Natural Instincts - Jared Cameron

.eight.

"Why the long face? HAH" I laughed hysterically at my own joke but the wolf playfully growled, as if he understood my joke but I knew he didn't. "Maybe we should name you?" 

The beast bounded up excitedly. "Okay! I'll go through the alphabet, you dance or nod when I get to your letter okay?" I offered, the wolf visibly elated at the offer, shaking his tush in playfulness. "Okay, a, b, c, d, e, f, g,,h, i, j- J!" The wolf nodded its large head and danced when I reached the letter. "Well alright then, J. We could do, Jack?" he growled in response. "Hmm okay, Jason? Not very wolf-like at all...I could just call you Jay?" 

The wolf returned to my lap and kissed my face generously. "Okay then, I take that as an affirmative for 'Jay'." 

The wolf got comfortable on my lap and I used a log to place my homework on, continuing to pat the wolf's head as I completed my homework. Every now and then he would nudge me if I stopped patting him, making me giggle. His presence calmed me, oddly. I was expecting to come back to the forest and be spooked by its emptiness, either that or be scared off by the wolf in a bad mood. But here I am again, patting the giant, as he nuzzles into me and gives me nothing but good intentions and care. 

It must have been a while we were like this, because at some point, I was brought out of a micro-sleep by Jay licking my face. "Oh, hey boy, sorry think I fell asleep for a second there." he sat and looked at me with his head cocked to the side. I took it as an invitation to confide. "I haven't been sleeping, weird dreams about being chased by some red haired girl, and you're in them too actually, usually protecting me, you little champion," I said, scratching him under the chin with my hand as I praised the idea of him protecting me. He whimpered at my words. "Aww no, it's okay, I think I my just be a little homesick. I don't know. Maybe I need to see my friends again, I've been avoiding everyone, even Jared, I feel horrible." 

The wolf started walking his big paws over to my bag and picked it up and brought it over to me. Once it was dropped at my lap, he put his nose under my arm and attempted to pull me to my feet. I got the hint and stood. "You want me to pack up?" he nodded his big head and I frowned. "Well okay, I guess it's getting a little late." 

I collected the books I had strewn on the floor, carrying them in my arms but before I could turn to give Jay a hug goodbye, he was behind me, nudging me to a different edge of the forest. "Where are we going, boy?" He huffed at me and continued to push the small of my back towards the forest. "Okay, I'll follow you, just lead the way, I'm gonna get a bruise if you keep doing that." Surprisingly, he stopped, and walked beside me.

It was surreal. As if I had an insanely oversized pet dog who was also seemingly intelligent and able to take me places. 

After a few minutes of walking, I recognised a clearing up ahead which was right in front of Emily and Sam's house. "How did you..." I turned to see a very proud Jay sitting with his chest puffed out. I approached him and gave him a hug, which he bowed his head to accept and almost hug me back with his big head. "Thank you, Jay. I'll see you tomorrow okay?" He huffed in response and I smiled, swiftly making my way out of the forest and up to Emily's house.

Approaching the door, I knocked twice before Paul opened the door. "JULIET!" he said, lifting me up and spinning me around. 

"Is that Juliet?" Embry called, as him and Quil rounded a corner and slammed into me with full force. 

"We missed you so much, crazy girl!" 

Emily, Sam, Seth and Jacob were the last to arrive into the room, all greeting me with tight hugs. "So good to see your face around here again!" Emily said with a kiss on my cheek. "What brings you back over?" 

I looked at my feet. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I chuckled. 

"What?" Jacob inquired.