The Wolf at the Camping (Title Subject To Change)

The Forest

Jake woke up by the first light of dawn; he wasn't accustomed to sleeping as a wolf, or in the forest

He felt his bones and muscles protesting as he tried to remember where he was and why he hadn't changed back to human when the moon set.

And a scent came to him again, yes, now everything came back… The girl from the next cabin was yelling about her friend being a wolf

He was in the middle of his own transformation when he heard her, and as he was getting ready to leave his own cabin from his back door he saw her…

She leaped out of the window, beautiful in her gray – black fur; full of grace in her run…

He just couldn't stop himself; he had to follow her, to protect her, to meet her in human form…

And now her scent was close by. He had run almost all night, following her to the river, and then were she had stopped.

He found another hollow tree and slept, hoping she wouldn't wake before he did…

And now she was so close. 'Don't scare her now, she might run, running scared is not good…'

And there she was, curled close to the tree, her muzzle over her tail. He just stood there, watching her.

She was beautiful; the sunlight was making her fur look like precious stones sewn together on velvet.

He didn't want to wake her so he sat and waited for her to wake on her own, as he was trying to memorize the effect of sunlight on every single hair of her back.

Sarah couldn't sleep; as the early hours of the morning were getting closer her nervousness was heightening. She was pacing the cabin from the small kitchen to the entrance and back, while Anna was sitting on one of the three chairs sipping yet another cup of coffee.

"Where is she?" Sarah asked for what sounded like the millionth time in the last few hours.

Anna sighed, "In the forest. She will be back soon…"

Sarah turned to her friend, "That's what you said the last time, how do you know?" Sarah was pretty sure that Anna was human, or at least not a wolf. 'She would have to change with Lisa if she were, wouldn't she?'

"Sarah, I am as much human as you are!"

Sarah was taken aback, how did Anna know that was what Sarah was thinking?

"You have met Alex, right?" Anna asked and Sarah nodded. "Well, Alex is a werewolf… he had been for a few years when I first met him."

Sarah tried to stay calm, she could feel her eyes widen and made her mouth close, "You knew he was… And still you stay…"

Anna smiled the condescending smile you use on a scared child.

"He told me what he was when we went out for the first time. It was close to the full moon and he was afraid that something would show. Not that anything did…" Ann’s face had that dreamy expression of seeing things that are not there. "Well, my own uncle is one, and I practically grew up with his children. I know what to look for. Lisa… I knew what she was since December…" She stopped, waiting for Sarah to digest everything.

"But you know us since high school, why did it take you so long?" Sarah made her mind focus on the here and now, no use getting upset about what could never change…

"She wasn't one back then… The ones with the genes turn at 18 for the first time. The women that become pregnant don't change until after they give birth, so that the genes can pass on to the next generation."

Sarah held her hand up and Anna stopped, her face was serious.

"But Alex is 19; you said he is a werewolf for some time."

"Yes. Do you really want to know?"

Sara just nodded; maybe Ann’s explanation could help her understand what she had been through.

"The one way to become a werewolf is to carry the gene, that's how Lisa became one. The other way," she looked down, not meeting Sara’s eyes for some reason, "The other way, involves an attack by one of them, while they are in wolf form."

When Anna looked at Sarah again, tears were in her eyes, making them shine like the sea under the summer's sun. Sarah went to her friend and hugged her whispering. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry Anna… I shouldn't have asked you…"

Anna just hugged her as the sobs shook her.

Lisa was running in an unknown forest, not the one back home, not the one near her college, not even the one next to the camping that she had come with the girls. But that was almost insignificant in comparison to the feeling in her stomach. Someone was watching her, following her and she was getting tired of running. The river was in front of her, just a few steps ahead, and that was even worse.

Werewolves can't swim. Not in wolf form, they have too much muscle and almost no fat in their bodies.

With no way out of this situation she made herself stop and took a deep breath before turning around to face, whoever, whatever was behind her.

A sound was heard as she was turning and she found herself on her feet in the forest next to the camping. It was just a dream but the reality was worse.

A wolf was in front of her; a big black male wolf that she was betting was an Alpha. She did the only thing she could; sort of a fight that she knew would be lost before it began. She abased herself, lying on the ground with her head between her front legs, her tail under her body. She closed her eyes waiting for his move; he could leave her here or make her follow him.

Lisa couldn't decide which move she preferred; she could sense him moving around her in a big circle like a zoologist examining a new species.

After what she felt was an eternity but probably had been only a few minutes she felt his warm breath near her ears, she could get up.

'Finally!' she thought as she was trying to stretch her aching body. "No more sleeping in wolf form…" she told herself as she was sat lowering her head, waiting for him to make his move.

She would be happy if he would just let her be. Though she knew it would never happen, an Alpha's protection instincts are too strong for that.

He stood there for the next few moments, as if deciding what to do with her and then he just turned around. He paced a few feet and turned around, the sign was given, and she had to follow him.

The 'where' was almost felt in the air, back to the camping, back to the only place she wanted to avoid, back to the girls and Sara’s accusatory fear… She lowered her head and followed him to her impending doom.