Eternity Series

Chapter 1:

Luna da Law

The man crept silently, slipping cautiously between closely grown trees, and moving through sparse foliage. He paused briefly to scent the wind, running a hand through his thick black-brown hair. His eyes of the same dark colour darted nervously across the branches overhead until he spied the moon; it was just as he had thought, just as he had feared: Something had awoken, and searched the Campsite for prey with its hungry eyes. For years, as all the past Alpha Leaders of his reality had done before him, he had watched the moon. For the moon here wasn’t just a moon, it was a prison holding a great and ancient evil. That evil had reared its head after countless centuries of silence.

The laughter and singing of the Full-moon-party roared like the bonfire at its centre. He jerked his head round to see the dancers. They were, mostly, of his race, and of his pack in fact, and he had been a part of them once. The fast music, the fast dancing, pulse racing, blood surging- hot like the flames- by the flickering orange light of the fire, and under the black blanket of night dotted with glittering silver stars. And to top it all off, he’d had the beautiful, smiling, laughing, angelically perfect girl of his dreams dancing with him, her passionate eyes captured and intensified in the fire light. He turned away and shook his head free of those memories, that same girl was his wife now, mother of his young son, and besides, he had to think clearly; he had a job to do, he had to keep those people from that thing’s reach. But it was so hard to concentrate under the moon’s inviting glow, and his blood was- like the dancers’- hot and bubbling with an insatiable desire.

He moved on, leaving the celebrations behind, slinking over dead leaves still there from autumn, even though it was now entering the summer months: The air was warming and new life was blooming in the under growth. He still faintly remember the atmosphere of summer; the sweet smell of flowers on the pleasant warm breeze, the gentle buzz of insects and merry sing-song of small birds, the bright clear sky… He’d missed it all, and had anticipated its return through the long cold of winter.

He was keen to stay out of sight, but with the party goers oblivious to the red-golden eyes piercing their very souls to see what could be devoured inside, he doubted there was much chance of being noticed sneaking by. He stooped low, hidden by shadow. His black boots crunched softly on wet and broken twigs, while the fraying ends of his grey-blue jeans trailed along the ground. His faded red shirt was half tucked into his jeans, and the coarse tweed-like fabric of his jacket was beginning to tear at the ends, and snag on bare-branched bushes. None of this however deterred him. Warren moved like a jungle cat through the Campsite forest towards Luna da Law; the tallest hill out of the dozens in sight stretching off far into the distance before it became an expanse of flat grassland.

He paused just before the tree line to observe the night time wildlife… Only there was none. Normally there would have been rabbits out since dusk; the shuffling of worried mothers upon his stealthy approach, herding their kittens down into safe earthy burrows, while big males hopped around to see what the fuss was about. There would have probably been a lone red or roe deer grazing quietly by the river which would have lifted its head for a moment in intrigue at its passer-by, or a barn owl in the trees spying round for its next meal, or perhaps even a single hawk or falcon gliding home overhead satisfied with an evening’s catch of pigeon. Normally he might have even startled a male pheasant, and watched as it fluttered around feebly before taking off on a low glide across the forest, its golden-bronze wings carrying it out of a potential predator’s path. But not tonight, not with angry evil glaring down on them all. The animals could sense it, even if the dancers couldn’t.

Finally he cleared the trees, carefully slid down the short but steep grassy bank and crossed the small, red, wooden bridge across Lupus River, in favour of the crumbling grey stone bridge further up stream.

Suddenly he heard laughter. Surprised, he leapt back to the bridge. He looked up the hillside to his right and sighed, partly with relief, partly with annoyance. Two of his friends were climbing da-Luna. Two of his friends whom he had personally warned not to. Warren ambled on with determination to head them off when he checked the moon and gasped in horror. Adrenalin filled his veins in a tingling burst of shock and fear. It saw them. That, thing, saw them. It would consume them. It observed Warren with a sneer; like he was an insect it would enjoy crushing.

“Not my friends!” he whispered to it angrily. It seemed to hear him and grinned toothily, sharp fangs daring him to try and save them.

There was a swirling of glittering golden light around him and he fell onto all fours. This light was his own doing, and he raced up the other side of the hill on furry grey paws, padding furiously with his tail swinging wildly behind him. For Warren was a half-wolf, and leader of a pack of half-wolves in a place called Reality One. He had been born this way, with the power to change between human and wolf forms, or his ‘true form’, a mix of the two: His true form looked mostly human, except that he would walk on all fours with fur-less paws instead of hands and feet. But even in human form his bushy grey tail could always give him away as half-wolf. In his true or wolf forms, he could hunt and eat raw meat like a wolf, but also think and talk like a human.

He neared the top. Slowing, he heard more laughter, confirming that his friends had beaten him. Peering over the hilltop, he saw one of them walking up to a flat-topped rock embedded in the hillside. Warren knew this was the Sacred Ledge of ancient times, gateway to the gods and place of ritual sacrifice. Terrified, he looked at the moon and saw its gleeful toothy smile and the hunger and anticipation in its eyes. Without a moment’s hesitation, Warren took aim at the wolf nearing the rock.

“NO!” he cried, and lunged into the air.

He knocked the wolf over, who proceeded to skid to a halt on his side not far away, but at least he was nowhere near the danger he had been in previously. Scrambling to his paws and looking wildly around, the wolf spotted his attacker and growled in fierce annoyance.

“Jesus, Warren!” he accused, and shook himself off.

Warren glared hard at them both. “What did I tell you guys? I warned you it wasn’t safe!”

“Yeah, and you just proved your bloody point.”

The wolf he had knocked down rolled his muscular shoulders and there was a definite cracking sound from his rough assault. His angry blue eyes made Warren feel slightly guilty, and so he sat down; a less confrontational position.

“Well, sorry Will, but you two really shouldn’t be up here.”

William’s blonde and white coat fluttered in the breeze, thick and full. Warren glanced down at his own scruffy grey pelt.

The whisker with a kink in it twitched, and a look of cautious trust played briefly across Will’s furry wolf features. Will was suspicious by nature, but he knew his Alpha Leader always had reason for what he did, however bizarre it might be.

He sat also, but the white and brown wolf beside him remained standing, and eyed Warren suspiciously. He had brown patches over his hazel coloured eyes, and a striking black diamond shape on his chest: This mark was thought to represent a great hero and pure soul among wolves. Liam had had the mark ever since he became half-wolf not that long ago.

Like most others in their pack, Will and Liam had not been born half-wolf like Warren had, but had contracted it. There was something in the Campsite air that ‘turned’ those with suitable strong genes, like vampires could turn people using their blood, and non-half-wolves ran a risk in going there. At this point in time however, turning was a rarity.

“Just what is so dangerous?” Liam asked, slowly sitting though still unsure.

Warren sighed internally. He had to admit, couldn’t blame either of them for their uncertainty: He had given them no explanation, though over the years he had given them every reason to trust him. It made him a little angry that they didn’t have as much blind faith in him as the others in their pack did, but Warren silenced his temper and told himself he was being ridiculous. They hadn’t been half-wolves very long and obedience was not something that came to either naturally. Eventually, they would come around.

In the meantime he supposed it was time he told at least someone in the pack about the danger lurking overhead, and they would be able to keep the secret. The others would panic, ask a lot of difficult questions, and perhaps demand some sort of action, but Will and Liam were strong, patient and understanding: They knew he would come to them if a fight needed to be fought.

Wordlessly, Warren looked up at the moon. Following his gaze, the other two saw it as well. With twin gapping expressions, Will and Liam saw the image of a giant wolf faintly imprinted on the moon’s silvery surface.

Its red and gold eyes, no longer interested in them, searched the land. It had tall black ears with white tips, a white face surrounded by pale grey fur, dull coloured patches over its eyes that made it look almost tired, and a thick ashen coat with powerful looking shoulders. Warren couldn’t help but let a disgusted look cross his face as he spoke.

“It’s called the White Wolf. It was trapped by the goddesses many thousands of years ago. It’s said all intelligent wolves are descended from him. It’s said he’s a martyr. He’s not. He’s a murderer.”

Will stared open mouthed at the White Wolf until words came to him.

