Drawn To The Alpha 2 (7 page)

Chapter 11

Sophia dragged her modest backpack down the stairs the next morning. She sat down halfway to rest. She felt truly awful. Her head was pounding and spinning, her mouth dry, legs wobbly. It was like the world’s most evil hangover, except she hadn’t drunken any alcohol at all the night before. With dizzy dread she knew that her time was quickly running out. When she made it to the bottom of the stairs, she was greeted by an overwhelming collection of gear piled up beside the front door. Van stomped up the outside steps a few seconds later. He threw two sleeping bags on top of the heap and leaned the shotgun against the side.

‘Do we really need all of this?’ Sophia asked, rubbing her temples and frowning.

‘Yes. This is everything we’ll need if we’re going to spend time outdoors when winter’s approaching,’ he replied busily. ‘A four-season tent and sleeping bags, snow coats and pants, camping supplies including food… Seeing as we’re driving we might as well take everything we need.’

The night before they’d decided that they’d take Van’s truck on the five hundred mile journey to Weiser State Forest rather than flying to the nearest town, mainly because they wanted to take the shotgun with the silver bullets with them and there was no way they’d be able to sneak it onto a flight. There was no way of knowing if they’d encounter other werewolves in the forest and whether they’d be friendly. Both of them preferred to be prepared. But what Sophia wasn’t prepared for was how much equipment Van apparently thought was necessary for this mission. Combined with how weak her body was this morning, that sense of desperation began to creep up her neck again. She leaned back against a side table, face pale.

Van continued on for a few more minutes and then came slowly to her side. ‘Is it bad this morning?’ he asked quietly.

‘Yes. The worst it’s been. Also… I’d presumed you’d carry
me
in the forest if I needed you to. If I got too weak, which I can now see that I will be. But now I think that’ll be impossible; you’ll be carrying everything else. Of course you’re right. We’ll need all this stuff if we’re going to camp for days and days. Who knows how long we’ll be away? But I guess I just can’t see how this is going to work.’

‘We can figure out a plan when we arrive,’ he said. ‘It may be the case that we don’t need to carry it all at once. We might be able to base ourselves from the car and make smaller trips in different directions, returning when we need supplies.’

‘But then we’ll end up walking twice as far!’ Sophia cried. ‘Oh, Van. I feel more convinced than ever that we can’t do this. We’re destined to fail.’ She began to cry. Van stood quietly for several moments. She’d been expecting him to comfort her and offer some encouraging words, so she was surprised when he spoke that his tone was less than sensitive.

‘Sophia. You’ve got to pull yourself together. Dorin wouldn’t send you on this mission if it was impossible.’

Sophia felt herself grow indignant. Usually she was fairly patient, but the tension of the situation and the way she felt made her boil over immediately. ‘That’s easy for you to say! You’re not the one who feels like a drooping flower at the end of summer! Besides, Dorin was never anything more than vague. It was Lucas from the Southern Forest werewolves who told me there was any other option aside from me quietly giving myself over to you.’

He waved her reply away. ‘It’s not important who told you what you have to do. The point is that if you keep telling yourself that you can’t do it, then you won’t. Start believing you can. Rise up, Sophia. Rise above these feelings of self-pity and think of the higher task you’ve been given. This is your destiny, remember. Glory, not defeat. You’re The Mother. Every werewolf will remember you for eternity; you’ll be like a goddess to them. But you’ve got to get over this obstacle first. You’ve just got to get through it. It’s the only option.’

‘But what if I can’t?!’ she exploded. Tears streamed down her cheeks and snot bubbled out of her nose. ‘I’m terrified I’ll fail, Van. Just like you said; every werewolf is pinning his hopes of returning to a normal life on
me
and no one aside from me seems to be preparing themselves for the fact that I just might not be able to do it.’

Van reached for her but she brushed him aside and lurched down the outside steps. Her vision swam with tears as she made her way down the path to the lake. At one point she fell to her hands and knees and crawled for several yards; it was just too difficult to remain on her feet. When she made it to the shore, she sat with her arms wrapped around her knees. A cold wind blew across the water and she cursed herself for forgetting to bring a sweater. She hadn’t thought of anything aside from getting out of there. For a brief moment she contemplated simply walking into the chilly waters and staying under. There was simplicity in the idea of a simple drowning that appealed to her, but she pushed it aside and thought instead about the first time she swam in these waters with Van.

