Finding Time | ON HOLD |

CHAPTER XI

Chapter Eleven:The Hide and the Hunt

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The car rocked from side to side as we traveled down the gravel road with the dense forest on either side.I searched between the trees,hoping to catch a glimpse of one of the wolves I would soon be running from.

"Aren't you excited? You'll be a lycan.I mean sure it's only for a day or two or however it takes for Time to come rescue you but it's happening.And I brought the best hides for you to choose from."Artemis spoke animatedly from the driver's seat.

At least one of us was excited about this whole experience.

"What are hides?"I asked avoiding her first question.

"Oh, they're the skins of some of the first few lycans whose humans died before they could shift so they never actually became one.When the humans died,the hides separated themselves so they could find someone else who is worthy to inhabit permanently.Until then they just used for temporary shifts,like yours,binding with whoever they call out to and then they go back into storage afterwards."She explained."Although most of them found humans millenia ago."

"Is that how it is for all werewolves?They need to connect to a hide to be able to shift?"

"No,now it's only purebred lycans that have hides and even then it's like hundreds of years before the hide gets transferred to the next purebreed due to the lycan lifespan.Werewolves are just born with wolves already sharing half their bodies with them so they don't need hide.Well, here we are. Lupus Grande."

We both exit the car and head to the boot were there are five trunks.We take all of them out and place them on the road before opening them.

"Let me introduce you to my first lycans Haelius,"she points to the white one,"Arlo,"the light grey,"Xedas,"the charcoal grey,"Era,"the reddish-brown,"and Polemistís,"she points to the last on that is pitch black."Each of these hides is special in it's own way and each one different.Pick one."

I look at her then the hinds in the trunks."Do I just eeny-meeny-miny-mo or is there a process?"

"Pick whichever one calls out to you."She says as if it's the simplest thing ever.

I look at each hide individually, starting with Haelius.Its fur is absolutely gorgeous,snow white with no other color on it.It was pure but not efficient since it was summer and there was no snow meaning I could easily be spotted in the mass of greens and browns in the forest.

Next I went over to Arlo but left as quickly because I couldn't see myself with that hide.For some reason,Arlo did not call out to me.

I spent the next few minutes looking at Xedas before moving onto Era.

Era appealed to me,not only because of the color as it would be easier to hide but something else stood out.I couldn't pin point what it was but I couldn't take my eyes off the reddish-brown hide.It was magnificent but suddenly my eyes went to the last trunk and as it was being controlled by an unseen force,my body moved towards Polemistís.

The black of the hide shined in the summer sun and the fur looked soft.So soft I reached out to touch it.

As soon as I did Polemistís's hide jumped on me,engulfing me and despite it being almost 80 degrees outside, I didn't feel hot.I felt good,as if this was meant to happen.