Wolf Hunt chapter four

getting a bit more of a story line i think now :) Not so much gore in this one but if your squimish about needles i would skip the part with the stitching :)

CHAPTER FOUR

 

The clumsy wolf who had interrupted my hunt was Jake. I ignored him as I brought my kill back to the clearing were I had originally started my kill. Traditionally for werecats I took my kill up a tree. Clasping the rabbit in my jaw I dug my claws deep into the tree trunk and used my hind legs to propel myself up to a thick strong branch were I carefully lay my dinner on the branch and I roared. Claiming my kill.

I never even realized I had not only claimed my kill but I had also revealed my location to Charles, Steven and Howard. Of course within seconds all three appeared from the southern bushes and began sniffing around, looking for me.

When they found me I had eaten the edible part of the rabbit and was staring with saucer sized eyes at the golden wolf on the forest floor growling up at me. I growled back. Defiance against the pack. Then I saw it. In Charles thick long winter coat. A glint of silver. What the hell? I thought curiously.

As dangerous as it might have been, Charles was one of my best friends and if someone had embedded him with a slice of silver I had to get it out of him before it caused serious damage, right?

I shifted in the tree. I would have no difficulty getting down, and I needed vocals to explain what I was doing. My shift back to human is almost exactly the same as the shift into cat form. Only backwards.

Before I jumped out of the tree naked I used some of my inherited witch magic to cloth myself in a white dress. The only item of clothing (besides underwear) I could actually summon up. When I jumped out of the tree in human form my brother and the wolves cocked their heads. They wanted an explanation.

“Charles comes here” I said still crouched from my jump.

The golden wolf hesitated before walking to my side. I ran my hands through his fur where I saw the silver. I found it and Charles whimpered a little.

“Charles, sorry, but there is something embedded in you. I. I think its silver. This is going to hurt. A lot.” I explained.

Charles growled at me meaning something I couldn't understand. He threw his head in a direction a few times before I caught his meaning.

“Oh. You want to do this at my place or yours?” I asked. Jake sniggered.

He just started walking expecting me to follow. I turned to the others.

“Why don't you three keep hunting? You didn't catch anything and this is going to be painful and he doesn't need anyone watching” Howard, being third strongest in the pack and alpha in the absence of Charles and Ethan nodded his shaggy head and walked into the opposite part of the forest. I ran to catch up with Charles” hey wait up I don't have shoes or paws here!”

But the wolf wouldn't wait. I sighed and followed him as fast as my human form (and in a dress) could go in a forest. Charles of course reached the end of the forest before me. When I finally did trip my way out he was sat on my porch. His eyes blazing yellow.

“Don’t look at me like that I can’t let you in if I’m all the way over there can I?” I said simply, although I had left the door unlocked and he knew that, but Charles being Charles was always polite.

He grunted at me as I opened the door and went inside. Then he lay down on my couch.

“Hey!” I started to tell him to get off, but I was about to put him in an awful lot of pain so he might as well be comfy. He watched me with his wolfs eyes. He wanted me to explain.

“There’s a shard of silver or something in your mid back.” his wolf made a double takes in shock. And I slipped into my police mind “has anyone stabbed you lately? Or during that alpha fight did the other alpha play dirty? Did you not notice while you were in human form?” but the only reply I got was a grunt and rolling eyes, then Charles got ready to shift.

“No!” I yelled then said quieter “don't shift it'll be easier if you repair yourself on the shift to human form”

It took me a few moments to find the shard and a few more to get some gloves to wear when I pulled it out. Werecats are not allergic to simple things like sliver, but the normal things like a lead bullet in the right place will kill us and the wolves but we don't have something special to weaken us like the werewolves and vampires.

“This is going to hurt” I said to Charles who was holding a wet towel in his mouth so he wouldn't bite me, hopefully. “I swear if you bite me I will bite you back” I warned him and he chuckled, which in wolf form is a series of short grunts.

Then I grabbed the shard and pulled.

Charles howled and whimpered as the silver slid through his skin, his mouth bit into the towel and his claws did considerable damage to my wood floor. But it was over quick. The wolf collapsed on the floor and I was left holding the shard that had imbedded itself into my friend. Leaving Charles to recover without my constant babbling to myself I went into the kitchen, even though I knew he could still hear me.

“What is this?” I asked myself as I examined the shard. I held it up to the light but it just glittered at me covered in the alphas blood. I cleaned it and set in down on my kitchen table. I still couldn't figure out what it was.

In the next room I heard Charles shifting. I stood in the doorway with a blanket and watched him. After five minutes he lay on my sitting room floor completely naked, which was a sight plenty of women would like. But not me. I threw the blanket at him whom he miraculously caught with one hand and he covered himself.

“You should have let me check if it needed stitches before you shifted” I scolded him.

“Who made you medic?” he panted.

“Er, the fact I have a medics degree and I’m the only one here and I’ve been treating your packs wounds since I was eighteen?” I said

“Our packs” he tried to correct me

“No your packs” I said clearly “I am not pack; don’t try open that argument again.”

“You can dine it all you want” he said sitting up, he wasn't panting anymore “but you are pack and deep down you know it”

“Whatever you want to think. I can’t be bothered to argue” I said tiredly.