“How do you know all this?”

Just then a cloud seemed to drift behind the moon, as though perhaps it hung there in the sky just as it seemed to, instead of orbiting from space.

“I’m an Alpha,” Warren reminded, “it’s my job to know wolf legend.”

With each giving a nod in respect to their pack leader, Will and Liam followed Warren as he descended da-Luna headed back towards the Campsite.

“All those years, huh?” Will asked rhetorically. “That’s almost more than every vampire around here put together, including half-bloods like you are me, Lee.”

Liam nodded in agreement. They entered the party area.

It was a flat grassy clearing with a pile of burning logs at its centre, boxed in by larger logs split down the middle and turned into benches. Behind them Luna da Law towered like a throne on which sat the moon. Before them, in the distance, was a vast expanse of hills. To their right was the dense Campsite forest, and to their left was a large, low, square-shaped white building where a section about eight foot by twelve of the stone white-washed wall facing the forest had been replaced by long wooden planks neatly nailed together.

There was only one wolf still there, lying lavishly by the heat of the fire. He had black fur, except for grey on his chest and stomach and patches over his green eyes. The flames of the dwindling bonfire, leaving no more than a meagre campfire now, tossed into the air behind the wolf as he got lazily to his feet and approached them.

“Hey guys!” the Irish Glen Chase greeted. “What were y’ doin’ up there?”

He indicated da-Luna, but thankfully the image on the moon had faded with no more potential victims.

Will gave a quick imperceptible glance at Warren’s face to judge what he should say.

“Nothin’ much, just hangin’ about.” the English Will Somerville replied, correctly guessing that his American counterpart was not ready to draw attention to the lunar threat just yet. “Place is less crowded,” he continued, changing the subject, but Glen seemed to accept this as normal behaviour.

“Yeah. They all paired off an’ went home. Oh, an’ by the way Warren, your missus is here. Just down by the river there, with Kyle an’ ‘is friends.”

Warren smiled “Thanks Glen,” and turned in a wide arc before trotting back toward the river running round the base of da-Luna.

“Amanda’s here,” Liam said to Glen, more as a statement than a question.

“Through there.” He inclined his head towards the forest and Liam darted deftly off between the trees.

“And Anna?” Will asked about Amanda’s twin sister.

“Here.” a delicate voice replied. Will turned.

Not far away, a beautiful blonde and white she-wolf was visible through the trees, her earthy green eyes sparkling like emeralds in the moonlight as she stepped from the shadows. Will’s wife was unmistakable. He smiled and sighed at her with contentment.

“Anna.” he greeted.

She gracefully waltzed over to him. “Hi Will. Bye Glen.”

“Gone.” Glen assured her, taking the hint and slipping away.

A tall brunette woman awaited him by the wooden part of the white-building’s wall.

“Hey Carrie.” he smiled.

She smiled back.

There was a flash of gold and Glen, now a dark haired man in grey-black jeans and a green T-shirt, kissed his mate hello.

He walked up to the wooden wall and reached out to touch it. His hand went through the wood, causing shiny blue ripples to cascade across it like water. Having lupine DNA, he could open the portal between the back wall of the Wolf Club’s stage in Reality One and the Campsite. The fact that only wolves could open this portal was a sort of filter system that protected wolves in times of danger, the sacred Campsite from any unwanted visitors, and everyone else from becoming wolves themselves.

It was both an art and exact science to create a portal between two places, and even to find natural ones. Fortunately though, Reality One had a natural knack for portals. Restricting access to certain individuals or species was the hard part; first achieved by an Alpha and called The Wolf Principal, it was a crowning wolf accomplishment, and boasted about to other species with much pride. However if the portal remained open, if Glen kept his hand in the wall, anyone, or indeed anything, could pass through. He kept it open for his human girlfriend Carrie before he followed.

Meanwhile Warren, once more in human form, was relaxing on the riverbank talking with his wife, Jean. He lay on his back staring up at the stars, an arm around Jean as she lay with her head resting on his chest, listening to his heartbeat and light conversation.

Their son Kyle was playing with his friends Kristien and Sarah in the forest. Warren wondered what his father would have thought about Kyle being friends with them. It would probably have been something like “What? There are no pure-blood boys his age? Disgraceful!”

Warren hadn’t liked his parents much; they were snooty, controlling and condescending. As soon as he was old enough, he had moved away from their pack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and travelled around California for a while. He had moved up to Illinois after a few years and lived just outside Chicago, where he took up random classes at a near-by college. But when furthering his education in New York he had met Jean; a beautiful young art student who had gotten lost and asked him if he knew directions to the Monet exhibition. Of course the answer had been no, but the answer to his suggestion of coffee afterwards had been yes.

He hated how in to breeding his parents were; they could both trace their lineage back through several generations of pure-blood-wolves and humans. A pure-blood, like Warren and his son, was someone half-wolf half-human with no other species in their blood family. Warren had always considered his parents to be xenophobic: afraid of other people and races different from them. Most older packs were like this, but in some newer ones as long as your hair and eye colour were similar -a supposed mark of good wolf genes- then you were considered well bred, no matter how many generations you could trace yourself back to purity.

Jean’s father had subtly reminded Warren of his own. Tony also didn’t like other species, and it was particularly wolves he didn’t trust. He was not pleased, to say the least, when his only daughter announced she was marrying one. He rarely visited, only to see Jean, and despite his less than human heritage, to see Kyle as well. When he did come, Warren kept out of his way.

Warren had never worried much about purity within his pack, but only pure-bloods could become Alpha Leaders, and this was one ancient law Warren would never break. When his son -or any other pure-blood cub for that matter, especially a girl- turned twenty, Warren would step down.

Meanwhile, not too far off in the forest…

“Tag!” Kristien cried out.

“You’re it!” Sarah finished.

“No fair!” Kyle moaned.

He was the youngest at seven years, and therefore the smallest and slowest, which didn’t make Tag any more fun a game to play. The two breathless cousins wandered heavily over to where he sat tenaciously, trying not to ruin his rage by panting, though his tiny young wolf muscles ached for oxygen.

He was small and scrubbily furred, as anyone would expect a wolf cub to be, with white down his front and pale brown down his back, with brown patches over his eyes and a brown toe on each fore-paw.

Sarah wasn’t that much bigger than him, being only a year older. She was ginger and white like her mother, and the fur down her neck had been braided, with some difficulty, from her ears to her shoulder blades.

Twelve-year-old Kristien’s most distinguishing feature was the white streak that stretched from ear to ear around the back of her head. Her fur was brown, but a much darker shade than Kyle’s. She had white on her face and down her front, stretching all the way to the tip of her tail, with white legs but coloured shoulders and hips; the same basic fur-pattern as Sarah and most of the half-wolves in their pack.

She plodded over to a halt behind Sarah, hanging her head low as she caught her breath.

“It’s fair,” Sarah said in an indifferent tone, “you were tagged, fair and, slightly circular,”

‘Fair and square, it’s fair and bloody SQUARE!’ Kristien thought as she lifted her head to speak, once more wondering if her cousin had been dropped on her head as a baby, “You were tagged, Kyle.”

“So?” he snapped.

Sarah and Kristien looked at each other.

Kristien tried her paw at diplomacy. “How about we go see Charlie in the gypsy camp?”

There was a portal in a place called the Main Building at the other end of Reality One which led to a gypsy camp nestled in some distant woods in a far off land.

The gypsies were quite friendly with Reality One, and their handsome young half-wolf stable boy Charlie in particular was good friends with the three. Between him, his young human sister Madeline, and their friend Erin, they always had a new fun game they’d created or some cool new Magick trick they’d learned (they, like Reality One witches, spelt magick with a ‘k’ to separate it from stage magic).

Kristien had a crush on Charlie that no one knew about, and she blushed as she suggested visiting him, glad that her fur hid it.

Kyle’s eyes lit up instantly. “Yeah!”

He frolicked along with his two friends following close behind.

Not far away were Sarah’s parents: Liam with his wife Amanda. They were strolling along together, talking quietly about his day at band practice, and about her day between Wolf Council and coven meetings.

