She sensed his aura, spitting and hissing like a feral animal, she tasted it in Xander’s lips, she felt it in his arms, smelled it on him. When he finally drew away from her, Savannah was breathless and light headed, her thoughts reeling with a thousand different theories, none of which made any sense to her.
Her eyes saw flashes of light that contained short images that seemed to tell a story, but she could not slow them down enough to understand or decipher them. She stared into Xander’s eyes and they were completely unfathomable.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” Savannah replied.
“You look a little…shaky,” he said slowly, as though he was trying to figure her out, too. That, at least, gave Savannah some measure of comfort. If he remained a mystery to her, then she hoped she would be as difficult to decipher.
“Come on,” Xander said as he led her from the pool onto the shady bank underneath a massive tree. The shade provided some measure of coverage, but it was still cold.
“Sit down,” Xander directed.
The moment Savannah sat down, Xander slipped into place behind her, and wrapped his arms around her like a human blanket. Again, Savannah felt that tickling sense of warmth that was becoming familiar to her. It was a heat that seemed to radiate on her skin and inside her as well.
“We’ll be dry soon,” Xander assured her. “Then I can take you home.”
Savannah didn’t say anything. She didn’t mind sitting there a little longer. If she were being honest, she wouldn’t have minded spending the next few hours sitting beneath that tree with Xander’s arms wrapped around her, and her own senses rose to match the elated euphoria that surrounded her. She felt strangely exhilarated, as though she had jumped off a mountain and learnt she could fly.
“This place is perfect,” Savannah whispered. “People hike in this town, don’t they?”
Xander nodded. “They do.”
“Then how come no one has discovered this place apart from you?”
“There are marked hiking trails in the town,” Xander explained. “Hikers follow the trails; they don’t travel off course.”
“Never?”
“It’s happened once or twice,” Xander admitted. “But it’s a little dangerous to veer off the designated trail.”
“Why?”
“Because of the wolves.”
Savannah craned her neck back to glance at Xander. “I thought you said there were no wolves?”
“I said they hadn’t been seen in years,” Xander replied. “That doesn’t mean they’re not still around.”
Savannah felt a pinprick of fear in her gut. “Then should we be here at all?” she asked.
“Probably not,” Xander replied.
Savannah supressed a smile. “You’re not one for following the rules, are you?”
Xander was looking out into the lake. He seemed far away, immersed in thought. “You’d be surprised,” he said vaguely.
“What does that mean?” Savannah asked.
“It means things are more complicated in this town than you would believe,” Xander replied. He got up, then pulled Savannah up to her feet. “We should get going. It’ll be dark soon, and we shouldn’t still be in the woods.”
“Okay,” Savannah said. She stood and started to put on her clothes. She hated the thought of leaving the clearing, but she sensed the shift in Xander’s temperament. He was a little quieter, a little more watchful. There was no indication of this in his manner, but Savannah sensed it from his aura. She wanted to ask him about it, but knew he'd only avoid the question.
They walked down the trail back to where Xander had left his motorcycle, and then took her home. It was almost dark when they reached the house, but the lights were all on, so Savannah knew both of her parents were home. She got off the bike and passed the spare helmet back to Xander.
“Thank you,” she said, “for taking me to the clearing today.”
His expression was calm and serious, but he nodded in response. “I can pick you up tomorrow for school,” he said.
“Okay,” Savannah said, without hesitation.
He leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips. Again that familiar sense of heat rushed through her body in a slow burn.
“Goodnight, Savannah,” he said, before he turned his bike around and disappeared in a fog of smoke and dust. Savannah watched until he disappeared from sight. She still didn't understand him. For the first time, her senses seemed to be either blocked or confused.
One thing she knew for certain--this was no normal town.
And Xander was no normal boy.
Chapter Six
Savannah woke up earlier than necessary the next morning. She washed, put on her favorite pair of blue jeans, and paired it with a white knit sweater. She let her earthy brown hair hang loose around her face so that her hearing aid was completely hidden from view, grabbed her bag, and headed downstairs.
“Savannah?” her mother called from the kitchen.
Savannah followed the direction of her voice. “Morning, Mum,” she said. She spotted her father at the coffee maker. “Morning, Dad.”
“Morning, buttercup,” her father said with a wide smile. “You’re up a little earlier than usual. I’ll be done with my coffee in five, then I can take you to school.”
“Umm…I’m getting a ride, actually,” Savannah said hesitantly.
“You are?” her mother asked, setting down the newspaper in her hands. “You made some new friends?”
Savannah rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to sound so excited, Mum,” she said. “And I haven’t made friends, I made a friend, as in singular.”
“What’s her name?” her father asked. He was sitting at the breakfast table, coffee in hand.
“It’s a he,” Savannah replied, bracing herself for their reaction. “And his name is Xander.”
“Oh?” her mother said with renewed interest.
Her father’s smile grew wider and more teasing. “Xander, huh?” her father said. “He sounds like a hoodlum.”
She shot her father a glare and he chuckled in response. “I’m only teasing,” he said. “Sit down and have some breakfast before he gets here.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Eat something anyway,” her mother said, using her stern voice.
Savannah glanced at the time, but she sat down anyway, and took an apple from the fruit bowl sitting in the center of the table. Even without her heightened intuitiveness, Savannah would have been able to tell how curious her parents were. She knew they were trying to be calm and cool for her benefit, but she also sensed sense how surprised and happy they were that she had met someone.
Savannah wondered if their enthusiasm would falter if they knew about Xander’s motorbike. She decided she didn’t want to test them, so she took a bite of the apple to appease her mother, and rose from the table.
“You know what? I think I’ll wait for him outside.”
“Someone’s excited,” her mother said with a knowing smile.
“She is, isn’t she?” her father piped in. “Even her eyes seem a little bluer today.”
Savannah groaned at their easy back and forth.
“I noticed,” her mother said. She turned to Savannah. “Is he good looking?”
“Mum!” Savannah said. “I’m not excited. I just don’t want you guys embarrassing me, okay? I’ll see you guys after school.”
