The Little Wulf Pt. 01

"Mercy." I gurgled.

Then its teeth closed around my left shoulder, and I drifted off as my blood flowed across my chest and onto the ground.

I remember hitting the ground with a thud, my body was completely limp, but I could see through one of my eyes; the other eye was clouded over with an orange sticky goo. I managed to reach up to see if I still had an eyeball and it was there, I just could not see out of it very well. I saw the woods; they were just twenty feet away. I thought if I could just crawl into the woods, I could escape.

I must have passed out halfway to the woods, because when I awoke, I was laying in the grass, and I remember creatures stepping over me. Good I thought, they were ignoring me and maybe leaving me for dead. I started crawling to the woods. It was difficult the grass was soaked in blood. No, it was my blood. Something grabbed my ankle and started dragging me backwards. I watched the tree line get farther away, and then I passed out again.

I woke up back on the table, but all my wounds were bandaged. Someone had washed the blood off my face, I could see better but my head hurt and there was so much noise. The clouds were covering the moon again. It was dark, I needed to move, and I rolled off the table letting gravity carry me to the ground. I landed with a thud. I still could not stand so I crawled towards the woods; I will do this as many times as it takes, I thought.

I woke up, shaking off the nightmare, I had dreamed all those creatures and being all, but eaten alive on a stone altar, but I was face down in the woods. It was not a nightmare I was still living it. I could hear people calling for me, searchers. I could not let them find me.

I opened one eye, a leaf. Where am I? It took a few moments for me to understand where I was, but I was face down staring at a brown leaf on the forest floor. I was breathing, I was alive, and I was thirsty. I rolled over and looked up at the tops of the trees it was morning. I lay there listening for my attackers but something inside me said I would not see them again until the moonrise. Trying to keep my eyes open was a challenge. I just wanted to sleep. It was the blood loss I told myself and urged my body to move.

I opened my eyes. It was moonrise, I must have fallen asleep again. The first thing I sensed was the noise, the cascading sympathy of the woods. Crickets, birds, nails on tree bark, all of it filling my ears with the percussion of an orchestra warming up. Crawling on all fours, I made it to the back yard of the house. I looked towards the pond, the water was still, and I was so thirsty I closed my eyes concentrating on crawling to the water. I open my eyes and I could see the tops of the trees and the moon in the pond's reflection like a beautiful mirror. I remember how peaceful it looked and thinking I was going to die without water.

I dragged myself to the water's edge and startled a frog as I looked in the water's surface, not waiting for the ripples caused by the frog to dissipate I cupped my hands to scoop up a drink of water, but I did not have hands.

The image became clearer as the ripples became less frequent. Turning my head from side to side in the waters reflection to convince me, I was seeing my face.

"FUCK ME" I would have said if I could speak.

"How stupid could I be?" I thought. Embarrassed it came out as a rough noise. I remember what she said, "may the night take you on its journey and may the woods call to you, daughter."

That will haunt my dreams for the rest of my life. I turned to see if anyone was near, only the trees and a trail of used bandages strewn between there and here. I was covered in them but simply crawling to this spot, they fell from my arms and torso. My torso, my arms ended in paws with thick healthy nails like a dog...a wolf.

I looked at the water wide head with pointed ears that seemed to rotate to catch the small sounds of the woods. Yellow almond-shaped eyes stared back at me, the corners facing up towards my ears. How odd that my eyes are yellow. I still felt close to death Yesterday I was five-foot-eight and I look the same length my shoulder height seems to be around three-feet, maybe a little more. I am defiantly not a dog, thin and I know I was around 140 pounds this morning, I stretch; I have a definite waist and rib area. I had to tilt my head to the right then the left, trying to see down my long nose to the water.

"Wait, I can't see color?" I try yelling to myself, but it sounds like a gurgling snort.

I cannot speak. Maybe I cannot speak English. I look around for someone to answer my questions.

My muzzle has a black top with the fur fading to a silver grey; actually, I am jet black all along my back fading to grey at my feet. Black lines of fur cross my body breaking up my outline. I have a tail, tapered from my butt to a bushy end sporting a black tip. The frog emerges in front of me and without warning or reason, I snap at it, missing the frog, and snatching up sea grass that I try to remove by dragging my tongue over my teeth. My paws are larger than my hands, if I had hands.

