VIII

Calef stayed near the fireplace as much as he could. He couldn't place it, but something was suddenly different. Other than the snowstorm that just came out of nowhere, he felt some unforeseen event had taken place and would now wreak havoc on the reality he and the rest of the world knew. He didn't know if he should be enthusiastic about this change, or if he should flee in terror. Something told him he should get away from his family's homestead and try to find somewhere else to settle for the time being, but he knew that was impossible with how things were unfolding before him.

The wolf pressed on as it headed closer and closer to it's goal. This wolf had a mission. It could run forever and never tire, it seemed. It felt the open air, the snow beneath it's paws, the call of the wild. It was quite liberating, really. This was the perfect existence. The wolf shook its head as it ran. This was not the time to focus on self existence. This was the time to get a task done. The Alpha demanded it.

Running through the woods, the wolf sensed a foreign presence that had not yet made itself known to the pack. It hadn't been here long, but the wolf sensed it was very familiar with the area. Slowing down to a mere cautious trot, the wolf pointed its head toward the ground and took a few sniffs. This was its lucky day. The wolf found exactly what it needed to. And it had a precise location as well.

Leaping with an experienced grace, the wolf clamped its jaws down on a bit of fur and muscle, but it did not exert any harmful pressure. The quarry let out a surprised yelp and began to squirm in the wolf's grip, which made him tighten the aforementioned clamp to make sure the wolf's prey remained still.

The unfortunate victim to the hold was another, much younger wolf. It's fur gleamed silver in the moonlight and the elder, obviously dominant wolf saw that the youngling had crystal blue eyes. This was indeed exactly what the wolf was told to look for, but... not the condition in which it expected to find it. Something went very wrong somewhere down the line. This wolf wasn't natural. By any means. The smell was too convoluted and far too fresh. Something very unsettling has happened to this poor soul. Fate was exacting a cruel plan. The elder wolf wanted so bad to put this all right, but he knew it wasn't his place to do so. Lupus would not approve, and neither would Alpha. Instead, he let the youngling go.

Just as he released the pressure on the youngling's neck, it lashed out and struck the elder wolf in the face. Blood stained the snow. Luckily, the youngling had missed everything important. Even if he hadn't, it would not have mattered. The elder simply recoiled backward and let the youngling dash off further into the wilderness, frightened by the encounter he'd just had. Let that be a lesson.

Cadeceus stepped into his quarters and inspected the scratch on his face. It was plenty faded now but one could still tell something had happened. It would remain this way for at least a few more hours, possibly a few days. With the loss of his wife, it made his healing much slower and strained. He'd found it.

Him. He found him.

He just had to tell Helena and Eurubus the ghastly news.

"WHAT?" the "Duke" roared.

"His time came." the subservient reiterated.

"What does that mean, Cadeceus?" Helena asked. "Is he..."

"No, he's very much alive, but you're not going to like the kind of state he's in." Cadeceus' face became grim and his voice was void of the usual pep.

"You mean... he changed?"

"I'm afraid so, my Alpha."

"That wasn't supposed to have happened for another couple of years." Eurubus muttered.

"I have reason to believe his change was unnaturally provoked. Possibly by a dangerous situation in which survival instincts became dominant. It's uncommon, but not unheard of." Cadeceus continued.

"Unnaturally provoked?" Helena repeated.

"Unfortunately so, Madame."

"Was there any indication of how long he has to stay like that?"

"Not as far as I could tell. We can only hope he changes back soon, and close to home."

Calef couldn't help but lay in bed awake. Something was wrong, and he couldn't figure out what, and he could do nothing to fix it. If it felt like something minor, he could have just shrugged it off and went to sleep. But this felt like it were anything but minor.

It all started as soon as Greyson left to go back home. Had he made it back safe? Would he be able to see him if his family ever found out where he was and who he was mingling with? Many questions burned into Calef's head as he lie there. Would he have any time with him after tonight? Had he gone too far in expressing his gratitude for the company of the Duke's son?

What am I doing? I'm fawning over him as if he were royalty or something. This kind of worry is much unnecessary.

Still, he had the feeling that the time he could spend with Greyson had just been shortened by a overwhelmingly significant amount and there was nothing else that could be said or done to change it.

Greyson fled. There was no way he was going to let that animal near him anymore. It'd taken him by surprise once and it had let him go, but not ever again. Not if he could help it. For now, however, he just fled. For the sake of his own life, and the life of the one he sought after. His paws dug into the snow and soil at the perfect angle and depth. His build was perfect for what lies ahead of him, and his eyesight also served him well. His prowess was unmatched in a one on one fair fight and his wit was thrice as sharp as his fangs. He was the embodiment of all the symbolism his family name stood for.

He was no longer human. He was a great beast of nature. Here, he determined, his authority would go unequaled and unchallenged. He would be the indesputable ruler of this land. However, he needed to establish roots. In order to do that... He needed a mate. He knew exactly the one that would suit him best. He felt the divinely-ordained connection as a human being, but could not understand it yet, as the lens his mind's eye held at the time had things way out of place. Now everything was crystal clear. He knew who his mate was, and he was going to retrieve this love of his so that the perfect life can commence.