The Search For Paradise

Chapter Two: The Beginning

West awoke with a sigh, he heaved himself to his paws and scrambled away from the others.The warm rays of the sun rested on his back as he trotted over to a crescent that dug into the ground. The scent of a rabbit stung in his nose, and he could do nothing but follow it. Not once did he realize he was in his wolf format, it would be hectic if someone caught him. Who can catch me? It's not like the Squad is out here. At least, I hope not. He had told himself throughout the night, nightmares creeped into his mind and disturbed the warm dreams of eating fresh-killed prey. He smacked his jaws together and frowned. He roped his paws together and focused on catching a delicate peice of food to feed on, it was the best that could happen at this moments notice. He found himself parting through fern clumps to grapple through a couple of bramble bushes. The twigs from trees caught on his fur and he pounced away in freight and anger. West shrugged the sudden "attacking" away and out of his system. He trudged up a slight hill and halted by a patch of harvested crops, swerving around mounted tomatoes and cucumbers to find food he could take, without the farmer knowing. He trampled across grass, seeing a large patch of corn in the distance. He stumbled over clumps of wood and rocks but kept forward, pursuing his hope in finding some food that wouldn't damage their storage of their own. He bounded up to the crops, digging his muzzle in the field while yanking out the plants roots. He licked his chops tentatively as he gulped down peices of the crop. West gripped the rest of the crops in his jaw and headed back to the others. A gruff voice called over to him from not too far away. "Get out of here, you vermin!" It shrieked, "no dogs allowed on my turf!" The voice was wobbly, and unstable. West realized this was an old man, probably the farmer. He trekked forward, unaware that this man was indeed carrying a gun in his right arm. "Get out mutt!" The mans' voice grew closer, and the sound of a gun shot forced him dashing away. The bullet hardly missed his paw, digging into the ground with a lash. The mans voice grew distant and West slowed to a trot, entering the area where his friends now awoke from their long nap. "West, where were you?" Courtney yipped, her silent banter was hardly recognized as she bounded happily over to West; likely seeing the food hanging from his jaws. "I was out finding food, unlike you." West grumbled, dropping the crops to the ground. "So was I." Jacelynn called over, her ginger-red fur glistened in the daylight sun as she skidded over to West's side. She dropped a young goat to the ground, "I got a little help from Rohan, though." She murmured. "I traveled far for this, nothingless you. I'd rather take food like this from people, kind of keep the stock up." He huffed, leaning over to nibble on the corn. Jacelynn shriveled up her nose, "what about the goat?" She asked. "Bah-drop it." West bleated hastily. "We'll eat it after, a proper breakfast is fruits and vegetables." Jacelynn frowned and stalked away, her fur bristling slightly. West's rejection coursed no guilt through his vains, as well as no pleasure. Perhaps his feelings were so rigged he didn't understand it? 
            West shrugged and reared up, his legs lengthening out into human form, his back straightening to his normal body and his clothes retracting to his skin. He grabbed the corn with his hand and shoved it in his mouth, as if the old man would swoop over somehow to snake it out of his grip. The crimson taste of it rushed through his mouth and he swallowed calmly, his eyes brimming with a filling feeling. 
                      "West?" Caden's voice sounded from the brushes beside him. "Yes?" West huffed tentatively, glancing over at the younger wolf. "Why did you do that to Jacelynn?" Caden asked quietly. West twitched his ears, confused at what she was saying. "What are you talking about?" He asked. "Well, she obviously wanted to please you, but you just turned her down. She was probably sad, at least, by the looks of it." She whispered, only loud enough for the black furred wolf to hear. "Well she can suck it up. That's what I'm like so she can go live with that." West frowned, "and she should also get used to it. It'll be like that for a while now." 
                         Caden sighed, "okay, West. I shouldn't be questioning you, anyways." With a quiet murmur she turned her back to the male-wolf and trotted away and through the underbrush.