❝Marco was never supposed to find out the truth. But then he did, and now he's on the run. Problem is, the truth has fangs and it won't stop until it hunts him down.❞
To Marco Castillo, Whispering Pines has always been more than just a national park...
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Marco Castillo was about to fight a wolf.
Or at least he wanted to. Not really. But the longer he was stuck running around the enclosure, the more tempting it became. Amber eyes stared up at the park ranger as the wolf's jaws tightened around the rim of his stolen ranger hat. A large glob of saliva was already set to work on staining it's wide brim.
With forelegs flat against the ground, her chest heaving from running, and her rump straight up in the air - Marco knew, as usual, that the wolf wasn't about to make it easy for him. The old wolf hadn't given up fighting to see every sunrise. There was no chance she'd give up an easy battle like this.
"Last warning Edna," the ranger said, knowing full well it was the first warning he'd given. "Drop. It."
Edna's tail twitched. The bright white fur that hung from it waved in anything but surrender.
"No. Nu-uh. This isn't playtime." Marco scolded as he crept closer. The wolf responded by sliding further back, her paws parting the sea of pine needles. "I know you love showing off but c'mon, Are you trying to get me in trouble here? Because right now, from right here?" he spread his arms out, gesturing to the entirety of the enclosure. It might as well have been a circus ring with the show Edna was putting on. "It looks like you're trying to get me in trouble."
Edna only bit down further, fully convincing Marco that the old wolf knew exactly what she was doing. More than that, it told him plain as day that she didn't care.
For a moment the ranger could have sworn he caught her old grey muzzle twisting in a smile.
Edna, as always, was happy to show off for her ever present audience. The enclosure was mainly for high content wolf dogs. Edna had somehow risen in rank and had become the closest thing to an alpha the high-content's had. Her pack, which the rangers had nicknamed the rag-tags, warily watched from the treeline. Usually, they would be all over him, nipping at his heels or knocking him over, but their playful personalities were sidelined in place of caution. The pack had instead decided to take refuge on a pile of boulders that had been carefully arranged for their 'natural enrichment.'
Honestly Marco figured they were just put there to look nice.
Marco huffed. Any other day he would have been happy to have an excuse for a break - but not when it came with witnesses. Not only were the other wolves watching, but so was his best friend. Well, his human best friend in any case.
"Need some help there, Mars?" Tobias called out, leaning casually against the fence. "Looks like Edna's got you on the run again."
"Shut up, Tobes," Marco shot back, his eyes never left the wolf. "I've got this."
"Yeah, I can see that. You're really showing her who's boss."
Marco didn't need to turn around to know that Tobias was grinning. He could practically hear the smirk in his voice.
