Saving the Wolf (On Hold)

Chapter 1

   *The awesome cover photo is Black Wolf by the amazing XxJared_Leto_ and you can find his amazing art on google!  Now hope you enjoy!*

As the sunlight shone through the window and cast its rays upon his tired eyes, Shadow groaned and turned over.  He knew he had to actually do something today but in all honesty, he'd rather just sleep a little longer and return back to his dreams. 

That thought was soon gone as he heard a shriek and felt a body jump on him.  Quickly he flipped the covers of his bed over the riggling figure and stood up, holding them like a bag. 

"Liz I told you not to come in my room!" he growled as he threw the covers over his shoulder.

From inside he heard his sister squeal, "Let go of me Shadow, Mom told me to come and wake you up!"

"I'm sure she did," he mumbled.

"She says you have to go get the firewood today because you haven't gotten any for a month and the snow is supposed to come in tonight."

As Shadow unceremoniously dumped Liz in the hall, he tiredly said to her pouting face, "Tell Mom I'll be out in a minute, and she doesn't need to worry about the wood, I'll get it done." Then he slammed his door in her face.

Life wasn't bad for Shadow, he had it all.  He lived with his family in a town of shape shifters in the middle of the Veil, a huge forest that extended to the Rainy Mountains in the east and north and the Ladon Ocean in the south. 

Most of it was unexplored to the west because the shape shifters generally didn't like to go beyond their towns and villages; it wasn't safe.  They had to hide from these legends, humans, that did not shape shift but stayed in their man form always.  It was said they were unaware of their connections to nature and were slowly destroying the gifts they had been given. 

Shadow's town was the largest on the west side of the Kingdom of Lee.  It was the final barrier between the rest of Lee and the unknown.

Shadow quickly changed into some warm clothes and went over to his mirror.  He ran his fingers through his coal black hair, making it fall messily around his face.  He was very pale skinned with ice blue eyes and a cocky sort of pout to his mouth.  He was good-looking and he knew it. 

For the past year since he had finally turned 20, he had been given a break from his chores so he could find a suitable wife and settle down.  Of course he took advantage of the opportunity and had been wooing every girl within  5 miles of his home.

As he left the room, he could smell the delicious aroma of breakfast coming from the kitchen.  He sauntered into the dining room to see Liz and his dad already seated at the table.  Shadow was built like his father, Sunray (or for short Ray) in that he was a tall man and filled out nicely.  But the likeness ended there.  Ray had shock blonde hair and amber eyes along with a very tan complexion. 

Ray's wife, Ebony, however, was a stark contrast.  She was about average height and had the same hair, eyes, and skin as Shadow.  She was a beautiful sight and so was Ray; there was no question where Shadow had gotten his looks. 

It was the same for Liz, though she took after her father.  But instead of amber eyes, hers were a shocking green and when she was angry enough, her gaze felt like it was boring into your soul.  Liz was also about 4 years younger than Shadow, making her the baby, and as Shadow would say spoiled one, of the family.

Their family all shifted into wolves: Ebony and Shadow into black ones and Ray and Liz into gold ones.  Shape shifters could shift at any time into their forms unless they were in the presence of the legendary humans.  Then they could only be in their wolf form and that, consequently, meant lack of communication and eventual death.  Some said the humans had a magic that caused this, but noone was truly sure.

As he sat down, his dad looked up and asked the same question he did every morning, "Have you found a suitable wife yet?"

"No I haven't."

"Why not?"

"Same as every day Dad, I haven't felt the connection.  These things take time, and for all we know, the right one might not even be in this town, she could be in the next one over."

His dad looked at him a little longer and then sighed. "I just wish you could feel your connection as soon as I did.  It's hard to see you struggling and alone." 

Just then his mom entered in tutting to his dad, "Ray, Shadow is a grown man, he can hold his own.  I know you want to see him happy but we do need to be patient."  She placed breakfast on the table and they blessed it then dug in.

Shadow's thoughts stayed on his current situation.  When you felt a connection with someone, you tried to get to know them better.  If you liked them enough and they liked you, then you started courting them.  Like turns to love and you get married.  Well, usually. 

He really hadn't felt the connection yet with any of the women in town, though he wished he had.  There was one very beautiful girl named Lena, whose skin was the color of silky chocolate and had hair black as a raven.  Her smile was absolutely startling and her laugh like bells.  She shifted into an elegant gazelle and she was sought after by many. 

The thing with shape shifters was, because they could be in man form, there wasn't a problem with marrying another animal.  If you had children, they would either be one animal, or the other.  The only exception were a couple of matches such as eagles and lions.  If they had children, the children usually shifted into griffins.  His parents just both happened to be wolves.  But there was nothing there with Lena, and Shadow was starting to get frustrated. 

He sulked for the rest of the meal then headed outside to go gather wood.