Gypsy Wolf Ch. 03

This story is a work of fiction solely from the twisted mind of Chromex. Any resemblance to any persons living or dead is purely coincidental. All characters are of at least 18 years of age unless otherwise specifically mentioned. Please do not copy/redistribute the story, in part or total, without the author's permission.

*

As the howling died, I kept a wary eye on Holly, her light brown fur covered in dirt slowly drag herself to her feet. I'd seen people before who thought they were the top of the walk get knocked on their ass and did not know how to handle it. Sometimes they grow sullen and withdrawn while others lash out hoping to redeem themselves. Rasp and Natalie appeared to be keeping their distance, wanting to see how this played out. Finally, steady on her feet Holly looked around before settling her gaze on me, her light blue eyes narrowing and started in my direction. I don't believe the Red Sea parted as quickly as the people rushing to get out of her way.

It wasn't until she was standing in front of me that I realized not only was I more than a head taller than her, I was just physically larger. As she looked up at me I could feel her surprise as the differences between us became strikingly apparent. "Biggest fucking Beta I've ever seen. You know, I hate to lose, but fuck, you could have at least make it look like I put up a decent fight. What the fuck is your head made out of anyways, concrete?" All the tension seemed to just vanish as Holly stuck out her hand.

"Well, I've always been accused of being a stubborn, hard-headed bitch," I said shaking her hand, "and no one ever expects me to use my head. I've never fought as anything other than a human and didn't feel like getting my ass beat. I wasn't about to give you that much of an advantage."

"You sure as hell don't move like a Beta," Holly said, "I don't think I've ever seen anyone move that fast who wasn't an Alpha." I started to reply, only to be cut off by Rasp.

"Alright Shadow Reavers, it's time to run," Rasp bellowed before shifting, not into the two-legged form I was just now getting used to but into a full-on wolf. Albeit he was humongous and dark grey but still totally a wolf. Looking around at the pack, only a few were still in human form and those who were quickly shed their clothes before shifting. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do and was about to ask my wolf when my perspective began to change. I found myself far closer to the ground, and upon looking down I had a pair of massive paws where my hands had been. From the laughter, I looked pretty silly whipping my head around trying to see my body. I could even hear my own wolf laughing at me.

"Don't worry, everyone does that the first time," Natalie said trotting up next to me, her light grey fur a startling contrast to my deep black, "As one of my betas, you're upfront with me. Just relax and trust your wolf, she knows what to do." Standing next to Natalie I was struck by the realization that while she and I were the same size, I was larger than every other wolf in the pack, save Rasp. There had to be a reason for this and I was going to find out.

"Reavers," Rasp said suddenly before sprinting off into the woods. We were all caught flat-footed and I could hear his laughter over the bond as we ran to try and catch up.

"I hate it when he does that." Diving into the trees I kept pace with Natalie as we caught up with Rasp, who seemed to accelerate once we caught him. The miles seemed to vanish as Rasp led us through the woods and I realized I hadn't felt so free in a very long time. Feeling the forest floor under my paws, the wind through my fur and the scents of the trees filling my nose was both exciting and liberating. My mind drifted back to summer days chasing my sister, through the woods behind our parent's house. For that brief moment, I allowed myself to forget how much and why I despise the woods. I was so lost in my memories, I nearly plowed into Natalie when Rasp suddenly slowed.

"Deer," was all Rasp said and the pack instantly broke apart, with Holly leading a small group away, making sure to stay downwind. From the scents, we had stumbled across a large herd and managed to catch a break with the wind. I know how to hunt people in the city so I just relaxed and followed my wolf's instincts for the deer. Crawling forward on our bellies we got to the edge of the clearing where the herd was grazing.

"Holly and her group are going to sweep around and let themselves be scented. It should drive the herd right at us. Rasp always goes after the largest buck, so be sure to keep that in mind when picking your target." I could feel the excitement building in the pack as we patiently waited for Holly to get into position. My own heart was pounding in my chest as the deer, one after another, raised their head to look around. You could see the herd growing more skittish by the second.

