Touching Spirits

Chapter Ten
I was the beginning of fall, and we were enjoying the last of the warm weather by running around in the sun covered woods. It’s been about two months since Evgeni got here, and he’s English as improved, he knows a few words.

The boys had practice this morning and Evgeni was pretty impressive. Well, except for the fact that last month, at his first preseason game he collided with one of his own teammates and dislocated his shoulder. He was out for a little bit, but because he was connected to his spirit, he healed faster than a human would. He missed his first regular season game, but he was ready for when his time came.

Right now, Sidney, Anton and I were sitting on the rock watching as Luka and Evgeni ran around the stream in their spirit form. I laughed as my brother was faster than Evgeni, but not by much.



“He’s not gunna get much more out of Geno,” Anton laughed and I nodded my head.

Evgeni stopped running and then laid down in the water and we laughed. Luka ran back over towards him and jumped on top of him and then jumped away when Evgeni rolled over.

“I think I’m gunna shift too,” I said as I stood up and then walked back into the woods.
I took my clothes off and shifted. I picked up my clothes with my teeth and started head back to the others but stopped when I noticed that it was too quiet in the woods. Other than hearing Sidney and Anton laughing, Evgeni’s playful growl and Luka’s whining wanting to have some fun, I didn’t hear anything else.

‘…Something’s wrong…’ I thought and then dropped my clothes and sniffed the air. I smelled something, it smelled like deer, but I didn’t hear any nearby. I stepped out of a bush and looked around, nothing. I took another step and my paw stepped into an indent. I looked down to see that there were tire tracks in the ground. I sniffed them and growled, ‘…Humans…’

I heard a branch snap and turned my head around to see a boy standing there, he looked to be about my age. I cursed at the fact that he saw me; hopefully he didn’t see me shift, I didn’t want to have to kill him.

“Careful boys, when there’s one, there’s more,” the guys said and I heard someone behind me and I turned around to see that there were two coming up behind me.

I snarled towards them and watched where I stepped.

“What are we gunna do with it?”

Sell the fur, it’s pretty,” one said and I flashed my teeth and backing up.

“Watch your step,” one said and I stepped back and then yelped in pain as I realized that I stepped on a bear trap and the sharp metal bits were jammed into my ankle.

-Sidney-
“Boy she’s sure taking long to come back out,” Anton said and I looked back towards the woods.

“She likes to make sure her clothes are hidden some times,” I answered and he nodded his head, “Come on Luka, give up!”

“Man, Geno doesn’t want to-“ Anton stopped as we heard a yelp.

“Izzy,” I breathed as realizing that that had to have been her. Luka snarled and then jumped off of Geno heading into the forest, with Geno hot on his trail, “Let’s go!”

Anton and I jumped up from our stop on the rock and ran into the woods, throwing our clothes down and shifting. I ran on all fours and turned my head that like his cousin, Anton was a bear. We followed Luka and Geno’s trail to come to a clearing where three guys were surrounding Isabella. I growled towards one that tried to run and he dropped his backpack.

Isabella was growling and I heard someone yelling, I looked to see that she had her fangs dug into the guy’s arm after he tried to touch her. I looked to see that Geno was with the other guy and Luka had just tackled the one that Isabella had to the ground. I stood over the man; he had a backpack between us thinking that that would stop me if I chose to attack.

“Run!” one guy yelled as he got out from under Geno and grabbed the guy that was tackled by Luka.

‘…Don’t they think that we could out run them?...’ I thought as I stepped off of the shaking guy and saw him quickly turn around and follow after his buddies, ‘…Izzy…’

I turned around and walked over towards her to see that her foot was trapped and she was bleeding. I walked over towards her and saw that Luka had shifted and started to undo the trap, but it didn’t want to budge, and every time he moved it, Isabella cried. I felt horrible; I tried to calm her down by licking her muzzle, showing her that I was here, just like she had done when I shifted for the first time.