Amanda was everything Liam could have ever dreamed of; beautiful, intelligent, affectionate, caring, and one hell of a cook! She had been a chef professionally in L.A. before coming to Reality One, and now continued to happily cater for private functions and formal celebrations (although wolf-formals were both rare and rarely formal). She was High-priestess of Reality One’s coven, Ash Moon, and part of the local Wolf Council.

Warren had started it as a way of communicating with wolves in Reality One and neighbouring realities. He and Amanda were representatives for Reality One’s half-wolves, and together with a couple full-blood wolves named Billy and Jenna they represented Reality One’s entire lupine population. Warren had expected it to become the United Nations of the wolf world, but only an Alpha female and her vampiric aid form another reality and a diminutive handful of full-blood wolves from various others had joined. It seemed Reality One was home to most of the local lupines.

The main topic of discussion at today’s meeting had been where to put a boulder at the next Campsite celebration.

Through Amanda’s late-high-school years, Liam had dated her sister Anna. Their parents had divorced when they were very young, and Amanda had moved to L.A. with her father, leaving her with little or no recollection of her sisters Anna and Claire back in their coastal Californian home-town.

Liam had been attracted to Anna’s strength of character and of mind, but mostly her physical strength; Anna was descended from Hunters: families of hired vampire assassins. Even though it had been generations since the truce between vampires and humans, traits like superior strength, balance, speed and agility still ran in the blood of Hunter descendants. But, as with most relationships based purely on physical attraction, they separated.

A year or two later, William had finally worked up the courage to move in on her, just as Liam had decided to take a chance on her again himself. Safe to say, Will beat him to it, and Liam had a re-bound relationship with his beautiful vampiress ex Cleo Sandio. This was short lived however, lasting less than their first week in Reality One.

Then Amanda arrived.

From the moment she appeared on the platform, Liam was in love. As a vampire, he could sense great good or great evil in people, and her soul had been so pure and beautiful; it was like a bright shining white light, filled with good intentions, with a desire to please and a desire to heal. She was surrounded by such a blindingly radiant glow that he hadn’t even known she was Anna’s sister until he spoke to her. Within days she was his, and later after they became half-wolves, she agreed to be his for life.

All half-wolves mate for life. If you are born half-wolf you have to be extremely selective of whom you have a relationship with, because more often than not, the first one you fully consummate will be your last. Certainly the first person you mate with will share a special bond with you for life. But if you ultimately wish this link severed, medication is available to suppress it and allow such a bond to occur with another. Effectiveness tends to vary between individuals, but the drug never works after the fourth or fifth injection, so discretion is still advised.

Liam and Amanda exited the Campsite forest. They were the last one’s there. Everyone else had left in pairs to celebrate alone elsewhere, or else to sleep off their fatigue. This month’s cycle had been mild. ‘Cycles’ are what half-wolves feel around the full moon. It would start about a week beforehand, when the wolves would feel a strong desire to move around, be free of confined spaces, or make more physical contact with others; nudging and play fighting between friends, kissing and such between mates. On the full moon, in a crescendo to the cycle, a party was thrown in the Campsite. At some point close to the full moon, pairs would feel a strong desire to mate, to re-affirm their bonds to each other. To feel this need strongly between cycles was called a mid-moon cycle; a sort of aftermath, or residual effect of the full-moon cycle.

The pair left together, surveyed by the unseen White Wolf. He watched them go with mixed hunger and intrigue. Where were they going? He’d never seen their reality, beyond the Campsite; he was much older than it, and had died long before its creation. When would they be back? For he hungered for their souls. Hers was so pure, so good; it would taste sweet, like sugar or honey. His was different. His had dark places, like unnatural patches of night stuck on a morning sky. His would be interesting. His would be eaten slowly.

When they were gone, the White Wolf waited. He could do nothing but wait. Dawn was coming and no life below interested him. The Campsite had very few hours of daylight, and the moon always appeared to be full, due to the White Wolf’s spiritual energy encased within. He watched as the horizon behind da-Luna began to lighten, turning slowly from night-blue to pink to yellow and finally to a brilliant glowing orange. This was one of the most beautiful and sought after sights in and around Reality One, but the White Wolf didn’t feel so privileged: For all his magnificent power, he had no control over anything during the daylight hours. It had taken him millennia to influence anything at night.

The sun, substantially larger than the moon, emerged from below the horizon. The wolf sun-goddess’s dazzlingly beautiful face appeared briefly on the sun before its light became too intense to look at. Encantra had always fascinated the White Wolf, even in his living years. He sadly shielded his eyes with his paw as her lovely face faded and the sun brightened over the moon’s kingdom.

She looked at him with equal fascination. She had never agreed with his punishment, but had supported it all the same over the centuries. Like her sister goddess, Mouleesha, she felt he had simply been left there to grow bitter; his torment had been more than sufficiently prolonged. But then, what were they to do about it? Where else could they send him to pay for his crimes? And what’s more, Encantra did not believe he had committed much crime. Were love, loyalty and honour crimes if they called for death and sacrifice to be made?

The moon was swallowed up in the sun’s light, and every star blinked out one by one like the sky was closing a thousand eyes. The crickets ceased their chirping and an early morning bird sang its merry little song. The sun ascended its throne for the short day.

Later that morning, Liam awoke in his human form. He blinked his hazel eyes against the hazy morning sunshine filtering in through the curtains and ruffled his dark brown hair as he sat up. He looked lovingly down at Amanda, sleeping in human form beside him with short straight red hair strewn about her pillow. As he watched, her pale-brown eyes opened sleepily and she smiled up at him. His hand caressed her soft cheek tenderly.

“Good morning,” she spoke in a cheery yet groggy little whisper.

She kissed him before he replied “Morning.”

It sometimes amazed those around them that after going through so much, all the natural and supernatural stresses of life and having a child together, their love was still as affectionate and true as the day they married.

Waking up a little, Amanda sat up properly and sighed.

“Sarah up?” she asked.

“I don’t know.” He answered.

“If she is she probably hasn’t even been to bed yet, which for a part vampire girl of her age I accept is normal on the odd occasion, but I don’t like her going to these all-night Vampire clubs with Kristien.” She stated in a concerned motherly way, “She’s a bad influence on Sarah.”

“Oh I don’t know,” Liam said with mock seriousness, “I overheard them discussing drugs and ritual sacrifice and bloodletting and the like, but nothing too serious.” He teased.

She looked at him in an I-am-going-to-kill-you way and he laughed.

“I’m kidding! I’m kidding!”

She punched him playfully on the arm. He kissed her lightly and her face turned serious again.

“But Liam, I mean it, if something happened…”

“Hey,” he comforted, “nothing will happen. If Kristien is anything like her father, she’s a little wild, but will be sure to look out for Sarah; she would never let her get hurt.”

Amanda looked somewhat reassured when a sudden noise from Sarah’s room made them both jump and stare at the wall separating the two bedrooms. It sounded like something had fallen over and landed with a thud, followed by a muffled “Ouch!”

They looked at each other and sighed with bored annoyance at this almost daily occurrence.

“Sarah’s home,” they droned in unison.

They pulled back the sheets and got up. Liam magickally dressed with a flash of silver-blue in a white shirt and jeans. Amanda meanwhile had made the bed with a few well-practiced magickal movements of her wand, and with a quick wave, a long-skirted peach dress flew out of the wardrobe and laid itself out neatly on the bed. She went over to the chest of drawers and lifted a hairbrush to her hair in the mirror, tying it back into a tidy ponytail.

“Why? Every time the window.” Liam commented on his daughter’s classic entrance.

“I don’t know why she can’t just use the door, we know she’s usually out at this time anyway.” Amanda said as she carefully inserted a pair of pink earrings and threw on a towel bathrobe. “And how does she get up here? It’s not like we’re not on the first floor, not anywhere near it.”

They left the bedroom together, stepping out into the living room of their cosy little New York apartment. They didn’t live in Reality One, but there was a portal just outside their door. Because portals were attracted to Reality One, they were able to browse apartment listings from all over the world. They had chosen New York, while Will and Anna had a house in a coastal Californian town like the one Anna had grown up in.

