BlackWolf, NVD [novels for teenagers txt] 📗

The wolf pack rested under the silky moonlight. Shafts of liquid silver filtered through the trees. Almost every member of the pack remained wolves, though a few found their human form more comfortable.
The pack began to make small temporary dens under the snow. Even by the time the scout returned, they would need more energy. This famine made long treks nearly impossible. But food was the reason they were even migrating. Hunger made the wolves do stupid things to get themselves killed.
The Alpha, Eric, had chosen to do this for the overall wellbeing of the pack. They had to migrate during late winter because if they went during spring, they might have to worry about pups, who would need far too much care to make it.
So the pack settled into the frigid, numbing snow and tried to sleep.

Sam, a wirey gray wolf, paused to make sure there were no scents of danger. He noted that the wind was blowing toward him. This was good. It meant that it wouldn't just make the work more laborious, but it would tell him of any danger ahead. Any reason to turn back and tell Eric why they should wait to advance.
He was about to continue his scouting mission, when he noticed something in the air. The scent of blood was strong suddenly. Sam was not one to make decisions based on his hunger, though. While some of his friends died eating bad meat or poisonous mushrooms, he had controlled himself. But it was hard to turn away from the scent of fresh caribou blood.
Sam shifted to a boy with short brown hair and gray eyes. He walked quickly and silently toward the smell. When he saw a brown caribou lying on the ground, he quickened his pace. He paused about ten feet away. The smell was overpowering.
But something was wrong. There were no other wolves around. And one small wound in the side of the caribou didn't show any teeth marks. This was strange. Sam shifted back to wolf form and took a few tentative steps toward it and nothing happened. He walked up to it and was about to tear into it when he heard a soft click behind him.
Sam spun around and almost hit the barrel of a gun. He jumped back, instantly snarling. The human seemed stunned, but held his ground and seemed to try to be deciding whether to shoot or not.
Sam shifted to human. The man didn't seem surprised this time. "Werewolf," he said to himself.
"Um, actually," Sam said, noticing how the man was surprised he could talk, "The official term is lycanthrope. Even a simple "wolf" would work. I have no trouble making myself change, and the fact that you don't bother to learn the difference and that you're going to try to kill me really rubs my fur the wrong way."
Nobody else heard the shots that were fired.

I woke to movement above me. I pushed up and came out of the hard, icy snow. I saw other wolves popping out. Colors stood out in the snow: gray, brown, golden, beige, and black, like me. The few white wolves took a moment to become obvious. I shook off my fur and saw Eric walking toward me in human form.
Eric is technically my gaurdian. He was a friend of my parents when they were killed. I never liked him, even though he was a good Alpha and at least tried to be an acceptable parent. He was just always intimidated by whoever didn't listen to him. Even now he approached in human form - a universal sign of "don't kill." He might as well have been holding up a huge white flag.
I shifted to a 14 year girl with the same black hair and blue eyes as before. He faltered, but figured I must have been in a good mood to only be scowling at him.
"Shaye. I assume you are not hunting today," he said. It wasn't a question.
"If you mean walking around and not finding any sign of life, no. If you mean letting me try my plan, I would be happy to."
He sighed through his nose. "You know what I think about that. I wanted you to go find the scout. He at least should have been back by now. If he's okay, bring him back. If not, find the cause of death." He started to turn away.
"Fine, but I'm bringing Luke," I said.
"Lucas is sceduled for hunting. Go alone," he said.
"It wasn't really a question. It was more of an FYI."
I shifted back to wolf before he could respond and ran to Luke. Hey. We're going to find Sam. Maybe find a few rabbits along the way.

He glanced over at Eric. Okay. Sounds better than hunting.

I walked to the other side of the clearing. A few wolves still stared at me. I am the only one to ever talk that way to any alpha, so it's a little bit of fame that makes them leave me alone.
Another reason I've always gotten a little more attention was because of my different appearance. First, I was the only black pup in ten years. Gray and different shades of brown are so common that a black or white wolf is noticed.
Second, I am much bigger than normal wolves, even older than me. Don't get me wrong, as a human, I'm completly average. It's an adaptation to avoid being noticed by humans, but as a wolf, I stand six six inches taller at the shoulder than average.
Now you see why it's a relief when they leave me alone.
I led Lucas out of the pack's temporary territory. We followed the faint traces of Sam's scent. The snow made it difficult, but there were also a few tracks to follow.
I had to spread my toes to avoid sinking into the snow that was now thawing. The tempurature was just slightly rising. Enough that there would maybe be slush by noon.

An hour or two and a rabbit later, I smelled Sam mixed with the smell of caribou and... a human. I could see that Luke noticed it too. I sped up to a slow run. I wasn't sure if I wanted to see what had happened.
It became stronger. I looked around me in every direction because the scent of blood was so powerful and sickening. I saw a streak of red and ran toward it. Lying in the snow was the carcass of a caribou and two bodies.

Publication Date: 05-19-2012

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