[allera]

This is a Twilight fanfic that I started writing over a year ago. It's posted on fanfiction.net, but I figured I'd share it here. I also never finished it, so maybe posting it here will get me to write up the final chapters. I hope you like it!!

Oh yeah, this pre-Breaking Dawn.

Chapter One

I ran full speed through the forest, effortlessly clearing bushes and dodging low branches. The world rushed under me as I bounded down Deer Mountain and headed for the Lower Ketchikan Lake. This was freedom. This was what I loved about being a wolf. The wind played with my thick white-as-snow fur coat as I sped along, breathing in the warm June air. Even in Southeast Alaska the air was so clear and fresh, free from the pollution of city smog. I was in heaven.

I ran and ran as fast as I could, enjoying the sensation as much as possible. The skies above were bright and clear after yesterday’s rain storm, and had I been standing on Deer Mountain’s peak I would’ve been able to see for miles around. As I ran I listened to the forest around me. Summer birds were hunting for food, squirrels were busy filling up on nuts and seeds, and in the far distance a wolf pack let out familiar howls.

They were the wolves I had befriended a couple of years ago. Back when I had first moved to Ketchikan the wolves were causing trouble for the local humans. It took months, but I eventually gained their trust and friendship and led them away from the town. I then built a log cabin right on the edge of their territory, which stretched the entire Alaskan Panhandle and east into Canada to the Alaska-Stewart Highway. During the summer the pack spent most of their time on the island because most of the inlets would have melted and become impassable.

When I reached the lake the pack howled again – they were calling for me. I came to a stop at the edge and was about to howl my response when I saw it. There, where the creek met the river, was a large furry creature that was bigger than a bear and taller than a deer. What was it? Was it dead? I took a step closer and sniffed the air. “It” was apparently a “he”, and he smelled… weird. He looked like an oversized wolf, but he didn’t quite smell like one. I took another step and saw that his chest was rising and falling in a slow rhythmic pattern. He was sleeping. I was curious about him – what kind of animal he was – but he was far too large for me to mess with. Plus, I didn’t want to deal with his foul mood. All creatures in the forest knew that the larger animals were always grumpy and irritated if awoken.

The pack howled for a third time, so I took another quick glance at the strange brown creature and then quietly disappeared into the forest. Once I had put some distance between me and the creature I let out my answering howl. When the pack responded and gave me their location I ran full speed, eager to see them again and to play with the new pups.

I hung out with the pack at their den for the rest of the afternoon, quickly forgetting about the creature in the clearing. I wrestled with the four lively pups, which had just come out of the den for the first time last week, and re-established my relationship with the three adults. I felt sorry for the grey and white wolf whom I had nicknamed Grey for lack of a better name. He was the babysitter, and the lowest ranking member of the pack. During meals he always ate last, and once the pups were weaned even they would get to eat before him. So whenever I was with the pack I spent most of my time with him. Khustin, the grey and tan alpha male, didn’t mind it much. Before his partner Shich, a black female, came along last year it was just the two brothers roaming their territory, so he quickly got used to me giving both of them equal attention. Shich was another story. She accepted me of course, but only because Khustin treated me as a member of the pack. I often wondered how long it would take for her to stop being so wary of me.

It was such an exciting time when the pups were born a few weeks ago. Of course I was never allowed inside the den, but I could hear them making noises and playing around. When they finally did make their appearance the only thing I or any of the other members of the pack wanted to do was play with them – which was expected of course. It was always exciting living with the wolves because there was always something going on; be it patrolling the boundaries of their territory, raising pups, hunting, or just playing around. I wouldn’t ever trade these past two years with them for my old city life.
As the day drew on and the sun began to set I wished the pack farewell and dashed off towards my house. It was set at the bases of Deer Mountain and Doe Mountain, three miles south of where the den was, so it didn’t take long for me to get home. When I finally did arrive I quickly sniffed the area to make sure I didn’t have any unwelcome visitors, but there was nothing around but squirrels and birds. I slipped in through the doggy door and trotted over to my room.

Standing on my back feet, I closed my eyes as my transformation took place. The snow white color of my fur retreated to reveal smooth tanned skin. My paws turned into hands and feet while the hair on my scalp darkened into long black locks. My snout receded, my eyes shrank and changed from yellow to a deep blue, and my sharp canines were replaced by smaller, flatter ones. Finally my transformation was complete and I was human once again.
I quickly put on the clothes I had set out on my bed that morning then headed for the kitchen. I bustled around fixing dinner to soothe my rumbling stomach since I hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast. I had been with the pack earlier when they ate their freshly killed Sitka deer, but no matter how long I’d been shape-shifting into a wolf absolutely nothing was going to induce me to eat raw meat. The idea nearly had me gagging, but at least I no longer puked at the sight of blood. As a horse and then an eagle, I never had to deal with blood at all. Whenever I got hungry I came home, transformed into a human, and ate some well-cooked human food. But after befriending the pack I had to quickly learn to deal with not only blood, but also the sight of a bunch of wolves devouring a dead animal.

After eating and cleaning up I checked my voice messages and my email. My house was more isolated than most small towns in Alaska, but it still had the necessary equipment needed for comfortable living. While the small house was being built I had independent contractors install a personal solar-electric generator for everything to run on, as well as a satellite dish for my phone and television. It wasn’t unusual for secluded homes to have such luxuries as long as a family had the money to pay for it. And thanks to my inheritance – a multimillion dollar manufacturing company that my father had left for me – I was far from being poor. If I had wanted to, I could’ve built a huge mansion complete with a heated parking garage, but that was just the kind of life I had struggled to get away from for the past four years.

I enjoyed living out in the wilderness, literally being at one with nature. It was easier to hide my “special” gift in the middle of no where rather than in a bustling city. Sure I missed warm summers, sunny beaches, and a variety of shopping centers. But I never enjoyed living with the traffic, the pollution, and so many night lights that one couldn’t see the stars. Alaska had always entranced and enthralled me ever since I was little, so it was a no-brainer for me to move here.

There was nothing on my answering machine or in my inbox but junk. I sighed as I deleted them all. Then a knock on my door tore me away from the computer. When I answered there were two young men standing there with broad smiles on their faces. They both towered over me by at least a foot, even though they were only sixteen and seventeen. The older of the two had cropped black hair and broad shoulders. One of his ears was pierced and he had a tattoo on his right arm, the lower half of it showing below his shirt sleeve. I didn’t approve of their apparel, but I also didn’t question it because I knew they had a better toleration to cold than I did. Even though it was nearing the sixties during the day, at night it dropped to the lower forties. And for me that meant jacket weather. The younger one had shoulder-length hair and striking green eyes, which set him apart from the rest of the tribe. The boys were of the local tribe, the Tlingit, but I wondered what they were doing here so late. I invited them inside and whipped up some hot tea, then joined them in the living room.

Elan, the younger one, informed me that I had missed his father’s birthday celebration. From what I had heard his mother, an English woman his father had fallen in love with while working in Vermont, had died in a car accident and his father wanted to be back amongst his people, so they left their Vermont home and moved into the village a few months ago. I regretted missing the party and explained that I had been out with the wolf pack all day. Hearing this, they fired off questions and I eagerly answered.

I always enjoyed talking to them about the pack, and they and the rest of the tribe were always interested in the pack’s progress and well being. Their chief was the ones that got a conservation group to bring Shich down from Northern Alaska so one of the brothers could mate with her. I wanted to tell them about the oversized wolf, but decided to save it for when I visited the elders. Instead we talked about their own health, the success of the birthday party, and summer plans until they got up to leave. As they headed out the door, the eldest one, Yuma, pulled out a cardboard box from just outside and handed it to me with a slight blush. He informed me that it was a box of beef jerky that the Tlingit women had prepared as party favors, and that he had saved a box for me.

“Well thank you for remembering me,” I accepted the gift with a grateful smile. “Maybe if I eat all of this I’ll get as tall as you two.”

