Chapitre 11

The fire in the fireplace warmed my stiff muscles. I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes. My bones were tired from working in the dungeon. The days blurred into one another. The only thing that made them different was Zelos. He made the punishment lighter.

He had protected me from Beta Leo.

I sighed. The flames danced before my eyes and crackled again and again.

"Lizzy!"

Footsteps rumbled across the floor toward me. Tommy's brown eyes lit up when he saw me. His cheeks were bright red as if he had been playing outside. He jumped onto my lap and pain shot through my legs.

"Ow," I murmured and adjusted him. Fido was clutched tightly in his hand.

"You missed so much! We've been to the big rocks and played hide and seek, but Juvin found me every time! Stupid werewolf nose, that wasn't fun. But I was a lot better at climbing," said Tommy. His eyes lit up with pride and I smiled. After all, he had a great day.

“Even a werewolf can't beat you at climbing. You're a monkey too," I replied and he grinned. His warm gaze melted my heart.

Innocent.

He was a child.

I hugged him tighter to me.

"Promise me one thing," I said, "when the war comes you'll hide in the basement. You know, in the back closet. And you won't come out until it's over. Promise me, please."

Tommy raised his eyebrows and his eyes got even bigger.

"Promise," he whispered. He wrapped his arms around me and I hugged him tighter.

"I love you so much," I whispered.

"Me too," he murmured into my dress. A loud yawn followed.

"I think it's time for bed," I said and Tommy sat up.

"Tell me another story?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Go get ready. I'll be right back."

He jumped off my lap and raced up the stairs. I smiled after him. The fire had collapsed to a heap of ashes. It flared up again and again, like the blood-red eyes in the dungeon. A shiver ran down my spine and I edged closer to the flames.

The heat burned on my arms.

I just couldn't burn myself.

I breathed in and tried to let go of the stress of the day. The embers crackled. I heaved my heavy bones out of the chair and stalked up the stairs. I pushed the door open. Tommy sat in bed with the covers pulled under his chin. He grinned at me.

The mattress sagged a little as I sat down next to him.

"And what story would you like to hear today? The one about the dragon and the knight?" I asked.

"The one about the primeval wolf and the lycan!" he exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. He held the book out to me. I sighed. He was obsessed with the fairy tale.

"All right," I said, turning to the first page. A full moon surrounded by the night sky and stars was painted on it. And beneath it was a black wolf with red eyes and saber teeth.

I froze.

The primeval wolf's gaze was cold, as if he wanted to erase everything. Was that about...?

"What is it?" Tommy asked, staring at the picture.

"Nothing," I murmured and leaned against the headboard next to him. That couldn't be Zelos, could it? Those eyes were merciless, not like his. "Wolves have worshiped the moon since time immemorial and so she wanted to create a protector. Created of water, cleansed with water. In the north, where ice and cold dwell, the moon goddess created in her own image the first wolf, the primeval wolf. But he was evil and killed the beasts of the forest and left everything in chaos."

I turned to the next page.

A bloody moon loomed across the night sky. Below it stood a second wolf, erect as a human with snow-white fur. Red eyes stared at me.

My mouth was open.

"The Lycan!" Tommy shouted, snapping me out of my place. I read the words.

"From a thought that became word, the moon goddess created Lycan from a faithful wolf. But she didn't repeat her mistakes. So that he would not be stronger than his creator, she afflicted him with the weaknesses of silver and vervain. Then she gave him the task of finding the primeval wolf and defeating it forever."

My voice was shaking as I turned the page. A three-headed wolf with jet-black fur occupied the room. The Lycan stood over him like a lord over his dog.

"She gave him a companion: Kerberos, the Deathbringer of the Lycan. Time passed and when the first wolves and humans settled the forests and built villages, the lycan neglected its task. The primeval wolf went into hiding, as did the one who was supposed to kill him," I said and Tommy stared spellbound at the pages.

"But you must have recognized his red eyes," he replied.

"Red eyes are obvious," I murmured. "The goddess cursed Lycan for his treachery. If he wanted to live among humans, he should also take her form. She stole the wolf and Kerberos, the three-headed dog, from him. But from now on it was the task of the werewolves to keep the beasts of this world at bay..."

I closed the book and put it on the bedside table.

"How did it go with the Lycan? He hasn't done his job yet," Tommy said, yawning.

"Like you said last time. Then he's probably still walking among us... Good night. Sleep well."

I planted a kiss on his forehead and he snuggled into his pillow.

"Good night Lizzy..."

