Noah’s hand, slick with sweat, slipped off of the smooth wooden rung of the ladder, leaving him dangling hundreds of feet above the forest floor. Encumbered by the extra weight of his trench coat, the swaying ladder swung him violently in a twisting mash of rope and limbs. As the momentum of his swing slowed, he opened his clenched eyes, staring at his beloved cane on the forest floor that had become the size of a match.
Vertigo washed over him, the dizziness threatening to steal his one-handed grip. In a desperate lunge, he grabbed the wooden rung of the ladder, once again securing himself to the tree. Gasping and dripping with sweat, he laid his forehead against the massive tree, wondering if he was receiving divine punishment for his betrayals.
He glanced up at the destination of his death-defying climb; a small home nestled within the limbs of the trees. He had expected to risk his emotions while visiting the siblings, not his life. Gravity waited with bated breath for his inevitable mistake, anticipating his fall that would end with an explosion of flesh and bones.
Rung by rung, he climbed the roped ladder until he reached the next platform. No railings protected his fall, as they would prevent the wolves from jumping between the platforms. He sat down on the scaffold, kicking his legs in a childlike manner over the edge. Fog clouded around his face as his gasping breaths reacted with the chill of the autumn air.
“Are they a pack of wolves or a flock of birds?” he grumbled, pounding a fist on the wooden platform, which creaked and groaned at the impact. His stomach fell, perhaps serving as a precursor to the end of his climb, and he gripped the edges of the platform with white knuckles. Cursing under his breath, he rose to his feet, determined to finish his climb toward forgiveness.
His hand slapped onto the final platform, which served as a front porch for the siblings’ home, his nails digging into the wood for extra purchase. Finally reaching his destination, he pulled himself up with a triumphant shout at his victory. He lay spread eagle on the wooden summit, gasping for breath and shaking his aching arms. Black spots darkened his vision, but upon closing his eyes, they transformed into a shower of lightning bolts, scattering across his eyes in violent patterns.
After recovering his stamina, regaining his composure, and reclaiming his dignity, he approached the wooden door that served as the entrance to the sibling’s home. He took a deep breath, gathered his courage, and rapped his knuckles against the solid wood. His ears picked up scampering shuffles inside the home, but none approached the door where he awaited entry. Abandoning his knuckles, he pounded at the door with his fist, determined to become such a bother that they would have no choice but to acknowledge his presence.
This time he heard muttering, but the muffled voices never became clear enough for his ears to decipher them. Just as he was about to resume his pounding on the door, it swung open in a blur, slamming into the side of the trunk. A tiny fist shot out of the doorway at shocking speed, smashing into his unprotected stomach with stunning force. He fell to his knees, gagging at the incredible power behind the tiny fist. Stomach churning, he swallowed the excess saliva in his mouth, attempting to keep his breakfast where it belonged.
“Go away, Mr. Human. You tricked Luna.” The door slammed shut, causing a startled bird in the limbs above the home to screech at him in annoyance.
“Come on, Luna. I’m sorry. Please open the door so that we can talk this out,” he choked out between gags. With his eyes closed in concentration, his hat was nearly blown off his head as the door flung open once more.
“Friends don’t trick each other.” He glanced up at the sound of her voice, but the door had once again been slammed shut before he could lay eyes on her.
“I brought apology gifts,” he yelled out, digging around in his trench coat pocket. Bribes were never beneath him, and he felt no qualms in buying the forgiveness of a child.
A pair of big green eyes appeared in the doorway, accompanied by pale blonde pigtails, the color of snow bathed in the subtle glow of candlelight. “Gifts?”
“Yes, I brought gifts to apologize for tricking you. Can I please come inside?” he asked from his knees, the perfect height to plead with her at eye level.
The door creaked open until Luna fully appeared, warily eyeing him up and down. After taking a dramatic step away from the doorway, she beckoned him inside. Before she could change her mind, he scrambled to his feet, diving into the home before the door could slam shut once more. At the end of his roll across the floor, he popped up like an acrobat but received no applause for his daring feats of athleticism.
