Author's Note:
I got really tired of seeing the same old Werewolf theme with Harry
So....I took an idea and ran with it....
let me know what you think!
Hope you enjoy :)
-Balletclutz
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You have been sitting in this cage for far too long.
Your joints crack and ache and you are aware that it has been several days since a real meal has filled your angry stomach.
Sure, your concept of time has been a little off but, you could tell just the same that you had probably been here for going on three weeks.
To be fair, you'd been caught in worse predicaments. You'd once gone up against a bear just for fun because you'd wanted to pick off one of her cubs, and really this wasn't any worse than that.
Mama bear had kicked your ass quite well but unfortunately for you bears were one thing.
Humans were quite another.
You were very lucky you'd been picked up off the side of the road during the dead of winter. That meant you had plenty of time to be here as you were now, a wolf, and not have the poor lady running this joint walk in and find a naked woman instead.
That would be both embarrassing and exploitative.
You see, your story is one that is meant to only exist in fiction novels, usually trashy ones.
The truth was, you were born of winter. You were born as all in your pack were, as a wolf.
There were some packs lucky enough to be born of summer and walk amongst the humans as one of their own in all seasons, able to change only on the full moon. Their curse was once a month, yours...well....
You were a slave to the seasons. You could not have that normal human life that those born of summer could, because you would become a wolf at the first sign of chill in the air and only be able to be human when the heat licked the layers of fur away from your human skin buried underneath.
This year, you came back to your fur in early October...earlier than anticipated...but you were fine with that. You actually preferred being a wolf to your human form because as a human you were nothing but an outcast, always on the outskirts of civilization...but as a wolf...you were invincible.
Well...invincible until that car had hit you.
Fucking humans.
To your credit, you had been chasing a beautiful stag and you were so invested in the hunt that you had completely dismissed the bright lights of the car and thought you had jumped high enough to clear it.
Well...the dislocated hip had screamed that you were wrong.
That was where Annie had found you.
You had howled for your family all night but no one came. You were farther off than you had initially thought. Your family's scent was nowhere to be found but you knew they'd track you eventually.
It wasn't uncommon for you to roam off on your own. You thoroughly enjoyed detaching from the others and just existing although it did come at a price.
If you were gone from your pack for too long, you'd begin to forget who you were and what you were. It had almost happened one time when you were twelve years of age and you went six months away from the pack. Your mother had scolded you to shit for being gone for so long but you hadn't realized how long it had actually been.
Time as a wolf was different than as a human. The only concept you had understood at the time was that the sun rose and the sun set and at night the moon bathed you in its luminescence and that was when you thrived.
Again, you were lucky it was mid winter, and from the taste of the air it was probably January. With your adult age, you were now able to tell time by how your senses reacted to the air and you were hopeful that someone would purchase you from this dog pound soon so that you could make your escape back into the wild.
Yes, you were in a god forsaken dog pound.
Annie ran this shelter and luckily for you it was a non-kill one.
You could be worse off.
But oh, humans, how they annoyed you.
Annie had cooed to you on the side of the road, realizing that you were definitely a wolf but far too intelligent to be completely wild. Oh, little Annie thought you were a hybrid.
A wolf-dog.
Ha.
You had rolled your eyes as she fawned over you on the side of the road, your hip yelling at you for your obvious lack of judgement, and Annie had actually laughed at you.
She had called you a "silly girl" which made you tilt your head and look at her like, "Bitch....I'll kill you," but you hadn't because she'd scratched in that one spot behind your ear that you could never fucking get and then you were putty in her hands.
Yeah, yeah. Even you were a sucker for a good scratch behind the ear.
Belly rubs were also invited too.
....not that you'd ever received one of those...but it sounded good.
You were currently sprawled out on your side, your long body reaching from one end of the cage to the other, your tail spilling into the enclosure beside yours where a little, scrappy puppy kept batting at it like it was a chew toy.
You groaned and flicked your tail twice but that only encouraged the little scoundrel so you groaned again and curled up into yourself so that your tail didn't reach the pipsqueak.
Then came the whining.
Oh come off it kid.
You flicked an amber eye over to the little pup as he dramatically rolled onto his side crying that you'd taken away his toy.
