Tess and Tom took a few days to figure out where they were going to go from their home. Tom couldn’t sell the house since he wasn’t of legal age yet, so it would sit empty for a few years. Tess reasoned it would be a good idea to have a place to stay if necessary. Once they were ready to move on, they packed up and headed north. As they made their way to a new town, Tom became restless because of the upcoming full moon.

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” Tess asked as Tom itched at his ears. She was becoming worried about him the way he kept rubbing at his arms and mouth.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” Tom reassured her once more. He felt like his inner wolf was going to jump out of his skin if he would let it. He swore he was becoming more aware of the moon's movements, almost as if he was seeing it during the day. “This will be the first time I’ve transformed since becoming an alpha. I think it’s just my nerves.”

“Should I brew a relaxing potion?” Tess asked, going through her herb satchel. “Or I saw a calming spell in my book.” Tess stopped rummaging through her herbs and reached for her spell book. She loved flipping through the book, looking at the pictures her parents had drawn. She even realized that her ancestors had written in the book as well. Some pages were old and brittle.

“Have you finished going through the beginning of the book yet?” Tom chided, as they continued down the path. He felt like something was off, but he wasn’t sure what yet.

“No,” Tess sighed, her head hanging down. “Protection spells are so boring,” she whined, waving her hand around as she continued. “It’s all, ‘picture a light surrounding you’. ‘Draw this circle’. But there’s no way of knowing if it’s there until someone attacks it. You’re just supposed to feel it’s there!”

Tom chuckled at her exasperation. “Do you want me to test the protection circle you do at camp tonight to make sure it’s there?” He nudged her gently, making Tess glare at him.

“It won’t work like that,” Tess began explaining. She grabbed at some low-hanging branches and examining the leaves that pulled off into her hands. “When I make the circle, I need to make sure we can come and go if need be. So the circle won’t stop anything we do to it, but if someone else comes through, then it’s supposed to stop them.”

“Maybe a squirrel will come and steal some food,” Tom teased, as he guided Tess off the trail so they could find a spot to camp. Tess grumbled something as she allowed herself to be directed to a small clearing off the trail.

They had camp made up within an hour, Tess finishing the protective circle around the camp then sat down. Tom threw an acorn at the circle, eyes widening when it burst into a small flame when it reached the boundary. “I thought-” Tom started, sitting up, at a loss for words, looking towards Tess in bewilderment.

“I got annoyed.” Tess crossed her arms, leaning against a log, a small smirk on her face. “We can still pass through it, anything with nuts can’t.”

Tom paled and pressed his legs together tightly, making Tess laugh at him. “Edible nuts you dork, but I can be convinced to make it the no edible ones too.”

“You wouldn’t,” Tom gasped in mock horror.

“Try me,” Tess growled, inches from Tom’s face, her grin growing.

Tom shook his head, pushing her back into her seat. “What spell are you practicing tonight?”

“Haven’t decided.” Tess pulled her book out of her pack. “I saw a self storage one that seemed interesting.”

Tom laid back, looking towards the tops of the trees. He could see the stars through the leaves. “Hey Tess,” Tom called, pulling her attention from her book for a few moments. “What’s that book say about shooting stars?”

Tess gave him a quizzical look. “Everyone knows about shooting stars. Make a wish and don’t tell anyone.”

“Yeah, but your parents had something else about them.” Tom argued. He looked towards her. The firelight lit up her face, highlighting it. She pursed her lips, then looked through the book, her brown eyes soaring over the pages.

After a few moments, she looked back at him, shaking her head. “Sorry, nothing different here.”

“That’s okay,” Tom went back to watching the sky. He was dozing off when a light across the sky caught his eyes. He closed them and made a wish, wishing for his deepest desire that he had yet to tell anyone.

-----

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary in the morning. The pair cleaned up camp fairly quickly. Tess was excited that she had mastered a minor trick spell the previous night. She couldn’t wait to make it to the next town to show it off. “Slow down there,” Tom chuckled, pulling at the collar of her shirt, bringing her back to his side. “Who’s going to help carry all this?” Tom motioned to their bags that were sitting strewn around their campsite.

