Moonlit Forever

Maddie POV

Running through the woods I could hear their thuds and shouts behind me. Skidding to a stop in front of a tree I grabbed the lowest hanging branch and pulled myself up. Feeling the bite of the rough wood against my palms, I climbed higher and higher. Stopping at a spot roughly 30 feet above the ground I waited. I watched as first Stephen with his long golden curls came to a stop and then Jesse come tumbling after. His short hair collecting leaves like a brillo pad. Snickering silently I watched as they sniffed around the tree.

"Where the hell did she go?"

"She's like a ninja!" Jesse said with awe.

"Mom and Dad are going to kill us if we can't find her!" Stephen said panicking. Hearing Jessie giving orders I watched as the two separated and took off searching for me. Twisting I took my back pack off and placed my back against the tree trunk. Rummaging through my pack I found the hammock I learned to knit online. Stringing it up carefully, I slipped in and waited.

Several hours later I heard someone climbing the tree. Glancing over the side of my hammock I saw my dad. Getting out I started to wrap it up and place it in my bag so by the time he got to me I was sitting with my bag on and ready to go.

"You know runt, it's not right to have wolves in the trees." My dad huffed out as he slid his leg over my branch to sit.

"Well it's a good thing I'm not right." I muttered out petulantly. Watching him rub his hand over his face, I continued to stare at the ground until I felt him scoop me up in his lap.

"You are right. You're just a little different." He told me nuzzling my neck and making me laugh.

"Dad, I'm not normal. I'm a runt." I sighed out after my laughing had subsided.

"You have room to grow my little runt. You're only 10."

"Stephen and Jesse were my size when they were six dad." I could feel my tears welling up in my eyes. I hated being the runt of the litter. Last born and a runt. Ducking my head so he wouldn't see the tears I watched as they fell onto my shorts.

"Yeah but Stephen and Jesse can't climb trees, they don't have nearly the advanced hearing you do and your sense of smell is better."

"Yeah but they are better fighters. They always beat me in training. Then they laugh at me and call me names!" I whined out looking at him.

"Well why don't we get you your own trainer? You can start training with someone new and learn to use your talents instead of hating them." He told me flicking my nose when I jerked my head up to look at him.

"Really?! " I asked the excitement apparent in my voice.

"Absolutely pup. Now let's get down and got to dinner." Placing me on the branch next to him he started to throw his leg over and climb down before I jumped down. Falling, I heard his scream as I aimed myself at the branch a few feet lower and landed gracefully on my feet. Doing that again I quickly found myself hitting the ground and turning to look at my dad's shocked face.

"I thought we were going to dinner?" I asked him confused. Jolting him out of his state, he quickly climbed down and kneeled in front of me.

"How did you do that?"

"Do what daddy?" I asked him with a scrunched up face.

"Jump between branches and land safely?"

"I practiced." I told him with a shrug. Feeling him hug me tightly I laughed a little. "Why did I worry you?"

"Scared the shit right out of me. Let's not tell your mom that you did that. She was ready to throttle your brothers when they said they lost you, I don't want her to kill me because you turned into a monkey on me." Standing we turned to walk home when he took off running. Racing to catch up to him, I pushed my legs as fast as they could go and before long we both burst into the clearing laughing. Seeing my mom come out onto the back deck, crossing her arms over her chest and hip popped out made me gulp. Feeling my dad place his hand on my shoulder I looked up at him.

"Go inside and wash up. I'll talk to you mom." Racing inside I hugged her quickly before heading to the wash room. Hearing her ask him if I was ok I listened to them talk about where he found me and the new deal we had struck up. Drying my hands quickly on my shorts I rushed to put my back pack in my cubby before heading to the table. Seeing my two brothers stand there and oogle at me had me sticking my tongue out at them. Letting my mom spoon fettucine onto my plate I waited until everyone had been served before I dug in with a gusto. Finishing up dinner I heard my mom yell at all three of us to head to our bathrooms and shower. Getting up from the table I raced upstairs with my brothers hot at my heels before I slid into my room and shut the door. Walking into my bathroom I turned on the shower and quickly got in. Leaning my head against the wall I let out a long sigh before I heard my brothers yelling at each other. Giggling when I heard mom and dad walking up the stairs I quickly set about washing my hair and body before getting out and toweling off. Grabbing my pink elephant robe I wrapped up in it before sitting down to brush my hair. Hearing the door open I turned on my bed to see my mom walking in and closing the door. Holding out her hand I quietly stuck my brush in it before turning around. Sitting in silence for a few minutes I began to fidget.

"Are you mad at me?" I asked quietly.

"I'm not mad sweetie. Not at you anyway. Your brothers are a different story right now. I'm just sad that you feel like you aren't normal."

"But I'm not. I'm small and everyone can beat me up. It's not fair."

"You are perfect and you aren't like everyone else because you're special. I don't know of many 10 year old wolves who would climb 30 feet into a tree and then jump down like a squirrel." Turning to gape at her she just chuckled.

"Your father ratted you out. He also told me you're getting your own personal trainer."

"Yeah." I told her with a shrug and turned around. After a minute I felt her pick up my hair and start to brush it again.

"Are you excited?"

Shrugging I picked at my bedspread until she had finished. Feeling her kiss my head I waited until she left before going to get my pajamas on and crawl into bed.

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