Wolf's Blood

-Chapter Five-

Merle was shuddering. It was January - four months after the school year started, two months after the secret of werewolves came out. A month and a half since Maggie was exiled from his pack.

Twenty-four hours since Paige died.

It was surreal, in a weird way. It felt like it didn't happen, he was only in a bad dream. The snow swirled around him as he climbed up the hill, guilt sitting in his chest like a hard stone. It was his fault Paige had died. He didn't know how - he hadn't even been in the same building. Maybe that was why.

Emotional turmoil made young werewolves switch at random. She had switched in the classroom during play and hadn't noticed. She jumped on someone. She was so small, and looked like a dog - the teacher kicked her in the ribs and one broke her rib and then she was dead. She turned back right before she died. Noone wanted to do the autopsy - in fact the teacher didn't want to talk about it. Nobody counted it as murder because technically she was dead before she switched. It was animal slaughter, the cops said, not manslaughter.

He struggled not to bite into the tiny corpse in his jaws. He'd carried her as a human to the edge of the city, and then turned into a wolf to make the going easier. He was so deep in the woods he wasn't sure if he could even make it back to the city. He'd stopped by his parents' house and left a note there for them, because he wasn't returning.

He buried her under what he knew was a wintering cherry tree, her favorite. She loved cherries and the beautiful cherry blossoms even if the fruit made her sick. Her grave was so petite, it hurt his heart to look at. So he closed her burial ground quickly, and covered it with snow. The ground would freeze and he was sure no predator would come to find the little girl under the ice and roots.

The strong scent of werewolf hit his nose despite the minor snowstorm. He tucked his tail low and walked beyond, eyes on the snow. He could sense eyes all around him. It was only a matter of time before one pair noticed him.

He recognized the wolf-scent of Carmen and Brian. It was strong on them; they clearly hadn't been human for a long time.

"You're Maggie's brother?" Carmen asked, raising her paw up slowly. "Right?"

"Right."

"I don't know if you'll be welcomed."

"I'm willing to try."

They walked him to the heart of the territory. It was among tall boulders and stones, covered in snow. It smelled strongly of his kind and he felt a nearly insatiable need to roll around and stay there forever. He'd never felt this alive before - even as he carried the sorrow from what had only recently happened.

It was a strange dynamic.

Before he knew it he was in the center of the huge boulders. And then there was a black wolf with white teeth flashing near his face and he was knocked on his back.

Her teeth were far too close to his muzzle for comfort. He keened and tucked his tail deep between his haunches, ears flattened and eyes averted. This was Maybelle. Her breath fell across his muzzle.

"What are you doing here?" she snarled.

"I want to join you," he whimpered submissively.

"I heard what you did to Maggie."

"I know," Merle whined. "I want to apologize. I want to make it up to her."

Maybelle withdrew her bared teeth and glanced around. "Where's Paige?"

Merle's heart ached. "That's why I'm here."

Maybelle glared at him. "Remember my earlier threat."

"Remember and heed," Merle agreed. "I will."

"Good." The black wolf backed up. "If this goes well and you end up joining, listen up. No more human form. Are you willing to give that up?"

"I was going to give it up anyway," Merle said tiredly. "I don't want to be involved with humans anymore."

Maybelle smiled and licked her nose. "Good. Follow me."

And he followed her.

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END