“It’ll take ten boxes for you,” Elan bantered before stepping out. We said our goodbyes and they disappeared into the dark forest. After eating a few delicious pieces and storing the box in the pantry, I made my way into the bathroom. What I needed now was a hot bath to let my muscles relax and recuperate after a long day of running and playing with the pack. Thinking of running reminded me again of the large brown creature I had run into earlier. Even after climbing into bed, it – he – was still on my mind.

Just what was he? There was something about him that piqued my interest more than it should have been. Maybe it was his scent. He smelled like a wolf, but not quite. He looked like a wolf, but he was far too large. And what was he doing way out here anyway? Hopefully he wouldn’t cause any trouble for my wolf friends. He was just inside their territory and once the pack picked up his scent they would be on alert. If he and Khustin ever ran into each other, Khustin would probably try to defend his territory and his family, but I knew Khustin would be no match for the giant animal. Worse yet: if the humans spotted the creature there would be hell to pay, and the pack would be the ones paying.

I stifled a yawn as weariness took over. It was too late to worry about this now, and I needed sleep. There was plenty of time to worry in the morning. As I drifted off to sleep I heard the familiar and comforting sound of wolves howling in the distance.

This post has been edited by allera: 16 July 2009 - 12:25 PM

[Never Ending Darknes]

That was incredible! You have got some real talent. I'm hoping to see more. Now can you read my post? Forever Night. Please.

[potter573]

Good, but try to make it more exciting. Also does this story have Jacob and the Queilete pack.

[DMan423]

I'm guess that the huge brown wolf is Jacob, but I'm curious to find out who this main character is. Or, rather what he is. He can shape-shift into a horse, eagle, and wolf? It's like he's taken the tribe's abilities to a whole other level. Very good story. I can't wait to see how this progresses.

[allera]

Thanks guys. I started it out mellow, but it'll pick up a little. I'll admit I suck at writing action sequences. Hopefully this next chapter answers some of your questions...

Chapter Two

It was early morning and grey clouds covered the sky and blocked out the Sun’s rays like they did for much of the year. It had been three days since I last saw the strange creature and I was glad he hadn’t hung around long enough to cause any trouble, but I was honestly curious about what had become of him. Yesterday and the day before I had scouted the forest and had even gone right to the edge of Ketchikan, but found no signs of him. The rain that had fallen in the past couple of days had helped to wash out his scent. It was a wasted effort, and I didn’t understand why I had been so compelled to go looking for him. So it was a good thing that he had in essence disappeared. There were more important things to worry about, like the pups and the rest of the pack.

The pups weren’t strong enough to travel, so every now and then I hung out at the den with Grey while the alphas hunted and reestablished the borders of their territory. A few solitary wolves had been spotted hanging around but they were no threat to the pack. Khustin was one of the largest Alaskan wolves I had ever seen and could easily deal with any rival wolves. I was larger than him by a few inches, but that was due to the fact that I wasn’t really a wolf. Then there was that strange creature. If he had been standing he probably would have been as tall as a horse. I shook my head at the crazy notion. There was no such thing as a wolf of that size.

As I picked at my breakfast I heard a familiar howl in the distance. But this was no ordinary howl – Khustin was calling for help. I quickly undressed and transformed into a wolf before bolting out the doggy door. I ran towards the den, and as I got closer I could hear the distinct growls of a grizzle bear. The bear would be no match for three adult wolves, but they had pups to protect. My pace quickened at the thought of the pups. They were a vital key to the pack’s future so I couldn’t let the bear get to any of them.

When I finally reached the den I came to a grinding halt. Grey was lying on the ground some distance away with blood spots on his coat. Shich was busy defending her pups, and Khustin was just getting back to his feet after being thrown aside by the large brown bear. The bear itself was in between me and Shich. It was obvious that it was interested in the young pups, but it must have been starving to tangle with three adult wolves just to get to them. When Khustin moved to attack again and the bear lifted its paw to swipe at him, I launched into action. I clamped my jaw firmly around the bear’s extended forearm, successfully grabbing its full attention. Having a mouthful of bear fur wasn’t exactly tasty, but I steeled my nerves and hung on. The bear was strong though and managed to shake me off, throwing me against a nearby tree. My thick coat cushioned my fall, but I still felt the pain of impact against the tree trunk. At least the bear’s attention was away from the pups.

I quickly got back on my feet, wincing at the pain in my back but doing my best to shrug it off. I knew I needed to get this bear away from the pack so they could lead their pups to safety, so I feigned a limp and slowly trudged away from the bear and the pack. It worked – the bear followed. Why would it fight two healthy wolves for a small puppy when an injured wolf was within its grasp? I continued to lead the bear away from the pack, still limping, making sure to keep just out of reach. As I passed a group of trees I picked up a familiar scent – the oversized wolf was back. I dropped my act of being injured and followed the scent trail. Surely even a bear would think twice about dealing with a creature the size of that strange wolf, and once those two were distracted with each other I would make my escape. The plan seemed fool-proof, but there was one thing I hadn’t planned on.

Sooner than I had expected I caught up with the big wolf. In fact, I nearly collided with him. He had heard me coming and was already facing me when he came into view. I skidded to a stop and stared him straight in the eyes. It was then that the ground felt like it was slipping beneath me, like the Sun’s rays had just broken through the clouds, and all in the world was right. It was only a split second but it had felt like an eternity. The sound of the rampaging bear coming up behind me quickly brought me to my senses. I hastily rounded the wolf and got to the other side of him just before the bear came into view.

He was still staring at me with his big brown eyes, completely ignoring the bear. I looked hesitantly from him to the bear, wondering what I had gotten myself into. The bear seemed unsure of the creature larger than itself as it gave him a slight growl. It then tried to make its way around him to get to me. The wolf didn’t budge. Instead he kept staring from me to the bear as if he was curious about what was taking place. When the bear was nearly halfway around him I let out a threatening growl and took a few steps back. Just what had I gotten myself into?

The oversized wolf suddenly stood up. He was almost was tall as a horse and easily towered over me and the bear. He took a step towards me but I ignored him. The bear was the closer threat. I would deal with him once I got rid of the bear – if I could manage even that. I could always run if I had to, even though I didn’t really like that option. I could easily outrun the bear, but the wolf looked like he could keep up with me. But it was better to deal with just him rather than deal with both large predators.

The bear roared and took a few steps closer and I growled back, flattening my ears and bearing my teeth. Just as I was about to bolt the bear launched at me, but it didn’t get very far. Halfway through the air it was knocked sideways by the wolf. He placed himself between me and the bear while the bear got up from the ground. It roared and swiped its paw at him, but he easily dodged it and gave the bear another thrashing. The bear finally gave up and ran away, disappearing behind the trees.

When the oversized wolf turned his attention to me I suddenly realized I should have made my escape while they were fighting like I had planned. Why didn’t I? I stared at the creature and he stared right back. There was something about his eyes that caught my interest. Maybe it was because they were brown instead of the common yellow. There was something even more perplexing: I noticed a mixed look of confusion and yearning – human emotions – in his eyes. Just what was this creature? He couldn’t be a shape-shifter like me. Shape-shifters could change themselves into copies of animals they’ve encountered, but we usually ended up being larger than the original animal by only a couple of inches – not a few feet. Plus shape-shifters had a certain scent so that we could identify one another from the rest of society. So there was no doubt that he wasn’t a shape-shifter. Whatever he was, he wasn’t natural and I had to be on my guard.

He took a step towards me then and I gave him a warning growl. His head cocked to the side and he looked at me as if he was trying to read my thoughts, and then just lied down on the ground. Maybe he didn’t want to eat me. That was a relief. I studied him, wondering if this was some kind of trick, then cautiously made my way around him. Once I cleared him I bolted into the forest, eager to get back to the pack and check on them. While I ran I heard footsteps behind me. I turned my head and saw the creature giving chase. I quickly stopped and turned, giving him a more threatening warning growl. I definitely did not want him following me back to the pack.

