Chapter 7 The Pack Arrives

Donovan's POV

I stood by the big window in the living room, watching the long road that led to my house. Soon, my family would be here. I wasn't talking about the family I was born into, I was referring to the one I chose - My pack. I could feel them coming long before I saw the lights of their cars. It was like a hum deep in my chest, a feeling that my people were near. My hands felt tight, and I kept making them into fists and then opening them again. I was worried because hey were coming to see Sierra. They were coming to see the change.

The first car turned onto the drive, then another and another. Headlights cut through the dark woods like bright eyes. They parked on the grass because there was not enough room for all of them. Doors opened and closed. I could hear their voices, low and worried. They smelled like the forest, like rain, and like fear. Their fear made my own fear feel bigger.

I walked to the front door and opened it. The cold night air rushed in. They stood there, a big group of them, their faces lit by the porch light. There was Liam, with his kind eyes that were not so kind right now. There was Chloe, who held her arms tight around herself as if she was cold, but I knew she was just scared. I saw old Ben, who had been in the pack longer than I had been alive. He just nodded at me, his face was like a stone.

"Donovan," Liam said. His voice was rough. "Is it true?"

I did not have to ask what he meant. I just nodded. "Come inside. It's cold out."

They walked in, one by one. They looked around my big house as if they had never seen it before. Their eyes went to the stairs, to the closed door of the basement. They knew what was happening here. They could feel it. The house felt different now. It felt like it was holding its breath.

I led them into the big hall. Sierra was there, standing by the fireplace with Elara. When my pack saw her, they all stopped. The room went quiet. All you could hear was the crackle of the fire. Sierra looked small standing there. Her hair was not all brown anymore. Some of it was the color of gold, like Celeste's was. Her eyes, once a simple brown, now had flecks of purple in them. She was trying to be brave. I could see it. Her back was straight and her head was high. But I could see her hand shake just a little bit. I wanted to go to her, take her hand and tell her it was okay. But I had to be the leader right now. I had to be strong for everyone.

"This is Sierra," I said. My voice was loud in the quiet room. "She is under my protection."

Some of the pack members looked at her with pity. Some looked at her with anger. They saw Celeste in her face, and it brought back old, bad memories for them. They saw the beginning of something they could not control.

Then, another sound came from outside, it was a different sound. It was the soft purr of a car that cost more than all of our trucks put together. A long, black car slid up the driveway and stopped right in front of the door. It did not belong here.

My body went stiff. A low growl started in my chest, a sound like a mean dog. I pushed it down. I knew who it was because I could smell him. He smelled like dust and old stone and something sweet and sick, like old flowers.

The car door opened and a man came out. He was tall and thin and wore a black suit that looked perfect. He looked old, with skin as white as paper and hair as white as snow. But he moved like a young man, smooth and fast. He walked to my front door and did not even knock. He just came inside.

All the werewolves in the room growled. The air got thick and heavy with our anger. We were wolves, and a fox had just walked into our den.

The man ignored us all. His eyes, which were dark red like spilled wine, landed on Sierra. He walked towards her, his shoes making no sound on the wood floor. I moved without thinking. I put myself between him and Sierra. She was behind me now.

"Konstantin," I said, and my voice was the growl I had been holding back. "You are not welcome here."

The old vampire smiled, but his eyes were not happy. "Donovan Wolfe, the guard dog." He looked past my shoulder at Sierra. His red eyes got a little wider. "Celeste," he whispered. The name sounded like a secret on his tongue.

Sierra took a small step back. I could feel her fear behind me.

"I am not Celeste," she said. Her voice was shaking, but it was clear.

Konstantin’s eyes stayed on her. "No, not yet. But you have her eyes. I have not seen those eyes in fifty years." He finally looked at me. By this time, the smile was gone. His face was sad. "My people and your people have been at war since she died, did you know that?"

I knew and every wolf knew. We fought the vampires in the shadows, in the dark alleys and the deep woods. It had always been that way.

"It was not always so," Konstantin said, as if he could hear my thoughts. "The long, sad fight... it started when we lost her. She was a friend to us both. And when she was gone, your pack blamed us, and my clan blamed you. All this anger, all this fighting... it was because we both missed her."

He looked around the room, at the faces of my pack. He looked at Sierra, hidden behind me. "She was trying to build a bridge between us. Now she is coming back. And the war will either end... or it will become something much, much worse."

I stood my ground, a wall of muscle and anger between this ancient monster and the woman I had to protect. My pack was here, a vampire was here and Sierra was in the middle of it all, changing into someone else. My heart beat hard against my ribs. It felt like the whole world was coming to my house tonight, and I did not know if I was strong enough to keep it from falling apart. I just knew I had to try for her.