They looked over to the small kitchen, only separated from the living room by a breakfast bar. Sarah stood there, bright as the morn in a pale green dress with white buttons and a cheery little smile, her eyes showing no sign of fatigue. The top of her long, straight, ginger hair was tied back in a braid.

“Pancakes?” she smiled at them.

“You? Food?” Amanda asked, clearly surprised at her daughter’s sudden interest in cooking.

“Yeah,” she replied unabashed, “I mean, I’m half-wolf, right? Wolves eat. I’m part human. Humans eat. I’m part vampire. Well vampires eat blood, or is that drink?”

“Don’t.” Liam stopped her before she started to babble as she often did, and walked over to pat her head. “You’ll only confuse your delicate little brain.”

“Don’t patronise her,” Amanda defended.

“Well she’s only eight years old.”

“So?” they both answered back.

He looked between them comically.

“I’m clearly outnumbered here,” he joked, “this isn’t fair or funny.”

Sarah hugged her father around his waist -as far as she could reach. “Truce?”

He smiled and knelt down to hug her properly.

“Truce.” He agreed, then sniffing the air added “Breakfast is burning.”

“Oh right!” She hurried off to flip a now very brown and crispy pancake.

Liam smiled at Amanda and she smiled back.

‘What a girl we’ve raised.’ Liam thought as he stared into her eyes.

‘I know.’ Amanda thought back, looking into his mind.

Telepathy was a power that they shared, that most half-wolf couples shared. It was usually quite weak, depending on the person, and one usually had to be looking at the other when they wanted to communicate, however…

‘Someone gag me.’ William’s voice entered their heads.

…There were exceptions…

“Hey Will.” Liam sighed aloud, annoyed, but Will still heard him.

‘Now now, don’t take that tone with me.’

…Those who were sufficiently talented at it could speak to someone they knew well and from a distance.

‘I’ve got a laugh for you: Wes has a girlfriend.’

‘Really? That dork?’

‘Hey!’ Weston Walker’s voice objected.

Amanda rolled her eyes and stopped listening to go and help Sarah.

‘Who is she and what’s wrong with her?’ Lee asked. ‘Warts? Bald? Bimbo? Crazy?’

‘Actually, I believe you went out with her sister.’

‘No WAY!’ Liam screamed in his mind. ‘Madeea? Madeea Sandio?’

‘The very same.’ Wes replied proudly in his proper-English way.

Will and Liam could both imagine his face right then; chin up, eyes shut behind silver-framed rectangular glasses, and an enormous self-loving grin spread right across his face. He’d probably be swinging back on his heels as well, his hands clasped behind his back; he’d be just bursting with pride at his conquest. Will hated it when he did that, and shuddered at the thought, glad he wasn’t there to see it in the flesh.

‘You MUST be paying her Wes,’ Lee laughed, ‘Cleo Sandio’s twin sister? THE Madeea?’

‘I expect you to meet the three of us in the Campsite immediately-both of you- so you can see for yourselves, if you don’t mind,’

Wes was very proud of himself and they dared not argue; he could whine for his country. Will and Liam left for the Campsite.

Weston lived in the Somerville household with Anna and Will. And Claire. And Rossylynn. And Kristien. The house was quite large and they were never short of spare rooms. He used to assist Anna’s collage math teacher Mr. Leeds, who also now resided in Reality One, and worked mostly in and around the local high school, spending his time as a replacement teacher or doing little projects here and there. Weston also had a job there, as a T.A, but while Weston was good at his work, Mr. Leeds was not particularly fond of him as a person; even on a full moon Wes managed to be the death of any party.

Liam and Will met in the Wolf Club. Will jogged eagerly across the dance floor, hopped up onto the stage and turned to Liam, his platinum blonde hair smoothed back and his blue eyes glittering with anticipation.

“This I can’t wait to see this,” the Londoner commented, “Madeea must be a right desperate ugly wreck to date that geek Weston Walker. I mean, the guy’s got no joy in ‘im, correction; no life in ‘im. He’s such a bloody bore!”

“Well, I didn’t like you when we first met, Will.” Liam reminded.

Will smiled.

“No one likes me when they first meet me, even Anna hated my guts, but ‘least I’m not a stiff like good ol’ Wes.”

They stood facing the portal. Liam shook his head.

“Just shut-up, Will, ok?”

Will gave him a probing sideways glance.

“What’s up with you then?”

Lee didn’t answer, he just took a deep breath into his three hundred year old lungs and stepped through the wall. Will, now silenced and concerned, followed.

Liam simply wasn’t looking forward to seeing Cleo again. He hadn’t seen her since they’d broken up, and he knew old wounds would be opened if he saw her. She’d dumped him for some Jamaican guy who’d done karaoke at the Wolf Club. She ‘liked guys who are musical’ to quote her. She’d eaten her words when he joined a band. He played guitar with Will, and recently joined another with three other vampires: David Felix, Maxwell and Simon.

Weston awaited them with the identical Mexican twins. Madeea seemed normal enough, and Will was a little disappointed. The reason they hadn’t believed Wes was that she was in such stark contrast to him; She stood in a flowing red dress with white lace sleeves and gold embroidery. Her long black hair retained its usual bounce and her tanned face was neatly presented in make-up. Her radiant smile and dark eyes both reflected her fiery spirit and adventurous nature.

Liam realised he was still holding his breath, and slowly exhaled as he and Will approached. Then he saw her.

Cleo was sitting behind Wes and Madeea on one of the log benches around the campfire, reading a book. She was less outgoing than her sister, and it showed in her appearance. She wore a blue T-shirt, with a short black jacket and skirt, and black boots. Her ebony hair was tied back into a long braid. She wore a lot less make-up than her sister, and little blue-framed glasses. Liam looked at her solemnly. She was still as beautiful as the last time he’d seen her, with the same full red lips he’d kissed so many times. He noticed a purple velour scarf -which he had bought her- was wrapped loosely round her neck.

“Hey guys.” Lee said.

Cleo hadn’t noticed them, but at his voice, she looked up and smiled brightly.

“Hi Liam,”

“Cleo,” he responded with a nod.

“So, Madeea,” Will began, “what’s wrong? Gone blind all of a sudden? Or did you just severely lower your standards?”

“Hey!” Wes objected.

“The second one,” Madeea responded coolly, ignoring Wes, “and by the way, I’m still way outta your league. I’d have to hit rock bottom before you even had a snowball’s chance in hell with me.”

“Rock bottom? I thought that’s where Wes was located.”

“Hey!” Wes objected again.

Both ignoring him, they smiled at each other.

“Great to see you.” William said.

“You too.” Madeea hugged him.

Wes looked confused but said nothing, and Liam grinned.

“Come on Will, you too Wes,” she added after seeing the left-out look on his face, “let’s catch up. You two be OK?” she asked Cleo and Liam.

“Oh, just fine.”

But she didn’t detect the sarcastic tone in his reply.

“Great, see ya!”

She, Will and Wes wandered into the forest.

“So…” Liam began uncomfortably, turning into a wolf and jumping onto a nearby boulder beside the trees.

Technically, the boulder should have been moved after the full moon celebrations, but as Amanda had told him earlier, the Wolf Council hadn’t gotten around to it yet.

“How are you?” he asked, the first question that occurred to him.

“I’ve missed you.” She turned wolf also and nuzzled his fur.

She was much the same as him in wolf form, only she didn’t have his distinctive diamond shape, and whereas his fur was brown, hers was jet black. The scarf he had given her brushed his muzzle and he detected her scent on it heavily; she obviously wore it a lot.

“I’ve hardly seen you since we broke up. I haven’t even met Amanda properly yet, or Sarah.”

“How are things with George?”

“Geordon.”

“Whatever.”

“Things are fine.”

There was silence between them. He looked around and she stared down at her forepaws, shuffling a little. Then he sighed, and dropped the formalities.

“What happened to us Cleo?”

She avoided his gaze, looking around as if for an answer.

“I was… impulsive,” she said eventually, “I went off with someone else before thinking of you.” She sighed. “It was totally out of character and not fair to you and I’m sorry. This was all before we became half-wolves. No half-wolf could ever do what I did…”

She trailed off and moved closer again. She turned human and sat on the rock beside him. He turned back too and touched her face in comfort.

