Ice -- Wolv book II

14 - Timberwolves and the Dire

I slid my gaze up and down the table, marveling at just how ravenous everybody seemed to be. Plates were piled high, and were being emptied faster than people could fill them.

I lifted my paw up and reached towards a pile of meat in front of me, trying to hook a piece with my claws.

"Here, let me get that for you." Sarah swatted my paw down, and dropped a heap of food in front of me. My eyes narrowed down at it, and I licked my chops.

Hutch caught my intentions, and hissed quietly at me. I know, I know, we don't trust these people.

Sarah dished out a plateful in front of Hutch next, and he looked away, shuddering as he caught the amazing scent.

Screw this. With that, my resolve once again shattered, and I began viciously wolfing down the meat from my plate, barely chewing before swallowing and going back for more. Huh, at this rate, I just might be eating as fast as everyone else!

Maybe I'll actually gain some weight before we leave this place. I ate even faster. Boy, that would be nice. No more skin and bones, no more hunger... My vision darkened as my mind slipped away, fading to pure automata as I frenzied.

Someone dumped another pile of food onto my plate. I let out a low growl, but greedily devoured it without question, savoring the citrus taste of the meat. I didn't know what they'd flavored the food with but it seemed like a waste; I was too hungry to give a woof about the spices. Although, I don't mind whatever spice it is they used. Almost makes it taste like lemonade!

My plate was filled again and again, and I didn't even bother to look up. These people sure knew how to manipulate us; tempting us with so much food was almost unfair! We didn't stand a chance; no amount of stubborn resolve could have held the four of us from frenzying; the urge to feed was simply too much.

Finally, I felt my body relax, and my mind politely informed me that I'd had enough.

"Uhhhh...." I sat back on the chair, my two forelegs threatening to give out under me. I blinked my eyes a few times, then shook my head. The whole world seemed to be spinning around me slowly, and I couldn't focus right anymore.

"So! Now that you've all eaten..."

I looked over dazedly at Elizabeth, who like everyone else at the table, was somehow still eating. Hutch perked up blearily, and lifted his paw up to scratch at his damaged ear.

"Where are the four of you from?"

"Atik--" I stopped myself mid-word. Shouldn't tell them. "A place in the south." I screamed at myself internally for my foul-up. The word "Atikaki" had just slipped out; I couldn't think! Shouldn't have frenzied. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Ugh, this must be what it was like to be drunk.

"'A place in the south,'  I see. So how did the four of you become a pack?"

Hutch raised his head and answered before I could. "It's a long story."

"I'll bet it is."

I looked over at Norman, sitting quietly next to Elizabeth. He hadn't said two words to me so far, yet every time I'd looked up, he'd been watching me from the corner of his eye. I ruffled my fur. "Is there a prob--"

"You! Humfrey, that's right!" Elizabeth interrupted, smiling warmly at me. "I couldn't help but notice you've got a pretty nasty scar."

I looked over my shoulder at my back, catching sight of the large burn-mark that I'd received after being caught in a forest fire. "A burning tree fell on me." I looked forward again sullenly. "I was lucky. My...friend died from it."