He stopped a few feet away and watched me with a curious expression, then lied down on the ground once again. I eyed him, wondering what he was up to, as I devised a plan to get rid of him. I suddenly launched myself in a different direction and, just as I had thought, he was right behind me. If this was a fun game of tag I would’ve been smiling because he was a worthy opponent, but this was serious. I made my way down steep slopes, through thick shrubs, and past rocky hills, but he didn’t give up. The obstacles had managed to slow him down greatly, so I used that to my advantage. While I was out of his view I ran in Ketchikan Creek for a ways so he wouldn’t be able to pick up my scent, and then bolted up the banks and into the forest right before he reached the water.

I was thankful that it was summer and the streams were melted, otherwise that plan wouldn’t have worked. I ran full speed in an unpredictable pattern just in case he did happen to pick up my scent, until I made my way back to the den. But they weren’t there – not even Grey who I thought was injured. I followed their scent until it was clear where they had gone, then sprinted back to my house. I found them huddled near my door – the pups playing with Shich while Khustin licked at Grey’s wound. I trotted up to Grey and checked out his wound, but it was just a few scratches so I quickly ran inside, shifted into human form, put some clothes on, and brought out my first aid kit. There was no need to call the vet this time.

I spent the rest of the afternoon tending to Grey’s wounds. There was no need to fear the wolves while I was in human form. They knew my scent, and this wasn’t the first time they had seen me as a human. While I was cleaning a small cut on Khustin’s ear a lonely howl echoed through the forest. The wolves grew restless and nervous, and Khustin howled back in response. He was telling the stranger that he was the alpha, and that the stranger was trespassing. I didn’t have to be in wolf form to understand that howl. The rest of the pack joined him in howling and defending their territory, warning the stranger to get out. Then Khustin licked my face as if to reassure me. He had somehow picked up that I was on edge, but it wasn’t because I was scared. I scratched at his cheeks in response, my human way of reassuring him, then turned away and sat on my doorstep.

My nerves had been rattled by that howl, and the hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end. It was because I knew who that howl belonged to. It was that strange creature: that oversized wolf. My plan had worked and he had lost my scent, but why did I feel so… lonely? Part of me wanted to go out there and find him just to – just to be with him. It was the strangest feeling ever. Had he been a human instead of an animal I would have understood it better, but he was just that – an animal. Maybe tomorrow I would visit the Tlingit tribe and ask for their advice.

Khustin hunkered down near my doorstep, signaling that the pack was going to stick close to my house tonight. I patted them each then stepped inside, keeping my doggy door unlocked. The wolves knew they were welcome inside but they rarely did come in. The only time they ever came into my house was when I was hiding them from a group of hunters two years ago. That was the first time they had seen me transform into a human. It was also the day I had gained their trust.

I spent the rest of the day indoors. Most of the day was spent with me waging an internal battle with myself while I cleaned around. Part of me wanted so badly to go search for that oversized wolf, but I forced myself to stay indoors. It was such an unexplainable feeling though, whenever I thought about him. Maybe I’d been a wolf for too long, but why the heck would I fall for that… thing? I climbed into bed a few hours later still arguing with myself, and fell into an uneasy sleep knowing that the oversized wolf was still out there somewhere. Sometime in the middle of the night I heard the pack crawl inside through the doggy door, just as restless as me. That creature must’ve been right outside for them to come in, full of nerves. Something had to be done about him.

[potter573]

Interesting! That was good. It got me absorbed. I am craving for more.
Just get in more descriptions and tell us the wolf's human name.

[allera]

The main character's name will be revealed in Chapter Four. It's really boring right now - sorry for that. And please, speak up if you see discrepancies or whatever. I'd love some honest critiquing.

Chapter Three

The next morning I woke up groggy and tired. I had spent most of the night tossing and turning and dreaming of that oversized creature. In my dream we chased each other playfully and frolicked in the snow as wolves. Then in the distance multiple images of his shadow would appear and he would run back to them, beckoning me to follow. I would transform into my human self before a hand not my own stretched out for me. Then I would wake up. That dream kept repeating over and over every time I fell asleep until I finally decided that it was morning and time to climb out of bed.

I stretched and walked into the living room where light was filtering through the cracks in the window curtains. Grey was lying on the floor playing with the pups, and his tail twitched happily when he spotted me. Since Khustin and Shich weren’t around I played with Grey and the puppies before leaving them to make my breakfast. While I ate in the small dining room right next to the living room, the alphas returned. They reestablished their dominance over Grey then gave the puppies some lavish attention. They Khustin hopped onto my couch and made himself comfortable.

“Don’t get used to this,” I mumbled between mouthfuls of cereal.

Khustin glanced at me, wagged his tail, and gave a short yip before laying his head down and promptly falling asleep. I rolled my eyes as I got up and walked into the kitchen to clean up.

The wolves must not have had a restful night either. I didn’t blame them for being on edge. They had a large – too large – strange creature roaming around in the middle of their territory, and they were stuck inside my house. He was too close for them to move the puppies to safety and too big for the three of them to take on without serious injury. It would be best for the pack if the oversized wolf was distracted and led away so they could make their escape. I had no problem volunteering myself for the job, but I was worried about how I would get the oversized wolf away from me. I was successful last time, but only because he was so large he kept getting stuck among the thick shrubs and low branches. He’d probably just go around them if I tried that tactic again.

I was devising a plan and washing the dishes when I heard Grey whine in alarm. I quickly dried my hands and made my way into the living room. Khustin and Shich were sniffing around the house panicked while Grey watched the other four pups, but when I took a closer look I noticed there were only three pups. One of them must have snuck off while everyone else was sleeping. I was about to shift into wolf form when Khustin picked up a scent and followed it out the door. I rushed over to the window and peered through the curtains.

Khustin was just reaching the wayward puppy, who had managed to make it a few meters from the house. The pup was playing with the snow, unaware of the dangers of being out there unprotected. An eagle, bear, or another wolf could have easily picked him up. Or worse, that creature could have gotten to him. But something told me that wouldn’t have been so bad a scenario. Why did I want to trust that strange wolf so willingly? I didn’t know what he was, where he came from, or why he had suddenly showed up. It didn’t make any sense.

Khustin had the puppy now and was leading it back to the house when the large animal stepped into view from behind a tree. Khustin immediately placed himself between the threat and the puppy, who had just reached my doorstep. I quickly noticed the creature was the oversized wolf and hastily transformed into wolf form. I had transformed faster than I could undress so I ended up having to shake my shirt the rest of the way off my head, which wasn’t an easy task being a wolf. Once it was off I plunged through the doggy door and got in between Khustin and the oversized wolf.

While I stood there part of me wanted to run up to the creature and lick his face, which absolutely repulsed the other part of me. He was an animal, and a strange one at that! So instead of greeting him with a slobbery kiss I growled a low but threatening growl. I could hear the pack becoming agitated in the house. I quickly stole a glance behind me and saw that Khustin and the pup had disappeared inside. I half whined, half barked at the pack to tell them it was going to be okay, but they were too on edge to pay any attention. It was time to lead this big brown thing away from them and again try to lose him, but how?

As I thought about what to do, the oversized wolf began to pace as if he was lost and confused about what he was going to do. I growled at him and bared my teeth, warning him that I’d attack if he came closer. He paused when he heard my growl, stared at me curiously, and then took a step closer. I waited as he took another step, and then another. Part of me wanted to attack, but the other part urged me to let him approach. I made up my mind and abruptly launched myself at him, catching him off guard. I clamped my jaws around his throat as the force of my jump toppled us backwards. He somehow managed to shake me off but I quickly attacked again. Again I thought I had him but again he easily brushed me off. A few times he seemed to attack me, but instead of trying to cause injury like was my intent, he just nudged me to the side. It was almost as if he was play-fighting, and it was frustrating!

