Varinia to the Rescue!

I found myself with a hangover after the solstice. And I supposed waking up in a stranger’s bed helped to hide it from the Luna.

But the next few days were spent packing up the solstice. Putting it all away back into the sheds whence it came. But I couldn’t help but smile. It was the best solstice I had experienced since I was a young pup and everything was magical. Having both Yami and Modesta with me just felt like the positive environment and friendship group I needed. I almost regretted spending so much time with the Amanes. I had one year left and I shouldn’t have wasted such a big part of it on them. Why had it taken them pushing me away to realise this?

As I helped a group wheel a barbecue into a shed I scanned around for Ryan. He was standing atop a ladder taking down a string of flowers. I gave the barbecue one last push and darted over to him as he came down the ladder.

He smiled at me, “You’ve been scarce recently.”

“I guess,” I muttered and helped him down the last few steps.

“You know Racheal’s been looking for you.”

“She’s always looking for me, let's be honest.”

“It’s patrol this time,” he said with a smile.

I sighed and blinked dramatically, “In this heat?”

“You’d better go find a good hiding place,” he whispered and winked at me.

I turned around to see Racheal walking down the steps of the mansion. Waving goodbye to Ryan I ran further down the court. It was hot out here too so it really wasn’t that different.

I tried to duck around the corner of a house when - “Varinia Elch I see you!”

Racheal charged down the street toward me. I froze in place. Sprung. I could hear her thunderous footsteps and I turned to face her.

“Luna,” I gave her a warm smile.

She didn’t buy it and squinted at me suspiciously, “Where have you been these past few days?”

“Around,” I said simply.

“Around?”

“You know, just fully embracing the solstice.”

“Well I hope you’re relaxed now. It is important for you to take a break from everything after all,” The Luna had a way of twisting everything into sounding like her own idea, “However now you need to go on a patrol. Your group is ready to go.”

“Of course Luna Racheal,” I replied, standing up straighter.

“Do be careful and make sure to drink lots of water before you leave, it’s hot out there,” She added as she kept walking.

I slumped as soon as her eyes were off me. There was nothing I could do though, her words carried weight. I just needed to get it over and done with.

Around the back of the mansion I found the group of wolves. They seemed very capable and they stiffened as I arrived. Similarly to how I had reacted to the Luna.

“Relax,” I smiled, “I’m not here to boss you around, I just need to get the job done.”

Their stances softened a little but there was still this rigidity to them. I supposed it was important that if we did run into trouble that they were prepared for it.

I looked out at the forest. There hadn’t been any myth hunter attacks for a few weeks which was unusual. They were up to something and I hope I wasn’t about to run into that something.

We shifted into large wolves. Despite the heat I felt powerful. My wolf form always did that for me.

Into the forest we ran.

The forest was thriving in the heat, it soaked up the rays and was storing that energy. I felt like the sun was stealing my energy. Still it felt good to feel the earth between my paws. I supposed it was important for a werewolf to shift and to run in their wolf form every now and then. We did have an animalistic side, dogs certainly needed to be walked and wolves were far wilder than any dog. Maybe I shouldn’t have been so resistant to patrols. It felt good being like this, running like this. It was the truest form of a werewolf.

I took a deep breath in of the forest air. I couldn’t imagine a life without it. Even in the heat it was delicious.

As we ran further we encountered another group of wolves on patrol, they were running toward us. I frowned. The routes intentionally didn’t cross paths, something was wrong.

The other wolves in my group stopped and shifted back into their human forms. I did the same, nervous.

They approached us also shifting. They were panting heavily. Not a good sign.

“What is the situation?” The leader of my group asked, a burly Delta.

As they caught his breath the other leader replied, “There is an attack on the Hirasawa place.”

My eyes widened and I pushed to the front. I demanded, “What happened?”

“I’m not sure but their barrier is down and the myth hunters are pouring in,” he replied.

My heart started pounding and I froze with fear. They were all in so much danger. Was this what the myth hunters were planning this whole time? Just how had they managed this? And when would they focus this force on us?

My leader ordered them, “Well you need to get this information back to the pack, now.”

They nodded and shifted. In seconds they had scrambled out of sight.

Another male in my group turned to me, “We need to get you back to safety.”

“Yes we should all return, we don’t know what they are up to,” the leader added.

They started to turn back toward the pack.

“No,” I whispered.

The leader turned to look at me.

“What do you mean? It’s dangerous,” he looked down at me.

I snapped my head up at him and put as much power into my voice as possible, “We are going to see if there is something we can do.”

Some kind of switch behind the delta’s eyes went off and he changed his course as well as the other wolves. I was now the focus of their attention.

“Yes, future Luna Varinia,” The delta said and the others echoed.

