The Lone Wolf Ch. 01

Nola

Frustration. Anger. Longing. Desolation. The most prominent emotions one could expect from patrons of a hole-in-the-wall bar at noon on a Tuesday. Nola let these emotions wash over her as she downed the amber liquid in her glass, relishing its burn and the warmth that blossoms in her stomach.

She is a lone figure sitting at the end of the bar, her countenance having encouraged the other day-drinkers to abandon their usual stools and sequester themselves at the few corner tables. Although every one of them had their eyes focused on her. Its as if they couldn't control themselves. A few would try to shake out of it and look away, but their eyes would eventually be drawn back to her.

Nola is undoubtedly a very pretty young woman. Looking to be in her late teens or early twenties, she is close to six feet tall with long legs and a lean musculature that spoke of easy strength and grace. Her naturally straight blond hair hangs halfway down her back and frames her heart-shaped face. Her lips are full and rosy-red, a couple of shades darker than the color that brushes her cheeks. They stand out on her ivory skin.

Though her most intriguing and drawing attribute are her eyes. Wide and ringed with thick golden lashes, her eyes are an incredible dark green with lighter greens and blues swirled in. It also seemed that her entire being is just surrounded by an aura of energy and intense sensuality, pulling them in and telling them to stay away at the same time.

The bartender quickly sidled over to refill her glass, eyeing her greedily as he poured an overly generous portion of the bar's finest whiskey. She could sense his ardor rising and his intense desire to bed her, as well as a slight twinge of fear. The unwelcome attention annoyed her, she just wanted a couple of hours to quiet her thoughts and mentally prepare herself for that evening.

Yet Nola understood why the poor man could not help his attentions while she was in such a state as well as his fear at having to approach her. These poor humans are quite unaware that the draw and attraction they feel towards me is a result of the full moon and me going into heat. She didn't let the thought show on her face and kept her eyes downturned in order to lessen the effect of her unintentional energies.

Nola was a werewolf. Werewolves can shift whenever they like, though they cannot help but shift during a full moon. It is also when their wolf side is the strongest and base instinct starts to take control the closer the full moon gets.

This energy is extremely obvious to other werewolves, as a much as a visible ring of light surrounding the person. It is so palpable that even dull-sensed humans can sense it, though not quite see it. The energy makes them feel in awe of the power this person possess as well as alerting them to keep their distance. Her going into heat complicated the issue because it also gave her an aura of sexual energy encouraging everyone around her to bed her. Once again, this comes off as a visible light to other wolves but only as a very intoxicating attraction for humans.

Feeling bad for inflicting this energy on these unawares patrons, Nola reaches out to each conscious in the bar and eases their apprehension and desire. She doesn't alter all of their feelings, just deescalates those couple to a dull thrum. This leaves them to their normal broodings over their glasses, the enchanting beauty at the bar moving to the back of their minds. There. That should give them some peace as well as I.

Nola is also left with her thoughts, focusing to slow the flow of emotions from those around her. Much like putting a dam up in her mind. Though she never cut the flow off completely. That would be like cutting off an arm.

She sips at her drink as she thinks back on the past hundred or so years she has been moving around. Unlike most wolves that enjoy the company of others, Nola enjoys her solitude. This makes her strange enough to her kind, but then you also have to consider her other oddity. She could sense the emotions of those around her as easily as she could see, hear, smell, feel, or taste.

While her kind has increased senses that they can use to see signs of emotions in the way someone is acting, none had her innate ability to read emotions as easily as her own thoughts. This was unnerving for her pack when she was younger. It was even worse when they discovered she could influence the emotions of those around her at will. She called it helping. They called it manipulation. She was an outcast while she was there and left as soon as she was strong enough to survive on her own. And survive alone she did.

Nola sticks to sparsely populated wilderness areas that offer plenty of room to run as her wolf and enough game to make her hunting go as unnoticed as possible. She lives in abandoned buildings or unused vacation homes for days or months depending on how well she likes the area. Never more than a few months in one area and she was careful to leave a long period of time between visits if she ever returned to an area, better to avoid detection.

There was always the worry that a human would happen upon her temporary living quarters or, even worse, her in her wolf form. There was also a worry, one that filled her with dread, that another werewolf would sense what she was and alert his pack. This is why Nola kept very close track of the pack territories around her and did her best to avoid them.

Especially at times like this. Her heat had surprised her when she felt it starting to rise with the moon. She was in fact more susceptible to its effects than the humans around her, though she could not ease her own restlessness as she had theirs. Lucky bastards.

Her heat made her ache to her very being with the desire to couple, though she was also driven to allow only her intended mate to couple with her. This leaves her feeling unfulfilled and disappointed every time her heat comes and goes. Other werewolves would be affected even more strongly, controlling the urge to shift on the spot in order to attempt coupling with her. But she would be able to sense that and abate their desires, hopefully keeping them from pursuing her.

She rarely made trips into the populated areas where she was staying. But tonight was different. Tonight she really needed a drink. She finished off her glass again, though it didn't stay empty for long, and let herself enjoy the alcohol easing her agitation. Too bad this dullness can't last the night. Soon I will be burning it off faster than I can drink it.

Another afternoon drinker entered the bar and was simultaneously drawn to Nola and frightened out of his wits. She automatically reached out to him and eased his suffering enough to order and find a seat in the far corner with the other couple of humans, all without breaking her train of thought on her plans for that evening.

Nola reviewed what she knew about the area, now more anxious about shifting in an unfamiliar area during her heat. She was in northern Canada staying deep in the woods where she couldn't sense any other people, miles from this little town. There shouldn't be any packs in the area. I haven't sensed any other weres and none have shown themselves to me, which would be almost impossible not to do at this particular time. Her thoughts continued along these lines and started to review every possible scenario and how she would fight her way out of them.

