Author's Note: Okay, so kind of short, kind of boring, but it should give you an idea of who (for the most part) Colton is, as well as the personalities of some of his family members. Next chapter you'll see them developed more and new characters introduced. Please comment, vote, and follow me!
**Disclaimer: I own no photos I use. The rights and credit go to their rightful owners. I'm simply using them as a creative tool to illustrate my writing.**
Next update: Friday (3/13/15)
Pic: how I picture Colton [age 11]
~Kate~
-Unedited-
~Age: Seven~
"Colton Quincy Sanders!"
My ears laid themselves against my head as Thomas, my eldest brother, let out a bark of a laugh, darting further into the woods. I spun around, tiny tail thumping the forest floor as the large gray and black wolf came bounding toward me. Dark brown eyes narrowed in anger. I hunched closer to the floor as my father lifted me up by my scruff being careful avoid hurting me with his big teeth. He looked around a moment, trying to locate Thomas and Jeffery, both of whom were free to roam wherever they wanted. I swung around a bit in a nauseating way as he turned his head this way and that, trying to catch sight or to hear them rustling around in the shrubbery. Crying softly in opposition, I batted at his big wet nose, trying to let him know I didn't like swinging around like that. Daddy let out a growl that shook me in reply. I quickly went limp in exasperation.
I'd been caught.
Daddy marched me out of the woods into the clearing we lived in. Seven houses formed a half circle, backed by the forest on all sides. He let me down on the threshold to the cabin, Momma appearing behind him, arms crossed over her chest, mouth in a tight line. Embarrassed and guilty I kept my ears against my head and my belly on the ground. "Shift back young man," came my mother's cold voice as she dropped the clothes I'd abandoned when Thomas, Jeffery, and I had scrabbled out the back door before breakfast this morning,
Huffing quietly I did as she asked, pulling on the well-worn clothes. Daddy loped into the house to get dressed himself with a heated sigh of his own. The clearing was practically deserted this morning, save for Miss Rose, a pretty wolf widowed by last year's rogue-attack getting water. Scowling as I tugged my shirt over my fly-way platinum strands, Momma grabbed my arm, hauling me inside the wood stove warmed cabin. The door shut with a small rattle and Momma instantly fell to her knees, hugging me tightly against her body. "Colton! I thought you'd died! I go in there wondering what's taking you so long and you're...gone."
I felt guilty as I saw her green eyes swimming with tears. But I was also annoyed. What about Thomas and Jeffery? They were off playing too! "But Momma--"
"No buts young man."
I couldn't help but flinch as my father's voice boomed through the kitchen.
"I'm sorry," I tried. "Tommy and Jeff went too, y'know."
"And they'll be punished for bringing you when they get home." my father retorted in a chipped tone. "Now let's go. You can eat your breakfast when you're finished."
I heard a familiar rustling noise and I whined, knowing exactly what he was doing. The sound of pebbles and stones hit the wooden floor in the corner. The bag of stones and gravel was usually used in the winter for when the paths got icy. But they were used all year round as a punishment for us, as well as three other cabins with 'naughty' pups and firm parents. "Twenty minutes, Colton. If you ask to be done early, time will be added."
I looked at Momma, knowing she could sometimes reduce my time by upwards of ten minutes. She didn't look at me though, going to the stove in the corner starting frying Daddy's eggs. "Colton."
I looked at him, at his dark bushy beard, his huge stature, towering over me, and finally at his dark eyes, narrowed with displeasure for my actions. I sighed, dragging my feet all the way over before pulling my pant legs up, over my knees as I prepared to kneel on the rock pieces. "Colton."
I was dawdling. I knew it, Daddy knew, Momma knew it. I took a deep breath and slowly settled my knees into the pile of rock shards, biting back my cries of pain as they cut into my knees, digging uncomfortably, drawing blood based upon the shards. I closed my eyes and tried to steady my breathing and fight my tears. Jeffery and Thomas didn't cry when they had to kneel on the rocks and they had to for an hour. Momma said that it was because they healed so fast it doesn't hurt them as much and then it wasn't much of a punishment for them.
I couldn't figure out why I was so different from my brothers and every other pup here. Even the girls were free to roam where ever they pleased. And they were bigger than me. At first I assumed I was a runt, like little wolf pups in the wild, but Tommy just laughed at me. He said werewolves don't have runts...just little weaklings like me. It always made me angry when they said that.
"All done," Momma said after the timer dinged.
I got up gingerly, feeling rocks falling off my kneecaps as I began to noisily sob. Momma had a warm washcloth she ran over my knees, freeing any rock pieces still buried in my skin and wiping away blood. My knees still ached and stung, tiny little bruises already spouting up on my kneecaps. "Come here," Daddy ordered, his voice gentle now my punishment was over.
I was happy to fall into his arms, letting him hold and rock me while I sobbed noisily into his shirt. "Calm down now, Little Pup." Daddy said, rubbing his big, calloused hand over my back. "It's all over."
"I'm sorry." I sobbed.
"I know you are. And I know you don't understand," sighed Daddy pulling back.
