Filed to story: Wolf Crying Mate of the Alpha by Jazz Ford
Alec closes his eyes and holds his hands out as dark matter begins to sphere in the palm of his hands. The ground shakes and trembles with ferocity. Magnus grabs hold of me, breaking my fall. The ground breaks open, and a dark, gothic but beautiful castle slowly rises from the ground.
Four corner towers appear a distance away from the castle. They link together with large stone curtain walls, creating a wall of protection around the castle. The castle is complete with sleeping quarters, a great hall, kitchen, stables, storage cellar, crypt, a library and more. A large pebble stone courtyard appears outside the grand stairs of the castle. Workshops for blacksmithing, candle making, baking, tailoring and more appear along the courtyard’s edges. A garden so large appears with a pond and seats of stone. Statues adorn the garden full of roses, violets and tulips. Trees made from crystals of gemstones in shades of purple, pink and green appear. They are just like the trees from Silverfay Forest. Green hedges form together, making an intricate maze. The beautiful garden has dazzled me, and Alec knows it.
Another large curtained wall forms outside the first set, complete with flanking towers and battlements. There is a drawbridge connected between two watch towers. The battlement between the two towers is covered. All archways are pointed. Gargoyles sit upon walls and the vaulted roofs. The large windows are stained glass depicting stories of events. I’m unsure whether the images are based on true events or fiction, but they are fascinating all the same. The detail on the flying buttresses adds to the grandness of the castle. Although the castle is and has an eeriness to it, at the same time, it’s hauntingly beautiful. The dark swirls upon Alec’s palm dissipate, and he falls backwards, weak from using all his power.
Even though I hold his arm, I’m not physically strong enough to hold his weight. Suddenly he doesn’t seem so heavy. I look up to see Magnus has gripped his other arm. ‘Let me help bring him inside the castle.’ Relieved, I smile at Magnus and nod. Although Magnus and Alec have had a physical altercation over me. They have also bonded, treating each other as brothers and equals. I’m glad they have become respectful and mutual toward each other. I’m proud they put their differences aside back in the human world and worked together to save me. They know how much I love them and how I would die for either of them if it ever came down to it. I shake my head at the thought. I’m about to drape Alec’s arm over my shoulder, but one of the vampires comes forth and insists he help. I lead them into the castle and walk up many stairs. We find a dark chamber with an open coffin.
‘Inferno Flamo,’ I say, waving my wand at the candles. The room is now dimly lit up with small flickering flames. The coffin is black with carvings and details in silver.
‘This is where King Alec would rest when needing to regain his power,’ The vampire says.
‘What’s your name?’ I ask him.
‘Darcy, my Queen,’ he says, bowing his head.
‘Nina,’ Alec says. I gaze up at him and see the sweat across his forehead. I gently wipe it away and remember he will need my blood.
‘Darcy, is there a chamber with a bed rather than a coffin?’ I ask.
‘Of course,’ he bows. He helps Magnus to carry him down two doors.
We enter a large chamber with a bed covered in silk and lush pillows.
‘Please, place him on the bed,’ I tell them.
We walk past the fireplace and mahogany furnishings to the other side of the chamber where the bed is. Magnus and Darcy place him on the bed. I climb up and sit beside him.
‘Thank you, Darcy. Perhaps you could give Magnus and our pack a tour to help settle in?’
‘Of course, my Queen,’ he says and bows his head again.
Magnus follows him out, leaving me alone with Alec.
‘Alec, it’s time to drink. It will also help regain some strength anyway,’ I say. Alec reaches his hand up, twirls his fingers through my hair, and tucks it behind my ear. I help him sit up. He cups my face and pulls me in for a passionate kiss. He has a look of hunger in his eyes, but not just for my blood. He reveals his fangs and playfully caresses the nape of my neck. An inner heat consumes me, and his teeth sink into my skin. Again, a minute passes, and he struggles to stop drinking.
‘Repeliate’, I say.
He flies back against the wall, panting, ‘I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,’ he says, unable to look me in the eyes. I pat the bed for him to come back. He sits back on the bed, and I climb onto his lap and wrap my legs around his waist.
‘You better finish what you just started, Alec, or you will be in big trouble,’ I flirt. He sees the fire in my eyes, matching his. Wasting no time, Alec immediately makes passionately love to me.
As Alec gives me a grand tour, we meet up with Magnus and the others in the courtyard.
‘This place is amazing! I can’t believe this is where we now live,’ May exclaims. Sabre, May’s Fennec Fox and Fern’s cat explore the workshops climbing wooden beams and peeking curiously in dark corners and crevices.
