Shadow Wolf

Epilogue

The sweet scent of pre-rain permeated the air and dew clung to my shoes, causing them to be soggy and uncomfortable. Why had fall come on so soon and spring leave so early? I look to the left and notice a shadow that hadn't lurked there before and a shiver crept up my spine leaving a strange bout of fear in its wake.

Fall always did this to me. It made me feel as if something was watching me, waiting for me to step outside the bounds of hearing range from my way to large Victorian home and make the mistake of falling into the depth of its clutches. The woods held many secrets of its own but it also held mine and it would be hell if anyone should discover...

I hear a branch snap behind me and I scramble to my feet, throwing my abused diary into my bag and ready to fight off the threat. "Calm down, it's just me!" My older sister holds up her hands in defense.

"You of all people know not to sneak up on me! Especially..."

"I know Cameron, I'm sorry it's just... I saw someone follow you and I was worried," my sister, Brandi was my protector and she had an edge for my choice to spend time in the woods.

She was a slight woman, curvaceous but not too plump, her hips swollen with child. Her chocolate hair in deep contrast to my auburn and her equally brown eyes left my pale blue seem bleak and depthless! Where my body was very similar, I was short and wide hipped. Neither of us were overly unattractive but we also weren't a match for our mother.

"Mom and dad are at it again and you know I don't like listening to their arguing!" I suddenly grow tense. "Did you say something followed me?" I asked and she nodded.

"Yeah, there are prints everywhere! I tried to follow them but there was a heavy deer trail and I lost it!" She sighed and I bit my lip. "You know you are almost eighteen!"

I look around as another chill works it's way up my spine and I dig through my bag. "I'm going to fight it! Shawny and I made a sedative and I... It'll work!" I pulled out some vials and she bit her lip.

"How long do they last?" Her eyes had brightened to a carmel.

"The fever will burn it off quickly but it will last for more than three hours per dose! As long as Joey, mom, dad, Evan, Zachary, and you can hold off any males, Shawny and I should be able to take care of... Me!" I bite my lip and look around nervously.

Evan was Brandi's mate, having impregnated her and taken off, we just now found him a good three months ago after his recent appearance brought forth another child in my sister's womb. The other boys, Joey and Zach were my younger brothers, annoying at times but loyal and smart! Shawny was one of my human friends but our bond goes further than anything else. She saw to it that I was treated like royalty for some reason, though my lineage was high in hierarchy and pure, I never wanted to be treated as if I were different. She made me see that being different was a part of life and if everything was always black and white and there was no variety, the world would have no meaning. She had left her home at fourteen, got a job in the small town of New Port, Michigan

"We've been subduing your wolf for nearly three cycles! I don't understand why you don't want to shift! It really isn't that bad!"

It was true. My family harnessed the genetics of lycanthropy around 200AD when man and animal were one, they saw eye to eye and met with a mutual agreement when man fell ill to sickness... It's a long story that could be thought about later.

"You know why I can't! Royal blooded wolves face the risk of death upon their first shift as if your first shift wasn't enough of an example! A male hunted you down and bred you before you were aware of it and it took us three years to track the bastard down!" I watched her hand drop protectively to her abdomen and she frowned.