Chapitre 1

SATURDAY, 9TH MOON COUNT:

"That cannot be!"

The knife in my hands froze in motion. I placed the blade next to the half-cut tomato.

"This is unbelievable!" boomed the male voice from the living room.

I wiped my hands on the red apron and immediately investigated the cause. A sinking feeling crept up my stomach. What could Uncle Theo have been so upset about? Hopefully something hadn't gone wrong with tomorrow's assignment.

"That's impossible!"

He stood in the middle of the living room, clutching a letter that was already beginning to crease under the pressure of his hands. Uncle Theo was totally in his own world, his bushy eyebrows lowered.

"What's going on?" I asked.

His restless gaze flicked to me. He handed me the crumpled letter like a treasure map.

"It's time."

A shiver crawled up my spine. Dinner would have to wait. My eyes fastened on the letter, an official letter from Alpha Fenrir: "Now there is nothing between us and the Silverblood Pack. They took over the last land that stood between us. But we have the strongest allies: the Iceclaw Pack under Alpha Eros come to our aid in this hour of uncertainty. All warriors who come with us from the north are to be given the greatest respect. I order all people not to leave the house on the day of the attack. Tomorrow at 9 a.m. there will be a meeting where everything else will be discussed.

“Alpha Fenrir"

A hot shock ran through my body. There would be war. The packs would fight each other and only one would remain. And even more ominous was the arrival of the ice claw wolves. Not a single person lived up there in the wintry north. Legends abounded about the largest pack and its ruler.

Alpha Eros.

Theo tore through his graying hair.

"What are we supposed to do?"

"We must prepare," I said, placing the letter on the wooden table. "Silverblood must not win," I whispered.

Alpha Fenrir was a good leader. Under him we could live together peacefully.

Usually.

As long as you stick to the rules. We must have trusted the wolves from the north. And that scared me.

"But at what cost. Alpha Eros will have come with strings attached to his help."

There was no doubt about that. Alpha Eros was merciless. His intervention was a testament to the danger we faced and the consequences that would inevitably follow.

I sank into the chair while Uncle Theo circled the room like a restless cat.

"Alpha Fenrir has made an alliance with the devil."

I looked up.

"He didn't have a choice," I said, but I knew he was right.

The world was falling apart and no one could tell how it would put itself back together in the future. At the moment everything turned against us. Silverblood had violently shut down the last resistance of the people.

I felt powerless, irrelevant in the battle of the wolves. And so was I. Just like almost everyone else.

But actually this was something positive.

Uncle Theo didn't have to fight, nobody had to. We had other tasks: agriculture, architecture, inventions; all things that were not in the nature of werewolves. But who could say no to a good soup, a cozy house or nice clothes.

So we lived in a symbiosis. Some defended, others provided. Very few wolves rejected what they called "softened" human life. I was fortunate that I had never encountered such a ferocious creature.

But that could change once the Iceclaw warriors got here. Life in the North was unforgiving and that probably rubbed off on the creatures that inhabited it; so they said.

"I was wondering why Alpha Fenrir wanted the houses done so quickly," said Uncle Theo.

He was the builder here in town, the best there was. And now and then I was his assistant.

"You mean they're for the arrival of the Ice Claw Pack? But the houses are still empty. We haven't put any furniture away yet," I said.

Uncle Theo was the best at building. Planning wasn't his forte. His eyes almost popped out of their sockets as he touched his forehead.

"Curse my head! What should we do? Alpha Fenrir will demand my head!"

"Haven't you written any assignments yet?" I asked desperately.

If I didn't remind him of everything, he would forget to breathe.

"I figured there would just be new wolves moving in, bringing or buying their own furniture. I thought..."

His panic seemed to spread to me.

"What do we do now?" I asked.

Respect for the wolves was just turning to fear. That wasn't a good sign.

"I don't know..." Uncle Theo replied.

He had many friends among the craftsmen. But none of them would be able to furnish two houses overnight. I looked around. A dark wood lacquered dining table with six chairs, two brown upholstered seats in front of the fireplace and a large bookcase with books.

"We improvise," I replied.

"What?"

Uncle Theo looked completely lost, as if his thoughts were already on the punishment that would overtake him tomorrow. I put my cooking apron over the chairs, eating was out of the question.

"Let's take stock: here in this house there are two large beds, two dressers, my small bookshelf, your desk and chair... Our stuff here should be enough to fill two houses."

"This is madness. Where should we sleep then?" Uncle Theo asked.

"A new bed can be made, but not a new head."

It was attached to the furniture, I knew that. Uncle Theo had many of them made according to his own designs. Now it was time for the wolves of the north to enjoy them too. He nodded determinedly.

"We have to start immediately. I'll fetch the apprentices, they should bring everything over. I will write new orders immediately. This is an emergency."

Now he was hopping around the room like a frog looking for a mate before grabbing my shoulders.

"Ephilia, we probably won't be needing any more beds tonight anyway. you are my assistant Our clothes have to be out of the closets and the sketches and souvenirs. All gone!"

I nodded vehemently. He seemed completely possessed and who could blame him. What would I do if Uncle Theo wasn't there anymore? A silent sadness awoke in my chest, but I pushed it to the corner of my mind. There was no time for that now. Nothing was lost yet. Neither his head nor the pack.

"Here we go!"

42nd SUNDAY IN THE 9TH MOON COUNT:

My eyes felt completely parched.

Uncle Theo had really outdone himself. He had breathed new life into the empty buildings in one night and with six helping hands. Still, it was strange to see my own double bed with fresh sheets standing there. Someone from the Ice Claw Pack would be sleeping in it soon. The thought scratched my soul.

It hadn't helped that the houses were located away from the city, close to the forest. All helpers had said goodbye to get at least a few more minutes of sleep. Or they didn't want to risk looking bad in front of the alpha.

I leaned my head against the broomstick I'd been using to sweep up any remnants of the night's action. I could feel the lack of sleep in my bones and in my chafed knees from polishing the furniture. Just a second...

"Ephilia!"

My soul twitched and my eyes widened. The broomstick hit the ground.

"I'm awake," I murmured, brushing back strands of hair that had come loose from the bun at work.

Uncle Theo stood in the doorway, his eyes wide. He didn't show an ounce of tiredness.

"Hurry up. Alpha Fenrir is below. He wants to inspect the house."

What? I looked out the window in shock. The first rays of sun rose above the horizon and bathed everything in red light.

Was it already morning?

"Damn," I mumbled.

Despite the suspenders, my white blouse had come loose from the mouse-grey trousers. They were better for work than clothes, but hardly appropriate for an encounter with Alpha Fenrir. I tucked them back in in a pathetic attempt to look presentable.

My thoughts drifted to my room at home. The only contents I left behind were my personal belongings box and my clothes. I had folded and folded them all neatly. Maybe I could sleep on it...

"Ephilia! Stop dreaming and come!"

I went down the wooden stairs behind Uncle Theo. He opened the door to the outside and my stomach turned.

Now came the moment of truth.