The Magic Word
*MASON*
I was sitting on the couch when suddenly the front door started wiggling. I instantly sprang up and focused on it. After a bit it opened and my growling stopped as a girl walked in.
"Lisa." I huffed in annoyed acknowledgment and sat back down on the couch. She jumped and let out a small squeak as she looked over at me in shock. I chuckled at her fading terror.
"Oh... hey Mason. You scared the hell outta me." Lisa said sighing. She ran her fingers through her hair and let out a small chuckle. She took a seat in the arm chair next to the couch and turned to me with a small smirk. Something about her look got me suspicious immediately.
"So Mason... do you like Amber?" she asked and her smirk widened. I felt my ears starting to burn and I shrugged. Lisa looked disappointed but she smiled still.
"I'm not sure... what I feel is complicated. I've never felt it before but it's a weird feeling..." I paused wondering if I should finish but then decided to do so, it wasn't going to kill anyone to be truthful right?
"When she's away it hurts and when she's close it still hurts." I said.
"What hurts?" Lisa said looking confused and I bit back a growl at the fact she'd interrupted me.
"All of me." I hissed and finished, "It's a burning, sparking feeling... it could just be my wolf senses or something but it's nagging and annoying." I stated with a shrug and sat back in the couch. It honestly felt good to tell someone. Even if that someone is the girl you're talking about's best friend who could tell her. The thought made me narrow my eyes at Lisa.
"That's adorable. I so ship you guys! She needs it, her parents are never around. She's a wreck but you seem to make her feel better. Just don't break her heart or I'll skin you alive." She said with a smile that kind of unnerved me.
I nodded in understanding, "Of course." What did I get myself into?
"So... were you ever part of a pack?" Lisa asked.
"Yes, some time ago. I left though, they didn't understand my ways. I was too strange for them." I said.
"How so?"
"For one: I could understand humans and I knew what stuff was." I shrugged. Lisa nodded slowly then suddenly threw up her hands.
"Ooh Mason can you turn people? Like into wolves too?" she asked wonderingly. I tensed.
"I don't know... I've never tried." I said and my voice caught with every word. Lisa gave me a weird look and I held her gaze until she finally shrugged.
"Well if you ever do, change me too... it looks awesome." Lisa said and before I could comment on how stupid that sounded she laughed. I waited until she was done having her laughing fit to speak.
"That's a horrible idea. It's so different as a wolf and I don't know if you could handle it or if your body could even put up with it. Plus, you forget things as a wolf. Your parents may seem like just another human. You could easily hurt someone you love... or worse." I growled seriously. My thoughts drifted to my father and I blocked them out.
"Oh, don't you know how to kill the mood." Lisa said starting to sulk. I chuckled softly at her pouting form.
"Don't pout about it. I'm just warning you... it wouldn't hurt though—to have another wolf around." I said and Lisa brightened.
"Cool! Mason you're the best. But I don't think it would be best at the moment." I nodded in understanding and agreement at her words. It would be different for her anyway, she wasn't born with a wolf.
"Do you think Amber would like to be one too? Maybe I could ask her." Lisa said and I felt my lips curl upwards at her words.
"Amber'd probably be a beautiful wolf..." I sighed thinking to myself. I hadn't even realized I'd said the words aloud until Lisa did a little squeal and started babbling.
"Yes! And y'all could be—what's the word? —mates! That's the right word right?" Lisa said looking at me expectantly with a grin, but I couldn't respond. I couldn't move. I was frozen as that five letter word passed her lips. Mates.
Mate.
My heart warmed and started hammering in my chest and a spark hit me right in my gut and started spreading. I gasped as the sparks flew throughout my veins. My body doubled over as warmth spread through me and excited me to my very core. My brain focused on that one word and it repeated ferociously in my mind.
"Mate." I whispered and looked around the room. Lisa looked to me and tilted her head, "What?" she said softly.
"Mate." I growled loudly. My breath started coming out in gasps, "Goddess above help me," I groaned then turned my attention back to Lisa, "you've woken my wolf's—my—wants. My needs. Dammit." I stood as a fire ignited inside of me and I winced in pain. The girl was watching me in shock and confusion.
"I—I've got to go... Can't be here right now... back later..." I growled out through gritted teeth. Lisa nodded slowly and without another word I flung myself at the door and ripped it open. I ran outside and it wasn't long before I'd shed my clothing and slipped into my dark fur. My body fought the urge to return to the house. I wanted my mate.
"No." I growled to myself and forced my paws to lead me deeper into the woods; farther from my mate. Pressure was building in my heart but I pushed it away. I couldn't go back right now because if I did it would only be bad for everyone. I knew what I wanted to do and I couldn't do that. My paws skimmed over the snowy ground as I pushed onward. Soon the pain in my heart lessened but it was still there nagging until suddenly it burst and I let out a low whine at the hurt gripping my every nerve.
