SASCHA ILLYVICH

Illusive as he is, we finally managed to catch up to Józsi, current Opeth Pack Alpha and convince him to shed some light on what is really lurking out in the woods. His messenger, Lukina, and pack Healer Ilona are also present, presumably to rein him in. We sat down in my loft for the interview.

 

And keep me safe. We're seated in plush leather chairs around a coffee table, thick cigar smoke billows around our heads from the Ecuadorian puro Józsi is smoking. Dark hair has fallen roughly around his face but those ice cold blue eyes stare at me. Of course Lukina is dressed in her soft white cloak but she, like Ilona, dressed in jeans and sweaters. Lukina's red hair hands loosely over her shoulders and she sits relaxed, one hand in Józsi's. Ilona's red hair has been pulled into a ponytail, emphasizing soft features of her face. The two women gaze at each other, caress and touch Józsi often. Only Józsi is menacing in black, and the look in his eyes is hardened but I'm sensing a bit of softness but that's probably because his lovers flank him. He's only been Alpha less than a month and the wear in his face shows. It's early January and we're back in his home in Texas, Lukina has assured me she has to find another of their pack.

 

All four of us have whiskey in our glass and the bottle's on the table.

 

SI: Mr. --
 

Józsi: Józsi is fine. (He takes a long draw on the cigar, blows a thick plume of smoke over our heads. His jaw twitches and he reached for his whiskey. Ilona pats his thigh.)

 

SI: You've been Alpha all of what, a month now? How's that and why you?

 

Józsi: Yes. All of about a month. It's not been my idea of fun. (he smirks) As to why me? Prophecy which no one understands, is why I'm alpha. Because my two lovers required it of me. They asked me to stop running from them and when faced with life without them and responsibilities I didn't want, or dealing, I made the obvious choice.

 

SI: I see. Can you tell us more about Prophecy?

 

Józsi: Yeah. Fuck it. It's ruining the lives of our wolves and putting humans in danger. This drive man and wolf has to find this perfect place is maddening and the concept of a Heaven is one I find fucking repugnant. (Lukina slaps his thigh. He glares at her. Quite frankly I'm a little more scared of the tiny redhead than I am of the big bad alpha.)

 

SI: So are you telling us you're not really a fan of organized religion?

 

Józsi: I'm telling you none of that matters. According to legend, if we're to buy into that nonsense, wolves were created by the Boldog Asszynoy and given to a distant relative of our current pack witch just seems ludicrous. The fact that a deity of that caliber forced children on a human witch, then would forsake her children and leave us to deal with both our problems and that of the human world is offensive. But, (he sighs, takes a drag on his cigar) shit's gotta be done. I don't know if we can ever find any semblance of peace in the afterlife but I'm damn sure going to make sure the pack destiny has shoved in my face is smart and safe and stable.

 

(His tone has grown more morose over the course of his rant. I need another whiskey)

 

SI: You are a frightful race.

 

Józsi: Only if you piss us off. We have to hunt and live and feed like every other creature. It wasn't our fault or even our Elders faults. A few generations back maybe. I'm not saying we're perfect but damnit this shouldn't be our mess. It pisses me off (he glares at Lukina, then stops.)

 

Lukina: Józsi is rather passionate in his beliefs but let me see if I can help explain. (Her voice is much calmer) Fate has, (she pauses as if searching for the right word) put us in a position where we are aware of who we are, what we are and what our potential may be. But, it has not been so forthcoming in the details.

 

SI: I see. What are your goals for the pack? You've told me your story, it's out with the world now. How did you find the strength to overcome your fears?

 

Józsi: growls, slams his drink back and glares at me.

 

Ilona: Draga! (She turns to face me) You'll have to forgive us. This is…a delicate subject for him and for his patience we are grateful. (She pats his thigh, nuzzles him) But our history is long and rich, that we have not shared with you. Wolves are no more dangerous than man, but many of us have…lost our way.

 

Józsi: Lost our way. Yeah. That's it. Look. The best I can promise is that our pack, while not whole right now, will no longer have to starve and maybe we can coexist with man someday. Until that time comes, I'm going to make sure each strong male works, each woman tends to her duties and that we can function in a society that outnumbers us. A strong man is no match for a thousand ants if he's caught sleeping.

 

SI: Isn't that a little sexist? (I cringe after realizing I just challenged him directly.)

 

Lukina and Ilona laugh. Lukina: No, he means well but when we were younger that was the way of our pack. Now our women can work, and will. But because so many of them are special, they will be spending time with us and Krystyna, learning how to heal with herbs first, then our natural magic.

 

SI: So it's quite progressive?

 

Józsi: I intend to embrace the American principles of government minus the blatant fascism. No more will we be doing rule by iron fist. I don't have time for that and it's not that it'd leave us all blind, it'd leave most of the pack dead because I don't lose. (His glare becomes even more menacing until Ilona pats his thigh.)

 

SI: How do you find the others? Is there a beacon of power they put out? Or?

 

Lukina: I'm naturally inclined to feel them when it's time, apparently. (She sighs) My…our pack witch Selene, is kind of like a grandmother to all of us, so we're all tied together through her. Through that connection we've shared blood and I can tell you that our next find will be interesting once we get him over his shit. Even more to the point, the other one I'm working on, somewhere in Hayward California…she's tied to our witch on a deeper level. Though, unlike some of the asshole men (She rolls her eyes) she didn't run away. We don't think, anyway.

 

SI: Have all the men left the pack?

 

Ilona: Those who cannot fathom the beauty of their hearts, those who mistake that beauty for weight, tend to leave. Nicholaus, our next target, has left because the thing he did was for the right reason, but he cannot understand that. It's actually messed up his triad because one of his lovers is more like me, emotional, but growing. She needs a little push and his return, once we find him, may just be that. His other lover, Krys is…wounded and unable to recover until he returns and they make it right.

 

SI: Sounds heavy.

 

The three of them nod.

 

SI: (I find it in my best interest to refill our drinks and take a big pull from mine.) What are your plans for the future, aside from getting the pack to function in the human world?

 

Józsi: I still have no idea. Truthfully if it weren't for Lukina and Ilona I wouldn't be here right now. I've ran for so long, avoiding my destiny, never knowing truly what it was. Now that I'm facing it, I have no idea what it truly is, other than to spend the time with my two lovers while we figure out the best course of action for the Opeth Pack. (He stands, puffs one more time on the nub of his cigar and sets it down in the ash filled tray. The band slips off and I noticed he's smoking Don Cervantes, a personal favorite of mine.) Time to go. Ladies?

 

Lukina and Ilona: Pleasure to meet you.

 

I nod and watch the three of them leave in peace, knowing that the menacing tone Józsi used is a defense mechanism because as he told me earlier when I wrote his book, he'd found love finally and would die to protect that love.

 

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