"Unbelievable." I laugh angrily as each step makes noise when my feet sink into the piled up snow on the concrete floor. My hot breath forms a clouds in the icy air. I tighten my long furry coat around myself for comfort. I can't feel the cold through my thick skin. The length of my coat falls into the snow and leaves a mark in it as I walk in the blizzard, the wind making a mess of my hair around my shoulders.

"Insane. Crazy. Out of his mind." I stop in front of a tree obstructing my path. I need to get around it.

Actually, no. Why should I.

I kick lazily at the bottom of the trunk with my foot and proudly watch it crumble, breaking the silence surrounding me with a loud crash.

"And he dared imply that this was my fault !" I spat as I walk over it, leaving white footprints behind.

I can see the lights of a small town further ahead and I already hear the laughter of its inhabitants. I successfully reached the depths of the freezing Siberia in a day's trip.

'You mean you fled.'

Of course not, this is extremely important work.

'Avoiding everything won't solve your problems.'

I'm not avoiding anything, I just needed some fresh air.

'You can't get more nature than this, I mean we are literally in the middle of nowhere in a forest of Siberia, surrounded by snow and tall trees during a storm.'

I call it Paradise.

'Then let me out. Until we get to the village. Or better yet, until the next century.'

I don't mind. I shrug.

'Seriously ?!'

Sure. There's nobody around here and even if there was someone you'd just have to kill them.

'Are you feeling alright ?'

Murderously great.

'I see... well then ! In that case I think this is an excellent idea for me to be in charge right now !'

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, filling my lungs to the brim with the cold air. As I focus on the darkness inside my mind, concentrating on the sliver of warm yellow light I feel my bones breaking one after the other, my arms and legs stretching and twisting to weird angles, my nose and mouth elongating into a snout, my ears sharpening and the fur covering my entire body. The sensation is warm and familiar, no longer painful. I turned too many time to feel anything anymore. When I open my eyes again I am a full wolf with sparkling yellow fur shining in the middle of the night and a bright red in my eyes.

Let's see how you like me nagging in your ears all the time. I smirk as my wolf ignores me, running around, analyzing all the scents around us.

My wolf stretches its legs more and more swallowing the distance to her first target.

You're making too much noise.

It stops abruptly to listen to the wind and try to catch the sound of a smaller animal. I hear it at the same time as it does.

I bet it's a rabbit.

Or maybe a mouse.

The beast doesn't wait to lunge in the air catching the tiny squirrel in surprise. Its claws and fangs make fast work of the kill.

Meh ! it's small, not that hard to catch.

I thought you could do better than that.

'Will you shut it ?'

See How it feels ?

'I'm not that unbearable.'

Suuure.

Even though I stop arguing and draw back into my mind, forgetting everything and just fading away as if taking a deep long nap. My consciousness disappears and I feel at peace in the nothingness, in the darkness.

'pe'

...

'hope'

...

'HOPE !'

What ?

'Finally ! I've been calling you out for hours ! Why didn't you answer ?'

What is it ?

'... where were you ?'

Nowhere.

'You know you can't do that. What if you never came back.'

Well, you would have free reins.

'That's not funny.' My wolf growls.

You're really difficult to please you know that ?

'I'm ready to go back inside now.'

I don't want to.

'Why ?'

I'm fine here.

'Nonsense ! People need you. You have to finish what you started.'

And if I don't ?

'Don't be a child.'

I'm tired of being the one to always give the answers. Let them fight, kill each other, I'm done.

'You don't mean that.'

Yes I do. I've done more than enough already.

'What about Nate then ?'

He can go to hell.

'What if he dies because you didn't come back to help him ?'

Then he's weak.

'... look, I know what he said was bad and he hurt you. I also know you don't want to talk about it and you tried to mask it with your anger but I'm in your head, in your soul, I know when when you're in pain.'

I'm fine.

'He doesn't feel the bond because of the curse. Not because you're not his mate.'

