"Wolf style, huh?" The iron tastes on my buds with a clog-ear. My senses are not hundred percent, but enough to punch a hole in a brick wall. The metal gym is a part of steaming pipes that maintain this place up to par. A group of guys enter with black oil smudges on their salt cheeks while they stare ascending the arena four-step stairway with a brash attitude.

"Exactly. None of that weak shit, human lover." Keko stretched his torso.

"Human lover, you say, but using human slang. Funny." I mocked him with a laugh as he grimaced, which drove me to cackle harder.

They see who their true alpha is that stands before them. They're testing me. I am shorter, but it doesn't prove their strength. A bunch of dirty posts. It is itching for me to crack and drag them into submission, prickles of my claws looming.

"Young Bora." A broody accent, heed a jolly gray giant with a pepper rope ponytail interrupts my shift, stumbling in here with a fat king toad potion bottle in his clutches and swinging a war hatchet in the other, drunk. The beard lengthens on his armor plate, tilting his head in confusion that encourages my eye to twitch.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Your uncle, Manueli Ski Enceladus. My brother, who is your father, was close." He pounded his chest and did a gorilla belch.

"Adam?"

"Xannon Ski Enceladus."

"I have never met him."

"He was the Alpha, our war hero, yada, yada, and we are passing it to you after you defeat Keko."

"I'm standing right here." Keko forced his presence, but we ignored him.

"It is a tradition. Life can be unpredictable." He rubbed his beard in far thought. "Whatever you choose, you have my loyalty." He slapped my neck, guffaw, feeling his weight heavy on my left side, and I nudged him off.

"Still here." The crier cries. The men around the room rose taller. Honored, but Keko flicked one of their chest. They all synced in their natural posture. This adherence is what I would care to give to my gem. I have souls to offer her. I have an army, but-

"You can't stand against the Elders. You don't know me." Plus, it is wrong to lug her into this life alone. She will have me, but not her family. Or what's left of it. I could be her new home. Having so many bairns and the clan could teach them combat. Of course. My attendants shall be strong, too, to protect my young. That builds a powerful battalion.

"Ture Alpha words, selfless." He tore his pea green eyes as he knew where my priorities were. "You wouldn't be nothing without your father." He ahem. "Explore and get in shape. You need it. You have a long journey ahead of you." He nodded at the sect, departing. The afternoon I devoted myself to boosting up my muscle core, tracking two thousand reps as a warmup. I dropped, feeling the stares as I glanced to the side, seeing servant she wolves clinging to each other, whispering with giggles.

I dip my chin in to hide inside my collar-length hair. They are maddening. I am not used to this type of attention. "Hey, Tundra." I called, and the big guy looked up from sparring with a fellow member. "Could you?" I gestured a head nod at the corner.

"Alright, show over." In a lazy, breathy tone. He shoves them out as the sounds of disappointment fade into the background. It is a race against time. There's a threat in the airspace that passes chills up my neck. I need to prepare and somehow alert Gemma that I am still alive, but how? What do I have to do to avoid catching the attention of the seven?

My body is accepting the cold now, and some air will do justice. Entering the outlying pearl deck with blue and gold circular ribbon on the solid sugar marble floor. They aligned four predatory beasts in the center circle. Two times in size than a normal flying apex predator.

Peregrine Falcon, Polar Owl, Great Horn Owl, and the Goshawk. "Beautiful creatures, aren't they?" I stood straight on guard, searching for the voice. "Right here." A budding five feet teen with good nature waved to activate my sense of direction. A runt. One is born in every litter, and they are quite intelligent. "These gorgeous beasts aren't the same birds you find in the wild. We created them from the bones of witches. And use them for unique things, such as finding goods for the clan or as small as sending messages."

"Send messages?"

"Indeed." He sounded of wonder. "Here, the Falcon is international. Will go where it's needed. The Polar Owl only moves in the wintry north. The Great Horn Owl flies locally as first class. And the Goshawk travels through the states. This is how the elders speak with the outside world. Anyone of importance to us."

I observed the Goshawk. Maybe this could be the way. Why would he pay attention to a bird in the sky? "How does it work?"

"Well, usually only the elders and the alpha may use them, but you, my friend, are the son of Xannon. So, it is hard to say no, you know?" He beamed. "It is like a bloodhound, sort of. Tell him what you want, give him something that will pinpoint the person, and then send him out to the horizon. Simple."

"It can be anything?"

"Of course."

Now that I have approached the feathered creature, they are strange. Their eyes portray them. Each one has a unique form ‌of outer space in them. The Polar Owl, for sure, is the northern lights. I bet Gemma could identify the rest, and she would get a kick out of it. The bones of witches, huh? What witches were these? I approach the Goshawk. The sclera is coated black with the Milky Way as the iris and no pupil. I reached out to him to rub his plumes.

"Be gentle." The guy said. "I don't want you to lose your hand." He held up his arm that no longer had one, replaced with a hawksbill blade. "It comes in handy in dangerous situations."

"I didn't catch your name."

"Woolly!"

I am more intrigued than scared and pursued to pet the hand-swiper, and it cracked at me, making a clicking rasp screech. You are feisty. Precious. I snatched his snout and brought him to my eyes as he flagged out his vast wings to sustain his balance. "There is an assignment for you, and you are going to deliver with no fuss." I said to the bird. And snap my fingers at Woolly. "Pen and paper."

But he did not move. I looked back, and he hunched his shoulders. "Just pluck the thing. The ink and scroll are next to him." I notice the gold plate with both. Now I see why you are feisty. I released it, and it shook it off but behaved, and yet squawking his irritation, to let me know he didn't like that.

"Alright, alright. Sorry. You tried to bite me. May I have a feather, please?" He rolled a blinking eye and weakened one loose as it floated in the air. "Thank you." I caught it and sat at a single person wood table. And dipped the point in the ink.

"Huh. I guess we never asked." Woolly made known. I block out the sounds around me to consider for a moment about what to write to her. What can I say? She understands what I attempted. A flash of the painful past crossed my mind when we were at the vacant carousel park. The more I think about it, the more I recognize how terrible my decision was. I should just avoid this entire thing the way I left her.

But damn, I have to warn her. I can't cross my fingers and hope for the best. At least give her a chance to secure herself with a cautious mind. I wrote a few sentences and reread it. That should work. Woolly peeped over, "So, that's what you're going with, huh?"

"Do you have any better ideas?"

"Touche. Make your name fancy." I did as he said and glanced back for approval.

"Um, yeah." He patted my shoulders. "She will love you, regardless." As I sighed in irritation, he quickly ducked behind for cover. I rolled the scroll and sealed it with blue and gold wax.

I tied it on the Milky eye Goshawk ankle, and allowed him to step up on my forearm, heading to the open pier that is partially enclosed by snow-capped mountains over the frozen lake until I reached the end. Now for the final touch. I released my mating glands, revealing my fangs, and got a drop of Gemma's stored blood on my finger.

I smeared it on its beak. It dried it instantly. "If you sense danger, don't chance it. Return to me." The Gosh squawked, and I gently heaved it into the air and watched him fly away. "How long does it take?"

"Two weeks." That is distressing to hear and too slow for my patience. I showed him eyes of concern.

"It will be fine. Use this peace to focus on your souls now."