Watcher Ch. 03

After leaving the Blood Reavers, I began to roam the continent again. I was content with how life in that pack had carried on and improved. I didn't stay anywhere for long, just constantly exploring and watching. As happy as I was with how things worked out, I knew that to some effect it was my fault. I let myself get too close, get too attached, and as such I avoided contact of any kind for a long time.

The world was so different from the one I grew up in. The giant sheets of ice had vanished, but I knew if I went far enough north I would still see the remnants lying in wait to be unleashed again. I spent long periods just running through the woods as a wolf, just enjoying the feeling of endless freedom. The wind running through my fur and the feel of the forest floor beneath my feet. My only true companion during these years was the elusive black wolf from my dreams.

I was further south than I had been in a long time looking over a crystal blue sea. The simple beauty combined with the sheer size and hidden fury was enough to make me spend hours simply gazing out across the water. From time to time I would see boats making their way across, heading from one trading post to the next. I like so many was able to find a quiet solace sitting on those beaches, laying down, my head resting on my paws watching the sun dip into the ocean at the end of the day. I knew at some point I would have to cross over to the eastern shore so I could watch the sunrise.

It was on one of those lazy days that I heard the sorrowful crying of a female wolf. It was a sound I knew, the sound of mourning and emptiness from the loss of a mate or a child. I'd made those sounds too many times in my life not to recognize them from another. I just listened for a while before getting to my feet and heading in her direction. It took me just a short while to discover a beautiful brown wolf howling over the body of a human male. What surprised me was how pregnant she was. I moved around carefully until I was within her line of sight. She had enough stress, and I didn't want to add to it by startling her more than necessary. She was so focused on her dead mate; it was several minutes before she even realized I was there. I had lain down on my belly with my head on my paws, trying to make myself as harmless looking as possible. Not surprisingly, that is a bit of a challenge for a wolf of my size. I suppose it was my scent that hit her first as I watched her face slowly change as she realized I was there. I heard her wail change to a low growl as she rose to face me. Keeping low, I slowly made my way over to her before I got to my feet and rubbed against her. I wasn't trying to do anything, I just wanted her to have someone to lean on. I wondered where her pack was, as she didn't have the scent I'd grown to associate with rogues.

After a few minutes, I felt her lean against me and begin her low crying again. We stood there for a long while before she got up and begin to walk away. This confused me as from what I had learned we burned the dead. We walked for a good while before reaching a cave. She glanced at me before heading in and I hesitated, unsure if she wanted me to follow her. Before long she returned, having shifted and motioned me into the cave. She was stunning, with long black hair and bright blue eyes. Being unsure how much room was available in the cave I shifted and followed her in. The cave was well provisioned and comfortable. She had a sleeping pallet as well as a small table with two rough-hewn chairs. I could smell the stew coming from the bowls on the table. A small fire burned in an alcove off to the side which must have ventilation as the smoke appeared to go straight up and wasn't filling the cave. Other than the table and chairs there wasn't much different from the caves my mate and I lived in. Taking one chair, she motioned for me to join her at the table as she ate. I quickly discovered that while the spicing differed from I was used to it was tasty.

As we ate, something strange started happening to me. She had started talking to me and at first, I couldn't understand her, but the more she spoke, the more I understood. I had always picked up languages quickly, but this was ridiculous. I would not complain, since being able to understand her certainly would make things easier. "I asked how do you like the stew," she said.

"It's good," I replied, "I don't believe I've had this blend of spices before." I watched as her nose and her features crinkled up at hearing me speak. I wasn't sure if she didn't understand me or what the problem was.

"Your accent is quite different," she said, "and you are much bigger than any wolf I have seen before. I am Rhea." I mulled over if I should tell her who I was or not. My reputation has a history of preceding me and occasionally packs have been less than happy to have me at their doorstep.