“I’d just realised I couldn’t have Anna back when we met, you knew how sad I was. What I’m saying is, I understand. You were trying to help me through rough times, then you met someone you really liked. I don’t blame you for breaking it off when you were only with me for my sake.”

She shook her head and looked horrified.

“No, that’s not it at all.”

She took his hand and looked him in the eye with no trace of apprehension.

“I loved you,” she explained, “I… I still do,” she admitted shyly and forlornly, letting go of his hand and looking away, “but half-wolves mate for life, so you have to and will stay with Amanda, even if I- even if we-”

She was silenced when he kissed her, softly and with such sadness that she felt she could cry.

He stopped and seemed surprised at himself, even almost embarrassed.

“I’m sorry Cleo, I’m so sorry. I-, I shouldn’t have-, I- …I’m sorry.”

She looked at him solemnly and touched his hand again.

“It’s alright, Liam.”

He looked at her, saw the tears forming in her eyes, and felt his old heart want to break.

William, Weston and Madeea returned at that moment.

Cleo jumped and jerked her hand away, wiping her eyes and sniffing. But Liam couldn’t look away from her.

Will laughed. “Oh, but really, love, we gotta go.” He turned to Liam. “Coming?”

“…Yeah.” Lee replied, tearing his gaze away from her.

Will was suddenly aware of the tension in his friend’s voice, and was worried again, but said nothing. He simply led Liam to the wall.

“Bye you guys.” Will said.

“Bye!” Madeea smiled and waved.

Liam halted at the portal for a final longing glimpse of Cleo. It hurt him that she couldn’t meet his eyes, but he noticed she mouthed “goodbye” for him before she got up and walked towards the tree line.

He walked through the portal, silently begging William wouldn’t ask him about it. Will was waiting at the other side of the portal, and look hard at Liam. He stared for what seemed like an eternity, then all of a sudden he gave a sort of grunting sigh and nodded. Liam watched in amazement as Will turned and walked right out the door without a word. Liam supposed he should have expected this, Will had known him for the past 200 years. He had had read it in Liam’s eyes and face that he did not want to talk about it and that he could deal with it on his own.

Liam sighed and closed his eyes. He leant heavily against a Wolf Club wall and banged his head on it a few times to clear his thoughts. He loved his wife and daughter, and he missed Cleo, but… His eyes snapped open as he realised; he didn’t love her anymore. His brow furrowed. He hadn’t even noticed. When had he stopped loving her? When Sarah was born? When he’d gotten married? Or was it… when he first saw and fell in love with Amanda, and her beautiful glowing spirit? He smiled as he remembered. It must have been then, when nothing else mattered and everything seemed so clear and so bright, when his life became Amanda. He realised that he considered everything before that, the past 300 or so years before that, a different, separate, dejected thing that didn’t bear thinking about.

Liam felt suddenly so light. A nine-year-weight had just evaporated from his shoulders. His head was spinning with thoughts, and he knew a sure way to silence them. He went straight home. He went straight to bed. He went straight to sleep.

Mid-afternoon there was a knock at the door. Amanda answered. Will leaned against the doorframe, the unfortunate bearer of bad tidings.

“Band practice again?” she asked incredulously.

“Lorn’s orders.” he sighed.

“Liam!” she called in. “Practice!”

The bedroom door opened wide, like Liam’s eyes.

“NO WAY!” he yelled.

“Yes way, we practise 1pm til 4, 6pm til 9, oh and 11pm til 2 on Saturdays.” Will sighed and gritted his teeth. He was obviously as irritated and Liam.

Liam simply gaped at him, disbelieving that even their band’s managers Lorene and Quinn could be so cruel.

“No. I won’t do it. This is ridiculous! I’m not even a full-time member of the band, and when was the last time we had a gig? This is too much, I quit!”

“Now hang on just a minute.” Will said. “…That is the best damn idea I’ve heard all day! Why didn’t I think of that? I’ll join you.”

“You sure?”

Even Liam knew Will was the second best guitar player in the Reality; he was one of the band’s best assets, and therefore one of Lorene’s prized possessions.

“Hell yeah! I’m sick of Quinn and bloody Lorn ‘s much as you; ‘s much as everyone else for that matter. All the guys’ll cheer us on, Lorn and Quinn’ll have a bloody mutiny on their hands!”

They both laughed.

“And I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t swear so much when my child is in the house, thank you very much Will.” Amanda added.

“I am not bloody swearin’ Amanda. If I were bloody-well swearing you’d bloody-well know about it, such as ‘f-’” He was cut off as Amanda quickly unpocketed her beautiful gem encrusted wand and pointed it under his chin.

“Don’t, even, think about it,” she warned.

“Yes ma’am.” he gulped, a little mockingly, but still not taking his eyes from her wand until she had pocketed it again. “OK. Let’s go then.” he said to Liam, now very eager to get going.

When they arrived at the Wolf Club the band were tuning their instruments, awaiting the two late half-wolves. Quinn and Lorene sat impatiently, arms folded, at one of the Wolf Club’s long wooden tables with their backs to the door.

The Wolf Club was a large square room with a fairly low ceiling. The stage was at the wall farthest from the door and there was a polished dance floor in front of it. The dance floor was bordered on two sides by tables and chairs, one side by a wall, and the remaining side by the stage. Opposite the stage, across the dance floor, were four long rectangular tables with six chairs spaced out neatly on each of the longest sides; these were wooden with brown leather padding fastened on by shiny metal studs. The tables and chairs were right of the door. Left of the door was a small tiled area with a bar, with little or no stock of alcohol most of the time as there were no bar staff. The band members stocked it themselves with whatever they could spare from home. A little way across from the door, right of the bar area, were four more tables with chairs next to the stage and dance floor. The carpet was a beautiful deep mottled red. It wasn’t exactly expensive shag-pile, but the tiled area in front of the bar was considered a good idea; it cut down on stains from spills.

This was the band’s favourite place to practice and most of its members’ favourite place to hang out, mostly since the wall behind the stage led to the Campsite.

The Wolf Club was also the location of the famed and exclusive all-night ‘Vamp Discos’. Kristien’s father Will was the reason she got in, and the main reason she was allowed to bring Sarah. The vampires held these parties at this venue because they lived right next door to the Wolf Club. There was a door-come-portal between the bar and adjacent tables which led to an abandoned warehouse by some old forgotten docks. It was huge, dark and cavernous, and filled with row upon row of rusty car parts. The Reality One vampires found it ideal, and had created the portal soon after the Wolf Club was built.

“Well well.” Lorene noticed them in the doorway, not sounding in the best of moods. “Where have you two been?”

Lorene had green and partly scaly skin, with blonde highlights in his oddly sallow-coloured brown hair. He straightened a crease in his suit as he stood, and glared at them. If by nothing else, they could tell he was angry from his literally reddening eyes. He half attempted to read their minds, but as always, he couldn’t. Humans were easy, vampires were tricky, wolves were quite difficult, but mixed breeds escaped him completely.

Quinn turned and stood also. He was an immortal with dark hair and green-brown eyes. He looked less professional than (although just as angry as) Lorene in black jeans and a red shirt over a black T-shirt. Quinn was rumoured to have been the first human in Reality One, but he neither confirmed nor denied this story.

“Answer gentlemen.” he demanded.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Liam paused as Will thought ‘We’ll have ‘em eating out of our paws.’

Smiling, Liam continued, “We quit.”

Their former managers looked stunned.

“What?” Lorene chuckled, his eyes betraying fear and confusion. “You can’t quit.”

“Funny, ‘cause we just did.” Will replied.

By this time the band were muttering to each other.

“Go guys!” a white wolf with a tuft of brown hair between his ears wearing a shirt called out.

“Give ‘em hell!” their lead guitarist, a kangaroo in a tank-top, cheered.

“Quiet!” Quinn boomed.

Instant silence.

“Now, guys,” he said carefully, “let’s not be too hasty here.” He smiled, masking his fear of loosing two good guitarists with great cool.

