Hunting Wolves Ch. 05

Lissa's Story

It was the howl that woke our wolves. A howl of incredible grief, pain and anger.

Every one of us had their wolf surge forward, the change quickly overtaking the pack members as we ran for the doors of our home. I led the pack alongside Jack, the senior Beta, since our Alphas were out making the next generation in the woods somewhere. The howl was Joel, our Alpha, and something was very wrong. Our warriors were in front, the female Betas on the sides, the lower ranked wolves following behind as we tore through the woods towards whatever had caused this. The pack was quiet and efficient.

A low growl from Jack caused us all to slow and fan out. I smelled it too- blood. I could smell Emma, and her scent carried the stench of death along with it. Jack looked left and right, the Pack spread out and hid until we could figure out what was going on.

It was only a few minutes until we saw Joe slowly moving towards us. His head was down and he was bleeding from just behind his left ear.

The Alpha looked at the woods, the darkness quickly came with the setting sun. What was needed now was violence. Coordinated violence. The whole pack was pissed that their Alpha Bitch had been killed and wanted blood.

We set off in a V-formation, Joel at the head, Jack and I by his right and left sides. We moved swiftly and silently through the dark forest, our eyes able to see the paths before us by the starlight of the clear winter night. It only took us about ten minutes before the smell of the human was before us. Joel chuffed and we slowed and spread out, forming a semicircle around the area his scent was the strongest. Once every wolf was in place, we moved forward as a group, shrinking the circle and trapping him within. I could feel my lips pulling back to expose my teeth as we advanced, Emma had been a friend to me and having her killed by an irresponsible hunter was a tough blow to my human side. My wolf was clearly pissed. Didn't these idiots know it was a violation of Federal law to hunt wolves?

We exited the treeline as one, seeing the small tented area on the rocky point just twenty yards ahead. A low growl from Joel stopped our advance. He looked left and right, his meaning clear. This kill was his.

There was movement ahead, we saw an arm poke out and then the night was lit up with a bright red light. It raced up in the sky and then started to float down. We started to advance again as a group as the man stepped out into the light. He reached for something on his leg, but I didn't see that, all I could see was his face.

"DOUG DOUG DOUG!!" I yelled but in wolf form it did nothing. I saw him pull a pistol out, closing my eyes I focused my will and somehow pushed my wolf back. The change was quick, and I stood up and saw the recognition in his face.

"LISSA!" My heart broke for him but it was too late. Two of the warriors had run forward and latched onto his arms, pulling him back, as Joel jumped forward between them. Doug was knocked back and I could only watch in horror as my Alpha went for his throat. "NO PLEASE NO PLEASE DON"T KILL HIM JOEL! HE'S MINE."

Doug stopped struggling and I saw Joel hesitate. I ran forward, using my hip to push him out of the way as I flung my naked body protectively over Doug. I kept my back to the Alpha as I tore a strip from his shirt and used it to stem the flow of blood from his neck. Luckily, he had been wearing a turtleneck and it had limited the damage somewhat. I kept pressure on the wounds as best I could while ensuring he could still breathe.

I felt a push at my shoulder and a growl. I turned to see Joel standing there, hackles up and growling. He pushed at the front of my shoulder this time, he wanted me out of the way to finish the job. "NO! Leave us alone!" I turned my back on him, which clearly was the wrong behavior. His growl became more menacing, and this time he nipped my shoulder as he leaned his chest on my torso. I stared into his eyes, defiantly claiming Doug as my own. I may not be in wolf form, but my message was clear. It was over my dead body that he would touch him again.

The next time he came to bite, I was ready. I dropped my body on top of Doug and then rolled to the far side, allowing Joel's muzzle to chase air as he lunged for me. I continued the roll, grabbing the fur of his forechest as my knee came up to slam into his side. I pushed him away and put myself between him and Doug, raised up on my knees and waiting.

He stared at me for a moment. I could see the anger in his eyes, the conflict, the need to dominate. I'm pretty sure his wolf could see my love and determination in mine. My body language mimicked a wolf- I was making myself seem bigger, more dominant, more dangerous, even as I kept human form. I watched as his body language changed; his shoulders relaxed, his head lowered, as he continued to stare at me. I glared at him. "Go home. Leave us. Emma needs to be tended to."

