Chapter 220

#Chapter 220 – Hide and Seek “Come on, Papa!” Ian shouts, grabbing his father’s hand and tugging him out towards the forest.

“Ian,” Victor scolds, digging in his feet and refusing to be pulled forward without a plan. “Come on, you know better than this. A good soldier isn’t going into those woods without a plan.”

Ian frowns at his dad, frustrated at being held back, but he stops tugging. Victor hides a smile at his son’s impulsive spirit, always seeking his next adventure. It was a courageous trait, but one he’d have to learn how to check and balance.

“Okay, then,” Ian says, crossing his arms and looking up at his dad. “What’s the plan?”

Unfortunately, Victor doesn’t have an easy answer for that. Or, frankly, an answer at all. God damn it, but this was a weird trip. He thought it was going to be a matter of heading into the woods, doing a little camping, finding some woman –

But now? Hide and seek with spiritual forces, with his Luna and his child as the prize?

He sighs anxiously, rubbing a hand down his face. What the hell was he supposed to do?

“Papaaaa,” Ian whines, still holding his hand next to him. “Come on – there is no plan. We have to go.”

Victor frowns down at his son. “Son, we can’t just go charging into those trees –“

“Why nooooot,” he whines again, his face going plaintive. Victor opens his mouth to scold him, to tell him to be more disciplined, but Ian speaks quickly. “Come on, papa, what has the forest been telling you so far – have plans worked? Have any of the things you planned to do on this trip lead you anywhere?”

Shocked, a little, at his son’s insight, Victor’s mouth falls open a bit. Because, honestly, Ian is correct.

Dead correct, at that.

None of Victor’s plans had worked out. Not on this trip, and frankly, not in his life. His plan, when he’d done everything “right” according to the rules of society – of marrying Amelia, having children with her, quietly controlling his pack, negotiating and following contracts – all of that had fallen apart in his hands.

The only moments that had brought him any real truth or joy had been…well, they’d been the moments when he’d followed his impulses, reacted against societal norms because something in his body or his spirit told him it was right.

That night with Evelyn, for instance, so many years ago – it should not have happened, but it brought him his sons. Then, bringing her back into his life, moving her into the cottage out back, spending more and more time with her – those had been the things that had brought him joy, fulfillment.

Well, they’d also been the things that brought him dangerously close to death. But – in his heart -he knows that this is his best, true path to a good life. That following his impulses did indeed shake apart the foundations of his life with Amelia, but that that life needed to be destroyed, carried away, so that he could live this one.

“Okay,” Victor says, blinking and realizing that he’s been staring into space thinking for a few moments now. “Okay, Ian,” he says, looking down at his boy. “You’re right. We do this your way.”

“Yes!” Ian says, punching a fist into the air. “Okay, let’s go!”

Ian runs impulsively forward, his hand still in his father’s, but stops suddenly and almost – well, almost bounces off of the air.

“Ow!” Ian shouts, rubbing his forehead where it hit something.

“What?” Victor asks, looking around. “What happened?”

“There’s something there,” Ian murmurs, frustrated. Victor takes a few steps forward, his hand out, and feeling for something out there in the air.

And then – yes. His fingers bounce against something solid. Or not precisely solid, but, an invisible sort of thickness in the air. He presses harder, but his fingers just curl against it. He can’t press through.

The Alpha in him riled at the denial, Victor frowns and drops Ian’s hand, putting his palms against the hardness in the air and pushing with all of his might. But his feet just slip back against the dirt.

The air is adamant. They cannot pass.

“Damn it,” Victor murmurs, considering the invisible air. “What the hell are we supposed to do now?”

“Look, papa,” Ian says quietly, pointing upwards between the trees.

Victor follows his pointed finger upwards, looking into the dawn sky. He blinks, surprised at what he sees there.

The moon, full and rich, white and pale against the blue sky. Victor’s first reaction is simply to admire it – it’s a beautiful sight, and so rare to see the moon during the day.

But…

Then he frowns. “Ian,” he says. “How long have we been in the woods?”

“This is day three,” Ian says, frowning up at him. “Why?”

“The moon was a crescent when we left. It should…it shouldn’t be full. Not yet.”

“Then maybe,” Ian murmurs, looking up at it again. “Maybe it’s just for us.”

Suddenly, Victor knows precisely what he has to do. He sighs, hanging his head. God, would he even have the energy to do this?

“What is it, papa?” Ian asks, looking with a concerned face up at his father.

“Instincts,” Victor says, looking back up at the sky. “The moon. What do you think it’s telling us, kid?”

Ian looks between his father and the moon, frowning, and then he gasps, his face lighting up. “Really!?”

He says, thrilled at the prospect. “Really, we get to be wolves!?”

Victor can’t help but smile at his son’s enthusiasm. “Do you think you can do it?” He asks. “I know we only tried it once, that time, in the woods, but –“

“Yes!” Ian says, his eyes wide with earnest enthusiasm. “Yes, I can do it! I can do the whole transformation!”

Victor laughs a little and then drops his son’s hand, preparing himself for the change. His people rarely changed fully, instead only using pieces of their wolf form – the increased senses, the sharper teeth, the ability to grow claws – as a part of their daily life. In wolf form you were…vulnerable. An animal.

Unpredictable and subject to the swaying impulses of nature.

Many who transformed completely into their wolf forms never came back, either because their wolf instincts got them into trouble they couldn’t handle – fights with other animals, stranded without resources – or because it was just too good to want to come back to the human world.

But, apparently, this is what the forest wanted of them. To strip down to their basest instincts, to follow those.

Realizing the danger, Victor kneels down to look his son in the eyes. “When you’re out there, Ian,” he says slowly, making sure his son hears every word, “you’re not going to have access to your mind the way you do now. You’ll be moved by your impulses, you’ll want to chase, and to run, and bite, and howl. And all of that is fine.”

Ian nods, listening with wide, excited eyes.

“But,” Victor says, putting up one finger for emphasis. “The one thing you have to remember – at all times,” Victor points the finger at Ian’s chest, “is my scent. You have to stay with me at all times, no matter what. And I’ll stay with you. Can we agree to that?”

Ian nods, eager. “I can do it, papa. I promise I can do it.”

“Good,” Victor says, his voice gruff, though he can’t help the smile that pulls up the corner of his lip.

“Because if you don’t? I’ll bite you.”

Ian laughs at that and Victor stands up. “Okay, kid. You ready?”

“Yes!” Ian shouts, almost trembling with excitement.

“Well then,” Victor says. “Let it go.”

And then, together, father and son call on the magic within them and transform into their wolves.

They blink at each other for a moment, once the transformation is complete, and then the pup gives a little yelp, beginning to gambol around the tall grey wolf next to him. The wolf nudges the pup affectionately with his nose, giving him a little nip on the rump as he runs past.

Then, together, they lope into the forest, no sign of any adamant in the air keeping them back.

And the hunt begins.

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