The Ice Wolf

A.D Ripman

Prologue

"Grandma, please tell me the story about the Frost demon again", Six-year-old Gray begged, crawling up next to her feet sticking out from under the patchwork blanket as she sat knitting in the old wooden rocking chair.

"Again?" she laughed warmly. "Oh, OK, but you better come and sit on my lap then." Grandma Perla put her knitting down on the small table next to her and gestured for Gray to climb up on her lap.

Gray's face broke into a big grin full of missing teeth. He loved visiting his grandma's small cottage at the edge of the territory and would find any reason to sneak out of his own home to come here. Listening to Perla's olden day stories and long-forgotten legends about gods and demons was his most favourite pastime. 

Perla used her feet to rock them gently in the chair and smiled at her grandson's wide eyes, eagerly waiting for her to start the story.

"If the blue moon, fall on the turn of the century an Ice wolf is born." She started before Gray interrupted her directly.

"When is the next one, grandma?" Gray reached for the mug of hot chocolate on the small table next to them and slurped the content loudly.

"The next turn of the century will be in 3 years. Now, where was I?" Perla uttered with a warm smile. She knew there would be many more questions to answer along the way.

"The Ice Wolf." He reminded her, pouring the last of the hot chocolate into his wide-open mouth and gurgling it before swallowing.  

 "Oh yes, this rare white wolf is gifted with supernatural abilities that surpass us original werewolves."

"In what way?" Gray waited patiently as Perla wiped away the chocolate milk moustache from his upper lip with her fingers.

"Well, they run faster, and they are stronger than us. The ice wolf bite is extremely lethal to normal Werewolves, and they can also heal and sometimes bring back the dead.

"Wow", Gray's face radiated from excitement. "I am going to be much stronger than the Ice Wolf when I grow up. He continued flexing his arms in different poses.

Perla squeezed his tiny bicep. "I can tell; look at you so strong already," she chuckled before patting the top of his head.

"Our pack, The White Creek, have been waiting and praying for this white wolf to be born. Because for many centuries our pack have been under the Frost Demon's curse."

"The Frost Demon", Gray whispered excited and rubbed his tiny hands together.

Perla cleared her throat. "The curse originated from the first Alphas on the White Creek land. Two brothers, Saul and Thiago, fought for the title, and when the older brother Saul won, Thiago wouldn't accept it and left the pack for life as a Rogue."

"Why did he leave his pack? I would never leave mine." Gray looked at Perla. His silver-coloured eyes flashed with confusion and sadness mixing as one.

"We don't know all the reasons, but we do know he wasn't happy losing to his older brother," Perla explained calmly before continuing the story.

 "A year went by, and the first White Creek pack thrived in the flourishing territory, and many pups were born. One of them was your great-great-great-grandfather, Rowan."

They both looked up at the old painting of Rowan positioned in the middle of the photos of their family tree on the timber wall over the glowing fireplace.

 "But Thiago returned" Perla lowered her voice for more dramatic effect. "And with the help of a witch, he sneaked into the territory without being detected."

"But, how did the witch help? Gray wondered, confused.

"She helped Thiago disguise his scent so the other wolves wouldn't find him."

"Oh, because Rogues smell bad?" Gray scratched his unkempt hair and smiled again, revealing the gaps between his pearly white teeth.

"Yes, they do." Perla agreed and pinched the top of her wrinkled nose, making Gray giggle. Her face turned serious as she continued.

"Thiago murdered his older brother and Luna in cold blood that night. Saul's Luna Esme hid Rowan before Thiago could get to him and died protecting their child and in that way saved our bloodline."

Perla paused and sighed deeply. "This act of betrayal angered The Moon Goddess, and she stripped him of any chance to find his mate. Without a mate, Thiago's heart grew cold, and eventually, he turned into the beast we call The Frost Demon, who became destined to walk the earth alone for eternity."

Gray's head tilted to the side. "Will he never find his mate?"

"No one knows, but that's how this curse came about; when Thiago spilled his family's blood, the earth in this territory became cursed as soon as the blood hit the ground and ever since then, the Alphas of this pack have never found their true mate. This curse is inherited and passed down from Alpha to Alpha and only an Ice wolf can lift it." 

"Will I find my mate?" Gray wondered, looking at his grandma with his piercing silver-coloured eyes.

Perla's lips trembled, and her eyes watered before she got the chance to blink it away. "I am praying every day that you will." She kissed his forehead and leaned him back against her chest, and rocked them in the old chair.

Outside, the thunder rumbled and filled the sky with heavy grey clouds.

Seventeen years later.

Alpha Gray is tired of waiting; his parents are on his back to find a suitable girl to marry and carry on the family bloodline. The thought about entering a loveless marriage out of obligation feels impossible, and it hurts him when he sees his family and friends finding their mates.

When his grandma the pack's wise woman, has a vision showing her that an Ice wolf was born in the last turn of the century under the blue moon, he sets out to find her. The only problem is that the wolf is locked inside a regular human girl.