In your 27 years as a wolf, you still couldn't say no to cute animals. Your mother had taught you that wolves, specifically your kind, were protectors of the forest. It was your duty to maintain the balance there...and thus cute animals were your aesthetic.
With another groan, you uncurled your tail and the puppy barked with excitement. You even wagged your tail absentmindedly so that he was given a little exercise while he played.
"I assure you, we have so many puppies that need a good home! Right through here!" Your ears piqued up at the sound of Annie's high pitched voice before she unlocked the door and a small family entered.
The mother and father looked around at the cages, seeing that they were well kept, and you could tell they had been nervous about coming here. Their shoulders sagged as their stress evaporated while their little girl ran to the cage beside of yours where the pipsqueak was playing with your tail, completely ignoring her squealing.
"Mommy, mommy! Look at it! It's so cute!" She cried and reached a hand through the cage but Annie ran over and pulled the girl back.
"Sorry, be careful. Wouldn't want a little nip, even if it were just playful." Annie warned sweetly, and the little girl folded her hands behind her back with a nervous smile.
"Does it bite?" She asked innocently and Annie shook her head as the little pup continued to flip and flop around for your tail.
"No, he's a good boy but he's a puppy and you just never know. He might playfully nip at you but still." The little girl's eyes dragged over to you and you shut your eyes. She was not here for you and you didn't want to frighten her. Most people who saw you were frightened because you were quite obviously....not a dog....to all but Annie apparently.
"What is that?" The little girl asked in awe and you could hear Annie's answering smirk in her voice.
"That, little one, is a wolf-dog." You peaked out of your right eye to see the little girl's eyes go wide.
"A wolf?!" She squealed, her hands over her mouth dramatically, and you had to resist the urge curl your lips up at the sight.
"Yes. She's very mild mannered but not a family dog by any means. She was found on the side of the road almost a month ago with an injured hip. We're taking care of her for now but we're hopeful that the right person will come around to love and care for her just like we have." You let out a groan and the little girl gasps as Annie laughs at your lack of enthusiasm at her words.
"She's very intelligent. Sometimes I think she actually knows what we're saying." Annie gives the little girl a playful grin and wins a megawatt smile from the child.
"That's so cool!" She yells and then runs to her mom and dad with excitement.
"Could we hold the puppy and see if she likes him first?" The father asked, turning his attention back to the task at hand and Annie answers with a small smile before unlocking the kennel and taking the puppy away from chomping on your tail in triumph.
"Of course, let's go this way to the play pin." She suggests and the family follows behind her back out to the front lobby area. You see the little girl's blue eyes watch you with keen interest as they exit and you greedily lift your head and wink at her earning a gasp and a giggle before they are out of your sight.
You flop onto your back and wiggle a bit to scratch in the places that you cannot get to. God, what you'd give for a tree trunk right about now.
The door unlocks again and Annie is coming back to the kennel to retrieve the documents for the puppy next to you. She grabs the paperwork from the clipboard, glancing them over, and then turns her attention to you as you come to a seated position to scratch behind your ear.
"Don't think I don't know what you did back there." You freeze slightly but then continue to scratch.
She couldn't have seen you wink at the child...there was no way.
"I know you were letting that puppy play with your tail because you wanted him to be seen." She wiggles her eyebrows at you and you just tilt your head to the side to play dumb but she eyes you warily before kneeling down in front of your cage.
She reaches a pale and freckled arm into the kennel and scratches behind your ear and you resist the impulse to pool on the ground in front of her. Annie smiles brightly at your stubbornness and laughs.
"I'm onto you, you know. You're actually a good girl, you can't fool me." She winks playfully and you just groan and flop onto your side so that she'll leave you alone. Her laughter chimes into the kennels and the other dogs are sat wagging their tails waiting for her attention.
"You can't fool me!" She shouts one last time before closing the door and leaving you to your sleep.
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The next day goes by exactly as the days proceeding it.
You lounge on your side, stretched to maximum capacity and watch as one after another human enters the facility, takes one look at you, and makes their way to the happy puppies and dogs who really want a home.
You have napped far too much with your stay here and can feel your muscles calling for the wilderness. You realize that eventually you are going to have to start putting in some effort but most of these people are families and wouldn't bat an eye at you even if you had tried.
It was about time for closing when it happened.
