Werewolf Pride

Jaeda's POV

For the past few weeks, my daily walk has taken me to a secluded meadow in the middle of the woods. Since last Monday, I've felt something watching me, but nothing's there.

I couldn't sleep tonight, so I decided to take another walk. Force of habit led me towards the meadow, and I sat on my rock in the middle, staring at the full moon. I heard a low growl behind me and looked back. Two amber-orange eyes glared at me and I started running, knowing in my heart that it was futile. One hundred and eighty pounds of a furry something landed on my back, pressing me into the earth. Sharp fangs tore into my upper arm, biting hard but not ripping. Pain arced throughout my body, causing me to howl. The furry thing climbed off of my back, leaving me free to writhe in pain. I felt myself slip over the brink and lose consciousness.

I woke up a few minutes later. My body felt different, longer, thinner, and stronger. My senses were sharper, too. My eyes picked up the smallest amounts of light and magnified them, making the night light up like it was noon. I took a deep breath, and strange scents flooded my nose. I smelled the sharp scent of blood, a deep, mellow cinnamon and paprika smell, and a strong, gentle, lemon and orange scent. I figured out that the lemon and orange scent, as well as the smell of blood, were coming from me and stood up so that I could find the source of the cinnamon and paprika smell. My arms stayed on the ground and I looked at them, shocked. They were covered with deep red fur, with sprinkles of brown, gray, black, and white fur mixed in with it. My arms were long, slim, sleek legs that ended in large, furry paws with thick, blunt claws at the end of each toe. I turned my head to look at my body. It was long, light, and covered with more of the red fur. I felt something swaying at the end of my body and tried to move it. It was a tail, and when I saw it I knew what I was. Whatever bit me had turned me into a werewolf. I turned my head around until I pinpointed the source of the unfamiliar scent. A tall, well-proportioned black werewolf with brown and grey hairs mixed into his coat sat still, watching me quietly. I felt an old instinct rising up in me. I raised my tail and snarled, showing my teeth and threatening him. He stood up, lowered his head, and made every appeasing gesture that a wolf can make. I felt a thought come to me.

I mean you no harm, young one. I am here to teach you about being a werewolf. You must be hungry.

I tried to send a thought to him and succeeded. I'm not so sure that you mean no harm to me, because I'm sure that you were the wolf that bit me, but I am hungry. What do we eat?

I felt his amusement. What do normal wolves eat? We aren't all that different. We can be wolves at any time, but the full moon demands that we shift into our wolf form. It's the only time that we can't choose whether to shift or not. In a while, after we feed you, I'll explain why I bit you. You'll understand. He loped off into the trees and I followed him warily. He dropped his nose to the ground and changed directions, telling me to smell the ground and follow the scent. I sniffed deeply and caught a fragrant, meaty smell. It aroused my hunger, driving me onward. I caught up with the wolf and followed him as he picked up speed. We entered another clearing and saw a large elk standing petrified in the middle. I ran as fast as I could, jumped on the elk's back, and sunk my teeth into the back of its neck, snapping the bone. The elk dropped to the ground and I rolled away to avoid being crushed. I tore into the abdominal cavity, obeying a wild drive that made me search for the best food. I found the liver and gorged, eating it quickly. I looked back at my kill to find the other wolf standing behind it. I came off the ground in a smooth lunge, growling. Get away from my kill, stranger. I killed it. It's mine, and I'll fight for it. He backed off.

It would bad indeed if the Warrior attacked me. As the Hunter, I'd stand no chance. If you share, I'll explain werewolf lore, as well as why I bit you.

All right, but after this, you get your own food. He walked carefully forward and bit open a patch of hair on the shoulder of the elk, ripping bites of meat and swallowing them. I ate from the hindquarters, asking him questions as we ate.

Why did you bite me?

The previous Warrior died during the last full moon. The Hunter's responsibility is to create the new Warrior when the old one dies, and the Warrior must create the new Hunter when the current Hunter dies. If I die before you do, you must bite a human and create the new Hunter. Only during the full moon can we change a human into a werewolf.

Why did you choose me as the new Warrior?

You were here, and available as a new wolf. I've also been watching you for several days, and you looked like you would make a good werewolf. The pack frowns on going out into civilization and hunting down humans. We have to take the humans that wander into the woods, and a werewolf that actually kills a human is killed. It makes sense, because once a wolf gets a taste of human flesh he craves it and must keep killing. What's your name?

Jaeda. What name do you go by?

Ethan is my name. How old are you?

I turned eighteen in April. Why?

The elders of the pack frown on young werewolves. They get out of control too easily. The pack has a very definite structure, with the Alpha, or Leader, being the highest ranking, then the Elders, the oldest, wisest wolves, then the wolves who are more inclined toward fighting, then the hunting wolves. After that comes to pups- younglings like you, although you are a special case. The Warrior and the Hunter are outside the ranking system, although either one can become an Elder or the Leader. There are four packs of werewolves in this general locale. There is only one Hunter and one Warrior in each locale where werewolves live. Each large gathering of packs, called a Gather, is separated by at least four hundred miles. That's a long two days journey for the average werewolf, which makes it hard for an inter-Gather war to start. Inter Pack wars start very easily, because most wolves have short tempers. Right now, the Packs are at peace, although that can change. Because you and I are outside the Pack system, we can go anywhere in the territory of any pack that we want.

He continued. Because you are newly changed, you and I have to stay in werewolf form for a month. All of the other werewolves bitten tonight, as well as their creators, will also stay in werewolf form for a month.

What about my family, friends, and job?

A piece of powerful werewolf magic comes into play. The instant that I bit you, a magical form of you and me entered the world. At the end of the month, when we phase back, your magical form will join with you, giving you all the details about what happened during the month.

We finished eating, leaving the remnants of meat, hide, and bone. We walked into the woods and followed a faint path deeper in. I felt the sun coming up as a faint stirring of movement and heat. Ethan raised his head and sniffed deeply.

There are twelve other werewolves who have to remain in wolf form for the month. There are three females, all of which are ones that were bitten tonight. The Alphas of the second smallest pack and the largest pack are teaching new wolves about survival.