"Watcher," was all I said. I could almost see the wheels turning in her head as her mind processed the enormity of that one word. It was amusing to watch her eyes slowly grow wider as recognition set in. I've grown used to this reaction and its various incarnations over the centuries and never fail to find it entertaining. Most wolves think I am nothing more than a myth, a fairy tale to scare bad little wolves. Some people don't like it when the boogeyman becomes real.

"Show me your wolf again please," she asked. I knew what she wanted to see. Other than how physically large I am, my one true distinguishing feature was my oversized canines. I quickly shifted and sat back on my haunches letting her come close and run her fingers over my teeth. As she explored I found myself drinking in her scent. It wasn't the all-consuming scent of a mate but something was drawing me to her. I knew I would have to find a way to stay close to her for the time being. Her expression was difficult to read at first but changed suddenly when she grabbed her belly. I swiftly changed and helped her to the chairs.

"Are you ok?" I asked. Shaking her head yes she took my hands and placed them on her belly. After a few moments, I could feel something kicking. I couldn't help but smile remembering the

feeling of my children kicking in my mate's belly. "How many?" I asked her.

"Twins," Rhea said, "they are common in my mate's family."

"Was that your mate earlier?" I asked.

"Yes, he was human but I loved him very much," she said, tears quickly pooling in her eyes, "He didn't survive when I tried to change him." With that, the pool quickly became a flood as she collapsed against me. Scooping her up I carried her over to the sleeping pallet and laid her down, wrapping her in my arms until the tears subsided and she finally drifted off to sleep. Listening to her sleep my mind started turning over what she had said. How could her mate be a human and what did she mean he didn't survive the change? I turned these over in my mind until I eventually drifted off to sleep myself.

The cave was just growing light when I awoke and I was surprised to find Rhea still in my arms, her hand resting atop mine on her breast. I wasn't surprised she had slept so long given the obvious emotional turmoil of yesterday but it was unusual for me to sleep so long. If you are wondering how two people who barely know each other could comfortably sleep together in the nude without a reaction I'll say two things. One, wolves are pack animals so are used to sleeping cuddled up with others and secondly, I never said there was no reaction but she just lost her mate and any untoward thoughts about this beautiful naked pregnant woman in my arms would not be right. Extracting myself from the pallet I went outside to relieve myself before coming back in and starting to look around to see what I could make for breakfast.

"Romar, come back to bed I'm cold." This is what I heard as I started getting food together. She thought I was her mate. I knew it was going to pain her when she realized the truth but better than the alternative.

"Rhea, wake up its Watcher," I said gently as I sat next to her. Resting my hand on her arm I felt her freeze up the instant she heard my voice. After a few moments, she relaxed before rolling onto her back, facing me.

"You held me all night didn't you?" she asked. When I nodded she brought her hand up to caress the side of my face.

"I know what it is to lose a mate and cubs," I said, "and if I can in any way spare you some of that pain I will. Is there not a pack nearby you can shelter with until the cubs are born?"

"There was but right about the time I fell pregnant they left the area," she said, "We don't know why but with them gone Romar and I planned on starting a new pack once our sons were born. I only have a few more weeks now."

"Rhea, I know I am not your mate," I said, "but if you wish I will stay as long as you need." I was curious as to how she knew she was having sons but I just added that to my growing list of questions.

"Thank you," she said, "I appreciate it more than I can say." With that, we both got up and while Rhea stepped outside I got the fire going and started working on breakfast. When she came back inside she immediately took over food preparation as she seemed to be afraid I was going to burn the cave down. Running around as a wolf does have its advantages, one of which being not having to cook anything. As she cooked we discussed what she wanted to do with her mate's body. Seeing as he was human we decided to bury him as was traditional among his people.