I stood by the table, trying to blink away the rest of my tears. He took a drink of his coffee, trying to decide what he was going to say.
"You're not like the other wolves here, Colton. You're different."
~Age: Eleven~
"You can't come with us!"
Thomas, now sixteen, and Jeffery, now fourteen, both glared at me as I stood there, arms crossed, trying to fight shivering in the late autumn air. "Can so! Let me or I'll tell Mom you left me behind!"
Thomas roared in frustration, pushing Jeffery forward to deal with me. "Tell him to get lost before I beat the crap out of him."
My eyes narrowed at his threat. "You wouldn't dare! Dad would tan your hide!"
"Ever gonna stop hiding behind Dad's pelt, Colton?" sneered Thomas. "You're pathetic."
"Am not!" I retorted.
The sun was slowly rising ahead of us, casting a dappled light over the whole clearing. The adults were all out, engaging in the 'Big One' as Thomas described it. They were catching herds that were migrating through for winter and creating a stockpile of meat for the slower cold months ahead. They left before dawn and could come back any time, dependent on what they caught. The more they caught, the sooner they'd be home. Thomas and Jeffery were supposed to be staying with me, not leaving me behind so they could hunt too. Dad even told them not to! "Stop it," Jeffery said in usual calm tone. "It's very dangerous, Colton. No one wants to see you get hurt. We'll bring you home a rabbit, just for you, if you go back inside and wait for us."
Jeffery always took Thomas' side! "No fair!" I crowed furiously.
"Shh! You'll wake Old Man Ronald!" snapped Thomas pushing me hard in the chest.
I staggered back a few steps, tripping over some rocks and ended up sprawled on my back, chest aching where he'd pushed me. I lifted my head, watching Thomas laugh gleefully at what he'd done. Jeffery looked indifferent but was watching me closely. It just wasn't fair. I was going to have to sit inside the old, boring cabin while my brothers got to have fun.
It just wasn't fair.
My upper lip began to tremble, eyes filling with unshed tears. Thomas' laughter cut short as he saw my face, his face turning into a mask of anger and fear. "Don't you dare!" he hissed.
I ignored him, turning on the waterworks, and screeching, "I'm telling Dad!" at the top of my lungs, not caring about the cranky old wolf in the end cabin I probably just woke up. "I'm tell Dad you left me and you hit me!"
I shifted, running blindly and tangling awkwardly in my human clothes toward our cabin. Once inside I ran to my little bed in the little closet-like room by the wood stove and started to sob...loudly.
I hated Tommy. I hated Jeff. But mostly, I hated myself. Why did I have to be different? To be weak? No one would be give me half a chance though, never letting me try anything. So what I was little, so what I couldn't bring in firewood! That didn't mean I couldn't contribute!
Tommy and Jeff didn't come after me and to my surprise, Mom and Dad returned home first.
"Boys!" Dad's joyful voice boomed through the cabin. "How does boar sound tonight?"
It wasn't dark yet which meant they'd had a great hunting day. I also knew that Tommy and Jeff were going to get in big trouble now that Dad beat them home. I shuffled out into the living room, my small pale chest bared. "Hey Colt- What the hell happened?"
Dad's eyes were glued on my purple and blue bruised chest. "Thomas-" the door burst open, Thomas swaggering in as if on cue. He had a doe over his shoulder, a look of pride in his face that quickly disappeared as he saw our parents were home.
"C'mon honey. Let's get you something to eat," Mom said softly, hugging me gingerly, giving her two other sons filthy looks.
My father had yet to react, just staring down the two boys who took a sudden interest in the floor boards. "Thomas Alexander Sanders," my father growled, taking a stalking step toward the boy who put down the doe, rolling his neck to the side as a way to show submission. "You better have a damned good explanation."
Thomas was quiet a moment then said, "I don't have one, sir."
"How long did you just leave him here. Alone?" my mother snapped furiously. "We told you to stay with him! Both of you, Jeffery! Don't think you're sneaking off either."
Jeff had been slowly sidling around a frozen Thomas toward their shared bedroom but froze as the rage was directed at him as well. "Well?!"
I flinched as my father snapped out the word.
"All day," admitted Thomas. "We left...after after you were gone. I just wanted to show you I could go too!"
My father ran a hand over his face before pointing at the bedroom. "Out of my sight. Both of you. I'll get you when I'm ready to talk to you."
The two sulked off, but not before Thomas stated angrily, "I hate you, Colton. You ruin everything!"
The door to their room slammed shut and my father stood to chew Thomas out. My mother touched his arm though, shaking her head no. "He doesn't mean it, buddy," Dad said, turning to look at me, fingers running over the bruise. "Does it hurt?"
"No," I lied, still stinging from Thomas' words. "Was the hunt good?"
"Very," my father replied, switching subjects. "We're having boar tonight."
I just gave him a tight smile. Maybe I did 'hide behind his pelt' as Thomas said.
Maybe if I was tougher, if I didn't rely on Mom and Dad so much, my brothers would let me go off and do things with them.