“It’s gunna be all right, Izzy, we’ll get you out of this,” Luka said and then ran his hand under Isabella’s head, after a few moments, Luka sighed in relief and smiled towards his sister, “Got it, Izzy.”

Geno had walked over and pressed his head against Isabella and then sniffed the air and roared. I sniffed the air and heard running, or charging.

“They’re coming,” Luka said and I looked at him confused, “The special forces, they must have heard Iz. Anton, will you go back and get our clothes?”

Anton nodded his head and then started to walk off, and I watched as Geno decided to follow him. I laid down beside Isabella and then felt her head on my back and she whined. I heard growling and picked my head up to see a lion charging through the bushes.

“She’ll be all right, Ryan,” Luka said as the lion walked over and stood in front of us, “Just a bunch of humans hunting on our grounds.”

I looked up to see that there were other animals walking out of the bushes, one being a wolf that looked a lot like Luka, ‘…Must be his dad. I’ve never seen him like this before…’

“Father, there are humans on our land, they set traps,” Luka informed as Ryan backed up and let the wolf walk forward. He licked Isabella’s head and then looked at her ankle, “Would you like me to order a search of the traps?” the wolf nodded his head and Ryan turned his head towards the wolves, mountain lions, coyotes, deer, and birds, “There are traps around our woods, search for them, but be careful!”

Within seconds they had all disappeared and were searching the forest. Isabella tried to stand but fell and whined. When she tried again, I stood up with her and she leaned against me for support.

“Here are your clothes, Luka,” Anton said as he and Geno appeared with just shorts on from behind the bushes.

“Thanks,” Luka said as he caught the shorts and quickly slipping them on and I moved my head so that I didn’t have to see anything, “Can you shift, Iz?”

She nodded her head and then shifted, shaking and groaning in pain. Isabella gasped and then fell to the ground wincing at her ankle. Just because we heal fast, doesn’t mean that when we get injured, it doesn’t hurt.

“I couldn’t find her clothes,” Anton said as he walked over and handed Isabella my shirt, “Do you mind?”

I shook my head, ‘…Of course not…’

Luka slipped the shirt and shorts on her and then helped her onto Ryan’s back. She hissed as her ankle his Ryan’s and I stood next to Ryan and walked back with them. Her father followed us, and Luka decided that he, Anton and Geno were going to help the others and look for more of the traps.

-Isabella-
“How are you feeling?” my father asked as he walked into my room and rubbed my face.

“Better, I think it’s healed,” I answered and he nodded his head.

It was the next day, my ankle had healed overnight, but it was a little sore. I sat up and in bed ready to get out, but my father placed his hand on my shoulder, “Stay, Luka’s gunna handle Sidney and Evgeni today.”

“They have a game.”

“It’s only a home game, it’ll be all right,” father said and I sighed and nodded my head, leaning back in my bed and getting some more rest.

-Luka-
I sat on top of the jumbotron and listened to the woman sing the national anthem, badly might I add, but we were forced to endure it because it was the national anthem.

“That was horrible,” I heard and turned around to see my sister jumping down.

She landed on top of the jumbotron and flinched a little, “You all right?”

“Fine, it’s healing nicely.”

“Maybe you should have stayed home, it’s just a game,” I said and she shrugged her shoulders and laid down next to me, hanging her head to see the ice below.

“Who are they playing?”

“Rangers,” I answered and she scoffed.

“They got this,” she said and I laughed and nudged her shoulder.

“Since when did you become a fortune teller?”

“Since now,” Isabella laughed and I smiled towards her, “I never thanked you for saving me.”

“You’re my sister, that’s my job,” I answered and she nodded her head, “Sidney and the others helped too ya know.”

“I know, I wanted to see them before they left, but father wouldn’t let me leave the room.”

“I know, he wouldn’t let anyone go see you either. Ryan was upset because he left this morning to go on another mission.”

“I’ve been missing him a lot lately,” she muttered and I nodded my head.

“The games starting,” I said and we turned our eyes back to the ice and watched as Sidney faced off.

“Go Sid,” Isabella muttered and I smiled towards her.