Annie had just been cleaning up the kennels and giving the tenants their bathroom breaks when there was a dinging of the bell out in the lobby.
You had watched Annie sweep her orange hair out of her face and wipe her hands on her jeans before entering the lobby.
You were nipping at your tail where you felt an ant burying itself in your fur when Annie returned with another human.
This human's steps were heavy and borderline uncoordinated, almost like they didn't know how to walk and were just sort of winging it as they went.
You stopped your biting and brought yourself to a sitting position and watched as Annie brought the human down past your kennel talking about all of the German Shepherd mixes she had.
"We have one named Brutus, of course you can change the name, but he's a real sweetheart! You'll adore him!" Annie was brightly giving Brutus a glowing recommendation when the human stopped right in front of your kennel and stared down at you.
Your eyes went wide as you took the human in.
As he crouched down to get a better look at you, you watched through the bars as he drew his dark eyebrows in, his rosy lips pursed.
You are hypnotized by the greens of his eyes hooded by black fluttering eyelashes.
He is a thing of beauty.
He reminds you of the brilliance of the night sky, when the moon is not yet that pure-white hung high in the sky. It still has that tinge of golden yellow as it ascends to its peak and the stars really get to have their moment before the white cast of the moon dulls their shine.
He's the twinkle of the night and you are completely basking in his radiance.
You'd seen many humans in your time but all you'd ever really seen was their ugliness.
They paved roads, they killed animals for sport or they hit them with their cars before speeding off and leaving them there to die. They created pollution and fires that could desolate entire woods and they cut down trees taking away precious homes and resources.
Annie had been the first to treat you with any kindness and now, with this green eyed beauty with short syrupy brown hair knelt before your cage looking at you like you were the craziest thing he's ever seen, you are hopeful that his soft features echo inside of him as well.
"And who is this?" His deep voice comes out and you lean back slightly as his breath wafts against your fur and through your nostrils. He smells of morning dew clinging to the flowers in a meadow.
Annie has stopped and is watching the man watch you and a small smirk has decided to crest upon her mouth.
"This? Oh she doesn't have a name. I didn't feel like anything I could think of really matched her. Plus when I called her Bella she gave me a nasty growl." You flick your ear quickly and Annie catches the annoyed motion but doesn't say a word, her smirk only grows deeper as the man continues to look you over.
"She's gorgeous. Is she not part German Shepherd? The coloring..."
"No, I mean...maybe. We haven't gotten her bloodwork back from the lab yet but she's definitely part wolf, that is for certain."
You are astounded by his compliment. He thought you were gorgeous whereas most found you frightening. Your dark black and brown coloring and yellow eyes did create an eery intimidation but it was not something you had thought too much about until you'd been brought here. Your colorings were the way they were as a warning sign.
Do not touch. I will kill you.
The man continued to look you over and noticed your wince as you had clearly been sitting upright for too long and your hip was aching just enough to make you lay back onto your side. His mossy eyes surveyed you with concern and you couldn't help the warm feeling that illicited inside of you.
"What's wrong with her?" He asked carefully, only drawing his eyes from you to look up at Annie.
"I found her on the side of the road out by the forest. She'd been hit by a car so I brought her here and took care of her. She's a sweet thing, despite her looks, and groans." She teased at you and you groaned in response which sent her into a fit of giggles. The man looked back to you with a small smile splayed on his plump mouth and you had to keep yourself from panting.
"She seems really smart."
"Very intelligent. Between you and me, I think she is far too intelligent for her own good." Annie glanced between you and the man and he just scratched his head at her odd musing.
"Would you...like to pet her?" She asked and you immediately sat back up, not caring that your hip was feeling like pins and needles. The man flicked his forest eyes from you to Annie and then back to you with a hint of anxiety. You decide to drop your chops open and pant to show that you are relaxed and this causes Annie to look down at you with shock.
"She clearly wants you to." She laughs and that made the man chuckle which then made your tail begin to wag.
"M'kay." He answered trepidatiously and Annie, with a triumphant smile, unlatched your kennel and entered the space behind you, just in case you decided to bolt...which you had done a few times but right now....you were going to sit very still.
For once, you were going to be a very good girl.
