Lone Wolf (EDITING)

Dispute

Seren was at the cabin near the end of McGreggor's property by 5 a.m. The birds of the surrounding forest had not even woken up yet to begin their boisterous singing and chirping. The building was made of fitted logs, just like the main house, only consisting of one large room and a small bathroom with aging fixtures.

Seren had made the trip in her wolf form, speeding through the darkness, soaking her legs in dew. Though she had been afraid, she kept to the very middle of the field where she would have the least chance of being spotted from either fence line. If any wolf had been out there, she would have heard or smelled them, but their presence was old and Seren was able to slip inside her home away from home without fear of discovery. 

Her true scent hit her wolf nose like it was Thanksgiving and there was a turkey in the oven. McGreggor was right. If one of the packs did decide to investigate or check the cabin for a rogue, they would pick up her female scent and link it to McGreggor's house or even his truck or store. After all, she didn't always wash her scent away.

Shifting, she pulled on a sundress and looked around. There was a small bed against one wall and a wood burning stove against the other. A table with two chairs sat in the middle, cluttered with tools and little wood shavings from the mobile she had been working on. 

With a groan, Seren pulled open one of the cabinets and withdrew all the cleaning supplies she had. It was time to get to work. She packed up several pairs of jeans, shirts, socks, undies as well as her soap and left the lumpy bag by the door. The rest of her belongings she made sure were put away and every surface was wiped down with pungent cleaner. She mopped the floor with Pine Sol, enough to frazzle any wolf nose and attacked the shower, too. All the bending and scrubbing tugged at her wounds, but they did not bleed much at all. She had left her bandages behind, happy that the sides of each claw mark had come together and the teeth marks had scabbed over already. 

Satisfied, she stood back and surveyed her work, certain that the old cabin was sparkling. When she shifted back to see how she had done scent-wise, she coughed a few times and quickly went human again so she could breathe. Perfect.

Seren looked at the clock. It was almost eleven in the morning. The sun was up and it was bright outside, bright enough to spot a white-blonde wolf trying to run home. She wished that it was late summer and the grass was golden brown, better to hide herself in, but unfortunately it was only medium length and a brilliant green. She would just have to chance it. To wait any longer, would only increase her chances of running into the new patrols from each pack.

Nudging the door open with her muzzle, she carefully padded out onto the porch and scanned the Wind Runner fence line first, searching carefully for the shaggy brown wolf and his two companions, then turned to the Gray Paw fence. It was the Gray Paw pack she feared most, for they had been the ones to actually harm her. However, she did not see anything and birds were fluttering all about, telling her that no danger was lurking by. She hurried down the porch steps and trotted around the back of the house to check the rest of the fence that she couldn't see from the front.

A couple of squirrels scattered when they saw her, chastizing her from the trees, but there were no wolves to be found and she breathed a sigh of relief. With a little pep in her step, Seren loped around the side of the cabin, hoping to be on her way, but froze immediately. On the other side of the Wind Runner fence stood not just the beta, but four other wolves. Adrenaline trickled through Seren's chest, numbing her limbs, making her slowly lift one paw and rock back on her hind legs, hoping to back away slowly.

If she ran for home, they would certainly see her and if they didn't chase her along the fence, they would hop over and try to maul her like the Gray Paws had. If she went back inside the cabin, they would hear the door creak and it would only be a matter of time before one of them was sent to ask McGreggor to let them in.