That's what you think.

'That's what I know. You might pretend not to remember the curse and maybe you have forgotten some parts of it, but you can't pretend like you don't feel the connection the both of you share. You have to trust your instincts, to acknowledge the weight you feel in your chest, the pull that connects you two. That's the bond and you know it.'

He wants nothing to do with me.

'He's a prick.'

If I'm cursed to be alone anyway it would be better for me if I didn't go back.

'What about Jordan ? Leila ? Even that idiot beta. And all the people we know.'

They'll be fine. They are strong.

'And you'll be okay with never knowing what happened to them.'

I guess so.

'Why the hell am I the one playing your good conscience here ?!'

You're right. You're more of the little devil than the angel.

'Then get a grip on yourself woman. I'm done standing in the snow.'

I don't have the time to answer before I'm standing in my two feet, completely naked in the middle of the forest.

"Where did we leave my clothes ?" I ask to no one in particular.

'Don't remember it's been two days.'

I look around and see the devastated area ; the trees laying on the ground, the burn marks here and there, the claw marks on the trunks and ground and the small animal corpses scattered around.

Someone had fun.

'I'm a wolf. Don't expect me to act like anything else.'

Did you at least howl to the wind like in the movies ?

When my wolf doesn't answer I know that it did and I can't help smirking.

'Don't stand around like that, you'll freeze to death.'

I start walking again focusing on the sounds and trying to find my way back to my abandoned clothes but after thirty minutes of failing I decide to look for people instead. I'll just steal some of their clothes. I find a cabin near a small lake. There is no light nor movement inside. I quietly force the wooden door and look around for anything to wear. I find a shirt on the floor but don't pick it up. There is a jacket on a chair, I ignore it too.

'I thought you said anything.' My wolf mocks me.

I am not wearing dirty clothes and I don't really have the time to do the laundry right now, especially when this house doesn't have electricity. I won't go to the nearest lake to wash them.

My snooping leads me to the closet and after rummaging through it I find nice skinny jeans and a white top. My attention quickly drifts to the warm black furry cape on the last handle on the left.

Now this is perfect.

'Reminds me of the royal capes you used to wear.'

Exactly. I'm The Queen of the North.

I don't wait to put it on. I also steal a pair of thick boots that go perfectly with it before walking to the door.

'Won't you leave some bucks or something to apologize ?'

It looks better on me anyway.

I don't need to see it to know my wolf is rolling its eyes at me. I find my way back in the direction of the town I meant to go to two days earlier. It's still filled with laughter. I put the hood up to hide my face, no need for everyone to notice the stranger in their streets. A few people glance my way but their attention doesn't linger on me for too long so I keep walking and finally reach the one and only bar of the village.

It's an old wooden house threatening to fall apart any second and it seems to stay upright only because it's frozen in place. There are four people inside, counting the bartender, an old man wiping a dirty glass with a suspiciously dark rug. I order a beer and after paying and retrieving my pint march to the booth in the far right corner where a man is drinking alone with his hood up just like mine. We probably look more suspicious that way but neither of us intends to take it down anyway.

"miesalmebi chemi megobari." I grit him in Georgian, his native language and smile as he jumps in his seat his head shooting up to look at me.

"Hope !" He laughs with a big smile playing on his mouth.

"How are you Ralph ?" I inquire looking him once over to see if he sports any injuries.

As a dwarf he is a very skilled and smart hunter but going against angry grizzlies isn't the safest job even when you are granted a thicker skin and fast reflexes. He has long dark hair falling to his shoulders and a crooked nose broken during a fight, his eyes are an icy blue that can freeze your body to stone if you look at them for too long. At least that's what the legend tells us.

"As strong as ever."

"Good to hear."

"What brings you here, so far north ?"

"I was nearby and thought I'd come say hello."

"'s that so ? Moscow ?"

"France actually."

"Right because close means France."

