First Apperance

Sapphire ran for hours, as the sun faded away and finally set and the moon began its accent before we came to a deep enough part of the forest that she felt we could stop for a bit and rest. Well, she could rest. I was not tired, I wanted to see everything, I wanted to touch everything. I could feel everything through Sapphires paws, but it felt clouded, as if there were layers of cloth in the way, I wanted to feel everything myself.

“I’m going to shift now Evangeline, and I’m going to rest. I need my strength before we continue. If you need me call me.” Sapphire’s voice sounded so tired. As she receded to the back of our mind to sleep, I took over the reins and shifted us to my human form.

As my paws became arms and legs, I lifted my hands off the ground in surprise. It felt odd, the ground felt fuzzy, and it tickled my skin where it touched. “Grass, the fuzzy green stuff is grass Evangeline.” Sapphires tired voice filled my mind. Grass. I put my hands back on the ground and stuck my face into the grass taking the scent deep into my lungs, my eyes grew wide, and I smiled as I stretched out and laid fully in the grass. I had never smelled anything so amazing in my life. I didn’t even know how to explain the amazing scent of grass. It was sweet and fresh, and as I rolled on to my back and wiggled down into it the strands tickled by skin and the feeling was amazing.

A soft, beautiful sound came from above me. I opened my eyes, searching the branches of the trees towering over head, looking for what made that sound. Then it came again, longer this time, it was soft and sweet, and I found myself smiling, though I was not sure why.

“Sapphire, what is that sound?”

“It’s a bird.” Her tone was tired, and I knew she needed to sleep. “It’s singing. Birds communicate by chirping and singing.”

“It’s so beautiful.” I laid there, just enjoying the melody. Leaves moved nearby and my eyes snapped open again, my head rolling to the side and my gaze landing on a small, furry animal. It was round, with tall ears and a nose that was moving up and down quickly. As I watched, it froze, starring back at me, before turning and racing away at an amazing speed. It was cute but clearly not a threat since it was now gone.

Hearing a splash, like when my bucket is lowered to the floor of my cell, and I shot up looking around. Water. Standing to my feet I listened again for the sound of water and when I heard another splash, I started walking towards it. I stumbled over rocks that tore the soft soles of my feet, and through small trees who’s branches and leaves left red marks and even scratches on my skin. But I needed water.

Soon I pushed through a group of small trees and stumbled onto smooth rocks and dirt, looking up and out my mouth fell open in surprise, there was so much water, and it was rushing by, lapping at the rocks and dirt as it passed. This was not a beach and the ocean, so it must be what Sapphire called a river.

I stepped closer jumping a little when the icy water touched my skin. I wiggled my toes in the water enjoying the sensation of the dirt and water dancing around my feet. Stepping out further, the cold water came to my knees, and I felt my skin jump to attention, goosebumps Sapphire had called them. Another few steps and the icy water came to my hips now; I felt my hair weight down and being pulled in the water. Sapphire had been surprised at how long my hair was but conceded that with no scissors it was not completely unheard of, she did say we would need to cut it. Years without a brush had left it matted she’d said and there was no saving it. Currently the ends fell past my knees, and I was beyond ready to be free of the heavy mass.

“Evangeline! Be careful. Rivers have strong flows, you could be swept away and drown before being able to reach shore, especially since I doubt you know how to swim.” She was worried again; she was always worried about me if seemed.

“I understand, I won’t go any farther, I promise. You should rest.” I told her softly, as I twirled my hands in the water, enjoying the feel of it flowing through my fingers. When I looked down at my legs, I realized the water was no longer clear, but cloudy. “What’s going on Sapphire?”

“I assume being in a hole of dirt your entire life and having no one to teach you anything you have never bathed? Bathed is washing your body in water?”

“Only when I used the bathroom?” I was supposed to clean all of me in water?

“The water is murky, cloudy, because it’s washing the dirt from your body. I bet you’d feel better if you washed your entire body, Evangeline. It’s refreshing. We don’t have soap but use some sand from the ground around your feet and use it and the water to scrub your skin.” Sapphire sounded tired again and I knew she would go back to sleep soon. “Just do not go out any further, please. Don’t risk your life when you are just getting to live it.”

“Sapphire, before you go, earlier you said ‘drown’, what does this word mean?”

