Isabelle’s P.O.V.
The freedom that you feel when running is amazing, I could run forever, the wind ruffling my fur and whistling in my ears makes me feel at one with the earth and I bark happily up to the night sky as I swiftly and gracefully make my way through the trees.
The rumble of my stomach distracts me, which is weird because I have just eaten, instinctively I place my nose to the ground, smells are everywhere, going off in ever direction and choosing which to follow is proving difficult, a deer passed this spot a while ago yet a fox is lurking nearby his trail the strongest. I choose the fox and silently follow the scent trail listening for any signs of him, movement up ahead signals his presence so I prowl, low to the ground and without making a sound.
“Bella?” Startled by the sudden noise I whine whilst jumping in fright and the fox takes one look at me before retreating into the greenery. Assessing the surrounding area confuses me; there is no one around. “Bella is that you?” I spin around to growl at the thin air behind me. “Bella, its Uncle Eddy… Your Alpha.” Alpha? Where’s my Alpha? “Speak to me Bella.” The voice is reassuring and friendly and also familiar, Uncle Eddy… of course!
“Where are you? I can’t see you.” The sound of chuckling echoes all around and I do a full circle turn… nothing.
“Bella, this is in your head dear.”
“Great, I’m crazy.”
“That’s more like it. I think the Bella I know is now starting to win against the wolf. However, this isn’t in your head as in your imagination but is in your head as a conversation through mind link. What I need you to do Bella is gain control my dear, you need to be in charge at all times.” Gain control? What the heck is he talking about? “Now I know all this is scary and new, but I can’t help you from where I am so I’m going to need you to repeat after me, I will tell your dad that we had this chat, he’ll be so thrilled that you have been claimed and can shift.” Yeah I’m sure he will be, apart from the fact that the way it happened is the complete opposite to how it should have been, oh my goodness, where did that thought come from? Diving into my head I grab a hold of some of memories floating around, but they slip away with the sound of Uncle Eddie’s voice. “Anyway repeat please; I Isabelle Starr.” He’s my Alpha, who am I to refuse?
“I Isabelle Starr.”
“Pledge my allegiance to the pack of Alpha Drake Clayton.” He continues.
“Pledge my allegiance… hold on am I changing packs? I don’t want to leave you Uncle Eddy.”
“Yes dear, it is only temporary but it is of the greatest importance that you do this.” I sigh but follow my Alphas’ orders.
“Pledge my allegiance to the pack of Alpha Drake Clayton.”
“And promise to follow his orders to the best of my abilities for as long as I serve him and do what is right and best for the pack for as long as I am a part of it. Goodbye Bella and good luck.”
“And promise to follow his orders to the best of my abilities for as long as I serve him and do what is right and best for the pack for as long as I am a part of it, Good…” I feel his presence leave my awareness, but that is nothing compared to what. I have just gained.
“Bella! Where are you?” He’s angry, his tone radiates the command but it has no pull to make me answer so I know he is not in charge here.
“Why should I tell you? I don’t know who you are. Did your mother never tell you not to talk to strangers? well mine did.” There is a sigh of relief.
“We’ve had this conversation before” He sounds irritated. “We are no longer strangers. I have your location stay where you are.” He’s coming for me, panic sets in and like with the human I bolt, it is my instinct to get away from danger and who argues with instinct?
“Bella! Stop!” I continue. I can hear the ragged breathing of an animal behind me, catching up. Four paws pounding across the ground, vibrating the earth and then nothing, there is no noise it is almost like the paws have suddenly stopped or taken flight. The last part goes through my mind as I am crashed into from behind and a heavy weight crushes me to the ground. Flying was close enough I was jumped on. It’s a scramble of claws and teeth but it seems to be only on my side as I fight to get away and back on all fours, this is a very vulnerable position and my body is screaming to get out of it. I am held to the ground by the large weight and teeth are gently held around my throat… this is it.
“Do it. Stop messing around and kill me already.” I say trying to be brave.
“Why would I want to kill you? I would never hurt you.” The voice in my head makes my body react instantly, it’s calming and sexy and as I begin to relax my growling subsides. The strong jaw is removed from around my throat and the weight pressing down on me lightens, although it’s still present. “Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to turn your back on a male? Now that would have been a useful lesson. You are going to need some training.”
“I’m sorry but when one is on her own she does what she can.” I spit back.
“You aren’t on your own Bella, you’re with us. With me.” My mind that has been slowly catching up floods into awareness all at once and I whine as my head throbs from the sudden impact. I see it all, my childhood, Drake the person who I have just pledged myself too, my big party, going to Uni, running away again and again, Dylan, Elle, the reason I am in the woods and my claiming process. Craning my neck around I can finally see who has me pinned and it’s a beautiful sandy wolf with piercing blue eyes and he is huge, he is familiar but I can’t place who it is. He sight of him makes me gasp inside my own head and whimper out loud. He shifts position. “Oh God I’m sorry, am I hurting you? I didn’t mean too.”
“It’s not that it’s just… well this is embarrassing… but as wolves go you’re a gorgeous creature.” If I was human I would have bright red cheeks. He displays a wolfy grin which disappears rather quickly.
“Why did you whimper?”
“You’re huge! It’s rather intimidating.” I say sheepishly, I don’t know why I am answering a complete strangers questions but something about him just seems safe and trustworthy. He seems to think about this for a moment before bringing his huge head closer to mine and licking the side of my face. “Ewwwwwwwwww, that’s so gross! Wolf drool! What was that for? Disgusting animal!”