"It's on the same continent." I shrug.

"Close enough !" He grins. "You alone today ?" He asks looking around.

"Yes. Leila had to stay back. We have a... let's call it a situation."

"I'm not well informed these days, news usually don't reach so far north."

"That's why I keep telling you to lose yourself in the middle of Africa instead. At least you would have a warm weather and there are other dangerous beast to hunt other than bears."

"You know me, I like to know the land. I have a few more contracts to finish but once that's over I might come see you in America. How's that ?"

"Perfect ! I'll show you around New York."

"So, what is the situation ?"

"Well, an alpha I know is gathering people to fight against an unknown menace."

"That's not specific at all." He mocks me.

"Let's just say that a threat has risen and to defend themselves the wolves decided to form a coalition with other creatures."

"That's definitely new."

"You'll probably hear more about it if they reach the dwarf population."

"And with all of that you had the time to come grit me ?" He asks dubious.

"That alpha I was talking about is being an idiot and I decided to come here and not kill him on the spot."

"Wise decision. So unlike you though."

"I'm trying to be better." I laugh taking a sip of my beer.

"So when are you going back ?"

"Do I have to ?" I ask reluctantly.

"No, you could always stay here and help me with my next target."

"I know you don't need my help."

"Why don't you want to go back ?"

"Honestly ?"

"Yes." He nods. "You're not one to avoid a fight."

"Because it's too tiring. They expect me to do so many things and they are never satisfied with what I give. And Nate is getting on my nerves."

"Nate ?" Ralph inquires.

"The alpha in charge of the coalition." I explain.

"Let me guess, an old geezer with predetermined ideas on the supernatural world."

"No." I smirk. "A 24 year-old brat."

"Seriously ? And he's leading this army ?"

"Yup. And he never stepped one foot out of his territory."

"Again, he's the one in charge of this army ?"

"Yes. He didn't even believe there were creatures other than werewolves."

"Man, you have no chance to win."

"So you see what I have to deal with !"

"They really need your help then."

"But what if I Don't want to help ?"

"They are screwed."

"I'm not the only member of this team." I grumble.

"What did he do to make you so mad ?"

"He had the nerve to say to my face that he wanted in my pants."

"That's not the first time this happens to you." Ralph laughs.

"True but he had the audacity to expect me to say yes because he's an alpha."

"Is he that ugly ?"

"He's fine." I groan.

"Then what's the problem ?"

"The problem is that this entire situation is too complicated. I was just there for a race and now I am neck deep in a war I never asked for."

"Ah... the struggles of the powerful"

"Too many responsibilities." I agree.

"Would you be fine with someone else taking your place ?"

"I don't know. I would finally be left alone that's for sure. But they aren't smart enough for that, they would lose."

"Glad to see your ego is still as big as ever."

"You're the one who asked."

"But that means you don't have any other choice, you have to go back."

"I wanted to go talk to the polar bears next."

"I'll take care of that, I need to go see them anyway."

"I still don't understand how they tolerate you when you kill their kin."

"You should know by now that grizzlies and bears can't stand each other. They are almost thankful to me for taking care of it."

"Sure. Or they are biding their time until they can finally kill you."

"Don't jinx me !" He groans and I smile innocently.

"Well, then I guess I need to thank you for your help."

"Genatsvale" Ralph says proudly. "I will always be there for you, I'm always ready to fight to help you, you know that right ?"

"I know. And I would do the same." I nod.

"Now. Let's eat. I'm starving !"

We spend the rest of the night talking about his last hunts while eating a solianka soup and a gououbtsis and finally a koulitchein dessert. We also take the time to play poker with the few people present in the bar and leave quickly when they understand we cheated the entire time of the party. I leave him in the woods with a big smile on my lips and make the trip back to France on foot, dreading to be back. Maybe if I take my time everything will be over and I'll be able to go back to my life, a life filled with races, poker and a lot of food. Heaven.