...one day the wolves will come…
The six word phrase was one Sage came to dread from a young age, one that always preceded her and her mother, Betony, setting off on another adventure. The smallest thing could set it off...a lingering stare from a stranger, a call that was dropped when answered, a bump from a passerby’s shoulder...and off they would go. Traveling light, the duo lived a minimalist’s lifestyle of ten items or less each. Grab and go was the idea, the pair rarely staying in one place for longer than a year, a few months the norm.
It was a hard life, but the only one Sage knew. No connections were made other than those made by her mother for the sake of income. In the human world, her mother was a nurse, her role as a Wolf-Blooded healer never revealed to the child. It was after the untimely death of her True-Born husband that Betony packed up her infant and fled, hoping to escape the brutality of pack life and provide a better one for what remained of her family.
Sage was moved to Colorado, several states away from her mother’s wolf family. Once she was old enough, her days were occupied with training, focusing on first aid procedures, survival tactics, and the flora and fauna of the area until their identification became second nature. The girl never set foot inside a traditional school, her mother home-schooling her in all the basics. She learned how to be ‘normal’, her goals and ideals set to human standards.
Their life continued in the same manner for many years, hopping from town to town as the need arose, the pair always staying ahead of the danger that was perceived. It wasn’t until a few weeks after Sage’s fourteenth birthday that things changed drastically. Considered a late bloomer due to her delayed puberty, the subtle differences in her body finally began to occur.
...and then the prophecy came true. The wolves came.
For the first time in fourteen years, Sage’s mother was not prepared. There was no warning, no feeling of doom, just the burden of shock as the kitchen door burst open, torn asunder from its hinges. A True-Born entered, his shoulders filling the exit as his amber eyes fell on the Wolf-Blooded woman. He was followed in by several others, each as massive as the first. Her breath catching in her throat, Betony managed to shout one word to her daughter before being tossed out of the way.
“Run!”
The message came through loud and clear, adrenaline coursing through Sage’s veins as she dropped her book and leapt up, the sound of footsteps already pounding in the hall just outside her room. There was barely time to grab her belongings, the strap of her pack snatched up while she rushed to her second story window and threw it open. Wood against metal screeched as her door was knocked back, the girl catching a fleeting image of the man outlining her doorway. Without a second to spare, she scrambled out and slipped down the trellis with practiced ease, racing for the trees once her feet hit the ground.
Darkness engulfed her under the canopy, and yet she dodged the roots and low-hanging branches effortlessly, her vision at night nearly as sharp as the day. She managed to escape the wolves' clutches that night and for the three weeks that followed. A grueling time, the kindred kept the girl on the move, sleep barely caught as she tried to stay at least two steps ahead. She had little resources other than those in her bag, her wits the main thing carrying her though the long days. Struggling with the constant exertion, she finally collapsed from exhaustion whilst in the heart of a violent storm. As thunder and lightning shattered the stillness of the night, her transformation began.
It was her first. Hidden within the grasses of a lush field, Sage clutched a sopping hoodie to her face, screaming into its folds as pain racked her body. She writhed on her back, her limbs reshaping with bone snapping clarity. It was over quickly, the agony seeming to carry on for hours as spasms spread along her limbs. A weak yip signaled its end and a healthy wolf emerged, the silky coat dripping with water. Free at last from her human constraints, the girl ran again, this time on all fours. She felt the brisk breeze flow through her damp fur, the ground pounding against the padded feet. She was more alive than she had ever been...and she was not alone.
It was the first time she ran with members of the pack, but not the last. She awoke the next morning in a strange bed, the roof over her head made up of woven thatched grasses. She had no recollection of arriving there, but the room offered warmth, something she had been lacking during her weeks on the run. She was not given a chance to escape, her new home enclosed by the sheer walls of the Rocky Mountains, the only exit blocked by a tall wooden gate. Over time she adapted to her new family, her behavior rebellious, but tamed soon enough with a system of rewards and punishments.
Sage matured slowly, her connection to the pack tenuous at best. She never forgave them for taking her away from her mother, but she formed a few bonds and learned to become a wolf, memorizing their histories and origins. As she came of age, a mate was chosen for her, a young man she had known since her arrival. Neither objected. On the night of her twentieth birthday, a binding ceremony was performed, marrying her spirit to that of Malcolm Willows. A simple gold band was placed on her finger and the healing crystal that had belonged to her mother was slipped around her neck.
For the first time since joining the pack, her life became more than just tolerable. She grew to love her husband, enjoying the attention he bestowed upon her and the status she earned as his wife. She was free to go where she wanted and was finally able to become a healer in the commune, using the gifted stone to aid her in helping the sick. Its acquisition was another mystery surrounding her mother, but she kept her suspicions to herself, trying to make a life for herself as best as she could.
After a little more than a year, everything she had built began to fall apart. She had failed to become pregnant and Malcolm left her bed, seeking warmth in the arms of other women. She tried to pull him back, but his loyalty was lost once his seed was set in another. They fought constantly, their shouts heard throughout the commune. Their marriage dissolved a few years later, Sage breaking their bond officially through another ceremony.
Afterwards, a deep set feeling of unrest weighed upon her. She could sense the others looking at her with disdain and Malcolm became bothersome, refusing to accept her decision to leave his side. He desired both her and his other conquests, his continual attempts to get back into her life finally resulting in her leaving the compound. Wanting to put as much distance between her and the pack, she thumbed her way along the road, eventually meeting another of her kind and taking the offered ride.
The Undead Chamber
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