Chapter 21

Mamie opened the door with bleary eyes, “What’s happened?”

“Arthur needs help!” Daphne cried. “There’s a rogue in the village!”

Mamie gasped and ushered her in as Blade darted out the door, letting out a warning howl to the entire village. He heard people mobilizing as he yelled orders and tried to find Arthur’s scent through the village.

The scent of blood grew stronger as he ran and he hoped it wasn’t Arthur who was injured. He didn’t hear anyone coming from the village fast enough to be of help, but he heard Arthur growling and the familiar sounds of blood splashing on the ground coming from the northern side of the village.

He turned towards the north well. A rogue howled in pain as Arthur ripped its paws off with a terrible snapping sound. The rogue stumbled on the nubs of its legs and Arthur slammed it to the ground with a swipe of his paw. Not far away lay the body of another rogue in a pool of blood. How had they gotten so far into the village unnoticed? How many were there?

“Arthur!” Blade called as another rogue came around a building. Blade rammed into it, giving Arthur the time to deal with the rogue who had leaped on him. Blade clawed the rogue across the face before Arthur joined him. Blade ripped a large gash through the rogue’s chest and Arthur clamped down on its neck, killing it with a sharp crunch before letting its body fall to the ground.

The smell of blood hung thick and metallic in the air, but there were no other rogues. Arthur turned his head right and left before he seemed to slowly relax. Blade relaxed. The threat had been neutralized for now, or the others had already escaped.

Blade turned back towards the village and found Daphne standing in the distance not daring to approach. He couldn’t blame her given the gore.

“They’re all dead,” Arthur said. “It was just these.”

“Arthur,” Blade called. “What do you know?”

Arthur shook his head, “Nothing. I smelled them and came out to kill them.”

He nodded towards the bodies, “I caught that one by surprise, I think, but that’s all. If there were more, I don’t know.”

Blade growled in frustration, “How did they get in?”

And why had they come? He wasn’t sure if the why was more worrying than the how. It wasn't outside the realm of possibility that they overpowered a part of the patrol. Had they killed anyone else? Raided the food stores?

Others came towards them huffing and Blade looked at the other patrol members.

“Search the village. We need to figure out what they wanted.”

Arthur turned back to Daphne and hurried towards her, filled with joy to see her, and grinned wolfishly before closing his mouth full of sharp teeth. She seemed uncomfortable at the sight. Were his teeth full of blood?

"Is everything okay, Arthur?"

“Don’t worry, Daphne. I've killed them all. Let's go back to sleep.”

“Take Daphne back home, Arthur,” Blade said. “Then, we’ll go to Alpha Rex to report.”

Arthur wanted to protest, but he hung his head and walked Daphne back to their cottage.

“Are you alright?” Daphne asked. He nodded stiffly.

“I’m fine. I’ll come back as soon as I can.”

Daphne eyed him, seeming a bit skeptical, but she went inside and Arthur hurried back to meet Blade. The sooner he got through the report, the sooner he could crawl back into bed with Daphne. Maybe he'd manage to stay in his wolf form this time.

When Daphne woke up the next morning, she was alone in bed, but she heard Arthur moving around in the house. She rolled out of bed and leaned into the washing area. Arthur was shirtless, washing his face and wiping the blood from the night before from his skin, but he wore pants.

His muscles rippled as he moved.

“Good Morning, Daphne.” Arthur turned, grinned at her, bright eyes, and happy. “How did you sleep?”

“Good,” Daphne said leaning against the doorway. “What… happened yesterday?”

He sighed, “The guards reported that a small group of rogues snuck in during the shift change last night... No one was hurt, but we don't know exactly what they came for. Rex and Blade are still investigating. They are going to cancel their patrol today.”

He jumped to his feet, grinning again, “So I get to spend the day with you!”

Daphne was touched by his excitement, but she couldn't help but be concerned.

“Oh, don't say that! Those rogues must be after something! Now’s not the time to be rejoicing with such dangerous enemies around…”

Arthur’s shoulders slumped and his smile faltered, “You… don’t want to spend the day with me?”

