Donovan's Desire

Gray of all the Colors

Not a damn thing crossed the wolf's face at her demand. Not a grimace, not a blink. In fact, the beast turned his back on her and began walking further into the forest as though he was done with the conversation before it had begun. 

"Come back!" Now it was Addy's turn to get angry. "You have so much to explain!" 

The wolf's long strides made her jog to try to catch up to him, but he was not slowing down. 

"How can you just walk away right now? You basically lied to me, watched me shower and...and other stuff, which is the same as peeping through my window, and still haven't even bothered to tell me who you are!" 

Still he trekked onward toward the town, through the part of the forest Addy frequented less than any other due to its wetland geography. With everything chilled, though, it was just rock hard mud and looping roots that she had to hop over to follow him. If he had wanted to ditch her, he easily could have by now. 

"I know everything, Doggie. I talked to Zira and she told me that you are the alpha of your pack. You made a deal with her to be invisible and get revenge on cheating gamers. Not that I blame you for that part, but her end was protection for me. We both know exactly what is out here right now and I'm not going to be able to fight it on my own! It would be so much easier if you would just suck it up and turn into a person and talk to me!"

Nothing. 

"Stop walking away from me!" That was it, her strength let loose and the way ahead closed rapidly with thick vines, roots, and bent saplings. Breathing hard, she took an aggressive stance at her guardian who had stopped finally. The only thing that gave away the fact that he was not a statue were the puffs of whitish air coming from his snout. Slowly, he turned around and pinned her with not-so-happy-looking green eyes. 

"Will you shift back?"

A single shake of his head denied her, making her jaw clench tight. "Why not? Not part of your fucking deal with my cousin? Keep that spirit away until the night it finally comes to kill me for good, but perve on me until then? You have some kink about watching girls who are about to die walking around nude?"

Sharp teeth made themselves prominent, canines descending with a harsh growl that vibrated the ground. 

"So you are going to kill me yourself then, huh? Make it quick then, because I'm positive it won't. Then your end of the deal is done and you can go on your merry way," she didn't mean for her voice to crack, but it did. 

His snarl grew in volume and he stalked toward her, hackles raised. She faltered, now afraid that he was going to do just that, but a the first step backward had her heel catching on a dead limb so she fell right on her butt. 

The wolf loomed over her, so much taller now that she was reduced to nothing. His burning gaze searched hers for something, perhaps intent to fight him back, but she couldn't be sure. Her limbs had numbed right down to the bone with him so close. Even after all he had done, she couldn't help but feel protected being near him, though hot tears ran down her cheeks. 

His warm tongue licked away the liquid on her skin, leaving a tingling sensation like she had consumed too much alcohol. Her head dropped in defeat, hair touching the fur of his chest as she let out a broken sob. 

"Why?" The question was directed and nobody in particular, but it came out anyway. "No one will tell me anything. I feel like I'm just being sent to slaughter." 

He whined, making her heart ache with the sound. She was aware of him using one of his hand-like front paws to reach to his own neck. Thumb buried in the fur for a moment before hooking on a thin chain and pulling a necklace over his head. Addy could recognize Zira's handiwork anywhere as the circular amulet fell into her palm, its crossbar a wavy line. The symbol was not water, but her business card as it represented 'her fabulous hair,' something that Addy had always thought was extremely stupid until now when it perfectly identified the maker.