Chapter 9

The familiar bell chimed as Mark pushed open the heavy wooden door, the scent of dried herbs and old leather welcoming him into the dimly lit space. He was surprised to see Luna behind the counter, her usual bright red jacket replaced by a somber black one.

“Hey, Luna. Where’ve you been? Haven’t seen you around lately.”

“Just being around,” she replied with a bright smile. What the hell does that even mean?

“Uh ... great. Where is Julian?”

“Big night last night, huh?” a voice whispered near his ear.

Mark jumped, startled, blades instinctively snapping into existence in his hands.

“Fuck, dude! Do you always sneak up on people like that?”

Whirling, he came face-to-face with a striking stranger dressed in an impeccably tailored suit, his face creased with age, his eyes sharp and intelligent. He looked like he’d stepped out of a gangster movie.

How did I not sense him?

“My apologies,” the stranger said, in a smooth, almost oily voice. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s fine,” Mark muttered, dispelling the blades.”I am just a little jumpy.”

He studied the stranger, the uneasy prickle in his gut growing stronger. Who’s this...

“I don’t believe we’ve been introduced.”

“Ah, where are my manners?” the stranger said, a slight bow of his head. “Dorian. You can consider me ... a consultant of sorts. To your mentor.”

“Consultant?” Mark frowned. “What does Julian need a consultant for?”

Dorian chuckled, “Oh no, my services to him tend to be of a more ... unorthodox in nature.”

“Meaning?”

“I make Julian’s life easier. Manage the ... unpleasantries. Deal with the ... complications.”

“What could possibly complicate Julian’s life?” He scoffed. “The guy lives in a basement surrounded by dusty books and shrunken heads.”

Dorian laughed. “Many things. And considering how ... eventful your night in the forest has been, shall we say our services seemed aligned.”

What? Mark stiffened, his gaze narrowing. He didn’t remember seeing Dorian at the sinkhole, in the forest. How does he know about what happened?

“Are you a mage?”

“Nothing so conventional, I’m afraid.”

A shifter, perhaps? It would explain how he snuck up on me, how he knows about what happened... Mark studied Dorian, but he couldn’t get a clear read on the man.

His aura was ... strange, a swirling mix of power and something else, something strange, something that set his teeth on edge. This guy creeps me out.

Dorian shook his head, his expression smooth, unreadable. “No need to be on edge, Mark. I’m more like you than you realize. A hybrid of sorts. Though, perhaps a bit different from what you’re imagining.”

What the hell does that mean? Mark frowned. Does he also have two bloodlines?

“What are you...”

Before he could finish his question, the familiar gruff tones cut through.

“Dorian? What are you doing here?” The old mage grumbled as he swept in.

“Just finishing up an errand.”

“Is that so? Well in that case, do you wish to settle our outstanding wager while you’re here? Double or nothing?”

“Another time, perhaps. I’m afraid I have other engagements to attend.”

Dorian pulled a crisp sheet of paper and handed it to Mark. “For you.”

Mark unfolded the paper- it seemed to be some sort of address.

“What’s this?”

Dorian simply favored him with one of those inscrutable smiles. “Your next destination. Though I would caution against undue haste...” He paused in the open doorway, piercing stare fixing Mark with quiet intensity. “Sometimes, speed can be as much a curse as a boon when navigating the more ... interesting paths that lie ahead.”

He winked and was gone.

“Damned theatrics ... pay that fool no mind.” Julian shook his head. “He’s more fur coat than bite these days, despite what delusions of grandeur still rattle around in that empty skull of his.”

“Who exactly is that guy? You seemed weirdly ... familiar with him.”

“Just some relic from my past who refuses to quietly fade away, for better or worse. An acquaintance of long-standing, you could say.”

“So a ... friend?”

Julian chuckled, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Well, we’ve known each other for so long, that the lines get a little blurred. Friend, acquaintance, enemy ... it doesn’t really matter anymore.”

How long is ‘so long’?

“Anyway, what brings you here?”

