Heart of the Wolf

Chapter 2 - The Search

When Cana woke the second time, she felt almost completely like herself. She opened her eyes and glanced around. Owen was asleep on the floor and the faint smell of burning wood filled the cabin. She threw her legs over the bed and stood. There was no pain in her leg this time and joy spread through her. It was time to find those who remained from her pack.

She started taking off her clothes. They would tear if she wore them when she changed, and they weren't hers. She pulled them off and her eyes fell on Owen. Some part of her deep down felt regret at the thought of leaving him, but her place was with her pack. She didn't belong with the humans. Animals killed to survive while humans killed for their own gain. She did decide to leave him a parting gift though, as thanks. She removed one of the feathers from her hair and laid it next to him. That would have to be her thank you for his help. That was all she had to offer him.

After she was ready, she walked over to the cabin door and slipped out. Once outside, she let the change take her. She fell to her hands and knees as her body began to change. The first thing to change was her chest and waste. Her skin felt like it was crawling, and she took a deep breath to try and calm herself. It had been so long since she had changed, and she had been unconscious when she had changed back to woman.

Her hands and fingers began to shrink and after a few seconds, they became paws. As soon as they did, black fur began to spread across her body and strength flooded her. It always felt like adrenaline rushed through her system while she changed. Perhaps it did and that was why she felt little pain while every bone and muscle of her body shifted and contorted.

Next her snout emerged, and she felt her sense of smell enhance. The familiar smell of nature flooded her, and she sighed in relief. Now that she was almost all wolf, her groans turned had turned into whines. The whole change had taken minutes, though it had seemed far longer.

When it was completed, she let out an excited bark and dashed into the woods. She felt whole once again as her paws crunched the dried leaves beneath her feet. She drug her nose against those leaves to relax herself further as the smells of the animals of the forest, combined with the various woods and rot sparked familiar memories in her mind. She gave another bark as she darted off and disappeared into the woods.

Something was wrong. Owen knew it with a certainty he had never known before. That thought woke him from his sleep. He immediately glanced over and saw the unoccupied bed. That realization jerked him completely awake. Had something happened while he slept, or had she run for it?

He jumped to his feet, then saw the neatly piled clothes next to him, along with the familiar feather that laid on top of it. Had she turned back into a wolf and went back into the park? Her leg wasn't healed enough for that. A wound like that needed time to heal and winter was coming. There was no way she would be able to hunt on it. Without a pack and unable to hunt, she would likely starve.

He darted outside, but when he did, he immediately stopped. The sound of 4-Wheelers penetrated the stillness of the morning. He guessed Ralph had made it, good. Maybe he could borrow one to try and find her. When he heard more than one, he frowned. Had some of the others come with him?

Ralph had shown up with two other people. Judging by their suits, they were feds and Ralph's blond hair and brown eyes, combined with his ranger suit made him stand out against the pair. One of the newcomers had black hair and blue eyes, while the other had dark brown hair and brown eyes. Both were about twice his age and they stunk of the city. He almost wanted to take a step back, away from them.

" Owen. These are federal agents Christian." Ralph said and pointed at the dark haired one. His combination of dark hair and green eyes made him think of another and he was sure he at least had an idea of why one of them was there.