With a chuff he finally turned around, leading the rest of the Pack away from us. I lowered my shoulders in relief, I knew this wasn't over. The next time he got me in wolf form he would make my wolf understand the consequences of my rebellion, stomping his dominance into my hide. I really didn't care, he could kill me if my Doug didn't make it. He would be doing me a favor. I went back to Doug, tearing another long strip of shirt I gently wrapped his neck to hold the cloth in place. It looked like his bleeding had slowed.

Of course, now I was freezing. I went to his sniper hide, and clipped to his backpack I found a flashlight. It wasn't much of a shelter, just the heavy sleeping bags and a tarp for weather cover. I unzipped the sleeping bag and went back to Doug. Kneeling down, I grabbed the material of his jacket and slowly slid him across the snow and ice. It took me about five minutes, even with the werewolf strength I had gained he was a load to move. I finally was able to get him close enough to remove his jacket and boots and roll him into the sleeping bag. I put his jacket on then snuggled myself in next to him, my back spooned into his chest, before managing to zip the cold weather bag up again. Snug was an understatement, I could barely move and my legs and feet were still cold.

It took a while, but I started to warm up and his breathing on my shoulder lulled me to sleep.

I woke the next morning, reveling in the heat that warmed my body. He had made it through the night! He might be cursed to be a were like me, but at least he was alive. I still had a chance at happiness again.

I zipped the sleeping bag down and slowly got out. Checking his wounds, they were no longer bleeding. His color was good, but he was running a fever. I just had to find a way to get him through the change now.

I looked around in his backpack and found some long underwear, wool socks and an extra pair of boots. Thank God he had the extras, I thought, as I pulled the clothing on. It was big on my but at least my bottom half was covered now. Once I could stand up, I found an extra shirt and put that on before putting the jacket back on. I looked around the hide and sniffed, all was clear. It was one of those beautiful winter mornings, clear and calm. I was really beginning to like it up here, it was so peaceful compared to the city.

I heard movement behind me and turned to see Doug starting to wake up. I quickly went to his side and pressed a hand on his chest to keep him down. "Relax, love, I am here. You were bitten on the neck and it is bruised, I need you to keep still so you don't open the wounds again." He looked around then looked back to my eyes as he relaxed. "The rest of the pack is gone. You are safe here, I will take care of you." I slowly lowered my face to his and gently kissed his lips. "Now move over, I'm freezing out here and I need to hold you in my arms again." I quickly doffed the jacket and boots then slid back in, this time he was on his back and I was on my side with my head resting on his broad shoulder. My left leg found its way up his thighs as my left hand snaked its way under his torn shirt to the patch of hair on his chest. "God I've missed you. I don't ever want to leave your side again." His arm hugged me so tightly I could barely breathe as we stared at each other in wonder.

He tried to speak but couldn't get above a scratchy whisper. "I thought I had lost you." Tears were forming in his eyes as his hand caressed my back and down to my butt. I ran my hand across his chest.

"I never wanted to leave you. You don't know how hard it was to see what you went through and not be able to help, to not be able to get you word I was still alive."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was not allowed. After I was bitten, the local werewolf pack found me and nursed me back to health. Their law does not allow knowledge of us to pass to humans. Even if I had found a way to tell you, they would have killed you to keep the secret."

He closed his eyes for a while. "I would have become one if it would keep me with you. All I want now is for us to be together, to raise our child together."

Tears formed in my eyes as I realized he didn't know what I had already made peace with. "Love... the baby does not survive the change to wolf form. When I shifted to kill the wolf who attacked me, it killed our child. I'm so sorry, I was worried about what you would say but I never had the chance to tell you."

"I don't blame you for anything. I love you and we will have the rest of our lives together." We snuggled and held each other until we fell back to sleep.

I woke a few hours later to the sound of a snowmobile. "Let me handle this, love," I said as he tried to get up. "You have to rest and heal." I got up and put the shoes and jacket on as the snowmobile came to a halt. I was glad to see it was one of my Betas, Linda, and not my Alpha. Linda and I had gotten along well after our short dominance fight, and as a human she had become a good friend and helped me adjust to pack life.