I gave up attacking him and repositioned myself between him and my house, panting slightly from the exertion of the fight. I growled at him again, telling him to run off. But instead of complying, attacking, or even just lying down and staring at me, he did something that completely took me by surprise. He cocked his head to the side and seemed to smile at me! It was so strange and ridiculous looking that I had trouble keeping up my angry and defensive demeanor.

Then I heard footsteps approaching and the alphas appeared at my side, growling at the oversized wolf. Perhaps they had gotten some courage after seeing my fight – if you could call that a fight – with the strange creature. The oversized wolf took a step back, seemed to shake his head, and ran off into the forest. Once he was gone Shich and Khustin thanked me in their wolfish ways: yips and licks, before signaling for Grey to bring the pups out. They quickly disappeared into the forest opposite where the oversized wolf had gone. It was time for them to find a safer den.

My mind was still on that large brown wolf long after the pack had left. After pacing around my house for a while, I eventually succumbed to the side of me that was drawn to him and went out to look for him. It didn’t take long for me to find the big guy. He was hard to miss, being as large as he was. Plus he had a distinct scent that I could easily recognize out of a thousand scents. I followed his trail back to the Ketchikan Creek and snuck up behind him while he drank some water. The wind wasn’t blowing hard through the trees, but it was strong enough to carry my scent to him. As soon as he caught whiff of me he stood up and looked around. I came out from behind a bush and paused right in front of him, waiting to see what to do. A growling sound came from him, which surprised me, but then he took a step toward me and whined. Even a human would know that canines don’t growl then whine at the same creature. It was like a human threatening then instantaneously pleading with someone. So unless he was playing around, which I was starting to no longer doubt, the only other conclusion was that he didn’t know how to speak “wolf” properly.

Another growl emitted from his direction again, but this time it had such a strange pitch to it. I cocked my head to the side while I tried to figure out its meaning. Suddenly, as if struck by lightning, I realized that it wasn’t him that was growling at me it was his stomach! Making a split-second decision I moved to walked back towards my house but stopped to make sure he was following me, which he wasn’t. He was just standing there staring at me curiously. I yelped at him to get him to follow, but still he wouldn’t budge. Then I hunkered down on my front paws and wagged my tail, getting into a playful mood. I lightly nipped at his paws and ears, trying to get him to follow. Eventually he caught on with the game and chased after me.

I ran slowly to make sure he wouldn’t think I was trying to get away from him again. As I trotted along he eventually came up right next to me. He kept staring at me then shaking his head as if he was trying to figure something out. He looked perplexed about something and I didn’t blame him. I was strange even for a shape-shifter. One minute I was fighting him, trying to drive him away, and the next minute I was playing with him and willingly leading him to my house. Something was very wrong with me. I decided that as soon as I fed him I was going to turn back into a human and keep from transforming into a wolf for a very long time.

I had decided back at the creek that, since I wasn’t going to hunt and I wasn’t going to steal food from the pack, I would give this creature some raw meat from my fridge. When we arrived at my house I made sure he stuck around before I ran inside and into the kitchen. I quickly transformed into human form, opened the fridge, and pulled out a raw steak. After taking it out of its packaging I was about to transform into a wolf again when I stopped myself.

Why was I so compelled to feed this oversized wolf? If he was so hungry, he should’ve gone hunting. But there were numerous possibilities, all strange, as to why he didn’t and possibly couldn’t hunt. He could’ve been someone’s pet turned loose when he didn’t stop growing. He could’ve been part of a traveling circus and had broken free. Then there was another reason which seemed to make more sense: he was a science experiment gone wrong. And maybe one of the scientists had taken pity on him and set him free before he could be destroyed. But none of those things explained why he acted so strange – seemed so human. Could he at one point have been a human? I rolled my eyes and shook my head at the thought. It wasn’t like scientists were creating werewolves. That was a crazy notion.

In the end I decided to go on and feed him this one time and then immediately inform the Tlingit of him. They would know what to do. I transformed into a wolf, reluctantly grabbed the raw steak with my mouth while fighting back my gag reflexes, and headed through the doggy door. When I got outside I found the oversized wolf pacing back and forth again, shaking his head as if arguing with himself. How humanlike. When he saw me his eyes seemed to brighten and his mouth seemed to curve into a smile. The science experiment theory was starting to look real good.

I dropped the steak on the ground and then nudged it towards him with my nose. But he eyed it with something close to revulsion rather than hunger. Did he not like steak, or was it not enough? Confused, I took the meat back inside and switched it for a large chunk of raw ham. It was indeed a mouthful, but surely he liked ham – what carnivore didn’t? After some struggling I managed to get the large chunk outside and present it to him. But again he took no interest in it. In fact, he seemed to shake his head at it! Was he vegetarian or something?

Scoffing at him, I went back inside with the ham and transformed into human form for the third time. I placed the ham, along with the steak, into a separate container where I kept food for the wolves during lean months. I wasn’t going to eat them after getting dirt all over them. Actually I didn’t think I was going to eat meat at all for a while. Tapping my fingers against the kitchen counter, I thought about what he could be hungry for. If he was human at one point, it would make sense that he didn’t eat raw meat. But what could he have been living off of? He did just randomly show up less than a week ago, so maybe that was when he was set loose – of course assuming that the science experiment theory was in fact true. He was a big animal so he could go for days without eating, so in a way it kind of fit together. I searched through my pantry until I found the box of beef jerky that Elan and Yuma had given me a few days ago. It was delicious and the box was still pretty full, so I ripped the lid off, changed into a wolf, and headed outside with it.

When I placed the box in front of him he sniffed inside, then hunkered down and ate its contents with glee. When he was done he seemed to smile appreciatively at me. I couldn’t help but stare at him and wonder why he acted more human than wolf. Was there still some human left in him, hidden behind that thick brown fur coat? What was it like to not be able to go back to human form, and why would anyone sign up for such a life? Did he even have a choice in the matter?

As I pondered these questions he came up and stopped right in front of me, our noses just a few inches apart. He opened his mouth and seemed to smile, causing me to leap back and whine with distress. His breath was horrible! If only there was a giant wolf version of a toothpaste and toothbrush. Then another thought struck me. If he was human at one point then the strange feelings I had made a little more sense. Maybe I was falling for the human side of him that seemed to break through his wolfish appearance. It put my mind at ease a little, but I was still determined to stay away from wolf transformations for quite some time. Maybe I should also get my head examined during my shape-shifting sabbatical.

This post has been edited by allera: 25 January 2009 - 07:50 PM

[potter573]

I am bad at critiquing, just so you know.
Your writing isn't boring at the moment at all. It is interesting in its own way.

[Creme Fraiche]

Not bad! I like this, write more please!

[allera]

Well, I don't mind posting. Hopefully someone will be nice enough to shred my work to bits.

Chapter Four

I was walking towards Saxman Village, unfortunately still in wolf form and with my new large brown friend at my side. No matter how many times I had tried yesterday, he wouldn’t leave. I had even cooped myself in the house for the rest of the day and all night and then tried to sneak out before dawn this morning, but he had found me out and had come trudging up beside up. There seemed to be no way of losing him now. Not even angry snarls and threatening growls had any effect on him. But he needed to leave before I arrived at the village. I wasn’t sure how the Tlingit would react if they saw him, and I didn’t want to take any chances.

When we were halfway to the village we both picked up a strange scent. At first I thought it was him, but the oversized wolf reacted strangely to it. He would sniff the ground then perk his head up and look around as if he was expecting someone or something to come bounding up to us. I stopped and watched him, waiting to see what he would do. He was still on alert when he walked up and stared straight at me. Strangely when I looked up at him, I saw turmoil in his big brown eyes. As if he wanted to go with me but finally figured out that he couldn’t. He then rubbed his cheek against mine before going back, leaving me both confused and somewhat dazed.

