Hear Their Thoughts, Be Their Terror [COMPLETED][UNEDITED]

Chapter 9

I howled. I howled and the pack howled with me. We were deep in the forest, all forty-five of us gathered. The elders, some in wolf, some in human, were even there. I didn't trust the ones in human, and I didn't know why. They smelled like us, but they weren't. Humans were dangerous, and I knew it. So I stayed away from the shriveled old elders.

Thoughts surrounded me- all pure wolf thoughts. I couldn't remember why I'm not wolf all the time. And I couldn't remember what I am when not wolf. It didn't matter, though.

Jake was beside me, his soft brown fur gleaming like my white one. The black strips in my fur were brighter than usual. We were running along the coast, the cool wind ruffling through our fur. My father and mother lead the pack. Nyla and I ran just behind them, and Jake was allowed to run alongside me. Nyla's fur was deep gray; close to black, but not.

I wasn't hungry as of now. But wonderful smells of elk drifted to me from the cliffs above, and I would hunt later. I sent Jake a picture of me taking down an elk when the moon was high in the sky; midnight. He sent one of both of us hunting back to me. I didn't know what words were, and right then, we were all wolf, so we communicated like wolves. I lifted my head and howled. Jake mimicked me, and soon the whole pack went into a fit of howling.

The elders who had been human were now wolf, and all of them were trotting alongside the ocean. They couldn't keep up with us- and they had to watch the wolves under five, who couldn't keep up either.

My father barked and slowed to a stop. The pack also stopped, looking at him inquiringly. He sent me a picture of all of us dispersing, and I sent it to them. He howled, and we were free to run. The pack branched off in all directions. I saw Sarah, who was now twenty, run next to her sister Macy to where Macy's newborn pup, Mary, was hidden among the elders. I could vaguely see the pup's tawny colored fur among the elders and other pups.

Jake whined and I turned my head to look at his excited eyes. I let my tongue fall out and my tail wag. He did the same, and then we trotted off. I veered towards the ocean and playfully batted at it, splashing Jake. He growled and splashed me right back.

We went on like this for twenty minutes. Then, soaked, we started running up the cliff, jumping from boulder to boulder. I whined and barked to Jake, sending him the image of us hunting. He let out a bark followed by a small howl and started off in the direction of the elk.

I inhaled and followed, tracking the scent of meat. In ten minutes, we were facing a large herd. Other wolves from the pack were visible on the other end of the clearing, and I knew this would be a group hunt for multiple elk. I made sure none of the others were going for a doe, and then sent Jake an image of that doe.

He whined. I howled, and all ten of us ran out and targeted a different doe. The herd took off running, but we were faster--much, much faster. I was able to lope alongside our doe before lunging at it and leaping on its back. Under my weight, it collapsed, and Jake bit its neck, ending it. Does fell all around, and soon the herd was five does smaller.

Jake and I feasted, and it was delicious. All that remained of the elk was bones. I sent Jake a picture of us giving an elk to the elders, and we hunted again. This time, we dragged it down the cliff and ran next to the ocean, dropping it at my grandfather's feet. He beckoned all of the elders around, and they ate it. Ember and her friends brought another doe for the pups, and they, too, ate what they could.

I saw Donavan's light grey coat loping towards us. He respectfully dipped his head to me, and I returned the gesture. Then he and Jake wrestled around, growling and barking. I looked up at the moon, which was beginning to go down. The sun was just starting to peek up.

I howled, a signal for all wolves to return to their human houses--why, I couldn't remember. I licked Jake on the nose and sprinted off, heading for the strange human house for an unknown reason.