Drawn To The Alpha 2

Drawn To The Alpha

Pure Soul Series

Book 2

Willow Brooks

Copyright © 2015 Willow Brooks

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher

Chapter 1

The werewolves howled until they were hoarse on the night that Sophia was revealed as The Mother. As the moon moved across the sky, their numbers quickly swelled and soon the large clearing at the center of Virgin Island was filled with wolves frolicking and play fighting. Others watched with their tails wagging and tongues lolling out. Every so often one would tip his head back and howl. The howl spread out in each direction like a wave as each wolf in turn joined the symphony. There were no power struggles or aggressive displays on this jubilant night. They had gathered because – all of a sudden – the impossible seemed possible.  Their time trapped within this canine body might soon be at an end.

They were celebrating because The Mother – a beautiful woman with golden hair and a special gift – had arrived in the forest. Sophia. She was a mortal, but had the power to talk telepathically with the werewolves. It was her destiny to free them all from the werewolf curse and return them to the men they once were. No one knew exactly how she would do this, but the details were not important that night. All that mattered was that she was here. The impossible was possible. There was hope.

At the center of it all was Sophia and by her side stood Van Longshadow, a huge black werewolf and the love of her life. He was a reason she’d crossed through the Trinity Rock portal into this strange world where werewolves and vampires ruled the night hours. In the early weeks of their relationship she’d learned that she was his Pure Soul; his one true love and the mortal with the ability to reverse his werewolf curse. They’d crossed over to seek the Pack Leader of all the werewolves of Oak Tree Forest, Dorin, and discover what steps they must take to unlock her powers. It wasn’t until they were deep within werewolf territory that they’d learned that Sophia was more than just Van’s Pure Soul. She was something much more to all of them.

So, by the light of the full moon, she and Van became one with the other wolves. They played chase in and out of other bodies and wrestled each other to the ground. Sophia pinned Van down with all of her weight and laughed aloud as he pretended to struggle to free himself, as if he didn’t have the power to throw her aside without a second thought. She squealed when he eventually did tip her onto her back and smother her face with licks. It was unlike any party she’d ever been to and she’d never felt such childlike elation in her adult years. And yet tension was ever present. There was so much to accomplish and so many unanswered questions that true, unfiltered merriment was impossible. Being The Mother was a heady notion and a grave responsibility.

As she stood up and dusted some dirt from her cheek, Dorin arrived by her side. He was a pure white wolf, with intelligent green eyes that twinkled with excitement and that rare quality of charisma that all great leaders encompassed. Sophia looked into his eyes and formed her sentence in her head. It was an incredible sensation to hold a conversation without saying a word aloud, and the novelty of her newfound ability was still fresh.

What a wonderful night,
she said.
I could never have imagined anything like it.

Sophia, our Mother,
he replied.
Please ride with me. I wish to formally present you to the werewolves.

Sophia hesitated. Instinctively she buried her hand in the thick fur of Van’s neck. All of a sudden she was terrified that the primary reason she was here – her love for Van – would be swallowed up by the much larger situation that was unfolding. She felt herself resisting as Dorin presented his pristine back to her. Riding away from Van felt wrong, but it was also an honor to have the Pack Leader lower himself before her. The thought that she might offend him was what finally shifted her from Van’s side. She threw her leg over Dorin’s back and turned, hoping to catch Van’s eye and say the most important thing on her mind before she left.

I love you.

But something unexpected happened. Throughout the night’s festivities so far, she’d celebrated alongside the werewolves. But the moment she climbed on Dorin’s back and set herself above them, something changed. She suddenly became elevated, on a stage, worthy of adulation.

Sophia was shocked to see Van join all the other werewolves in crouching down on the ground, submitting themselves to her, their Mother. Her chest tightened. She and Van were partners, equals. She didn’t want him to bow down to her. No, she needed his strength beside her to get through whatever challenges were ahead, not his eyes downcast and his body pressed into the ground. 

But there was no time to tell him that now. Dorin carried her off into the crowd, parading her around the clearing like a Queen, albeit one with mud under her fingernails and vampire blood on her pants. One by one, each werewolf crouched down and tucked his tail under his body as she passed. Sophia saw Reinhart – the dominant wolf in the pack that had escorted her and Van on the dangerous journey through Colti vampire territory earlier that night. Only a few of Reinhart’s pack had survived their encounter with the evil Colti and Sophia knew that she owed her life to those brave souls. She ached to call out to Reinhart and to all of the werewolves.
Stand up! I don’t deserve your reverence. I’m just an ordinary girl! Reinhart is the one you should be bowing to, not me. He is the hero of the night.
But at the same time she also knew that she needed to accept the fact that she was in their world now, and she would have to play by their rules. Wolves lived and died by pack hierarchy, and to every wolf here she was the most powerful of them all. She had the potential to change the course of their lives from the darkness back into the light. The brief period of play she’d enjoyed with them just moments before was just a respite from the true work which lay ahead. The weight of their hopes and expectations rested heavily on her shoulders.