"Do you want me to take care of him for you?" I asked. I wasn't completely familiar with human burial rituals but digging a hole in the ground didn't seem too challenging. She shook her head gently but smiled at my willingness to assist her. Bowls were filled with the leftover stew and we ate in silence. There were so many things I didn't understand about this situation and I wasn't sure if I wanted to get the answers. Watching her move around the cave I began to realize I couldn't take my eyes off of her. Other than my mate I had never found myself drawn to a woman like this before. Even with her current situation, I found myself wanting to take her from behind and sink my teeth into her as she screamed in pleasure. I know what the mating pull felt like and this wasn't it. This was something far more primal, this was lust wrapped up in the desire to protect. This she-wolf's cubs had something important to do, that was the only thing I could think of as to why my protective instincts were going into overdrive.

After breakfast, we headed back to where her mate's body lay. I was surprised that the scavengers hadn't devoured it until Rhea pointed out some herbs that I hadn't noticed the prior day. I couldn't smell anything different but Rhea explained their use. I've never been overtly skilled in herbs so I decided just to take her word for it. Retrieving the body I followed Rhea as she led us along a path until we reached a small clearing near the base of one of the many hills in the area. It appeared to be an area that was used for this kind of ritual before. Laying the body down Rhea retrieved two spades that seemed to be left for this exact purpose. Shaking my head I shifted into my hybrid form, which produced a quite expected gasp from Rhea, and quickly had a hole of sufficient size. It wasn't perhaps the cleanest method but it produced the desired results. Once the hole was complete we quickly laid the body down and after Rhea replaced the herbs we covered him back up. Standing over the grave I stood behind Rhea and she leaned into me as she said her final goodbyes.

The walk back to the cave was silent as it was obvious she was lost in her thoughts but also I could tell she wanted to ask me something. I had long ago grown used to existing in silence so it didn't bother me at all. We had gotten about halfway back to the cave when she came to a halt in the middle of the path. "Watcher," she asked, "what was that you shifted into? I've never seen anything like that. I've never even heard of anything like that."

"I'll answer your questions if you'll answer mine," I told her, "You said he was your mate but he was human. How is that even possible and what did you mean by he didn't survive the change? What change are you talking about?" I knew I was rattling on but there was still so much I don't know about our culture and my time with the Dark Hearts and Blood Reavers only added so much as both packs were a purebred werewolf. This was something new.

"Wolves can always find their mate, it doesn't matter if they are human or wolf. A mate is a mate." Rhea said. I knew I was dredging up painful and recent memories but it made more sense to me than dragging it out. "As for the change, it was discovered several generations ago that when a wolf bites their human mate at the peak of pleasure they can be changed into a wolf themselves. Unfortunately, not everyone is strong enough to survive the change. My mate's heart gave out long before the change was fully able to be complete. There is no way to tell if someone is going to be able to survive ahead of time." Rhea's shoulders slumped and she was staring at the ground as she talked.

"I'm sorry," I told her, "I know this is painful for you. I should have waited until you were ready to ask. This is all just so new to me. Things have changed far more than I realized."

"It's ok, Watcher," she said, "You are a myth amongst our people but the stories that do exist talk of a wolf lost in time. Wandering the world but not belonging to it. Older than the oldest wolf but still young in the ways of our world. Until you shifted in front of me and I saw the fangs I didn't believe you. That and to see you in a form no other wolf can attain tells me for certain you are indeed who you say you are. There have in the past been wolves who tried to tell people they were you but once they shifted and didn't have the fangs everyone knew the truth."

"Why would someone claim to be me?" I asked, "I can't see what someone would have to gain from that." This made no sense to me. Pretending to be someone you were not? This world just seems to get more and more confusing to me the more I learn and interact with it. I was curious about something else with the change, however. "So the bite to change someone sounds just like the mating bite to me. Is the only difference is that they are human?" I asked.

"It is very similar to the mating bite but when it is done to a human it both changes them and completes the mating," she said, "but for humans, it is vitally important for them to be at their absolute peak. Something about being mid-orgasm allows the bite to work quicker and more effectively. We did everything right when I turned my mate but it just wasn't meant to be and that's Luna's will. I'm hoping I will see him again in my next life but for now, I have to be strong and raise our children. In truth, I was shocked to find out I was pregnant before we even mated but sometimes things just work out that way even if we don't know why."

