Chapitre 2

No matter how long I lived among werewolves, some of their quirks I would never get used to:

The mind linkage of the whole pack was strange. You could never be sure what they were thinking. This connection was probably one of the reasons why the hunters lost so devastatingly at the time.

But what fascinated me the most was the principle of the companions: the moon goddess was the central figure of wolf mythology.

According to legend, she formed two wolves out of one thought: a man and a woman. Connected forever through space and time into the next life. An unbreakable bond. For werewolves, it wasn't a matter of status like it is for humans. For her it was a question of the soul. A recognition and a mutual promise.

It was always a mystery to me how a werewolf recognized his companion. Uncle Theo said it was the smell. That was strange, maybe even one of the reasons why humans could not enter into direct soul connections.

Our noses were probably not made for it.

"Alpha," Uncle Theo said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I bowed deeply, as was proper. I didn't know what better way to describe Alpha Fenrir than an oversized closet. His auburn hair was combed neatly and his shirt was unwrinkled. But the black circles under the eyes testified to many sleepless nights.

Good to know we weren't the only ones.

The whole situation with Silverblood was on his shoulders and no one could believe that. Beside him stood Beta Leo. In front of the wolves I always felt like a doll, small and fragile.

"Is everything ready?"

The deep voice made the ground tremble beneath us.

"Yes Alpha. I hope everything is to your satisfaction."

Alpha Fenrir and Beta Leo walked past us into the house. We followed them. We could only watch helplessly as they carefully inspected everything.

"No silver?"

My insides winced at the question. Owning silver was forbidden. Just like Verbena. The price a person had to pay for it was their own life.

"No. Furniture made of wood and leather, fabric and the door handles made of brass," Uncle Theo rattled off.

What do you think they would say if they knew that this furniture came from our house? My stomach flipped as Beta Leo turned to face us. His eyebrows drawn down.

"And where is the kitchen?"

My heart jumped.

Cursed.

I knew we forgot something.

"We-"

Uncle Theo interrupted me and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Ephilia here has agreed to cook fresh for our guests."

My eyes twitched to Uncle Theo.

I have something?

His grip on my shoulder tightened.

"Very good thinking," Alpha Fenrir praised.

I pinched Uncle Theo's arm, but the smile on his face was firmly engraved and didn't move an inch. Beta Leo eyed me skeptically. I quickly looked to the side.

Some werewolves saw it as a provocation if you stared into their eyes for too long.

"I am very satisfied with the work. Here's the rest of the wages."

Alpha Fenrir pulled a jingling leather pouch from his pocket and handed it to Uncle Theo.

"Thank you, Alpha Fenrir. It's an honor to work for you."

"See you at the gathering in a moment," Alpha Fenrir replied. We bowed our farewells and the wolves disappeared back toward the city.

"Phew..."

Uncle Theo snuggled the purse to his chest and closed his eyes. We got through that. A gentle breeze swept around us, stirring up the golden and bright red leaves around us. Autumn was in full swing and so were the farmers' harvests.

My stomach protested at the thought of fresh apples, hot pumpkin soup, or steaming potatoes with gravy

"Let's go home," Uncle Theo said, pulling out his pocket watch. "We've got 20 minutes to eat something before the meeting begins."

I didn't have the energy to get upset about it. Sleep would have to wait. I just nodded and we started walking back.

"By the way, you can give me the money directly," I said casually, holding out my palm to him.

"How so? I decide what happens to it," said Uncle Theo.

"You have already decided. Apparently I'm cooking for the Ice Claw Warriors. Food is expensive."

With a defeated sigh, he nodded and handed me the leather pouch.

"I guess I'm not a good businessman."

I could only muster a tired smile.

"No."

-

Uncle Theo opened the door and my heart jumped backwards.

A bare room lay before us, the wooden floorboards and windows were the only thing that hadn't wandered out the door that night. The dust floated towards the ground in the beams of light. Everything seemed larger, as if the house had grown.

"Welcome home," grumbled Uncle Theo.

"I'll get us dinner," I said, shuffling into the kitchen.

Everything looked as chaotic here as I had left it yesterday. The half-cut tomato, already slightly dried, lay on the board with the knife. The saucepan in which the vegetable soup had been cooking yesterday was cold on the stove.

"We only have 15 minutes until the meeting!"

"Great."

There was no time to warm up now. I got two plates and spoons along with some bread. A night without sleep and cold soup for breakfast.

So it had come to that. "Ephilia, where are you?"

I carried the plates through the door onto the empty space that had once been our comfortable living and dining room. During this time Uncle Theo had put on a clean shirt and an elegant coat.

"It's nice here. Careful, cold."

We sat down on the floor. The clink of our spoons echoed around us and I could feel the tension surrounding us.

Despite my lack of sleep, all I could think about was the meeting. Fear lived in the silence; the fear that everything would change again... for the worse again. I swallowed the cold soup.

"It will be alright."

Uncle Theo put the plate aside and squeezed my shoulder. The faint laugh lines around his eyes were familiar.

"I know," I whispered.

"Come here," he said, spreading his arms.

I immediately hugged him. His warm hugs have always been a protection against the demons; at least for a moment.

"Good heavens! We have to go!"

Uncle Theo jumped up and pulled me with him. I brought the plates into the kitchen.

"Ephilia!"

I shook off the thoughts and rushed to the door. I grabbed my red coat before Uncle Theo could lock up. We started to run, the heels of our shoes banging against the cobblestones in a frantic rhythm. The streets in front of us were empty, the half-timbered houses were all deserted.

Everyone was probably already there.

The square in front of the pack house was full. The women wore official dresses of all colors, while the men were wrapped in dark cloaks. The werewolves, on the other hand, wore white shirts, undisturbed by the fresh morning breeze. They stood in the front row and stared at the crowds.

Alpha Fenrir stood above them on the knoll, shoulders back and hands behind his back, in the background stood Beta Leo with Luna Lilli, who looked worriedly at her husband. She rubbed her bulging stomach. It probably wouldn't be long now. Another reason for the tension of the pack.

"The situation is serious."

Alpha Fenrir's voice echoed across the square.

"It won't be long before Silverblood will attack."

A murmur went through the crowd.

"SILENCE!" he growled. "Alpha Eros and his warriors will arrive here today. We will defend our country and all that goes with it."

Tension made the air crackle. The legends of Alpha Eros and his wolf spread throughout the land. It was said that no wolf had ever won the fight against him.

There would be a battle for the land. I never thought Silverblood would come so close to us in such a short amount of time. They had devoured everything in their path, swallowed up every land and took everything.

This had to come to an end.

"As of today, new rules apply: The ice claw pack is not used to humans and there is always a risk of attack. Any hiking in the forest is prohibited. There is a curfew after sunset."

My jaw dropped and I looked at Uncle Theo. He had his head down as if he had expected it.

"The greatest respect is shown to the Iceclaw warriors. Don't upset her. It wouldn't have a happy ending."

As if on Alpha Fenrir's cue, a howl sounded in the distance.

Alpha Eros and his warriors were there earlier than expected...