"Snow, I brought you some clothes and hot food. I figured you would need it by now." I smiled as I walked towards her in the oversized thermal underwear and floppy boots.

"Thank you, I'd hate to have to walk home in this. Not exactly my style!" We both laughed as I took the pile of clothes and sat on the snowmobile to get changed.

"So, he made it through the night?"

"Yes, he's awake but resting. His throat is bruised and he lost some blood but he should recover." I leaned back to pull the insulated jeans up past my butt and then pulled on the Sorel boots over the wool socks I was wearing.

"That is good. Start him on the broth in the thermos, then if he holds it down you can move on to the meat. He will need a lot to deal with his injuries and the turning." I nodded and set the cooler aside. "Joel sent me with a message along with this stuff."

"Yes?"

"We are burning Emma tonight. You may come, but the man who killed her is not welcome."

"I won't come without him. He's Doug, he's my boyfriend, he was the father of my baby that I lost when I made the change. I love him."

Linda sighed. "You are Alpha Bitch now that Emma is gone. However, Joel's wolf will not allow you back unless you submit to him. Your actions last night were a challenge to his authority. He doesn't know why his wolf backed down, but it won't again. Crawl back to him and take your place in the Pack. We need you."

I looked back at the tarp. "He needs me more right now."

"I'm not getting between my Alphas. He was bitten, he will make the change and then he will need a Pack to stabilize him, the same as you did. If you return to the Pack, you will have all of our help. He will be a strong fighter for us."

I really didn't want to do this right now. "I'm afraid that he won't be accepted. He hurt the Pack. He didn't know, but he did, and some will want him to pay for it."

Linda put her hand on my arm. "You know that he isn't Pack until after the introduction. Yes, some will blame him, but they will also understand why he did this. They will know he tried to kill the wolves who took his love from him." We didn't talk for a while. As I started to get up, she said, "The other thing he told me was that he wants this area cleared of any evidence you were here. We can't have people searching these woods again."

I thought about it for a moment. "I guess I better see if he can move, then." We went back to the tarp.

"Doug, honey, we have to move. This place is too exposed for you to rest and heal."

Doug looked up at me and the woman who was standing behind me. His throat was still bandaged and he couldn't talk. I pulled Linda forward. "This is Linda, she is a friend and another member of the Pack. She needs to break down this campsite and remove all the equipment before someone finds it." Doug looked at her, then asked quietly "So now what?"

"She will take it back to the house that is shared with the rest of the Pack." He started shaking his head. "We have to, there isn't enough time for you to remove it and you don't have the strength to hike back to the pack house. We also don't know when your wolf will take over."

"So we aren't going with her?"

I shook my head. "No, that wouldn't be wise right now. That wolf you killed was the mate of our leader. The Pack is saying goodbye to her. If you show up you might be killed."

I could see the pain on his face as he laid his head back down. Shooting an animal was one thing, but shooting a woman who wasn't a threat to him was against everything he held sacred. "It wasn't even her fault. I killed an animal that had done nothing to me. All my life I've hunted game, I even killed men that were animals in my mind, and I end up killing an innocent woman."

I brushed the tears from his eyes. "I need to take you somewhere else. You should be able to walk as long as we take it easy. Do you have a place to go to?"

He sat up and yanked the tarp stakes out as he cleared his visual path. "My permanent camp is about two miles to the southeast. We can go there until I've rested up. Then I've got a truck hidden and we can drive that wherever we need to go."

"OK, let's take what we need and let Linda get rid of the rest." We packed up his backpack and the cooler. He looked at his rifle and the pistol I had picked up from where it had been dropped the night before. "I'm sorry, we really should let her take that and the pistol. They will be safe. Linda, put his stuff in my room when you get back."

"As you wish, Snow. You guys get going, I will take care of this." With that I helped Doug to his feet and then I put on his backpack and grabbed the small cooler. He slowly moved off, I could tell he was stiff and he was still pale from the blood loss. We could only walk for ten minutes before he needed to stop. I helped him sit on a fallen log then opened up the cooler. There was some hot chocolate in there, I opened it and handed it to him.