“Elia ... he got away.”

“So I heard. And that creature ... the one you encountered in the sinkhole ... a nasty piece of work, from what I understand.”

“It was. Do you know anything about what it was?”

“I don’t. Not yet. From the descriptions I’ve been given ... it doesn’t match anything I’ve encountered before.”

If even Julian doesn’t know what that thing was, how am I supposed to find out? He felt a wave of frustration wash over him, the weight of unanswered questions pressing down on him. Another dead end.

“Don’t beat yourself up about it, kid,” Julian said, his voice surprisingly gentle. “What happened is not your fault.”

“Whose fault is it then?”

“Mine, I suppose. I’m the one who sent you down there. Should have known you’d screw it up.”

This asshole.

“Go ahead. Get it all out. All the ‘I told you so’ bullshit.”

“Bullshit? No, no, no,” Julian said, his voice laced with mock sympathy. “I’m just ... disappointed. I thought you were better than that. I would have captured Elia without breaking a sweat.”

Mark gritted his teeth seething in silence... I knew this is going to happen.

“You couldn’t even catch a simple merc, huh? I guess some students never learn. You do so much in molding them and they just—”

“Enough of this,” Mark cut in, his patience wearing thin. “I need your help finding someone.”

“Who now? Are you always going to keep chasing after someone your whole life?”

“Seems so ... While I was chasing Elia I came across this woman.”

“Oh?” Julian raised an eyebrow. “Are you going to make a habit of this? Chasing after every pretty face that catches your eye?”

“It’s not like that ... This woman ... she’s ... important.”

“I’m beginning to get the distinct impression you’re holding back the juicier details of your latest misadventures, hmm?”

Mark, opting for partial honesty, quickly recounted the events that had led to his encounter with the commanding werewolf- the chase through the woods, the fight.

He skimmed past the ... juicier parts of how that meeting had ended but gave Julian just enough background to piece it all together.

“I’ll give you this, boy - you certainly have an uncanny knack for finding yourself smack in the eye of the storm.”

“It’s not like I want to,” Mark grumbled, annoyed, “Can you help me find her?”

“Describe her.”

As best he could through the jumbled rush of memories, Mark described her appearance and presence-kissed tresses and toned physique, to her captivating eyes and aura of primal, unyielding power.

“Sounds like you’ve found yourself a new muse,” Julian chuckled.

“What?”

“The way you described her ... it was almost poetic.”

Is that how I sounded? Mark wondered. He’s probably just messing with me.

“Look, can you help me find her or not?”

“Did you even get her name, Romeo?”

He thought back to their encounter, the chaotic fight, the rain, the haze of lust and confusion.

“Katrina, I think.”

“You met Katrina?” Luna’s voice, sharp with surprise, made Mark jump. He’d almost forgotten she was there.

“Uh ... yeah.”

“Damn, kid,” Julian muttered, shaking his head. “Of all the people ... You really do have a knack for finding trouble, don’t you?”

“You guys ... know her?”

“Know her?” The young girl practically vibrated with unbridled enthusiasm. “She’s only my absolute idol! The most powerful and amazing werewolf to ever live!”

“Okay, well would someone mind filling me in then? Who is she?”

“She’s the leader of shifters, numbskull!” Luna supplied without preamble, eyes shining with naked admiration.

“Leader? Which clan?”

“All of them.”

“I thought shifters had a clan structure?”

“They did until Katrina united every single pack under her rule!” Luna added enthusiastically.

“A rather ... condensed summary,” Julian chuckled, “but essentially accurate. Up until a few years ago, the shifter clans were a fractured mess, each pack vying for power, their loyalties divided. Then Katrina came along and ... well, let’s just say she changed the game. Through sheer force of will and an impressive display of strength, she systematically dismantled the old order. She challenged and defeated every single clan leader, one by one. Didn’t matter how ancient their lineage, how powerful their ruling leaders were - Katrina tore through them all without mercy.” He smirked ruefully. “Your new ... crush ... has a certain... persuasiveness.”