In His Reflection

Chapter 3: Small Teeth Lead To Big Wounds

Chapter 3

''Eevee?'' Tommy's little fingers rested on my thigh as he leaned over me to look at the small crown I was building from blades of grass and stray dandelions.

His nickname for me made my lips tug up into a smile and ruffle his thick black hair before placing the crown on his head, his hands reaching up to grab it as he stumbled back and fell over onto his butt and tried to look up at his new accessory.

''Eeevee!'' He gave up on trying to look at his crown and tugged on my cardigan sleeve.

I knew what he wanted and I obliged as I took the oversized, knitted warmth off and shifted into my wolf.

He screamed in excitement and tugged at my fur telling me to lay down and I did, the small wobbly steps of the boy climbing up my side and laying on my back one arm and leg on each side.

Tommy was obsessed with Pokemon and probably thought my tan fur and white chest looked a lot like his favourite Pokemon 'Eevee'. It was cute and sounded similar enough to my name so I never bothered to correct the small boy. It also made his mother, our Luna smile and nod thankfully at me for settling the sometimes terror child. He was getting to that stage where they are really naughty because they're getting smarter and more curious.

We laid there for a long time just feeling each other breathe, his little fingers running between my fur until I felt a solid bite into my shoulder from the toddler. My head whipped around to check on the boy who smiled at the mark.

''Mummy and Daddy say love.''

I shook my head at the boy, snarling a small growl in disapproval as I made a mental note to correct his learning about marking someone. I definitely was not destined to be his mate the poor boy was confused between loving someone as family and marking a mate for love. We were lucky a child's bite had no pairing effect on another wolf but in a few years' time, it would become concerning.

Toxins in a wolf's mark only seemed to produce once they came of age at sixteen and by then you were bored of hearing your teachers preaching about sacred marks so it was fairly uncommon for a teen to make a dumb mistake. Uncommon but not rare.

As we settled back into the grass, Tommy pouting at being reprimanded, I watched Rhyan charging older war wolves and dodging the swiftness of the slimmer built scouts who definitely had speed on their side as one swung around and jumped on his back.

My wolf shot up, painful handfuls of my fur being tugged on to hold the small child on my back as the wolf tugged on my brothers back, surges of electricity tingling through my legs ready to be released if I needed to sprint to his aid.

Painful whimpers barked in the air hurting my sensitive ears as the scout was crushed beneath Rhyan's mass as he rolled onto his back effectively shaking the attack off.

Tommy sliding down my back broke my attention as my wolf calmed, turning around to pick up the young boy by his shirt in my jaws. When I turned around my eyes connected with deep green eyes that seemed to lead into a dark abyss. They were terrifying like you could get sucked into them and never find your way out of the murkiness.

I didn't want to spend any more time staring into his eyes that refused to break so I did, my teeth gripping Tommy's shirt safely as I turned and moved the boy away from the group of men being ushered into the pack house by Alpha Leon and a few of his most trusted war wolves.

This man made me uncomfortable, the two young boys by his side wearing barely anything but bandages, thin shorts and cuts had me shivering in horror, the smiles on their faces plastered thickly as they giggled to each other.