His thirsty eyes drank up the contents of the cabin, inspecting every inch of the home. Just like every pack member’s home, the treehouse had simple furnishings, with only the necessities filling the cabin. For obvious reasons, no hearth stood ready to protect the children from the biting cold of winter.
Nestled in the back-right corner of the home, Silas lay on a child-sized bed that was nowhere near long enough to contain his impressive height. His feet dangled off the end of the mattress, practically touching the head of another bed closer to the door. Tangled blankets covered this bed, and upon seeing bundles of twigs crafted in the shape of a doll, he knew it was where Luna slept. The dolls were adorned with hair of hay and grasses, and small slips of colorful fabric fit snugly around them, creating the best-dressed dolls in all the land.
His heart clenched as he gazed at the large bed in the center of the room. Impeccably folded blankets covered the bed, but a thick coating of dust covered the untouched mattress. Tears formed in his eyes when he returned his gaze to Silas, who had outgrown his bed many years ago but still refused to disturb the remnants of his parent’s resting place.
“What did you bring me?” Luna asked, returning his melancholic thoughts to the present. Despite having her arms crossed and her lip jutted out, the tapping of her foot and the darting of her wide eyes betrayed Luna’s excitement at her gift.
In between sessions of cane balancing, he had not been idle, preparing for this moment with meticulous planning. From his trench coat pocket, he pulled out a leather-bound book with a drawing of a cowboy hat adorning the cover. Holding the sacred text high above his head with outstretched arms, he hummed an awe-inspiring tune. Sunlight streaming in through the open door illuminated the book in a holy glow. Luna gasped, her hand flying to her forehead to shield her eyes from its divine splendor.
“Can you read, Luna?” he asked, lowering the book out of the sunlight and allowing her mortal eyes to see it once more.
Drool dripped from the corner of her mouth as she jumped up and down so high that her head nearly hit the ceiling. “Yes, I can read real good. Silas taught me!”
Watching the young girl jump above his head, he presented the book to her, fearing what might happen to her skin if she grabbed the book with her earthly fingers. She snarled in mid-air, furious that gravity was taking so long to return her to the ground. The moment her feet touched the ground, she raced to Noah with her eyes glued to the book. Her tiny hand reached out to accept the book but pulled back at the last minute. She looked up at him, her wide green eyes asking if she was worthy of accepting such a gift.
“I have traveled across the stars, accumulating knowledge that would leave the gods breathless. Demon lords tremble in my presence and nature herself bends to my will. I have discovered and conquered all this world has to offer, Luna,” he whispered, almost breaking character when he saw how fast she was breathing. Okay, maybe he was laying it on a little thick. He wanted to impress her, not make her hyperventilate.
“Despite conversing with the divine and rubbing shoulders with legends, a hollowness that I could not fill persisted inside of me. What use is all of this power and knowledge if I have no one to pass it on to?” he choked out, covering his eyes with his free hand.
Wiping imaginary snot and tears from his face, he thrust the book into Luna’s arms. “I need an apprentice to carry on my legacy, Luna, and I have chosen you as my worthy successor.”
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In a stupor, Luna cradled the book like it was sentient, rocking it back and forth while he hummed the awe-inspiring tune out of the corner of his mouth.
“This book contains all of my knowledge of herbs: their locations, gathering methods, and applications. I even drew detailed pictures so that you can identify them with confidence.”
“Herbs? What can they be used for, Mr. Human?” Luna asked as she slowly returned to the land of the living.
“Herbs possess the ability to cure your loved ones from certain death, but they can also serve as a weapon to defeat insurmountable enemies.”
He placed a loving hand on her shoulder, transferring his vast knowledge of alchemy to his new apprentice. “Luna, I have left blank pages toward the end of the book. Your quest will be to seek your own adventures, and one day, bestow this inheritance to an apprentice that you find worthy.”
