The Starlit Wolf: The Finale

Aries

“Aries?” Adam asked, putting a hand on Aries’ shoulder.

He’d been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t noticed his brother and Capricorn coming out of the Vortex.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I uh.” Aries looked at Capricorn, who had a strangely grave expression on his face. “Adam, why don’t you head back. I need to talk to Cap about something.”

“Oh my god,” Adam rolled his eyes. “Yes, I will leave, I do not need to hear you bitch about Sage again. I’ll see you at home.” Aries was grateful for the assumption. He was always complaining about Sage, lately.

Adam picked up a water bottle and a handful of Capricorn’s snacks before heading down the trail. Aries watched him until his bright blue hoodie was completely out of sight.

“What did you see?” Capricorn asked, sitting beside him in the leaf litter.

“It’s more like, what didn’t I see,” Aries said. “Taurus was missing.”

“The entire constellation?”

“Yeah.”

Capricorn pursed his lips together, bright brown eyes darkening.

“I thought something might be up. Persephone was there. She didn’t say anything, but I got some really weird vibes.” Aries nodded.

“We should probably talk to Leo, huh?”

“Yeah.”

Standing up, Aries made his way down the trail with Capricorn just behind him. Anxiety ran up and down his back, wrapped his chest in barbed wire.

Aries and Capricorn took the long way back. Most of the walk was made in silence so heavy it was hard to breathe.

“Do you think it’s got something to do with the Equinox, maybe?” Capricorn said, breaking the silence.

“Things are always a little weird around then. And the Solstices, too. Or maybe it disappeared because its aspect is going to show up?”

Aries knew that the last constellations should be showing themselves soon, but if Taurus was missing, would things go the way they were meant to?

He’d always been told that it would take the twelve of them to support themselves.

They needed to stand strong against the possibility of being overcome by external forces but as far as he knew, there were only nine of them.

Scorpio, Sagittarius and Taurus were all unaccounted for.

“We’ll talk about it later,” he said, as they reached the camper. Capricorn nodded.

As much as the nine of them were all alphas, Aries was their unofficial leader. The others usually listened to him, even over stupid things like that.

“So what should we do in the meantime?” Capricorn asked. Aries crossed his arms.

“Just… Get in contact with everyone. See how they’re holding up, make sure things are okay, nothing weird is happening.”

“Like…” Capricorn had a weird look on his face. “Like, what kind of weird?”

“I don’t know, like, omens weird,” Aries said, frustrated with his own confusion. “Anything that could be signals from Gods or whatever, like—”

“Dreams?” Capricorn asked, in a tone that Aries didn’t like.

“Yeah,” he said. “Dreams. What dreams have you been having, Cap?”

Capricorn shoved his hands deeper into his pockets and seemed to shrink. He flexed his jaw and didn’t look at Aries when he spoke.

“I don’t know, weird shit. Guarding something, or someone? Feeling trapped, like I’m suffocating, buried underground. I’ve had some…”

Capricorn swallowed, and glanced up towards the pack property.

“Some really fucked up dreams about Pa dying. Killing himself. I don’t know, I just—” he shuddered.

“It all feels like memories, but it’s not real, right? Pa is right there, I’m definitely not buried alive and even if I was, it’s not like I couldn’t get out, you know?”

Aries nodded, and reached to put a hand on his shoulder. Capricorn flinched, then relaxed.

“Catch up with the others,” he said. “Let me know what’s going on, okay? Come here if you have to. It’s not like me or Leo are going anywhere.”

“You got it,” Capricorn said, moving towards the camper door. “I’ll see you later.”

“Mm,” Aries nodded, turning toward home. The well-lit road was an easy walk, and he was lost in thought as he made his way downhill.

Then he bumped into someone.

As he went to apologize, he stopped himself, which gave the girl in front of him the time to snort and move away.

“Watch where you’re going,” she said. Aries scowled.

“What is your problem, Sage?” he asked. Because of course it was Sage, the absolute last person he wanted to see when his mind was already full of things to be worried about.

“You’re ruining my view,” she said, crossing her arms. Aries rolled his eyes.

“Well excuse me for living,” he snapped. “I didn’t realize I should be prioritizing your view when I’m out in the middle of the night.”

“Why are you out here, anyway,” she asked. “Adam got back hours ago, and Leo was looking for you.” Aries wondered why she would care about that.

Despite himself, he couldn’t help but think about how pretty she was in the warm light of the lamps on the path, and the cool light of the moon shining down on her.

It was too bad she was so insufferable. He would have really liked her, otherwise.

“It’s none of your business,” he said.

“You sound like a child,” she said.

Aries had no idea what it was about Sage.

Every time they saw one another, they got into a squabble, and he couldn’t figure out if it was because he liked her, or hated her.

“Just leave me alone, Sage,” Aries said, stepping around her. “I’ve got shit to deal with right now, I don’t have time for you.”

“Time for—what the hell, Aries?” she said, reaching out to shove his shoulder. “Time for me?”

“Yeah,” he said, turning to glare at her, feeling the fire inside him flaring and brightening.

“Time for you. Unlike some people in this pack, I have responsibilities and duties to fulfill, so I don’t get to go out on pointless walks in the middle of the night.”

He knew she hated it when anyone pointed out that she, despite having a father who was from a wolf bloodline, was not a wolf herself.

It had been a sore spot for her since they were children.

When he was younger, Aries thought this meant that he would be able to protect her, but Sage had no interest in being protected. She was a fierce fighter, a skilled weapons specialist, and she, for all intents and purposes, hated him.

“You’re such an asshole,” Sage snapped.

“Whatever,” he said, turning back towards the path.

“I have more important shit to do than deal with you.” He headed towards home, leaving Sage behind him.