"Ok they have the scent should start moving any second now." Almost as if by cue, as Rasp's comments echoed in my head, the herd began moving in our direction. My heart pounded in my chest as I picked a buck that was wasn't the biggest but he sure as fuck wasn't tiny. Adrenaline poured through my veins as the deer ran even closer to their impending demise, and I was fighting with myself to wait. This was the same problem I've always had. They say patience is a virtue, however, it's not one of mine. I've always been a wee bit too aggressive for my own good and only by blind staggering skill did I manage to extract myself from whatever trouble I found myself in.

I was lucky this time. With my blood pounding in my ears, my patience ran out and I leaped toward my target no more than a heartbeat before Rasp gave the command to move. I was impressed I'd waited that long. Breaking through the undergrowth, you could see the fear in the deer's eyes as they realized the desperation of their situation. There were only a few scant yards between the tree line and the deer but it was enough time to realize Rasp was right, this was a far better rush than taking down a recovery.

I let my wolf guide me as I closed the gap on the buck. Unfortunately, as I leaped towards my target I discovered I may have been a bit too excited. Just as my paws left the ground, I realized not only was I not going to hit the deer in his throat, unless I did something spectacular I was going to clear it completely. Again my luck held and the buck paused, only for an instant, but long enough to twist my body midair and close my jaws down on the back of his neck. Sometimes, however, a last-second plan doesn't turn out quite as well as you hoped it would.

If you've ever been riding a bicycle when something gets stuck in the front wheel, then you can imagine what happened to me. Twisting and sinking my teeth firmly into the muscles of his neck effectively killed some of my forward momentum, please notice I said, some. With my teeth fully embedded, it seemed my ass end did not receive the memo about stopping and continued its path up and over the buck.

My landing was probably one of the least graceful things in the existence of graceful things. The violent arc I took towards the ground was interrupted by impacting back first into a passing doe. Driven to the ground screaming, it's spine shattered under the force of the impact, while the violent twisting caused the buck's neck to snap. Releasing the buck, I felt like a turtle trapped on it's back as I scrambled to regain my footing. It probably would have helped if the doe wasn't still struggling under me. Finally getting stable on my feet, my teeth ripped through the soft flesh of her throat, silencing the pained cries. Standing over the remains of my two kills, the rich, warm blood of the doe covering my muzzle and running down my throat, I could feel my wolf rejoicing.

"Hell Yes," Rasp said before throwing back his head and letting out a piercing howl. The pack wasted no time in joining their Alpha in celebration.

"If you wanted to make an impression, there are probably less painful ways to do it," Holly said as the howling died off. Walking side by side, the Alpha pair came over and joined us.

"I don't know but I think you lost a few points from the East German judge for not sticking the landing."

"She's a wolf, not a cat," Natalie said, "There's no old wives tale about wolves landing on their feet."

"I think I got a little overexcited. So what happens now?"

"Those of us who can manage a hybrid form carry everything back to the compound, where the omegas take everything and stockpile it for the full moon. Once everything is dropped off, we'll celebrate the successful hunt. I can guarantee more than one of my betas will be seeing if you're interested."

"So not everyone has the hybrid form?" I had barely started to think about shifting when my perspective again changed, and I towered above everyone. Picking up the two deer, I easily tossed them both over my shoulders and watched as less than half the pack shifted.

"Until about seventy-five years ago the hybrid form was only a myth," Rasp said, the massive buck draped across his shoulders, "Our legends told of only one wolf who could obtain it, and with him, it's hard to differentiate fact from fiction. Watcher is, well let's just say he is a force unto himself, and the usual rules don't always seem to apply with him." With all of the deer being carried, Rasp set off on a ground eating pace, but one that I could easily do all day.

"So what changed?"

"No one knows. It started August 29, 1939, and during the day as a few wolves shifted, that was the form they ended up in. No one is sure who the first one was to gain the new form and it's still sending ripples through our world. Only a small number of wolves can obtain the form, and our pack has the highest percentage nationwide. Everyone just calls that day The Change"

"I'll never forget that morning. It freaked me right the fuck out but enough of ancient history, I'm ready to celebrate with my mate." From the look he was giving Natalie there was no question as to what kind of celebration he had in mind. In truth, the closer we got to the compound the stronger the feelings of lust and desire permeating my senses became. By the time we reached the clearing surrounding the compound, Rasp and Natalie were at almost a full sprint.