She left her parents in the kitchen and walked outside. She knew it was a little early, but she figured that if she walked down the road and waited a little, she'd see Xander coming on his bike. She was standing at the side of the road for five minutes when Xander showed up. He was wearing jeans, too, with a jacket thrown over a dark hoodie. He looked so carelessly handsome that Savannah had to remind herself to be calm.
“Hi,” he greeted, removing his helmet.
“Hi,” Savannah replied.
“Why are you standing all the way over there?”
“I thought this would be a good place to wait for you,” Savannah said.
Xander smiled. “You didn’t want your parents seeing me, did you?”
Savannah sighed. She should have known he’d see through her tory in an instant. “It was more that I didn’t want them seeing the bike.”
“Not motorbike enthusiasts then?”
“Not when their daughter is riding one,” Savannah said. She put on the spare helmet and climbed into place behind Xander.
They sped through the lonely streets of Grey Mountain, and Savannah closed her eyes, enjoying the wind blasting into her face. There was a sense of freedom in riding that you simply could not get any other way, and she understood why people loved bikes so much. It was possibly the closest thing to flying a person could get on land.
They arrived outside Grey Mountain High faster than Savannah would have liked. She hopped off the bike and passed her helmet over to Xander.
“You enjoyed that didn’t you?” Xander asked.
“I did.”
“More than yesterday,” Xander stated.
“How can you tell?” Savannah asked.
“It’s in your eyes,” he said simply. “You’re letting go a little--it’s a good thing. It means you’ll enjoy things more.”
Savannah was about to say something when a hit of hostility flew in her direction and she was suddenly aware of a number of eyes at her back. Apparently Xander had noticed something, too, because his back straightened tensely and his eyes narrowed infinitesimally. Savannah glanced around and noticed that Marissa was on the other side of the grounds with the same group of girls that had surrounded her the previous day.
She was not looking directly at Savannah or Xander, but Savannah knew they had been spotted, and that no one was happy about the fact they'd shown up at school together. She turned back to Xander. “I met Marissa yesterday,” she said, trying to sound casual. “Is she a friend of yours?”
Xander nodded. “She is.” “We’ve known each other for a very long time.”
“How long are we talking?” Savannah asked.
“Our parents were friends growing up,” Xander replied.
Savannah raised her eyebrows and glanced back at Marissa again. She had her back turned to them and all Savannah was able to see was the glossy, bright sheen of her blonde hair, combined with the brightness of her flaming aura.
“You aren’t…related to her, are you?” Savannah asked.
“No,” Xander said wrinkling his brows together. “What makes you think we are?”
“Nothing, really,” Savannah said. “It’s just that you guys seem to have certain…similarities. I don’t mean just you and Marissa, I mean the group of friends you have, too.”
Xander’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You think we’re all…alike?”
“Not alike,” Savannah hastened to clarify. “Just that you all seem to be very…similar.”
“In what way?” he pressed.
“I…I can’t describe it,” Savannah said, just as the first bell sounded off. She turned back to Xander. “My first class is history.”
“I have chemistry.”
“Okay, then…I guess I’ll see you afterwards?”
Xander nodded distractedly, as though he wasn’t really paying attention to what she was saying even though he was looking directly at her.
“Thank you for the ride here,” Savannah said, trying to figure out what was on his mind. She sensed the doubt in his aura and she wondered where it was coming from.
He nodded once in response, and then walked into Grey Mountain High without a backward glance. Savannah brushed off the strange moment and made her way to her first class. She walked through the door to find herself face to face with Marissa.
To Savannah’s amazement, Marissa gave her a smile. “Hello, Savannah,” she said. “How was your first day of school?”
“I…it was…nice,” Savannah said, stumbling over her words a little.
“The girls and I wanted to welcome you to Grey Mountain by taking you out yesterday, but you disappeared right after school ended,” she said. She was smiling pleasantly, but Savannah could sense an undercurrent to that smile. “Anyway, we’re going hiking this evening and we were hoping you would join us?”
Savannah was more than a little taken aback by the sudden turnaround, but she was forced to admit she was sorely tempted to accept. Still, she could not forget Marissa’s threat the previous day, which was still fresh in her mind.
“Considering I joined mid-term, I have lots of work to catch up on,” Savannah said. “I don’t think I can spare the time.”
“Oh, come on,” Marissa said. “I’ve looked at your transcripts, Savannah. You're a straight A student with a squeaky clean record. You’re probably ahead of all of us.”
“You’ve seen my transcripts?”
“My mother’s the principal,” Marissa said with a wink. “And she doesn’t always lock her office door.”
“Listen, it’s nice of you to offer--”
“I get why you’re a little…hesitant,” Marissa interrupted. “And I’m sorry about yesterday. I know I came on a little…strong-- I can be like that sometimes. But it’s only because I care about Xander. He got out of a bad relationship recently and he got his heart broken, and I don’t want to see that happen to him again. Still, it was wrong of me to make assumptions about you.”
Savannah wrinkled her eyebrows in confusion. “What makes you think he’s even interested in me?” Savannah asked. “I’d only just walked onto campus. We hadn’t even said two words to each other at the time.”
“When you’ve known someone for as long as Xander and I have known each other, you just sense things,” Marissa said. Savannah felt a little jolt at her choice of words. “I saw the way he looked at you yesterday and I just knew.”
“Knew what?”
“That he liked you,” Marissa replied calmly.
“So this has nothing to do with the fact that you and Xander are--”
“Oh, God, no,” Marissa said, laughing as she tossed her beautiful blonde hair away from her face. “He’s not my boyfriend and he never has been.” It was impossible for Savannah not to believe her. “So are we good now?” she asked. “Can we put this bit of awkwardness behind us?”
“I…sure,” Savannah said, biting down on her doubts and throwing them to the wind.
“Excellent,” Marissa said, looking genuinely happy. “Then it’s settled. Come on, I saved you a seat next to us.”
She led Savannah to the back row of the classroom where three other girls were sitting. “This is Bianca,” she said, pointing to a skinny, dark-skinned girl with brown hair, brown eyes, and exotic features. “This is Meryl,” Marissa said, looking toward the girl with unsettling jet-black hair, and large brown eyes.
