Moonrise ✔ [Complete]

47 Alive

Maeyune woke to something wet and hot flicking across her face. It stirred her out of sleep, and grimacing, she reeled her head back. But moving caused a wave of pain to wash down her body. She groaned and plopped her face into the sand again, longing for sleep to return to her.

The wet and hot object continued, this time brushing against her temple with more persistence. She pried open her heavy eyelids, and when her vision cleared at last, she found herself nose to nose with a wolf.

Its dark eyes blinked back at her, and a startled gasp escaped her. She pushed off her stomach and scurried away, turning her legs toward the wolf. She raised a foot and prepared to kick. But her sudden movement sent a piercing throb of pain into her right shoulder, and she cried aloud. Momentarily disregarding the animal, she cast her eyes down to see what ailed her shoulder.

Running at least five inches long from her shoulder and down her upper arm was a deep gash. Her battlesuit's sleeve had been torn, and sand and blood encrusted the wound. She was sure she'd received it when she'd fallen into the river, having struck a rock or fallen branch as the current had claimed her.

The wolf moved, and her body tensed again. She expected it to launch itself at her. But instead, it maintained its distance and only laid on its stomach. Its shaggy tail snapped back and forth, like that of an excited dog, and its tongue fell out from its mouth as it began to pant.

Only then did she see two more wolves standing behind it.

Alarmed, she slid backward a few inches, only to feel water at her wrists.

She risked a rapid glance over her shoulder before facing the wolves again. The river was to her back, and there was nowhere for her to go.

She was trapped and injured.

She refrained from moving, afraid it would inspire an attack.

The wolf that lay on the ground was the largest of the three, nearly twice in size in comparison to the others. Its fur was as black as night, and its eyes, a dark brown. The second wolf was just as black, but far smaller, slimmer, and more audacious.

It approached her, slowly—but not with the stalk of a predator as she had expected. Its steps were smooth and casual, and when Maeyune shifted her body in defense, it stopped and waited patiently beside its companion. She saw that the second black wolf's eyes were green, an almost bright jade, and she could not help find them beautiful.

They were both male, Maeyune realized. And the third...

The third wolf was slender, with a pointed face and a soft brown coat. It did not move, but rather remained where it sat behind its black companions and watched with steady eyes--like that of a mother.

A mother, Maeyune pondered. She eyed the two black wolves in front of her, who, it appeared, could hardly contain their excitement. And brothers?