“Are we safe here?” Tess whispered to Tom after they were left alone in a small hut.
“For now.” Tom put his pack down and stretched. “Do you have any charcoal?”
Tess looked towards Tom confused, “Are you feeling sick?”
“Not for me. I want you to write protection sigils around the hut,” Tom explained. “I don’t think their alpha will hurt us, but if we step on the wrong toes, they’ll come after us when we least expect it.”
Tess pursed her lips, registering the situation they were in. Why were things so complicated now? She rummaged through her pack, finally coming up with a stick of charcoal. “Are we going to get in trouble for this?” Tess looked back at Tom before she started looking up symbols in her book.
“We should be fine. Just make it so they can enter if we invite them in,” Tom waved her off. He was staring at the animal hide that was covering the door entrance. “Perhaps do a soft sound one too.”
“Something to block out our conversation?” Tess asked, looking up from her book. She had only started learning more specific symbols. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to go out of the protection sigils. “I’m not sure if I’ll do it correctly.”
Tom gave her a reassuring smile. “You can do it. I know you can.” He paused, looking around the hut, someone sparsely furnished it with a couple of sleeping mats. They looked like someone had hurriedly put them together. “Did you want to look for herbs today?”
“Not particularly,” Tess replied, her nose deep in her book as she copied different symbols out of it. She made her way around the hut, marking different sigils at different heights and poles. “After all today’s excitement, I wouldn’t mind relaxing for a bit.”
Tom nodded. He didn’t want to push her too far. Especially when he was still getting used to his new self. The transition to alpha wasn’t like he had imagined at all.
“What about you?” Tess asked him, bringing him out of his thoughts. “You’ve been distracted lately. Do you need anything?”
Tom let out a laugh. Even Tess had noticed him acting differently. Maybe he needed to go for one of her grounding walks. “I’m okay. Just trying to get used to everything.”
“Let me know if I can help with anything,” Tess offered before going back to writing her symbols.
Tom watched Tess continue. Her writing was so fluid, almost graceful. Her movements completely mesmerized him. He wasn’t sure what he would do if she wasn’t there to help him with everything.
-----
Tess and Tom stayed in the werewolf camp until after the full moon. They would figure out what to do after that. Tess never strayed far from Tom. The other wolves made her feel uneasy. She didn’t understand why she wasn’t as welcome as Tom was. They spent most of their time in their hut or in the forest gathering herbs for Tess’ potions.
Tess kept her cauldron hidden in their hut, making sure to only bring it out if they were done wandering for the day. She had learned a self storage spell, which made holding things a little easier for them. “Do you have a recovery potion made for tomorrow night?” Tom asked Tess as they walked out of the forest. They made their way back to the wolf camp to see a crowd outside of their hut.
“What’s going on?” Tess squeaked before she could answer Tom. She watched as wolves attempted to go into their hut, but were thrown back into the street because of the sigils.
“Stay close,” Tom warned as they rushed to the crowd. “What’s going on?” Tom shouted above everyone.
“Wilkolak,” the alpha of the group addressed the pair. “Why can no one get into your hut?”
“Why do they need in?” Tom asked, standing up straight, staring the older wolf in the eyes. Tess knew he didn’t want to fight, but he would do what needed to be done.
“I sent Otsana to come get you. We must discuss the safety of your human for tonight.” The alpha attempted to deescalate the situation.
“So she was going to enter without permission?” Tom kept Tess behind himself, trying to move her closer to the entrance. The situation was turning sour fast. The other wolves were now giving him disapproving looks, when before they wouldn’t even meet his gaze.
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“She was only doing as I asked,” the alpha responded, his voice hardening. He moved closer to Tom, swifter than Tom had expected. Tom pushed Tess into the hut, the flap concealing her from the other wolves’ eyes. “That’s a witch with you, isn’t it?” the alpha whispered, once he was right next to Tom.
“She is an herbalist that knows a few tricks,” Tom answered. Reverting to the lie that they had told a hundred times over when people accused her of being a witch. Tom knew wolves weren’t the friendliest with witches. He thought they had been careful. Had they been spying on them this whole time?
“Witches are forbidden within these grounds,” the alpha barked.
Tom did his best not to flinch. He didn’t want to undermine the alpha, but he also needed to protect Tess. “She is my ward,” Tom answered back, his voice louder than the alphas had been. The alpha looked at Tom in disbelief. Tom had challenged the alpha’s decision.
