Oath of the Hunter

3 - Duty

Rowan

River's words are weighted, carrying with them a swirling fog of dread and despair. As Matteo swallows uncomfortably at his cryptic words, my focus snags on movement in the woods.

Four wolves come trotting out from the mass of emerald and umber bushes, yipping and shaking and snapping at one another playfully. Kay, Lachlan, Beau and Morgan spent the night patrolling the borders of the territory, making sure our hold over Crescent Valley is unshakeable. As they notice us, their tails wag and they come wandering over to greet us, bleary but eager.

The connection between a werewolf's human and wolf form differs between us all. My wolf is an extension— he is both me and something other. When I shift, he takes the majority of control, and when I am in my human form, he is present in echoes. I was born a werewolf, and now his presence is as natural as my own, as natural as breathing. I can't imagine living without him.

For the bitten, for those who have already established themselves as humans only to have this life forced upon them, the connection is different. It must be a strange sensation, I muse, to live a life without a wolf snuffling through their thoughts and scratching at their confines to be let out. Over many late nights, Beau and Kay have tried their best to explain what it feels like to the rest of us. They are not Beau-and-Kay in wolf form— they are simply Beau, and Beau's wolf, or Kay, and Kay's wolf. Two separate entities altogether.

They described their wolves as not an extension of themselves, but something else. A guide; a guardian; a soothing presence. Kay's wolf has mottled grey and black fur— a separate being, graceful and devout to protecting them and our pack. Beau's wolf is a bounding, eager yet nimble creature with more brown tones to his fur— a breath of fresh air always seeking the greater good. He is an exceptional beta because he sees everything differently. There are no bad situations in his eyes, and no challenge he won't endeavour to handle— hence why he calls River 'stray' even though he's risking invoking his wrath.

Not far behind him is Morgan's wolf, a lithe, willowy creature with dark grey fur and golden eyes sparking with something caught between adoration and begrudging acceptance when Beau's wolf darts towards her in an effort to coax her into giving chase. Having been mated for a while, now, she's used to his antics.

Lachlan's wolf is a little larger than the rest, with ashy undertones and strength rippling from his form. He shakes out his fur and flicks his ears as he trots over, leading the group back home after another successful patrol; a gamma wolf always on duty.

"How'd it go?" I call to them.

At once, their golden gazes snap to me. Ears flick, tails wag, and I'm offered four yips roughly translating to: very well.

Up until very recently, River saw wolves as threats, and I know even now he struggles to set aside that instinct. He watches their approach, his eyes narrowing a fraction as he assesses them— perhaps checking for any threatening behaviour or for weak points just in case.

I decide it's best if we don't test his newfound trust to its limits and instead offer him a little escape route from their approach. Besides, with our inner circle back, Matteo's decision has an impact on us all, and they deserve to know.

"We'll be in the office when you're ready," I tell the others. "Teo's got some news."

As the wolves yip assent, River catches my gaze knowingly and leads the way back inside, a little smile twitching at his lips.

– ➶ –

It's not long at all before Beau explodes into the room in that energetic, buoyant way of his, tugging his fingers through his tousled auburn hair and yawning. Morgan, Lachlan and Kay aren't far behind, each of them in varying states of disarray as they adjust clothes and shake out lingering stiffness from their limbs and mess with their hair.