“Why does it scare you?” he asked.

“It doesn't now wrap that blanket round your waist so I can see your back” I said angry that he had ever suggested I was frightend. Even though he was right.

He did as I asked and I checked out the mark the silver had left being overly careful not to touch Charles skin; we did have a little history in our friendship. It was red raw with a little line.

“It might be infected. Its red as hell. I can’t believe you didn't notice! Although most of it was inside you. Its haled tidily. If it starts to get more painful call me.”

“What was it? A knife?” he asked.

“I was hoping you or the others could tell me. And speaking of the others....” I said walking towards my front door and opening it. Howard, Steven and Jake were all sat on my porch.

“You can come in you know, he’s your alpha I’m just doc”

“What was it then?” Steven asked me.

I shrugged and walked into the kitchen and they followed me. “It’s on the table”

Charles Steven and Jake shook their heads but Howard whistled.

“You know what it is?” I asked him.

“I’ve heard of them but never seen one” he said “it’s a silver claw cap.”

“A claw cap?” I quizzed

“Some werewolves like to have fights for human’s entertainment, mostly in Mexico. But some of them use these so they have and upper hand in the fight.” he explained.

I turned to Charles who was stood so close to my back I could hear his heart beating, I know my kitchen is too small but it’s not that small “ there you have it” I said to him, I wasn't taking a step down because that would be admitting defeat “ the other alpha cheated”.

“Outrageous!” my brother muttered.

“We must report this to Tal” Howard said. Tal was the representative for the werewolves in the moon called council. Tal was the oldest, and there for most powerful werewolf, everything went by him before it happened.

But I was watching Charles. His face had suddenly gone pale. And he was starting to fidget.

“Charles” I said “that was an alpha battle like you said right?”

“Not exactly” he said fidgeting some more.

“Charles!” I yelled the others were momentarily speechless “what were you doing?”

“I went after a few strays!” he said fatigue lacing his voice “they believed they were forming their own pack!”

“Why didn't you just tell us?” Jake asked

“Because you would have wanted to come with me and “he said as I opened my mouth “Tess would have blabbed”

I sighed “next time” I said because there would always be a next time “just tell us then order them not to go. I wouldn't have gone anyway. I was after a rapist. Now can you all please leave my house so I can sleep?”

 

*

 

When they were leaving we were still talking about how disgraceful it was to use the claw cap.

“At least we know where the stray came from” Howard said.

“Do we?” I asked puzzled

“Yes, caps are only made and sold in one place. Mexico.” he said.

 

I did a head count on the men leavening my house. One was missing. I gave an exasperated sigh as I heading back into my kitchen to find Charles. I found him checking out the cap, my blanket was still wrapped around him.

“Your stubborn as hell” I said behind him.

He chuckled but kept his attention on the cap.

“Take the dam thing with you and get out please” I said trying a different approach.

“I can stay in my packs house as long as I wish” he whispered.

“I’m not pack!” I insisted again but weakly. I was so tired.

“Tess...” he began but I held up my hand.

“Don’t start Charles. I’ve told you before I am not pack!” I put more effort into the last part.

“I was going to say something else. We need to talk” he said knowing we both knew what about.

 

Charles and I had been close friends since I came here when I was nineteen. He the pack and my brother hadn't even known I existed until my vampire foster parent (who knew nothing about children or werecats) turned up on his door step with me. Of course they were over joyed (or at least some where) that there was another werecat and happily took on the challenge to watch over me. They didn’t find out how big a challenge that was going to be until the parents evening at my high school. I was a fine student, listened, did homework and achieved beyond anything the professors expected. The only bad thing was I was constantly fighting the school bullies.

 Charles, with no better way to put it, fell for me. Life was simple then he kissed me once under mistletoe at a Christmas party and now life was a bit more complicated. I wasn't sure how I felt about him. I wasn't very in touch with my feelings. But now the problem was now the packs problem, there alpha was opening space for me opening a large hole in their defence system.

“Charles...” I said wearily suddenly I wasn't so tired.

 

“I know. Later” he sighed and began to walk out of the kitchen when he paused “by the way you should wear a dress more often. You look beautiful.”

“Charles. Leave. Now. Please.” I said stiffly.

I followed Charles out on to the porch were he lead his wolves to his mansion. Leaving only me and my brother.

“What did he say?” Steven asked me.

“You didn't hear?” I said bewildered

“We started singing to ourselves to keep it private” he said.

“Thanks” I muttered

“So what did he say?”

“The usual. You know about the mate thing” I shrugged

“What are you going to do?” he asked as I pulled him into a hug.

“I’m going to wait. Until after this case. I'll see you all enough during the case to make a decision”

Steven let me go and walked down the porch steps to follow the wolves. “Don’t let it get you down. Charles is a great guy but in the whole forty-six years I’ve known you you've always been independent, never mind a trouble bringer!” he turned and grinned at me so I knew he was joking, even if it was true. “Goodnight sister” and then he was gone.

And I whispered to the whistling wind and rustling trees “but I’m not ready”

Author's Note

ignore grammer and spellings. review and rate please :)