The Unwanted Wolf

I looked up, not daring to stand up. I was looking for the person who shot the gun. They didn’t hit me, thankfully, but I had no idea if it was because they missed or it was a warning shot. I didn’t see anyone, and the area around the cabin was serene. There was a small brook running next to the house, and the babbling was soothing. Flowers grew in a garden in front of the house, and there was a rocking chair swaying in the slight breeze on the porch. It reminded me of a grandparents’ house, a place where someone would retire.

It looked like I was by myself, but I felt a presence nearby. I couldn’t see them, but I could feel them. I didn’t dare move from my position, terrified they would see me as a threat and actually shoot me.

Another gunshot echoed in my ears, and I put my arms over my head in protection. I still wasn’t hit. They must not be aiming for me. I wasn’t a moving target this time, so if they wanted to, it would’ve been easy to hit me.

“Don’t shoot! I mean you no harm!” I shouted.

There was a pause in the air, and I could feel the hesitation.

“What do you want, girl?” The voice belonged to a female, weathered and worn. I couldn’t see her, but her voice had clearly seen many days.

“Adira? What happened?” Rie asked, stepping next to me. “What the-”

I reached up and grabbed Rie’s arm, pulling her to the ground with me. Just then, another shot echoed through the air, and Rie screamed.

“Who’s shooting at us?” Rie asked with wide eyes.

“I don’t know. Stay down,” I said in a hushed voice.

“You don’t have to tell me that twice. Where on earth are we? You just disappeared when you stepped over those trees.” Rie looked around the area.

“I’m not sure, but I think we’re dealing with a sorceress,” I said, looking up again. I still didn’t see anyone, but my eyes focused on the rocking chair. It was no longer moving.

“There’s more than one of you. What are you trying to take from me? How did you find me?” The voice sounded like it was coming at us from all angles, almost like it was echoing in a bubble.

“Clara sent me,” I said, still trying to pinpoint the voice. I didn’t see the stranger hiding anywhere, so I wondered if she used some kind of glamour on herself. I didn’t even know if that was something sorcerers could do, but clearly the house had some sort of spell on it.

There was a moment of silence. “What does that old bat want? Does she want to kill me?”

My throat tightened at her words. I thought this was Clara’s friend. Why would she want to kill this person? “No. She sent me for your help.”

“Why do you need my help? How do I know I can trust you? You and your friend just barged into my home like it was nothing.”

I knew lying there wouldn’t change this woman’s mind. I started standing up, but Rie quickly grabbed my arm.

“What are you doing? You could get shot. This woman is crazy.” Rie tried to pull me back down.

“I have a feeling I’ll be okay. Trust me, okay?”

Rie hesitated to let me go, but then she did, nodding.

I started to stand up again, putting my hands up to show I didn’t mean harm. “Clara said you could help me with my powers and teach me about sorcerers.”

Another gunshot sound echoed, but it didn’t hit me. I felt even more confident that this woman didn’t want to hurt us.

“Don’t take another step forward,” the woman cautioned. “Why should I help you? You look old enough to understand your powers.”

I didn’t take another step forward, but the voice sounded more direct than before. I stared at where I thought she was standing. “I wasn’t raised as a sorceress. My father is a sorcerer, but my mother is a werewolf. Until recently, I didn’t even know I had mixed b***d, but my half brother is trying to kill me to take my powers. I need to learn to control my powers if I want to survive. Can you help me?”

“I thought I smelled dogs. But you’re not lying. You smell different than most dogs. What wolf pack are you from?”

“I am from Pack Lyna,” I said. It felt weird saying that. I no longer felt an association with them, and I didn’t like introducing myself in that manner.

“And the coven of your father?” she asked.

“Caspian.”

After a moment of silence, a woman appeared on the porch. I was surprised when her hands were empty. I was expecting a gun of some sort. Her hair had stripes of gray in it, and she had the wrinkles to match. She was in a long purple dress that had stitched flowers of various colors at the bottom of the dress.

“Interesting,” she finally said. “Come inside. Your friend too.”

I looked back at Rie, who was still lying on the ground. She widened her eyes, and I knew exactly what she was thinking. Were we making a mistake? It wasn’t like I had much of a choice. Werewolves typically didn’t get involved in sorcerer’s, and each group usually made a point to avoid the other. If I wanted to know more, this lady was my best and fastest shot.

I started walking towards the house, and I could hear Rie following behind me. I got up to the porch, and an overwhelming scent filled my nose. It was a plethora of different smells combining together in a thick scent that clung to your throat. I resisted the urge to cough it out of my lungs, knowing it wouldn’t help. I tried to identify the scents, and I could tell there were flowers and ginger and something that smelled like an antiseptic. The rest of the smells were too convoluted to differentiate from one another.

Rie looked over at me, worry spread across her face. She hesitated to enter through the door, but I walked right through it. The inside was cluttered with glass bottles of various shapes and sizes. The light through the front window was hitting some of the bottles, causing the light to refract the colors on the wall. It was mesmerizing to look at. In the middle of the room, there was a large stainless steel pot sitting over a fire. Steam rose from the pot, and I gathered that was where a majority of the smell was coming from.

“Come in, come in. Don’t be shy,” the lady said, waving us deeper into the room.

“You tried to shoot us,” Rie instantly said. “Forgive me if I’m a little hesitant.”

The lady waved her hand. “Hoge posh. I wasn’t actually shooting a gun. I was just creating the sound. It’s a safety precaution. Most people run when they hear a gunshot. Clearly, you’re not most people. Either your stupid or determined.” She paused and looked me up and down. “Perhaps a little of both.”

“I need help. I don’t have much of a choice,” I said, following her deeper into the room.

She gestured to a couch, but I decided to stay standing, wanting to stay alert. Rie didn’t move either.

“Everyone always has a choice. You could choose to deal with your problem on your own or not even get help.” She went over to the pot and stirred it. She pulled the spoon out and swiped a finger on the liquid. She touched the tip of her tongue and made a face. She grabbed something from a bottle and poured it into the mix.

“I don’t want to die,” I said. “I finally have a reason to try to live, and I don’t want to lose that.”

“A man,” she said simply. “Interesting. Where is this man?”

“He’s nearby with another friend,” I said. I took a step back as the woman scurried around her house.

“Why didn’t he come with you?”

I hesitated to answer. I didn’t like giving away all of these details to someone who seemed a little off, but there was no use in lying. “He’s injured. The man trying to kill me poisoned him.”

“Wolfsbane?” she asked.

“Yes. He sustained several injuries and hasn’t been able to heal, since the wolfsbane is still in his system.” I wondered what Mark was thinking right now. Daniel and he likely saw us disappear into whatever barrier surrounded the house. Hopefully they didn’t rush in to join us.

“I can help him. Bring him to the house.”

“I thought there was no remedy for wolfsbane,” I said. Wolfsbane either killed a werewolf or slowly worked its way out of the system.

“Child, you clearly don’t know much at all about this world or about yourself. Bring him here, and I shall help him.”

“Are you going to help Adira?” Rie asked.

The lady looked Rie up and down, studying her closely. “Ah, so her name is Adira. What might your name be?”

“Rie. And what’s your name, old lady?”

“Rie,” I scolded. I didn’t want to insult the woman who we needed help from.

The lady let out a hearty laugh. “I like this Rie. She has gumption. My name is Ginger. Gingy to friends. To you, I’m Ginger.”

“So Ginger, are you going to help Adira figure out her powers?” Rie asked again.

Ginger didn’t respond right away. “I haven’t decided yet. Not sure she has what it takes. Bring this boy here. I’ll help him, and then I’ll decide if I want to help you.”