‘Anyone is welcome to use any of these workshops to help get our new village up and running and provide goods for trading and selling,’ I say.
Pack members explore the workshops to see if they can utilise them. Some smile and appear confident around the equipment, while others are curious about how it works. They converse as I continue along the cobblestone courtyard into the garden. I skip and twirl around.
‘It’s so enchanting and beautiful,’ I say.
‘Enchanting is one word to describe you,’ Alec says,
‘Beautiful would be the other word,’ Magnus adds. Their words create butterflies in my stomach. I gaze back and forth between them with a playful look and quickly shift into my wolf. I run out through the courtyard and over the drawbridge.
Magnus smirks, ‘It appears our little mate wants to play,’ he says to Alec.
Alec smiles and nods and, with a dash of speed, is already catching up to me. Magnus shifts and isn’t far behind Alec. Alec is the first to tackle me. I shift into my human form for a few moments, and we roll around in the long grass, kissing passionately. Then I shift into my wolf again and dash towards the trees. Not a minute later, I’m then tackled by Magnus’s wolf. We shift back and share a fiery kiss. My fingers glide through Magnus’s hair as he lays upon me. We kiss until Reaper begins to caw loudly in the tree we lay under.
‘Reaper, do you mind?’ I growl, ‘Your kind of ruining the moment,’
‘Yes, I do mind,’ he mind-links.
‘Don’t look or perch in another tree if you don’t like what you see then,’
Alec laughs as he sits beside me.
‘I think Reaper feels a little jealous that you have Magnus and me,’ Alec says.
‘Aw, come here, Reaper,’ I say, extending my arm for him. He flies down and perches on my arm, and I give him a good scratch under his beak and on the back of his head. ‘Is my baby Reaper feeling lonely and left out? Who’s my cute Reaper?’ I say, mollycoddling him.
Reaper happily soaks in all my attention. Alec and Magnus laugh. Reaper hops onto my shoulder, and we return to the castle grounds.
Magnus and Alec stand behind me as we watch everyone in the courtyard. Everyone is happy.
‘We should let them assign themselves jobs,’ I say.
Magnus and Alec nod in agreement.
‘Can I please have everyone’s attention?’ I say.
Everyone stops conversing and turns to face me.
‘I would like you all to sort yourselves into groups. Please stand here for anyone who wants to be a cook or baker. Farmers who want to grow crops and harvest, please stand here.’
The rest organise themselves into more groups: blacksmiths, stonemasons, armourers, millers, servants, carpenters, minstrels, weavers, winemakers, and watchmen. May and the witches decide to focus on being healers and making medicines and potions. Kadva is unsure of what to do but smiles when May and the others insist he works with them in the magic department. It did make perfect sense seeing as his magic works similar to that of a witch and a sprite. Most of the vampires have chosen to guard the castle and protect us. Although I’m not sure why when there is no hostility in Mysteria, but if it makes them happy, then so be it. They take their posts in the watch towers, along the stone walls, spread out inside the castle in the main rooms and foyers, and stand in the shadows like statues.
Men from the ship carry the trunks and crates of goods gifted to us into the courtyard and place them down.
‘Great! Now that everyone knows their positions here on Emerald Island let’s bring these food crates into the kitchen. The cooks can prepare a feast we will share in the great hall tonight,’ I say.
Everyone cheers.
‘Lifto Levitatous,’ I say, waving my wand at the trunk full of clothes.
‘Skedaddle Dash,’ I blink, taking the trunk and appearing in my chamber. Then, using my wand, I guide the chest to a perfect spot in my room.
The floor-length mirror framed in black wood and intricate carvings shows all the twigs and grass poking out from my hair and clothing. I strip down and turn to the wooden tub in the room.
‘Aqua Bedew,’ I say, filling the tub with water. I step out as quick as I stepped in and shiver. ‘Too cold,’ I say. ‘Inferno Flamo,’ I say and watch the steam rise above the water. I poke my fingers in this time. ‘Perfect,’ I say and sit in the tub.
There is a knock on the door, ‘Come in,’ I say, expecting it to be Magnus or Alec, but instead, a female vampire with beautiful blonde hair enters the room. I have seen her a few times amongst the other vampires. She looks only to be a few years older than me. Although being a vampire, she could be hundreds of years old.
‘Can I help you?’ I ask.
‘Forgive me for intruding, my Queen, but I was hoping to be the one to help you?’ She says with a bow.