The Wolf Within

One

I had obligations to fulfill, after all that was my duty as the first daughter to my father's pack. Freedom was not in my father's vocabulary, at least not when it came to me. Rules and guidelines were set in place for me since my birth, and as my mother would tell me, you are the first born Elena, as was I in my pack. We do not have the right to freedom as the other's born after. We must suffer in silence until comes the time for marriage. After, freedom is granted to us in small doses. It is not much, but it is more than we could have ever hoped for.

My mother had been a force of nature in the pack. She had been wise, kind, and ruthless when she needed to be. Her legacy lives on even after her having been gone for nearly nine years. I still remember what she looks like...porcelain skin that only flushed in the site of my father or her rage...forest green eyes that bore into one's soul as she gazed or smiled at them...long auburn hair that shined in the sunlight...a figure of lean muscle and curves all in the right places. She had been beautiful and strong. A woman I respected and loved. A woman I resembled slightly. My father, on the other hand is the complete opposite...sun-kissed skin that is hard and smooth...hard blue eyes that could burn a person alive...ruffled jet-black hair that always appeared soft...a physique of hard-edged muscle and chiseled outlines not leaving much to the imagination. He is hardened and ruthless. A man who upholds tradition and lives to rule. He is kind and loving, but that side of him rarely surfaces.

I sigh as I sit on the window seal overlooking our land of grazed pastures. It stretches over a hundred and ninety four acres, housing all of our pack and the few who venture to camp. It is vast miles of forest, open grassland, and rivers, ponds, and lakes. It hums with life and sings with songs from the different animals that live here. Everything has its place and everything is balanced by the circle of life. I lean my head against my hand watching as a baby blue jay passes by. Its wings stroking the light breeze that causes the trees' leaves to sway. Today is one of the days where I am left alone; a very rare occasion, but with my father being gone to an outlying pack, I am left to myself and appreciate the silence of my home. Soon, I find myself going out of my home and traveling down to the creek a few miles away. I listen to the autumn breeze swishing through the leaves of the trees, to the way my feet drift over the leaves causing a soft crunch, to the birds humming to one another in soft song. I come to the creek and sit on the smooth rock, facing the east as the first rays of light shatter the night sky like broken fragments of a mirror. I hug my knees to my chest as I gaze at the sky becoming light blue, watching the golden rays of sun as they hit the clouds causing them to turn pink, purple, blue, orange, and hints of red.

Hearing light footfalls coming from the left, I turn my head to the sight of someone approaching. Seeing the strong and muscular physique, along with the shoulder-length curling blonde hair; I know it is my childhood friend Dominic Rosado descending upon where I sit. "Elena, I knew I'd find you here," he says as he takes a seat next to me on the rock. I give him a small smile and turn my attention back to the horizon. "You always know where to find me, Dominic," I reply.

"What are you doing out here at dawn?" he asks. I feel his grey eyes running over my face, looking for the answer there before I speak. "I wanted to see the sun rise," I answer and set my chin on my knees. He lays his hand on my shoulder, "you mean you wanted to be alone to think of a way to escape the life you have been given." I lift my head to look at him. Dominic always knew the under tone to my words and always kept my deepest secrets. Why should I be surprised now that he has spoken what has been rolling over in my head?

"You know I do not want to marry for the sake of binding another pack to our own. I should not have to," I all but spit out the words as a chill runs down my spine. Dominic wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me against his side. I lean into his comfort and warmth.