I stared after him, wondering why or what had compelled him to leave. It was what I wanted him to do, but now I felt almost empty with him gone. I shook my head of the strange feeling and walked over to the scent trail that he had checked out. It smelled like him: strange wolf with a hint of human, but it wasn’t quite his scent. There was something different about it, something familiar that I couldn’t quite put my nose on. I started to follow the trail when I heard footsteps approaching. Two Tlingit boys appeared over the hill from the direction of the village and I perked up when I recognized them.

“Portia!” one of the greeted me while the other waved. I trotted up to Yuma and Elan, my wolf tail automatically wagging with delight. They were still wearing nothing more than jeans and shirts, even though it was still in the forties this early in the morning. I nipped at their fingers for being so underdressed, then walked with them back to their village. When we arrived I ducked into a small house where I knew there would be spare clothes waiting for me. Then I joined the boys again in human form and walked with them to the meeting house.

“Where were you headed when you ran into me?” I asked as we stepped into the warm confines of the log-built meeting house. A large fire was roaring in the fireplace while elderly members of the tribe talked in low hums at the long wooden tables.

“We were actually on our way to visit you,” Yuma answered with a smile. He led me to where his father sat with a few other men, and then sat down at a nearby table with Elan. I greeted the elders and we talked idly of the success of the wolf pack before Yuma’s father Randolph stood up and led me outside.

“Something tells me you did not come here to speak about the wolves,” he looked down at me with wrinkled eyes full of wisdom and spirit. We walked down an old and secluded forest trail as we talked, but there was no need to fear anyone eavesdropping. The rest of the villagers were just beginning to move about as the sun rose up over the mountains and spilled its warm light along the valley.

“You’re right,” I nodded then smiled, “as always.”

“What troubles you child?” He patted my shoulders and urged me to continue.

“A few days ago,” I began, “I believe it was Elan’s father’s birthday, I was in Canada when I came across a large creature sleeping in the woods. I didn’t get a good look at him but he was unusually large. Then a few days later a large grizzly bear attacked the pack. Did your son tell you about that?”

“He mentioned the last part,” he nodded unconcerned. “Do you think the strange creature and the bear are the same?”

“No,” I shook my head slowly as I studied the ground. “Definitely not.”

“How can you be sure?”

I walked with my hands clasped behind my back, my eyes focused on everything but Randolph, as I told him about the incident with the bear and all my other encounters with the oversized wolf. I then dove into the different theories I had come up with explaining where he had come from. He grew more and more silent as I continued until he came to a stop and stared back at the meeting house through the dense foliage.

“What is it?” I asked worriedly, wondering if my theories sounded more absurd than I had thought. Had it been a good idea to tell him? Would he know what to do?

“We should discuss this with the others,” he informed me with a strained smile.

“Of course,” I agreed without hesitation, assuming he was talking about the elders. “I just figured I’d tell you first.” He smiled then hesitated before speaking.

“I also think it would be best if you stay in the village for a while.”

“You think this wolf is a threat.” It wasn’t a question. I could see the answer on his face and it was more obvious by how uneasy he was acting.

“It’s for your own safety,” he explained.

“He’s not a menace,” I reassured him, surprising both him and myself with the intensity in my voice. “I know it sounds silly but I really do believe he’s harmless. He won’t hurt me.”

“You do not know what kind of a monster he could be – or bring with him.”

“Monster?” I scoffed, affronted. “He’s no more of a monster than I am! And he saved me and the pack the trouble of dealing with that bear!”

“He has also wandered into the pack’s territory and put them on alert. I know you want to believe in your strange science experiment theory but believe me when I say it’s not even remotely true.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“There are secrets my people harbor that I cannot share. Not even with you. Not unless it is absolutely necessary.”

“You know what he is.” I narrowed my eyes on him, wondering what secrets lay hidden in that graying head of his. Was he their experiment? “I think it’s absolutely necessary that you tell me what you know, right now.”

“It won’t be an issue if you stay in the village. After we talk with Elan and Yuma, I’m sure they won’t mind looking after the wolves.”

“The wolves don’t know them!” I snapped, my patience broken. Why couldn’t he just tell me what he knew? And why did we need to bring the boys into this? “Khustin will feel even more threatened with all the strangers in his territory and he might just move the entire pack elsewhere. God knows what will happen to the pups! And if I stay away from the pack for too long I’ll estrange myself and probably won’t be welcomed back!”

“Alright,” he put his hands up in defense. “I won’t force you to stay in the village. But I would still feel safer if the boys stayed with you for a while.”

I arched an eyebrow at him; now understand why he insisted on Elan and most importantly Yuma to be told of the situation. “You would, would you?” It was common knowledge that he wanted me to marry one of them – which was completely ridiculous and out of the question. And here was an opportunity for them to be forced into my life for a few days. That wasn’t going to happen either. “I can take care of myself.”

“It would put me and at ease if I knew they were there with you.” He knew I could transform into a wolf if I needed to escape – he had seen it with his own eyes. But because of that he came to believe that I was some kind of spirit ancestor sent to look after the tribe, and in turn he was always worried about my safety. Of course I tried to tell him that I wasn’t a spirit or an ancestor, and that I was a shape-shifter who could transform into numerous animals, but he wouldn’t believe me even after I shifted into an eagle and then a horse to prove it. He just assumed I was a more powerful spirit.

The other elders weren’t so eager to believe him, even though they had also seen me transform into a wolf. They were devout Christians who thought the old ways were blasphemous and better left in the past. But there was one time when they had shown some inclination to believing the old ways.

Two years ago a tycoon had come into the village and tried to buy up all the land for his industrial projects. We all tried to get him to leave in peaceful ways but he was stubborn and wouldn’t give up. One day he was taking a stroll through the totem polls with the reluctant elders when a rogue grizzly came sauntering out of the woods. I came out of the tribal house and ran it off, shifting into a wolf right in front of the industrialist. That was enough to scare him bad enough that he ended up leaving for warmer, wolf-free climates that night.

At first the elders were about to believe what Randolph had been telling them, but thankfully they were still too religious to give in to such myths. The elders respected me for dealing with the millionaire and a few other incidences of the local wildlife wandering into the park, and that was the main reason they tolerated my presence and Randolph’s beliefs in the old ways. And they had all kept my secret diligently – some out of fear of being thrown into an insane asylum, others worried of their history becoming exploited of the media ever caught wind. I respected their decision and trusted them with my secret, so why couldn’t they tell me theirs?

I took a step closer and glared at Randolph, placing my hands on my hips. “Tell me about the creature and the boys can stay with me.”

“It doesn’t work that way, Portia,” he shook his head at me.

“Then it doesn’t work at all,” I frowned. I was about to say something else when a howl echoed through the woods. I snapped my head in its direction, trying to decipher what Khustin was saying. “I have to go,” I murmured.

“I’ll send the boys up to your house,” he yelled after me as I walked away. I whirled around and faced him, fighting back my anger and disappointment.

“Don’t bother.” I walked the rest of the way back to my house, keeping my promise of not changing into a wolf again. The tribe could keep their secrets, I thought to myself. There were other ways of finding out about that creature. The internet after all was a marvelous piece of technology.

Khustin and the others greeted me when I was halfway home and I played with them for a while, but I was too distracted with my thoughts so I left them and continued home. As I walked I wondered if it had been a bad idea to tell Randolph about the oversized wolf. He was far more alarmed by the news than I had expected. I had to fix this new problem that I had created. The best option would be to tell the creature that the Tlingit knew about him, but that in itself was a problem. I couldn’t exactly communicate with him unless I was in human form – and it would help if he understood English.

No wolves, mythical or otherwise, were hanging around my house when I got home. I sighed with relief and quickly entered the house. Randolph’s words echoed in my mind as I turned on my computer. Just what did he know about the oversized wolf? Why couldn’t he tell me – especially if he thought I was in some kind of danger? And what exactly did he mean when he said the wolf would bring more monsters? The science experiment theory was shot to hell; Randolph’s passionate statement made sure of that. I slumped into the chair, not bothering to turn the lights on, and sat in silence as the computer came to life. I tried to log on but noticed that the internet wasn’t working today. I dammed the satellite dish as I shut the machine off and slumped onto the couch.

