Wolf's Tail

Prologue

Within the city of broken lights and lost dreams, a small boy prowls.

His face is dirty and stained with mud and he's covered in tiny scratches and scars. And yet, he treads onwards, moving in carefully judged steps, graceful and flowing as a river. He makes no sound in the dark night. This is where he is at his best, alone in a city of abandoned homes.

He paws at a rubbish bin, checking it's weight before silently pushing up the lid and peering inside. There's a half-eaten pizza along with a carton of chicken wings. He smiles half-heartedly, reaching inside to grab both when the sound of footsteps freezes him in place. Slowly, he closes his eyes and hums low in his throat, focusing on the prickling in his fingers and the tingling sensation shooting up his spine. When he opens his eyes again, he finds himself dropping down to all fours.

He sniffs the air and the heavy scent of a much larger predator wafts towards him in the breeze. The wind is not in his favour as the scent fades and he's soon upwind. He quickly makes himself scarce, darting past bins and boxes until he's hidden in a dim alleyway. It's dark enough that his tan fur is barely visible, only his flashing green eyes giving him away. It's too late when he realises he shouldn't have cornered himself.

A shadow falls over him as a massive bear strolls past, head swinging to and fro as it struggled to detect a scent. His heart sinks as he slowly steps back, ears flattened against his head. He's certain that the bear is tracking him. To make matters worse, it's clearly a polar bear, the biggest land predator currently walking the Earth. His only hope is that he's swift enough to evade the massive beast, since he certainly can't out-swim it.

He catches movement out of the corner of his eye, dangerously close the the bear. It's a tiny fawn, barely old enough to run. With the way the bear methodically scents the air, he knows time is running out. He could either stay safe by not making a move, or he could risk certain death by saving the little deer. He swallows sharply.

Then leaps out with a snarl.

-

She is old enough to run.

Her instincts scream at her to lie low and wait for her mother to return and protect her, but the howls and yelps from behind her propel her legs forwards. She had never even seen the wolf until just now. She'd just been dozing with her herd when she'd heard the alarm calls and seen the flocks of birds take to the sky. She'd heard the distant shriek and saw the flash of white fur. They all transformed and scattered while she could barely keep up, encouraged onwards by her mother. But she was tired, so tired.

While everyone made their way out of the city, she swerved into an alley and hid beneath a woodpile, with a thudding heart and a panicked mind.

It all happened so fast, and now she's running for her life again, unable to thank her saviour who is certain to die at the paws of the bear. Tears brim at her eyes as she continues onwards, fuelled only by terror. She doesn't stop until she's far away from the heart of the city, stumbling through the outskirts, longing for company and comfort. She doesn't know where her family is and she doesn't know how to defend herself.

She becomes a human once more and collapses against a brick wall, trying to steady her breathing. She's just so tired.

She gazes up at the star-lit sky. The moon is hidden behind dark clouds like a blinded eye, it's light dim and distant. Her own eyes ache with exhaustion. Curling up into a ball, the girl resides in the shadows, sheltered from the wind by the wall.

Maybe she'd look for her mother in the morning.

-=-

A/N

A short opening to Wolf's Tail! The other chapters will be roughly 1000 words or more.

So this story is COMPLETELY different. They no longer have animal features, they are now essentially werewolves. Except they don't have to be wolves. I just like this concept more than having features of animals I guess. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this book!