I smell everything. I can see a complete landscape with my nose, no, I can see more than the landscape. I see everything the landscape of trees and grass is hiding from my eyes. If I cannot see it or smell it, I can definitely hear it.

I can see the grass is green, I can see color. Suck it Mrs. Mulinax, my 5th grade teacher who said canine could not see color.

"May the night take you on its journey and may the woods call you to you, daughter."

The words ringing in my brain, am I female? A stick breaking bends my concentration and I hear grass crushed underfoot, a new smell of leather in the distance. I move to the tree line where I can hide. The smell is strong now I think there are two of them; I can smell leather and a warm smell like hay in the summer. It is more intimate than it is unpleasant, I should know this smell.

Two large men were examining the path I had made to get to the water.

"It looks like she dropped all of her bandages between there and the water's edge." The first man said pointing to the discarded bandages.

"She should be here somewhere." The other man said as he kneeled to look at the prints in the soft ground.

"Careful she might be scared." The other warned.

From the tree line, I felt the breeze on my back, nature would betray me.

"Wait, I smell her. She is watching us." The first man warned turning towards the tree line.

"I smell death," The second said continuing to watching the woods.

"We do not smell the same thing; I smell something wonderful, something." Leigh, its Clyde, and Tinker." Clyde said, pausing to inhale through his nose deeply.

"Fresh clover and flowers, I don't sense any danger." Clyde continued.

"The fear of change and the inability to let go could make her dangerous." Tinker explained.

"Leigh, little wulf, come out we want to help, we know you must be scared." Clyde said in a soft and comforting voice.

I can see everything I thought, I can hear everything, and I can smell everything. I am the biggest badass that has ever walked these woods. I fear nothing. I am death if I choose to be. I am life if I decide it will entertain me.

I chose to step out into the clearing; I was halfway to where the men stood before they saw me in the full moon. I sat to show them I meant no harm.

Everything was more vibrant to me; it was as if I was looking at the world in high definition instead of two hundred colors. I owned the big box of crayons now, with the built-in sharpener!

The full moon felt warm and comforting to me, like sunbathing, but at night.

Tinker took two steps backward towards the house, while Clyde stood his ground. I took two steps towards Clyde, ignoring Tinker before sitting down in the grass. My ears were threat scanning three hundred and sixty degrees, like a radar. I tried to speak but it sounded like a half growl and half bark. Tinker started walking backwards towards the house faster, leaving Clyde to approach me with his arms out to his sides'.

"You need to shift back to human from to speak English or I need a wolf translator, little wulf." Clyde said softly. He took a few more steps and stopped. His scent was strong, apples, and leather, mixed with fresh hay. I was enjoying the pleasant smell when I heard the approach.

She got close to me, too close. I should have detected her sooner. Another wolf with the same eyes and brindle markings I had. I instinctively moved between her and Clyde, baring my teeth to communicate that she was not welcome here, this human was mine. She bared hers as well in defiance.

The newcomer smelled of musk and tree bark, the forest went silent.

"Lisa, I'm over here, and I'm ok." Tinker said softly.

Lisa? As in my stepsister Lisa? My stepsister is a werewolf and she turned me into a werewolf?

The moon and stars began to spin as I put two and two together, fuck I'm a wolf.

"She's going to pop." Tinker said excitedly.

I threw up; it was the worst tasting vomit my stomach ever conjured up.

I crawled to the edge of the pond and drank.

"See, everything is ok Leigh, we are not going to hurt you, and we want to help if you let us." Clyde explained.

My brain was busy; the smell of musk and tree bark was heavy. Lisa came with friends, but I could not tell how many, they were silently hiding in the trees. Silent from me, like Lisa who was almost on top of me before I heard her. I turned and with my ears and tail down followed Clyde's led to the house. I was not scared of him but flattening my ears was the only way to show I was not a threat to him. He smelled wonderful. Wonderful, like fresh apple pie, fresh cut hay, and leather, but not delicious I reassured myself.

The four of us entered the back door of the attached garage and when the door closed behind Clyde I felt instantly trapped. The two-car garage was too small, the walls were closing in on me, and I started hyperventilating, rather I was panting.

I reeled when the woman knelt next to me. It was Lisa in her naked human form trying to comfort me, brushing my head coaching me to breathe out my mouth and in through my nose.