The Tlingit knew something that was so secretive they weren’t willing to reveal it even if someone was in danger. Randolph called the oversized wolf a monster and said he could bring more. He wasn’t a science experiment or any other outrageous conclusion; otherwise Randolph would’ve just shrugged his shoulders and advised me to call animal control. The creature himself was too human-like to be a real wolf. He didn’t eat raw meat like a wild animal, and his eyes showed more emotion than most guys I knew. What did this mean?

Werewolf, a whisper echoed in my mind, causing me to sit up abruptly. Was that the answer? Did werewolves really exist? It seemed too preposterous, too far fetched, and I was disinclined to believe that werewolves actually existed. Yet it somehow made perfect sense. The human smell, the human habits, Randolph calling him a monster, his strange size… it all fit. But surely he could’ve told me. I trusted him with my secret; why couldn’t he trust me with his?

The sudden ringing of my phone cut through my thoughts, making me jump. I answered only to hear the local vet, and one of my few friends, asking me to meet her for breakfast and then a shopping spree in Juneau. I looked at the clock on my wall and noticed that it wasn’t even eight yet. There was no way for me to get out of this, but it didn’t really matter. I missed Helen’s company and wouldn’t mind spending some time with someone who still believed werewolves were a myth. After agreeing to meet with her at the local diner, I quickly bathed and changed, then hopped into my truck and headed out. I only lived a few miles outside of town, but the road was poor and treacherous so I didn’t arrive until it was nearly nine-thirty.

I made my way into the diner, for once happy to shake the wilderness off my boots. Spotting Helen sitting at one of the window booths, I gave the impatient waitress my order before joining her. Helen was easy to spot. She always stood out in the crowd in these parts because of her brilliant red and gold hair and top-quality wardrobe. She had moved here from L.A. when her father, a local seaman, had become ill, taking her veterinary practice and expensive tastes with her. When her father died she had planned on going back but had fallen in love with Ketchikan – as was true of most people who lived here. As cold and desolate as this place was most of us couldn’t bear to part with it.

We caught up on events that had happened since our last meeting. We hadn’t seen each other in weeks and she brought me up-to-date with the latest town gossip and scandals. After the waitress brought us our orders, she inevitably turned on me and started asking about my love life.

“What about Mitch Grumman?” Helen asked in earnest. “He’s always shown interest in you and he’s pretty hunky.”

“No thanks,” I groaned, rolling my eyes at her. She knew I was against dating but she was so determined to set me up with someone. It was annoying, but I couldn’t help but admire her stubbornness. “He’s not my type.”

“You’ve never even spoken to him!” she protested, slamming her drink down. “You can’t know he’s not for you.”

“Oh yeah?” I lifted my eyebrow, then leaned in and lowered my voice. “I saw him getting pretty friendly with a tourist right near the creek a few days ago.”

“No!” she gasped wide-eyed.

“Unfortunately, yes,” I leaned back in my seat and rubbed my temples, trying to erase the image from my scarred-for-life mind. “The poor tree must’ve thought there was an earthquake with the way those two were going at it.”

Helen’s mouth dropped and her eyes got impossibly wider. “He didn’t! How do you always get to see the juicy stuff? What were you doing at the creek anyway?”

“I was just going to see the pack,” I shrugged. “Trust me; it wasn’t something I wanted to stumble across.”

“It wasn’t very polite of him was it?” she mused. I shot her a look of disbelief. “I’m just saying! He could’ve at least taken her someplace with a comfortable bed instead of going at it against a tree.” He was taking advantage of the tourists whenever he could and all she could complain about was how impolite he was for not taking them to more comfortable places?

“Yes he’s a rude, thoughtless, selfish being,” I mocked her. “So stop trying to set me up with him.”

“Fine, I -” she suddenly stopped as her eyes narrowed in on me. “How do I know you’re not just making this up in an attempt to make me drop the subject?”

“Ask him,” I shrugged as I finished off my breakfast and placed some money on the table. “Or go camp out at the creek some time. That wasn’t the first tourist Mitch brought to the creek, and it more than likely wasn’t the last. Ready for some shopping?”

I got up out of my seat and beamed down at her, waiting patiently as she got over the shock of that bit of news. I always did enjoy telling her some shocking news. Her reaction was always priceless. We eventually made it out to Juneau and spent the rest of the day shopping and watching a movie.

Later that afternoon, as I slowly made my way back home, I couldn’t help but laugh when I remembered Helen’s expression in the diner. Everything I had told her was true. I just left out that I was walking around as a wolf when I had the misfortune of spotting Mitch having fun. It wasn’t that she didn’t know my secret, but there were some people in Ketchikan who hung around the diner for the sole purpose of eavesdropping. I was pretty sure that all of Ketchikan would know about Mitch’s secret activities by dawn tomorrow, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a few new campers along the creek too. I probably shouldn’t have gossiped about him like that but I was getting tired of Helen trying to set me up with him. I was also tired of coming across him whenever I was wandering around those parts. And a few onlookers would be enough to scare Mitch away for a while.

When I got home, I put my shopping bags away then turned the television on to check on the stock market. I made a few business phone calls to make sure the company I had inherited was still running smoothly, made some final decisions about mergers, and scheduled to meet with the board in a month. After the calls I surfed through the channels, my mind hazy from the already too long day, even though it was only late afternoon, before promptly falling asleep.

Sometime in the middle of the night I heard a disturbing sound that woke me straight out of my deep sleep. The clock on the wall showed that it was nearly midnight. I sat up quietly, listening for the noise I wasn’t sure I had heard in the first place. I got up and was halfway to the window when I heard it again. It was a savage snarl that I’d never heard before. Something was being attacked in the forest, and whatever it was the creature was fighting for its life.

Worried about the pack, I hastily took my clothes off and ran out the door, jumping into the air and transforming into an eagle. The sound was faint and I wasn’t sure which direction it was coming from, so I had to perform an aerial search. It was much quicker and easier than a ground search and I had the advantage of flight. Swooping down and attacking a bear or rival wolf’s head with my talons was usually the most effective way of sending the animal running.

As I circled around I spotted three humans standing in a clearing, all facing a large creature. My eagle eyes allowed me to see that there was something not quite right about the way the humans looked, and that the creature they had surrounded was the oversized brown wolf – the werewolf. And he was lying motionless on the ground.

[potter573]

Your story has variety. I don't get bored at all while reading. Rather I get excited. But as I told you I am horrible at critiquing. So, sorry here.

[DMan423]

This just keeps getting better and better. Really a great story. I haven't noticed any spelling or grammar mistakes so far, and I really like the pacing and the character development. Keep it coming!

[allera]

Chapter Five

I soared just above the tree tops, circling around a clearing. Below me a werewolf was surrounded by three very strange looking humans. He was lying motionless on the ground and they were closing in on him. I had to do something. I had to help. High above them I let out a piercing call, drawing the attention of the three attackers who froze in their tracks to look up at me. The werewolf moved just then, looking up and locking eyes with me. Even though I was up in the sky I experienced the same sensation I had once felt before, where the world seemed to shift around me as I stared into his deep brown eyes. The humans ignored my presence and continued their advances on the werewolf.

In that moment I dove towards them, pulling out just in time to claw at one set of eyes with my talons. While one attacker tried to bat me away, another grabbed hold of one of my feet, but I pecked at the cold hand until I was thrown into the woods behind them. As I slowly got up from my dizzying fall I heard the werewolf snarl at them again.

“Not so fast, dog,” one of the attackers said in a sickeningly sweet feminine voice. “We’re not done with you yet.”