“To drown is to be submerged in water until you breath it in and die or almost die. It’s also used to described being suffocated by something, usually unpleasant.”

“Sapphire, was I drowning in the darkness till you came?”

“Yes, Evangeline. I believe you were drowning in your own darkness, even though you did not know it yet.” Sapphire’s voice was now full of sadness again. “I must sleep now. Please consider hiding and sleeping as well, we will both need our strength for the journey ahead.”

I felt her presence leave and knew she had fallen back to sleep.

I did as Sapphire directed and began using the sand from the bottom of the river and scrubbed my skin. I scrubbed my legs and my feet, my arms, my stomach, my chest, my neck, and my face. I wet my hair as well and tried to run my fingers through it as Sapphire had suggested but it was impossible. I took the long mass of matted hair and wrapped it, twisting it around until it was one long, thick rope and then twisted it around itself at the nape of my neck, it took a few tries, but eventually I got it tight enough that it stayed in the knot and did not slip out.

By time I finished bathing as Sapphire had directed, I stepped out of the river, the air was warm, and I knew that soon it would stop the shivering my body was currently doing. As I walked along the river’s edge the clouds over the moon slipped away and the night brightened a little more. In the distance, on the far side of the river, beyond the forest, I could see tall structures, pointed at the top. Sapphire had told me about tall structures, she said some were buildings, and some were mountains, she said to know the difference look for lights. I didn’t see any on these structures, so I assumed they were mountains, and they were beautiful. I sat on the edge of the riverbank, watching as the clouds floated across the sky and towards the mountains. Occasionally the water would splash as if something were jumping in and I assumed it was the creatures Sapphire had told me lived in the water.

I don’t know how long I sat there, just breathing in the fresh air and listening to the sounds of the forest. The world was loud. It was never completely silent, but I loved it. Since having Sapphire I had realized just how alone I was. It had never upset me before though, after all, how can one miss something they didn’t know existed in the first place? I had been content in my little dark world, drinking my water from a bucket, eating my food I rationed out to last from food drop to food drop, my quite, dark, little world. Never even knowing I was drowning in darkness.

Now that I was out though, I wondered who had put me there. Why place a child as young as I must have been, into a hole in the ground, in the middle of nowhere? Why was this done to me? What had I done?

My self-reflections ended when I heard a strange sound in the woods behind me. My head snapped up and I reflexively jumped to my feet when it sounded again it did not sound close. Something about it poked at my mind though and made my stomach flip.

“Sapphire! I’m sorry to wake you but this sound makes me nervous, I don’t know what it is.” My words came out frightened, rushed and loud in my mind

“I’m here Evangeline! I didn’t hear it, let me listen.” She did not sound sleepy at all, it was like she heard the fright in my tone and jumped to attention, ready to defend.

I stood there, eyes sweeping the forest as we waited. Every sound I heard was 10x’s louder than it had been just moments before. I worried it would not come again, that I had woken her for no reason. Then it came. Louder and closer.

“Run Evangeline! Run!” Sapphire shouted in my head. I did not wait to find out why, I just followed her command and ran.

I ran along the river’s edge, the rocks were smoother, and the sand cushioned my feet, unlike the rocks and branches on the ground in the forest which cut me. The downside was that occasionally I would slip and lose my footing, but I was instantly right back at it, running along the sand, jumping the branches I came across and never looking back.

My foot hit a large smooth rock covered just enough by sand to hide it and I fell, hard. Landing on my hands and knees in the shallow water, pushing myself up and back to my feet, taking off again.

“Wouldn’t we be faster in your form Sapphire?” I asked as I ran. Coming to a low embankment I jumped up and dashed into the forest, trying to make sure my feet hit the soft grass, but I landed on sharp things constantly, bruising and cutting my feet as I ran.

“I can’t, I’m not strong enough yet. I am afraid if we try it, and I don’t have enough energy, we will pass out. Then we won’t be able to defend ourselves at all.”

“What was the sound Sapphire?” I demanded as I moved back towards the riverbank. I would rather slip occasionally then continue damaging my feet, if I could not run then we had no chance.

“They are wolf howls.” She said quietly. “We must have wandered into a packs territory and their scouts picked up our scent.”

“Could it be the ones who put me in the ground?”