“Frankly Quinn,” Will interrupted, “we’re all tired; tired of practise, tired of the late nights and early mornings, and most of all, tired of you guys and your bull.”

The band cheered.

“So either you cut them all some slack, or they may just follow in our footsteps.”

There were general murmurings of agreement coming from the stage.

“We’ll do anything, just come ba-!” Lorene was cut off as Quinn knocked him to one side.

“Let’s not lose our heads, Lorene. Now, gentlemen, normally I’d of course let you express your views and leave if you ultimately wish…”

‘Yeah, right.’ Will thought to Liam.

“But… the guys need you.”

“No we don’t!” a man with Auburn hair called; the band’s acoustic guitar player.

“Will you shut-up please Paul!” Lorene yelled back. “Shh!” he added quickly as Paul opened his mouth to reply. Paul was grudgingly hushed under Lorene’s fiery gaze.

“But really, Quinn, you don’t need me,” Liam reasoned, “and Will and most of these guys do not need to put in the hours you’re asking; they’re good, they don’t need all this practice.”

“We work them this hard so they can stay this good!” Lorene replied.

“Maybe Danny could fill in for them?” a grey wolf in the corner with a saxophone and a red dog-collar spoke up, trying to be helpful.

Lorene thought about this. Danny was quite good; he’d heard him play.

“Actually Roannan, that’s not a bad idea. I’ve been meaning to get him as a reserve.”

“Or Eddie.” a darker grey wolf with a green T-shirt offered.

“Well I’m glad we’re all being supportive here Billy, but Eddie doesn’t exactly have opposable thumbs.”

Billy’s ears flattened with embarrassment as a few of his band-mates chuckled. A strikingly black wolf with brilliant yellow eyes and black clothes beside him slapped his back and smiled to reassure him.

Eddie, Danny’s brother, had been cursed and turned into an Australian Shepard at an early age, and unlike most other canines in Reality One, he couldn’t walk on his hind legs and his fore-paws did not resemble hands.

“Well, I’m off you guys. I’ve got better things to do, unlike certain whip-crackin’ managers.” Will said harshly, and seemed unusually hurried as he zipped through the door.

Liam noticed this, and walked over to the stage while Lorene and Quinn argued with Jacob, the kangaroo and lead guitarist, who had been elected speaker for the band’s interests in a quick vote.

“Hey, Cooler,” Liam whispered, “Psst.”

The brown-haired white wolf put down his keyboard, walked over and crouched at the end of the stage next to him.

“What’s up Lee?”

“Do you know why Will was in such a rush there?” he asked in a secretive low voice.

“Well… I heard he got a job interview somewhere, I think at that Central Network place across town.” Cooler answered.

“That computer place?”

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

“Will? Computers? Seems a little modern for him.”

“That’s what I thought, but then I found something interesting.” Cooler looked around to see if anyone was listening, when of course no one was. Cooler had a flare for the dramatic, but he was the one to come to for rumours and gossip. Liam humoured him and leaned closer to hear.

“I checked the place out, and I don’t wanna accuse him of anything, but a real hottie named Monika Hanson works there. Heh, sound more like Will now?”

Liam was taken aback. Was Will the type to cheat? Liam’s first impulse said no, but Will didn’t exactly have a good track record when it came to women; he used to be a real player. But he really loved Anna, and he wouldn’t jeopardise that. At least, Liam didn’t think he would.

“But anyway, it’s not my place to comment really, and it’s probably nothing; just a bit of eye candy.” He snorted and chuffed a little, his version of light laughter.

“Yeah, nothing,” Lee nodded absent-mindedly, before turning into a bat and flying out the door after Will.

The Central Network was an immense towering structure opposite the Main Building at the top end of Reality One. From there all was monitored and files were checked and re-checked continuously to keep the town running smoothly. Everything and everyone was on file. The combined knowledge of everyone in Reality One from all races and time-periods was held within the Central Network’s Main Frame computer. It was absolutely essential for life in Reality One.

Will knocked on the huge metal doors, a knock that echoed deep inside the building. The door opened, answered by a woman wearing a charming smile.

“Hello.” She greeted warmly.

She looked older than Will, though of course he was the elder, perhaps somewhere in her early to mid thirties. She had shiny russet hair, shoulder length, and wore a violet sleeveless top with tight black trousers and polished black boots. Her friendly manner and youthful appearance for her age interested him at once.

“Please come in,” she continued, “I’m Cathryn Jones: the boss.”

“Hi there Cathy, I’m Will Somerville.”

He smiled and shook her hand as he entered. She shut the door behind him. He slipped off his leather jacket and draped it over the back of a computer chair which he proceeded to sit in it.

“A tad over-familiar manner for addressing a new boss, don’t you think, Will?”

He could tell from her tone that she was only teasing.

“A friendly workplace is a happy workplace.” He replied.

“As long as that’s a productive workplace too, I’m OK. with it.” she said, with a sly smile which he found quite attractive.

He looked around. ‘Big’ was an understatement. It was a huge metal room, with a ceramic tile floor and dark lofty ceiling. Opposite the doors where he had came in were another set of doors, only they were handle-less and no where near as tall. Lining the walls were sleek, black, sophisticated looking computers, with surfaces so shiny they reminded Will of deep still water. They sat on a long low white shelf that ran round the entire room, with a cushy grey computer chair in front of each one. He noticed the gargantuan Main Frame in the top left corner of the room. The monitor was taller that him and wider than he could reach, but so thin he could grip it. Bright green computer jargon played across its enormous black screen, and he couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated.

Liam was right; computers were a little more modern than Will usually liked, especially the lustrous futuristic processing machines that lined the walls. But as it turned out, Will had a natural knack for numbers and technology. That had been why he’d chosen to be a T.A. in a maths class back in California, when most vampires would choose history.

But as usual, Will appeared confident. He leaned back and turned the chair, folding his arms behind his head and smiling at Cathryn, who was sitting across the room from him on the white shelf beside her black coffee, which she had placed there before answering the door. She sipped it as he spoke.

“So, how does this interview work then?”

“You take a test.” she responded between sips, swallowing the hot coffee gratefully and warming her hands on the mug. “If you solve a puzzle on the computer in less than thirty seconds, you start work whenever.”

“A puzzle?”

“Oh, it’s harder than it sounds, that’s why only two people currently work here, including me.” Bringing her mug with her, she walked over and loaded the puzzle on the computer behind him. He turned the seat to face the screen again.

“Right then,” he said, typing his name in a pop-up box as required.

He pressed ‘Enter’ and what resembled a Rubik’s cube appeared on the screen, only instead of colours there were letters and numbers. Will observed it, confused.

“What do I do here in thirty seconds?”

“Solve it,” she shrugged, “get the numbers and letters positioned consecutively on the each side. Every time you want to make a move, you’ll be asked a mathematical or computing question. It’s meant to test your spatial awareness, mathematical skills, yada yada. Well Will, good luck.”

She smiled and slapped his back and he held her optimistic gaze for a moment before turning on the puzzle.

As soon as he pressed the first key, a clock in the corner began to count down from thirty. Will typed furiously. He was going almost too fast to understand what he was doing. One definitely had to have a gift for numbers to solve this puzzle; he sort of switched off and let the answers flow.

Cathy bit her lip and felt herself hold her breath. She hadn’t seen someone this good in a long time, and she silently cheered him on.

Five seconds. Four. Three.

“Done!” he cried triumphantly.

Cathy leaned close to read his time from the screen and Will’s heightened wolf and vampire senses caught her scent and imprinted it on his memory.

“Two point two five remaining.” She read aloud. “ I got two point two six. Wow, another couple hundredths of a second and you’d be in charge around here.”

“When do you want me then?” he asked as he stood.

She was still smiling at his achievement. He was about a head taller than her, and looked down into her green-blue eyes. He suddenly realised how attractive he found her.

“Next week? But come in this Friday, we’ll see how good you are.”

“Right you are. See you then Cathy.”

He turned to walk out.

“Bye Will.” she called after him.

He combed her thoughts before he closed the door.

‘He’s kinda cute.’ he heard her think.

‘Great,’ he thought to himself sarcastically.