“Finally, this is Suzanna,” Marissa introduced, nodding towards the short blonde girl with soft blue eyes, and freckles lining the bridge of her nose. “But everyone calls her Zanna.”
“Hi,” Savannah replied as they smiled at her.
“You wear a hearing aid, don’t you?” Meryl asked bluntly.
“Geez, Meryl,” Marissa said.
“What?” Meryl asked defensively. “I’m just asking a question.”
“No, it’s okay,” Savannah said quickly. “I don’t mind talking about it. Yes, I wear a hearing aid. I was born deaf.”
“Born deaf?” Zanna said with raised eyebrows. “That must have been hard.”
“Not really,” Savannah said with a shrug. “You don’t miss what you've never had.”
“But you can hear us fine, now?” Meryl asked.
Savannah nodded. “Because of my hearing aid, but even without it, I’m really good at reading lips.”
“Does that mean you know sign language?” Bianca asked.
Savannah nodded. “I could sign before I could speak.”
“Wow!” Meryl exclaimed. “And when did you start to hear sound?”
“Around the time I was fitted with my first hearing aid.”
“How old were you?” Zanna asked.
“Seven.”
“And how–"
“Guys!” Marissa interrupted. “Don’t make her feel like a monkey in the zoo. Let’s change the subject, shall we?”
The girls exchanged glances. “Sorry,” Zanna smiled. “We can get a little carried away sometimes.”
“No, that’s all right,” Savannah said quickly.
“In the spirit of changing the subject, how are you finding Grey Mountain, Savannah?” Bianca asked.
“I like it,” Savannah replied. “It’s different from any other place I’ve been to.”
“I bet.” Zanna laughed. “It’s boring as hell.”
They fell into an easy chatter and Savannah found herself enjoying the company far more than she would have imagined. She had never been a part of a group of girls before, and she was starting to understand what it was about. There was a camaraderie there that she had not experienced before. It made her feel like she belonged somewhere--it was a heady feeling.
Especially considering she had never felt as if she really belonged anywhere.
Chapter Seven
Savannah spent the rest of the day with Marissa and the girls. By the time the last bell had finally rung, any doubt she had about them were gone. They left school together, and Savannah couldn’t help but look around for Xander.
“Savannah?” Marissa’s voice cut through her thoughts. “Are you ready?”
“Oh, sure,” Savannah nodded. She got into the white car with the rest of the girls. “Do you hike often?” she asked as they started driving away from the high school.
Bianca nodded. “Almost every week together. Sometimes more when we’re on our own.”
“Wow,” Savannah said in a breathy voice. “You guys are really into hiking, then?”
Marissa nodded from behind the steering wheel. “Very much. All our parents were really into hiking when we were growing up, and I guess it rubbed off.”
“Except mine,” Meryl piped in. “My parents hate nature. I don’t know why they chose to settle down in this town.”
Savannah smiled. “Do you guys follow the regulated hiking paths?”
Zanna nodded. “We used to when we first started hiking together, but now we go off on our own a lot of the time. We know those woods like the backs of our hands.”
“Really?”
“Have you been to the glade yet?” Marissa asked. Her eyes caught Savannah’s in the rear-view mirror.
“The glade?” Savannah repeated, wondering if she should let on that Xander had taken her there.
“Yes…big clearing, high up on the mountains?” Marissa described. “There’s a perfect lake sitting in the center of it.”
Savannah nodded, having made a split-second decision. “I have been, actually.”
“Ah, so Xander did take you there.” Marissa smiled. “Well, it saves us from hiking all the way up there to show you. Did you like it?”
“It was perfect,” Savannah said. “I loved it.”
Savannah searched for some sense of jealousy or hostility coming from Marissa, but couldn’t seem to detect anything obvious. Her tone was calm and conversational, and the girls filled with car with a constant stream of chatter. It was the most noise Savannah had heard in a long time, and she couldn’t help but enjoy being at the center of it.
Marissa finally pulled up by the side of the road where a few parking spots had been drawn out for hikers. She parked the car and everyone got out, leaving all the books and bags in the vehicle.
“No one’s taking anything?” Savannah asked.
“We’ve got our cell phones on us,” Meryl replied. “That’s enough.”
“Do you have a cell phone?” Marissa asked.
“I do.” Savannah nodded as she patted her jeans pocket.
“Great.” Marissa smiled. “Then let’s get going.”
The trail was a little different from the one Savannah had traveled with Xander. It was less wild and less dangerous. There was a narrow, winding path that led up the hill, and far fewer trees, which meant there were far fewer animals as well.
Savannah struggled to keep up with the girls. Within the first five minutes it was obvious how practised they all were with hiking. They breezed up the first hill in a matter of minutes, leaving Savannah panting her way up, pain shooting up and down her sides.
“Guys, slow down,” Bianca said from the top. “Savannah isn’t as used to hiking as we are.”
They slowed down slightly, after Savannah was able to catch up faster. They kept walking for another half hour, and by the time the girls had finally decided to take a break, Savannah was truly exhausted. Her legs were hurting and she sat down with relief.
“I can’t believe you guys do every week,” she said, panting.
“You get used to it,” Zanna replied. “I would have thought you’d be okay, considering your hike with Xander yesterday--”
“Oh, I guess it was less strenuous than this one,” Savannah admitted.
“What else did you guys do?” Meryl asked.
“Nothing, really,” Savannah replied. “Just a short hike.”
Marissa was very quiet, and Savannah’s doubts started to creep back up to the surface. She looked up sharply and caught Marissa staring. She smiled slowly and her eyes softened, making Savannah wonder if she was just being paranoid.
“Savannah?” Marissa said, looking at her. “Do you like Xander?”
It was far more direct than Savannah had expected. Taken unawares she hesitated a little. “I…don’t know him all that well.”
“Yet you went off with him yesterday,” Marissa pointed out. “All alone.”
“Is there something I should know?” Savannah asked, uncomfortably aware of everyone’s eyes on her.