"Was there a reason for waiting to mate with him?" I asked, "Obviously you had been together for some time?"

"I'd wanted to turn him not long after we discovered each other," Rhea said, "but the bite is risky and he wanted to spend as much time together as possible in case something went wrong. I almost wonder if he knew he wouldn't survive. We were ecstatic when we discovered I was pregnant and he kept delaying and delaying until the other night when he insisted I bite him. It wasn't easy getting to his neck with this big belly but everything seemed to go perfectly." I could see the sadness creeping into her eyes again and knew she desperately wanted to cry at her loss but that isn't the wolf's way.

Wrapping my arms around her I pulled her into me and just held her. She was trying to keep her crying as quiet and to be as strong as she needed to be. Lifting her I began to carry her back to the cave. As we got closer I began to hear voices carrying from the direction we were headed. Setting Rhea down I motioned for her to listen. She listened for a moment and her shoulders slowly dropped in apparent recognition. "My mate's mother," was all she said before starting to make her way to the cave entrance.

Walking down to the entrance of the cave, I noticed several humans standing around. An older woman was resting on some flat rocks that were set up just outside the entrance. They were not meant for seating, but sometimes allowances must be given. Rhea stepped in front of me and squared her shoulders, walking towards the group of people. She looked to be as regal and proud as any queen that has ever lived, her large pregnant belly only adding to the image. As we drew closer, the older woman stood and made her way to face Rhea. As I watched the people, I noticed that all seemed relaxed and there was no feeling of ill will towards Rhea. They appeared to be curious about me but then new people always are a source of interest.

"My son is dead then," the older woman said. "I told you he would not survive the change and yet you did it, anyway. Now here we stand you without a mate, your sons without a father, and me without a son."

"I know what you said, Cornelia, but you also knew your son. He was stubborn and proud, and he loved me. He knew that if there was even a chance of him surviving, he had to make the attempt. His heart gave out before my bite could even take effect."

"Rhea, I did not come here to fight with you. I knew Romar would make this choice," Cornelia said, "I've always known I would lose my son to you. I ask once again that you come to the village. Let your sons be born there among people."

"You know I can't do that." Rhea said, "Romar's sons must be born in the wilderness. I will bring them to the village after the first year on their naming day. If they survive their destiny will be in motion and I will bring them and we can raise them together."

"Is he the protector," Cornelia said, turning to me, "the one from the visions?"

"He is Watcher," Rhea said, "the guardian of our people."

From the complete lack of reaction, it was obvious Cornelia didn't recognize the name. "If any harm comes to my grandchildren, my hunters will find you. Let's go. Rhea will take care of my son's children." That said, Cornelia turned and walked away from the cave, quickly followed by the remaining humans.

Following Rhea into the cave, she immediately started pulling a few baskets out. "These were my mates' clothes. I'm not sure if anything will fit but you are welcome to have any of it you want."

"Thank you," I said, "but I won't need them. I'm used to staying as a wolf and it will be easier to protect you that way"

"Maybe in time, yes," she said, crossing the cave to stand in front of me, "but please, for now, stay human. If you're a wolf, I won't be able to talk to you and I might as well just be alone."

"As you wish," I said. It made sense since we were neither pack nor mates. I wouldn't be able to know her thoughts. Opening the baskets, I started looking through the clothes until I found a couple of pants I thought might fit but the shirts were all too small to even think about. Pulling them on, I was going to have to remember to remove them before shifting or I would trash them.

"I made those for Romar in anticipation of him surviving that change," Rhea said, "Males get a good bit larger so I was trying to plan ahead."

"I'm surprised you had clothes at all. Most wolves usually seem to not bother." She had dressed in a simple linen wrap tied loosely above her belly.

"My mate was human and raised by humans. To make him more comfortable, I started wearing clothes as well and I guess I'm just in the habit now. Besides, I discovered there is something enjoyable about slowly undressing your mate."

"I'll take your word for it. A mate is not something I have had to worry about for a long time now."