“I don’t think so, the howl was a warning, like a ‘something is here that shouldn’t be’ not a ‘I’ve found her hurry!’. If that makes since.” It was cute listening to her try and explain things to me sometimes, as if she didn’t understand how to explain something that was second nature to her.

“Okay, and we are scared of other packs?” I asked curiously, she had told me we would try and find other people to help us, though she’d never clarified if we would look for humans or werewolves.

“I honestly don’t know Evangeline. Not all wolfs are bad, but not all are good. I would hate to have gotten you out of the dark just to have you be hurt in the light.” Sapphire was so conflicted on what we should do, and to top it off she was still exhausted. Giving me her strength to use her senses was not helping her rest.

“What about the other side of the river? Would we be safe over there?” I was running with the river as it flowed down stream.

“I don’t know! Rivers usually boarder wolf packs, declaring where one pack ends, and one begins. Chances are we would end up in another territory. But at least we would have a chance to sneak through it.” At this point I don’t think she was talking to me but to herself.

I continued running down the bank of the river, waiting for her to decide what we should do when a massive grey wolf flew from the trees in front of us and landed on the riverbank. It was snarling at us when it landed, but as I came to a quick stop and began taking steps back, away from it, its demeanor changed. His muzzle closed and his eyes watched me carefully, curiously. I stood there in shock, watching as this colossal wolf stared at me.

“Sapphire!” I gasped. “What do I do?”

“I’m thinking!” She shouted in my head.

I looked from the wolf towards the river and back, did I jump for it or stay and risk capture? Before I could decide another wolf flew from the forest landing on the bank behind me, splashing as he slid into the water. He was pure black and his eyes glowed silver, he was bigger than the first, but only slightly.

“Sapphire.” I whispered in my mind, as if they could hear me.

Both wolfs stood a distance from me, watching me calmly, with curious eyes. I stepped into the water, the current swishing past my ankles. The black wolf took a step towards me but stopped when I stumbled further in, the water now swirling past my knees. I looked between the two wolves, not sure which to keep an eye on and there for attempting to keep both in sight.

The two wolves looked at each other and the black one nodded his head, before jumping up on his hind legs and morphing almost instantly into a large human. Man. He resembled the people at the hatch that Sapphire had said were men, though he looked different, he wore no cloth covering on his body and instead of soft like the other men had been, his body was hard and muscular. He watched me closely as he put a hand out and stepped towards me, when he moved closer I moved further into the river, the water now lapping at my thighs.

“No!” He shouted as me threw his hands up in front of him. “Please. The river is strong this time of year, you may not make it out.”

His voice sounded different then Sapphires, deeper. It was nice. I tilted my head to the side as I watched him curiously.

“Alpha.” Sapphire whispered in my mind.

“Alpha?” I asked softly. “Is that his name?”

“No, his rank. He is a werewolf leader. He just tried to use his Alpha tone on us, and it did not work.”

“Who are you? Are you lost? You don’t smell like a rogue? Maybe we can help you?” He asked too many questions. Did he expect me to answer them? I stood there, staring at him anxiously, keeping an eye on the other wolf as well. His forehead scrunched together as he stood there silently. “Do you understand me?”

I nodded my head, of course I understood him.

“Good, are you lost?” He looked as if he was going to attempt another step forward, so I slid back, the water now to my butt. “No! I’m sorry! If I promise not to move towards you, will you stay there?”

His tone was worried, like Sapphires when she was worried for my safety. I nodded my head at him.

“Would you come out of the water? It must be freezing; you’ll catch a cold.” He moved his hand out towards me again, but he dropped it when I shook my head no. “Okay, that’s fine, I understand. Are you lost?”

“Sapphire, are we lost?” I didn’t want to give a wrong answer, but I didn’t know what that word meant.

“Lost means to not know where you are. So yes, we are lost.” I could feel Sapphire watching and listening to the conversation closely, at the first sign of danger we were jumping for the river.

I nodded my head yes to the man.

“Are you human?” He asked hesitantly, the answer to this question seemed to matter to him.

I shook my head no. Sapphire had explained that I was a werewolf, not full human.

“Okay, good.” I wasn’t sure why he looked relieved, or why that answer was ‘good’, and he didn’t elaborate. “Why don’t you come with us? We can get you some food and clothes?”

