"Strength and Challenges"

Glynn and I both look up into the trees, but we can’t see the owner of the voice. The darkness of the trees wraps around us as if a thick blanket, and for a moment, there is this unnatural silence that feels heavy. I can sense the presence there, just beyond my line of sight.

I think it’s some twisted prank, maybe one of the clan testing our nerves. There’s something about the air that changes. The hairs on the back of my neck rise. I move my hand into Glynn’s, naturally reaching for comfort, but it’s more than that, I’m grounding myself, as much for him as for me.

Glynn, ever the defender, is already poised in a way that makes it clear he’s ready for a fight. Every muscle in his body is tight with eagerness, his stance wide and strong. His eyes are sharp, scanning the surrounding trees.

“Fanger!” Glynn sees the figure before I do. His voice is tight, and he locks eyes with the figure emerging from the shadows. This thing that has no more humanity left in it is barely visible against the canopy of trees.

It steps forward with a presence that suffocates the air around us. His pale, almost clear skin shines eerily in the visible light. Black eyes are tiny stones that gleam with something dark and predatory stuck within.

A hand is suddenly around my neck—cold. A shock of panic is sent through me by icy fingers. I know that the vampire has more strength than he is applying, but I can’t tell how much right away. I only know that if I move the wrong way too quickly, I might regret it.

“So this is your queen?” The fanger has a voice that is low and mocking. He savors every moment of directing the conversation as he moves a thumb up my carotid artery in my neck. My pulse throbs painfully under his touch.

“Get your hand off her!” Glynn’s voice booms thick with unconstrained fury, and I find myself shaking at the way he is standing up for me and the way my own body is starting to react to the vampire holding my neck. I have my power to unleash. This vampire is taking my gender for weakness.

“I mean she is gorgeous,” the vampire trails a dirty nail along my clavicle and down toward my bare stomach where my dress had been opened.

“I won’t ask you again,” Glynn is growling so deep and powerful now that the hairs on my arms stand at attention. Even the blades of grass seem affected enough to stand at attention.

The vampire is quick to toss me aside with heavy force and climb onto Glynn in one quick motion. His fingers pierce Glynn’s chest and shoulders. This is personal. He begins to try to find somewhere to bite Glynn when I use my weight to yank the vampire back off of him.

Instinct takes over. This allows Glynn a few moments to kick out, and his hands turn completely to claws that he uses to grab the vampire by the throat. The intent is clear-- Glynn is not thinking about the repercussions of his actions as he grabs the vampires with his other hand. He is going to snap his neck.

“Don’t do it,” I plead with Glynn, my voice frantic. I have this raw edge of fear poking the back of my mind but he has a block up to ignore me. Glynn is already too far gone, his anger clouding his judgment.

“ He attacked you. He attacked the new queen of our clan. He must be eliminated.” Glynn grabs the vampire’s neck and head harder now. His fury is a warmth that is almost too much to bear.

“And he will be eliminated,” I hear a voice that is familiar, strong, and able to cut through the tension like a knife through butter. I turn to see Justine standing behind me, and relief pours over me. She seems out of breath like she sprinted across the forest for this moment. She demands attention.

“Justine,” Glynn forces the vampire to kneel as he and I lower our heads in honor of the oldest wisest elder. Glynn has disappointment on his face as he still holds the vampire, but his claws retract. He lets the tiny, frail thing drop to the ground.

Glynn grabs the vampire by the shoulders and drags him toward the white-haired Justine with his sharp and angry movements.

“This is a vampire prince,” she says, lifting the black-haired monster's head, “he is worth something alive—for now.” Glynn seems disappointed as he grabs the vampire under his shoulders and follows Justine through the underbrush

Are we seen as weak? Or is there something more at play here? Something about us that they’re willing to risk their safety for. This is why I hate killing them on sight. We miss out on so much information, so many answers, when we simply end them.

I’m glad the prince will live—albeit for a short while. At least we might learn something from him. The vampires are becoming braver as they silently start to invade our territory alone. Before, a prince would never be seen alone in werewolf lands.

*

The run back to the pack is chaotic. I can hear the sounds of voices, but I don’t stick around to see what’s unfolding. Glynn pulls me firmly into the hall, his grip tightens as if he thinks I’ll run away. The weight of what happened in the forest lingers in the air around us, but there’s little time to process it.

The hall is filled with tension, but it’s nothing compared to the knot in my stomach. Tundae, the elder, stands at the altar, satiated from tonight’s feast. His movements are quick, and I can feel the beat of his heart as if he just wants to get this over with. I don’t blame him, as it's only a formality.

Glynn’s grip on my arm doesn’t relax, his worry clear in the way he holds me, as if afraid I might escape or break down beneath the weight of the moment. I stand tall, my feet steady beneath me. I’m grateful that this part of it will be over soon. Once the vows are exchanged, I’ll be free of this moment.

After the ceremony, Glynn doesn’t leave my side. He escorts me to the community doctor. His examination is clinical and impersonal, his fingers inside my body with cold precision. When he confirms that I am still a virgin, he smears a little of my life-blood onto Glynn’s hand.

The mark is a seal, something ancient, binding us in a way that is more than just the ritual.