The glass was empty again, soon to be generously refilled. Swirling the amber, she thought of the little cabin she had found far up in the woods and how many things it had to offer her. The cabin was abandoned but still in good shape, even some sparse furnishings were left behind.

The area surrounding it offered a fresh water stream and plentiful wildlife that she could hunt freely with little concern of detection. It is actually quite cozy. I could spend some time here. This realization made her even more anxious about encountering a pack and having to leave the area.

I really hope there aren't any in the area. I do not want to have to fight off a pack of lust driven wolves tonight. She knew she could do it, but it would be an annoyance and not the way she wanted to spend her full moon.

There was no doubt in her mind that she would avoid any of the wolves' intentions. She was instinctually driven to only sexually submit to her mate and would fight against any unworthy wolves that would try and mount her, no matter how much she may desire coupling herself.

However, if she were to encounter her mate they would both immediately sense it and begin the mating process. The female wolf would run from her mate and try to avoid getting caught. The male would give chase and do his best to catch her.

When they catch up they will wrestle until the male has his mate by the throat and is prepared to mount her, waiting for her to submit. She will show her submission by moving her tail to her side and offering herself to her mate. Wolf mating is instinct-driven and rough. The wolves will rut until the male is reaching completion. The knot at the end of his tapered penis will begin to enlarge and force into the female.

This is joined by the male marking his mate with a bite at the joining of the neck and shoulder. The wolves will stay tied until the male's knot recedes. The wolves mating process will bind the two wolves for life. They will always want to protect each other and will not be content unless they are together.

Nola did not consider the fact that she would encounter her mate. She didn't even believe she had one. She considered herself damaged, something must be wrong with her if she has such weird abilities.

Who would want to mate with me? No. I am born to be alone. A lone wolf. A sad chuckle escaped her lips at the poor joke. I will be spending this heat as I have all my past ones, horny with no chance of release.

She finished the rest of her glass but motioned the eager bartender down. The familiar bloom of warmth was there but was quickly burned out by her wolf. Alcohol could no longer ease her anxiety. Time to face reality. She paid her tab, tipped generously, and made her exit.

Cedric

Cedric made his way through the forest. He was somewhere in northern Canada miles from any form of civilization. It was early spring so the weather was cold and brisk, but the snow held off. But Cedric didn't feel the cold as he made his way through the wilderness, his wolf side made him resilient in cold environments. His thoughts were focused on shelter.

I really need to find a place to stay for the full moon tonight. And maybe the next week or so. It would be nice to take a break from traveling. This is the twelfth moon since Cedric left his pack; he has been on his own ever since.

He is not accustomed to being on his own and often desires the company of other wolves. Not humans, they are often frightened of him even when he is not shifted. Talking to such jumpy people can get irritating. But he cannot seek the company of his kind. He has been banished. He is a lone wolf. The isolation pains Cedric but he is slowly becoming accustomed to it. His depression has somewhat dulled his wolf instincts these past few months, though it is still stronger than most.

That is why he is a little put off that his wolf is rising so strongly with this moon. He is plagued by the unshakable sense that something is coming, and is filled with excited expectation. This confuses him even more because he has no idea what it could be.

Cedric looks to be in his mid twenties, though his age is actually somewhere close to two hundred. He is tall with a swarthy complexion and his frame ripples with lean muscles developed from thorough use. His almost black hair is kept somewhat short but doesn't see much grooming.

He has a strong jaw and chiseled cheekbones that accentuate his ruggedness and raw power. His eyes were rich amber with flecks of green and blue. He exudes an air of strength, confidence, and masculinity.

The forest buzzes with frightened energy around him as he picks is way through the trees, the full moon evoking his wolf instincts and calling to him to shift. He looks up at the sun to see it progress and finds it falling past midday. Soon. He begins to move faster.

He scans the area with all of his senses, keeping him alert to any danger as well as seeking out a decent shelter for a few days. Nothing is standing out to him and he continues to move forward. Then he finally crests the hill he is climbing and is able to get a good view of the surrounding area.

He noted the presence of three buildings in the wide area spread beneath him. They were all spread over miles, but his position and werewolf eyesight allowed him to see them easily. He took a minute to decide his path.

All of the buildings are far from any population; they are even spaced quite far from each other. There is very little chance I will inadvertently frighten some humans during my change. None of the buildings even look occupied so there is a chance I am completely alone out here. He starts heading to the cabin closest to him. It has obviously been abandoned for quite a while and is farthest from the closest village.

He is aimed directly at the cabin during his trek, even when he can no longer keep it in his sight. He follows his unerring sense of direction as he moves quickly through the trees. His thoughts keep him company, just like the last months.

It would be nice if I could stay at this cabin for a while. Maybe more than a few days. This area has enough area for me to run and very little chance of running into someone during a shift. I am not encroaching on the territory of any packs, so I should be able to stay here unchallenged. I could even make a few trips into the village. Even if jumpy, humans are company. His brooding thoughts continue to carry him through the trees. He pushes himself to his limit with his interest in reaching the cabin.

Cedric knows he can move faster if he shifts to his wolf form, but he resists the urge and continues on two legs. He wants to save his change for the rising of the full moon.

The uncontrollable energies it evokes give the wolf an incredible shift high when the power of their shift is completely given over to the moon. It is one thing that makes the full moon so enticing. Cedric knows not shifting the day leading up to the full moon will increase that effect and get him even closer to his base wolf instincts.

Though he can still move quite quickly, even in his human form. There are several miles between him and the cabin but he will be able to cross that in a couple of hours.