Tossing their carcasses to the waiting omegas, the Alphas shifted into their wolf forms and were off like a shot. Barking and yipping at each other, the pack laughing as we watched Rasp chasing Natalie around the clearing. A cheer went up when, anticipating her move, Rasp landed on her back and grasping her neck in his mouth, pinned her to the ground. It looked as if she struggled for a moment, but there was no mistaking the howl of pleasure from them both when Rasp mounted her. From the looks of things, quite a few couples were either running off into the woods to follow their Alpha's example or just celebrating in the clearing.

After watching for a moment, I dropped off the two carcasses with the omegas. I wanted to find out what the hurry was for me to join the pack, but the Alphas were obviously busy and I saw Holly likewise heading off into the woods. Typically after a recovery, I liked to unwind by finding some toy for the night and rocking his world but only on my terms. With all the unpaired wolves hunting for a partner, I knew I would be drawing some attention from a few males who thought they should have some say in the matter. Shifting back into my wolf I headed towards the packhouse, figuring this would be a good time to explore.

It was interesting to be crossing the field on all fours. During the run, I didn't have a chance to think and was just trying to not trip over my own feet and kill myself. Now, as I slowly walked through the grass, I took the time to examine my new environment. Being so close to the ground was strange, and the lines of sight we take for granted walking upright were gone. However in comparison to my vision before the change, it was like night and day, details previously lost stood out in stark detail. A squirrel running along a tree branch, sunlight glistening off a spider's web, and the enormous snow-white wolf sitting just back from the tree line. I didn't get a good look at the wolf, for as soon as my eyes locked on him, he pulled back into the woods and simply vanished. I must have been far more focused than I realized, as I completely missed a large grey wolf approaching until he began to rub against my side.

Have you ever seen one of those videos on YouTube where someone pokes an inattentive cat and it flies into the air? That was me the instant I realized the other wolf was next to me. Nailing my second completely awkward landing of the day, I heard what could only be described as laughter from the grey as I scrambled to my feet. From the look in his eyes and on his face, I didn't need any kind of special abilities to know what it was he had in mind. My initial thought was to talk to him via the pack bond, right up to the point when I realized I had no idea how to contact him. Everyone I had talked to so far I knew by name but I had no clue who this was. My mind raced to try to think of ideas on how to get him to back off and in case you're wondering, at that point shifting never even occurred to me.

With a confidence bordering on arrogance, he approached me, his physical condition and the lust pouring off of him left no doubt of his intent, until a low growl gave him cause to pause. A chuckle was all I got, followed by his continuing approach that was quickly backing me into a corner. There was no way I was going to cry for help. I hadn't depended on anyone else to defend me since I was eighteen, and sure as fuck wasn't going to start now.

As much as I was loathed to do it, I found myself having to give ground as I tried to maintain some distance between us. I hated it, but I didn't want to hurt someone on my first day in the pack and was hoping he would get the message. The simple low growl had escalated into a full-blown, teeth-baring growl and even with a loud bark, he continued to approach. When he ignored the bark, I decided I'd had just enough of this arrogant prick.

Stopping, I prepared to launch myself at him as he continued his seemingly relentless approach. He paused just in front of me, apparently not believing that my bared teeth and growl were because of him, and he had the balls to chuckle at me again. He quickly discovered just how much of a bad idea that was when he found himself slammed into the ground, my teeth closed around his throat. Wouldn't you know it, being pinned to the ground about to get his throat removed was enough to get him to talk. "Whoa, whoa. What the fuck is wrong with you? I was just trying to see if you wanted to have some fun."

Something inside me snapped and I shifted. Springing to my feet I dug my hands into the fur around his neck and lifted him in the air. I could taste fear replacing the lust coming off of him as his eyes grew wild. "What the fuck is wrong with me? Shift you little bitch and I'll tell you." I felt the fur retract and bones reform, his eyes wide with shock as my hands never left his throat, and his erection carrying over to his human form, "You arrogant little fuck. You have the balls to ask what is wrong with me when I've given you every signal I can think of to back the fuck off and yet you just keep on coming. Give me one good reason I shouldn't snap your neck just to spare the world from your stupidity." In his human form, he would be taller than me, but my hands gripping his neck never let him get off his knees.

