Wolfie in the Middle (Unfinished)

Chapter 4

My wolf began to tremble. The pain felt like it was spreading into my soul and I didn’t think my wolf could take it. I had seen it once before. A werewolf had tried to escape the pain by shifting back into human form. It usually happened with inexperienced or weakened werewolves. I definitely fell in the inexperienced category. I had only shifted 3 years ago which was a little late for a werewolf but I hadn’t expected anything different. Mom had shifted at 15 which was even later than I had and three years off the average shifting mark. 

 I had tracked the source of pain to a trap. A sharp, metal trap designed to clamp shut on the victim as soon as they stepped into it. I wanted to will my wolf to hold on and stay for a little longer because if I shifted now, I’d be naked and caught in a trap designed for animals. The key word being animals. But it was no use. In any minute now, she’d let go and I’d slowly get smaller and smaller, my fur would shorten and my face would be restored back to normal. I used my free claws to paw my bag near my face. With my mouth, I zipped it open and tried to rummage through and find clothes. The throbbing pain began to distract me and I whined like a puppy. In a matter of seconds, I was back in my human flesh and extremely vulnerable. The first thing I noticed was exactly how dark it was. With heightened senses, the forest had been bright and I could see everything but now with only a minimal amount of that power in me, it was almost pitch black.

 The chilly November air froze me to the spot as my fingers and my legs began to numb. Steadily, I picked out my clothes and carefully put them back on but before I could even begin to cover my bottom half, the trap would have to go. I began to swear repeatedly under my breath as I sat up and formulated a plan to free my foot. It was simple really. With some force, the jaws of the trap could be prised open, ridding me of the sharp edges digging into my skin.

 “Here goes nothing,” I whispered.

Holding a side each in my hands I pushed it outwards and the trap sprang open. It was easier than I had thought but what had I expected? It was an animal trap and animals didn’t have hands to free themselves.

I prodded at the peeling edges of my bite-like wounds and suppressed a sob. I couldn’t attract attention, especially right now. Being half naked was never a good position to be in. There was also that little problem of being on unknown territory. I was still unsure whether I had left Alpha Harrison’s land, found no-wolf land or if it belonged to a completely different alpha.

 I dragged myself to a nearby tree and put my back to it. I tried hard not to jostle my bare foot as I searched my bag again for another t-shirt. I grabbed a black one and tried my best to wrap it around my wound. Several times I flinched and stopped but finally, it was covered and safe from infestation. For now anyway.

 A deep breath escaped from my lips as the toll of the day dawned on me. I had been running for literally hours and the wound on my foot was draining me further. Closing my eyes and falling asleep seemed like the best thing to do. I let the darkness drag me down and fell asleep in the forest with only the stars for company. At least it meant my Mom was near.

Opening my eyes, all I could see was black. Black, black, black. It was suffocating and controlling because without the light, I wasn’t capable of moving, walking or seeing. Still, I wouldn’t let something like that stop me. I stood up and spread my arms out in front of me. Soft fur met my hands and I revelled in the smooth warmth they lent me. But whose fur was it? Suddenly a pair of hazel brown eyes appeared, wide, bright and full of love. I recognized them like they were my own eyes. It was Mom. My Mom had come back and found me. I laughed in relief and stepped forward to embrace my mother’s head. However I didn’t get far. Her wolf dodged my hands and trotted away. It was unusual because the wolf was illuminated by a light I couldn’t locate. It surrounded my mom and allowed me to follow her, albeit like a blinded old man.