Our Endless Shadows of Darkness

Chapter 2 ~ Danger

I could hear the sound of pacing over and over again until it rang deeply in my head. I softly grunted, opening my eyes and lifting my head. The wolf who was pacing was Grim, not a surprise, and once I had started to stir he turned around.
"You uh... blacked out." He blinked.
"I did, didn't I?" I sighed, laying my head on my paws.
"Why did you eat the elk carcass, anyways?" Grim prompted. Surprisingly, he almost seemed concerned. Emphasis on the 'almost'.
"Well I... was hungry." I stammered, lying. Grim looked at me with a face as if he knew I was lying.
"If you were so hungry why did you throw up?" He narrowed his eyes dully.
"Pfft, that's not a question you should be asking me." I retorted.
"If you're reffering to me talking to your stomach about it, I'll pass." Grim rolled his eyes. I remained silent and so did he.
"So... how long was I out for?"
"Mm... I'd say from late afternoon 'til dusk."
"Really? That long?" I asked him, surprised. Grim slowly nodded.
"I'm going out." He annouced after countless moments of silence. He walked up to the brambles and added, "Don't eat anything unless you feel like you're starving." Grim squeezed through the brambles and left.

I rose to my paws, feeling them brush against something warm. Startled I spun and looked down, shocked to see I had been sleeping on what looked like a large wad of moss. Letting out a breath of relief I padded up to the brambles.
"Let's just hope he takes long." I muttered to myself, pushing through the brambles and ducking as many of the thorns as I could. Breathing lightly as I made it to the other side, I quickly darted into the forest, hoping no one had seen me escape. I knew that I couldn't escape this forest, no, not yet. I didn't know the parts at all. My plan was to let Grim show me around, play along with him and then flee once I had the advantage. Yes, that was my new plan; and it was going to work. 
Wandering through the dark forest, I scanned and inspected everything that came into sight, curious. But then a thought sent a shiver down me. Were there any pack borders? I didn't think so, since I couldn't smell any, but I couldn't be too sure.
Cautiously weaving through the forest, my stomach started to hurt, like it was churning around. A twig snapped below my paws and I jumped, frightened out of my fur. I took a couple shaky breaths before my breathing returned to normal.

An angry snarl sounded from a large shaded shrub. My fur bristled and I took a step back in fear. A coyote revealed itself, its mouth covered with foam and its eyes glimmering in the dark forest. It rounded around me for several heartbeats, making mine drop. I kept still and silent, trying not to provoke the coyote and to see if that would maybe make it back off. But my hope was shattered apart very quickly.
The coyote lunged at me, its teeth ripping violently into my shoulder. I screeched and tried to flip it off, without success. It dug its claws into my back, raking and bitting anything that I fought with. I whined and let myself go limp, the only way I could escape the grasp of the ferocious creature. Suddenly the coyote stopped fighting me, eying something in the shadows. A black wolf with piercing yellow eyes eyes shot on the coyote, fiercely battling it with all its strenght. I watched in fear and horror, my ears drawn back and my body on the ground.
The coyote soon fled, defeated, and only after then did I realize that the wolf was Grim. His eyes were blazing mad and his pelt was matted down untidily with several scratches and deep ones.

He grabbed the fur just above my shoulder and started to drag me. I assumed this was only the beginning of my punishement. Grim dragged me uncomfortably along the ground, his teeth piercing through my skin and making me bleed. I clenched my teeth, trying to get through the pain. Soon enough he let me go, sharply nudging me as I fell on the brambles. I growled and got to my paws, going into the den after weaving around all the brambles.
"What were you thinking?" Grim spat.
"I... I..." I started to cower into my corner, his stare burning into my eyes as he followed me with hard pawsteps.
"You could've been killed!" Grim's neck fur bristled. "You deliberately disobeyed me and went out on your own. And what did it cost? Almost your life!" I ignored his hostility, staring at his crutial wounds. Immediately I rose to my paws, heading to the corner of the den. There were many cobwebs in the corner. I reached up, clawing up a large pawful then padding back to him.
"What are you doing now?" Grim growled.
"Just keep still. This might sting a little..."
"What might sting?" He took a step back as I took a step forward.
"I'm going to clean your wounds." I replied evenly.
"No need." Grim shied away. "They'll heal."
"No they won't. They'll get infected if not treated." I contradicted him.
"It's not like it can kill me." He shrugged.
"It could." I blinked, narrowing my eyes. Was Grim actually scared of having his wounds treated?
"You are going to lay down and let me treat your wounds." I ordered him. He shook his head.
"Lick your wounds clean." I snapped at him sharply. Grim narrowed his eyes and shrugged.
"And why do I need to listen to you? It's not like you know how to heal my wounds." He muttered stubbornly.
"Uh, yes I do." I let out a small laugh.
"Then why do you have cobwebs?"
"To patch the wound."
"How is that supposed to help?" Grim demanded.
"It'll block out bacteria from the wound." I said. He looked at me with angry eyes, as if telling me I won't win this fight.
"If you don't let me fix up your wounds now, I will personally knock you out to do them." I glared at him.
"Alright alright!" Grim sighed. "Just... make it quick." I could sense his unease. I sat down, curling my tail over my paws. At once Grim remembered that he had to lick his wounds, and got right on that.

