2. Dreams

Felix

One week later and her eyes were still haunting me. Every night my dreams would be spent swimming in deep pools of dark copper brown with no end in sight. By the third night I started wondering whether or not this was some bad omen, or whether my curiosity was getting the better of me. To make matters worse I couldn’t shake the feeling that she saw me as I slept, and some nights my wolf, Creed, would wake sporadically in order to search the grounds for this tiny she wolf.

I could tell I was becoming more irritable due to the broken sleeps but I really couldn’t care. We had bigger problems at hand, with an increasing amount of strangers visiting the packs nearest ‘white flag’ zone, and more intruders stumbling into our territory, a tiny she wolf should have been the least of my problems.

I sat in my office, groaning at the mountains of paperwork in front of me after another strategy meeting when the sirens in the pack house started blaring. “Fucking great,” I growled, standing up. The sirens only went off for one reason, when there was an intruder on the pack lands. I rushed towards the front door, Zach joining me on the way. “This is the 10th intruder this week,” he growled, just as agitated as I was. All of these intruders meant that both of us were consistently being kept busy. “Fucking tell me about it.”

I opened the door and stepped outside, and Creed started howling in my head. I halted. It was too quiet outside. Zach was stopped beside me as well, already sniffing the air. I looked at him quirking my eyebrow, waiting for his judgement of the situation. Zach was the best tracker in the pack, if anyone could scent an intruder, it was him. He furrowed his brow and turned to speak to me when I felt it.

Two presences. An overly intimidating sense of strength and power, growing heavier and heavier as the intruder came closer to the pack house.

“Fucking elders,” I spat.

Elders were the top of the hierarchy in the supernatural world. The law makers. They held an immense amount of power, enough power to make normal wolves submit to them just by being in their presence. And with the elders always came the guards.

Guards were elite warriors, with power rivalling that of an alpha. The guard’s role was a mix of that of a warrior and an assassin. In stories they were both heroes and the enemy. Strong and just when with the right elder, or the product of any beings nightmares with the wrong one. While not born into the position, rumour was that they were hammered with spells and potions during their training to get them in to shape. No body really knew though. The whole process of becoming a guard was kept under lock and key. The only thing we knew was that there was always one guard for one elder. The stronger the elder, the stronger the guard.

Zach and I stood rigid at the front door waiting for our two visitors to arrive. ‘Get inside your homes and stay,’ I mind linked my pack as I looked out into the forest. The smell of petrol was more prominent now, meaning that they drove. I could feel Leo come up behind us and wait, all three of us on high alert in case their presence was a threat.

“There they are,” Zach mumbled as their black S.U.V. came into view. I peered into the passenger seat and noticed the silver hair almost immediately. “It’s Lucien,” I mumbled, sighing in relief. The three of us all visibly relaxed as his car came closer.

The three of us had all grown up under the care of Elder Lucien. When we were pups our pack was involved in a war with a nearby rogue pack. Lucien was here as a representative of the Elders and to help the pack with the problem. He spent a lot of time with us as pups between planning and training with my father.

I watched as the car stopped and he stepped out, speaking to his guard before turning and giving us a wry smile. His tall frame seemingly becoming more powerful and stronger with age. Coming towards us as the car sped away, I gave him a grin. “I see that you’re here for business Sir,” I noted, nodding towards the retreating car. “Unfortunately business calls Felix.” He shrugged. “Regardless, it is good to see you boys again.”

Lucien didn’t hesitate to make himself at home once we were in the office, pouring himself a glass of scotch and taking a seat on the couch, he looked as if he had never left the pack. “How is your father Felix?“ he asked, sipping the drink. “Enjoying retirement a little too much I think,” I chuckled, “I’m worried he might never return.” Lucien grinned and looked at me, “send him my well wishes when you speak to him next.” I nodded and sighed, thinking.

An elder visiting a pack for leisure and business were always two different things. When Lucien came for fun, it was him and him only. But business always meant something ominous. Whether there was a threat to the pack or war coming, elder visits hardly ever meant good news.

“I mean this in the nicest way possible but we were hoping that we wouldn’t see you so soon.” He chuckled wryly looking at me and nodding. “It’s the same for me. Unfortunately I am here on a personal business errand. Once Mia comes in I will give you all of the details, she needs to hear this also,” he said as he downed the rest of his glass.

‘Mia?’ Zach asked through mindlink.

‘Must be his guard,’ Leo shrugged.

As if she heard us talking about her, the office doors swung open. In came a petite little she wolf with a presence so intimidating it made you shiver. Even Creed felt the need to bow to her. Shaking my head to get out of the trance, I slowly looked upwards, past her lean muscles wrapped in the leather combat gear, sweeping over the loose strands of deep brown hair, to her eyes.

Those dark copper pools that haunted my dreams.