Alone - In Spirit

CHP 3

The sun was setting.
I was running full speed through the woods.

The usual thrill set in; the adrenaline that kept me moving forwards, the dopamine that made me want to smile, the fresh air that swept its way through my very core.
I wanted to laugh. I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream.
But those are all just feelings, none of which I acted on that night.

The moon started to rise so I shifted, avoiding the pain later.
Yeah, I'm a werewolf- kind of.
There are two types of 'werewolf', the wolfbloods that turn into wolves, and werewolves that turn into humanoid fluffy beasts. I'm a member of the first option.

After some playful hunting and essentially chasing my tail, I found myself on the edge of a clearing where three witches were practicing magic. Witches can harness the power of the full moon when it's in the sky, it makes their spells stronger and easier to perform.
"Watch it!" I recognized Xera's voice and my ears perked.
"I am watching it!!" Artemis shouted back.
"Quiet down ladies, someone could hear us." Vanessa frowned.
"LADIES!?" Artemis practically screeched.
My attention wandered to the woods behind him, something was waiting there that made me want to snarl. My claws dug into the grass but I forced myself to wait.

For several minutes, nothing happened. I was just about to relax when a blur with glowing red eyes launched towards Artemis' neck.
A vampire.
I bit into the guy's side, knocking him across the clearing. Artemis and the other witches were watching as I slammed the hissing person into the ground before releasing him. Green fire flicked around Artemis' hand.
I was about to chase after the vampire, my inner wolf eager to taste blood, when Artemis called me back.
"Wait."
I paused and looked back at him, licking my muzzle.
Glowing golden eyes met green as we studied each other closely.
I knew he wouldn't hurt me. He might be a prankster but he's no jock.
"... Why did you do that." He asked surprisingly softly. I waited to think for a second, scrambling my brain for an excuse. I settled on telling him the truth.
"Because you wouldn't."
An unfamiliar look swirled in his eyes, a mixture of past pain and present thought.
"Can you stay..?" Xera asked.
My ears perked.
"Why should I?"
The more time I spend around them in this form, the more time they have to recognize me.
Xera shrugged and looked at Vanessa for help.
"There isn't only one vampire in the forest." Vanessa offered.
"You'll have better luck hunting them if you have bait."
The idea of using people I considered friends as bait twisted my stomach.
"Please?" That was the first time I'd ever heard Artemis say that word.

So I stayed.

They ended up doing all sorts of crazy stuff while I watched them, laying down.
Xera even ended up throwing Artemis into a tree at one point.
"Ow...." He groaned as he sunk to the floor.
Xera and Vanessa exchanged glances.
"... You ok....?"
He glared at her from the floor, tossing sweaty hair out of his eyes. One string of words and her shoelaces were on fire as retribution.
She squealed and tried to put them out while Artemis chuckled, wincing in pain as he laughed.

Eventually, the three climbed onto my back too, Artemis urging me to take them all on a ride.
I blinked back at them tiredly but yawned and stood before trotting briskly through the woods.
Artemis incessantly begged me to go faster. I hopped up, hitting his head on a passing tree branch as my answer. He rubbed his nose.
"Wow."
I circled the clearing for a while, fighting the urge to smile. My tail wagged softly though, I'm glad only Vanessa noticed since she was sitting in the back. Artemis didn't seem to notice or mind Xera holding onto him around his waist, though it made her flustered.

This was the closest thing I'd ever get to family and I knew it.

I'd cherish it while I could.