The savage wild

18. Aftermath

Hey guys. How long has it been? Hmm 4 years? Something like that? Well. I recently reread my story again and I thought, heck why not upload some more. I have to admit that I am guilty of forgetting a lot of what I originally wanted to write, so i have to dive deep into the story again to get it back on track. So i apologise for a slow start and for the fact that I stopped uploading.

Enjoy !

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The hunger in my stomach didn't quite feel like the hunger I've known and feared. Famine was like a slow, deadly killer. It closed in on you without your active knowledge, slowly eating a way through you, like a parasite. Bit by bit, part of your flesh, part of your energy, just gone. Yet right now the hunger blazed like a fire in my stomach, instead of a slow burning of energy gone away. I smacked my lips in remembrance of what I had just eaten. The meat the boy had given me was quite peculiar. It was very, very salty and I had no idea how long the animal had been dead. Hunger, however, made you forget every bit of caution and forced you to take in whatever nutrients you may need. Honestly, even the boy in front of me smelled somewhat appetizing. I closed my jaw with a snap and swallowed my spit. I giggled. How far from humanity had I honestly drifted? I felt not kin to the people around me. They did not feel like they were of the same kind as me; the same species. It made them feel distant. Perhaps it was logical. For the past 5 years the only company I had enjoyed was those of wolves, gods and the occasional squirrel. Plus, these guys were far from werewolves too.

The boy led me away from the circle people, into another brick building. He said nothing and his heart was still beating fast. Though it was not really fear, it smelled more like excitement. I wondered what he was excited about.
"Why do you smell of the wind?" I asked. A shiver ran down his spine. "What do you mean?" His voice was steady. It did not betray his nerves. I remained silent. The silence grew between us. Amused I felt him growing more and more uncomfortable, like he couldn't handle the silence. Such a peculiar trait. A wolf who didn't want to answer did simply not answer. Nobody really cared, except if it went against the wishes of the alpha.
"I.. I have a special bond with the wind. Perhaps that is why I smell like it." The boy finally couldn't handle the silence anymore and answered. I cocked my head. "Bond? What kind of bond?" He remained silent. "Are you kin?" The boy stopped and turned around with frowned eyebrows. He slowly nodded, thoughtfully. "Yes, perhaps that is a way to explain it." I stepped closer, taking in the smell of the crisp, earthly, summery scent. I felt him almost shrink away from me. I must have been scarier than I thought. "Kin or master?" I asked, and my lip curled. His breath caught in his throat and he stepped back. He remained silent. I backed up again. "Where are we going?" After a moment he seemed to recover. "We're going to the kitchen." My stomach growled loudly in response and to my surprise the boy laughed. My lips also curled into a smile. He seemed to relax. "Come on, let's go." I happily followed him.

How many had died? Rafe sat with his hands in his hair, desperately seeking that part that fucked it all up. He tried to find something or someone to blame, but it seemed that there was too many. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder. "I know it's bad Rafe, but keep hope," Lyall said from beside him. Rafe's temper flared. "Hope for what, exactly? For people to wake from the death? For Conry to rise from flames? I just don't understand Lyall. Why did they attack us? Why did they have to kill women and children and elderly?" "For territory, for power? In war there is no justifiable reason. For us it's injustice. For them it is gain. History is written by those who win," Lyall sadly replied. "There is nothing we can do at this point Rafe. You have to focus on the future." "What future?!" Rafe exploded. He got up and stood before Lyall, shouting in his face. "A future in which we are hunted, having to watch day by day another family member die because we are too weak to protect them?" He shoved at Lyall, rage making him mad. "Why the fuck were you guys so goddamn naïve? Tell me! Did you really think that the conventional fighting methods of our clan are able to go up against modernity? Do you honestly believe that every werewolf is ethically good? That they won't be swayed by the promise of power, of wealth?" He took a swing at Lyall. Instead of connecting however, he felt Lyall's heavy blow catching him on the jaw. He stumbled backwards, the pain throbbing. "Why were you so stupid Lyall, why?" He kept on. Lyall stepped forward and hit him again. "What do you know Rafe? You're just a sad little abused kid. You don't know anything. If we could have prevented this, do you think we wouldn't?" Lyall hit him again. "I don't want to hear your smart mouth running off like you know something. I ain't god. I ain't fucking perfect. Do you think I don't care about what happened?! I'm just as seething with rage as you." He gave Rafe a final shove and then stepped back. He sighed. "Look kid, I know you mad. But it is not gonna help right now. Right now we have to keep moving. We have to save the ones remaining, otherwise it will all be for naught." Rafe let his hand hang by his side. He knew Lyall was right. He knew he was acting irrationally. But he hated this powerlessness. He hated how justice seemed as far away from him as a few years ago. He clenched his fist and turned around. Then he started running. He wanted to get as far away from there as possible.

"So you've like lived here with a wolf pack for the past 5 years? Are you the female Mowgli?" Debany almost screamed with excitement. The girl cocked her head. "Who is Mowgli?" Yannick sighed. "Ignore her. How the hell did you survive?" He wondered. Debany snorted. "What do you think. She can turn into a freaking wolf." "So? She is no older than 10. You can't even survive a day without a coke and you're 6 years older." Debany narrowed her eyes. "Says the boy who can't be an evening without porn." Yannick turned red and got up. "What did you say?" "Guyssss, come on. Can you calm down?" Soraya sighed. She turned to the girl. "What is your name?" She asked, while smiling gently. "My name is Shivani," the girl answered. She still didn't open her eyes. Soraya wondered if she was blind, perhaps. "That's a beautiful name," she said honestly. Shivani inclined her head, then turned to Yannick. "I want to go outside." They all immediately got up. "Ehh, are you sure? You're still not wearing any clothes you know?" Shivani frowned her eyebrows. "Clothes? Is that necessary? They will only rip if I change." Yannick, Debany, George and Soraya looked at each other. "Change?" They echoed at the same time, excitement colouring their eyes.