Blood Bound-Revenge of the Kielder Pack

Through the hourglass of the past

1200 AD, the Land of Northumberland

Lettice’s story

 

        My life was not the way I pictured it. I dreamed of having someone to love, to rely on but instead I had to fight against my family’s wish to marry into the pack. And yes, I was a werewolf, and to become soon a Luna. My parents pointed Conrad Hewitson as to by my Alpha; he was caring and thoughtful but my heart somehow knew it would beat for someone else.

       „My dear Lettice, you know that we love you so much, but these are the rules inside our pack. We wouldn’t have survived for so many years if we had broken them” my mother’s voice was always kind. She was my shelter, my refuge, and my guardian, but this time I felt like she was my executioner. There was a burning fire into my mother’s eyes that no matter what my problems were she consistently found moments of affection that built the foundation of the woman I am today. The family was very important to me, but sometimes their decisions affected me and echoed through time.

       „ Mother, are you sure this is the best decision? I mean is Conrad the wolf you want for your daughter?” My voice cracked as I was explaining to her the importance of love in a marriage.

       „Honey, Conrad will be a great Alpha after we were gone. You need someone strong to protect you. Danger lurks in every corner and I need to be sure you will be well protected.”

      ”But Mother, you know well that I was granted the power of fire. I can take care of myself…” my sadness drained through me instead of the happiness of a new bride and a new life ahead of me. I felt my sadness so hollow and sometimes like a shell that neither protected nor held my millions of oceans of tears. Nevertheless, I embraced my destiny and Conrad became my husband for good and for worse.

       My image of marriage had to be a deep and loving friendship but our was a hollow union from which one good thing resulted, our son Noah, a curly-haired little boy with eyes like the blue high sky. He was the only one that kept me going, as I never in these ten years of marriage have I felt Conrad as my Alpha.

       And then the bloody battles came and he had no choice, but to fight them. My parents were old now and my father got sick so they put all their faith in Conrad. I must admit that he was brave, fighting our enemies and kept them away from the pack. But this bravery lasted up to the point where he was betrayed by the one he put his trust the most, the future Beta of the pack. So that was the end of him; I could say my Conrad, but he was never mine, he belonged to my parents.

       We gave him a proper burial, but I've never mourned him, not after someone I didn’t love. My parents and my Noah were the only ones who missed him. I felt free, released from a chain that wasn’t mine. And this freedom I made the most of it.

        I started to have long walks into our realm first with my son and then alone into the deepest of the forest. Northumberland Forest, my home, was the most beautiful place on Earth that I barely have begun to discover in my days of freedom. Conrad kept me hidden but I was an adventurous woman and I liked these new feelings that were taking over me right now.

         One day while I had been walking through the narrowed paths of the forest I was drawn by a deafening cry like an agonizing howl and a tall well-built man chasing the poor beast to give it the last stroke. I hid into a nearby bush and watched terrified as the man’s crossbow did its final act. The poor wolf screamed in an inevitable pain and I had to cover my mouth for a sob just stuck deep into my throat. Who was that man, that ruthless hunter that killed with no remorse?

       Despite his fierce appearance, he was a handsome man from the depth of his eyes to the violence of his actions. His dark curled hair framed a perfect chiseled face so I began to wander along his manly jawline feeling drawn to him like in an endless whirlwind. Then he locked his gaze with mine; I was still terrified of what I have seen but the ferocity in his eyes turned into gentleness upon seeing me. Something urged to leave, to run away as fast as I could or I would become his next target; but I froze in place, unable to move or to breathe. Was this going to be my end or my beginning?

       By the time he approached me, I had my heart in my throat beating like crazy. If it wasn't quite enough he could have heard it. I rose to my feet just to see him towering over me, almost like sending me signals.

       „ Don’t be afraid, little one!” he whispered so close to my ear that I shivered from head to toe. Still, I stood there, defenseless, sustaining his penetrating blue eyes.

        „I will not hurt you!” I know I should have said something, anything but I just nodded, and for the first time in my long life I was in love; that crazy love that one could only feel once in a lifetime.

