The bitter cold stung her bare skin despite the wolves’ fur and hot breath which surrounded her. She wasn’t furred like the other wolves. She was naked with soft pink skin turning white with cold. The ground was solid and frozen until springs warm glow would rise upon it again.
The eldest nanny wolf nudged her numb body with her hot moist nose. She whined in response. A male beta wolf eyed her worriedly for she was keeping them behind. The rest of the pack had already reached the dump and were feasting on the humans rubbish and scrap food. The reek of the waste made her want to retch but still the two wolves urged her towards the stinking heap…
The memory that flooded my mind made me remember my pack. I had left them almost a year ago after an attack from the rival pack. After my separation, I followed my nose towards the rotting stink of the city dump. I lost my bearings and collapsed into the rubbish then awoke in a warm cloth. At first I though I was dreaming until a human tried to grab for me. I fought like the animal I was raised to be, biting the human on the arm. I escaped and she watched me dumfounded as I ran away.
I had to adjust quickly to the realm of the two-legged. I learned to walk and act like them because after trying it as a wolf, I quickly learned they would not be tolerated in this artificial world. Those memories hit me in a wave. The scents of the bins behind me are what brought on these horrid memories.
I sat on an over-turned box waiting for the woman to come. The biting wind stung my face. It weaved its way through my layers of coats and jackets. The moon hung like a silver coin tossed into the dark velvet of the sky. The stars glowed like tiny pinpricks far above. The icy wind caused me to shiver involuntary. Maybe I should shift; it would be a lot warmer.
I cast a look at every nook and cranny I could spot it the area and crouched down to shift until heavy footsteps caused me to freeze. I swore under my breath then moved backwards so I could blend in with the dark shadows. The footsteps stopped and the beer-bellied man sat down on the box I had just vacated and lit a cigar.
The man sat there, oblivious to my presence and dragged on his cigar for the longest ten minutes of my life so far. After stomping out the final ashes he began to whistle an anonymous tune and began to look around. He turned to examine the area where I was hidden. Silently, I descended further into the shadows.
My foot shifted backwards and knocked a fizzy pop can. The mans head whipped around and his eyes searched the shadows. My hand caught on the jagged edge of the can as I tried to move it. I hissed and rolled the can away from me. Suddenly the man jumped to his heavily booted feet.
“Hello?” he said,
His voice was deep but held a hint of worry as he said it. I shrugged of my rucksack and top layers of coats then shifted into my wolf form. My eyes glowed in luminescent yellow and my claw clicked against the concrete.
The man squinted so he could see better then asked into the shadows, “Who’s there?”
A low growl caressed my throat. I took a few more steps and stood at the edge of the shadows.
“Shouldn’t you be working Robert?” the woman who caught me stealing the pasties earlier had come through the staff only door.
She stood with her hands on her hips, blocking the light of the corridor so it hid me.
“I thought I heard something over there,” he pointed to where I crouched.
“There’s nothing out there except for rats and rubbish. Now shouldn’t you be patrolling?” the woman raised her eyebrows at him like she had me earlier.
“Now look woman, I don’t need you giving me orders-“
“And I don’t need you giving me strife,” she snapped, interrupting him.
Robert muttered something inaudible before turning and walking out and around the corner. I shifted back to human formed and pulled on my coat and bag. Shifting shapes had warmed me up and my breathing was irregular. At least the wind had lost its bite.
“You should be more careful,” the woman commented.
“You told me to wait out here,” I retorted, “What’s your name anyway?”
“Wendy and you?” she asked while absently searching in her bag.
“I don’t have a name,” I admitted.
I stared hard at the ground as my cheeks burned a deep red in shame.
“Okay nameless. You still coming with me or you just planning on stealing for the rest of your life?” she asked.
“I’d like to go with you, I mean, I’ve never been inside a home before.”
“Then today’s your lucky day.”
“Thank you Wendy, for helping me.”
“Any time pup,” She winked, “Come on.”
We walked around to the front of the supermarket and into the car park. Wendy pressed the open button on her car keys and a small red car about three rows away lights flashed,
“These she is,” Wendy said to her self, more than me.
When we got to the car, I froze, unsure of what to do.
“You getting in or what?” she asked, frowning.
“Sorry, I’ve never been in a car before,” more shame reddened my cheeks.
“Well I guess that makes sense.”
Wendy walked around to the side of the red vehicle. She grasped the mental handle and pulled. The red door opened.
“Climb in,” she instructed.
I followed her instructions and sat on the plush seat. The inside smelled faintly of pine, triggering yet another memory…
The baking sun gleamed through the gaps in the leaves above us. She laid stretched out in the leaf-litter and pine needles. Around her, the year’s pups lay sprawled out; their paws sprawled every which way. A small female rolled and her head lay on her stomach. A pine needle rested on her shiny wet nose and she sneezed. The pink thing giggled as she sneezed again and again.
After a few more moments, the female cub settled again. Her eyelids dropped and she began to snore softly. A strong breeze blew and hundreds of needles fell and rested on top of them. The naked thing grasped a handful and inhaled deeply the scent of pine.
“You okay there?” Wendy’s voice echoed through my head, bringing me back to the present.
“Oh yeah, sure. Sorry, I kind of zoned out for a minute.”
“I noticed. Are you going to put on your seat belt?” Wendy pointed to the thing handing to the left just behind me.
“How do I put it on?” I asked, frowning at it.
Wendy sighed, “I’m surprised you haven’t been caught yet. You know, werewolves are supposed to be reported even if a human is suspected of being one of us, they’re executed.”
“Can I ask a question?”
“Shoot.”
“Can you show me how to put the seat belt on?”
YOU ARE READING
Raised By Wolves
Werewolf"I was raised by wolves, not werewolves, proper wolves." A girl raised by pack of grey wolves in the forest of North America, stumbles into the human world naked and alone. Taken in by one of her own, she takes a journey that would change her w...
