Page 25 of Her Reborn Mate

I only hoped that the pack would delay their journey to the culling fields as much as they could. Once they’d reach the fields, wherever they were, they’d be faced with vampires ambushing them from every side. I had taught the pack as well as I could and was confident that they’d be able to hold their own for a while, but only for a while. What Ralph’s vampires lacked in skill, they made up for in sheer numbers. How long would the pack hold off the onslaught of the unending vampires?

I dared not ponder these dark thoughts as I steered the car at breakneck speed along the curvy road heading deeper into Fiddler’s Forest. I had come so far, but there was just as much further to go.

My mind strayed to thoughts of Alexis and what she might be doing and if she might be coming to Fiddler’s Green at all. Part of me thought that she’d make use of this opportunity to run away and hide. The other part, the one that had learned how to hope, was wishing she’d come back and somehow fight by my side.

But these were not my prime concerns. The shadow over my mind was regarding my inability to shift into a wolf. Was it a temporary hurdle, or was it something permanent rendered by the Wolf’s Bane potion that Blair had used? It drove a wedge of fear into my heart, thinking I’d never be able to shift into a wolf again.

Even this thought identified itself as a very selfish one, and my brain implored me to explore other avenues of reflection. So I turned my attention to the winding road once more, hopeful that I’d at least catch some glimpse of a familiar face or two heading in a somewhat familiar direction. This would guide me to the location of the culling fields. The Fiddler’s Forest was vast and stretched well into Maine. There was no way of ascertaining where such mythical fields existed in that deep expanse of trees and greenery.

But in this darkness, I saw no face nor shadow of any living creature. There was just the road stretching through the endless forest.

Now I was at the point of no return. The milestone marker for Fiddler’s Green had just appeared on the left. It was just a few miles away. It then occurred to me that I could make use of technology. Ah, yes, the phone that Vincent had slipped into my coat. I still had it. I pulled it out of my pocket, and after much fiddling, I was able to dial the only number saved on it.

“Vince!” I exclaimed. “Where are the culling fields? On that matter, where are you?”

“Will, it’s bad. It’s extremely bad. Maurice has gone into a religious trance, spouting nonsense about salvation and the evergreen pastures of eternity. The pack members are scared. We’re east of Fiddler’s Cove and are heading deeper into the forest. Maurice keeps saying that he’s going to take us to some promised land, to some revelation that he’s going to share in light of all the uncertainties that we have faced. At this point, everyone knows he’s spewing bullshit, but what other choice do we have? We can’t just disobey him,” Vince whispered.

“But someone can challenge him. That much is written in the bylaws that dictate the lives of werewolves. If someone can challenge the Alpha to a battle, then the challenger can be the new Alpha if he wins the fight!”

“Will, who do you think is strong enough to challenge Maurice at his prime?” Vince hissed.

“Every single one of you is strong! I trained you all to be that way. End this madness and stop him before you reach the fields. You do know that there’s an ambush lying in wait, don’t you?” I stated. Now I was driving past the Grimm Abode. Here, the asphalt road ended, and the dirt road began. The Lexus was not suited to running on dirt roads, and it was already showing signs of slowing down under the added strain of the uneven terrain.

I still maintained my course on the dirt road until I came to the end of the path. From here, the car could go further no more. Before I ditched the car, I opened the trunk and slipped a pistol into my belt. Then I locked the trunk and headed into the northern part of the forest. The air here smelled of stale blood. This was vampire territory, close to the cove.

Even in the dark, the faint moonlight lent me enough sight to make out the footsteps in the dirt. There were hundreds of them, all of them heading deeper into the forest. This was my trail to follow.

With bated breath, I waded deeper into the forest till there wasn’t any moonlight left at all, but here, my hearing came to my aid, as I could hear the sounds of my pack members coming from far up ahead.

If I were to reveal my identity, it would have to be at the most opportune moment. Right now, secrecy and stealth are my biggest allies. I knew not how many vampires were lurking around the forest. My wolf senses were robbed of me. All that mattered was that I didn’t lose the sounds that were coming from ahead.

As I advanced further, I could make out the lights coming from lanterns, mobile phones, and flashlights. These were my pack members, all of them uncertain about what was going to happen yet resiliently following their Alpha into the unknown.

I flanked the procession so there would be no chance of my getting caught. Once I was on the right, I saw the big field ahead of me. It was not an old field. I had been to this part of the forest before, once or twice in my wanderings with Ariana and then with my walks with Alexis. This was a new field created just south of the cove. All the trees had been rooted out unnaturally, leaving a mulched ground in their wake. It was horrendous to look at as if the entire field had been turned into a makeshift grave for all the people assembled there.

He had led them to their deaths.

I could not stand idly in the corner as the last of the pack members assembled in the field. They were all huddled around each other, holding their torches aloft. Maurice stood atop a tree stump, elevated from the rest of the crowd. Wherever I looked, I could not see Fred. Of course, with his being in the wheelchair, it must have been impossible to drag him here.

“My dear brethren, family, friends. There is a reason I have gathered you all here in this field,” Maurice spoke. I could not bear to look at his loathsome face. His visage resembled melting wax, and each word that came out of his mouth sounded like the hiss of a slithering snake. “We are here to mourn those who have passed. And to discuss how we can shape our future.”

Now that every eye in the field was fixated on him, I came out of hiding and joined the crowd from behind. No one noticed me as I walked through the crowd, parting through it. They were too focused on what Maurice had to say, asking themselves why he had dragged them all out here instead of just assembling them in the commune.

“You must all be wondering why we are here, out in the middle of nowhere,” Maurice said. He was holding his hands and rubbing them impatiently. His eyes were wandering from left to right, undoubtedly looking for the ambushers.

It was at this moment that I came out of the crowd, facing Maurice directly. “I was just wondering, Maurice, what lie did you tell these folk about my passing?”

Sudden gasps emitted from the crowd, and people began talking in hushed murmurs that suddenly grew into a loud collective sound embodying the rage and confusion that the pack members were experiencing.

“You told us he died!” someone screamed from the pack.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” I called out, relishing the look on Maurice’s face. He had gone as pallid as the moonlight above, his lips quivering wordlessly and his arms tremoring in shock. “This man is nothing but a sleazy liar! He shot me in cold blood and laid me there to die. He is nothing but a conspirator, working with a vampire and a madman in an attempt to bring down the Grimm pack and sell this town to the bloodsucking smugglers who have been wreaking havoc on the innocents who live in this otherwise peaceful place!” My voice was charged, each word clear, the delivery robust. The crowd gathered behind me was utterly silent, paying heed to each word.

Maurice stood there with a deranged look on his face, whispering something.

“Speak up, you fucking coward!” I yelled.

“You were supposed to be dead,” he finally managed to say.

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