She held the book to her chest, kneeling on one leg with tears dripping onto the wooden floor with loud plops. “Yes, Master. I will not shame your name, and one day, after I have added my knowledge to the sacred text, I will pass on your legacy to the future generations.”
Whoa! He didn’t think she would take her duties so seriously. As Luna regained her feet and he saw the tears and snot covering her face, he rubbed his chin, pondering if there was something wrong with this. It felt wrong, but he couldn’t place his finger on what was so bad about it.
Luna wiped her nose, accomplishing nothing more than smearing the mucus across her face, and rushed toward him, wrapping him in a tight hug with her little arms. She sobbed into his stomach while he patted her back gently. An unfamiliar warmth filled him as he thought back to Sylvie’s words. Family.
He knelt in front of Luna and patted her head. “Luna, why don’t you begin your training immediately? The forest awaits its newest student.”
Her lip wobbled and she used her shirt to wipe her eyes. “Yes, Master! I will see your quest completed.” And with that, she placed the book in the waistband of her trousers and shifted into her wolf form, blowing past him out the door.
“Luna, be careful!” he shouted as he rushed onto the porch. His fearful shouts caught in his throat when he saw her small wolf darting down the platforms in a blur.
“Stupid supernatural races,” he muttered, as he reentered the home, his gaze focusing on the surly teenager.
“Silas, please look at me. I want to talk to you,” he said, sighing when Silas continued his glare at the wall.
“Silas, I want to tell you why I betrayed your trust the night I tried to escape.”
Distant memories of the past flashed through his mind as he sat on the edge of the bed. He shook his head, clearing the fog in his mind. “I was imprisoned for half of my life, Silas. I escaped my captivity as a young lad, but invisible wounds continue to haunt my mind.”
Silas turned over on his side, gazing at Noah with unsurprised eyes. Was he so transparent that a teenager had seen through all of his defenses?
“When your pack labeled me as a prisoner, I could not stomach the thought,” Noah said, his gaze lowering to the bright red mating mark on his hand. “I know it doesn’t make up for my betrayal, but I wanted you to understand why I did it.”
“Does the Alpha know of your past?” Silas asked, his eyes studying the fresh scar on Noah’s hand.
Noah frowned, nausea threatening to make him sick at just the thought. “No! She wouldn’t understand what it means to feel weak and helpless.”
“How do you know?” Silas asked. “We may have a human form, but we are not humans, Noah. We are born with violence and dominance flowing through our veins. The Alpha will not understand her errors if you do not tell her.”
“And if Sylvie refuses to listen to my concerns? What if she is ashamed of my past… ashamed of her mate?” Noah asked in a whisper, wringing his hands in worry.
“She is your mate, Noah. If you can’t be honest with your mate, you are cursed to walk alone in this lifetime.”
Noah’s hands stilled at his words. Clever words were his greatest defense, an impenetrable shield, guarding his heart from the pain of the world. But how many of these wily words carried any truth or vulnerability? So many wasted breaths, serving no purpose other than to ensure his isolation and loneliness.
“When did you become such a wizened wolf, Silas?” he asked, sighing in regret at squandered time.
“Wisdom was forced upon me when a vampire killed my parents five years ago; whether I wanted it or not,” he whispered, eyes lowering to the floor.
“In one night, we became orphans, all but forgotten to the world. I was twelve, but Luna was only five.”
Silas pulled his long legs to his chest, hugging his knees and rocking back and forth. “I had to become both a mother and a father to Luna. She needed protection, she needed food, and she needed love. I had no other choice but to serve those needs.”
He snapped his head up, staring at Noah with a frightening gaze. “Luna is all I have left in this world. I will not lose her like I lost my parents.”
Replacing his intense gaze, tears filled his eyes, and he couldn’t stop them from dribbling down his cheeks. “I’m not mad that you tricked us, Noah. I can’t forgive myself for letting that vampire best me so easily. I could not counter its strength. I could not follow its speed. He could have killed Luna as I watched impotently from the side.”