“This morning I told you only half the story,” Marissa said. “Xander is my friend. He did just get out of a bad relationship, and she did break his heart. What I didn’t mention was that he broke her heart right back.”
“What?”
Zanna spoke up before Marissa could. “What Marissa is trying to say is that Xander can be a little…temperamental. He can be a little…dangerous. He’s a typical bad boy and there’s no changing him. I’d be careful if I were you.”
“What exactly are you saying?” Savannah asked.
“The girl he was seeing? Her name was Zoe,” Marissa explained. “When she broke up with him? Well it hit him hard. He tried to convince her to take him back and when she refused, he got violent.”
“Violent?” Savannah gasped in disbelief.
“He didn’t actually hurt her,” Zanna clarified. “But he scared her pretty bad. She left town because of him.”
I looked around at all of them. “Is this true?”
Marissa sighed. “I’ve known Xander my whole life,” she said. “He’s a good guy, but he’s had a hard life. His father was…very volatile, and Xander suffered the most for it. It left him with…a few problems.”
Savannah remembered the scars etched across Xander’s chest and back and she felt a shiver run down her spine. She reminded herself of how fiery his aura had been, burning with passion and intensity. She had thought it had spoken more to his character than his temperament, but now she was not sure.
“I…I just can’t believe he would do something like that.” Savannah said.
“You yourself just said it, Savannah,” Marissa said with solemn eyes. “You don’t know him.”
I looked up at all of them, hoping that one person would refute the others and tell me it was a lie. I looked hard at Marissa, wondering if I should trust her. There was something about her that I simply could not place. She was like Xander in that way--they all were. All four girls had incredibly bright, burning auras, and she could sense something hidden beneath them, a motive that she was missing.
Savannah tried to make sense of it. If Marissa were jealous, she would have cause to taint Xander’s character so that Savannah would want to keep her distance, but why would her entire friend group be in on it, too, unless they were just that loyal.
“Savannah, I know this is a lot to process, but you need to understand that we’re looking out for you here,” Marissa said. “And Xander, too.”
“Perhaps he just needs someone to talk to,” Savannah said slowly.
“Don’t you think I’ve tried?” Marissa demanded. Savannah felt a wave of hostility billow towards her. She looked at Marissa and wondered if she had been blind to the obvious. Savannah wondered if she had let her desire to cloud her better judgement.
“Sometimes you just need to talk to a stranger,” Savannah said, wondering why she wasn’t backing down.
“He has me,” Marissa said. Savannah heard the possessiveness in her tone.
“He has all of us,” Meryl said, and Savannah heard the same note in her voice, too.
She realized that all four girls had auras tinged with hues of dark red and deep green. The wisps of color danced around them, taking the shapes of their bodies and making them seem otherworldly.
“We should get back home,” Savannah said standing up. “It’s getting late.”
She thought for a moment that they might prevent her from leaving, but then Marissa nodded in agreement. “Savannah’s right,” she said. “We should start heading back. Let’s take the East route, though--it’s faster.”
Savannah had no choice but to follow Marissa and the others on the alternative path. The comfortable contentment that had surrounded her that morning had disappeared in a puff of bitter smoke. She was starting to feel uneasy, and the difference in the girls’ auras was starting to bother her a little.
They walked for about fifteen minutes and before Savannah knew it, it was dark. She hadn’t realized how much time they had spent on the hike and on their talk atop the hills. The darker it got, the more pronounced the girls' auras became. Savannah had never seen anything so bright and wild before. It felt almost like a possession.
The girls raced ahead of her. This time no one looked back to see if she was keeping up with them. She tried calling after them, but no one seemed to be able to hear her. Panic started to kick in when she walked into something hard, and tripped over her own feet.
Savannah landed on the muddy forest floor, narrowly avoiding knocking her face against a sharp rock. She glanced up, breathing heavily, and realized the last spotlights of sunlight had disappeared and darkness had well and truly arrived. She also realized she was completely alone. The girls were nowhere in sight, and her senses were telling her that something dangerous was coming her way.
She reached for the cell phone in her pocket only to discover it was no longer there. She looked around, trying in desperation to see if she had dropped it in the fall, but it was nowhere to be seen. The wind picked up and on its tail came the same, strange scent Savannah had smelt from the window of her bedroom.
She froze in place and stared off into the dark trees. She saw nothing yet, but she sensed something was coming--a large animal, maybe more than one. Fear gripped at her throat and she could not bring herself to make a sound. She turned on the spot, trying to find some way out of this, but all she saw were the silhouettes of trees against a great canvas of black.
Then she heard it, a scraping, scratching sound that promised pain. It was a rasping, clawing, grating sound that had the hairs on the back of Savannah’s neck standing at attention. She saw its eyes first--they looked almost red, but as it came closer, she realized they weren’t red at all. They were a stony, steely blue that had an intelligence Savannah couldn't even begin to fathom.
She could only stare at it in shock and fear before she realized that the beast was not alone. Behind it, Savannah spied three more pairs of bright eyes, all of which narrowed, hungrily, in her direction. They moved forward, together, in beautiful synchronization. The light of the moon hit them all at once, and Savannah’s breath stilled as her body grew cold.
They were mammoth, larger than she had ever seen before. They were beautiful, terrifying monsters, and Savannah knew she was completely and hopelessly trapped.
“Wolves,” she whispered, knowing that no one would hear her.
Chapter Eight
They stared at her calmly, and Savannah felt almost as though she were being studied. She took a step back, and a low rumble of growls went up among the wolves. The largest wolf bared its teeth, and Savannah froze.
Slowly, the wolf at the head of the pack started moving forward, toward her. It was so deliberate a move that Savannah's fear increased, tenfold. She sensed she was not dealing with normal wolves here, and that something was very, very wrong. She could feel it too, that these wolves were playing a game, and she was stuck in the center of it.
She felt a chill run down her back when she realized the wolves had surrounded her. She had been so focused on the largest one standing in front of her, that she hadn’t even noticed how quickly they had moved to encircle her, closing ranks so that she had nowhere to run.
“This isn’t right,” she whispered to herself. “This isn’t normal.”
