Chapter 2: The pull

Chapter 2: A Pull

Thorne’s POV

I had seen many wolves in my time. She-wolves who paraded around me with the intentions of being noticed and rewarded with one thing or the other. However this was the first of her kind. It was the last thing I expected to find hidden in a tree. 

The moment she jumped down with her head bowed and stance guarded could be likened to a large ball of light dropping from the sky. I had perceived her before I saw her, a thread of the sharp scent of wolf hidden behind the softness of earth and the coolness of winter air. She smelled just like the forest. 

The deadly mystery that had been lodged in the corners of the forest had seized the moment she revealed herself, replaced with the calmness and tranquility of green. Like the trees had finally seen a familiar face. 

I stood, silently watching as she finally moved, padding slowly towards me and around. My guards were already on alert but with a raised hand to them, they stilled. She glided around me like breeze, her muzzle sniffing and eyes examining. I could see the shadow of trepidation behind her eyes. 

She was scared. But that didn’t stop her. And I have learned that a scared man is never to be considered harmless. And for some reason that I couldn’t explain, I wanted to do all in my power to prove that I was harmless to her. 

This wasn’t the first time I had been to the Reach, neither was it the second. I always came with a purpose. To sniff out the remains of old alliances and stir what was left. 

My clan had long held an alliance with the Silvermanes, meant to keep unwanted paws from crossing either border. But lately, rogue wolves had been showing their teeth on my turf, and it was time to breathe life back into that old bond. As Alpha of the Ironclaw, my first duty was and would always be the safety of my own and the deaths recorded from rogue wolves hunting in the past two full moons were alarming. 

  ‘You don’t belong here’  her words slid into my thoughts, cool and calm, her eyes locked on mine. 

With my brows raised in surprise, I turned to decipher if I was the only one she spoke to and if my men had heard it too. From the lost looks on their faces, it seemed she had spoken to just me. 

 Wolf to human telepathy was possible but only to those who possessed the abilities. I did, and that why I heard her voice. For her to speak directly to me, it would mean she has the ability as well and she knows I do. 

   ‘Who are you?’ I thought with a tilt in my head, studying her. 

   ‘I should be asking you that’. Her words were plain, cool and warm in my mind. Her voice couldn’t be mistaken for another. 

   ‘I’m here to meet your Alpha’   Having trained all my life to capture rogue wolves, I could always tell them in a glance. But I knew she wasn’t one. She was barely even a common wolf, an unmistakable nobility about her. She seemed strong on the outside, fierce. But it was obvious she had never actually been in battle. 

Her fur was clean and clear, not a single scar or mark that silently told of wars or battles fought. Her eyes were clear and calm. Most warriors had hooded eyes, hidden with secrets and threats along with the tales of all the blood they spilled. 

   ‘You still haven’t answered my question’   She replied. 

   ‘I am Thorne of Ironclaw. Here to meet with Garron of Silvermane to restore the bond between our clans and put an end to the rogue wolves crossing our borders’

At the sound of my name, there was a faint recognition in her eyes. Like something was familiar to her. Not necessarily my name or clan, but my tone and the name of her Alpha. 

    ‘You’re Alpha’   She meant as a question but said as a statement. Like an epiphany that just came to her. 

   ‘Yes. And I come in peace’ 

We held each other’s gaze wordlessly for a moment, and I could visibly see her stance relaxing. Her ears dropped, the stiffness in her posture loosening as her breath evened out. 

She wordlessly moved to the side and sat on her haunches, watching. We took it as a silent go ahead and walked on, but my meeting with Garron had suddenly been overthrown from the first thing on my mind. I had no idea if I was going to see her ever again and the feeling made a weird whirl in my thoughts. 

We had walked almost to the edge of the woods when I caved in and turned to look behind me. 

She had vanished. Not to the trees this time, but somewhere farther because there was no sign of her. 

All through our journey to the house of Garron, she filled my thoughts in a way that I didn’t know was possible. And it wasn’t until we got to the House of Garron that I realized I had to push the thoughts of the white furry moon away. 

     Garron was beyond happy to receive me, having been expecting me according to him. After our meeting, he took the honors of introducing me to his family and I had to admit. His daughters were a sight for sore eyes. All three of them, fierce and beautiful, unstoppable in battle just like their father. He had mentioned something about a little moon not being present but I had no doubts she would be just as stunning. 

I know Garron had introduced them with hopes that I would choose a Luna among them for my clan. But like I always reminded myself and made known to him, that was not my purpose for coming. The search for a luna for my clan would require its own journey and this wasn’t the one. 

My principles were different. I didn’t believe my Luna would be someone I just pick from a clan, or something who just seems fit for the position in mine. I always believed I would feel a pull towards the woman I would end up with, and we would be unstoppable together. 

The thought of a certain furry moon hidden between leaves crossed my mind, her cool voice taking over my thought and filling my heart with wonder. 

“I would love to discuss a private matter with you later on if you don’t mind.”  Garron hints, his tone tightening on the word ‘private’, causing my brows to raise in anticipation. He suddenly spreads his arms, a thought coming to him. “Why don’t you spend the night in my Reach. I believe our friendship is ripe enough for sleepovers and besides, it is getting quite late and we aren’t done with our discussions”

He is not done with our discussion. I on the other hand, have fulfilled the purpose for which I came here. However this is the first request to sleep over in his Reach which might be useful to me to gather information about the rogues of the North. And I don’t hate to admit that I am in-fact, curious of what he might want to discuss later. I can only hope he is not making me take one of his daughters in exchange for his support, although I have already established why I cannot so I don’t expect that. 

