The Alpha's Mutt
The Return of Relic

“We have almost made enough talismans for each of the wolves in the pack to wear for protection.” Lucy explained as I looked over the collection of various crude looking necklaces with a colorful, unrefined stone attached to each one. “We have spelled them to expand and contract so that they will survive the shifting of the wolves.”

“Good thinking.”

“They will not guarantee safety, so everyone should avoid doing anything too terribly risky. But they will act as an extra layer of protection, like an armor.” Lucy continued.

“We also have prepared several barrier charms that will help to slow the vampires down if their numbers become too overwhelming.” Percy interjected.

“You guys have really done a lot of work here. Thank you so much for all the time and energy that you have put into this.” I stated, offering my appreciation.

“There is no need to thank us. We are more than happy to help. We are wolves too; this is just as much our fight as it is yours.” Percy reminded me.

“And even if it wasn’t, we would still be happy to help because it is the right thing to do.” Lucy added.

“Well, everything seems to be coming together then. You guys are on defense. The packs have been training nonstop. And Hugo has fit in famously here. I suppose that all there is to do now is wait for your father to return.”

“Well, luckily, you will not have to wait long.” A vaguely familiar male voice spoke from the doorway.

I turned to look and to my surprise Relic followed by several other witches stood in the entry of the room. I felt a weight suddenly release at the sight of them. Knowing that Relic had finally returned and that he had managed to bring back up was a huge relief. Now I was certain that we had a real chance at winning this thing with minimal loss.

“Father!” The twins chimed simultaneously as they excitedly hurried towards him.

“Hello my children! It is good to see you again!” Relic announced as he walked into the room, embracing his children in a hug.

The small group that had been waiting in the hallway behind him slowly began shuffling into the room as well.

“It is good to see you again, Alpha.” Relic added, before turning towards the group with him. “May I introduce you to witches from the Circle of the Ancient Oak. They have volunteered their services in the battle to come.”

“It is very nice to meet all of you! I am Alpha Mysti. Welcome to the Elwood Pack territory! I cannot even begin to express how grateful we are to all of you for being here.” I greeted the group and warmly shook the hands of all five newcomers.

“We are happy to help.” A dark-haired witch assured, speaking for the group.

“I apologize for the delay in my return. I had not expected to be gone for quite so long. It was a bit more difficult to convince coven leadership than I had anticipated. Apparently, old grudges, which I had assumed were gone and buried, were actually alive and well.” Relic explained.

“Is everything alright?” Lucy questioned, stepping towards her father.

I could see the concern in her eyes, and I wondered if Relic’s visit to his old coven was actually a more problematic endeavor than he had initially let on.

“It is nothing for you to concern yourself with, my daughter. Everything is fine now. We do not have the full coven’s backing, but these brave volunteers along with the three of us, should be plenty to provide that extra layer of defense that the wolves require.”

“I agree. With the talismans that the twins have created and the eight of you there to hold off any witches when the time comes, I think that we are in a really strong place, magic-wise.” I affirmed.

“Yes. Let us not forget the particular skills that you have been blessed with yourself, Alpha Mysti.” Relic added.

“Yes. Well, we shall see how much help that will prove to be in the end.”

It was true that I was feeling stronger, and I was moving faster. My wolf was better than ever before. Yet, I did not want anyone, wolves and witches alike, relying on my abilities to win us the day. The truth of that matter was that I was only one wolf. I may have been gifted, but I would only be available in one place at a time. And the closer that the actual day of battle loomed, the more certain I was that I knew exactly where that was going to be. I had considered many options for how the battle plan should be laid out, who should be where and who should fight against whom. And in all scenarios, I reached a similar conclusion, and there were many who were not going to like it.

Likely sensing the shift in my energy, Relic quickly cleared his throat, and changed the subject…

“How have things been going with our vampire friend?”

“Come with me and I will show you.”

“Lead the way, Alpha. Come with children and on the way, you can start catching me up on what you’ve been up to while I was gone.”

With that our little group headed off to where I knew that Hugo would be right now.

“Now, Hugo, in order to sharpen your skills, we need to help you focus. With your vamp vision, you should be able to track an item from a fair distance. So, I want you take a moment, close your eyes, and take a few deep, calming breaths. Clear your mind of everything else. Tracking your target is as much about seeing as it is about predicting where it is going to be. Now when you’re ready, open your eyes and remember to focus.” Farris explained, his voice remaining calm and steady as he stood at one end of the hall with Hugo at the other.