The blue eyed wolf in front of her starting growling fiercely, and Savannah had no choice but to stand there, still and silent, with no way of defending herself. The animal’s teeth were long and large; they glinted threateningly under the light of the moon. The wolf advanced, and Savannah felt the other wolves mimic the leader’s movements.
The wolf in front of her hunched down into a position of attack, and Savannah knew she was staring death in the face. She closed her eyes, having no alternative left.
Then there was a howl, and Savannah turned toward it to see a massive creature speeding through the trees towards them. For a moment she thought it was coming straight for her, but then the creature changed course and flew at the wolves that had encircled her.
Savannah tripped over her own feet and fell to the ground as she searched for the mammoth form of her unlikely saviour. She stared in shock when she realized it was another wolf. This one was the largest of the lot, but it didn’t seem remotely interested in her. It snapped its jaws and growled in fury at the other four wolves in the dense little clearing.
With howls of defeat, the four smaller wolves took off into the dark night, leaving behind the gigantic, russet-brown wolf. The animal's back was to her, and Savannah wanted to take the opportunity to flee in the other direction, but the moment she stood up the wolf turned slowly, its eyes fixed on her with a deadly calm. For one frantic moment she considered that this wolf had tried to protect her, but now she was starting to believe it had simply chased away the competition.
Savannah froze in place as she sensed something familiar. She stared at the massive wolf in front of her and its eyes caught hers. It was almost as though she recognized the creature. Without thinking, she took a step forward, and moonlight fell directly onto the animal. Its eyes were haunting pools of silver-grey and Savannah gasped as realization dawned.
“Xander?” she whispered.
The air changed, and Savannah felt something was about to happen. The wolf began to shiver, slowly at first, but then more violently. Suddenly the beast transformed into a man right before her eyes, and Savannah found herself facing Xander, completely naked, and seeming completely unaware of what had happened.
“Xander?” Savannah gasped. “Did that just happen?”
“This is not the place or the time for explanations,” he replied. “Let’s get you out of here…now!”
Savannah didn’t argue. Instead, she followed Xander through the forest until they came upon his bike, camouflaged between a thicket of shrubs and bushes. She got on behind him and they sped through the forest until they reached a little cabin, hidden in a dense and concealed part of the woods. Xander set his bike aside and led Savannah into the cabin.
It was only once they were inside that Savannah felt a little calmer. The cabin had a rustic charm about it. There was a big sofa in the center facing the fireplace, and a table with chairs beside the cabin’s large, generous windows.
“Why don’t you sit down?” Xander suggested.
“I don’t want to sit down,” Savannah said, turning to him. “I want to know what just happened out there.”
“Why on earth did you go off alone with Marissa and the other girls?” Xander demanded.
The heat of his words took Savannah back, “I…please…are you trying to say that…every one of you can…turn into wolves?”
Xander stared at her for a moment, then he sighed deeply. “Just sit down, Savannah. I’ll get you something hot to drink.”
“I don’t want anything to drink.”
Xander came up close to her and put his hands on her shoulders. He was so close that Savannah could smell every scent that perfumed his body. He smelt of oak and earth, of fire and sweat. He smelled like an animal and a man at the same time.
“You’re in shock,” Xander said slowly. “Your body needs rest or you’re going to pass out. I will tell you anything you need to know, but first, I’m going to need you to sit down and drink something.”
Savannah felt the weight of his words, but she felt the weight and passion of his aura more potently. She sat back on the sofa and moments later Xander brought her some hot coffee. He sat down beside her and gazed at her with searching eyes.
“Did they hurt you?” he asked as Savannah sipped the coffee.
“I…no, no,” Savannah stammered. “They didn’t get a chance to.”
Xander nodded. “Are you cold? Do you need a blanket?”
“I’m fine,” Savannah said impatiently. “What I want is answers.”
Xander sat back. “Okay,” he said.
“The four wolves that surrounded me…that was Marissa…and Bianca, and Meryl, and Zanna, wasn’t it?” Savannah asked in a hushed voice.
“Yes.”
“And they can turn into wolves?”
“Yes.”
“And you can turn into a wolf?”
“Yes.”
Savannah took a moment to let that sink in. She felt light-headed, but it had more to do with the information she had just received than anything else.
“How is that possible?” she asked after a long pause.
“It just is,” Xander replied shortly.
“You’ll have to elaborate,” Savannah insisted.
“We are a part of an ancient breed of humans. We are a tribe that has the ability to morph into wolves. Different cultures call us by different names--werewolves, shifters, guardians--It's a part of the legend and the history of this town.”
“It’s true?” Savannah said breathily.
“Most of it's true.”
“You made me believe it was all nonsense,” Savannah reminded him.
“Would you have believed me if I told you the truth?”
“Why?” Savannah asked.
“Why?”
“Why do you turn into a wolf?” Savannah asked. “What's the purpose of morphing into an animal?”
“Of all the ancient terms used to describe us, we prefer the term Guardians,” Xander replied. “We came into being in order to protect those who could not protect themselves.”
Savannah stared into Xander’s pale grey eyes. Something didn’t make sense to her. “Marissa and the others…they belong to the same tribe?”
“Yes.”
“Then why were they trying to kill me tonight?” I demanded.
“They weren’t trying to kill you,” Xander said slowly. “They were trying to frighten you.”
“Why?”
Xander looked down at his hands for a moment before his eyes met Savannah’s again. “Because they need you to stay away from me,” he said.
Savannah sensed a whole host of different emotions coming from Xander’s aura. It was as though he couldn’t contain the intensity he was feeling. She was being sent so much information that she could only really understand half of it. She could feel anger, resentment, bitterness and pride. She could sense the overwhelming need to prove himself, contrasted against the desire to break free.
Savannah could feel a longing inside of him that teetered toward her, as though they were somehow connected. In becoming aware of Xander’s feelings, she suddenly become aware of her own. It felt very much as though they were bonded together, but there was no reasonable explanation for why. After all, they were virtual strangers to one another.
“Can you explain that to me?” Savannah asked.
