Caged Wolf

A Strange Feeling

I felt the earth reverberate through my paws as I ran through woods. I skidded to a stop sniffing the air. I let out a happy yip as three more huge wolves appeared. I immediately went over to them, rubbing the top of my head along their jaws. This was my family outside the tower.

Radlee! We were beginning to worry. The butterscotch colored she wolf voice thrummed through my mind. Sarah was a gentle woman, never hurt anyone unless she had to.

  Indeed. I'm glad to see you again this month. The black wolf with a scar running over his shut eye gave me a wolffish grin. Benjamin was Sarah's mate and I had never seen so much love between two people before.

    I'm so excited. We can hunt together, I smelled a herd of deer by the river. Such a feast. A smallish brown wolf bounced over to me nearly knocking me over. His name was Wane and he was the first werewolf I met when I first turned; he was thirteen and I was sixteen.

  I missed you guys so much. Genevieve was being a pain in the...

   Radlee! Sarah barked and I lowered myself in submission.

   Sorry.

     Sarah motioned with her paw and I slowly rose back on my feet.

    She may be a hunter but she's cared for you since you were a pup.

   I know. I let out a small whine.

   My little pack knew I was trapped in a tower with a hunter for a foster mother. They would always after they shifted back, try and help me out of my predicament. It rarely worked but I thanked them for any help they gave.

     Have you tried staying past dawn? Even for a little while? Benjamin asked.

Yes. But there's always been a tether pulling back forcefully like she knows.

    Interesting. Benjamin cocked his head to the side as he thought.

Then there was silence on the bond. I sniffed the air, something smelled bitter and sweet. Blood. I walked with caution towards the origin of the smell. There was a dying deer caught in a bear trap. Under the strong scent of blood was the musky scent of a human.

  Easy. I stopped a few feet away as did the rest of my pack.

   The deer lifted up its head weakly and closed its depthless eyes once in submission. The breathing slowed down until there was nothing but the rasp of the leaves above. I padded forward sniffing, there was the fading scent of a human so it was was safe-ish.

   Go ahead. I sat back and the others came over to the deer.

   You're acting like an alpha, dear.

    Maybe I am. I can't recall if my father was. I watched the woods behind my family carefully.

Then I heard it, the crack of a branch off in the distance. Too heavy to be an animal, the lazy scent of gunpowder floated towards me. A hunter. My head whipped to the three other wolves.

Run! I'd hold them off to keep my family safe.

They bolted faster than a streak of lightning. I growled low, my hackles raised as I heard footsteps approaching me. I prepared to launch myself at the hunter teeth bared and sharp. But I never got a chance. An arrow lodged itself in my shoulder. I felt the waning, sapping strength of the wolfbane soaked arrow head.

"My, what a beautiful she were." A throaty voice chuckled.

I threw my head around tugging the arrow out and snapped it in half. I glared at him.

"But you're a different kind of were. I'd say the offspring of the one I killed nigh on eighteen years ago." He sneered, stalking towards me.

I growled, attempting to back up when another wolf, the color of starlight dove in front of me. I was so taken aback that I didn't notice the flutter in my heart. With an expert leap, the wolf tore the crossbow out of the hunters hands and broke it with their mighty jaws.

"Now, now. Play nice, Wolfie." The hunter warned brandishing a silver knife.

The wolf lunges knocking him over. With one bite, the wolf tore through his throat and...he vanished leaving a pile of clothes behind.

Just a shadow clone. The silvery wolf turned to me, his tongue hanging out in a slight grin.

Mate? The wolf stared at me quizzically as I murmured it down the bond.