Through the trees I watched as one of the humans crouched like a lion about to attack. Suddenly there was a blur of brown as the werewolf lunged at him with supernatural speed. The other two moved just as quickly and pushed the werewolf back, cornering him against a large tree. He was outnumbered and desperately needed help. I needed to do something, anything to give him a chance at defeating these attackers. I quickly transformed into a wolf and ran into the clearing, jumping onto the nearest human with my teeth bared. I clamped down on the man’s arm hard enough to break bones, but surprisingly there was no snap. In fact, there was no blood at all. I landed back on the ground with the man’s arm still in my mouth while he tried to wrench himself free. I stared straight at him, growling ferociously, pulling him off balance whenever I could.

From this close proximity it was clear that these humans were very not human. They were too pretty, too pale, and they didn’t bleed or break. They were freezing cold to the touch and smelled dead. Not dead like the decay of a carcass, but dead like the absence of blood flowing in the body, like the warmth of the soul sapped right out of them. And they had fangs, which led me to one preposterous conclusion: if werewolves existed, why not vampires also? Even though it was hard to swallow and I was still struggling to wrap my mind around werewolves existing, there was no other explanation. That’s what these attackers had to be. There was no question of it when the nonhuman wrenched his arm free, leaving a chunk of his flesh in my mouth. He screamed in agony and I nearly gagged from the sight, but somehow kept my composure.

I spit the chunk out of my mouth just in time to snap at his other hand as he moved to attack. He moved so fast that I nearly missed him and instead just nicked his arm. He hissed at me but before he could make another move I lunged at his foot, throwing my weight against him and knocking him onto the ground. He kicked at me with his other foot, making contact with my side and sending me sprawling. Not letting go of his leg, I managed to rip another chunk out, leaving it still attached to him by a small thread of skin. He stared furiously at me as he tore his pant leg off and put the chunk in place. I watched in horror as his pale skin reattached and healed itself. Then with supernatural speed he picked me up and threw me hard against the tree. I both heard and felt with excruciating pain a few bones in my body crack during impact, and I fell to the ground unable to move.

The vampire took another step towards me but suddenly stopped and looked around when he heard a snarl come from behind him. It was just him and the werewolf. While he had been fighting me the werewolf had taken care of the other two vampires. One lay in pieces on the ground while the other had her head separated from the rest of her body. The remaining vampire hissed at the werewolf, then realizing he was outnumbered, made a hasty retreat.

The werewolf trotted up to me and whimpered, but I was so weak that I couldn’t even growl at him for getting in a fight with such dangerous creatures. The pain from my broken bones was so intense that I slipped in and out of consciousness. At one point I thought I saw someone building a fire in the middle of the clearing, which was followed by a sweet intoxicating smell filling the air. Then I thought I felt someone carrying my broken wolf body through the darkness. When I finally came to I was staring into the familiar blue eyes of my friend and local vet Helen.

“Welcome back,” Helen whispered as she administered a shot, probably a sedative. I looked around and noticed that I was lying on my couch while she leaned over me and checked on the bandages wrapped around my midsection. “You had us worried for a minute there.”

I gave her a questioning look and she shot a furtive glance over her shoulder. I looked behind Helen and saw a shirtless guy, no older than me, sitting in one of my dining chairs that he had propped against the living room wall opposite the couch. His tanned skin shone in the fluorescent light, shaggy black hair, and curiously familiar brown eyes that were filled with worry. He was leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, thrumming his fingers nervously as he looked on helplessly. As I stared into his eyes, for the third time in two weeks I felt the earth shift below me. His scent wafted to me and he smelled familiar, like the werewolf, but more human. Who was this stranger? I tried to wrap my mind around the elusive answer I was seeking but was in too much pain to concentrate.

“Is she going to be okay?” he asked Helen in a deep husky voice as he watched with an anxious and worried expression. Helen threw me a concerned look, a mixture of emotions crossing her face. She knew that I healed faster as a human, but couldn’t risk transforming in front of this stranger.

“I need to take her to the Tlingit,” she finally answered him as she hastily gathered her medical equipment back into its kit. She stood up and turned to face him, holding her medical kit with both hands. “They can help her better than I can.”

“I’ll go with you,” he stood up suddenly. At his full height I could see now that he was very tall, probably taller than Elan – if that was possible.

“No!” Helen answered in a warning tone. “You’re an outsider to them. You brought those vampires to their land. You won’t be welcomed.” I wanted to grab her attention and ask her how she knew about the vampires or that he had lured them here, but the sedative she had given me earlier was starting to kick in.

“You need someone to help carry her,” he pleaded. “Please. I don’t want to leave her side.” Helen ignored him and moved show him the way out, but he caught her arm. “She risked her life for me. It’s the least I can do.”

They stared at each other, waging a war with their eyes. The stranger was the first to break eye contact as he turned his attention on me. He looked at me with such sorrow that I almost felt guilty for getting injured. But my guilt didn’t match the one he expressed as he again tried to plead Helen to let him go with us.

“I’ll end up following you anyway,” he argued. “That should go really well with the Tlingit. If I show up with you they’ll probably take it better.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” she huffed after a slight hesitation. “I’ll go start the truck.”

She disappeared out the door with her medical kit and I was left alone with this agonizingly familiar stranger. He lifted me carefully into his warm sturdy arms and hurried after her, sliding gently into the back seat and letting my head rest on his lap. The truck ride to the village was slow and bumpy, and seemed to last forever. As we rode on the stranger methodically patted my fur, being careful to avoid my bandages. The dual effects of the sedatives and the warmth that had to be emitting from him were starting to kick in. I was nearly knocked out, but as he conversed with Helen, I thought I heard him tell her that his name was Jacob Black.

I awoke to the sound of a clock ticking away, the slow undulation of time passing before me as my mind groggily became aware that I was alive. My eyes opened slowly and I found myself lying on a cot in a small room with a fireplace lit on the other side. My ears turned to the sound of soft murmurs on the other side of the closed door.

“She hasn’t woken up yet,” a familiar deep and husky voice said full of concern.

“She is resting,” Randolph’s voice answered soothingly. “It’s been six hours. Go home, my son. You too are in need of rest.”

“Come on,” I heard Helen’s voice chime in. “I’ll take you back to Portia’s place.”

“I don’t care about Portia,” the husky voice said, sounding irritated. “I want to stay with the wolf.”

“Don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re the only one who cares about her,” Yuma’s voice cut in harshly. I thought I heard some growling before Randolph’s calming voice sounded again.

“You can see her again tomorrow. I’ll make sure of it.” There was a long period of silence followed by shuffling feet. Then the door opened and Randolph walked in, closing the door behind him. He eyed me curiously and kneeled in front of the cot before speaking.

“Helen left you a stack of clothes on the end of the cot. No one will bother you so you can transform and heal in peace.” He paused for a second as he looked into the fire, seemingly searching for something in its flickering flames. “I was wrong before. I hope you can forgive me. We have much to discuss, so when you’re better come find me.” He stood up and placed a blanket over me, then quietly left the room. I stared after him, wondering what he meant about being wrong before. Then I closed my eyes and braced myself for the pain to come.

Although I healed much faster as a human, it was very painful to change into human if I was injured. My bones, especially the broken ones, had to realign and find their proper places in my human body. It felt almost as if they were breaking anew, and sometimes I believed they really were. Once my transformation was complete I waited for the pain to ease and the aching to subside before donning the clothes Helen had left for me. I exited the room and walked down a narrow hallway that opened up to the meeting hall. I looked out a nearby window to a cloudy, dreary morning and a sky that threatened rain. It was just another normal day in Southeastern Alaska.

Randolph called out my name, catching my attention, and I sat across from him at one of the smaller wooden tables in the room. He was playing solitaire and looked like he was about to win, but then suddenly threw the cards in his hands down with an annoyed grunt.

“I can play this game a hundred times and manage to lose every hand,” he sighed. “Even when there are only a few cards left, fate steps in and decides to crush my hopes.” I smiled at him and waited while he collected the cards and put them back in their case. “How are you feeling?” he asked, putting the deck in his pocket then clasping his hands together on the table.