“I don’t want you to be scared of me, you’re my mate Bella, I wont do anything to harm you, the point of my very existence is to protect you.”
“Dylan.” The last piece of the puzzle fits into place.
“Yeah?” Oh crap, I said that out loud, but at least I know I have the right wolf, however I am I’m not going to own up to the fact that I forgot his name for some reason.
“Ermm could you get of me please?” I improvise.
“I don’t know I kind of like this position.” I swat him with my paw and growl. “You aren’t going to run from me again are you?”
“No, I don’t see you as a threat anymore.” I sing in my head.
“Hey! I’m intimidating remember, a scary wolf!”
“Whatever you say dear.” I say as I climb to my feet, he gives me a shove in the ribcage with his nose so I headbutt him back.
“Come on then.” He says with a sigh.
“Where are we going?”
“Training.”
“Dylan?” I pant. “Can we please take a break?” We had been running around for hours now. So far I had had lessons in hiding, hunting and getting the most out of my new and improved senses, now we had moved onto fighting. It was a lesson that Dylan hadn’t wanted to teach me, he said that if a fight was to occur the hiding lesson would come in handy, but I finally managed to change his mind when I graphically described what may happen if I couldn’t get out but was backed into a corner and surrounded with no skills in self defence.
I was pretty good at this, my timing was always right and I could pretty much figure out what move Dylan would use next. However, he is much bigger than me as my head only just reaches his shoulder. At the moment it is sort of a good thing because I can dip and turn out of his way. My favourite manoeuvre is where I sneak under his stomach and quickly attack from the other side before he has even registered that I’m there, he’ll wise to it eventually but right now it works.
“You can’t take a break in the middle of a fight.” I hate him, he isn’t even out of breath! Yet I have a stitch running down the length of my side.
“Please Dyl, pretty please.” Time for the puppy dog eyes, no pun intended, to match my sickly sweet tone of voice. He plonks himself down on the ground.
“Fine.” Comes his grumble. “5 minuets. And when did you start calling me Dyl?”
“Yay. Erm when I want something I think.” I flop to the ground lying on my side my paws stretched in front of me. My front paws are a beige colour and actually quiet similar to Dylans’, but that’s all I can see. “Dylan?”
“Bella?”
“What do I look like?”
“Excuse me? What do you mean?”
“What does my wolf look like?” He shifts position so he can look at me.
“Well, on your legs, stomach and the bottom of your tail you are a beige colour, sort of like mine to be honest. Then on your head you are a mixture of shades of grey, which also covers your back and continues down the top of your tail and also creeps across your chest in patches, it sort of looks like you have a dark necklace. The fur on your nose is a snowy white with a grey stripe down the middle. But even in your darkest fur you still have the essence of the light beige shining through. Light over powering the darkness. Tomorrow before we set off we can go back to the lake and a take a look, if you want that is.”
“Sounds good, thanks. I know you said this was only a break but do you think we should be heading back to camp now?”
“You’re probably right. Lets go find our clothes.”
“Bella you are not going back to camp as a wolf.” Dylan was human again and dressed whilst I was stubbornly sat on the ground refusing to change form. The fact that he’s human again makes it hard to communicate so I can’t explain that I want to show Drake my wolf. At the end of the day he isn’t boss of me so I leap to my feet turn my back on him and trot back to camp. I hear him mumble under his breath and it’s lucky for him that I cant make out what he is saying but he begins to follow. I enter the clearing and straight away they are on their guard. I bark and make eye contact with Drake. I trot over to him happily and notice Trey and Dom moving in closer.
“Bella is that you?” Drake asks carefully. I bark and lick his hand.
“Yeah that’s her.” Dylan clarifies. Drake looks down at me and ruffles the fur on the top of my head, I reward him with a growl and look at Trey and Dom then at the rest of the pack, everyone is shocked, that much is perfectly clear.
“Everyone stay human.” Drake orders but then shifts himself.
“Bella?”
“Hey Drake.” I move to his side and rub my head on his shoulder.
“What happened, did he force himself on you?” He sounds angry.
“No Drake it’s nothing like that, this is purely business. We decided this would be best after today. This way I can protect myself against others and keep up with you guys.”
“Alright, if this is what you wanted I say this was a good idea. Just try to keep your hands off each other please.”
“It wont be like that!” I growl.
“Will you two please join us.” Dylan cuts in agitatedly.
“What’s his problem?” I state.
“Probably the fact that he doesn’t know what we are talking about.” Drake laughs.
“Control freak. When we change back just laugh like we have been talking about something really funny okay?”
“That’s really childish. You know that right?” But he has a glint in his eyes. It's a relief to see, he hasnt shown much emoiton since Elle was taken.
“Yep.” I turn too Dylan grab my clothes of him and make my way to the edge of the woods to change away from prying eyes, as I go I can hear Drake’s laughter.
“Bella you can’t do that, Dylan will kill you!” He calls after me… apparently that glint was against me not with me…damn that boy has just gotten me in to trouble, I can feel it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What do you guys think about the goings on? Well it has been hetic around here, what with results day and all... fun fun fun. Sorry it's late.The picture is Bella's wolf. I'm hoping for 1950 votes altogether for the next chapter, you up for that? Thanks for reading, fanning and voting. Comments are appreciatated the most ;) hint hint. haha. Don't you just hate it when the author bit has it's own page... so misleading.