I stood at the bottom of the staircase that led into the basement and stopped the group from venturing further. They had been working on refining some of Hugo’s abilities and I did not want to interrupt until it was a more appropriate moment to do so. For that reason, I turned to the group of witches behind me and gestured for everyone to remain quiet as we waited.

Hugo was silent, his eyes were closed as he breathed in and out, slowly. He shook out his limbs before allowing himself a moment of stillness. Seconds later, his eyes snapped open, and his pupils narrowed to a pinpoint. Without missing a beat, Farris tossed a small coin into the air and stepped to the side. Hugo rushed forward using his vampire speed, turning him into a blur as he moved through the space. In a flash, he stopped dead in his tracks, the coin clutched tightly in his hand.

“Great job, Hugo! That was awesome!” Farris cheered as he patted Hugo on the back. “We’ll have you in top shape before you know it!”

“Thank you, Alpha!” Hugo returned with a smile. “I really appreciate you taking the time to work with me like this. No one ever took the time to train with me before.”

“Well, you are one of us now. And every member of the pack must be properly trained.” Farris offered.

At Farris’s words, Hugo’s smile grew even wider. He had been fitting in well amongst the packs. Everyone seemed to like him, and he had taken to pack life as though he were born for it. And I knew that whether Hugo decided to help us or not, he would always be welcome here. You could hardly condemn someone for wanting to protect their family. After all, were we not trying to do exactly the same.

“Sorry to interrupt, fellas.” I said, finally announcing our presence.

I knew that they were aware that we were there. They were a werewolf and a vampire. But it still seemed like the polite thing to do.

“We have some guests.” I pointed out, gesturing towards the witches behind me.

“Yes, I heard. Deene was the one who allowed them onto the territory initially.” Farris informed me. “Sorry, I didn’t let you know. Relic wanted to surprise the twins and I knew that you were with them, I didn’t want to ruin it.” He shrugged as he approached me.

He leaned in for a kiss and, for a moment, I thought about pretending that I was annoyed with him for not telling me about the arrival of the witches. But I ultimately decided against it and met him in the middle for a quick kiss “hello.” Then I stepped away from the stairwell and allowed the witches to finish descending into the basement, so that everyone could introduce themselves to Farris and Hugo.

“Well, Hugo, it seems that you have been fitting in nicely here. How are you replaceing the wolves?” Relic questioned after everyone had been given a chance to meet.

It seemed like a simple enough question, but I sensed that there was a little more to it than that. Hugo’s answer was going to provide Relic with information that he required. For what purpose, I could not be certain, but I could hazard a guess. All I could do now, was hope that however Hugo responded would be considered satisfactory to the witches. Every day that went by provided us with a chance to prepare, but it also gave the vampires time to enact whatever they had planned next as well. And the less time that we allowed them, the better.

“I have found them to be very different from how I had been taught.” Hugo admitted. “I had been made to believe that wolves were vile and violent savages. They raped and pillaged, destroying everything good in their path. But…from what I have seen here, that could not be further from the truth. The packs are organized and run efficiently. But more importantly, they care about each other, and they are there for each other. They work together towards common goals. These packs aren’t filled with monsters, they are full of families. To be honest, what I see here, is what I wish that we had always had back home. Love and support. I’ve felt more accepted in this place in the short time that I’ve been here than I ever did in Master Belial’s coven.”

Relic looked at Hugo and a wide smile began to spread across his face. I glanced over at Farris, and he looked at me with a proud grin. I knew that he was immensely pleased with the progress that his pack had made in their ability to accept others. And admittedly I was in awe of their growth as well. I would never have believed it if I was not seeing it with my own eyes. They seemed like a completely different pack from the one that I had grown up in.

“That makes me very happy to hear.” Relic offered as he gave Hugo a friendly pat on the shoulder. “Now, Hugo, if you do not mind, I have much more that I would like to discuss with you. However, we have been traveling for quite some time and would like a moment to settle in. Perhaps, with the Alphas’ permission of course, we could meet in their office in a couple of hours, after the sun has fully set, to talk a bit more.”

“Of course. How about nine o’clock? Should be enough time for everyone to do what they need to do.” Farris suggested.

“Perfect.”

And with that Relic, the rest of the witches, and the twins ascended the stairs out of the basement. Soon after, Hugo excused himself to take a quick nap before dinner. I could not blame him, he had been keeping crazy hours in order to work within everyone’s schedules, even staying awake during the day in order to fulfill plans with different wolves. He was a bit tired, but he seemed happy and that was all that really mattered. So, Farris and I took the opportunity to go for a run before returning for dinner and a few Alpha duties that needed tending to.