Tess sighed dramatically, looking towards the sky. She went over to some bags and fit them together so she could carry them, while muttering to herself. Tom watched her antics as his ears twitched every which way. Someone had been following them for the past few days, but they hadn’t shown themselves yet. He wasn’t sure why, and his heightened senses weren’t helping his paranoia either. The scents were mixing together, and he couldn’t tell them apart like he used to. There was what he thought was a dog smell mixing with Tess and the woods, but that could just be himself, right? He had given up on hearing the animals in the woods running around, he couldn’t tell their footsteps apart anymore. They were senses he knew he couldn’t rush in their development.

“Ready?” Tess called, bringing Tom’s attention back to their bags.

“Yeah, let me just grab these.” Tom threw some packs on his back, looking around the campsite one more time. Not seeing anything out of the ordinary, he followed Tess to the path.

They continued on their way, only stopping for lunch. Tom checked their map to make sure they were still on the correct trail. He swore they would have made it to town by now.

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“Is everything okay?” Tess asked, noticing his ears searching for something. She had noticed it before, but she didn’t think it would be anything awful.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t it be?” Tom smiled towards her, but his face fell as soon as he looked away.

“Is someone following us?” Tess asked in a whisper, scooting closer to Tom. She eyed the vegetation nearby.

“I don’t know,” Tom admitted finally. All the noises were so loud now. He couldn’t tell if his senses were growing from becoming an alpha or if he was just paranoid because of the siren. Suddenly he jumped up, his ears perked forward. He rushed into the underbrush in front of them.

Tess sat where she was, unsure if she should follow Tom into the brush or wait for him to return. What if it attacked her while he was gone? Tess deliberated for a few more moments. She turned towards the sound of growling in the direction Tom had gone. “Tom?” Tess called, getting up to follow him.

She didn’t hear him respond, as she cautiously followed the growling. “Tom!” Tess gasped. Tom was holding another wolf by the neck against a tree, their feet dangling a good foot in the air. “Put them down!”

“Yeah, put me down,” the wolf sneered. “Do as your master commands.”

Tom snarled, pressing against the wolf’s neck more. The wolf gasped for air, scratching at Tom’s hands. “Why have you been following us?” Tom's growl deepened. He was seeing red, and it was scaring him.

The wolf opened its mouth to answer, but could only make strangled, gasping sounds.

“Tom, you’re going to kill him,” Tess pulled at his arm, trying to get him to release the wolf. Tom released the wolf, who fell to the ground, coughing hoarsely.

“The alpha wasn’t kidding,” the wolf wheezed while on all fours, his tail hanging limply to the ground.

“Who’s your alpha?” Tom growled, not putting his guard down. He didn’t know many of the alphas in the area. His dad didn’t take him to many meetings with them.

“I’ll take you to him,” the wolf sat on the ground, keeping his head lowered, not looking at Tom. “He wants to meet you, anyway.”

Tess watched as the two wolves conversed. Tom stood above the other wolf, chin raised firmly. His opponent refused to meet his eyes, only staring at the ground in defeat. She was reminded of Tom’s dad taking control when Tom and his brother became unruly. They’d sit on the ground, not meeting his gaze. It was something to do with the alpha power. She didn’t fully understand how it worked, but Tom’s mom had explained it like an aura. Some people had strong auras, while others had weak ones. Alpha wolves were like the people with strong auras, it was hard to ignore because it projected strength and power so strongly. Tess wasn’t able to pick up on it, but other wolves were attuned to the feelings and could sense them easier.

“Tess, grab your stuff,” Tom brought her out of her thoughts as he helped the other wolf up. The wolf still didn’t meet his gaze, following them to their camp. They were soon on their way to the wolf camp not far away. Tom stayed between Tess and the other wolf, making sure he kept his distance from her.

——-

The wolf camp was nothing like Tess would’ve imagined it. She felt small compared to the giant houses the wolves had constructed. They were built out of young trees that were bent and tied together to form long hut-like buildings. Some were longer than others, while some were large circular buildings.