When they’d completed their circuit, she climbed off Dorin’s back and knelt beside him.

Thank you,
she said.
I was glad to acknowledge all the wolves.

More will come,
he replied.
The forest is safe for travel, for now; my scouts tell me that the Colti have retreated after tonight’s fight. They will have heard of the large numbers of werewolves on the island and will be gathering their own numbers in case we decide to avenge the deaths of Reinhart’s wolves. It’s a dangerous time for you; the Colti will already know you’re significant to the werewolves because of the way they defended you during the confrontation tonight. But once they learn just how important you are then you’ll become a very valuable bargaining chip and they’ll stop at nothing to get to you.

Chills ran through Sophia’s body at the thought of the Colti banding together to come after her. The image of their festering, bleeding faces and wicked yellow eyes was fresh in her mind, as was their ear-piercing screech and vile stench. Her hand hovered over the place in her belt where the sharp stake used to hang, but then she remembered that she’d lost it earlier in the night when she and Van raced away from the Colti in a desperate bid to stay alive and reach the island.   

When do you think they’ll attack?
she asked, mouth dry.

Not tonight. Other than that, it’s difficult to say. But there’s time to talk about everything once the sun rises and the wolves take cover. Tonight is for celebrating.

Just then some others pulled Dorin aside and Sophia looked around for Van. She couldn’t see him anywhere. All around the party was back in full swing, but Sophia suddenly felt very alone.

Chapter 2

She made her way away from the clearing and across the small stream that burbled through a grove of thin evergreen trees. She had a feeling that Van would be beside the lake. He tended to seek out solitude and there was much to think about. She noticed that a small group of werewolves shadowed her at a respectful distance. Bodyguards. Their presence reminded her that danger was ever-present, even on the sanctuary of Virgin Island.

Emerging onto the pebbled foreshore, she looked across the narrow stretch of moonlit water to the dark forest beyond. Virgin Island lay a short distance from the shores of Virgin Lake, a special holy water refuge for the werewolves from the danger of the Colti vampires. But she knew the Colti were over there. Waiting. Dorin said they’d retreated, but she knew there would still be eyes watching, reporting back every movement to their leaders. At that moment everything was calm and beautiful, but it was just a mirage.

She spotted Van a short distance down the beach. She made her way over and sat down beside him. They quietly looked out over the water together. The air had a pre-dawn chill to it, and Sophia shivered. She shuffled closer to Van’s warm body and rested her head against his shoulder. She found that she didn’t quite know what to say to him. It felt as if everything had changed. Their personal mission had suddenly turned into something infinitely vaster. This wasn’t all about their love anymore. But their future together was still of such primary importance to Sophia that she felt compelled to tell him that she hadn’t forgotten about that amid all the excitement of The Mother.

She ran her fingers over the fur of his face, over his noble forehead and soft ears. Her touch lingered on the silver streak of fur; it anchored her to his human form somehow. She looked into his beautiful blue eyes.

Van, my darling. Believe me when I tell you that nothing has changed between us today. I feel like something incredible has happened, something momentous and unexpected. But the truth is that I’m still here because I want to save
you
and that will be at the forefront of my mind when we meet with Dorin.
She paused. How could she put into words everything she was feeling?
If I’m honest, I’m terrified that these werewolves believe that I’m The Mother and are pinning all their hopes on me. I’m frightened to know what might be in store for me. I have this feeling that reversing every werewolf’s curse is not going to be an easy feat. I just know it. But I also know this: the one werewolf I
am
going to save is you. There’s no doubt in my mind about that.

As he stared back at her, there was a hint of pain in his eyes.

Thank you for what you said,
he replied.
It feels a little strange to hear you say that you’re going to save me and everyone else; I preferred it when we were working together on a mission, like we were before tonight.

I know what you mean,
she replied
. I didn’t like to see you bow down to me earlier. We’re still partners, Van. Nothing’s changed.

Do you really believe that?
he said, sounding sad.
I feel like everything’s changed. I don’t even know what to think anymore, how to go forward. I want to be partners like before, but in truth I’m actually in awe of you. I knew of the Pure Soul, but was totally unaware of the concept of The Mother. It’s incredible and wonderful that you might be able to save all of these werewolves, and thousands of others too. You have to expand your mind to take in the much larger task that awaits you, or else you’ll never succeed.

What if “Van and Sophia” get lost in such an enormous and important assignment? I couldn’t bear it, Van. All I want is to be with you.

He nuzzled into her cheek before continuing.
I believe we will be together in the end. But, like you, I also believe there are challenging times ahead. We’ll need to be strong to get through it. Strong together.