        As I was expecting my parents never approved a union between me a royal werewolf and a human as our bloodline would be diluted. And especially when that human dedicated his entire life to a secret society that was helping the Templars to maintain a clean world; that meant Edgar Duncan, my new love was a ruthless werewolf hunter, so practically I was in danger. But I thought love could conquer all and overcame all the obstacles; I thought I was safe, hiding when the full moon rose, so my condition would not trigger his killer instinct. I had to take my hardest decision ever, leaving my son behind as I didn’t want to expose him and eloped with the only man that made me feel whole again.

        But all that magic between us ended one night; all of my dreams shattered in an instant when Edgar became suspicious about my sudden departures especially when the full moon was upon the dark sky. That particular night I tried to get away, to explain to him but with no arguments in my defense so the inevitable happened. My transformation began and with excruciating pain, I collapsed on the ground and my limbs started to turn into claws. I saw the horror in Edgar’s eyes trying to reach for his crossbow. But my torture and my agony were so huge that I bent from my waist, crouching and let the wolf inside dominated me.

       Once my turning was finished, I found Edgar in a fight position but he didn’t do it. He was stoned with exhaustion and in shock with the whole spectacle that unfolded before his eyes. He wanted to use his weapon but he hesitated at the last moment; I guess his love was stronger, so he did nothing, just let me run into the dark forest like a renegade.

       I wouldn’t have attacked him but never trust in animal instincts so for his protection I decided to return to my family. But the doors to my realm and their hearts were closed for me. The dark forest became my home until Edgar found me once again. He began a fight against the clock to find a cure and acquire my humanity. One year of painful experiments followed and left me weak with no strength to fight against; one year of so many failures, until one day, being sure he finally found it, Edgar mixed up his potions and the result was devastating. I was turned into a monster, a beast far more ferocious and dangerous, much more hideous to look at than I was before. It was too much to handle for my poor Edgar, as I became something even worse than what he already hated so much, an evil and resentful creature.

      His pain was so huge and his regrets came onto him like an angry waterfall; he didn’t want to hurt me but still, one faithful night I was awakened by the torturous stabbings of Edgar’s knife. Assuming I was dead he ran outside not before setting our house on fire. Dizzy by the attack I felt the heat rising, leaving behind a thick smoke that was choking me but I still got the strength to run outside. No sight of by Edgar. Why did he do such a thing? I was madly looking for him, calling him with all that I got but still no answer, only the sound of wood crackling in the fire.

        And then the time stopped. It didn’t matter if I was in my human or my demon’s shape. My brain shattered for a brief moment and my eyes were trying to get used to the horror view. He was white as my father’s fur when he transformed, with his head hanging on one side, his eyes half opened and his mouth slightly parted. This horrific sight was going to haunt me forever. Already the pain seared through my abdomen, my mind was trying to cope with the torment so I curled collapsing on the cold ground, and I threw my hands around my waist trying to alleviate this burning agony and screamed so hard his name that my soul ached, for eternity.

        With my last strengths, I remembered that Edgar left in the house the serum that did to me so much harm. I desperately wanted to put my hands on it at least to use it for revenge somehow. Through the flams that were burning my soul, I managed to take it and got out of the house before it collapsed to the ground and along with it all of my hopes and dreams of a perfect life.

        Having lost my family, my husband, only love, my life meant nothing to me. I banished myself from a dear place of mine, the only home I knew; the only place where my life meant something. And now all that was gone. Running away as far as I could into the land of Wales. Here I encountered a pack of werewolves and as I wasn’t interested in courtesy my mind went ballistic and with rage, I can’t explain the massacre began. I could smell their hearts caged by fear, running for their miserable lives. They crawl in the mud waiting for me to unleash death upon them. One by one they fell in agony holding their breath for the last strike; a strike that never came as I needed an army to rise again. I had mercy on no one, not even their Luna who was begging me to let her live. Later I was amazed to discover the Luna blood was healing me and with the help of that cursed serum, these poor souls were turned into demons bound to Hell. I had to kill the Alpha as he had the strength to regain the pack’s powers so an obstacle was removed permanently. Once I have finished I set my realm there into the deep dark woods, raising the most bloodthirsty pack that ruled over that land.

         I called myself a Gwyllwolf and I was thirsty for revenge!