“Every tribe that has ever existed since its inception has had a leader,” Xander started. “The leader of a wolf pack has a great responsibility, the greatest of which is to find a partner and produce the next generation. It is actually more than a responsibility--it's a calling, a sacred obligation that must be fulfilled.”
“Okay,” Savannah said, trying to understand.
“I am the next leader,” Xander said. “I am the next alpha.”
“I still don’t understand.”
“An alpha can only mate with one of his own kind,” Xander continued. “Meaning I can only mate and align myself with another shifter. Which means--”
“You can’t be with me,” Savannah said, finally understanding.
“Yes.”
“What will happen if you do?” she asked, frightened of the answer.
“I will be forced to leave you…at some point,” Xander said. “And if I don’t, they will find us both and break us apart, anyway.”
“They as in Marissa and the others?”
“No.” Xander shook his head. “The Elders.”
“The Elders?” Savannah repeated.
“They are the current ruling pack,” Xander explained. “But a new cycle is coming into place, and when it does, I will have to take over as alpha. When that happens, I will also be required…to take a bride.”
“You have to marry?” Savannah said incredulously.
“Yes.”
“But…you’re so young.”
He smiled, but it was a sad smile. “I know it sounds strange to someone on the outside, but it is the reality of my world and my people. I've grown up knowing that if I were to become the alpha I would have to marry young and have children.”
Savannah looked into his eyes and she saw the connection between them, clearer than anything she had ever experienced before. “I’m not insane, am I?” Savannah asked. “You feel this…bond that lies between us.”
“I felt it the moment I set eyes on you that day,” Xander said without hesitation. “It was the most powerful, most potent thing I have ever felt in my life.”
“Is that why you approached me in the library?”
“I was confused at first,” Xander admitted. “I felt as though I couldn’t trust my feelings. I needed to find out if it was all in my head, or if what I was feeling was real.”
“And what did you find out?” Savannah asked.
“I think you already know the answer to that,” Xander said simply.
Savannah looked down at her hands, because staring into those perfect grey eyes was just too painful. “I don’t know what this means.”
Xander reached out and took her hand. He brought it up to his lips and kissed it gently. “I don’t either, Savannah,” he said softly. “For the first time, I’m completely lost.”
“You can’t be with me?” Savannah asked.
“No, I can’t.”
“So that means the only alternative is to stay away from me,” Savannah pointed out.
“Yes.”
“Can you do that?”
Xander’s eyes were filled with turmoil. It was as though he were having a great internal battle within himself. “I have to try, for your sake and mine, but…”
“But?”
“I don’t think I can,” he said. “There is only one way.”
“What?” Savannah asked.
“You have to stay away from me,” Xander said. “If you can live your life and forget about me, I think I can respect your need to move on.”
Savannah knew what he was asking, but he was wrong in thinking she had more of a choice than he did. “You expect more from me than you do of yourself,” Savannah said. “That isn’t fair. I feel this connection as strongly as you do, if not more, and I can’t ignore it. If you don’t want to see me anymore, then you’ll have to make that decision, but I’m not going to stay away from you, because I don’t want to.”
Savannah knew what she had just done. She had drawn a line in the sand and now she had to wait and see if Xander would cross it.
Chapter Nine
Savannah saw the whole spectrum of emotion reflected in Xander’s eyes. She knew she was making this harder on him, but she didn’t care. For once in her life she knew unequivocally what she wanted, and she wasn’t about to let that go, simply because she had to follow the rules.
“I don’t know what to do with this feeling,” Xander said. “I can’t get rid of it.”
“Do you want to?” Savannah asked.
“I have to,” Xander said slowly. “We can't stay together, Savannah. They will not allow it.”
“The Elders?”
“Yes.” Xander nodded.
“Because I am not…a guardian…shifter, whatever it is that you are.”
“Yes.”
“Will that have such an impact on…things?” Savannah asked. She didn’t even have the words to ask the questions she needed answered. She felt as though she was grasping at straws, trying to figure out a new world that was completely foreign to her.
“Alpha’s are born from a pure breed line that goes back centuries,” Xander explained. “The first born child of the alpha will become the alpha, in turn. “Savannah wrinkled her brow in confusion. “So does that mean one of your parents is the current alpha?” she asked.
“Typically it would, but not in my case,” Xander replied. “My uncle is the current alpha and the foremost elder. He was the first child born to Philip, my grandfather, and Jasmine, my grandmother. My father was their second son. If my uncle had had children, then his first born child would have been alpha, but as it happens--”
“What about your father?” Savannah asked. “Shouldn’t he be next in line after you?”
Xander’s eyes grew weary and Savannah felt his body tense. “My father was banished from the tribe years ago,” he explained. “I haven’t seen him since I was a boy. Once a wolf has been banished, the next available successor is groomed for leadership.”
“And that’s you,” Savannah said.
“That’s me.” Xander's voice was heavy with responsibility.
“Is there any way you can…not be the alpha, if you didn’t want to be?” Savannah asked.
Xander shook his head. “It isn’t really a choice, it’s this in-built need to…lead, to want to serve. I don’t think I could fight it, even if I wanted to, in that way, at least. It's like my feelings for you.”
“It’s strange, isn’t it?” Savannah said softly. “This relationship between us. We’re strangers and yet--”
“It feels like we’ve known each other for years,” Xander finished for her. “I know.”
“Do you have an explanation for it?” Savannah asked.
“No.”
Savannah moved a little closer to Xander and she took his hand. “I don’t know what to do now,” she said honestly.
Xander stared at her for a moment with those clear, grey eyes, and then he leaned in and kissed her gently. Savannah felt a stirring within her. It was the strangest feeling, like she was finding herself and losing her soul in the same breath. It was the strangest mix of contradictions, and it left Savannah feeling exhilarated. It was better than riding a motorcycle, and it was better than flying.
Savannah felt Xander’s hands at her hips and back. She felt his fingers slip up her blouse. The feel of skin on skin made her shiver with desire. Then Xander broke away from her, his eyes filled with internal turmoil.
“No,” he said. “We can’t do this.”
