Wolf Pack (Book 1 of Astara)

12. Ceos

The wagon rumbled into Ceos, a sombre mood present in its passengers. They were missing two of their own.

Danuva had delayed the journey for two days, insisting they scour the entirety of his property to find Elias. To no avail. Finally, Quarian voiced the thought that the neko had simply run off. He had been a slave, and he had been bought by Danuva. It was entirely possible he had fled what he saw as yet another owner.

Danuva had nearly bitten off Quarian's head when he suggested it. They had been nothing if not kind to the neko, and he had told Elias he was a free man.

The more Danuva thought about it, the more he realized Quarian had a point. Elias was a free man now. If he didn't want to stay with them, then he was free to leave. But it hurt to realize that Elias hadn't even wanted to say goodbye to the man.

Beside the human, Quarian trembled as they unhooked the cart. Danuva recognised the signs; the full moon was nearly upon them. Reaching into his pocket, he fingered the vial Masia had given him. The two werewolves would be in their own rooms, the humans separated from them by a wall. Danuva had the task of giving a drop of tincture to the wolves before the moon hit them.

His own stomach churned wildly, and Danuva decided to have dinner sent to the room. He had no desire to eat with the others. Even after two and a half weeks, Elias' absence tore at him. He couldn't help but feel something had gone horribly wrong.

Taking the key as soon as Paelius paid for the room, Danuva handed a few coppers to the innkeeper, requesting a meal. He made his way to the room and closed the door quietly, laying in the bed to wait for his supper.

"He had feelings for the neko, beyond simple friendship," Masia said, biting through a sausage.

"I don't think he did. Danuva is quick to make friends, but he doesn't fall in love in two days," Quarian denied. "Either way, I do not like seeing him so... depressed."

Paelius ignored his companions' conversation, his mind miles away. He could feel his wolf inside him, growing ever more agitated by the minute. This was only his fourth month as a werewolf, and though he had grown somewhat used to the feeling of an alien being within him, he dreaded the forceful change that occurred with each passing full moon.

If the potion Masia had shown them prevented them from shifting, he would be able to return to Mydara, no longer a prisoner of this curse. He would still attack Te Hara pei Arudan, because it would help his father, but after, he would return from exile and take his place as the crown prince once more.

His body shuddered and Quarian grunted beside him. Meeting the werewolf's gaze, he recieved a nod.

"Head upstairs five minutes after us, just to be on the safe side," he told Masia before he and Quarian fled from the room.

Pounding on Danuva's door, Quarian called for his brother. The human opened the door and bade the two to stick out their tongues. Letting a drop of the green tincture fall on their tongues, he quickly closed the door again, leaving the werewolves to enter their own room.

Paelius opened the door to their chamber, gagging at the bitter taste of the potion. He waited for Quarian to enter before closing the door and setting a deadbolt in place.

Quarian immediately claimed the bed, sitting cross-legged on the straw mattress. Paelius sat against the door and stared at the man.

"I don't feel any different," Quarian said after a minute of silence.

"Neither do I. I can feel the moon's pull still," Paelius sighed.

"It's lessened though... Almost muted," Quarian said contemplatively.