His tired eyes closed. The bed creaked as I got up and tried to go to bed myself. Sleep was out of the question. I crept to the window, the corners of which were getting frosty. It was dark on the streets.

The night was here.

Could it be?

Was Zelos...?

He had red eyes.

Apparently he was immortal because he didn't need to eat anything.

Silver was his weakness. Otherwise he wouldn't be trapped in this cage.

He wasn't in wolf form, or I hadn't seen one before...

What did he say? A hunter had imprisoned him here. He had to be in this cell for ages. But who knew of his fate? I'd read Tommy every single werewolf legend, but none featured the Lycan.

The bed frame groaned as I settled into the soft springs. I pulled the covers over me. The windows rattled in the night wind. My body was tired from work, but my head kept rattling.

He waited.

He was immortal.

He just had to wait.

Eventually someone would set him free.

And then he would leave his cell.

He was supposed to be the protector of the world, but now he was imprisoned in the lowest dungeon of Mountain Shadow. A hunter had locked him there. My eyes closed in the burning weariness. That must have been a long time ago...

If he didn't want revenge, what did he want?

My head sank into the pillows...

Red eyes... Snow... Blood...

I jumped up. I gasped and wiped the cold sweat from my forehead. Tommy lay in his bed and slept soundly. I took a deep breath before pushing the covers aside. It was time to work.

The thoughts from last night lurked in the back of my mind, but this morning numbed them a bit. I didn't want to think about it.

The Lycan...

I jumped out of bed and got ready. I kissed Tommy on the forehead.

"Take care..."

He mumbled in his sleep and rolled over.

I crept down the steps into the shop and threw on my royal blue coat. It was dead quiet outside. I opened the door and coldness covered my whole body. She pulled through clothes, head and boots. I took out my black leather gloves and pulled them over my fingers.

Something sailed to the ground.

One snowflake, two...

I raised my gaze to the gray clouds. Quietly and secretly they began to fall. One was bigger and fluffier than the other. They lay down on the street in front of me. I pulled the hood over my curls before making my way to the dungeon.

A bad feeling lurked in my stomach.

Something was wrong.

It was too quiet.

I walked through the falling sea of flakes that had already conjured up a layer like powdered sugar on paths, houses and trees. The clouds shed their frozen tears for us.

Would it be today?

Nobody had asked for Iceclaw's help before...

The prisoners knew nothing. Anyway, they were captured when Silverblood was still expecting a quick victory. Again, they wouldn't underestimate us. They would strike with all their might, and even the son who had rebelled against Alpha Udyr would not be able to stop them from within.

Only Alpha Eros could save us and he was in the north with Ephilia. My knees started shaking.

"Good morning Betty! What a lousy weather it is today, no wind at least!" Davin called through the snowflakes, breaking the silence. He didn't seem at all worried.

"Good morning," I replied and we walked to the dungeon together. "I have a feeling something is wrong today."

"Oh, that's just the snow. The cold season is here. Come on, you've still got some scrubbing to do down there."

The keys jingled under his coat and after a few turns the door creaked open.

"I'm just worried that Silverblood will attack," I said as we descended the stairs.

“They need more time to regroup. Last time we hit them hard and got a lot of the warriors. You have to get the fighting spirit back."

"If you say that..."

We got downstairs and Davin hung the coat and keys in the small closet before handing me the bucket and rag.

"You worry too much about something like that. Alpha Fenrir knows what he's doing."

I didn't know you could worry too much about something. Finally, Alpha Fenrir's thoughts were on his child, which could be born at any moment...

I got to work on you and peed over to Zelos in his cell. It was quiet around him. He was just waiting for Davin to leave and for us to be alone. But Davin seemed to have other plans.

After saying goodbye to the night watchman, he leaned against one of the now clean walls. He grinned.

"You're doing a good job, slowly but thoroughly. It would be a shame if-"

A low growl echoed through the dungeon from the silver cell. Davin's eyes glazed over and his shoulders tensed.

No...

I exhaled.

"They're here," Davin whispered, completely frozen. His eyes were wide. "They're here!"

In the distance came a chorus of wolf howls. It had to be thousands for their voices to reach us down here. They wanted to fight. They wanted to kill and they wanted to win.

Silverblood was here.

***

"They're here," Davin whispered, completely frozen. His eyes were wide. "They're here!"

In the distance came a chorus of wolf howls. It had to be thousands for their voices to reach us down here. They wanted to fight. They wanted to kill and they wanted to win.

Silverblood was here.

My heart awoke from sleep, pumping harder and harder in my chest. It didn't want to die any more than I did.

"It can't be," Davin whispered. "It can't be..."