“Come on. The guards will show you to your rooms for the night.”  He gestures towards the guard who I assume is supposed to show it to us, however, we stop in our tracks when another guard storms into the room, his eyes filled with terror as he whispers something into his Alpha’s ear. 

Garron’s eyes widen with every second, his brows furrowing  and I can already decipher the kind of report he was given. 

Rogues. 

He stands and walks towards me, his eyes sharp and jaw set. The look of one going into battle. 

  “You would have to excuse me, dear friend. A situation at my border needs my attention”

“What could it be?” I ask

With a deep breath, he explains “There were rogue sightings near the border, even uncertain news about an attack on one of my guards. I need to head to the border to check it out”. I do not need to look too far to see beyond his calm demeanor and glossed over words. This situation is more dire than he is making it seem and I wonder if it is for my good or his. But what I do know is that I am not sitting it out. If there has been rogue sightings of attacks then I am definitely going with him. And he knows that. 

“Let me come with you.” I suggest, although just to be polite. I’m coming along with or without his approval. 

After what looks to be a turmoil in his mind, probably having come to the conclusion that he cannot get me to stay here except a hundred wolves hold me down, he finally agrees and we both head out. 

   “Papa…”. A voice calls out the second we step out of the door. 

That voice. The familiar thread of cool calm and intoned, with a soft edge this time  around due to the endearing name it calls. 

I know that voice. 

Garron comes to a halt as soon as he hears the voice, a smile curving on his lips as the owner of the voice comes into view. 

Silvery-white hair, warm eyes, slender build, a soft but noticeable contrast to the other women in the family. 

   “Oh little moon…”. Garron chuffs, his hands stretching out to hold his daughter’s face in his hands as he leans in to give her a kiss on the cheek. She returns the gesture with a warm smile on her face, her eyes finally turning to meet mine. 

  “This is my little moon, the one who couldn’t make your acquaintance earlier.” Garron stretches out his hand with a proud smile, his eyes raking over his daughter fondly. 

It was impossible to miss those warm blue eyes. Although, they shone much brighter in her wolf, they captured me all the more. I watched in silent awe as she steps away from her father to be closer to me, her palm splaying over her stomach as she renders a slight bow. 

  “Honored to make your acquaintance, Alpha”. 

   “The honor is mine.”  My words slur out unintended, my jaw ticking as I try my best to decipher what I feel within me for this woman. 

I am never caught off guard. Never vulnerable. Never- ever confused. All of that changed the second I stepped into that forest and met with her. And I refuse to allow my self to crumble over mere desire. Not until I was sure it was worth it. 

  “I think we have wasted enough time.” Garron intercepts my thoughts, bringing me back to reality. I nod curtly at his suggestion that we head out, and follow him down the hall, but not without sharing one last gaze with the woman whose stillness I was yet to unravel. 

All thoughts of warm blue eyes were temporarily pushed to the back of my mind as we headed to the Silvermane border. We had confirmed the accuracy of the rogue attack on our way and it turns out that it wasn’t the first. Just the most alarming. 

At the border, the Silvermane Protectors, led by Garron’s three daughters were already in position, each wolf manning their posts as their eyes swept across the woods beyond. The twitch in their ears at every stir and rustle of wind and the intensity of their gazes spoke of true discipline and expertise. Just by the sight of them, it was clear the rogue wolves had no chance. 

    Garron and I shifted into our wolves and held ground at the forefront, the air stiff and thick with anticipation as we watched the woods, listening for every sound and watching for every flutter. 

A few hours later with no action, Garron had decided it was time we head back to Hold. Rogue wolves had gotten bolder and more violent with each reign, but they could always identify a loosing battle, that was why they were so difficult to catch. The safest and closest to accurate explanation for them not showing up today would be that they chickened out. Which they always did in the end. 

My men and I were led to our Rooms for the night. But we had a short briefing at their rooms before I left for mine. 

The hallways were quiet as I walked through, my thoughts a fusion of the encounter in the forest that returned with full force into my mind, and traces of the strategies discussed with my men on how to deal with the rogues. 

It was when I was about to turn the knob on the door to my rooms that it hit me. The feeling that I was being watched. I turned discreetly around in the hall to see if there were others around. But it was just me. And whoever it is that found me intriguing enough to watch. 

I could smell it, feel it, and even see it again the corner of my eye. The head that keeps discreetly peeking out into the hall from behind the wall. I let go of the door knob and glided easily across the hall till I was just a step behind the wall that connected me and the watcher. 

    “Is there something you need?”  I asked in a low voice, trying the old trick of striking conversation to keep them where they are. There was no response, but I could hear it as clear as day. The slight picking up of breathing that was definitely from the shock of hearing my voice. 

I could smell the familiar scent of wolf and something else, but I couldn’t quite describe it. In one minute, we were just standing on opposite sides of the wall, and in the next I was shooting out my arm, closing my palm around an arm and yanking out whoever it was from the shadows with all the speed I could muster. 

The first thing I saw was hair. A mass of it. So I knew it was a woman. But the moment she spilled into the light and I saw her face, I was left dumbfounded. It was the last face I expected to find. 

Blue eyes, white hair, wild gaze. 

It was Her.