The Big Bad Wolf

8

Astrid's head snapped to the sound of whimpering and crying. Staying on guard, she found a pup alone in the woods crying. "Hey, are you alright?" She asked softly. Lucy making her scent seem human. "I'm lost! My brothers thought it would be fun for me to chase them, but my little legs aren't as fast as theirs are. I couldn't find them, and now I'm here!" She broke down sobbing. The pup couldn't be more than 5, and she was adorable. Blond hair, blue eyes, cute button nose. Astrid scooped her up, and patted her back. "Let me see if I can help you find your way back." The little girl, nuzzled her face in Astrid's neck. "Let's find her pack Luce!" Lucy yipped happily. They were headed towards her pack when they heard a twig snap. "What was that?" The little pup whispered. The forest went quiet. Astrid could smell the rogues, 5 of them. They were closing in on them, and she wanted the pup across the boarder before the rogues got there. "Nothing little one. Let's keep looking." The little pup nodded, burrowing further into Astrid's dark hair, and into her neck. She curled herself up into a ball.

They were almost to the boarder, but not close enough. "Stop right there cute thing!" A man yelled. She knew they were close, but not that close. She was so focused on the border she didn't feel them approach. A hand grabbed her shoulder, and spun her around. Her scent currently was human. These morons couldn't help themselves. "Oh look, the human has a little pup!" One cried gleefully. "Leave us alone. We wish you no harm. Just let us leave." She asked. The pup, trying to hide completely into Astrid. "See, you wish us no harm, but we wish you harm." The ring leader sneered. "So you have all lost your humanity? You wish to harm innocents? I don't think you all have." She eyed the youngest who looked away in shame. "Please, you don't understand. They cam hurt us, run scream for help. My family will help us!" Little One whispered quickly in Astrid's ear. "Little One, I know exactly who they are and they don't know who I am. You and that boy over there, will be some of the first to ever find out." She said sweetly.

"Little One I want you to get behind me, and stay there. Do not run, do not try to hide, no matter what you hear or see. Promise? I would never hurt you Little One, I promise with all my heart." Little One nodded, and whispered "promise"

"You, the one with humanity left. If you wish to not be harmed, I suggest you come stand behind me, before we get started. If you so not, you will meet the same fate as your friends here." The boy looked torn, he wanted to go stand behind her. He needed to go stand behind her. His wolf told him to stand behind her. Yet he didn't want to betray the only people who took him in as a boy. His wolf pleaded to go stand behind the woman. "Oh please! Just be a wimp and stand behind the woman. After we kill the pup, you can have first dibs on her." The ring leader shouted.

"I stand behind her, because it is the right thing to do. Stealing to survive is one thing. Killing to survive is one thing, killing to protect others is one thing, but this. I won't stand for. If you defeat her, kill me." The boy replied. Astrid felt proud of the boy. She felt a connection to him. She prayed that he would come stand behind her.

The rogues shifted and went to lunge. Astrid shifted into her large original blood wolf. The rogues, stopped mid attack, and fear leaked off them. "The big bad wolf is protecting us!" Little One cheered. With one swipe, Astrid slit the rogues throats. They were frozen with fear, she had to end them, they were too far gone to see reason. She shrunk her size and went to Little One. She was now the almost the size of a regular wolf. Little One ran to her and hugged her neck. "I knew you weren't all bad! I never believed those stories!" She cried hugging Astrid and Lucy. "I'm so sorry I doubted you." The boy fell to his knee head bowed. Astrid and Little one walked to the boy, using her nose she lifted his head. He bared his neck to her, and she licked it. He clenched his teeth together, on his neck was a moon with her wolf's head howling. "I pledge my allegiance to you, and only you." The boy said. She let out a happy bark, and nuzzled him. He giggled, and returned her affection by hugging her neck, like Little One. "Can I pledge my allegiance too?" Astrid shook her head. Little one pouted. Astrid laud her head on her paws and flat on her belly and whined softly. "Okay, when I'm older I will. I know I will." Astrid moved Little One towards her back and whined again. "She wants you to ride." The boy explained. He helped little one get on. Then Astrid motioned for him to get on too. He grabbed her bag, and his and nodded. "I'm Liam, by the way."

"Nice to meet you Liam. You may call my Astrid."

Liam gasped as Astrid's voice rang in his head. "Okay Astrid." He went to climb on her back, as soon as he was on, she grew in size to be the size of an Alpha, a large Alpha.