Despite the fear twisting at my gut I managed to smile. This power was something I could get used to.

I shifted and they followed suit. I changed our direction to the Hirasawa mansion and they followed.

The power of a Luna, it wasn’t something like what Caelestis or Ephvangeline had. I guessed Luna Racheal was right in telling me that werewolves' power was in numbers, especially when she could have control over them.

I ran as fast as I could this time. Before we had been going at a careful pace. All care was thrown out of the window now. But I still remembered to keep processing the air I was taking in. I was searching for any kind of myth scent, even if it was myth hunter.

It was a long way to the Hirasawa mansion and I could feel the signs of exhaustion showing in my body but I pushed through. Fear and adrenaline helped with that.

Breath in

Moss

Breath in

Pine

Breath in

Rotting wood

It was frustrating but I pushed further. The Hirasawa mansion was not that far away when I breathed in and I got something not commonly found in the forest.

Vampire.

Pureblood Vampires.

I signalled to the wolves around me to stop and stop they did.

I shifted and spoke to them, “They’re going to be scared so I’m going to do the talking, you stay back here.”

They nodded, all still in wolf form.

I approached, treading through the trees and bushes.

“Danger,” I heard someone hiss.

I walked out of the bushes to see Caelestis, Kayin, Elvira, Shizuka and Katsu together looking awful.

“Oh yeah so dangerous,” I said.

Caelestis rolled his eyes but there was a tiny smile twinging at the edge of his lips. I giggled, “So what is going on?”

“Just a little bit of inconveniencing trouble,” Caelestis sighed as if it were as small as stubbing his toe.

I raised an eyebrow at him before thrusting my arm into the air and signalling to the other wolves to come forward. Before long we were circled, protectively by big furry bodies.

“Care to elaborate?” I asked, looking at the others.

“Where do I even begin…” Katsu lamented, he looked torn to pieces and Shizuka beside him was a husk.

Elvira rolled her eyes at the boys, “Koneko died, our shield went down, blah blah blah everyone’s in danger. We decided to get the fuck out of there.”

Katsu glared at her, “Way to downplay our near deaths…”

Caelestis mumbled, “Doesn’t change anything. “

I looked at all five of them. Some very varied reactions to something horrific. Koneko being dead would cause so much disruption though I supposed this day was always going to come.

“That sounds kinda serious,” I said.

Kayin spoke down to me, “Yes wolf, it is.”

Shizuka complained, “I’m too emotionally drained to give a crap about this small talk, let's just get somewhere safe...”

I looked to Caelestis, “Well I did say that I would show you what a real pack of wolves was like.”

Caelestis only sighed in response, kinda rude.

“It will be fun, don’t worry,” I reassured him then looked at Shizuka then back to him, “But can I talk to you privately for a second?”

I pulled him aside to where the other’s couldn’t hear.

“What is it?” He asked.

I whispered, “Why would you bring Shizuka and her little boy toy with you?”

I glanced over at Katsu and Shizuka again, Katsu was rubbing Shizuka’s arm trying to comfort her. She however looked so beyond upset. There probably wasn’t anything Katsu could do. It was strange to me that she was like this. Wasn’t it his mother who died? I supposed Shizuka loved to make everything all about her.

“Wasn’t like I had much of a choice. Besides, I’m being a bit selfish about it too,” Caelestis smirked.

“How so? I thought you were in charge,” I squinted at him.

“I can make use of their abilities to make sure the people I want to be alive are alive. Nothing about personal attachment as it is guaranteeing my safety.”

“Well if you wanted that you should have taken Angel, she would have thrown herself at the myth hunters just to prove herself to someone. Either way it’s going to be weird having those two there with us,” I could just imagine how awkward it was going to be, trying to flirt with Caelestis with Shizuka balling her eyes out in the other room.

“Shizuka at most can be fine. It’s Katsu I’m not thrilled about really,” He sighed.

“He’s a bit of a …. Sheep,” Or a pick me boy I thought to myself. Seriously though think about yourself why does he take it upon himself to comfort that drama queen when it’s the day of his mother’s murder. What is he trying to prove?

“Truthfully, we don’t need him for anything other than to be the person to die first in an attack. He’s just going to be a nuisance,” Caelestis said with a straight face.

I laughed not expecting that response, “You’re like a movie villain.”

Caelestis smiled at me devilishly, “Perhaps I am the villain, but not right now. We have bigger ones right now.”

“Hey that’s not a bad thing,” I winked at him before returning the others, “Follow me guys.”

And so we start to make the journey back to the Blue Star Pack’s lands with the wolves protecting us. And though it was under awful circumstances and it was no solstice festival I was so happy to spend some of the summer holiday with Caelestis.