Amelia

I have been in survival mode for a while now. The emotional strain. The physical exertion. The lack of food. The utter confusion about what is happening to me and where I am going. Today has been an emotional rollercoaster. Our morning started out amazingly, meeting these 3 werewolves, after so much looking. Having so many of our questions answered in one morning. Then seeing a person transform into a massive wolf in front of my eyes. It was all going amazingly. 

Then that happened, whatever that was that happened to Lucas. I could never imagine such an horrific sight. I would be screaming and crying for him to be better, yelling at him not to leave me, but I am numb. I am too exhausted, and I am still processing all the possibilities in the world, or impossibilities.

These three women in front of me would have been an impossibility yesterday, and I am not talking about the way they change into massive wolves. Their physical appearance is almost overwhelming to behold. Maybe if you met one of them by themselves, you would be a bit taken aback by her ethereal beauty, but the three of them together really tells me I have entered into another world.

I couldn't say if one was more beautiful than the other. In the human world Connie would be considered albino, and I wonder if that is common in the werewolf world, or equally as rare as it is in my world, my old world. She has Chinese features, with straight, thick, white hair that hangs below her mid back. I find it hard not to stare at her Violet eyes, that are almond shaped and framed with dark lashes, the only sign of pigmentation on her flawless features. Her entire presence is so calm and inviting.

With an equally inviting and calming presence, but with completely contrasting looks, there's Adi, who has the darkest midnight coloured skin I have ever seen, with irises that match her pupils, her ulotrichous hair spirals all the way down past her mid back, and her warm smile could easily have me spilling all my secrets.

Oli's presence is not as strong as the other two, but she still radiates kindness and beauty in a way you would never experience in the human world. And the three of them give each other an equal amount of respect. Oli has the looks of a Polynesian supermodel, with golden skin, long dark brown hair, and deep brown eyes. She is that girl that all the boys want to take to prom.

Oli's words snap me out of my thoughts. 

"I can't be sure how often to give Lucas a top up of poppy, If he was fully bonded with his wolf, he would need a lot more, but if his wolf isn't able to burn it off quick enough we could overdose him, which could cause respiratory depression," Oli tells all of us.

"Are you like a werewolf doctor, Oli?" I asked.

"O, No. I came from a long line of medical scientists and pack doctors. I did start training as a healer, but transferred to leadership training when I came into my wolf. I know enough to be our little group's healer, while we are on the road," she answers. "We will have to watch Lucas to see when he starts showing signs of pain again, then we will give him a top up. A full-grown werewolf will take around 1 hour to burn it off, a human would take more than 2 hours, so we will have at least 1 hour before he needs more," she said.

"I will sit with him while you hunt, Oli. Then we can swap," Adi says. Oli nods, in agreement.

"If we find a big kill, we will bring something back for you, Adi," said Connie.

Then Connie and Oli disappear into the woods. Adi turns to me. "When we want to travel light, we transform into our wolves and hunt, fresh kill tastes great when you are a wolf!" she tells me.

Lucas stirred and Adi caringly put her hand on his shoulder, calming him instantly.

"Adi ? Those women we met this morning, at the tree lines, who were they? And why would they not let Lucas pass? They said no men?" I had this question in my head all day.

"That was the border of our pack territory, the Valley of The Goddess. It is a beautiful pack, all women are welcome, if they require refuge. But to keep everyone safe, we don't allow outside men to enter, it's too risky. Those werewolves were warriors, protecting the border from anyone wanting to enter," Adi explained.

"So, do you all hate men, then?" I asked, somewhat concerned about their intentions with Lucas.

"No, not at all. Men live in our pack, and they are well respected pack members, but they are not allowed to do any fight training, at all, or work in leadership positions. It's believed that their affinity for aggression is a risk to the safety of the pack. It's been that way for centuries, and our pack has been the most peaceful pack since it was founded centuries ago," Adi explained.

"Are you the Alpha?" The question has been burning at me since they explained what an Alpha is.

"No, I am a warrior. I am the head warrior. The Valley doesn't select their Alpha like other packs do, they don't need to have Alpha blood or strong aura, or any of that. The Valley values intelligence and compassion, for leadership traits. That's why Oli and Connie are both in leadership training, because of their intelligence. I am the lead warrior because I have good negotiation skills and can avoid a fight, we don't value violence at all," she says.

"So you're a warrior, but you haven't learnt how to fight?"

"O, haha, no. We train twice a day, we definitely learn how to fight. But we won't be rewarded for our fighting skills. We are recognised for our ability to avoid a fight" she says. "Don't worry, we will do everything we can to help Lucas. Kindness and compassion are at the core of all our beliefs," she said, as though she could read my mind.

"Thank you," I said, then I pulled out the bag of jerky Adi gave me this morning and started eating.

It wasn't long before the brown wolf and white wolf reappeared, carrying a medium sized deer in their jaws. The brown wolf had the unfortunate deer's nape in its mouth, while the white wolf was carrying it by a large mouth full of flesh, at the back. I watched quietly as the three of them devoured the entire deer, then buried the remains in a shallow hole. I wasn't as disgusted as I thought I would be. On the contrary, it seemed like the most natural thing.

They transformed back into humans and put their clothes on.

"We would usually sleep as wolves to keep warm, but we will light a fire and keep you company for a while," Connie says. Adi started a fire and we all huddled around, keeping our attention on Lucas, to see how long until the medication wears off.

"How well do you know Lucas, Amelia?" Oli asked me.

"We just met about 2 weeks ago. But we have told each other everything. We couldn't believe we found each other, we bonded quickly and confided in each other within a few days," I told them truthfully.

"It is terrible that he hasn't had his blood ceremony yet, at his age. A wolf would usually go looking for a pack long before this, like you are doing Amelia. We thought Lucas was the same age as you. A male wolf is usually much larger by his age, once they bond with their wolf, they grow a lot in that year. I know his story is not yours to tell, but it might help us to look after him, if we know how this has happened to him," Oli says.

I sighed. She is right, it is not my story to tell, but I want Lucas to get the help he needs. I think he will be happy for these ladies to know his story, after they have been so open and welcoming towards us.

"Lucas started hearing his wolf after he turned sixteen, just like me. But he told his mother about it, he was scared something was wrong with him. His parents took him to doctors, and psychiatrists. They diagnosed him with schizophrenia and gave him medication. He said he could still hear his wolf, but it was different, his wolf sounded depressed and distant. This went on for more than eighteen months before he decided he couldn't do it anymore. He started flushing his medication down the sink. Eventually his parents discovered what he was doing, and he was admitted to a psych ward. A young nurse there left a door open, so he ran, came straight out here to the wolf territories, to look for people like himself. That's when I met him. I saw him and my wolf told me he was like me, and I should talk to him. He was still confused about whether he should believe his wolf or his doctors. He said he was so relieved when I told him I was going through the same thing," I told the three women as they listened intently.

"That explains a lot. I have read that wolves can become very withdrawn if they are rejected by their human counterparts. Poor Lucas, that would have been horrible to go through," Connie says.

"It also explains why he looks much younger than he is, a male wolf at his age would usually be much broader in the shoulders and arms. But as he hasn't had a shift yet, I guess his body hasn't matured normally," Oli says while focusing her gaze on Lucas.

They took turns watching over Lucas, one watched while the other two slept. Finally, in the early hours of the morning, it looked as though Lucas had fully transformed into his human self and all his broken bones had moved back into alignment. His groans of pain disappeared, and he appeared to be in a comfortable deep sleep. Oli said we shouldn't need to keep watching him. They slept close to us in their wolf forms, the warmth coming from them helped me to have the most comfortable sleep I have had in weeks.