Born Wild

The pack pt 2

Daisy went first, bubbling with energy and warmth as she spoke. She had been in the pack for about 4 years. She joined a while after Shadow. Daisy was born a werewolf. Both of her parents are werewolves, but Daisy lives a couple of hours away from them. She wanted to join the Elkford pack because she didn't want to be alone. She owns the bakery in Elkford. She loves making art and natural products with herbs.

"You already know Hugo and me." Shadow said. "What you don't know is that I have a husband, Oliver, who isn't a werewolf." She brushed off the subject. "Anyways, you came here because you wanted to learn more about being in a pack, so go ahead and ask what you want to know."

For a while, they asked some questions about being in the pack. They found out that the members have jobs that they can step away from for a few weeks if they need to in case the hunter is tracking them. They can always choose to stay at home instead of traveling with the pack, however, most of the members usually travel together. A pack member isn't required to do anything and the pack is basically just a big family. They also were told that they would be taught everything the pack knew about being a werewolf.

They said the pack leader was so warm and kind and felt like a mother to all of them. She takes care of all of them like they are her own kin. A large part of Tala and Koda wanted to have a mother figure in their life even if they wouldn't openly admit it. They asked what her name was. They told them that they will not exchange names either way. They must learn each other's names for themselves.

Koda and Tala decided to go outside the barn to talk about whether they wanted to join or not, although they weren't forced to decide that night.

"What do you think?" Tala coaxed.

"I think I would enjoy being in the pack, but only if that's what you want." He smirked and played with her hair.

"I want to..." She replied.

"Let's join then." He kissed her cheek and they held hands and they started walking back. 

They heard muffled sounds of crying from around the barn. They walked around to see Shadow by herself with crossed arms.

"Shadow? What's wrong?" Tala asked.

"I'll just be inside." Koda said.

Shadow watched him go around the corner and they sat down on empty barrels next to each other.

"I wish I could have told you sooner about Oliver but I try to protect him at all costs. Barely anyone knows about him. I'm sorry I had to hide it from you."

Tala put her hand on Shadow's shoulder. "Shadow it's okay, we understand."

"That's not why I'm crying though...There's more you need to know about my past." Shadow began to tell her story.

Shadow was a young adult, full of hopes and aspirations for her life. She had a big family that loved her so much. They spent all of their time together. 

One night Shadow was driving. She had been shopping with her friends earlier and had gone to see the newest film in the theatre. She soaked in the warm night, the fireflies, the light breeze, the swaying green trees, the loud music. The wind blew through the open windows as she winded through back roads, dancing across her skin and sweeping her black hair into the breeze. The full moon's light shone on her pale skin.

She suddenly felt the symptoms. Hurting jaw and spine. Tingling in her arms. She quickly drove to her parent's house in the country. She got out of the car. Before she knew it she was a wolf. A beast. She had to leave everything she had behind. She had to protect her family and friends from who she was. She didn't want to be who she was but she didn't have a choice. She packed everything she needed in the car that she owned and left. 

She was sadder than she could bear having to run away from everything. She had no choice. They could never know. She had to hurt the ones she loved to save them. She drove a few hours to the coast of Northern Washington where she knew there was free camping. She found a job but didn't make much money. It would take her a long while to be able to afford to get a place to stay. She was homeless and slept in her car. At night she drove to a free camp, usually, they were empty.

She was used to music, late nights, a loud family, the tv going, dinner sizzling on the stove, and a safe warm home. Now everything was quiet and eerie. There was no escape from the quiet whistling wind or from the owls and bats swooping through the trees. She was surrounded by the wild forest and was far from the safety of the city. Shadow began to change over the months. The naiveness and carefree nature of her past self was traded for wisdom, planning, and mystery. Shadow, however, still felt weak. She didn't understand how powerful werewolves truly were. She didn't understand that the whole forest was afraid of her.

One night as she was about to transform in the forest, she heard something. She glanced around knowing exactly what the sound was. It wasn't a rabbit, or bear, or owl. She knew someone was following her. She looked through the night and saw a man walking with a small silver knife. She ran to her car and left to go to a different campsite as fast as she could. A week later he showed up there. He had found her but how? Why was he chasing her? 

She looked at the ground. She had left footprints in the forest. She ran away a few times to different camps, but she didn't have many places to go. She had to keep working but couldn't afford to stay somewhere. She felt trapped. She didn't want the police to get involved because her family would find her. Fear began to rule her heart. One night as she was going to her car from the campfire, she saw a movement in the corner of her eye. "Please let it be a deer." she thought. "Tomorrow I promise to call the police."

The man which Shadow couldn't bring herself to describe the man who cornered her against her car. She didn't have time to unlock her car. Her car had to be manually unlocked with her key and he was too close. She ran into the forest. She had night vision and he didn't so she would have the upper hand in the dark. She lost him and stopped in the trees to breathe for a minute. She smelled something potent.

She turned around, feeling drops of oil being thrown on her skin. Before she knew it she was paralyzed on the ground against a tree. She couldn't move her limbs. She could barely speak. "Stop please." She coughed.

He inched closer, pulling out his short blade. He pulled out her wallet from her jacket and looked at her driver's license. His face was blank.

"I'm sorry Darcy that I have to do this, but you are a monster. I have to protect others." 

She was too paralyzed to speak as he inched closer with his blade. She saw a movement in the trees behind him. Shadow watched in a blur as the man was thrown to the ground by a large wolf. She watched him struggle as the wolf grabbed his vile with its mouth, throwing it far away into the forest and hearing it clink. The wolf ran to Shadow and threw her limp body onto its back before running off into the night. The wolf was the pack leader.

She brought Shadow into her house. She gave her food and a warm bed. She gave Shadow a new name to go by to protect her from the hunter. She said lone wolves rarely escaped the hunter for that long. Shadow was fast and sneaky and disappeared like a shadow.

Shadow met Oliver a few months later at a coffee shop and they fell for each other. She eventually told him she was a werewolf and he was completely accepting. Shadow said that every time she was around Oliver she felt happy and safe like her old self. They got married in the courthouse and decided not to wear their rings.

Apparently, the only faces the hunter knows are the leader's and Shadows. 

"I wish the hunter didn't know my face so we could tell people we're married. I have to protect him from the hunter..." 

Tala felt sad for her and gave her a hug. Tala didn't even want to think about having to hide her love for Koda.

After she finished speaking, Tala knew that the woman who was once just a mysterious figure in the forest was now a close friend. Shadow drove the two of them home later that night with a proud smile.

"Welcome to the pack."