I would not ruin Amber's innocence, not if I had any say in it.
I prowled back and forth and my claws scraped the hardened patch of snow. My body ached and legs trembled from my run. Every sense was still lit with the thought of my mate and I growled to try to rid myself of it. Part of me resented all this love stuff. Love was just something to cloud up your thoughts. Blocking reason and logic.
Maybe I loved Amber I don't know, but I did know one thing, she was my mate which meant I'd always protect her.
I growled and slashed at the ground feeling the bitter cold slice into my paw pads. I shuddered and shook myself. The want was ebbing to a manageable nag and with a soft huff I stretched and started padding back toward Amber's house.
As I walked a wolf stumbled out of the brush. It was an elder male. His faded black pelt clung to his sides and his long, once strong, muzzle was white with age. His glazed blue eyes looked over at me and he froze and took in a sharp rasping breath. Suddenly he whimpered and bowed low to the ground and looked away in submission. His old frail body was tense with wariness.
"Fenris." The wolf growled softly in acknowledgement with some sort of admiration in his voice that intrigued me.
"Rise old warrior." I growled softly. Now that I looked I could see old battle scars marring his pelt. The wolf slowly rose to his paws and kept his eyes trained on my paws and I growled. I know he wasn't looking into my eyes out of respect, but I wanted to see his eyes as he spoke to me.
"Look at me when I speak." I growled softly and he looked up into my eyes. He looked rather uncomfortable and I snorted.
"Friend," I said trying not to scare the old wolf, "can you tell me the prophecy of Fenris?" the wolf licked his chops nervously and gave a small dip of his head. He seemed to be thinking for a while and I let him get sorted out. After a few failed attempts that were rather humorous he spoke the words I'd been waiting to hear.
"There will be a large wolf created with fur dark as the caves of Hell and eyes that shine like the light of Heaven. Before him humans shall cover as well as wolves. He will be the feared and the respected. No wolf will stand in his way. For he was made by the Moon Goddess herself and placed in his mother's womb. There will be death in his past and his future. But he shall reign forevermore. In darkness and in light he is glorious as well as menacing. Fore he is Fenris. He is the Monster Wolf. The one who fights demons and the one who protects angels..." he finished and one ear flicked back nervously as he watched me. His tongue passed slowly over his chops as I stepped toward him.
"No need to fear old one." I barked softly and he relaxed a little. I rested my chin on his head lazily and gave him a good prod with my snout. He tensed a little at the touch, but then calmed again. I stepped back to give him space and motioned for him to follow me.
"C'mon—what's your name?" I asked as I began to walk away.
"It's Rak." The wolf said softly and I nodded.
"Well Rak I'm going to get you some food. You look like you need it so come along and stay beside me." I growled and let the old wolf come to my side. His head reached my shoulder and I walked slowly to match his sluggish pace.
It wasn't long before we reached Amber's house and I told Rak to wait in the tree line. He nodded and laid down in the brush after I scraped the snow away to reveal the warmer dirt. He murmured gratefully and curled up in the hole I'd made. The sight almost made my heart throb because I knew Rak was close to death and it almost looked like he was dead already. I'd set it in my mind that he was going to have a good meal before he passed on. I'd explained the matter of shifting to him and he seemed fine with it saying that 'you are Fenris after all.'
I hurried toward Amber's house and shot over to the trash that was outside. I'd seen her throw away a perfectly good steak the other day. I toppled over the trash and after a little bit of sniffing took the meat in my jaws. The cold had preserved it. I trotted back to Rak and he looked lazily up as I dropped it at his paws.
"Eat." I growled softly and Rak didn't need to be told twice as he scarfed down the steak. When he was done he sat back and gave me a long look before huffing in a raspy voice, "I'm going..."
I nodded softly and watched him with a regretful twinge inside me.
"Thank you Fenr—" he began and I cut him off softly.
"Please call me Mason." I said and he gave a subtle nod.
"Thank you Mason." Rak rasped and I watched his head fall. His chest heaved as he took a last rattling breath and then he was still forevermore. I turned my head to the clouds and let out a howl.
"Moon Goddess take this wolf with care and gentleness. I don't care what he did in his life fore in his last moments I've only seen an old noble wolf. Treat him well." I said to the skies and pulled Rak's limp body from his shallow resting place. My paws went to work digging away the dirt and I only stopped when it was deep and large and my paws had begun to bleed from the frozen earth. With a grunt I picked Rak's body back up and placed him in his hole. Once I was sure he looked comfortable I scarped the dirt back over him and placed a rock over it as a mark.
"Rest in peace Rak." I growled and turned away.
The sky was darkened as I walked up to Amber's home. The moon was climbing into the sky and it looked beautiful from where it peeked from behind the snow clouds.
Fenris, Mason what will he do?