The Nosferatu Adventures
page 145, chapter 145
She took a deep breath, the sharpness of the air cutting her lungs as she moved back in the direction of the lake.
"Hey, we weren't done." Dagan said struggling to zip up his pants while following her.
"You had your three count." she turned to look at the auburn haired male, grabbing him by the back of the neck pulling him down to her height. She planted a quick kiss on his mouth, instantly wishing that she hadn't let any emotions show. "Come on, Rolf needs our help."
Dagan screwed up his face tilting his head to the side. "Rolf's not in trouble. I don't hear anything."
"He's in more trouble then you think. Which he was about to explain to me when you ran in playing tarzan." She continued on towards where she knew she'd left the large werewolf, her shoes crunching as she did. She found Rolf sitting with his back against a rock, eyes closed, a small bonfire started and a few pigeons roasting on it.
Sitting down beside him, our heroine reached up and removed the stray feathers from the large male's long dark hair.
He opened his eyes looking at her sideways from under his hair. He couldn't help but grin, nodding more to himself than either of them. "You earned your stripes back." he said nodding then to her own hair. "I don't know if I should congratulate Dagan for getting his alpha position back or pity you for being stuck with him?" Licking his lips Rolf then turned to look at her fully. "You are something you know that?" he shook his head, lips then in a pout. "I can't think of any other female we've known over the years who would put up with his mood swings the way you have."
Nosferatu noticed the burns on his neck and wrists still had not started to heal from where the collectors had used silver chains. Resting her hand on his elbow she shrugged. "So, you ready to fill me in on this?"
Dagan was in the lake, having decided to cool off after his own crisis was solved. Rolf shook his head again, grinning at the female, running his fingers through his hair to brush it out of his face. "Na. There's nothing to fill you in on. I traded my soul and now I have to be a man about it and live up to my end of the deal."
"Yeah that doesn't work for me." she stood up. "Loki!" she screamed. "Loki!"
"What are you doing?" Rolf asked getting to a standing position himself.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm calling the god of shapeshifters to undo your stupidity. Loki!"
"Little girl, it just doesn't work like that. You have to do a summoning ritual for the gods and even then they don't always show up." he flicked his long hair out of his face, only to have it tangle around his massive shoulders. He took a step forward, reaching a very strong arm out towards the vampire, his fingers just grazing her shoulder when he howled in pain. More large blue bolts of electricity shocked them both just as someone cleared their throat behind them.
"I do love hearing the way my name sounds when a female screams it." the dark haired god said leaning then against a tree. "What is it this time?"
"Rolf shacked up. Undo it." the female replied, letting out a deep breath. Loki sniffed as he moved closer to them, looking towards Dagan as he suddenly emerged from the lake.
"I already talked to Odin about that. Here's the thing. I can't undo it. I want to, but I can't. He made a deal and Odin is not the kind of guy who you can worm your way out of things with." he cleared his throat again, moving closer to Rolf, patting his shoulder. He began to circle the tall broad shouldered male, winking at our heroine as he did, running his tongue over his lips."But, he's agreed to let you earn your soul back."
"What do I have to do? Name it." Rolf replied, watching the god as he continued to circle him.
"There's a bit of a catch to this offer. The whole pack will be affected. Even you." the god then moved so that he was within reach of the female. "You should take the time to discuss it as a group."
Nosferatu and Dagan both nodded. "Trust me, whatever it is, the whole pack agrees." Dagan commented. Loki raised an eyebrow.
"Are you completely sure about that?" They both nodded again. Loki clapped his hands together. "Well, you boys need to understand how precious your souls really are. Specially since you're shapeshifters. Your soul is how you shift. Without it, you wouldn't be a werewolf." he shrugged turning a half circle on his heels. "It's why when the Seer was bitten, he got his soul back. In order to be a shapeshifter, you have to have a soul. It's why out of every creature any of us gods have created, werewolves, my werewolves, are the most honest, most loyal creatures. In all of creation. It's why you can not rape, it's why when you choose to claim a female to mate with, you can not cheat."
"Understood." Rolf said feeling suddenly uneasy. "Tell me what I have to do."
"Yourself, Dagan and Reuben will temporarily of course, be responsible for the souls of others. You're already protectors. It's in your nature. But for the time being, you three will be handling people's fates. You will be responsible for helping a soul through the three stages of life. Birth, death and transition."
"Uh...that sounds pretty heavy." Dagan commented as he scratched at his jaw. "I mean, even for us, that's a tall order. What happens if we suck at it?"
"Then Rolf will be handed over to Odin and he'll die."
"Thought you said the whole pack would be affected? That's only three of them." our heroine said her arms crossed under her chest.
"I did." Rolf let out a sound of pain as he doubled over, Loki's hand suddenly in his chest. He removed his arm, a steel blue-silver coloured glowing orb in his palm. Bringing it up to his mouth, he tore into it, biting off a piece before spitting it into his other hand. He placed the orb back into Rolf's chest, then proceeded to grab our heroine with the same hand by the back of the neck, shoving the tiny bite size piece into her abdomen. "Consider this like a safety deposit box. If you boys fail, and I really hope you don't, but if you do and the collectors do take your soul; the vampire here will be hiding a small piece that can revive you."
"And if it all goes well?" Dagan asked his neck craned, shoulders hunched as he rocked back and forth, fists clenched.
Loki grinned. "That's the price for my help. That little piece of soul stays right where it is, and we try my experiment again." The dark haired god planted a noisy kiss on the vampire's forehead. "I told you to think it over before you all agreed but..." he turned to look again at Rolf. "Ironic isn't it? You traded your soul because of your family, and now because of your soul, you might just extend that family." he patted him on the shoulder again as he started to walk away. "Try to keep this our little secret. No flaunting this little loophole. Otherwise, more people will be trying to make deals thinking they can get way with things." He shimmered away leaving the three of them standing there in shock.
Dagan took a step towards them but disappeared into thin air, as did Rolf. The female was left alone in the now morning sun, not sure what to tell the others.
Tune in again for another installment of the Nosferatu Adventures starring your heroine...me (straight up story. By the Fates...)
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