Violet Dreams

Chapter 3

Double update to get more plot movement! 

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I don't have a large house, but it's more than enough for me. At 20 minutes from my job it's perfect for keeping to myself.

I ran inside and threw my purse on the ground. I wouldn't need it. My clothes were next as I haphazardly threw them around. The tension in my body was at full force now.

I began to shift.

Now, back over 10 years ago this would've been simple. Most wolves can shift in the blink of an eye. I'm pretty sure my younger self could've shift while backflipping or something equally ridiculous.

But, alas, I'm a rogue. Not as in I did something horrible and was kicked out. I simply...left and they figured I ran away. I have no pack rights, but I'm also not hunted down as long as I stay out of sight. I've been at least 500 miles away from the border of the pack since I left. No one has called or looked for me as far as I know – not even my parents. They were (are? I'm not even sure anymore...) ranked members of the pack though and probably faced embarrassment when I ran.

Now, most rogues can probably still shift as they are usually pretty evil and rogue-y for a reason. I, however, kind of suck at the werewolf thing now. I've lived as a human for 10 years and my body can tell. I'll always take a cooked burger over a raw rabbit any day regardless of form....

It took 30 minutes to completely shift and I felt like I was run over by a truck. My now furry body stood tentatively up on the four legs, my tan fur thick and plush as I shook my body out. I would feel the repercussions of this hard shift for weeks.

The second sense to hit me was my sense of smell. Again, most rogues and werewolves have a great sense of smell. I, however, suck at that too now. Who needs to be able to smell a deer from far away when you can just go to a restaurant? Or, who needs to be able to smell an enemy pack if you technically have no enemies? Still, in wolf form my sense of smell is heightened, but still not as good as it would be if I used it more often.

For example, I can smell that I really should change the garbage now, but in human form I could go another few days. Probably longer if I'm really lazy.

I went through my back door, taking care to close it behind me using a wire I had set up for this reason, and began my run.

I keep myself 20 minutes from work because it also keeps me closer to the woods. Nothing can be more embarrassing than getting picked up by animal control and shifting back into a naked human form in their cages...

Not that that's happened more than once.

I sped off into the woods leading away from the city. It was sparse and ran along the highway, but it felt wonderful on my body. The smell of the trees and the animals reminded me of home and I shoved those feelings down. I can't think of the choices I've made right now. I can't look back.

It took me hours before I finally found other wolves. The North pack is more spread out than the Midwest pack. While the Midwest had two main areas, the North is in multiple states. In this area, the nearest pack town was over 100 miles away. I picked a city to live in knowing no wolves would be close.

I caught up to two other rogues. They smelled like fresh cut grass and lemon. Both dark brown, one male and one female, they did not mind me running alongside them. Sometimes, even rogues miss running with packs.

All wolves need to run on the full moon to show our love of the Moon. It's a tradition and something we are born with. Most don't ignore it like I do, rogue or not.