Oh but. It could be. A shaking boomed from the back cells. Cheers rang through to us. For the prisoners, salvation had come, for us, destruction. My thoughts raced to Tommy, Theo, Lia. Someone had to protect her. Someone had to warn Iceclaw. Somebody had to protect us .

"Does Alpha Eros know?" I asked, but Davin just stared off into the distance. I stormed over to him and took his gloved fingers in mine. "Does Alpha Eros know?"

His brown eyes stared at me tiredly.

"No..."

“Someone has to send a fox immediately! I yelled, searching the dungeon. "We need pen and paper!"

"It's too late," Davin murmured. "They're going to kill us all..."

Happy wolf howls rang through the dungeon. My whole body was electrified by the pounding of my heart. I let go of Davin and ran to the back of the dungeon. There had to be something to write about somewhere. On a small table next to a book was an inkwell and quill.

I continued to leaf through the book and tore out a page. My shaky hands scribbled the words on it at lightning speed.

Silverblood is here. Help us or we will all die!

Lizzy

The pen fell on the table. I grabbed the paper and stormed back to Davin, who was frozen like a statue in the room.

"We need to get this to the fox house, now!"

Screams rang out above us, pounding into my bone marrow. Silverblood would overrun us. Hope Tommy was safe.

"Even Iceclaw won't be able to help us anymore. We're all going to die," Davin whispered.

"We can't all die," I replied. "Please, can you take it to the Fox House? It's our hope..."

"I'm not going out of this, ever."

I crumpled the paper between my fingers.

"Well then, I'll just go myself," I said, the adrenaline pumping through my veins giving me courage. I couldn't stay down here and do nothing. I stormed up the steps, and a grumble from the silver dungeon accompanied me. Zelos thundered against his prison." My heart tightened, but I did not stop.

I rolled up the message and stopped in front of the silver door. With all my strength I turned the lever and pressed my whole body against it. Slowly she creaked to the side, just a crack. I squeezed through.

The whole pack was covered in snow. Men and wolves parted the streets, fleeing. Under my feet I could hear Zelo's growl. He didn't want me to go. But none of us would survive the next few days, not Theo, not Tommy and not me either.

The trees that towered over the city were bare. Hundreds of wolves poured through like an avalanche of brown and black fur. There were hundreds of warriors who would bury us all.

I sprinted through the snow, the flakes pricking my face like needles. I hugged the scroll closer to me. The fox house wasn't far from here, also on the outskirts. I let out little clouds with every step. The copper shack came into view and I burst through the door.

"Hello?" I gasped. "Anyone there?!"

A small woman behind the counter lifted her head. Fear glowed in her eyes beneath bushy brows. A werewolf. I walked up to her, handed her the call for help.

"Please send a fox to Iceclaw immediately..."

I gasped and tried to calm the pounding in my heart. The wolf nodded and disappeared backwards. Relief flowed through my veins. Alpha Eros would help us. Lia had promised. The wolf came back.

"How long will it take the fox?" I asked.

"A day and a night," she replied. My stomach dropped one floor down. They were that far away? They would be here to clear the bodies of the streets. Davin was right. Without help we would all be gone before dusk be dead before the message reached its destination.

we were alone

We would die alone.

I had to see Tommy.

I left the fox house. A cool shiver ran down my neck. Screams greeted me in the streets. The icy air pierced my racing heart. Fear lay over the city of its own demise. People came towards me through the snow, panting. Behind them, wolf shadows flooded the streets.

"Run!"

My knees were shaking.

I turned and sprinted. The growl behind us caught up. The blood pounded in my ears. The entrance to the dungeon came into view. Wolves rushed out of the forest from all sides, hungry for bone and death. My chest heaved with every breath. A hair-raising scream behind me slammed into my stomach.

I stayed the course.

The thunder of the paws grew louder.

I didn't turn around.

My muscles burned. I gasped for air. The dungeon was getting closer and closer. Without slowing down, I forced myself through the opening and pulled the door shut. darkness surrounded me. I gasped. My heart was about to collapse. Outside the storm raged on, but the silver protected me.

I had made it.

I announced our deaths to Lia while people were dying out there. Alpha Udyr had won. Blood would stain the snow. Nobody would help us. Nobody could save us. Everything in me overturned. I gripped my hands in my hair as my ragged breath filled the air.

we were alone

Something banged against the silver door from outside. I winced.

"Let's open, princess!" a voice called, muffled by the door between us. "We just want to play!"

Dirty laughter erupted at his words. I backed away and charged back down the stairs. My gaze was sharp and flew straight to Zelo's cell. I dashed over to him and yanked the flap open.