I waited patiently, picking up the cobwebs when I heard him say,
"I'm done." I applied the cobwebs, carefully placing and plastering them down on each of his wounds. I could feel Grim wince, making me shudder. I don't know why, but it happened each time I had placed down a cobweb. I took a small breath in then out then wiped my paws against some moss, getting rid of any cobwebs that clung to them.
"It feels better now," Grim said. "Thanks." I nodded curtly to him, walking back into my corner. I curled up, my tail over my nose and my paws tucked up against my belly. I had closed my eyes for only a couple seconds when they flew open.
"It hurt, didn't it?" Grim suddenly asked.
"What hurt?" I turned by head to face him.
"When I um..." He gulped, but I could tell he was trying not to shudder or pause for too long. "Grabbed you." Grim finished, trying to hide the fact that his voice was shaking lightly.
"Well... Yeah, it did hurt." I hesitated slightly. "But I guess it doesn't matter." Grim cocked his head slightly.
"I mean, there were no wounds, after all."
"Yeah, but that's not the point." He argued.
"If you had actually given me wounds I would've shoved you in a hole." I said briskly. "But did that happen? No."
"Sorry for asking then." Grim's voice was as cold as an iceberg.

I didn't speak or look at him since, suddenly feeling tired. Well, I probably was since I was dragged, fought, dropped and I patched up wounds. I shivered, feeling a late autumn breeze blow through the brambles. Wait, it was already fall? I tried to push away that worry, falling asleep in the process.
I wasn't one to dream about hunting, or miracles, or seeing others. I just flotted in the blank, pacing around while reciting all my worries and duties. But surprisingly this time was different.
I was standing on a grassy hill; butterflies wove in, out and around flowers while collecting nectar, which soon made honey. At the thought of honey I licked my lips. I had forgotten to eat because I wasn't starving, well, Grim did- I paused in mid sentence. And since when should I listen to him? It's all his fault I'm here, that I threw up, that he was wounded by a coyote, that he actually felt guilty for once.
I don't know why but I could feel satisfaction burning up inside of me. All of this happened because of him, therefore making it his fault! But one question ignited inside of me, What does he want with me? 
And then I remembered what he had said the first time I met him. Memories flashed through my mind and this was no longer a dream, but a flashback.
"You will call me Grim, your new Alpha Male." The voice boomed, echoeing endlessly in my head. I shut my eyes closed, trying to push away the memory. But it was too strong. Something sharp and painful prodded me in the rib, making me screech. I tossed and turned around in fright until all became quiet. The noise had died down after my cry. Then, I heard soft murmering in my ear.

My eyes flashed open to see Grim crouched over me, his eyes widened with surprise as he took a step back.
"You... er... screamed in your sleep." He stammered.
"Really?" I asked, surprised. Then I nodded lightly. "I won't-"
"Why did you scream?" Grim asked me. I merely shrugged. I knew it was a lie, but heck, why should I tell him why I really screamed? He'd probably get angry with me.
"I'm hungry." I rose to my paws, shaking out scraps out moss the clung to my fur.
"Then I'll go catch you something." Grim said, blocking me from leaving.
"No, I'm going to hunt for myself." I replied briskly, shouldering him out of my way.
"And how would you know the best places to hunt?" Grim challenged.
"I'll follow the scent of prey." I rolled my eyes. He merely shook his head.
"You don't smell anything but pine and dirt, here. It's all about tracking." Grim responded, then smiled tauntingly. "Oh wait, you weren't taught to track, eh?"
"I'll show you." I grumbled and sped throught the brambles, Grim after me.