Liam flew over and landed beside him, turning human as he did so.

“Will, as your friend and brother-in-law, I feel I have to ask you, are you getting that job for Monika Hanson?”

“Mon who?” Will asked, confused. But confusion turned to anger as he realised what his ‘friend’ must have presumed. “Wait. You honestly thought I was getting this job to have a thing on the side with some cheap computer geek?”

“No! Well, maybe, I… I just wanted to check, I-”

“Oh thanks a lot Lee, your confidence in me is awe inspiring.”

“Will, I just, I didn’t think, I-”

“You know what, Liam? Don’t. Don’t start. I know I’ve never been the most trustworthy of people, but you know how much I love Anna and Kristien.”

He shook his head disbelievingly, wanting to say more but not finding the words.

“Will, I’m so sorry,”

“I’ll see you at the Wolf Club in a couple hours. We have to interview Danny to replace us.”

Then Will turned into a bat as Liam had done, and flew away, leaving Lee standing there alone. Liam sighed and watched him go.

“Nice job, idiot.” He said aloud to himself.

A few hours later Danny and Eddie stood in the doorway to the Wolf Club. Danny appeared cool, calm and collected, as he always did, but Eddie fidgeted anxiously by his side, hopping from one forepaw to the other and looking round at the band members seated in various places around the room. Danny ran a steady hand through his strawberry blonde hair. He wasn’t very tall, and wore a red T-shirt, orange shirt and baggy jeans.

“Danny, what do I do while you’re, you know, getting interviewed?”

“You can come with me if you like.”

“Nah. I’m so nervous, I’d screw it all up for you. No, I’d rather hang somewhere.”

“Just talk to these guys.”

Eddie looked up at his brother fearfully.

“But, these guys are legends. It would practically be sacrilege to speak to them without being spoken to.”

Danny gave a small smile, a rare thing, and said “Don’t be ridiculous, Eddie.”

“Come on!” Eddie scanned the room and directed his brother to the kangaroo sitting at the bar. “That’s Jacob.K. He’s the best guitarist in the ten Realities! How can I talk to him?”

Will appeared at the portal and waved Danny to through.

“Well Eddie, I’m sure you’ll find a way.”

He patted his brother’s furry head, and with that, he walked off toward the stage.

Eddie looked at Jacob, uneasy. He carefully stepped up to the bar, and leapt up into the bar stood farthest from the kangaroo.

“Wh-what you havin’?” he managed, his voice trembling in the presence of greatness.

Jacob held up the brown glass beer bottle in his paw without looking in Eddie’s direction.

“R- right. Anymore?”

Jacob reached under the bar and produced another bottle, sliding it along to Eddie.

“Thanks.”

In a now second nature move, Eddie pushed a fang under the metal lid and popped it open. He lifted a mug from a hook on the wall beside him using only his muzzle, and set it down noisily on the bar. Jacob had turned round and watched him with interest as he grabbed the bottle by its neck in his jaws and poured a little beer into the mug. He set the bottle down again and lapped up some of the contents from the mug. Jacob smiled and turned in his seat to face the bar again. Eddie had noticed his interest, and felt encouraged enough to attempt a longer sentence.

“You know, I think I have relatives in Australia.” He said conversationally.

“Really? I hear I do too.” Jacob replied, in what was defiantly an American accent.

He smiled at the look on Eddie’s face.

“I’m from San Diego,” he explained.

“I am so sorry for earlier Will, really, I jumped to conclusions and it was really stupid of me. You know how protective I can be of Anna. Why do you want a job at that computer place anyway?”

“Hidden Talent.” Will joked.

‘Hidden Talent’ was what only ‘Favourites’ of the Creator possessed. The Creator had created Reality One using only her mind, as the Creators of the other nine Realities had done. Favourites were supposedly those living in Reality One that the Creator liked the most. Usually, the best (and sometimes the worst) things happened to them. Providing you took the bad with the good, at least the life of a Favourite was never dull.

Danny arrived through the portal.

“Hey Danny.”

“Hi Danny.”

Both had known Danny Ozbourne-MacDowell from their previous jobs as T.A’s at Anna’s old college in California, the same one where Mr. Leeds and Weston Walker had worked. Danny had dated Anna’s best friend, Rossylynn Willacc, but they had mutually broke up upon arriving in Reality One.

Danny gave a vague smile.

“Hey.”

Danny was a very quiet person; in fact, ‘hey’ was the most he’d said to either of them all month.

“Come on, we’ll discuss this whole thing.” Liam put in.

They walked across the Campsite trekked and up da-Luna.

“I don’t see you at full-moon parties much, Danny. Where ya been hidin’?” Will asked to fill the time.

“Not my scene. Hang out at home a lot, work where I can, pay the rent.”

“You keeping up with it?” Liam asked.

“Barely. But we get by.” Danny looked up and nodded to Liam as he spoke, thanking him for his concern.

They were describing the hilarity of Lorene and Quinn’s faces when they had quit to Danny when they reached the top. Liam and Danny sat down in the grass. Will sat on the rock embedded in the hillside.

A fierce howl ripped the air and the three looked around. Will was the first to spot it, pointing it out to the others. The moon was just barely visible, as the sun was setting, and on the moon, the White Wolf wore a crazed and greedy look.

“Wh- What is that thing?” Danny asked.

Will had never heard fear in Danny’s voice before, it sounded so out of character, and he didn’t like it. Will got up and Liam helped Danny to his feet.

“Just stay back Danny,” Will said.

Liam ushered him back and stood beside Will.

“We should go get Warren.”

“To bloody right, lets go.”

Just then they were stunned as the Wolf leapt out at them, landing from a silver breeze on the grass as if the moon itself had been mere feet away. It was huge, and hungry.

“RUN!” Will cried.

They all turned and jumped over the edge of the hill, changing into their wolf forms before their paws hit the dirt. In a blinding white flash, the Wolf was chasing them. It had a head, front legs and a torso, but the rest of it was a speeding trail of silver dust.

They ran. They’d never ran faster in their lives. At their heels, the White Wolf clawed at them, sending silver-blue ripples through the night air which cut into their skin, staining their fur with blood and making them cry out.

As they crossed the bridge, one wolf was slightly behind the others, and the White Wolf pounced on him. There was another white flash and the other two wolves were sent hurtling forward off their paws, landing heavily on the flat grass near the fire. They shook themselves off, but both were unsteady and unable to stand. They stared helplessly at the Wolf who had been made flesh using their friend’s body. The pain was as blinding as the flashes had been, as they were cut and slashed by possessed and furious paws, their screams of agony echoing through the portal to the Wolf Club.

Will awoke some hours later. His heartbeat pounded gently in his ears, so at least he was alive. Not that it would have mattered much if he’d died, he was pretty sure his vampire blood would keep him ‘alive’ even if his heart stopped.

He tried to lift his head to look around, but he felt so light-headed that he had to give up. Instead he groaned and turned his head on the pillow to see his surroundings. Everything was hazy, and his memory was worse, but he recognised the hospital.

It was a long room with a two-doored entrance at the end nearest him. He was on one of several beds in a row the length of one wall. Opposite them was the office area where the doctor worked. He could barely make out Liam’s furry, brown, sleeping body a few beds over, and Danny on a special bed surrounded by monitoring equipment in the corner. A man in a white coat and grey-blue uniform appeared in his vision and checked on Danny.

“Doc!” Will croaked, reaching out with a blurry paw.

Looking up, the doctor came closer and his features became less distorted. He was almost completely bald, with a little black hair, and a round, concerned, yet smiling face.

“How are you feeling, Mr. Somerville?”

“Like I was hit by a truck.” He sighed. “A little dizzy, and I can’t see too well.”

“This should help.”

The doctor put a futuristic needle to his fur and injected him with something. His head and vision cleared.

“Thanks, that’s better.”

He now recognised the man as the chief doctor. Usually he and Will didn’t get along very well, but he supposed they wouldn’t be arguing this time.

“What happened?” Will asked, now able to sit up.

“You were attacked.”

“Liam? Danny?”

“Asleep and stable. Do you remember anything?”