" The supper moon is affecting you, if you can stay in the garage long enough, we can get you to shift back to human." Lisa said.

Tinker had a tackle box of medical equipment open next to me, trying to listen to my heart and lungs, flashing a light in my eyes. He was a little too up in my shit right now, but I allowed it.

I had a million questions racing through my head. A million and one I thought, I am thirsty now.

"Ok, Tinker we need some water." Lisa instructed.

Tinker obeyed and went into the house, returning with a large metal mixing bowl filled with tap water. I drank and drank, the water tasted great, I did not realize how much panting dehydrated you.

"Good Tinker." I thought in my head.

"Tinker is not a dog or my servant; he's a friend trying to help you." Lisa scolded me.

"Sorry." I thought.

"It's ok." Lisa answered.

"Wait how in the fuck can you hear me?" I asked.

"She sounds like my husky, what is she saying?" Clyde asked. The look Lisa shot Clyde was a death stare.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean he was dumb as a dog, seriously, I apologize." Clyde said.

I realized I was making short noises that Lisa could understand.

"Do you feel your wolf? Your wolf is in the front of your mind and your human is in the back, you need to bring the human to the front. Visualize the wolf and the human and bring the human to the front. Think about being human and push the wolf to the back." Lisa continued.

I focused on Lisa, and then I focused on my wolf. I tried to reach out with my mind to Lisa, closing my eyes I thought about Lisa and her words.

"Fuck me." Tinker Yelled falling backwards onto the garage floor.

I was scared to open my eyes.

"Shit, now open your eyes. Open your eyes before you change again." Lisa said.

I blinked; I had hands, legs, boobs. "Oh, my gawd, what is going on." I screamed.

Tinker came at me with a blanket, I swung. I caught the side of his face with a haymaker and sent him flying backwards. Tinker blew raspberries and shook it off and resumed coming at me with a blanket.

"Take the blanket and cover yourself Leigh." Lisa directed.

"Well, that was sort of suspected, right?" Clyde said.

"What? What is wrong? I said. I grabbed the water bowl and tipped its contents to my lips finishing it. Tinker offered to refill it.

"It's nothing unusual, you are perfectly fine. This happens more often than you would think." Lisa assured not just me but the guys in the room also.

I pulled the blanket tightly around me. Tinker returned with the bowl of water.

"Nice one, a glass would have been fine Tinker." Clyde said harshly.

I took the bowl, I was so thirsty, and my mouth was so dry. Finishing the water, I held the bowl up looking at my reflection.

"I am not just a girl; I am a copy of Lisa." I said.

"Is this what happened to you? I asked looking at Clyde and Tinker.

"No we were born this way." Clyde offered.

"Why do you smell so good?" I asked.

"Who smells good? Lisa asked.

Well Tinker and Clyde smell like fresh summer hay and leather but Clyde also smells like fresh baked apple pie and Tinker does not." I confessed.

"Oh boy, we can talk about that later," Lisa asked.

"Am I a monster?" I asked.

Clyne lowered himself to one knee and beeped my nose. "No not a monster you are wonderful, don't let anyone tell you different." Clyde explained.

"You survived and you are ok, go lay on the couch and get some rest." Lisa suggested.

"That sounds really good and some food would be great." I added.

I followed Clyde to the living room. Two couches arranged either side of a coffee table in front of a large brown bridge fireplace. Everything in this house screamed mid-century modern.

"It may not look it but these couches are very comfortable." Clyde said.

I picked the couch away from the front window and pulled the crocheted blanket down from the back of the couch. I breathed in the smell of the blanket, leather, and warm apple pie, with a dash of hay, it smelled like Clyde.

Clyde heated some left-over General Tso's Chicken and rice. He added some broccoli and snow peas for me.

"I'll be nearby if you need me, I'll take good care of you, little wulf." Clyde said lounging on the opposite couch.

I ate all of the Chinese, drank almost a gallon of water, and drifted off to sleep.

I dreamed I was on a huge horse being chased by monsters and eating apple pies, how weird is that?

