Darkest Wolf

II

Gwen, my cousin through Aunt Holly, wrapped her arms around my neck with startling speed and stealth. Not startling, actually. She's the quietest wolf in the pack. Fastest, too. That's what you get when you mate the fastest wolves in the pack. Maybe even the world. You could say that she's the fastest of the woods.

Gwen is actually my only real friend. Most wolves are weary of me because of the prophecy but that doesn't bug her for some reason, I guess it's because she's always been more than my cousin- she's always been my best friend. 

She has her father's black hair but her mother's freckles and blue eyes, it's kind of startling. Her personality matches her looks. She's a wild, carefree girl but only when you know her. 

She's kind of like a nymph.

"Hey, Evie! Happy B-Day!"

"Hi, Gwen."

She gave me one last tight squeeze before releasing me and coming around to face me. She had a small purple box in one hand with a silver ribbon tying it. I reached out to grab it but she jerked it away from my reach.

"Uh, uh, uh," she wagged her finger," You have to wait until Ethan opens his, too."

I sighed. She always gives him his present before mine.

Best for last, my ass.

"So, what did you get my darling brother this year?"

"Discounts."

"Discounts? How and where did you get him discounts?"

"Where is the airport and how," she blew air from her lips and dropped back into a chair," Let's just say I had to do a little more than just flirting."

Gwen is an unmated wolf. She made the choice to be more like her father and freely date while she doesn't know her mate even though her mother waited and her father swears he regrets not being more like Holly.

"Ethan will love them. He and Ida want so badly to travel. Ooh, I bet they go to France first. Luna Lacey is always talking about how great it is there."

"Nah. I bet they jet off to Greece. You know how they love all that mythology junk."

"Maybe..."

"We should go find the lovebirds."

We linked arms and started off to the party.

-

Everyone smiled wide and wished the happiest of birthdays to me. The oracles all sat together, discussing the latest news the Huntress had blessed them with. Ethan and Ida were laughing about something together. Gwen and I were with my father and Aunt Thalia and her daughter, Jade, while he told us some war stories from when he was young.

"Hybrids were so hunted," he explained before jokingly adding," and I had this one on my tail, I could barely stay in one place for a week at a time."

"I had to come find you. Family problems, little brother."

"Ah, 'family problems'. Thomas only wanted to control my mate and you know it."

"What ever."

I laughed loudly at it, getting a backwards slap on the arm from Gwen, whos hair I was braiding. I punched her back before getting shoved by Jade. Our relationship has always been somewhat violent. 

Jade is always the most violent, however. In fact, she's the most everything. 

Her eyes are the most grey, though all of ours are blue. She's the most athletic, though not the fastest. Jade is the most beautiful and commanding of us all. She's the daughter of a regular wolf and a rouged Beta, it makes no sense that she's so special.

But she is. Jade is the most....  true. She's so real and true to herself that there's no denying her the title of being the most.

"So," Jade whispered to me, low enough for even my father not to hear," You ready for tonight?"

My wolf did a little whimper. A few years back I'd promised Jade that I'd participate in a little "experiment" on my big 19th. My brother and I would release our energy into each other at the same time. All the way.

It's something we'd only done one other time when we were young, we were so surprised by the electricity that the moment it came out we jumped away from each other and swore not to do it again. Now I'm breaking a promise either way. I'd rather it be my brother's.

"There's the birthday girl," Uncle Luke shouted as he jogged towards us, Aunt November and Max in tow. 

Uncle Luke is my mother's brother. Tall, blond, handsome. The usual.

But Aunt November is gorgeous. 

She's Uncle Luke's mate and has beautiful, long flowing hair that look like midnight rain. Her eyes are haunted with stories she won't tell me. I can feel her emotions from a mile away. Her skin is dark, a trait she passed on to her son. 

Max is 12 and looks just like his mother nearly completely and totally. He has her face and hair and skin. The only real trait you can pick out that is his father's is the nose and that look in his eyes when he's up to something he knows damn well he shouldn't be.

That's exactly how I knew to check the left pocket of my jacket after the demon let go of me. Of course. Wolf spider.

Gwen let out an ear piercing scream as the bug crawled from palm to palm. Jade just shifted away from it, but I continued to allow it to walk on me.

"Do you like my present," he asked in that evil little tone.

Little does he know I love spiders.

"Of course," it settled into the center of my palm and I brought it over to his face," Do you know how venomous these little guys are?"

"How?"

"They can turn your skin black with a single bite."

It was almost eerie how his eyes went wide with delight at the words, but I guess that must be similar to how my eyes went when I first found out. Delight in the bad things.

Damned wolf.

"Where did you get him from?"

"Ontario. He had to ride in a jar all the way here."

"I'm sure he was pissed," I looked at the lake behind us," Let's go put him somewhere new."

Max and I do get along at times. He wants to find the horrible things in this world and I want them to be freed. He's still a demon, though. 

The little spider walked slowly on my hand before finding it's little place in the world on the ground.