There he was, right in front of me.

His red eyes simmered in the darkness, his expression serious. His muscles were tense. I blanked everything.

"Will you protect us?" I asked.

"What you up to?"

"Will you protect the innocent from the warriors?" I asked, my heart pounding beneath my ribs. He lowered his eyebrows.

"You can't get me out of here," Zelos said. His eyes searched mine.

A clatter came down. The silverblood warriors tried to invade.

I made a decision.

I stormed through the dungeon to the closet, yanked open the door, and searched Davin's coat. Cool metal and clanking sounded underneath. Relief washed through my veins. I pulled out the key and sprinted back to Zelos.

"What are you doing?!" Davin yelled. I ignored him and looked for the right key. I put one in the hole and it clicked into place. "If you open it, it'll kill you first!"

"I would never kill you," Zelos growled.

That's what I wanted to hear.

"He's talking?!" Davin shouted, but I ignored him.

I turned the key. The rusty levers screeched into motion. Davin flinched. The door clicked open. With both hands I continued to pull myself up.

Stunned, I stared at another silver door.

"I told you, you can't get me out of here," said Zelos and closed his eyes.

"There must be another key," I said, searching the bond. Soon the warriors would invade here. My knees wobbled. Suddenly, something cold grabbed my hand, snapping me out of my panic.

"Yes, Alpha Fenrir has the second key," he replied. "Hide. Go to the back cells and lock yourself in one of them. Buy yourself time."

A crash raged from above. The front door rumbled battered down the stairs, followed by cheering warriors.

"Elizabeth, go!" Zelos called and let go of my hand. He went into the dark corners of his cells. He couldn't transform himself. The moon goddess had stolen the wolf from him. I turned to Davin.

"Come," I said, but he bravely stood at the entrance. "Davin, come!"

"I will do my duty..."

Noise drowned out his words as the bawling Silverblood warriors strutted down the stairs. There were five, one in wolf form. Blood was on her hands. Davin backed away and I with him.

Now there was no escape...

Noise drowned out his words as the bawling Silverblood warriors strutted down the stairs. There were five, one in wolf form. Blood was on her hands. Davin backed away and I with him.

Now there was no escape.

They blocked the entrance, they outnumbered them, they-

"What have we got here?" one of them asked as they continued walking towards us. His freezing eyes pierced mine. A sick smile tugged at his lips. Disgust crawled up my shoulders and I tried to shake it off.

A growl made my bones tremble.

All eyes turned to the silver cell, which now stood half open and still closed in the room.

"There's probably none of us in there," one of the enemy warriors grunted. Zelos growled louder. His words rang in my head.

run.

Suddenly Davin jumped towards the wolves. Chaos broke out. I backed away when I heard the crack of bones. I turned and fled. Not a second later something grabbed my coat and jerked me around. I shrieked as a force threw me to the ground.

"Not so fast, little princess," panted the blue-eyed wolf above me. He stank of sweat and rot. He pressed my face against the freezing stone floor. Thunderstorms rumbled through the dungeon like an earthquake. Out of the corner of my eye I saw how Zelos went nuts in his cell.

The noise deafened my ears and all I could do was gasp and watch. The warriors talked. One disappeared into the back area. Two grabbed Davin. They carried him to one of the cells down the hall. But they didn't open the door. Fear shadowed his eyes. He kicked, fought back with everything he had.

"Look," panted the wolf above me.

The warriors pressed his face down, toward the bars. A roar burst the cotton in my ears and even drowned out Zelo's attempts to free himself. A hiss followed and smoke billowed from the wound.

Stop.

The wolf above me laughed and pressed my cheek even harder against the ice floor, almost crushing my jaw. The other warriors dropped Davin to the ground, unconscious. I narrowed my eyes.

"And now to you..."

He ripped my coat away. The shock froze my heart. I whimpered as the warrior pushed me onto my back.

No .

His blue eyes were electric with the hunt, the victory. He was a monster. I tried to knock his paws off my dress. There was only one weapon left effective against werewolves. I inhaled and shrieked. I shrieked, causing the warrior to let go of me to cover his ears.

Suddenly, a force yanked my face sideways. It took the air out of my lungs and I gasped and gasped to get it back. The torches blurred into blobs of color. I blinked. I didn't even see the punch coming. Iron washed through my mouth, but the adrenaline in my veins drowned out any pain.

Bulge after bulge pierced the silver of Zelo's cell like a storm, but I couldn't hear anything. Suddenly a burning hot paw grabbed my chin. The warrior gasped, talking above me, but I was deaf. I struggled, I kicked, I scratched, but he pinned me to the ground like a child.

