The Howling

We hid within an alcove of the snow-covered mountain, listening for the humans that hunted us. It had been four days since the first attack and still I continued to relive the horror of watching the hunters slaughter everyone in sight, including my parents and brother. In one night our pack had been reduced by half; our strongest killed in our defense.

They came in the darkness, attacking us as we slept. We had no chance to wolf shift and defend ourselves before they cut us down. We didn't know how they learnt of our secrets only that if we didn't run it would cost us all our lives.

I sat alone peering out towards the rising sun, listening to the murmurs of the pack hiding in shadows behind me.

'Zeeva.'

I jumped at the sound of my name and turned to see Conall. He moved towards me, slow and tired. We were all tired.

He sat beside me and spoke in whispers. 'What are we to do? The humans are getting closer, I can hear their approach.'

I could also hear them and knew they would soon reach us. But what could we do? What could I do? I couldn't lead the pack. Not with something like this.

'Zeeva? With daylight we won't be able to hide.' I heard the words he spoke and the ones he didn't. If we couldn't hide, we had to fight. I looked at him then and he became stern. 'You must lead us. You are the last in the Alpha blood line.'

'I know.' I wanted to be awakened from this nightmare, to be able to cry the tears that wouldn't come.

At once, we all feel silent and the entire pack listened to the humans passing directly above us. I looked to Conall who kept his eyes on the entrance, and to the rest of the pack, my pack, who were all looking at me. I took in a deep breath. I knew in my heart what I had to do; I couldn't just let our people fade away.

I turned and gave them the signal. We had fled and hidden but that wouldn't keep us safe anymore.

The pack moved forward, pushing the children back, and prepared for the shift. We were all trained to fight. During peace our skills were used for hunting but in times of war they were used to kill.

Just as the first human leaped from above we shifted as one, starting as human but emerging as wolves, and attacked. They outnumbered us but we were stronger and we fought for something more powerful then hate and fear.

The first thing I saw as I completed the shift was an arrow flying towards me. I dug my paws into the snow, pushing my body out of the line of fire just quick enough for the arrow to miss its mark. Seeing the origin of the arrow, I charged forward, keeping the man in my sights. As I reached him leaping for his throat, he released another that clipped my shoulder. The pain sliced through me but I didn't stop, plunging my teeth into his soft flesh, tearing through it until the man lay still, his blood dripping from my face and pooling in the snow. I didn't have time to think, moving swiftly to take down as many humans as I could. The screams and howls that echoed through the air meant nothing to me as I fought with only one thought in mind; survival.

In the end we prevailed and as I stood in human form, bloodied and weak, I watched as the others started to shift back, Conall among them. Too many of us had fallen, not only on this day but also throughout our entire existence.

Bodies lay scattered at my feet, both human and shifter, just as questions scattered across my mind. Would we remember this as a victory or as a loss? Would we remember what we had done and understand why it would inevitably happen again?

Conall stepped up beside me placing his hand on my shoulder. 'We must leave.' His eyes glowed with the promise of death, still fresh from the fight.

I watched as blood dripped from his face, his own mixing with that of our enemies. This threat was gone but the worst wasn't over. We couldn't return, we had to find a new home, and the snow had begun to fall again.

If things had played out as they should have, my father would have one day passed the leadership of the pack to my brother. But things were not as they should have been and now I was pack leader. I didn't know what we would face in the future, or if I would succeed in bringing salvation to my people. But I did know that I wouldn't have to do it alone.

Allowing Conall to lead me to the rest of the pack, we helped gather the children and started towards the horizon. The hunters were gone but there would one day be more. But before we could find a new home, we had to survive the cold of winter and the hunger that came with it.