Chapter Eight- Plans

Alexis tore out the throat of yet another deer, reveling in the thrill of the chase and kill. She felt so free in her wolf form and living in the woods was so simple. She envied Romulus getting to live like this. She would love to live this way always. She tossed this idea back and forth as Romulus ate. She was still going to school and still desired to be a pro. She could easily duel during the day and be an evil vicious wifewolf at night. Yet, she could drop out of school and live in the wild with Romulus. Both futures were quite possible. But which one to choose?

"Alexis, aren't' you going to eat? You burned a lot of calories changing and chasing."

"Of course, Master. I was thinking about my future." She seized a kidney, laid down, and began to eat.

"Oh? I assume you will go on to be a pro duelist. That is what most students do upon graduating."

"Yes, but another possible future is available to me and just as tempting."

"What future is that?"

"Living here with you. I envy your life, Master. It is so free and simple."

"It is certainly that, Alexis. I live as I please and answer to no one."

Alexis' greenish-hazel eyes shone at his words and her tail swished. "Yes. That sounds wonderful."

"I would like it if you stay with me. We will be free and no one to order us around, especially humans. If you become a pro duelist, you will be forced to listen to a bossy human and have to endure an exhausting dueling schedule. Sounds like a very demanding and smothering lifestyle to me."

"It can be demanding," she admitted. "It can also result in changing one's dueling style and attitude. I've seen it happen to a dear friend last year. He became cruel and sadistic. A drastic change from the kind person he was."

"I take it he likes his new style?"

"Yes and I can see why. It's good to be tough and without mercy. That is why humans are weak: They show mercy. Such an emotion has no place in the wild."

"That's right, my dear. I found living wild far more satisfying than living in human society though I do get lonely."

"Is that why you wanted me as a mate?"

"Yes. I can't live with my brother for he would bite me to make me a weak wolf like him."

Alexis gasped. "He can do that?"

"Yes. Your brother can too. They would prefer that all werewolves and wifewolves be weak like them. We can escape by wounding them enough so that they can't follow us."

Alexis snarled. "I don't want to be weak! I like how I am!"

"As do I. I've spent decades trying to make myself kill Remus, but for some reason, I can't. Perhaps, now I can if you will help me."

Alexis hesitated. It was fine killing deer and such for they were simple animals, but Remus and Atticus were intelligent werewolves, the latter her brother to boot. She couldn't fathom killing her own kind. But, I love being a vicious wifewolf and Atti would want me to be weak like him. I can't let him or Remus do that.

"I'll help you," she said. "Perhaps, I'll kill Atticus too."

Romulus flashed a wolf's grin, teeth bared. "Thank you, Alexis. With your help, Remus is surely dead."

"Of course. Isn't that what mates do? Support and love one another?"

Romulus blinked. "Mate? Really, Alexis?"

"Yes, if you still want me."

"Of course I still want you." Romulus nuzzled a cheek and Alexis responded by licking his cheek. Romulus gave a playful growl and Alexis returned it before running off into the forest with her new mate behind her, laughing darkly.

Atticus sprinted through the forest, leaping over bushes, logs, and ducking low hanging tree branches. He heard paws pounding behind him and he increased his speed but only slightly as he had been moving at near top speed. Atticus was then tackled and sent to the ground on his belly. He heard panting above him before Remus said, "Not…bad, Atticus. Still…needs work."

"Of course. I've only been a werewolf for almost two months." He got to his paws once Remus got off him.

"Yes, but I moved faster than you when I was a two-month old werewolf and I wasn't much older than you when I was turned."

"You were a teenager when you were bitten?"

"Yes. That was forty years ago and about several months later, Romulus got bitten."

"So, you spent thirty years being wild every full moon before you got the power to choose."

"That's right. William told me about this ability before he died a week later. He lived for a little over a century."

"So…I have to wait thirty years before I can choose?"

"Not necessarily. It could be ten, twenty, or even fifty years. Some werewolves remain wild all three nights the rest of their lives. I'm afraid that's the fate that befell Romulus. It's possible that evil ones stay wild because they're evil and that would be one reason why they give the rest of us a bad reputation."

Atticus swallowed hard. "Then that means Alexis will stay wild too unless we turn her and Romulus good."

"Yes and should we fail, I intend to keep trying. Whether you want to try again is up to you. I won't force you to help."

"I'll try again too. She's my sister and I won't give up on her."

"That's how I feel about my brother."

"Okay, then. Let's work on speed again." Atticus took off again, his determination to help Alexis lending wings to his paws and legs. He lengthened his strides and used leaps to cover large distances.

Remus followed after him, amazed at Atticus' improvement. His desire to help his sister was giving him more strength. He understood that desire as he had spent almost forty years trying to turn Romulus good. His attempts were on and off over the decades. His self-imposed exile to the island was fifteen years of solitude before Romulus tracked him down. He had been astonished at how evil and vicious he had become and that Romulus said he had come to kill him.

Yet, here it is, five years later. He's yet to kill me, and I've watched humans come here, build a school, and teach teenagers how to duel. I made sure the no one got bitten by either of us. But now, a brother and sister have been bitten and are following the path Romulus and I have gone down. I only hope the end is a happy one for them.

Atticus charged toward a fat fallen log and leaped, clearing it easily and allowing the leap to carry him further. He continued to run and as he did so, his senses fed him information that seemed clearer and sharper than before. The forest paths were clearer and he could see further down them. He could hear Remus' breathing in addition to his running paws. He also heard leaves rustling and the sounds of hidden wildlife. A breeze sprang up, ruffling his fur and tickling his nose with so many smells. A joy filled him and he howled. This is great! I feel so alive and joyous of being a wolf. I wonder if Alexis feels the same joy or if it's a dark kind.

Atticus hit the ground and Remus said, "You slowed down. You need to stay focused on your goal."

"Right. One more time." Atticus loped off once more and Remus gladly took up the chase.