Hear Their Thoughts, Be Their Terror [COMPLETED][UNEDITED]

Chapter 2

I whined and looked to Jake. His brown head swiveled in my direction, and I thrust my snout towards the bushes. On the other side, there was a weak doe, left behind by her herd. Jake dipped his head in a nod, and we slowly crawled forward, bellies brushing the ground. Jake went around the right, and I the left.

If I pretended I wasn't part human, I could comfortably kill and eat an animal raw. But if human thoughts got past my mind, it disgusted me and I would refuse to touch the carcass. I had gotten better at releasing my full wolf self. When not at school, I was almost always in wolf form. It suited me better, in a way. And to a wolf, hunting was an asset.

Jake agreed with me, and I knew he did. I had a direct line to what his opinion was, of course. I growled and Jake growled from across the small clearing. The doe stood, looked in my direction, looked in Jake's direction, and then tried to run. We both bolted out of the underbrush and nipped at its legs. Already we were the same size or bigger than the doe, so when I leapt onto its back, it came down easily.

We need to find a way for the pack to communicate, Jake thought as we ate.

I agree, I thought back as I tore out a lung. I can't always translate. But how could we talk? Jake whined and plopped down near the remains of the meal, cleaning himself. I laid down next to him and copied in his grooming. Coppery blood ran down my throat, but humans thoughts were gone, and I didn't mind.

I don't know, he admitted. Maybe we could force our thoughts into others' heads, like you can.

I snorted. Not everyone can read minds like I can.

He growled. I nudged him playfully. We better get back, he thought. I have to go to Leo's hockey game.

I wrinkled my nose, and Jake barked a laugh. My mom told me not to interact with mortals. She said it would be dangerous if I got mad enough to phase on accident.

Well maybe you should have just one mortal friend. He stood and licked my nose before trotting off. I huffed and stood, too. Then I headed in the general direction of my house, not speeding. I trotted through the forest, taking in the thoughts of all the animals. I slowed to a walk, and slowly swiveled my head around, watching the forest. I breathed in its scents, heard its sounds, tasted its inhabitants' scents. The forest was my favorite place. I had always and would always feel free there.

Then I caught scent of something that didn't belong. Metal. I looked down and walked towards the scent, not wanting to step on something that had this smell. Finally, I saw it. It was a a large snare trap. One touch to the middle and the clamp-like-jaws would snap shut over a paw. I sniffed the trap, careful not to touch it. Whoever put it there had poured bear scent on it. I wrinkled my nose. A bear trap.

Angered, I found a thick branch and clamped it in my jaws. I twisted my head so that it was vertical with the trap, and shoved it down. A loud snap told me my plan had worked. I stood back and sat down, examining the splintered wood. Human shouts and dog cries soon followed. They were nowhere near, but my sensitive hearing promoted me to know they would be here soon. I slunk into the shadows, wanting to watch.

A few minutes later, two men and three leashed dogs barreled through the undergrowth. The men took one look at the trap and frowned. The dogs, however, were frantic with the presence of my scent. I let out a low growl, and the dogs swiveled towards me. A moment later, they started barking and pulling on their restraints.

No bear. Quit barking! Wait. What's that?

Stupid branch. Dogs are loud. What're they barking at for God's Sake! What is that?

The men were now looking in my direction. It was time to go. I purposefully stepped on several twigs as I backed away, and let out growls, too. Then, I spun around and bolted for home, not making a sound. Werewolves were very stealthy and agile.

I was a blur as I passed through the trees, but my overly good hearing, eyesight, scenting, and other senses made the world go in slow motion. To me, I was simply running at normal speed. Everything around me was moving in slow-motion when I ran like this. Werewolves didn't get tired, either. We could run for miles on end and not so much as start panting.

My house was tucked in the woods. It was huge- considered a mansion- and to get to it, a person had to drive down a driveway that took almost five minutes. It was safer for us, to not have to risk being seen so often. The soft, reddish colored wood came into my view, and I zeroed my vision onto the porch, where my grandfather sat, rocking in his rocking chair. The elders couldn't phase- at least not easily. Every time they did, it caused them so much pain that it almost wasn't worth it. That was why most elders chose to stay in one shape, and didn't phase.

Troubling. Troubling indeed. Samuel's doing a good job at Alpha. Wish I still had the job. Reduced to this frail old thing. My grandfather was thinking. I chuckled- a strange grumbling sound in wolf form, and padded up to the porch. I didn't climb the few steps, but rather sat on the ground in front of them, looking at my grandfather.

"Nixie," he acknowledged. I whined and dipped my head in greeting. "Such a pretty little wolf you're turning out to be." I wagged my tail and phased.

"Thank you, Grandpa." He nodded and I went inside. My mom was cooking- a meal I wouldn't eat- and my dad was sitting on one of the dining chairs, reading the paper.

"Hungry?" Mom asked, stilling whipping the mixture in the bowl as she turned to me. "Or did you hunt earlier?"

"Jake and I hunted."

"And. . .?"

"We caught a weak doe. Easy kill."

"Good. Nyla!" she called to the stairs. "Come on down, dinner's almost ready."

A moment later, my sister trudged down the stairs. "Why can't I hunt like Nixie?"

"Because wolves don't hunt until they're ten. You're nine."

"Whatever." She plopped down next to Dad and crossed her arms. I know you're listening. And I hate it, she thought resentfully. Suddenly, Nyla poured all of her hateful thoughts about me into her mind. That she hated I could read minds. That I was older. That I would be Alpha Female and she would be stuck as Beta- second in command. I covered my ears and bent down. When she paused to think of more hateful things, I screamed GET OVER IT! into her mind. She yelped and fell out of her chair.

"Girls, quit," Dad mumbled. We both fell silent. Alpha's orders were obeyed whether we liked them or not. Nyla glared at me. And I at her.

"Quit," he said again, not looking up from his paper. I growled a very wolf-like growl and sat down. Nyla did the same, retrieving her fallen chair. And so we sat.