Tears began to spill down Sophia’s cheeks.
I’m afraid, Van. I’m afraid that I won’t be able to do this; that I’ll let you and all of the other werewolves down. They’re pinning everything on me, I can feel it. But I’m just a regular girl, a children’s book author, for goodness sake!

Sophia. You are strong enough. You’ve always been strong enough. This is your destiny. Have you ever felt that you were different from others, that something else, more important was waiting for you away from the monotony of normal life?

Yes. But I thought it was that sooner or later my fairytale prince was going to sweep me off my feet and I’d live happily ever after. I thought that’s what made me different from other people who settled for so much less.

You might have to learn to accept that the stars have chosen a more challenging path for you. But while it is more difficult, the rewards will be so much greater.

She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and took a deep breath. She knew he was right.

Part of me wants to find out how to save you and then run away home,
she admitted.
But then I think of Reinhart’s werewolves and how they died for me tonight and I know I can’t do that. We’ve got to see it through, for them as much as anything else.

He nodded.
We’ve got to see it through.

They stood up, both aware that they needed to get some rest before meeting with Dorin. On the walk back, Sophia nervously glanced up at the sky and remembered that she and Van needed the full moon in order to travel back to Fir Lodge through the Oak Tree Portal. She looked at Van and he seemed to know what she was thinking.

The moon might be full enough to travel for one more night,
he said.
If it’s moved into waning gibbous the journey will be turbulent, even dangerous. Or we might not be able to travel at all.

Sophia cringed, the memory of her first harrowing trip through the portal fresh in her mind. But she also desperately wanted to return. They needed the full moon in order to travel via the portal and the notion of remaining in Oak Tree Forest until the next moon was hard to stomach. Aside from the danger, their families would both be sick with worry. She hadn’t told anyone where she was going, or even what Van really was. Everything had moved so fast, and how does one even start to have that conversation, anyway?  

Be prepared that we’ll have to stay in the forest
, said Van, expressing her fear.
Even if the portal is open for one more night, neither your Pure Soul nor your Mother responsibilities are likely to be accomplished in one night. Maybe one week or one month, or more. Almost certainly not one night. 

Back in the clearing, they found Dorin and retreated to his quarters; it was part of a network of underground caves and tunnels that helped make Virgin Island an ideal retreat for werewolves constantly in wolf form, who couldn’t tolerate the light of the sun. It was pitch black inside and Sophia bashed her head against a low hanging rock and tripped over two other obstacles before they finally found Dorin’s corner and settled down together. Van was soon asleep but Sophia wanted to ask Dorin something that was on her mind. By then her eyes had adjusted a little and she could just make out his eyes in the darkness.

Dorin, why do you and the werewolves that live in this forest stay in wolf form all the time? Wouldn’t it be easier to live together as men and just transition once a month during the full moon, like other werewolves? At least you could build shelters and go out in the day time that way.

Dorin was quiet for a moment before he began. In that time Sophia recognized that behind the sparkling joviality of his eyes was great wisdom as well.
Most of the werewolves who have chosen to live in this forest had difficult lives in the human world. They were often forced to live as loners, tortured by the guilt of what they’ve done as werewolves living amongst mortals. Here they’ve chosen the safety and security of the pack and the comfort of knowing they’re normal in this world. Not only that, as men we wouldn’t be safe in this forest. We’d be open to attack by vampires, especially Colti. As men we’re stronger than mortals, but still slower and less powerful than we are as wolves.

An important question formed in Sophia’s mind.
So if these werewolves have chosen to live as wolves, do they really want me, The Mother, to ‘save’ them at all? Would they rather remain as wolves?

When a werewolf steps out under the full moon and undergoes his transition from man to wolf, it’s something he does of his own free will, but at the same time he has little control over himself. It’s a compulsion; a desperate yearning that feels evil and malevolent somehow.

Sophia nodded.
Van said it was like an addict needing his fix.

That’s right. The feeling of wickedness remains within the werewolf as long as he’s in wolf form. He feels he is wrong, unnatural in the eyes of the world. Think what it must be like to live every single day with that emotion in your heart. The joy that you’ve given these wolves tonight will be the first antidote for that feeling that many of them have experienced for many years. Maybe hundreds of years. Just the thought of being released from that torture is enough to lighten their burden. Imagine then how it would feel to actually be free of it forever. It’s only been a dream for them, until now. However,
he continued,
it is also true that there are some among us who welcome darkness in their hearts. None that are here tonight, but there are werewolves who will view your gift differently. They won’t welcome a return to a light soul and mortality, preferring the power and eternal life of the werewolf instead.

What can we do about that?
Sophia wondered.
Will those wolves cause trouble?

There is much that we have to do, Sophia. So much to overcome. But right now one thing is more important than any other.

What’s that?

Sleep.
With that Dorin laid his head on his paws and went to sleep, as if his whole world wasn’t in the process of shifting on its axis. Sophia shook her head incredulously then closed her eyes and did her best to join him.