I shook my head vehemently; I was not going anywhere with anyone. I did not want to be in that hole anymore, I did not want to drown in darkness, I wanted to live in the light. In my fear of going back, I stepped further into the river, the freezing water now lapping gently at my waist.

“Okay! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you.” He shouted. When he saw me stop, he looked towards the other wolf, the grey wolf nodded its head silently and seconds later a large man stood in its place. My head whipped between them, nervous now to have two men so close. Seeing my reaction the Alpha waved his hand back, the other man stepped back from the shore and sat on the ground.

I nodded my head to the Alpha letting him know this was better.

“Can you tell us your name?” He asked, his eyes not leaving me, though it seemed his eyes were fighting between staying on my face and trailing down my body. Was there something on me? I looked down and moved my hands over the skin of my stomach and chest, but saw nothing that would draw attention, besides that my chest was larger than his. Where is his was flat, thought defined, mine had large round orbs attached.

“Breasts Evangeline, they’re breasts. You have them because you are a woman, he does not because he is a man. And trust me, they are exactly what he is looking at.” Sapphire seemed disgusted at the thought of him staring.

I heard a groan from shore and snapped my head up, looking between the two mean cautiously. “Please don’t do that.” My face must have shown my confusion because he gestured towards his own stomach and chest. “Just, keep your hands at your side please?” He sounded tense now, though not angry.

“Actually, if I may suggest, maybe you should wrap your arms around your chest.” The man sitting on the ground spoke for the first time, he sounded friendly, his voice was deep, like the Alphas.

“Perfect Knox, even better, you should wrap your arms around your chest!” The Alpha was much too excited about this plan and I didn’t understand. Why did I need my arms around my chest? His weren’t? Was this a trick?

“They want your breasts hidden from view by your arms because they are men and even in human form are animals who can’t control their base urges.” Sapphire growled through my head, her anger was rising, but at them.

“Base urges?” I asked. They didn’t seem like animals?  Though given my lack of knowledge on men and animals, this was something I would listen to Sapphire on.

“Sexual urges Evangeline. See that appendage hanging between his legs?”

I lowered by eyes from his face to his groin, and my head tilted to the side again as I realized that it had changed. It had been smaller, but now appeared to grow. His hands slapped down over it quickly and I snapped by eyes back up to his, fascinated by the red staining his cheeks.

“That is what makes him a male, your lack of one is what makes you female. Sex is when that goes into you between your legs. Men chase it their entire lives.” I had a feeling there was more to the explanation then that, but she was shortening it to save time.

Knox laughed at mine and the Alphas exchange, throwing his head back and placing a hand on his belly. The alpha looked at him with a stern expression.

“Knox, get ahold of yourself!” He growled at him. Knox’s laughter died down, but it was such a fun scene to watch that I smiled and even chuckled a little, the action felt odd in my throat, but it was pleasant. I enjoyed laughter.

Both men’s gazes flew to my face immediately and they froze, staring at me. The smile fell from my face at their serious expressions.

“Your name?” The Alpha asked again.

“Go ahead Evangeline.” Sapphire encouraged softly.

“I don’t know if I can.” I told her honestly. I had tried talking in the cell and though Sapphire said I did well, it felt odd, unnatural for me, and always left my throat scratchy.

“You can, you did in that prison, you can here.”

I took a deep breath, cleared my throat. “Evangeline.”

Both men beamed at me. “Good! Evangeline, that is a beautiful name!” The Alpha said. “Why don’t you come out and join us on shore? We can get you some clothes and build a fire for warmth.”

I shook my head no again. I did not know them. I was not going near them.

“Alpha, perhaps you should just order her? Even a rogue will have to follow your orders.” Knox stated from his seat on the river’s edge.

“I don’t want to scare her Knox.” The Alpha whispered.

“The longer she stays in the water the longer you risk her getting sick.” Knox whispered back.

“Fine.” Mumbled the Alpha. “Evangeline, come out of the water at once.” This time his voice sounded different. Harder, stronger. He and Knox were staring at me, waiting for my response. I shook my head no and both frowned before looking at the other. “That should be impossible Knox.”

“Unless…” Knox’s voice trailed off, before looking back at his Alpha. “Unless she’s your mate?”