“A little sore, but that will pass,” I answered earnestly.

“I am relieved to hear it,” he patted my hand. “We were all worried about you, even the elders. You should be more careful – they came dangerously close to admitting they still believed in the old ways.”

I chuckled and waited for more, but he remained silent. He seemed to be at war with himself and I wondered what was going on in that old head of his. Did it have anything to do with what he had said earlier?

“What did you mean?” I finally asked. When he arched an eyebrow I elaborated. “Earlier you said you were wrong and you asked for my forgiveness. What did you mean by that?” He looked at me solemnly before answering.

“I felt bad about our fight yesterday. I should have trusted you with my ancestor’s secret the way you have trusted us with yours. I did not put enough faith in you, faith you deserved, and for that I apologize.”

“Apology accepted,” I told him after a short pause. I looked out the window behind him and thought about my next words carefully. Before he could speak I looked straight into his eyes and asked, “Are werewolves real?”

He stared right back without blinking or answering. Anyone walking in on us would have thought we were having a staring contest. I almost regretted asking him until he gave a weary sigh. He broke eye contact and looked down at the grizzled and overused wooden table.

“They are.” I listened intently as he explained the origin of the werewolf. Apparently long before Europeans came, ancestors of the Quileute, a tribe down in Washington, could leave their bodies and combine their spirits with wolves. Then one day the tribe had a traitor who tried to take over using his gift. The chief of that tribe somehow fused his spirit with that of a wolf and overwhelmed the animal, becoming the first werewolf.

Randolph then explained the werewolves’ first encounter with the strange nonhumans – the vampires – and their victory in driving them off their lands. Then one of the werewolves had left the tribe and traveled north when he learned the vampires had killed his entire family. He found a new wife among the Tlingit and passed on his werewolf genes.

“The gene is activated when the tribe is in need of protection,” he continued. “Usually when a vampire comes around someone turns into a werewolf. It skips generations of course, when the tribe is safe. No vampires have come this way in a long, long time. We find it quite surprising, to be honest, considering this is such a popular tourist attraction. It is even more surprising because of Ketchikan’s sparse population and isolation from the rest of the world.”

“It’s easier for people to go missing in a city,” I shrugged my shoulders. I chewed over his words, letting it sink in that werewolves and vampires were no longer mythical creatures of the night. It was easier for me to accept than I had expected, but considering what I was, how could I be shocked?

“I know it’s a lot to take in,” he said sympathetically. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” I smiled reassuringly. “I kind of figured out that the oversized wolf was actually a werewolf, but I wasn’t completely sure. Thanks for clearing that up. I do have a question though. How can the elders be so against the old ways if they know this story?”

“Because that’s all it is to them,” he chuckled. “They are ignorant to the fact that werewolves truly exist.”

“But you said it was the tribe’s secret!” I argued, completely confused. “And you said yesterday that you wanted to discuss the new werewolf with the other elders. How could you talk to them when they don’t even know that werewolves exist?”

“Because I misled you about our ancestor’s secret,” he explained somberly. “It’s not really a secret at all, just one of many mythical stories told to the children. And I didn’t discuss your news yesterday with the elders. It is better if they don’t know about werewolves. Even with those three vampires walking around, they were well protected.”

“You knew about them?” I was both curious and surprised. His answer to my previous question wasn’t satisfying, but I let it go for the time being. I was eager to learn more about the vampires.

“Yes, they appeared a couple of weeks ago, but seemed content to staying north in Juneau. We have your friend to thank for taking care of two of them when they made the fortunate mistake of coming down here.”

“Jacob,” I said in a near whisper, remembering his name from last night.

“Yes,” Randolph confirmed, although a bit unsettled. “Do you know what imprinting is?” I shook my head, surprised by the sudden change of topic, and he sighed wearily. “Perhaps you should ask this Jacob about it when you get the chance.”

“Is it bad?” I asked curiously.

“No,” he chuckled, “and yes. It depends on your point of view. At least he’s a werewolf.” His words confused me once again and I found myself wondering just what the old man was hiding and scheming up in his mind. “Do you need a ride home?”

“No,” I eventually answered. “I’ll walk. It’s only a couple of miles.”

“Then take care, Portia.” We stood up and he walked around and gave me a fatherly hug. “No more fighting vampires. It would do none of us any good if he lost you to one of them.”

“Who?” I looked up at him curiously but he just laughed and walked away, disappearing into the kitchen. I had half a mind to follow him and force some answers out somehow, but remembered that Jacob was waiting for me in my house.

Suddenly wanting to get home that much quicker, I ran to the back room with the cot, took off my clothes and placed them in a neat pile, and transformed into a wolf. When I walked back out to the main room, Randolph was holding the door open expectantly and chuckling. I eyed him cautiously as I approached, wondering what he knew that could put a mischievous gleam in his eyes. Once past him though, I bolted out the door and made a b-line for home.

I didn’t get that far out of the village when I heard the faint sound of a toddler crying in some nearby bushes. Wondering what the heck a toddler would be doing unaccompanied so far away from the village, I investigated the crying bushes. Hiding underneath them was a little girl, at least two or three, laying face down and staring at me with scared teary eyes. I got on my belly and whimpered, licking her tear-streaked cheeks and trying to get her to trust me enough to come out. She eventually crawled out, repeating the word ‘doggy’ over and over again between sniffles, and wrapped her arms around my neck. I continued to comfort her by licking her cheeks, ignoring the salty taste and wishing I was human so I could carry her home. How long had she been out here alone, and where were her parents?

Suddenly her crying intensified into a terrified shriek and she squeezed tighter around my neck. I heard a growl come from behind us and turned my head to find two huge wolves approaching. One was grey and the other was black – neither was Jacob meaning these were new werewolves. I carefully extricated my neck from the girl’s arms and stood up, placing myself in front of her and the new threat. After witnessing the fight between Jacob and those vampires I knew I didn’t stand a chance against a werewolf, much less two. But I had to stay and protect the little girl.

I slowly backup up and gently tugged at the toddler’s jacket until she stood shakily and walked beside me, using me for balance as we slowly made our way to the village. I walked backwards and watched helplessly while the two werewolves advanced with each step I took. Suddenly the grey werewolf leaped forward. I quickly shielded the toddler with my body but he bounded past us and ran for the village, letting out a strange howl as he went. I turned my attention back to the black werewolf who still approached me with his teeth bared, growling.

I stood there and growled back, keeping the little girl at my side. The standoff seemed to last a lifetime, but then I heard footsteps approaching from behind. A four-legged creature and a two-legged creature were headed our way. The wind carried their scents to me and I deciphered that the two creatures were a werewolf and Randolph. The scent of the grey werewolf reminded me of when I had reluctantly walked to Saxman Village with Jacob in tow a few days ago. He had retreated when he stumbled upon a strange scent that I later found to be oddly familiar. It was a werewolf scent but it wasn’t Jacob. My head perked as I slowly realized why the smell had been so familiar.

“You found her,” Randolph’s relieved voice reached my ears. I turned my head in his direction and watched as he picked the toddler up in his arms. The grey wolf stood a few feet away, watching unconcerned, as I threw calculating glances from him to Randolph and back. I studied the grey wolf closer and was stunned when I noticed his eyes were green. My head swiveled back to the black werewolf who was still growling and throwing me an accusing glare.

“Yuma!” Randolph yelled at him. “Enough!”

[potter573]

Great. The story is taking a mysterious turn. jacob Black! Well, I already had suspicions that it was one of the Quilete werewolves. Great descriptions and a thrilling story line.

PS: I joined your fantasy writers forums.

[Creme Fraiche]

Chapter Five

“I don’t care about Portia,” the husky voice said, sounding irritated. “I want to stay with the wolf.”

Does Jacob not know that Portia and the wolf are the same?
Just wondering. Great story so far. I like how you make interesting things happen in the end. It makes me want to read the next chapter more!