I woke to the smell of fresh baked apple pie with a hint of hay and leather. I knew my Clyde was very close by. Opening one eye looking through the crocheted blanket I saw Clyde on the other couch right where I left him staring at his tablet. There was a crumpled blanket across his lap, and he was not wearing shoes. Aww, he slept in the living room with me. I stayed still, pretending to be asleep. Those hands, and muscular arms, I could lay her all day watching him do nothing on the couch. His dark brown eyes scanning some text on the display in front of him was almost too much for me. That crooked smile, those lips, I could not help but feel a little frisky.

I stretched on the couch and yawned.

"OK, um, Cindy please come here, we have a wolf on the couch now." Clyde seemed nervous with the sudden appearance of my wolf.

Cindy came in at a quick pace but not quite a run, Lisa was close behind her. Cindy smelled of musk, tree bark, and something minty.

I guess getting horny triggered my wolf to push to the front of my brain and I transformed. I proceeded to overextend my mouth and roll my tongue in a healthy yawn.

"Leigh, can you change back to human form?" Cindy asked.

"Leigh, Cindy is a Beta, you have to obey her." Lisa urged.

I focused on my human side pulling the human to the front of my mind and letting the wolf slip backwards. I wrapped the blanket around my nude female form.

"She changes really easily, we should keep a close eye on her for a few months, and we don't need any negative press." Cindy said.

"Look Leigh, Clyde and Tinker are friends to help you, OK? I don't want you hurting either one of them. Deal?" Lisa asked.

"None of you should worry about Clyde." I said coldly.

"Why is that Leigh?" Lisa asked.

"Clyde found me dying in the woods, he gave me a place to sleep, he fed me, and gave me water, then he protected me and slept in the living room while I recovered, I swear to all of you I will never be a threat to Clyde, not ever." I said.

"Well comforting as that is it would take ten wolves to bring down Clyde, just so you know he isn't helpless." Cindy said in a condescending tone.

There was a pile of clean clothing on the coffee table, new Dollar Store flowered panties, a pink bra, jeans, and a black Steppenwolf tee shirt. On the floor was a paper shopping bag with my shoes and the cheer jumper I wore into the woods, but my phone was missing.

"Get dressed. Laura and I have a surprise for you." Cindy said with her reassuring smile. Everyone left me alone to change. I could hear them outside talking about me, matter of fact I could hear everything within a mile of me, even in human form I still had all the senses of a wolf.

I got dressed and folded the blanket and placed it on the back of the couch and walked over to the couch Clyde had slept on and did the same with that blanket when I noticed Clyde's sweaty workout shirt on the floor, it was thread bare and the sleeves were ripped where his biceps out grew the material. I scrunched up the shirt and breathed in his scent. It was heavy with the smell of hay, leather, and apple pie. I dropped it in my bag and headed out to the pick-up truck where Laura and Cindy waited for me.

The Apartment

I was invited to sit in the middle of the trucks bench seat, straddling the gearshift, holding all my worldly possessions in a paper bag.

"Why can't I stay here with Tinker and Clyde? I asked.

"It's a safe house for the pack; nobody stays here on a regular basis." Laura offered.

Cindy slammed the truck in reverse; the knob of the gearshift hit my crotch extra hard and partial crushed the paper bag in my lap.

"Oh, sorry, at least you don't have to worry about the family jewels anymore." Cindy laughed as she pulled the truck onto the country road.

"Did you, I mean are the, the one, last night?" I asked.

"Ha, you lost your nuts between my teeth, and they tasted terrific." Cindy teased.

"Cindy, Come on, stop teasing." Laura asked.

"Next time we do sex change transformations remind me to bring some salt and pepper, Laura." Cindy laughed.

"I'll get right on that." Laura said sourly.

We drove right past my house by the water tower and continued past the church to the main street where the stores lined the road like so many mid-western towns. Little alleys chopped up the big two-story buildings, some empty others hosting businesses. All of them had apartments on the second floors.

We drove down the alley between the bakery and the furniture store and pulled into a large open gravel parking area in the back.

"Well here we are, home sweet home." Cindy said.

Laura got out holding the door for me; Cindy followed us up the exposed stars to the second floor. Laura inserted her key into the sturdy steel door and welcomed us inside. We entered galley style kitchen with a large wooden table that sat four, Laura asked us to follow her into the small hallway with doors to two bedrooms, the living room and at the end a modernized bathroom.

"And this is your room." Laura announced opening a door to a nice bedroom, chair, two large dressers, and a walk in closet. Black out curtains covered the windows with wispy white shears.