The balmy night when she dived into the clear water to swim with him seemed so long ago. Before werewolves, before Pure Souls… before any of it. She was just a girl falling hard for a gorgeous guy. How simple it would’ve been if they’d been able to have a regular relationship. Right now she allowed herself to have a good cry for the sweet simplicity of that time and with frustration that anything worthwhile was never straightforward.

By the time Van crunched down the path she was wiping away the last of her tears and most of her anger had drained away. He placed a blanket around her shoulders and sat down beside her. He threw a couple of rocks into the lake and they watched as a bank of deep grey clouds began to build towards the south. The smell of rain was in the air.

‘You’re right,’ Van said eventually. ‘It is easy for me to say those things. I’ve got no idea how hard this must be for you. Feeling weaker each day, with this massive task ahead. And then the very person who’s the reason you’re feeling so bad tells you to snap out of it; no wonder you don’t even want to look at me.’ She felt him looking at her until she turned and met his gaze. ‘But it also sometimes helps me if I get a good kick up the butt when I’m feeling down.’ She saw that there was a trace of humor in his brilliant blue eyes.

‘I guess it was kind of motivating,’ she replied, sniffing. She gave him a little smile and he wrapped his arm around her, holding her close. The warmth from his body was comforting and she allowed herself to soften and hug him tightly.

‘I know you’re only trying to help me to do what I have to do and I’m actually not mad with you. I’m mad that we can’t just be a regular couple, but I’m not mad with
you.
I made the decision that I wanted to stay with you and now I have to make sure that the rest of the story ends well. I just feel so darn
awful
today.’ A few fat droplets of rain began to fall and she sat up. ‘Is the car all packed up?’

‘Yes. I’ve made breakfast to eat in the car.’

‘Let’s go, then.’ He helped her to stand and kept his arm around her waist as they walked back up the path. All the adrenalin from the fight earlier was gone and she felt more drained than ever. ‘I’ll sleep in the car after breakfast,’ she said. ‘That way I’ll be fresh when we arrive, hopefully.’ She eased herself into the passenger’s side. The rain was coming down in earnest as Van climbed in the other side, purposefully bright, and started the engine. He grinned at her and she could almost fool herself that they were heading off on a fun vacation.

Just then Van looked in the rear view mirror. ‘Shit,’ he cursed. ‘Looks like we’ve got company.’

Chapter 12

Sophia twisted around in her seat. Making its way slowly down the driveway was a shiny black town car.

‘It’s Wilbur,’ Van said. ‘I hadn’t planned on this.’

‘Well, it’s not like he could call you,’ Sophia said, annoyed anew. ‘When are you going to take the hint and get a phone out here?’ The car pulled up beside them. ‘What do you think he wants?’ 

Van gave Wilbur a wave. ‘No idea. But he’s come alone; no driver. I don’t think he’s just dropping by for a cup of coffee.’

Sophia waited anxiously in the car while Van climbed out and ran around to Wilbur’s window. On a day that was already filled with angst, she hadn’t banked on having a meeting with her boss and boyfriend’s father on top of it all. She silently prayed that Van would think of a clever excuse to send him away. She didn’t feel prepared for this whole scenario and besides, they needed to get on the road. But instead she watched as Wilbur climbed out of his car and gave Van a hearty hug. The embrace made her soften a little; this man had treated Van so kindly and generously, as if he were his own son. Who was she to wish him away because it was inconvenient? Wilbur Longshadow wasn’t Van’s birth father at all – his father had actually been dead for more than one hundred years. Wilbur was Van’s great, great uncle. Van had found him ten years ago and Wilbur had accepted him as a son, concocting a story that lead the whole world to believe that Van was in fact his love child. He did it to protect Van, weathering the storm of gossip and personal turmoil that followed.

Van met Sophia at her door. He didn’t offer an explanation, but simply helped her climb back out of the truck and hurry towards the house. She was instantly soaked by the heavy rain, and joined the men dripping wet in the entrance way. Wilbur joked about leaving his raincoat in town as Van ushered them all into the kitchen. There Sophia sat, feeling useless, on a stool while Van set about making coffee. They all brushed the water from their shoulders and foreheads and the smell of wet wool filled the kitchen.

Despite the weather, Wilbur looked dashing in a tailored suit in light grey with a black tie and a white shirt. He even had a white handkerchief folded in the top pocket of his jacket. His thick silver hair was cut into a style that was just right for a sophisticated man in his sixties; neither too young nor too old-fashioned. The moustache that he’d worn when Sophia saw him at the Trinity Rock Publishing party was gone, revealing a full set of lips. His eyes were a very light shade of blue but incredibly clear. The black of his pupils seemed intense in contrast with the light clarity of the irises. His thick eyebrows were black and full of character. He was a handsome man who emanated importance. Sophia was more than a little intimidated.  

