of this pack?” Simian asked.

“So I can have a place in both worlds. I don’t want to hide what I am any longer. If I’m a wolf, then I don’t want the pack to think of me as a loner and decide to challenge me or think I’m a danger. It seemed the right thing to do.”

He rubbed his chin. “We’ll have to discuss this. It’s a pack decision. Will you excuse us for a while?”

“Of course.”

Illiana walked into the woods and stared up at the treetops, searching the foliage for Belik. He was there somewhere, but she could not find him. At least he was safe. She did not know what the outcome of the pack was going to be. They could decide to kill her, not accept her, or make her one of them. Illiana found a tree, and the blaze had only become a dim light in the darkness. The moon above gave her some warmth, but even with the fire blazing in her veins, she was cold. She ran her fingers over her arms and tried to stay calm. Every possibility of what could happen ran through her mind. This was the time that she needed someone to hold her and tell her it was going to be okay. There was too much risk calling Belik, and Christopher still did not know what to make of her, she had seen it in his eyes. Although she had been surprised to hear a civilized tone from Jalisa when she asked about the fire. Maybe she had actually gotten through to the other wolf that she did not have to be a bitch to her. Illiana doubted they would ever be friends, but Jalisa had always seen her as a threat.
I bet it’s still tough for her to believe that I was the one when she had always hated me so much.

Illiana jumped when she heard the wolves howl and others growl. There was some shouting and then silence. She looked into the clearing and saw the fire had blazed and it was shooting sparks into the air. More silence, and she felt more alone with each passing minute. The longer they did not send anyone to her, the more she figured they would say no and all that she had hoped for about being with Christopher would not come to pass. If that did not happen, then she had Belik.
Christopher probably thinks I’m a freak now. Why didn’t I make this easier for him and tell him from the beginning? Maybe the games were unnecessary.
She gazed into the trees and saw a bit of movement, a leaf falling to the ground. The breeze stirred and caressed her cheek. The sadness that it seemed to echo made her wonder what would happen.

“We’re ready for you,” Christopher said to her.

She smiled at him, but he kept a straight face and she could not read his eyes. He walked her back to the clearing and kept quiet. The pack parted for them, and Christopher guided her around the fire to stand before the alpha. Her pulse thundered in her ears. Illiana tried to prepare for the answer. She looked down at the strewn leaves littering the ground and wondered if she would be scattered around the forest floor, never to find a place among the trees or the ground. Or would she blend with the other debris and become one with both worlds.

“Illiana, daughter of Lelana, leader of the Corvus flock whom we share land with, you have come here asking to be in admitted into the pack. A lone wolf among the others would normally be drummed out of pack territory or killed. But you are special and can add to the strength between our two peoples. The decision has been made. You will be accepted into the pack, to learn to understand our ways and share our lifestyle. You will have a say in everything the pack does. You will not spill pack secrets to the flock or share any information that is deemed not for winged ears. Do you understand?”

Her heart swelled. “I do.”

“Step forward.”

Simian raised his hand, and before she realized what had happened he swiped his claws across her chest, marking her for the pack. The pain made her suck in a breath, and she swayed on her feet, but she stayed there. The whole pack filed by her. Each one took her hand and sniffed the back of it, catching her scent. Jalisa came by and barely smelled her, but she saw the contempt in the other woman’s eyes. Illiana stood there, not believing that this had happened. The pack had each taken in her scent, and she was left with Christopher and his father.

“As a member of a pack, you will need to learn our ways. Christopher can teach you.”

“Father, I’m not sure this is a good idea.”

Simian growled at him. “You pressed me for this. It was your idea, and I went to the pack council with this. Many in the pack are not happy. They would prefer you do not intermix with us.”

Illiana nodded. “I’m sorry if I brought any trouble to the pack.”

The alpha waved his hand. “It was not your fault. It is better that you came and did not remain a lone wolf in the woods. Christopher will show you our ways.”

“Father—”

Simian stared at him. “You
will
do as I command. Illiana, have a good night.” He walked out of the clearing, leaving the two of them alone.

She turned to Christopher and smiled, feeling the triumph of what had happened to her ride through her. Illiana went to throw her arms around him, but he backed away. Her joyous mood sank. “What’s the matter?”

He threw up his hands. “What’s the matter? What’s the matter? You backstabbing, lying . . . I don’t know what to call you. You said you’ve never lied to me, but what have you been doing these past few months? You’re both a wolf and a raven. Why didn’t you come out and tell me instead of going through this long, drawn-out fiasco? Why trick me into thinking you were this mysterious wolf who wanted me? Was all this a ruse for you to challenge Jalisa and get her out of my life?”

She gritted her teeth, not expecting this reaction from him. “I-I thought you’d be happy. You said that you wanted to be with me. That you loved me. Tonight . . . what we shared, you . . . ”

He shook his head. “I don’t know you anymore. I’m not sure if I can trust you either. I’ll do what my father commands, but after that we’ll just be pack mates. Don’t expect anything else.”

A tear slid down her cheek from his words sinking in. “You can’t mean that. I did all of this for you. So that we could be together. Jalisa had nothing to do with it. Would you have really believed me if I came out and told you that I could turn into a wolf? You never believed it was true. Maybe you never wanted to believe it.”

“You’ve had hopes since you were a teenager that we’d be together when you knew it was never possible. Everything that everyone has ever said about you is true. You’re a freak.”

“Don’t you dare say that about her!” Belik shouted.

Illiana turned and saw him standing by the fire. His hands were clenched at his side, and the look on his face was murderous. He slipped an arm around her waist.

“This is none of your business, Belik. Go back to the trees, where you belong,” Christopher snapped.

He stepped away from Illiana and got into the wolf’s face. “Illiana
is
my business just as she is yours. Don’t you understand what she’s sacrificed to be with you? All she has done is talk about being with you. She goes against everything that is the flock and comes to be with you. And all you can do is stand here like a spoiled child. All you care about is yourself.”

“Sacrificed? What do you know about it? Has she also lied to you about me? Did you know she was a wolf, too? Or did the traitorous bitch keep it all a secret from you, too, before you asked her to be your mate?”