Chasing Wolves (completed)

Epilogue Alisandra

Epilogue

Ten years later

Alisandra

Suddenly hearing the rustling of a ton of tulle, I cower back against Aunt Em's legs, trying to hide as much as possible. It's futile, though, and Gwen pulls up the back of the skirt I've been hiding under. "Found you!" She giggles, smirking, and holds out her hand to help me up.

As soon as my hand touches hers I launch myself at her, pulling her hand to my mouth and biting her hard. She squeals, letting go and clutching her already healed hand, a little blood showing through her fingers. "What was that for?!"

"You cheated!"

"I did not! You can't prove anything!"

"You must have, there's no way you would have known to look in Aunt Em's wedding dress! You used your power! It's not fair!" I know I sound childish, and really I am only seven, but we agreed to never use our powers to find each other during hide and seek.

I look to Aunt Em, Aunt Kate, and Aunt Meg, trying to get some sympathy or anything, but they're all ignoring us. They're used to our antics and have learned long ago just to block us out. That's why Aunt Em didn't mind when I hid under her skirt.

Aunt Kate's only here because she was asked to make Aunt Em's wedding dress; she's the only one of the adults that can sew with any real talent, and she and Uncle Ra came all the way here from New York with their new baby, Jenna.

No one knows what Jenna will be, either a Wolf or an Arctic Fox, and we won't be able to find out until she turns eight.

Deciding to get a third opinion somewhere else, I drag Gwen out of the house and towards where mom and dad are, Jenna in mom's arms as she tells dad where to put a bouquet of wild flowers. Jack intercepts us, his cutlass drawn as he stops us, and pouts as he looks at Gwen. "Oh, you found her. I guess you win."

I scowl, "oh no she doesn't! She used her power and cheated! She forfeits!"

He smiles, "awesome, that means I win!" Jack is much taller than us, him being ten and three years older than us, and he's been given his weapon already.

Once we're nine and we can prove we know how to use then, we'll both get one of mama's gold daggers. According to Aunt Meg, mama's daggers used to belong to her little brother, Jack's biological uncle, that was killed by a vampire when he was sixteen.

"You do not! I do. You didn't find me and she cheated: I win." I turn to my twin, "and don't you dare tell him you didn't, there's no other way you could have found me under Aunt Em's skirt."

Jack bursts out laughing. "Wait, where did you hide?! Priceless! Oh yeah, Gwen, you totally cheated!"

I smile, "thank you! At least someone's on my side."

All of us deciding to stop playing hide and seek (or at least our version of it, where one person hides and whoever finds them first is the winner. It's kind of like sardines but not) we all lay on the hill and watch clouds. Technically we should all be getting ready for the ceremony but none of us want to dress up, postponing the inevitable for as long as possible.

Hearing something move through the grass at the bottom of the hill, I sit up to see a man walking towards us. Not knowing what to do (we've never encountered strangers before, not surprising, considering we live smack dab in the middle of nowhere), we all run to mom and dad, Gwen and I hiding behind her full, light pink skirt.

Mom looks the same as when she left high school (I know because I've seen pictures of her and daddy when they were still dating); with super long straight red hair, a flawless complexion, and her ever present corset and long skirt. She says she dresses like this because it's so comfortable, but I think it's kind of impractical. Imagine having to fight in it. Ridiculous.

The man approaches us, revealing himself to be about middle aged, with white hair and pink eyes. At first I think he's a vampire, but vampires have red eyes, not pink. What is he? I look over to Jack to gauge his reaction and see his hand on the hilt of his cutlass, ready for anything.

The man ignores us children completely, instead introducing himself to our parents. "Hello, my name is Frederic Depardon, is Emilia around anywhere? I was told this is where she was living."

Mom steps forward, a wary expression on her face as she asks, "and whom, pray tell, told you that?"

"An old friend of mine, Vlain Broikjehnsavath."

She and daddy both are surprised. "You know Vlain?"

"Yes, we've been friends for ages. How do you know him?"

"He's a relative of mine, an extremely distant relative."

A glint of recognition shows in his eyes and he smiles, "you must be Isadora, I've been told much about you." Mama flushes and he smiles, "all good, I assure you."

She visibly relaxes, "yes, that is me, and by your last name I can only assume you're Em's father? Why have you just decided to come back now, why today of all days?"

He looks slightly hurt and I don't know why; I thought Aunt Em's dad was dead. "I had some... business to attend to and when I went back home both she and her mother were gone. I've spent all this time trying to find her. What's so different about today?"

"I'm surprised Vlain didn't tell you, he's always been such a gossip. It's her wedding day. She's getting married to her childhood sweetheart, Brad."

A giant grin splits his face and he nearly starts glowing. "What wonderful timing! One more thing before I go and find my daughter, if you don't mind, I've just been curious ever since hearing about you. How did you two meet?"

"What an unusual question. We actually met by accident when I was being chased by vampires. I rounded a corner and we just... ran into each other." Mama's practically laughing by the time she finishes talking.

"Actually, Kitty, you ran into me. Remember?" Dad steps forward and wraps his arm around her waist, giving her a tickle and apparently forgetting she can't feel much through the corset.

She pats his cheek, grinning as she tries to hold back giggles, "technicalities, honey, technicalities."
.

Thus concludes Chasing Wolves, the fourth and final book of the Corvus Chronicles.

Shout out from JC
Why yes, I did just introduce their children. To join in on the adventures of Alis, Gwen, and Jack, read Chanson de Sang!