Wolv

18 - Questioning that which is

About a dozen wolves milled around me, sniffing me and inspecting me. Alawa ran her nose through my fur, feeling it. I pulled away shyly; as painless as my introduction had been thus far, I still didn't trust any of these people. I didn't know their intentions.

"Stop it."

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Her ears flicked back in embarrassment. "That's a welcoming gesture."

And how would I know that? "O-oh."

"Ha! C'mon, I'll show you around." She turned around and began walking away. I followed her, leaving Mingan and Tara behind. Spike trotted along behind me, seeming almost reluctant to leave me side.

I followed Alawa through a wolf-sized hole in the rock, and squinted my eyes in the darkness. A cavern opened up before me, filled with the scents of forty or so different wolves.

Alawa walked to the far end of the cave and pointed with her nose. "This is where all the Omegas sleep." She turned her head and looked me over briefly. "I'm sure they'll fit you in somewhere!"

So that's all it takes? Just a quick one-over to decide my societal rank?!? I huffed quietly, feeling miffed. She didn't even know me, but she'd already ruled that I was to be an Omega. It was just like running into someone from the large handful of judgmental people that I'd known through my life; they were all the same, being quick to judge me based on my appearance, or the appearance of my parents.

Alawa heard my huffing and turned once more, lowering her head. "What?"

"Nothing," I responded briskly. Not that there's anything wrong with Omegas, but still.

Alawa sensed my misgivings, and her face hardened momentarily. "Your rank isn't personal, Humfrey, its physical; it is based on what you are capable of doing."

"Oh?"

"I know you haven't met everyone yet, but surely you've already seen some of our hunters? You are small, Humfrey. But that doesn't make you any more or any less."

I looked across the cave at a few other wolves sitting in the Alpha's part of the den. There was no denying it, they were much bigger than I. Muscles bulged beneath their fur, and they had at least four inches of height on me. Their figures screamed raw power, while mine didn't. Next to them, I would appear as an anemic canine, struggling to stand!

"How many wolves are there?" I asked, once again smelling the scents that hung thick in the air around me.

"Forty-seven. There used to be much more, but the pack has been thinned out a bit over the past twenty years."

Probably because you guys are too stubborn to introduce new people into the pack.

I nodded. "It's nice here. Nice and hidden. Has Abrams ever came close to finding you guys?"

Alawa cocked her head at me and furrowed her brow, confused. "Who?"

"Dr. Abrams? Dr. Scott Abrams?"

"What are you talking about?"

They don't know? Mingan didn't Tell them?!? Then again, why would he have? Mingan had said that he'd ran away from Abrams, and that was that. He probably doesn't even know that Abrams is still obsessed with finding him!!

"Humfrey? What are you talking about?"

I blinked my eyes, and realized that I'd been staring off into space. "After I was bitten, I made it out of the park and managed to get back home, but I got really sick."