The Last Wolf

There were candles on the dresser next to the door when I awoke. Jasmine and lavender filled the room with a delightful aroma. My muscles were relaxed, and my mind was at ease. There was no inner voice fighting to get out again. I looked around, and noticed the fresh clothes on the back of a chair. I put them on quickly while trying to examine the room more, but the candlelight flickered casting darker shadows across the room as the door opened.

A dark figure stood in the doorway. It took a step away from me before turning toward me again. I raised an eyebrow before I followed; I thought about grabbing a candle, but something told me not to. The door shut leaving me almost blind as we walked through the cottage. The night breeze welcomed me while the moon’s light allowed my eyes to adjust.

In the distance more candles flickered making a path way into the wooded area where I arrived. The figure stopped at the beginning of the path before turning to reveal his face. The lines on his face were unmistakable, White River brought me here.

“We are gathered here beneath our new friend’s mother, Serena, to honor her power, and to invite her into our family.” Animal sounds echoed in the previously silent wood. A lone recognizable howl pierced the sounds causing the rest to return to silence. “Dahlia Waters, we accept all kinds, and we do not hurt one another. On behalf of the shifters here…” He turned as the leaves in the wood rustled and twigs cracked.

“Join us,” Colt whispered as he stepped forward. A bird squalled and a snake hissed, but his growl silenced them.

White River turned with a smile on his face. “It seems you have made an impression on a dear member of our pack, Dahlia, and if he will allow me to continue with no further interruption…” He turned to glare at the boy who grinned as his cheeks flushed. “On behalf of our family, would you stay with us and allow us to learn from you?”

“Learn?” I looked at Colt before I stared into White River’s inviting eyes. “What can you learn from me?”

A hand snaked around my hip as warmth covered my back. The gesture scared me so much that I couldn’t turn to see who was close to me, Colt growled, and White River smiled. “I’m glad you could make it.”

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” a strange voice retorted. It was deep and raspy, and when I turned to look over my shoulder I realized it was much more mature than the face it matched.

A tall boy with short dirty blond hair, high cheek bones, and golden eyes like mine grinned at me. The moon reflected off his pale skin and pearly teeth. His incisors were a little too sharp for an average person. “Dahlia, this is Macon. He is the last male werewolf alive.”

I laughed, “don’t you hate full moons?”

Macon scrunched his faced before shaking his head. “No, they’re beautiful and outrageously depressing, but I’d never hate-”

“Stop!” I pulled his arm off me before turning to face him. “You’re a wolf, and you think the full moon is beautiful! The minute I changed I hated it!”

“I, um…” he trailed off, looking at White River for answers.

“Pretty Boy doesn’t change,” Colt barked from the shadows.

“He’s not a werewolf, River. Not until he changes.” I looked around at the animals who stared at me. I counted around twelve, but each of their eerily colorful eyes bugged me. “I appreciate the offer, but I don’t want charity. I don’t need another family; I need to get the hell away from the one I had.”

“That’s what we’re offering you.” Macon smiled, but it wasn’t enough.

“How do I know you’re not like the ones who already attacked me?” I stared at White River waiting for him to give me a logical explanation.

“You don’t.”

“That’s not good enough.” I stepped away from him.

“Wait! Just, wait, please?” Colt begged as he made his way toward me. “You’ve got to calm down. I won’t let them hurt you, but you can’t leave!”

“This is your family not mine.” I sighed as I grabbed his hand. “Thanks for your help, but I can’t stay here.”

“Yes, you can!” He held on tight.

“No.”

I pulled away from him and walked into the dark forest. I heard human voices mumbling, animals growling and hissing. I shrugged off the feeling of dread as I headed away from them. How was I supposed to stay with that pack?

“Hello, wolf,” someone laughed.

“Who’s there?”

“Did you come out to play?”

I stopped walking. The other animals were out of range; there was nothing between me and the voice. “Who are you?”

“This will hurt a lot.” Laughter filled my ears before the twigs cracked and leaves rustled.

A huge black panther stood before me, the only thing visible was his brilliant blue eyes. My lungs filled with air before squeezing it all out. He leaped, but a stocky greenish black and yellow snake with a short tail struck his underbelly causing him to drop out of midair.

The snake grew arms and fingers before long black hair filled its triangular shaped head. Soon a girl about my age stood in front of me with yellowish scaly skin and big green eyes framed by a triangular face. “Family takes care of each other,” she half hissed before she coughed. “Sorry, it takes me a minute to…” she trailed off.

“I understand,” I nodded. “Thank you.”

“Now, Dahlia.” She grinned, her fangs glinted in the soft glow of the moon between the trees. “Please, come back. Shads thinks he’s losing you, and you managed to offend Pretty Boy. Trust me, as much shit as we give that boy, he shouldn’t be so easily offended, but you touched a nerve.”

“Who are you?” I stared at her as her skin smoothed.

“They call me Viper. I’m White River’s niece.” She held out her hand. I looked at her skeptically before she revealed her fangs again. “Don’t worry, I don’t bite,” she laughed.

“Yeah, I’d like to disagree with you there,” I returned her smile and took her hand.

She led me back to the candles after a lot of convincing. Colt hugged me tightly as I walked out of the forest. “So you’re staying?”

“She convinced me.” I nodded as Viper patted him on the back. “You’re welcome, jerk. And don’t forget, she’s meaner than I am!”

I grinned. “Only during a full moon.” Pretty Boy glared at us. I pulled away from Viper and Colt. “I want to apologize to you. I may have been-”

“No, you definitely were.” He smiled. “Just because I don’t change doesn’t mean you can take all the credit.”

“Where’s your brother,” White River asked.

“He’ll be around sooner or later.”

Colt howled at the moon before Viper elbowed him in the side. “I hate it when he does that!”

Something about the panther and Macon’s brother not showing up didn’t sit right with me. The other’s celebrated while I sat watching the stars. “Be good to him, Wolf Girl!” Viper laughed as she pointed to Colt dancing with an extremely tall boy. “And don’t let Pretty Boy back you down! You are the only real werewolf I see around here.”

“Something is definitely not right,” I whispered to myself before Colt dragged me off my seat on the ground and into the dance circle they’d formed.