He laid his forehead on Noah’s shoulder, heaving sobs shaking his body. “I can’t lose her, Noah.”
With his own tears flowing down his face, Noah wrapped Silas in a fierce hug and patted the boy’s back. Silas gripped his shirt, twisting the fabric in clenched fists.
“I won’t lose her, Noah. I will become a guardian that can protect her from any creature lurking in the shadows. I will do what I must, no matter what path I must travel,” he whispered into Noah’s shirt.
As Silas pulled away from Noah’s love and support, hints of madness peppered his red-rimmed eyes. Fear so great that it threatened to steal his breath coursed through Noah. He grabbed Silas’ shoulders in a painful grip, shaking the boy until his clouded eyes returned to focus.
“Silas, I want you to listen to my words and listen closely. More atrocities have been committed in the name of fear than hatred. Do not let it consume you, Silas, or fear will twist you into a monster that you will not recognize.”
“I will not lose her, Noah!” Silas yelled, throwing Noah’s arms off of his shoulders.
“You will not lose her, Silas,” Noah said, slowly lowering his arms to his lap. “You are not the only guardian she has now. Please, share this burden with me.”
The wildness in his eyes slowly receded until the clumsy teenager he loved reemerged from the depths of the shadows. “I…I will trust you, Noah. Please help me.”
“I will give my life to protect her, Silas. You have my word,” he said, ruffling the boy’s hair and earning him a glare.
A weight in his trench coat pocket reminded him of the gift he had prepared for Silas. Suddenly unsure if it was wise to give it to the teenager, he hesitated while the weight burdened his conscious. How could he save Silas from himself? Which actions would cure him and which actions would lead him to his death? There was no way of knowing; such was a parent’s burden.
Hoping that he wasn’t making a mistake, he reached into his trench coat and pulled out another handwritten book. Silas focused on the book immediately, anticipation causing him to bolt off the bed.
Staring at the book with a deep gaze, Noah held it just out of Silas’ reach, not gifting it to the teenager just yet. Would power cure Silas of his fear, or would it create a lust that could never be quenched? The world lost sound and color, shrinking until only the two of them remained. As he placed the book in Silas’ eager hands, a pop rang out, and sound and color burst back into the world.
“Silas, this book contains the secrets to humanity’s continued survival. The wolves might not use weapons to fight, but there are defenses we can implement to protect the forest. Defense and protection, Silas,” he said, emphasizing the words.
“My task for you is simple. Fortify the forest to the point that any enemy invader will flee in terror from our lands.”
Silas began flipping through the pages, his eyes pouring over countless creations that could protect his sister. With his nose buried in the book, he headed out of the cabin without a word. Noah followed him with worried eyes until Silas stopped just as he reached the first ladder.
“Thank you for this gift, Noah. I understand your hesitation in giving this to me, but your trust means everything to me,” he said, not turning around to face Noah, but trembling shoulders and stuttering words destroyed the warrior image he was trying to project.
Noah’s worries eased as he watched Silas sliding down the ladders with only the strength of one arm. A smile spread across his face as he realized he had completed his purpose in coming here today.
His smile froze on his face and he scrambled to the ladder, calling down to Silas in a terrified voice, “Ask permission from Sylvie or Rowan before building anything, Silas!”
Silas reached the ground, a tiny speck on the forest floor, and gave a halfhearted wave, not even looking up from his book.
“Uh oh, I might get in trouble for this one.” He wrung his hands nervously, picturing Sylvie falling victim to a trap.
“Bah, the kids have forgiven me, and that’s the only thing that matters.”
He released a contented sigh as he gazed toward the sky, never in his life having stood so close to the heavens. A crack, similar to that of a tree being felled, sounded out from the forest below. He scrambled to the ladder, climbing down the rungs as fast as he dared.
“Silas! I’m serious, Silas. You must tell the warrior wolves what traps you build and where! Silas!” he yelled down to the forest below, receiving no response to his desperate pleas.