Winter Wolves

Chapter 6

Colton saw in despair how his mate refused to eat. It had been 4 weeks and she hadn't taken a single bite out of anything they brought to her. She had prepared herself for the winter, that was clear to Colton now, the first couple of months she had been strong and fearless. Now she was so thin that she could barely move. The collar now hanged loosely on her neck. It couldn't get past her skull for her to escape tough.

Even in that state she was, she had always been aggressive. Colton had tried to assure her that he meant no harm, that he kept her that way because she was dangerous to his pack members and he couldn't allow her to escape. They were meant to be together.

But it seemed as if he was talking to a wild animal. She just growled and snarled every time he came closer. She was wary of everything and everyone. She never even sniffed the food they placed by her side. She never shifted back to her human form to beg for mercy or scream in rage at him.

If she remained like this, she would only have a few more days on this earth, before her soul was carried away, leaving Colton the same he was before finding her.

In desperate need of advice, Colton went to the oldest council elder. With the age came the wisdom, and Colton needed that to figure out how to help his mate.

The elder wolf had midnight-black eyes. His skin was wrinkled, and his hair fell to his shoulders in thin and brittle white strands. But his voice was thunder-like, sometimes making even Colton wince at it.

-Elder Tyler...-Colton addresses the council man with a nod of his head.

-Alpha Shaw, I see that you finally have come to your senses! - Said Tyler.

-What do you mean? – The words of the old man had bristled Colton up. He tightened his lips.

-The council was wondering how longer would you keep starving her...-

Colton cut the elder's words with a rattling snarl. He glared at the man before booming:

-I AM NOT STARVING HER, SHE'S REFUSING TO EAT! -

Colton's face had become more angular and his body had begin vibrating. The implications made by elder Tyler where upsetting him.

-You have two eyes, but you can't see Alpha- The Elders voice was meant to be soothing but Colton was fuming.

-WHAT IS IT THAT I CAN'T SEE? – Colton's eyes had turned a shade darker, a clear sign that he was losing control.

-Having your mate so close to you but out of reach is making you aggressive...- The elder seemed to be laughing silently at Colton, that only enraged him more.

- WHAT IS IT THAT I CAN'T SEE? TELL ME OR...-

-Alpha, don't be so childish. Why do you get angry at me for your mistakes? You see, you and me, we are house dogs: easy going creatures, we eat, we sleep and only sometimes we bite and take our claws out. But your mate? Oh no...she's a wolf, a very wild one at that. I could recognize a feral rogue from miles ahead- Tyler was making less sense to Colton than ever.

-What does it  mean a feral rogue? -Colton snapped.

-Feral rogues are werewolves that can't switch back to their human form. They keep their humanity, but, because of an unknown reason they remain on their fur side.-

That revelation shocked Colton: it all made sense now. It was not that she felt safer in her fur, or that she didn't trust them being close when she was at her weakest form. She was trapped in wolf form; she couldn't shift even if she wished to. She felt the wolfs desires and instincts stronger than a normal shifter. It then clicked in his head what he had done.

-Now you get it Alpha- Said Tyler -You chained a wild animal that was used to roam free...besides all that, there is this...hurt in her eyes that I can't quite place; plus she doesn't trust any of us. She has a lot of reasons to cease eating.-

-I can catch up with all that sometime else, my concern now is how I get my mate to eat-

-She's scared Colton, everyone you have send out to bring her food is threatening for her, and don't get me started with you, I've been watching you two. She is terrorized of you-

-And what am I supposed to do?- Colton was desperate to hear the answer.

-Send someone non-threatening-

-I already know that, but who? -

- Hannah.-