‘How rude of me,’ Van said suddenly. ‘With all our hurrying to get out of the rain, I didn’t introduce you, Sophia. Dad, this is the very talented Sophia Fawkes.’

Sophia shook his warm hand, interested in the fact that Van had called him Dad, even though Sophia knew otherwise.
He hasn’t told Wilbur that I know everything yet.
‘Pleased to meet you.’

‘We’ve never been introduced,’ he said in a rich, deep voice. ‘But I know who you are, of course. You’re one of my talented authors.
A fairy in my garden
must be due for release sometime very soon.’

Sophia felt like someone could have knocked her off the stool simply by blowing on her. She’d never been certain about what went on up on the managerial floor of Trinity Rock Publishing – one of the country’s largest publishing houses. She suspected it had something to do with long lunches and endless discussions about the future of paper versus electronic publishing. She certainly never imagined that someone as important as Wilbur Longshadow, CEO of one of the largest publishing houses in America and perhaps the world, knew who she was, let alone the title of her next children’s book.

She cleared her throat. ‘Yes. It’s out in a couple of weeks,’ she managed. ‘Thank you so much for publishing my books.’

‘I have a submissions team who rarely steer me in the wrong direction,’ he replied. ‘They can recognize talent when it walks through the door, and you my dear, are talented. Besides, your books make my company a lot of money so it’s in my best interests to keep publishing you,’ he winked and then laughed loudly.

Sophia giggled nervously. She couldn’t shake the star struck feeling that was making her act like a nervous schoolgirl. She glanced at Van and he was smiling proudly at her.

Then, all of a sudden, the smile fell from Wilbur’s face. ‘You’re actually the reason I’m here today,’ he said to Sophia, making her stomach twist with nerves. Then he looked at her for a long time without saying anything. Van finally filled the pregnant silence.

‘What is it, Dad?’ he asked. ‘Did you have something to ask Sophia?’

Wilbur didn’t answer the question, but turned to Van and said, ‘Are you going somewhere? The truck looked loaded with gear. Camping equipment…’

Van nodded and averted his eyes. ‘We’re taking a short trip.’

‘Camping in late October?’ Wilbur asked. ‘Seems a little strange.’ He looked from Van, who was watching coffee drip into the pot with great concentration, to Sophia, who was staring at the floor. ‘Sophia, would you mind if I had a word with Van in private?’

Van piped up. ‘Anything you have to say, Sophia can hear.’

Wilbur raised one bushy eyebrow. ‘Anything?’ He shot Van a loaded look. Sophia knew what it meant.
Werewolves?

Van nodded shortly. ‘Anything.’

Wilbur turned back at Sophia, blinking with surprise. He was looking at her with something that looked like admiration. ‘In all the time I’ve known him, Van has never had a girlfriend. Never even been
interested
in having a girlfriend, despite the many who’ve been interested in him. So when I heard that he was seeing Miss Sophia Fawkes, one of my best-selling children’s authors, I knew you had to be something special. If Van has shared his deepest secret with you, which it seems that he has, I’ll have to say that I was right.’

‘She’s even more special than you realize,’ Van said. Sophia felt herself blush, despite trying hard to control the rising heat in her cheeks. Hearing Van’s praise would never get old.

‘Sophia, could I see you in the hallway for a moment?’ Van asked, surprising her. He helped her off the stool and out of the room, where he held her hands and looked into her eyes.

‘I love and trust Wilbur more than anyone else,’ he said earnestly. ‘I think we should tell him everything.’

‘Everything?’ Sophia repeated doubtfully.

Van nodded. ‘He’s always been able to help me in the past; maybe he can help us now too.’

‘It’d be good to have an ally on this side when we go back through Trinity Rock,’ Sophia said hesitantly, thinking back to how she’d wanted to tell Jane the truth too. This was no different; in fact it was easier because Wilbur already knew half of the story. ‘But what if he tries to stop us going back to Oak Tree Forest?’

Van shook his head briskly. ‘He won’t.’

‘How can you be sure? It’s going to be dangerous. I know my parents would try to stop me if they knew.’

‘He won’t try to stop us because he’ll understand better than anyone else. Look, there’s something I have to tell you about Wilbur. He’s not going to be happy about me telling you, but he’ll understand when he finds out what you are. Just like me, and you for that matter, there’s more to him than meets the eye.’

