An Unexpected Life

Chapter 1

"Sometimes it just takes a little kindness,

From one hurting soul to another

To change us forever."

~ Karen Kostyla

The sky was bright and warm and sunny, the birds were tweeting and cuddling under the shade of blooming trees of every variety. The clouds were like cotton candy in the sky, and the smiles from all the people were just wonderful... or it would have been if I liked this weather. The sun burnt my white skin and the smiles just darkened my mood. I felt like everyone was just acting, everything was fake, the smiles, the sun, the happiness.... Happiness is an illusion. The only pleasure I get is from the cold and damp weather when everything feels real, no one has to pretend, and they can be grumpy or sad or angry and blame it on the "depressing weather".

Though no matter what weather I'm always seen as the town freak, my mother abandoned me when I was born because I was born with silver-white hair, white skin and bright blue eyes. They called me a demon because I came from a family with black hair and tanned skin. Mother was accused of cheating and was burnt at the stake not long after I was left to the wolves or the witch at the edge of the forest.

It's amusing though, she abandoned me in hope I would die, but the witch in the forest took me in. She taught me illusions and the essentials for fighting and hunting. I don't remember her face much now as she was killed and burnt at the stake by huntsmen in the village I was born.

So here I am now, in my little cottage in a great oak tree. The tree is still alive around me surprisingly, but I keep it healthy and take care of it and in return at night it protects me from the wolves.

I feel the "beat" of nature, as witch told me. I can sense when an animal is in danger or when an animal is hurt, when a tree is thirsty or hungry, when a flower isn't getting enough sunlight... I can sense all these things quite easily, so when huntsmen decide to hunt for fun it feels like I'm the deer being carved up.

Sometimes though, the animals have gone or I'm low of food or water and can't hunt, I cover up my hair with a black bandana and wear my monochrome clothes. A black tight fitting shirt with black and white striped sleeves and a layered short skirt of alternating colours and the bottom layer is longer than the next by about 2 centimetres and the layer on top of that one is shorter by 2 centimetres and... well, you get the idea. I also wear black opaque tights and dainty little shoes.

We are a very old fashioned village in the middle of the woods. We don't have a road in or out and we are forgotten by the world. We still burn witches at the stake and act like they would have hundreds of years ago but dress in modern clothing and decorate like a normal modern village, it's quite strange.

I only had books to read most of my life, so that is how I know our village is outdated. The Witch's collection is quite broad and extensive and most of it is hidden in another old oak nearby.

I started walking to the village, now dressed and with my basket for fresh fruit and flasks of fresh water. The forest was eerily quiet and I could tell all the creatures were scared. I put myself on high alert, sensing for some abnormality in the- wait what was that? I felt something very close and very angry. "Hello, please, I don't wish to hurt you, maybe I can help?" a young female voice called out. I can feel the girls' presence and ... its right next to that of the angry beast I can feel. I started running through the gloomy trees and the silence until I could see the young girl. The presence was right behind the tree she was facing, 20 meters away. "Child, don't go near that-!" I started, stopping abruptly seeing the creature come out from behind the tree. It was a tall man with beautifully tanned skin and no shirt, only jeans on. His long black hair was styled to hang around his face and look wonderfully messy. "Hey little girl, don't listen to her, come closer" he spoke, his voice deep, and smooth like honey. The girl instantly became entranced, stepping forward, eyes fixated on the man who was giving off this feeling of a beast.

The second she was within touching distance everything happened, a flash of black and red occurred, a giant wolf and... the blood and insides of this young girl. The blood splattered so far from the ferocity of the creature it splashed across my cheek. After a few moments, the girl was gone. All that was left was this wolf, the pool of blood ...and me.

He turned to me, the anger in his heart diminished quite significantly as he walked up to me, still got blood dripping from his muzzle. I stood my ground and knelt to the ground, as any smart person would. For those who don't know, wolves rule by using their dominance over the others in the pack. The one with the most dominance is the alpha, and the one with the second most dominance is the beta and so on, and because wolves rule with dominance they require those lesser than them to be lower than them, hence the reason you bow before an alpha. I don't know if he is or not but lowering my eyes and myself to the floor, it will calm him slightly.

"I need to clean up, come with me, Witch." The wolf rumbled out with a harsh beastly voice. He stood up and padded out of the clearing, waiting at the trees edge for me to follow. I gently got up and followed him out, crouching down to the earthy ground to keep myself as low as I can. I gently followed him as he started walking towards the river, logical choice of a place to go clean up. He walked so softly and gracefully and his fur swished in the breeze, his graceful tails bushing along the ground. I found myself entranced by his movements. The sound of the river came closer and snapped me out of my trance.

We came to the waters' edge and he slid into the water, the twilight starting to settle over the sky, making the water shine with beauty and make the wolf look like a god rather than a beast. He stopped walking when the water covered his body completely; he tuned to me and started to faze, like my vision was become blurry, I rubbed the back of my pale hand against my eyes and when I dropped my hand and opened my eyes the wolf was gone, in his place was a man, tall, muscled, shoulder length black hair... "Oh he's the man I saw before... and he must also be the wolf" I whispered to myself. My eyes started to travel down his body when I realised the water only came up to the top of his hips ... and he wasn't wearing clothes. "S-Sorry!" I yelled as I quickly turned my back. I heard him laughing... damn even his laugh is sexy...

"You don't have to be so modest, the water is very warm, won't you join me, witch? He said with his deep husky melodic voice.

"I'm not a witch and I'm not going to bathe with a man, especially not a man I don't know." I sputtered out. I felt my face heating up.

"But you were willing to bathe with me as a wolf little Witch." He said, I heard him coming closer and closer with each word... by now his, um, area, wouldn't be submerged.

"Well... it's different, I could bathe with an animal but not a man, it's just not right." I hesitantly stuttered out

"Well then, is this better?" he asked gruffly. I cautiously peaked out from behind my hair and he was at the waters' edge, as a giant black wolf. I nodded to him while he grinned and waded out to the water, it was insane how tall he was when he was a wolf, I mean he must be about a head taller than me. I mean, I know I'm short, about 5 foot 2, but it is just not right for a wolf to be that tall, it's insane, and he must be 6 foot at least.

"Can you please turn around? I asked shakily. He let out a wolfish snicker and turned around; to make it worse he put a paw over his eyes just to mock me. I went behind one of the trees with low hanging branches; I slowly took off my clothes and hung them on the branches. I peeked out from behind the tree and true to his word he wasn't watching.

I slowly and carefully stepped lightly out and went to the waters' edge. The water was warm and lovely against my skin. I started walking towards the wolf, my body gliding through the warm water, the moon looking down on me and the wolf still turned away. I eventually was up to him, the water just under my collarbones and his body only an arm's length away. I slowly lifted my arm and stroked along his side he flinched at first but then slightly leaned into my touch, his head turned around to look at me.

We stood like that for what seems like hours, the moonlight shining down on us, the water caressing our bodies and the sound of the night surrounding us both