6 - N I G H T M A R E

➳ Pernwél

Sunrays slightly dance around my fur, caressing it with its warmth. It softly plays with the colors of the leaves falling from the trees, welcoming autumn. Before my eyes, guided by the wind that streams through them, a dance of light and color takes place.

A breathtaking view, to partake in the beauty of nature. The rustling of the falling leaves onto the mossy ground, littering a carpet made of the reddish and maroon tones of the withering of the summer season.

Admiring the sounds of the forest with my enhanced hearing and being able to smell the earthy tones of the trees with hints of herbs and a few flowers that still bloomed, I revel in the connection my paws make onto the surface as I slowly pace through it, taking everything in.

I don’t remember this particular forest, it’s not the one I’m used to running in. I sniffed around following the scent of water, it led me to a riverbed.

Taking in my appearance in my reflexion on the water surface, I grimace, I don’t look like the wolf I used to be. Glorious, with shiny soft fur and mighty features. Strong legs and big paws.

Now, I was looking back at a scrawny wolf, my fur matted with dried stains of blood, clotting my once soft bristles. Dirt, filth and the smell of death surrounded me.

I was hungry, I hadn’t eaten for a long time, remembering I was since long running through the woods. Far away from where my home was. Did I even have a home left?

Along the riverside I spotted a deer drinking from the cristaline water. It doesn’t know I’m here watching it carefully as my stomach rumbles in excitement.

I haven’t hunted in a while, normally relying on little animals that I caught rapidly with my big paws before they could make their escape. They sustained me long enough to move onto the next rapid meal I could easily catch.

This was a deer, for me an entire feast, and I prepared for the chase, anxious to start the hunt. I let my instincts take over my mind, purely driven by the need to feed and survive, I committed to my speed and hearing.

Blurring the colors of the trees and nature around me as I ran across to my prey, taking in its mouth watering scent. I was so hungry.

It didn’t take me long to close in on the deer, I was, after all, a predator. It looked startled and stared into my eyes, knowing I just sealed its fate.

I tasted its blood on my tongue as I closed my canines around the deer’s throat. It squirmed beneath the grasp of my paws, trying to wriggle itself to freedom. I wasn’t having any of that. I was stronger, even in my current shape, and feasted greedily on its soft and tasty flesh.

*

I woke up panting.

I looked at my hands to see if I suddenly had furry paws, but relief washed over me to see I was still me. Then, remembering where I was, I gazed across the room.

Yesterday, I was too tired and worn out to really take in my surroundings. It was a nice and bright room, with sheer fabric drapes hanging from the windows, softly letting through the orange glow indicating the start of the day. It was certainly very early, the sun just peeking out to greet the morning.

I stretched before removing the duvet from my body and getting out of the bed. Myriam had left some clothes for me on my bed last night while I was in the shower and I went through them to find something fitting for me.

There was underwear, I found panties and some stretchy fabric top, a pair of black leggings in the same stretchy fabric and a soft cotton t-shirt. It was almost my size, but I didn’t feel uncomfortable in it.

I pulled my hood over my head again and decided to head down to the kitchen. When I opened the door to the hallway I heard the thud of something falling on the ground.

My bag! Alpha Jake had promised to return it and he did. A grateful smile danced across my lips and I slung it over my back, resuming my walk to the downstairs kitchen. Maybe Myriam or the other girl was there.

When I got there, a nice smell nestled itself in my nostrils, warm, inviting. When I looked up I was met with Alpha Jake, who was pouring himself a cup of a dark liquid. He wore a sleeveless cotton fabric t-shirt and shorts. I took in his handsome features and my heart skipped a beat.

“Good morning.” He said as he saw me entering the kitchen.

“Good morning.” I answered softly.

“It’s quite early.” He stated, running his hand through his tousled hair, it looked golden with the soft rays of sunlight coming through the windows. “Couldn’t sleep?” he asked.

I nodded.

“Do you want a cup?” he offered the cup he just poured to me. I took it and our hands touched for one slight second, but enough for me to notice a tingling warm feeling where our fingers found each other.

“Thank you.” I muttered. I took a sip of the hot steaming cup. It had the warm welcoming scent I smelled when I approached the kitchen, but it tasted very bitter. “What is this?” I said as my nose wrinkled in distaste.

“Coffee.” He said, holding up a second cup. “It wakes you up in the early mornings.” He grinned. “If you don’t like the bitter taste, you can add milk and sugar to it, I personally prefer it black.”

We drank our coffee in comfortable silence. His presence somehow calmed my senses, as if I was with a lifelong friend of mine. He was leaning against the kitchen counter and I had sat down on one of the high stools. When he finished his cup, he pushed himself off the counter and looked at me.

“I’m going to go to training, before I’m late.” He let out a small sigh. “If you want something, Myriam or Anna will be here in an hour or so.” He gave me a smile. It shouldn’t have had such an effect on me, but it did and I felt a fluttering feeling in my stomach. 

“Training?” I asked.

“I train every morning with the warriors of the pack.” He stopped walking to the hallway and turned to face me. “We practise fighting and we learn new techniques to improve our defenses.” He explained.

Intrigued by this, eager to know how a werewolf trained and fought, my question left my lips before I knew it. “Can I come?”

Alpha Jake stood still for a moment, his eyes taking me in. I think it surprised him that I even asked this. Maybe in his pack, females didn’t count as warriors.

“I’m good at fighting.” I stated, slightly flustered.

He held up his hand, in a gestured way of saying I didn’t need to explain myself. 

“I saw your belongings.” He finally said. “I suppose you don’t carry those around if you don’t know how to use them, but here we fight without weapons.” 

“Fine by me” I said, hopping off the chair in a swift motion.

He looked at me with a raised brow, and an emotion flashed across his face before disappearing. What was that? Appreciation?

I followed him through the hallway and out the doors of the packhouse. We walked on the pavemented road until we came across a field. 

There were males and females scattered around, taking equipment out of a shed next to the clearing and putting everything in place. It was refreshing to see female werewolves also on the training grounds. Maybe, here they weren’t as old fashioned as in my village.