Chasing A Dream

14. Little'un

Tara's POV

Anger surged through me as i raced through the trees. Usually when running alone, the animals of the woods would come and run with me. They could tell us were's apart from real wolves and when in a content state they gave their company to us. Not today though. As my paws pounded on the dry shrubs and mud beneath me, i could sense the other creatures around me but they all stayed away however, i can't blame them. An angry were can be just as vicious as an angry wolf. We may not be completely wild but a lot of the time when the anger is coursing through our veins, it can bring our wolf forward to the front of our minds. It would have been comforting to have at least one other natural animal running with me but i understand how my emotions must be scaring them.

As if on cue, a rustle to my right had my head whipping round to scope the area out. A little grizzly cub came tumbling from the bushes. I couldn't help but flash a wolfy smile at the cub. He was adorable. He must only be around six months old. I knew this because he was still rather short and because his coat was fluffed up like when a dog has been blow dried. The older he got the sleeked his coat would become but right now it was like a ball of fluff. His colour was beautiful. Instead of the usual deep brown, he was a medium brown but his coat had a mahogany tinge to it making it gleam red in the sun that was breaking through the trees. His eyes were giant and the depth of the brown just drew you in. He really was a beautiful little cub.

Slowly i moved toward him with my head down and my shoulders relaxed so he would know i wasn't a threat. As i got about a metre away, he moved toward me so that our faces were inches from each other. I could tell by the way he was looking at me and trying to figure it out, that he had a feeling he knew what i was but with being so young he probable hadn't met another were or any other shifter yet so it was clear he wasn't sure. The confusion in his eyes made me know, that somehow i had to reassure him i was safe. So i did the first thing that came to mind. I licked his face. He stumbled backwards, falling onto his bum as he scrunched his nose up in shock causing a wolfy chuckle to escape my throat. As soon as he heard it he looked up at me from his place on the floor and showed me his own beary smile before leaping up and rubbing into me. Together we started jumping through the undergrowth. I didn't let us wander to far from the spot though, i knew his mother would be around somewhere so i made sure to keep close to where i found him to make her job of finding him easier.

He was getting good at sneaking up on me, but my senses were more enhanced, i turned my head just in time to see him jump at me from the left. He slammed into my stomach making me fall to the ground on my back at the unexpected attack. As i lay on my back, he continued to jump to and fro over me. He was having so much fun and cheering me up that i almost forgot why i was angry but in the back of my mind, i knew. Now wasn't the time or place to get angry again so i promised to think about it later. I focused all my energy on watching this little cub who had already won my heart over.

A rustle to the side alerted me that something was coming this way, i assumed it would be mother bear so i kept my place on the floor with the cub on top of me so as so to show her i meant him no harm. What i didn't expect was for 4 wild wolves to step out of the bushes with their eyes trained on the cub. Instinctively, i leaped to my feet and stood defensively in front of the cub. Wild wolves knew not to take on a were but in a predicament like this, i would have to show them i was in charge to stop them from making an advance toward the cub and making him their dinner. I was not about to let that happen. I lowered my shoulders and raised my jaw so i could stare the biggest one which i presumed to be the Alpha Male the leader. While doing this, i had used my paw to scoop the cub under my belly, where he was currently peeking from behind my legs. I could feel his erratic heartbeat as it continued to speed up. He was terrified and probably wanted his real mother, but for now he had me to keep him safe and that would have to do. The Alpha took a step in our direction, it was slow and calm, he didn't look like a threat or menacing so i let my shoulders relax a little.

Movement behind him caught my attention and i noticed the other three were stepping up beside him. I let my lips curl and let our a ferocious and menacing growl at them, warning them not to come any closer. Their leader turned and glanced at them and they stepped back to their original spots. I lifted myself to full standing position and looked him in the eye. I could tell instantly that he knew what i was and he was curious. He lowered himself so he was lay on the floor and began to crawl slowly toward me, stopping every few seconds to look at me and make sure i understood he wasn't a threat. In response, i lowered my head a little to show i understood but i made sure i could still see all four of them. He continued to crawl till he reached me where he slowly rose to his full height. He was smaller than me but not by much. After my dad renounced his Alpha title, our whole families wolves shrunk in size, but that's a story for another time. Were's were naturally bigger than the average wolf, some like me were only marginally bigger but others like Theo were huge in comparison.

I watched the wolf as he walked circles around me and i saw the glint in his eye when he spotted the cub under me, to which i let out another snarl. He dropped his head in submission to show he wouldn't hurt him before he reached my front again where he sat and looked at me quizzically. I knew what he wanted, he wanted to know for sure what i was but if i transformed back he could hurt the cub. So instead i sat down with the cub under my front paws and lifted my right paw and transformed that back into a human hand. His head went back in recognition and i let it become furry again.

Noise from behind me attracted all our attention, i was slightly worried in case it was more wild wolves, these four i could take on but no more. Not alone anyway. Plus i didn't want the cub to see the bloodbath that a fight would become. First i looked to the four wolves in front of me and saw them all looking slightly panicked so i turned around bringing the cub with me. When i turned round, i found myself face to face with one of the biggest grizzlies i have ever seen. She looked us all over as though searching for something and it was then i realized this must be mother bear. I used my paw to push the cub forward slightly into her line of view but so that he was still safely concealed in my body. She saw him instantly and let out a very vicious snarl, i lowered my head showing her i meant no harm to either of them and out the corner of my eye i saw the other wolves follow my lead. I stood to my full height and nudged the cub along with me and i walked by his side to his mother.

He looked at me to check everything was safe and i gave him another lick before pushing him toward her where she got straight to sniffing him all over while glancing at us. Her eyes were filled with warning, so again i acted on instinct and copied what the wolf had done earlier to me. I lay down and began crawling the last two metres toward them, when i was a few steps away the cub bounded back over to me and jumped on my back again causing me to roll over while he played again. This must have been enough for his mam to know i meant no harm as she sat down and watched, the protective glint in her eyes clear. After a few minutes i stood and walked the cub back to his mother and bowed my head again, by now she had also recognised what i was and the protective glint was gone and had been replaced with curiosity and awe. She bowed her head back and glanced at the other wolves. I knew that was her way of saying thanks before she turned and the two of them walked off into the trees.

I turned and walked back towards the wolves, signalling for them to follow me in the other direction and together we ran for miles through the woods with no destination in mind. As i ran with them i let my mind wander to the problems at hand and soon enough i found myself at the other end of the woods facing my home, I flashed them a smile as a thanks for their company before a small growl warning them not to go after the bear and her cub. The leader bowed his head in understanding and i gave them another grin before transforming into my human. Their eyes held appreciation and it was clear they knew i was higher than them. I pointed for them to go and with one last look they took off. I waited till i was sure they were gone before sprinting into my house in search of clothes.

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Thought i'd throw in a nice chapter before all the drama and tension really gets going, let me know what you think.

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