Hot panic boiled in my chest.

Suddenly everything was quiet.

The warrior let go of me and looked around.

The Silver Cell.

The door was open.

Darkness.

Red eyes.

Shouts.

Growl.

A tremor shook the earth and passed over us. I could feel it, through my legs, the back of my head. And then it was gone. It plunged the dungeon into icy silence and froze the warriors. The red eyes in the cell began to glow.

crackling

Laugh out of the dark.

Zelos...

"The game," he growled, "HAS STARTED."

My body vibrated with every word he said.

He was free.

The curse was broken.

Something shot out of the cell like lightning. I narrowed my eyes and immersed my senses in darkness. Screams broke the air. Tearing sounded like cloth. A smell of iron burned my nostrils. I focused on getting oxygen into my lungs.

To breathe.

I jumped up. It was too quiet. Nobody screamed, no tearing. Footsteps came toward me, together in what sounded like panting. I slowly lifted my lids.

White fur soaked in blood, fangs, a snout, ears. An upright werewolf came towards me. He was huge. His gaze was completely fixed on me. Part of me wanted to flinch as he stalked his prey like a predator.

Blood dripped from the fangs.

would he kill me

He put his paws down in front of me, almost crawling over me. I turned my head to the side. He took this as an opportunity and sniffed my exposed neck. I stayed frozen.

"Ze-Zelos?" I asked cautiously.

He snorted against my skin as if he understood me. Heat radiated from his body. Warmth? He drove away the cold. My fingertips lifted and brushed through his fur. It was soft.

My eyelids fluttered shut.

"Thank you," I whispered.

The burning pain of tiredness dissolved. He snorted. My hand dropped from his fur back against the stone floor. My heart slowly calmed down.

"Please... you have to protect her..."

My voice trembled and lost strength.

My body was on its way to dreamland and I was with it. A growl, a nudge against my chin, but my muscles had already relaxed. Something warm, wet brushed my cheek.

Did he just lick me...?

My head fell to the side. The whole world plunged into darkness.

Warmth surrounded me.

My breathing was deep, my heart slow.

The cotton of sleep left me.

I opened my lids reluctantly.

Sunbeams fell on my face. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and yawned. A dull pain ripped across my cheek. I rubbed the spot in amazement and a small scratch throbbed under my eye. The blanket over me was cuddly soft, the bed big.

Bed?

I scrambled to my feet, much to the reluctance of my limbs, which would rather have stayed where they were. I looked down at myself.

A nightgown.

How the hell...?

What happened?

Dull memories pounded against my skull. The fight, the warriors, Zelos... I looked around. I was in a room, alone, as big as the whole store. Carpet was on the floor. My head was overloaded with impressions.

"Hi?"

My voice sounded weak. I pushed the blanket aside. Where the hell were my dress and coat. Who changed my clothes? I stood up and a wave of dizziness rolled over me. My field of vision shifted to asterisks and I held on to the bedside table.

I blinked.

Everything was silent.

The stars slowly disappeared again and I crept to the window. A snowy landscape awaited me. The trees carried the white mass on their branches to the horizon. The sky was brilliant blue, making the crystals on the mountains sparkle.

I sat back on the bed.

What happened?

silverblood.

The warriors had entered the dungeon. They had Davin pinned against the silver bars. One tried...

A shiver flew down my spine.

Zelos had broken open the cell. A tremor had gone through the earth. Someone had freed him from the curse. Somewhere in this world the primeval wolf had died. Zelos had turned into an upright wolf...

The Lycan.

He had torn the invaders in the dungeon to pieces. He had spared me. What happened? Where was I? Who brought me here? Who won the war?

I padded barefoot across the carpet to one of the doors. A bathroom came towards me with a large mirror. I stared into my eyes in shock. Red curls stood on all sides. One cheek was stained blue and reminded me of the experiences down there. A scratch lay like a sickle under the eye.

I shook myself and turned away.

Where was I here?

Who had such a luxurious house?

I crept to the other door and pushed it open. I jumped back as two figures blocked my path. My heart awoke from sleep and started pounding loudly.

werewolves.

Warrior.

They passively stared down at me.

"Excuse me, what's going on here?" I asked.

"You have to stay here. Orders from the Alpha," said one.

"Why would Alpha Fenrir want to lock me in a room?" I asked, glancing back and forth between the two. I wanted to go to Tommy...

"Not Alpha Fenrir. Alpha Zelos."

Oh oh.