Here Lies

Chapter 3

I lay there with tears of pain streaming down my face, my body shaking in pain and fear as well as anger. Marty threw the whip aside before walking over to me and kicking me in the ribs hard. I yelped one last time before he made his way upstairs.

Slowly I sank down to the floor. "Go do whatever the fuck you want woman as long as you stay out of my sight!" Marty yelled at Hannah. Hannah hurried down the stairs and grabbed the lantern. Eden came down the stairs with a bucket and other things.

I heard Marty go up to his room and soon he began to snore. "August, can you hear me?" Hannah asked as she gently rubbed my left ear. I whined and she set the lantern down beside her.

"Eden honey, bring that pail over here please?" Hannah asked her son.

Eden brought the bucket over and I saw it was filled with water. Hannah took a soft cloth that Eden handed to her and dipped it into the water. Slowly Hannah touched the cloth to my lashes and the cloth turned red.

"You did good August, thank you for being careful." Hannah said.

"I don't feel too good..." I said, quickly I pushed myself up just to fall back down and try again. This process kept happening until Eden put a hand on my shoulder gently so he didn't hurt me.

Then hunched over as I started hacking and gagging. "Mommy what's wrong with August?" Eden said.

"August, calm down. Eden go grab some longer grass." Hannah said. She was right about the grass, I couldn't get sick without it and then I'll just continue to feel shitty. Eden ran up the stairs and I focused on calming myself but it was hard with the pain I was experiencing.

Eden returned with a handful of grass. I ate it and lay there waiting for it to do its thing.

After a time a sour taste filled my mouth and this time when I gagged I got sick. I heaved and then my sickness was over and I felt better but I was still in pain which only would go away when I healed.

Hannah moved me carefully into a clean area where she continued to sop up blood and clean my wounds with the water. Little Eden stroked my fur comfortingly and even helped his mother. Despite my pain I found myself drifting to sleep as Hannah hummed and I felt Eden relax and lean against me. I looked down to see him asleep, tucked into my chest, soon I even fell asleep.

I was awoken the next day by Eden. "August!" Eden said.

I lifted my head and found him at the bottom of the stairs. "He's gone, this time I know he's gone for at least three days, momma packed his suit case. She says he's going on a trip." Eden said.

Hannah came down then and undid my chain. "Come on August, I know one of the best ways for your kind to heal is to run." Hannah said.

Slowly I pushed myself up. It hurt but I was starting to be used to my pain. I stood on shaky legs, I hated being fucking weak. I stepped forward but almost fell as that leg gave out. I pushed myself back up and tried again.

I made my way up the basement stairs and saw the open door. My heart beat in excitement, I could finally run. Granted not like how I wish but I could still be allowed to run! I limped on, me and my wolf annoyed with how slow we were forced to go.

I forced myself to move as fast as I could, that speed hurt like hell but it was worth it because in a few minutes I was feeling better. I pushed on into a trot which turned into a jog. Before I knew it I was in a full out run, my paws churned the earth and each heart beat sent a jolt through me.

"August!" I heard Hannah and Eden yelling my name, I realized I had gone out of their sight. The reason? I was lost in the joy of running, also I was hungry and saw a fat, juicy rabbit... Just the thought and sight of it made my mouth water!

I caught it and trotted back to Eden and Hannah, rabbit in my mouth and drool hanging from my lips. I dropped the dead rabbit and lay down before tearing into it, the taste of blood filled my mouth and in minutes I was chewing on a bone. The rest of the rabbit devoured and in my stomach save the bones of course.

"I forgot you haven't eaten August, I'm sorry I didn't think of that..." Hannah said as she kept her distance.

I snorted in response before catching wind of a deer. I saw the brown of its fur in the trees. I think Hannah and Eden saw it too but I had already jumped up and bounded off into the forest before they could stop me.

"August no!" Hannah yelled. The deer had began running which excited me more, I gave chase before Eden and Hannah's voices broke into my focus.

I saw a pig running instead and leaped onto it, sinking my teeth in and it squeeled and fought before it died. I dragged it back and Hannah sighed with relief. "August! Stop running off or I will have to rechain you out here!" Hannah scolded me. I folded my ears back and glowered at her.

I heard Eden giggle. "August you look silly with that in your mouth, it's half the size of you and probably weighs just as much!" He said as he continued to giggle. I began eating again, by the time I was done my hunger was sated and I was healed.

"Eden you wanna go swimming today?" Hannah asked.

"Can August come with?" Eden asked.

"Yes, your father will be gone for another day at the least." Hannah said.

"Why did he leave?" I asked Hannah, it was becoming easier to speak in my wolf form.

"Um, Eden why don't you go inside and get your swimming trunks on?" Hannah said, Eden happily ran inside. "To answer your question, Marty has another someone. He goes to see her every weekend, I've been packing his luggage for a year now. Who ever she is she does a good enough job and he doesn't bother me." Hannah said.

"If you don't mind me asking, how old are you exactly?" I asked Hannah.

"Young, I had Eden when I was 20. Believe it or not, Marty was once a good man and I loved him. Then he came back from work one day and is a completely different man, that was the day I stopped loving him and started hating him." Hannah said. "I'm 28 now. How old are you?" Hannah asked.

"19, I turn 20 in 7 months." I told her.

"Well it's good to know I'm not old enough to be your mom!" Hannah said and she laughed and I did the wolf equivalent of that.

"So you got a girlfriend or anyone out there somewhere?" Hannah asked.

"Just me, August the lone wolf who was supposed to be alpha... I guess I'm more my mother's son than my father's. My father met my mother, she was a lone wolf and even though she couldn't speak he loved her. It's actually uncommon for werewolves to mate with regular wolves..." I said.

"What happened after?" Hannah asked curiously.

"She stayed near my father, they were mates after all. The pack liked her but she preferred only being around my dad, she'd been a lone wolf for years. She felt uncomfortable around the pack. Hell, I never did feel comfortable around the pack either..." I said.

Eden ran out then in his swimming trunks. "Lets go!" He yelled as he raced off towards a lake.

I ran up behind him and leaped over him. "Hey Eden, wanna see what it's like to run like me?" I asked him.

"Sure!" He said.

"Then get on my back!" I told him, he squeezed his legs and held onto the fur on my shoulders tightly. "Hold on!" I warned before racing off.

I weaved between trees, jumped over logs and ducked under branches. The whole time Eden was laughing in joy. My own heart soared at making this kid happy for once, I found myself growing close to Eden and Hannah. Like I had finally found people who I felt I belonged around and accepted me. Truth be told, Eden was more of a friend than I've had in years...