The Way of the Wolves

6- Waiting

Elora and Eric walked through the woods together on the path side by side. In silence. Eric constantly opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. Until he finally found his voice.

"how... what...So, tell me about your kind, and about this mate thing." he said not really sure what to say.

"I asked my father the same question when I was young," She smiled.

"Well, we are large wolves that can disguise ourselves to look like human but when we are out of control our wolf takes over and will kill. My parents were the alpha, king of our pack, making me next in line. But to be the Alpha you must have a mate. If I was able to find my mate I would have become alpha in exactly six months, when I turn 18. So if you really are my mate then you would have to have some werewolf in your blood and.." she started but then Eric stopped walking and turned to look at her.

"So what your saying is that I am a werewolf?" He asked with a disbelieved look on his face.

"Well there is a way to find out." She told him, starting to walk again in the other direction. "Follow me." she said as a very strong command.

"Are you always this bossy?" Eric asked Elora. "You should meet my father." When Elora said this she almost laughed remembering him. she stopped walking and teas filled her eyes.

" I'm sorry if I-"

"Not your fault." she said and started off at a light jog. Eric followed her suit.

Soon Elora stopped at the bank of a river that glowed blue and light purple. Fog covered the ground around them. Eric jogged up behind Elora breathing deeply. When Eric saw the river he gasped.

"Magic." He whispered.

"Good, you've heard of it." Elora giggled at the surprised look Eric had on his face.

This was the first time Eric herd Elora laugh and it made him want to kiss her.

Elora laughed harder when he continued to stare at her, then reality came back to her and she put on a serious face. She stood there and stared a minute longer and then turned to face the river. It sparkled and shimmered. Eric thought it was beautiful. "So what exactly does this kind of magic do?" Eric asked walking up next to Elora. He wanted to take her hand and carry her off into the forest. But that would be weird, so he didn't.

" It shows you what you look like in the inside. If you are a wolf it will show a figure of one. If you are not a werewolf then it will show a human. Get it?" She said, trying not to laugh at his expression. She smiled and looked to the ground as she swirled her foot around on it, then she quickly remembered that that shows vulnerability and lifted her head up to look at him.

When Eric saw Elora look down at the ground he felt something urge to be let out. But he quickly pushed it away and instead took slow, measured steps toward Elora.

"Ok. let's get this done." Elora said wanting to look down at the ground again but forced herself not to.

"I have a good feeling about this." Elora walked toward the water without turning her back toward Eric-Never turn your back to another wolf.

Elora took out her knife and began to chant:

Water in the enchanted river,

hear me now and show the inside of my mate

shiver upon the stars and take out hate

show me the inside of him

is he wolf or is he not

take my blood and tell me what I've got

shimmer, shine and show.

When she was done she cut her hand a small line of bright red blood fell in three perfect drops then she looked over at Eric and motioned for him to come closer. When he was close enough to touch then she cut his hand with her knife and held it over the water and out came three drops that fell into the water and it turned red. The colour spread slowly throughout the whole river and here the drops fell came many lines that hit Eric in the chest and then a bright light shone. The light was so bright that Elora covered her eyes so that it wouldn't burn her retinas. then the light dimed and she watched in amazement as she watched what lay before her eyes.

In the light that came from Eric's chest became pictures of various different objects. First came a picture of two wolves with a small grey wolf and they pranced around a meadow together. Then a group of men came out from behind trees and shot the parents dead. The little pup stayed hidden in the grass until he changed back into a human. the men came over to grab the parents and they saw the little boy sitting in the grass. By himself. The men talked until Eric's dad came into view and he picked up the boy and he commanded his men something. The light went out and then a picture of Eric's dad and another woman holding the little boy came in view they laughed and laughed. The light went out again and this time it showed the woman who used to be holding the little wolf pup being buried in a grave.

It showed the king breaking things and yelling and even killing. The light went out one more time and it showed the king getting married to Eric's mother and then a close up of the little boy that was found in the meadow grow older and older until it turned out to be Eric.

Eric and Elora stood silently for awhile until Eric spoke up, his voice shaking.

"My father killed my parents." He said this so quietly that Elora had to use her wolf hearing to hear him.

"I'm so sorry." She tried to comfort him. Elora was just about to grab his hand but an image in the river showed Elora and Eric as mates, underneath the picture shown the words, Elora and Ejan . They wore the same clothes they did now.

Eric didn't see this he grabbed his hair in frustration.

"HE KILLED MY PARENTS! I'M A WEREWOLF?" When he said this his voice rose louder and louder with every word until it softened and he started to cry. He sat down on the ground and a stunned Elora walked over to him. Seeing him heartbroken felt like a knife in the gut.

"I had a feeling you were my mate but it hadn't really sunk in I guess." she said sitting down next to him after scanning the tree line for danger.

"I'm you mate?" he said between sniffles. "Can you please explain to me what just happened?" he asked a tear slipping from his eye. Elora brushed it away and began to talk.

"According to the river you are full werewolf. your parents were once alphas and you were there son, first born and only. The king was married to another woman at the time and saw you in the meadow. He thought the wolves had probably stolen you since you were in human form. Your father then took you home and raised you but then your fathers wife died and he fell apart making a rule that all women were useless and didn't have a right. I'm not sure why he decided to make that law though. Your father then remarried and then raised you. Leaving you and him believing that you are only human since you forgot how to shift. Anyway I also saw an image in the river." she took his chin gently and raised it up so that their eyes met and took a deep breath in. "We are mates." she smiled and Eric couldn't believe how beautiful she was.

Eric's eyes grew big at Elora 's news.