Daphne sighed, shaking her head, “It’s not that at all.”

She wasn’t sure how to explain it without making Arthur sad, but he smiled and shook his head.

“Don't worry, I'll kill them all.” Arthur grinned again. “So we can spend plenty of time together in the future.”

She sighed hopelessly and was charmed by his earnestness.

“How about breakfast?”

Daphne sent Arthur to fetch water as she fried eggs and cooked some rabbit meat they had left over from the last time he went hunting. She brewed tea and set the table while Arthur sat at the table, brimming with happiness and waiting for Daphne to join him.

She had gotten metal plates and cups for Arthur to keep him from breaking them. He seemed grateful for the change, beaming at her across the table. He picked up his cup to sip his tea.

He turned pale and threw the cup. Tea splashed across the floor as Daphne gasped. His eyes hadn’t flashed red, but his face was drawn tight with anger.

“Arthur, just calm down—”

“What is this?” Daphne was stunned. She thought Arthur had lost control again, but Arthur didn’t move, looking at her. “It tastes strange.”

Daphne frowned, “What? I make this tea all the time!”

She huffed and lifted her cup, “You’re probably just—Hey!”

Arthur took the cup and crushed it in his hand before smashing the teapot. Daphne shot to her feet.

“What is wrong with you?” Daphne yelled. “Why would you do that?”

Arthur shook his head, “You can't drink it. It's not safe!”

Daphne growled at him, “You’re being ridiculous.”

She kneeled to gather the pieces of the teapot carefully as Arthur rounded the table and tried to stop her.

“Arthur!” Someone shouted outside then began to bang on the door. Daphne flinched dropping the pieces and hissing as a piece cut her finger. “Arthur! Arthur!”

She put her finger in her mouth as Arthur went to open the door.

“Anthony?” Arthur asked looking down at the young man. He was a newer addition to the patrol.

“Alpha Rex and Blade told me to call you! A lot of people were poisoned this morning-- They suspect it's the rogues’ doing!”

Poisoned?

Arthur and Daphne were both so surprised that they looked at each other than at the pieces on the floor. Arthur thought of the strange smell in the tea. The eggs and meat had been fine. There hadn’t been a rogue in their house, so there was only one way someone could have poisoned the tea.

Daphne gasped, thinking back to the fight yesterday. The rogues Arthur and Blade killed were very close to the water well.

“It’s the water!” Arthur cried.

“They poisoned the well!” Daphne cried.

Arthur followed Anthony, but Daphne jumped up and grabbed his arm, stopping him from leaving.

“Are you okay?” Arthur asked.

“You drank some of the tea. You’ve been poisoned!”

Arthur shook his head, “I'm fine.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Arthur!” Daphne pulled him down the hill towards the doctor. “You might feel fine now, but that could just mean it hasn’t started working yet!”

Anthony followed behind them, his voice trembling with worry, “You should listen to Miss Daphne. Someone died from the poisoning earlier!”

Daphne was even more anxious and pulled Arthur faster towards the doctor’s infirmary. Her eyes were burning, but she refused to cry as they waited to be seen. The infirmary was full of people. Many werewolves were moaning in pain, howling in agony as the doctor’s helpers ran around trying to tend them all.

Her stomach churned with anxiety. Her blood healed wounds, but could it cure poisoned people? She didn’t know and she wasn’t willing to expose herself, but if Arthur was poisoned, she didn’t know what she would do.

She tightened her grip on him, “I'm sorry, I shouldn't have treated you that way this morning...”

“Don't worry about me, I'm fine! I'm glad you didn't drink that cup of tea...”

Daphne stepped in the path of one of the doctors, “Please. I know there are a lot of people to see, but please see Arthur, he may have been poisoned too!”

The doctor looked uncomfortable.

“What happened?” Blade’s voice came from nearby, standing with the head doctor. “Why would Arthur be poisoned too?”