‘What do you mean?’ A thought suddenly occurred to her that made her eyes pop wide open. ‘Holy shit, he’s not a vampire, is he?’ she hissed.

Van gave a little growl. ‘No, not a vampire. I wouldn’t let one of those creatures into my house, let alone into my life. He’s not a vampire, but he’s not entirely human either.’

‘Well, what is he then?’

He hesitated. ‘Have you heard of a shape shifter?’

She frowned. ‘I know the theory; a person who can change their physical form whenever they want to. I’ve heard of it, but I didn’t think there were people who could
actually
do it. But then, I never imagined that werewolves and vampires were anything more than make-believe either. I guess I’ve got no idea.’

‘There’s no end to the mystery in the world.’ Van’s eyes sparkled. ‘But don’t you think it makes life so much more interesting? So you see, there’s a reason I trusted Wilbur with my secret; I knew he’d understand and he’d keep it because he was different as well.’

Sophia shook her head. ‘It’s incredible. Am I the only one around here who doesn’t have some supernatural ability?’

‘Ha. It might seem like that, but you’re more important than any of us, remember?’

Sophia registered the throbbing at her temples and the weakness in her arms; the price she was paying for her gift. ‘How could I forget?’

He nodded towards the kitchen ‘We’d better get back in there. He’ll be getting suspicious.’

‘Wait, before we go, what can Wilbur change into?’

‘I can do better than that. I’ll ask him to show you.’

Sophia followed Van back into the kitchen, feeling like she was in a dream. She watched as Van finished making the cups of coffee and set out a plate of cookies, which no one ate because they were too absorbed in the story that followed. Van told Wilbur everything that had happened since she met him: how Sophia was his Pure Soul, their journey through the Trinity Rock, the close call with the Colti vampires, the revelation that Sophia was The Mother and what they had to do to unlock her Pure Soul abilities, including the fact that her life energy was rapidly transferring to Van. It was a long tale but Sophia found herself enjoying listening to Van tell it, as if he were reading from a storybook about someone with a fantastical, adventurous life. Someone quite removed from the girl with the frizzy hair from the rain who was rapidly wilting on the bar stool.

‘So,’ Van said, finally coming to the end, ‘When Sophia wondered just now if you’d try and stop us going back through Trinity Rock, I told her there was a reason you understood our situation better than anyone else.’ There was a note of caution in his voice and Sophia understood why when she saw the flash of anger that crossed Wilbur’s face. So far Wilbur had listened to Van with interest and excitement, rarely interrupting, and this was the first time any trace of irritation had creased his features. But when she saw it, it was so fierce that Sophia suddenly felt a little afraid of him.

‘Don’t worry,’ she blurted out. ‘I won’t tell anyone. Your secret’s safe with me.’

There was an uneasy silence as he regarded them both. ‘While it’s true that I prefer to select my confidants myself,’ he said eventually, in a low voice.

‘The fact that Van told you shows how highly he regards you. You’re part of a close inner circle now, Sophia. Only Van, my closest friend and now you know. It’s of utmost importance that we’re cautious and protect ourselves. While our society has progressed so much, becoming tolerant in ways that wouldn’t have seemed possible only decades ago, there are still those to whom special abilities like Van’s and mine would be seen as cause for persecution. It brings me great joy to hear that you might have the ability to release Van and others from the werewolf curse as his Pure Soul and The Mother. Although the ability to run freely, to feel the power of the wolf in your bones is a great gift, it’s also brought terrible darkness to Van’s heart. I know he’d welcome the return to mortality like the breaking of a new dawn.’

Sophia felt the emotion behind his words and was deeply compelled to reassure him. ‘I love Van with all my heart and I know that he regards you incredibly highly too. More than words can describe. You’re so much more than an uncle to him. More than a father even. You’re a saint to him. You’ve helped him when the rest of the world seemed to close the door. I’ll do anything I possibly can to protect him and you as well. I’ve chosen to risk my life rather than walk away from Van; you can’t doubt the depth of my feelings and my commitment to him.’

Wilbur stood up and walked around to Sophia’s side. He took her hands and she looked up into his pale eyes. She felt a subtle tingling sensation in her palms.

‘I trust you,’ he said. ‘I can feel the truth behind your words. Sophia, I want to show you my gift. Doing so will complete our circle of conviction. You can be stronger as you move forward with everything you need to do in the knowledge that I will do anything I can to help you achieve your destiny and help Van realize the dream of experiencing true love as a mortal man.’