He sat down cross legged in front of you and scooted himself closer so that you were slightly looking down at him even though he was obviously very tall himself.
His face was something you had not anticipated to continue to stare at and yet there you were. You had immediately closed your mouth and just stared at him while he stared back at you.
Now that he was directly in front of you, no bars separating you, you could truly appreciate him.
He had a natural olive complexion, a smattering of tattoos down his arm that you hope you would get acquainted with eventually, a dusting of dark hair that he clearly shaved daily along his jaw and upper lip, and a beauty mark resting just slightly to the side of his mouth.
He was extraordinary.
You noticed him lift a shaky hand, with a cross tattooed into the space between his pointer finger and thumb, to you slowly and you decide that you were done with waiting.
You bent your head low and dipped your nose underneath his hand to scoop it up onto your muzzle. His eyes went wide but the laugh from behind you was encouraging to him so he let out a soft laugh.
"Wow." Was all he could say as he let his delicate fingers run down the side of your face and then into the fur behind your ear where he scratched slowly making you tilt your head slightly to the side in obvious enjoyment.
"She's...extraordinary." He whispered and his accent made the word sound more interesting than it should.
"She's all yours if you want her." Annie stated behind you as you breathed in his scent committing it to memory.
"How much?" He asked not taking his eyes off of you. The forest meeting the sunlight.
"Free of charge." Both the human and you snapped your heads to look at Annie and you didn't miss the knowing smile on her mouth as she glanced between the two of you.
"Free? I'm sorry, I couldn't just take her for free-"
"If you want her, please take her. She's so sweet and I hate to see people pass her by day in and day out just because she looks the way she does." Annie's kind words fill you up and you lick at her hand by her side...the only affection you have ever shown towards her. Annie's eyes begin to glisten.
"Are....are you sure?" He asked again and you snap your eyes back to his.
You are far too excited about the concept of this being the person to take you out of this place. All of your plans of escape have fallen to the wayside as you stare at this human who has captured your attention so quickly.
"I'm completely sure. Let's just fill out the paperwork and you can take her home." Annie stretched out a hand to help him up and you let your jaw drop open again to pant to let her know that you are happy because you are. You are the happiest you have ever been, even more so than all of those times running wild in the snow.
Annie locks you back in and takes the clipboard away from the kennel and hands it over to the human who gives you one flash of a smile before heading to the lobby to fill out the documents.
Your tail is absolutely wagging of its own accord. You hadn't even noticed it was doing so until Annie reached a hand through the bars and rubbed your fur on your chest lovingly.
"Good girl. That man is going to take you home," you scoot closer to the bars with excitement and Annie chimes out a laugh at your eagerness, "yeah you get to have a home now sweetie," then, Annie's eyes begin to glisten again and your tail stops wagging at the sight, "I'm going to miss you girl." She whispers before pulling your head forward to the bar to rest her forehead against yours.
"I wish I could have kept you for myself but, you're too big and my land lord wouldn't let me," you let out a small whimper at the sniffle that Annie releases, "but he's a nice man...I can tell. You're going to love it there. He said he has a big yard, lots of land for you to run free in. You're going to have it made." She coughs out a laugh and your heart absolutely beams at the prospect of being out in the open again.
The door opens and you are interrupted by the man who is holding the clipboard awkwardly.
"I'm sorry-I can wait out here." He isn't even necessarily judging Annie for talking to a dog, he seems, by the way his eyes dance between the two of you, to understand that there is a bond here and that she can take all the time she needs to say goodbye to you.
You are taken aback by that level of kindness from a human.
"No, no. We're done. I can't possibly say goodbye to her anyways." Annie laughs as she wipes at her face, slightly embarrassed by the red tinge to her cheeks. The man scratches at the back of his head and then runs a hand through his locks that dip down to his forward slightly.
Annie then walks over to the man and they discuss you medications and proper treatment for the next couple of weeks with your injury. The entire time you cannot take your eyes off of the human.
He smiles and it reminds you of the sun in summer, when your coat first dissolves and the rays of light penetrate your human skin for the first time in months. It is a warmth that touches your soul and for the first time in your entire existence, you aren't concerned about getting back to the wild and back to your pack.
You are only concerned with how long you can stay with this human before you change and ruin the already tethered string he has lassoed around your wild heart.