"Baby, you need to eat and drink to get your energy back. Your body is repairing itself faster because the wolf gene is now in you. You will find you need a lot more food as you make the change." He nodded as I dug through the backpack, producing a Carnation Breakfast Bar. "I want you to eat and drink something at least every hour." I polished off a bar and some granola along with a bottle of water while he slowly ate. I could tell his throat hurt when he swallowed, but he was getting the food down. Ten minutes later we were walking through the woods again.

It took us over an hour to make it to the cave, the entrance was well hidden by a fallen pine and some brush. The walk had taken all the energy out of him, in fact the last twenty minutes he had to keep his arm around my shoulder to keep his balance. I turned on the flashlight and looked around, the cave was about ten feet across and four feet in height. Cozy. He had a large mattress on the back wall, a metal box for foods to the right, and a container with clothes on the left. In the middle was a kerosene space heater and a camping stove. The cave entrance could be covered with a heavy waterproof canvas drape. I helped him over to the bed, stripped him down and tucked him in. He was out before he was covered up.

I found the matches and got the small heater fired up. It didn't take long to take the chill off the space, not that it would matter under the thick blankets and sleeping bags. I stripped naked and slid in next to Doug, being careful not to touch his neck as I curled around him. After all these months, it felt so good to be snuggling him I fell deeply asleep within minutes.

I woke up in the middle of the night when Doug's hand grasped my right wrist. Apparently he woke up as I was stroking his proud cock. His hardon proved his loss of blood wasn't too severe, right? I looked at Doug's eyes in the dim light of the space heater, I could see his desire sparkling in them as he tried to say something. "Hush," I said as I brushed my lips to his. I flipped the covers back until he was uncovered in all his glory, all firm muscles, tanned skin and sex. I could smell his pre-cum on my fingers as I gently moved it across his head. Grinning, I moved down and placed my head on his stomach.

I reached my tongue out and gently licked the sticky mess off the tip of his cock. The taste exploded in my mouth, it was nothing like before. Such strength and complexity of taste, plus the smell was so strong, wild and manly. I didn't hold back, I brought the head into my mouth and swirled my tongue around it. I grinned to myself as I felt his intake of air at the sudden feeling when I drove my head down until his cock was deep in my throat. I stayed there for a few moments, swallowing around the shaft as my tongue moved side to side on the underside of it. His hands came down and lifted me off, but I just took another breath and went back down. I wasn't going to drag this out, I wanted to taste him and I knew he couldn't wait. I pulled back until I just had the head in my mouth while my hand jacked him quickly. I could feel his head swell as he approached his release, when the time was right I drove myself all the way back down. I smiled in triumph as his essence painted my throat. He gave me three good spurts before I came up, and another into my mouth. The taste was amazing, I could do this all night if he would let me. I sat up and made a show of swallowing it down then smiled and kissed him.

I know he wanted to say something, but I put my finger on his lips and laid my head down on his shoulder. "We can continue this in the morning, love." He pulled up the covers and kissed my head before we fell back asleep.

I woke in the morning to a cold bed. Panicked, I looked around but didn't see him. I jumped out and opened the flap at the cave entrance, relaxing when I saw him there. He was standing buck naked except his Sorel boots, hand on his hip, peeing over the edge of the dropoff near the cave entrance. Such a guy thing.

"Hey handsome... nice ass you have there!"

He didn't turn around or interrupt his stream, he just said, "Yours is better."

"Hey, what happened to your bandage?"

"Took it off, it is almost completely healed. I feel good, strong even."

"What's that on your ass?"

He tapped his jagged scar with his fingers. "That's just a souvenir from my final tour in Afghanistan. Mortar round."

He had gone back. Wait, he said 'final.' He must have gotten out then! I put on boots and walked out next to him. I didn't pee over the edge but I did squat down and go in between two rocks. He helped me back up and he wrapped an arm around my shoulders as we walked back.

"My God, I've missed you Lissa. My life meant nothing when you were gone. Can you every forgive me?"

I looked at him in shock. "I don't need to forgive you for anything. You weren't at fault for when I was attacked and turned. You tried to avenge me, even if you went after those who weren't at fault. It's me who needs to beg forgiveness. I let you sit in jail and watched your life be destroyed because I didn't have the courage to stand up to my Alpha and come forward." I buried my face in his hard chest. "I'm so sorry, they said I couldn't have my old life back and I went along with it. I lost our baby and... I..."