Tess watched as some older kids ran by, playing with a wooden hoop and a stick. All the wolves were wearing deerskin clothes. She was about to ask Tom about it, but decided against it when she saw his scowl. The older wolves in the community refused to meet his gaze as they passed their huts. Almost all of them opted to look at the ground as they shooed their pups inside. Tess didn’t understand werewolf politics like Tom did. She had never gone on trips like this with his dad.

They were finally led to a hut in the center of camp and instructed to wait outside. “Tom,” Tess whispered, coming closer to him. She was feeling uneasy about everything. “Why won’t they look you in the eyes?”

Tom’s gaze softened when he looked at Tess’ frightened form. “It’s disrespectful to look at an alpha in the eyes without their prior consent.”

Tess nodded her head, studying the ground as she processed everything. He felt bad. She was out of her element and didn’t understand everything that was going on. If his father was still alive, none of this would’ve happened.

“Wilkolak, come inside, but leave your human outside.” An elderly wolf finally appeared out of the hut.

Tom grabbed Tess by the shoulder, pulling her closer to him. “She goes where I go,” Tom let out a low growl, never dropping his gaze. He felt Tess’ unease flow through his hand. He had been more aware of her feelings ever since he became alpha. It made little sense to him, but he tried to regulate it the best he could.

“This place is sacred. Humans are not allowed within these walls,” the elderly wolf replied in an even tone. Tom’s gaze wasn’t fazing him.

“She stays by my side,” Tom reiterated, his grip tightening painfully on Tess’ shoulder.

Tess sucked in a deep breath while trying to send calming thoughts to Tom. She felt his tension flowing through her as the conversation progressed. She tuned out his voice and began focusing on her feet. Visualizing roots growing into the earth to send her grounding energy.

Next thing she knew, she was being directed into the hut with Tom and the elderly wolf. Tom gently pushed her to the ground to sit as he sat down next to her. The elderly wolf scowled in her direction, then ignored her for the rest of the time in the tent.

“Young Wilkolak, where is your father?” The elder asked. He poked at a fire in the middle of them, bringing it back to life.

“He passed,” Tom answered, sitting rigidly, keeping his gaze on the other wolf. He never let his guard down.

Tess looked at the two. She doubted the older wolf would be capable of anything that could cause them harm. But she knew little about wolves, as Destru had pointed out to her.

“My condolences,” the elder answered. “Was there no one else to take on the mantle?”

“No,” Tom’s fists clenched. Tess debated on placing a calming hand on Tom’s arm, but wasn’t sure if it would be the correct thing to do in their situation.

“How unfortunate.” The elder wolf appeared to gaze off into the distance for a moment. “Wilkolaks have been great protectors for many millennia. It was a sad day when the wolves turned on them.” The wolf turned his gaze back to Tom. “You must be the last of them.”

Tom gave a short, curt nod. He didn’t trust himself to speak.

“How unfortunate,” the wolf repeated himself, breathing out, closing his eyes. There was silence for a few moments before he continued. “You may stay for a while. But your human must know her place.”

“Understood,” Tom answered. His hands had relaxed a little, but his knuckles were still white.

“Looking at someone like that can get you killed.” The wolf looked towards Tess, noticing that she continued to look at him.

Tess was about to defend herself when the elder raised his voice, “Silence! You will not speak!”

“She can speak if she chooses to!” Tom jumped up, enraged.

The elder stood up and gazed at Tom evenly, not betraying any of his fear. “Keep her locked up on the full moon. My people will tolerate her, but anything can happen at transformation.” The elder continued, choosing to ignore Tom’s outburst. “Kylo will show you where you can stay.” The elder nodded towards the wolf that Tom had threatened earlier.

Kylo came forward from the side of the tent, gesturing for them to follow. Tom huffed, then turned towards the elder, bowing his head in respect. “Thank you for your generosity.”

The elder bowed his head in return, returning to his seat, then closed his eyes, allowing them to leave the hut.