"Elizabeth, I'm going to assume there is a good reason you're holding my son by his throat." Looking at him now, I could see the obvious resemblance to Rasp, all he was lacking was the impressively large stature. I wasn't completely cutting off his air, but that didn't stop the large inhalation when I finally pushed him away. "Dimitri, don't even think about going anywhere. Your father will be here momentarily," Natalie said, her arms crossed and expression hard as she stared down at her son.

Once Rasp arrived it only took a couple of minutes for me to explain the situation. As I talked, both of their faces grew dark and it was clear from the body language just how angry they were. Once I finished there was silence as Mike and several others approached from behind Dimitri. "Chto za huy Dimitri! Did you think I was lying?" Rasp exploded, his voice hard with a deeply Russian accent, "Take him to the circle." Mike and the others appeared to have been expecting this as they quickly moved in and dragged Dimitri off.

"This is our fault, not yours," Natalie said, her anger tinged with sadness, "We kept thinking he would change, but that is not meant to be."

"What's going to happen to him?"

"Rasp told him if there was another incident he was going to consider it a challenge for leadership," Natalie said. The joyous mood from the hunt was gone, replaced by a somber quiet that permeated the air as we made our way to the circle. Since Dimitri was their son, I'd half expected Rasp and Natalie to try and lay the blame at my feet but that wasn't the case. They felt I was too new as a wolf and blamed themselves, saying I shouldn't have been left alone until I had a better grasp of my new abilities.

Reaching the circle I was impressed by the sheer number of people present. Since my arrival, I'd been swept up in the breakneck pace of events and this was my first chance to look around. The crowd surrounding the circle easily numbered two hundred, and as we made our way to the front, for the first time I noticed several teenagers and younger kids among the throng. With the crowd parting before us, we moved to the front, taking positions along the first row behind the circle. The presence of Mike and Holly made me realize the entire front row was likely composed of betas. Once we were in place, the circle closed and Rasp began to speak.

"Reavers, we gather to answer a challenge for leadership of the pack. My son Dimitri has through his actions continued to defy his Alpha, somehow thinking he was above pack law."

"Father, you can't be serious," Dimitri said, "I was just trying to have some fun with her. Since she joined the pack smelling freshly fucked, I just figured she wouldn't object if I took a turn." I know he was trying to embarrass me, make it seem as it was my fault, but knowing everyone could smell the remnants of my threesome was having the opposite effect, I couldn't help but smile.

"But you didn't give her the chance to object, did you? Had you gotten the chance you would have just fucked her, without once discovering or caring if it was welcomed."

"Well then, why didn't she talk to me through the bond? All she had to do was tell me to back off." It was obvious he was trying to talk his way out of the situation he found himself in.

"Because just like every other new wolf, she doesn't know how until someone teaches her and you know that. I, Anatov Gregorovich Rasputin accept your challenge for leadership of the Shadow Reavers and choose to fight as a human. You don't deserve to fight as a wolf. Now defend yourself." With that statement Rasp threw himself across the circle towards Dimitri. Now I will say Dimitri tried, he tried in the same way that gets you a bronze star on your kindergarten progress chart. The fight and I used that word generously, was short, brutal, and completely one-sided. Dimitri simply lacked the power or mass to be a match for his father. He was able to make him miss a few times at first using his speed, but once Rasp landed the first devastating blow, the fight was essentially over.

"The challenge has been answered and met," Natalie said and with that, the crowd immediately began to disperse. No one even spared the bloody pulp in the circle a second glance. "Elizabeth, Rasp and I need to talk to you first thing in the morning," Natalie said once we were in the house, "We planned on doing it tonight, but as you can imagine neither of us is in the mood. Find us right after breakfast if you would." Not waiting for a response, we all watched as the Alphas, hand in hand, made their way up the stairs towards their room.