Will thought. “Just-”

He faltered as the pain of a wound hit him. The doctor noticed and checked the bandage as Will continued.

“Just than we were up da-Luna, the White Wolf chased us,” he paused again, thinking, “I felt, I felt like I was thrown forward, everything was spinning, then something was clawing at me. The pain was so unbelievable I guess I passed out.”

“You were all found unconscious by your friends in the band. Liam told me about the same thing, but Danny suffered some pretty serious head trauma and I haven’t had a chance to question him yet.”

“Why are we all still in wolf form?”

“You were all mauled very badly, I didn’t want to risk changing you back until you were fully recuperated.”

The doors opened and a she-wolf stepped in.

“Will!”

“Anna.”

The doctor left to check Danny while Anna leapt up onto the bed and hugged him. He winced from his wounds, but he didn’t care about the pain, and hugged her back.

“Don’t you ever do that to me again.” she sniffed.

“Sssh, I’m ok, it’s alright.”

“What the hell happened to you, Will? What attacked you?”

Her eyes were red and teary, and he brushed the tears from her fur gently as he replied.

“It’s called the White Wolf. Warren knows about it. It’s trapped in the moon, or rather we thought it was.”

“Warren knew? Oh I am so gonna kill him.”

Will smiled at her pouty determined look.

“If he’d thought it was really dangerous, I’m sure he would have told us. He said not to go up da-Luna, we should have listened.”

He looked sadly at Danny.

“This was my fault, poor kid.”

Anna nuzzled him.

“Don’t blame yourself, sweetie; you didn’t know he would get hurt. We really should have a talk with Warren though, one involving you holding him and me punching him. If he knew about this thing he should have at least, he, he should, oh I don’t know! But I’m pissed off, I’ll tell you that much. What if Kristien had been playing up there? I’m gonna kick Warren’s ass for this.”

Will looked at her glumly. He knew she had a point, but he supposed he should talk to Warren rather than let Anna pummel him. It was time for the truth to come out.

Will and Liam were discharged the next day. After the doctor called in Warren for more information, it was thought that Danny -through no fault of his own- had somehow been involved with the attack, having suffered more internal than external injuries.

Will wandered into the Campsite and sat at the edge of the river. Will felt he needed to return here as soon as possible, but he was not planning on crossing the river for a long time, just to make sure. The sky was beautiful; it was dusk and that cursed moon was growing brighter against the ever-darkening sky. He disliked that he now looked at the moon with the same distain as Warren.

It had been an ugly scene when Warren arrived at the hospital. It had taken both Will and Liam to hold Anna back. The doctor had recommended a sedative. Eventually she was asked to leave.

As he leant down and began to drink, he sensed a presence. He looked up and was shocked to see the White Wolf sitting across the river from him. He turned to run when it called

“Wait! Please!”

Cautious yet intrigued, Will turned, but he felt a sting in his remaining wounds, telling him to run.

“What?” he asked suspiciously, muscles tensed for flight.

“Come.” it beckoned, waving a golden-glowing paw to accompany its commanding voice.

Will stood his ground.

The Wolf sighed. “I cannot harm you unless you tread on the sacred ledge.” He inclined his head towards the rock in the hillside.

Curious, Will decided to follow him to the hilltop, but gave the rock a wide birth.

“What do you want?” he asked impatiently as they reached the top.

“I have to say that I am deeply sorry for harming you and your fellows, but I needed the blood to re-energise me.”

“Most people use coffee.” Will said boldly.

“You mock me,” it growled, “but no matter. I could not have you taken away from me, that’s why I had to harm you too, and frame young Danny.”

“Frame?” Will puzzled. “You mean, it was me?”

The Wolf’s laugh was chilling.

“Yes Brother, for I found a match ‘tween our bloods. I must say I am surprised that my counterpart was not pure-blood, but you will have to do.”

It advanced on him; the Wolf was nearly twice his size, and Will backed away.

“I’ll have to do for what?”

The Wolf kept pace, step for step… as Will neared the ledge.

“Why, for my vessel of course. Do not fret, it will only hurt if you resist Brother”

A wicked smile spread across its face as Will felt his paws meet stone.

“NO!”

Will covered his face with his paws as in a flash the White Wolf became one with him.

The two rolled down the hill as one wolf until the river came up to meet him.

The wolf lay there in a heap for a second, then groaned and took a shaky choking breath, staggering to his feet.

It was so dark where Will was. He felt like he was in a small dark room, or a cramped tunnel. He could see light at the end of the tunnel though, the light coming in through his eyes. He struggled towards it to see what was happening.

Panting heavily from his ordeal, the wolf looked at his reflection in the river. Will tried to gasp in horror, but he wasn’t in control of his lungs anymore. He wasn’t in control of any of him anymore. Will had expected to see his own reflection, but the White Wolf’s face appeared in the water. A laugh Will had not intended rose from his jaws. William was now merely a vessel, just as the Wolf had said.

‘Ah. What a strong body you have, Brother. It will do very nicely. Is it was fast as it is strong? I caught you all too easily the last time.’ The Wolf thought to him.

It hesitated at the bridge.

‘Do you know why the river is here, Brother? It was supposed to keep me on the hill, incase someone freed me like you did when you and Liam brought young Danny here. However I have grown stronger that the Goddesses ever could have expected, I learned to fly.’

He cackled to himself, and put a tentative paw on the old wood. He paused, then laughed maniacally.

‘It would seem your body has fooled their spell, Brother.’

It took off towards the portal at a determined pace. Will felt his heart beat faster with excitement, but it wasn’t his excitement.

He could do nothing but watch as the White Wolf swept the Reality like a plague, killing everyone as he went. It was a blur of terrified faces Will would never forget. Screams. Such horrified screaming. No, please not the children. Oh the blood; it sprayed the walls red. He consumed and destroyed everything. On frequent occasions, Will begged him to stop, but was silenced and pushed further down into his own subconscious. He struggled forwards again only to see women and children, crying lout desperately for help that never came. Not even in his vampire days had Will caused so much death.

And then, Kristien.

“MOM!” she cried, and ran.

No. He couldn’t let him.

Will lashed out from inside at the dark walls of his tunnel with all his might and the White Wolf gave a howl of pain. Kristien and her mother fled. But the Wolf was not distracted for long. He gave chase and cornered them outside the Wolf Club. They were the only ones left alive.

Anna pulled Kristien close and covered her eyes.

“Don’t look, honey.” She sobbed.

‘This is the end of your rampage, ‘Brother’.’ Will thought to him.

The Wolf simply laughed. ‘You think you can stop me? I am older than your race! I am more powerful than you can possibly understand. I created half-wolves and were-wolves, they came from my blood. You, are, NOTHING!’ it screeched.

Will pulled together all his determination, strength and love for his family. He closed his eyes tight and focused. He felt himself grow larger and push at the walls.

“NO! STOP!” the Wolf cried in pain.

Will felt his arteries want to burst, his head want to explode, his heart beating with all its might. Will felt his muscles tense, heard Anna and Kristien breathing hard in front of him. He opened his eyes; he was back in control, but he could feel the White Wolf well up within him and he knew he wouldn’t be able to hold him back for long. He looked in Kristien’s hopeful eyes, threw back his head, and howled.

The howl rippled through space and time, and forced the White Wolf out through his mouth.

“NO!” it screeched defiantly, but to no avail.

The Wolf was pulled upwards, spiralling into a portal of light above Will’s head, and disappeared. But the howl did more than that. The portal opened wider until everything was bathed in white light. People began to wake from their death as if from sleep, all their wounds healed. Kristien was the first to howl with him, then Anna, then each of the wolves as they were revived, sending the white light everywhere and to everyone.

Will ceased, the portal closed, and he collapsed. He was barely aware of events for a while after that. Days bled into one another. His vision was bright and blurry, hurting his eyes and obscuring the figures of his family, friends and caregivers. His hearing made voices muffled, and his painful ears could not decipher their complex mumbling.

All he remembered thinking, as he lay there on the ever-darkening ground of Reality One, before he lost consciousness and was made to live through those agonising days in the hospital until he recovered, were four, simple, repetitive words:

‘What have I done?’