“What? No.” The Alpha denied immediately. “I’d know. There would be the pull, and my wolf would know immediately, he’s just as confused as I am.”

“Psh.” Scoffed Sapphire. “He wishes.”

“Unless she isn’t of age.” Knox whispered.

“She has to be, she clearly has a wolf, why else would she be in the middle of the woods naked?” Grumbled the Alpha.

“She could have been here…”. Knox trailed off again glancing at me before lowering his voice. “-not by choice.”

“You think she was captured?” Alpha asked surprised. His eyes also drifted to me again, looking at me more carefully. “She is remarkably pale, and her hair looks matted and dirty, like it’s not been washed or brushed in a long time.”

“Not to mention she’d rather drown in the river then risk us getting too close to her.” Stated Knox.

“She is incredibly beautiful; I could see someone wanting something so other worldly for themselves.”

“Have you ever seen skin so pale? I swear she almost glows in the moonlight.” Knox added in another whisper, I doubt he realized I could hear him from this distance.

“I thought the same thing Knox. Maybe she isn’t a wolf at all? Maybe she’s a fairy? It would explain why she isn’t swayed by the Alpha command?” Alpha cleared his throat before raising his voice to address me again. “Are you a fairy?”

“I’ve seen fairies Alpha, and though they are very beautiful, they are not like her.” Knox whispered.

I shook my head no.

“Not a fairy then. Are you a wolf?” He asked.

I nodded my head yes.

“Ah ha!” He exclaimed excited. “Your pack must be missing you. What pack are you from? We can contact them and tell them you have been found.”

I shook my head no. I didn’t have a pack, all I had was Sapphire.

“No pack? She doesn’t smell like a rogue.” Stated Knox surprised, shifting his legs under him, he must be getting uncomfortable on the rocks.

“No, she doesn’t.” The Alpha was watching me closely again, his eyes searching mine for answers. “Do you have a family, Evangeline?”

I shook my head no again, and again they shared a look.

The alpha turned towards me to ask another question when three large wolves broke through the forest behind him. I stepped back in fear. Had I been tricked into staying here long enough for reinforcements to show?

The Alpha jumped in front of them and raised his hands, stopping them from advancing on me. “Alpha Jackson! Please remain back, Evangeline is skittish. Shift to human form or I must ask you to leave.”

The largest of the three wolfs, shifted from a large brown wolf to a man as tall as the Alpha. His hair was much lighter than the other two men who I had been communicating with, his eyes were lighter as well, resembling the sky from earlier in the day.

“We have been tracking this rogue for most of the day, she passed through my lands without permission. We both know what the punishment for that is, Alpha Lee.” Alpha Jackson’s voice was hard, and his eyes even harder as they bore into Alpha Lee’s.

“Through my dead body, Jackson.” Growled Alpha Lee.

“That can be arranged, Lee.” Jackson bit back harshly.

The two wolfs who had come with Alpha Jackson had shift by this time and one was staring at me with his mouth hanging open. As if in a daze he lifted his hand, never taking his eyes from me, and grabbed Alpha Jacksons’ shoulder, shaking him. “Alpha.” He said urgently.

“What is it Beta Lucas?” Came Alpha Jackson’s irritated voice as he turned towards his Beta.

“Look.” Lucas said as he used his hand to turn his Alphas face towards the water. Towards me.

“Holy Moon Goddess.” Alpha Jackson breathed out sharply. I watched him curiously, just seconds ago he wanted to attack Lee.

“Lee, is she the rogue?” Alpha Jackson asked quietly.

“Yes.” Answered Alpha Lee, his tone short.

“Is she… yours?” Continued Alpha Jackson.

“My mate? No. Under my protection? Yes.” Alpha Lee watched Alpha Jackson closely.

“Dive in the water Evangeline.” Sapphire demanded.

“Why?” I asked surprised.

“I claim her.” Said Alpha Jackson loudly.

“Shit!” Said Alpha Lee.

“That’s why!” Shouted Sapphire. “Go now!”

“Bring her to me!” Shouted Alpha Jackson.

I watched in shock as Jackson’s men drew closer, splashing into the water. Alpha Lee moved to stop them, but I could not stay. I turned and dove into the water, letting the current sweep me, hopefully, to safety.