The Tribe of Dire Wolves

Chapter 4

11:15P.M.

Back at the camp, Ashs three pups, two boys and a girl. Cinder the runt, who stumbled into a fire when she was younger. Kayto, a red brown male and Butch, the eldest male pup, is a deep bown male, were playing by their den. Drake noticed me staring at the pups while we sat in the clearing 'so, have you ever thought about having kids?' I looked at him and tilted my head. 'Sorry, I didnt mean it to sound like that. You see that large pup over there? The dark brown one?' He tried to change the subject. I nodded. 'Ive heard stories about Tobias, his father, well, not at the time. The male who betrayed my father and tried to kill him, giving him that scar across his face. He was killed in a fire a few months ago, the one that Cinder fell in as a newborn. It wasnt serious, but she was burned pretty bad, but thanks to Sage, our tribes healer, she was saved.'

"Well, its nice to see you two are getting along fine, Drake I heard something happened with a cat earlier?" Lyndahll said as he sat down in front of us, even sitting, he towered over us. "Its okay dad, she took care of it." Drake said nodding to me. I smiled and shrugged. "She took care of a cat? Are you hurt?" He turned to me, sounding oddly amazed. "No, thankyou. The only reason I took care of it, is becuse... hes my bestfriend. Or was my bestfriend, I dont think we are on leveled terms right now." I said, letting a sigh out. He looked like he was talking to Drake in his head, then they both nodded and turned to me.

"You know, Drake says you handled him well when he ambushed and attacked you, would you two like to go hunting together? We are low on meat and he could teach you some, skills." Lyndahll said. "Uh, I guess, im not really one for eating raw meat though." "Dont worry, your wolf-self can tolerate raw meat, blood and fresh kill. Its just instincts, different for people, if you let your instincts take over, it will be much easier." Drake mentioned. I nodded, "Lets go then" I smiled.

~~~

Midnight

Back on the trail where Drake ambushed me, we were searching for some decent sized prey. Drake stopped, "Listen, I dont think we should do this, you might not be ready." "Ready for what?" I asked a little freaked out. He came closer and rubbed his cheek against my cheek. "Do you think, you are strong enough to fight?" he asked. "Fight you? Maybe. Why?" He started circling around me, I turned around as he stopped a few feet ahead of me. 'What are you doing?' I asked him in my head. In a split second, he dropped to the forest floor and started growling at me, laying his ears down and baring his teeth. Crap... I thought.

"Do you think you can fight me?!" he yelled. I dropped to the ground, laid my ears down and whispered "Bring it on, pup" and smiled. That made him mad, he rose to his hind legs, raised his massive skull to the sky and howled a battle cry. I heard other howls in the distance and he dropped back into his crouch. He started circling around me, counter-clockwise so I did the same, not taking my eye off of him. I heard running pawsteps coming towards us. Once the other wolves got there, I thought it was a set up until I saw Jace, Rikash, Mack and Ash with her pups. Jace and RIkash looked a little worried. 'Can you guys coach me in this?' I asked them. 'Jace replied, we can't give any hints other than follow your instincts.' Rikash nodded and I knew I was all alone.

Drake again, raised to his hind legs and yelled, "Come on girl! You want into this pack!? You'll have to work for it!" He was raising his head to howl again, this time I was ready. He went to howl and I crouched, getting ready to jump. 'Magic is allowed, just think of a scenario and act it out!' It was Mack, I turned to her 'Is this like a bloodshed kind of battle?' I asked her. 'Just try not to kill him, I have seen your futures, if you stay with him, you will rule the forest together. Just remember, you have magic, use it wisely.' I smiled then turned back to the dark beast before me. I tried to imagine me barking at him once, but the bark would be so powerful that it would knock him over so I could jump and land on top of him.

Drake was still howling, it only took me a second to think of it. I crouched, put my ears back and thought of the scenario once more. I barked once, it seemed like everything was in slow motion. Ripples hit the air, leaves were thrown, branches waved. It was so powerful, that Ash had to hold down her almost one-hundred pound pups. Finally, the impact hit Drake and he was thrown to his back, gasping for air. My chance was now or never, I ran towards him and jumped, landing right on top of him, making sure my back legs were still on the ground so I didnt crush or suffocate him. He caught his breath and I threw my head down into his face, snarling and staring him in the eye. "Well, that was unexpected, being beaten by a newbie thats a girl, that fast." He said. I got off of him so he could get up.

I looked around, everyones jaws were dropped, I knew I must've done something different than usual. He approached me, "Thats the fastest Ive ever been beaten, impressive.." "I didnt know what to do, I thought we were hunting." I said slyly. "Huh, you forgot to celebrate." He whispered in my ear. I looked around and remembered we werent alone. I stood up on my hind legs, raised my head to the sky, and howled my victory, as everyone joined in, welcoming me to the pack.

Dropping to the ground, the pups came and played around my feet with eyes full of adventure. Then the rest of the pack surrounded me barking their congragulations. I looked at Drake for help as the crowd was making my claustrophobia set in." He nodded and raised himself once more and howled then said "Come on everyone, its late, we dont have food, and you all know the cats will be out soon. Cedar, can you start some hunting parties and a patrol? Try to give Stone, your apprentice an assesment, he'd make a great omega soon." "Finally! Im starved, my paws ache and my ticks are biting again!" Said a white with gray spotted male, blind in one eye. "We are trying to start some hunting Bruno, and have Sage help you with the other things." Drake replied, sending him home.

1:30A.M.

Almost everyone had cleared, Drake had left for a hunting trip, telling me to come when he howled, Rikash and Jace hovering around the group. Ash and the puppies had already left earlier because the pups were getting tired. Mack, was sent on a hunting trip with Drake and a few other omegas. The smell of rabbit driffted by my nose, about five or six of them to the left about a mile away. I ran over to Rikash and Jace, but they didnt seem to happy to see me.

"Whats wrong with you two?" I asked. "We asked Mack about our futures earlier, about yours and Drakes, why do you stay with him?" Jace asked. Rikash added, "Yea I thought we all were friends." "We are friends guys, its only been two days. All I know about Drake and I is that we are friends. Nothing to worry about." That cheered them up. "Listen, I smelled a few rabbits out that way" I waved my tail to the direction of the rabbits "wanna go have some fun?" I smiled. They got up, pricked their ears and wagged their tails.

~~~

2:15A.M.

"I'm gonna go bring my two rabbits to Ash and the pups, you guys should eat, save me one please?" I asked and trotted towards their den.

~~~

2:30A.M.

I ended up walking to the first place Drake and I met, the place where we met Zeke, and the place Drake an I sat under the stars. Did I really like Drake? I thought. "That's what I'd like to know." Nearly having a heart attack, I whipped around ready to fight, but only stopping when I got a whiff of Drakes delicious scent. "Ugh, come on Drake! Where are you?" I straitened up looking for him, following his scent. 'Just follow it, I have a surprise for you.' Cautious, I followed it, planning to ambush him when I saw him to get revenge for the last time he scared me. The great thing about being part wolf is that I could pinpoint his location easily.

I found him, but it wasn't him... At least I didn't think it was, because he was human. I shifted back into my human form, but found my clothes had been on. I guess I'm getting the hang of the magic thing.