“Xander--”
“You’re already in too much danger, Savannah,” Xander said. “I shouldn’t be making this worse.”
“What are you talking about?” Savannah asked in confusion.
“I haven’t told you the whole story,” Xander admitted.
“There’s more?”
“My father…he wasn’t a good man,” Xander said softly. “He was married to my mother. She was a tribal shifter whose ancestry went back generations, and everyone thought they were happy. They were married for four years before I was born.”
Savannah listened intently, waiting for everything to make sense to her.
“It was discovered later that my father had been having an affair. The woman was a shifter from another tribe, and the elders found out he had a son with this other woman. The boy’s name is Dominic Wilson, and he’s two years older than I am.”
Savannah stared at Xander for a moment. “He’s older than you?”
“Yes.”
“Doesn’t that mean--?”
“No,” Xander interrupted. “He may be older, but he is not legitimate.”
“Have you met him?” Savannah asked.
“He came into town a few months ago,” Xander replied. “He came back to claim what he believes is his birth right.”
“He wants to be the alpha?”
Xander nodded. “Yes. If I refuse my role as Alpha, then the Council of Elders will be forced to make him alpha in my stead, and I can’t allow that to happen. Dominic is volatile and dangerous, he would destroy this tribe and everything it stands for.”
Savannah could sense how important the tribe was to him. He was a true leader, and she understood that he had a responsibility that trumped everything else, including her.
“I understand,” she said, taking his hand. “You have to protect your tribe.”
“I have to protect you as well,” Xander said immediately. “Dominic has been trying to find a way to attack me from the moment he got to Grey Mountain, and I don’t want him using you to get to me. Which is why--”
“You can’t see me anymore,” Savannah finished for him. She expected the words before they had left his mouth. “Is there no other way?”
“I was a fool for bringing you into this,” Xander said. “Even if Dominic wasn’t in the picture, I should have known the girls would be threatened. You don’t have to worry about them anymore. I’ll make sure they stay away from you.”
“I only wish you didn’t have to,” Savannah said, trying to contain the ache in her voice.
Xander cupped the side of her face with his hand. “You have no idea how much I wish the same,” he said. “But now, it’s time for me to take you home.”
Savannah grabbed his hand and held it to her chest as though it were a lifeline. “You can take me home, but before you do, can we just sit here together, for a few more minutes?”
Xander didn’t say a word. His response was to pull her toward him until she was resting against his broad chest. He wrapped his arms around her, and they lay like that, savouring the taste of silence, and the comfort of each other’s presence.
Savannah closed her eyes and breathed him in. She let his aura wash over her, committing every sense and scent to memory so that she might steal some small part of him. It was all she had. Memory was the only thing she would have left once Xander was gone.
Chapter Ten
“Morning, darling,” Savannah’s dad greeted as she walked into the kitchen the next morning. “Are you feeling better?”
“Feeling better?” Savannah repeated in confusion.
Her parents exchanged a glance and Savannah realized they had been talking about her just before she had entered the room. “Well…” her mother started cautiously, “you seemed a little down when you came home last night.”
“Oh,” Savannah said, unaware that she had been so transparent. “I’m fine. It’s just the stress of starting a new school…again. Anyway, I should be getting off now.”
“Whoa! Hold on,” her mother said. “It’s too early to leave yet, and you haven’t eaten anything.”
“I’m not hungry,” Savannah replied.
“Never mind,” her mother said. “Eat something anyway.”
“That's always the case, isn’t it?” Savannah flared up. “It doesn’t matter what I want or what I feel like, I should do it anyway! Have you ever stopped to consider how unfair you both are being?”
Her parents looked at her in shock, taken aback by the sudden outburst, but Savannah was not prepared to apologize just yet. “All of my life you’ve moved me from one place to another without ever stopping to consider my feelings. Did you ever ask me if I wanted to be a nomad who had no real home and no real friends?”
“Savannah--”
“I don’t want to hear that you know what’s best for me.” Savannah refused to let either one of them interrupt her. “Because it’s not true. I know what’s best for me, and I’m tired of being told what I should and should not do. I’m tired of following the rules and I’m tired of other people making decisions about my life.”
She descended into silence, and her parents kept looking at her with surprised but calm looks on their faces. Savannah sighed and shook her head. “You don’t get it.”
“Savannah,” Her mother’s voice was gentle. “We do get it. I know it doesn’t seem that way, but we understand how hard all this moving has been on you.”
“No, you don’t,” Savannah said. “You have each other. I don’t have anyone, no siblings and no friends I can talk to.”
“What about your new friend?” her father asked. “The one that picked you up for school yesterday?”
Savannah felt a stab of pain in her gut. “He’s not my friend,” she said. “We’re not friends.”
“Savannah,” her mother said. “Did something happen between the two of you?”
“Nothing happened,” Savannah snapped. “I just…I just…”
“Listen, kid,” her father said, “I get that you’re going through a lot, and I also understand that it's partially our fault, but if it’s any consolation, you’re eighteen now, and in a few months you’ll be graduating from Grey Mountain High, which means you’ll be the one calling the shots.”
“What if I want to move across the country?” Savannah asked.
“We will make it happen,” her father replied.
“What if I want to…move to Japan?”
“We will make it happen.”
“What if I wanted to live in an igloo in Antarctica?”
Her father gave her a small smile. “We will make that happen, too,” he said.
Savannah sighed. “Thank you.”
“Do you need a ride to school?” her mother asked, sensing the storm had passed, and Savannah’s mood had shifted back to calm.
“Yes, please,” Savannah said, nodding.
After her parents dropped her off, Savannah walked up the steps of Grey Mountain High without enthusiasm. It felt as though all the color had been drained from her world. Xander had told her he had no choice but to stay away from her, and Savannah didn’t doubt he would; he was stronger than she was.
She was at her locker swapping out her books when she noticed Marissa walking down the hall. Zanna was at her side, and they were in deep conversation. They were a few feet away when they noticed her, but neither girl slowed their pace. They shot her appraising looks of contempt before they simply breezed past her as though yesterday had never happened.