“You have overstayed your welcome, Wilkolak,” the alpha spat. “You will be gone tomorrow.” The alpha signaled for the rest of the wolves to disperse. They gave Tom hateful looks as they passed, leaving Tess and Tom to figure out how they would survive the night.
-----
Tess peeked outside to see that the sun was setting. She knew she only had a few hours before Tom transformed. A couple of wolves saw her peeking out of her hut and bared their teeth at her. She squeaked and stepped back a few feet from the entrance. She turned to see Tom observing her. He looked exhausted. “How are you feeling?” she asked, walking up to him.
“I’ll be fine,” Tom brushed her off. He strode to a far side of the room and removed his shirt, laying it on the floor. He looked outside to see the sunset. His first transformation since becoming an alpha. How would this time differ from all the other times?
“Tom?” Tess’ small voice brought him back to the present. He turned to see her hugging herself. Ever since the confrontation earlier, she had been acting scared. He knew where her fear was coming from. She had never been around this many wolves on a full moon before. Back home, one of his parents would stay with Tess. The other took him and his brother camping for their transformations. Whichever parent stayed with Tess would force their transformation. This way, they had better control over their actions. They couldn’t do it too many full moons in a row or they’d get listless, but that was a chance Tom was willing to take. He’d force his transformation tonight and hope for the best. To protect Tess.
Tom walked up to Tess in a couple of strides and brought her in for a long needed hug. “Everything’s going to be okay,” he whispered into her hair. He breathed her scent in. It was calming. He felt her tighten her arms around his waist. Her body was trembling with the unknown. He released her, then got eye level with her. “I’m going to shift early. You’re going to stay next to me and go to sleep. Your protection sigils will keep us safe.”
He watched as Tess’ teary eyes looked into his. He couldn’t remember a time when she had been this scared before. “But this is the first time you’ve shifted since you became an alpha,” she croaked out. She knew this shift could be harder than the rest. If only they knew why, it could be harder.
“I’ll be fine,” Tom reassured her, cupping her face in his hand. “You made recovery potions, right?”
Tess nodded.
“Then we’ll be fine come morning.” Tom smiled, standing back up. “Turn around so I can undress.”
Tess smirked. It was true, his clothes allowed for his transformations, but velcro can only last for so long. He always undressed before his full moon transformations. She turned and stared at the wall behind her, studying the symbols she had placed there. She continued staring at the wall until she felt a wet nose nuzzle her hand.
“Gross, Tom,” she laughed, turning to face him. “My goodness, you’ve become huge!” She laughed at him as she scratched behind his ear. Before his transformations made him as tall as her, now he had grown a good foot taller. She hugged his neck, burying her face in his fur. “You’re so soft too.”
Tom snorted, making Tess laugh. “Right, we’re being serious,” Tess tried to humble herself before she glanced at his paws. “One more thing.” She grabbed at his paw and held it to her face. “It’s so big,” she broke out into more laughter, as Tom sighed. She could imagine him rolling his eyes at her.
Time for bed; Tom’s thoughts intruded into her head as he nuzzled her hand once again.
“Fine,” Tess sighed. “Where are we sleeping?”
Tom laid down in the middle of the hut, he watched as she sat by his side. He curled his tail around her, then laid his head near her lap. “Good night,” Tess smirked, patting him on his head. She knew it annoyed him whenever she did that. She laid back on his side. The full moon would be up soon.
-----
Tess sat up when she heard a howl. “Tom?” her voice trembled.
Tom’s snout pushed into her chest, making her sit back once again. More howling could be heard nearby. Tess’ heart beat quicker as the howling increased.
Tom curled around her more, trying to calm her down. Tess gave him a smile as she patted his head. The howling was now outside of their hut. Tom growled. Tess felt the vibrations in her lap. They were reassuring her for some strange reason.
She jumped when she heard a thud, then a whine as a wolf jumped for the door and was rebounded. Tom’s ears faced forward as he listened to the wolf pack surround them. “Tom,” Tess whimpered.
I’ll keep you safe; Tom’s thoughts reassured her, as he kept watch on the door. Tess snuggled back into Tom’s soft fur, feeling the safest she had since setting foot in the wolf camp. Tom would protect her.