In the clear light of day, Savannah still found it hard to believe those girls had the ability to transform into wolves. It all seemed so…fantastical. It was the kind of thing that belonged in novels and movies. Savannah couldn’t help but keep an eye out for Xander, longing for the sight of him, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Her first class of the day was biology, and the hour went by excruciatingly slow. When Savannah walked to her next class, she realized Marissa and all the girls were there, as well. They eyed her with muted hostility, and Savannah sensed the burn of jealousy waft toward her from where they sat. She chose the seat furthest from them, and kept her eyes firmly planted on the whiteboard in front of her.
She sensed their eyes on her, but she didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of turning around to let them know they were bothering her. She spent the entire class in a fog of thoughtful silence, and when the bell rang, she grabbed her books, and headed straight for the door. She sped to her locker and checked her timetable for the day. She had a history class in an hour, but the next period was free.
Savannah walked toward the library. She felt negative vibes aimed straight for her, but she didn’t pay them any attention. Now that she knew what they were, it didn’t bother her as much.
The library was still and empty, and Savannah uttered a silent prayer of thanks as she slipped between the shelves, trying to get lost in the sea of books.
“Did you enjoy your hike last night?”
Savannah spun around to come face to face with Marissa’s blue eyes. For a moment, she thought she saw the face of a wolf in place of Marissa’s stunning features. She was alone, free of the usual band of girls that surrounded her.
“Did you enjoy yours?” Savannah demanded, refusing to be pushed into a corner.
Marissa smiled. “I did, actually, But I was unfortunately interrupted--”
“Is that a hobby of yours?” Savannah demanded. “Luring newcomers into the woods under the pretext of friendship, and then trying to scare them to death?”
“It’s an acquired taste,” Marissa joked, but her eyes were stone cold.
“I did nothing to you,” Savannah reminded her.
“I told you to stay away from Xander,” Marissa said, narrowing her eyes.
“Yeah, well, I’m trying this new thing where I don’t listen to everything everyone else tells me,” Savannah retorted. “I heard you, but I decided to make my own decision.”
“Hence the little hiking trip,” Marissa said.
“All that stuff about Xander and his ex-girlfriend, that was all a lie, wasn’t it?” Savannah asked. “He was never violent, and he was never a danger to anyone.”
“Of course not,” Marissa said. “Xander is…well, Xander.”
Savannah caught the subtle note of warmth when Marissa said his name, and she suddenly understood why Marissa was so much more passionate about everything than any of the other girls. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?” Savannah said.
Marissa looked taken aback. Her expression froze in place, but then anger and annoyance flooded back into her features. “He’s my friend,” she said, refusing to admit it.
“I can sense it, Marissa,” Savannah said. “I was so preoccupied with my own feelings that I didn’t realize it at first. This isn’t just about you being a tribal shifter, this is about more than you being ancestrally and genetically perfect for Xander. You want to be with him, not because you have to, but because you want to.”
Marissa’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t know me.”
“Actually I know more than you think,” Savannah said with conviction.
“What does that mean?” Marissa asked.
“It means…you have your gifts, and I have mine,” Savannah said.
Marissa looked at Savannah with a sudden confusion that turned quickly to suspicion. She took a step closer. “You are not fit to marry an alpha of the Fire tribe. You are not fit to be his wife or bear his children. The best thing you can do for Xander is to stay away from him. He has a calling, one that transcends me and you.”
Savannah stared at Marissa. “I know,” she said at last.
“What?” Marissa said in shock.
“I know,” Savannah replied again. “Xander explained all this to me last night. He also explained why we couldn’t possibly be together.”
“He’s…not going to see you anymore?” Marissa asked.
Savannah sighed. “No, he’s not, so this conversation is really unnecessary.”
Marissa’s anger seemed to instantly fade. Her eyes and her aura lost some of its fiery burn, though it was still beautifully bright. She processed what was obviously new information to her, nodded, then turned to leave the library.
“Marissa?” Savannah called out before she left.
Marissa turned and looked back over her shoulder.
“He’s going to keep away from me, and I will respect that,” Savannah said. “He’s made his choice to be the alpha, and that means he will have to choose one of you to marry one day, but don’t you dare think, for one minute, that this is a victory. Whether he marries Bianca, Meryl, Zanna or you, it won’t be because he wants to, and it won’t be because he loves you--any one of you.”
Chapter Eleven
Savannah raced out of Grey Mountain High the moment the bell sounded. She had no desire to be there any longer than she had to be. She had told her parents that she would get a ride back home, but the truth was she just wanted to walk by herself to let her thoughts run wild for a little while.
She was half way home when she heard a rustling in the trees behind her. She instinctively knew that it wasn’t the wind. This sound promised another living presence. She might have been a little nervous, had it not been for her senses alerting her to the fact that she wasn’t in any danger. She stopped walking and turned in the direction of the sound.
A moment later, Xander stepped out from between the trees in a pair of shorts and nothing else. His hair was windblown, and swept back from his face, his grey eyes were bright, and his skin flushed from exertion. He panted softly, and Savannah tried not to be distracted by the wall of muscles that ran down his stomach.
“What are you doing here?”
“Running a patrol,” Xander replied. “Are you walking home?”
“Yes,” Savannah nodded.
“It’s a long walk.”
“It’s just until my car arrives,” Savannah nodded.
“You could have asked me for a lift.”
Savannah shook her head in frustration. “That would have made it hard for you to stay away from me, remember?”
Xander sighed. “This is harder than I expected.”
“Is this you trying?”
“You’re angry today,” Xander said, moving forward.
“Can you blame me?” Savannah demanded. “I’ve never felt connected to anyone this way before, and the first time it happens he has a noble calling, and I end up being the less important one.”
“Don’t say that,” Xander said. “You’re not less important.”
Savannah gave him a pointed stare. “That’s what it feels like.”
“I’m sorry,” Xander said after a heartbeat of silence. “I probably shouldn’t have come up to you--”
“It’s fine,” Savannah said quickly.
“I’ll leave you to your walk--”
“No,” Savannah said, reaching out for his hand. “You’re here now, you may as well walk with me.”