Appel Du Loup

I dreamed while I was asleep. I dreamed that I was a bird, witnessing my life from afar. I saw a fifteen-year-old girl dressed in black at her parents' funeral. Her hair was short and curly, and her eyes had dark circles beneath them. A boy walked up to her and said a few words. When she looked at him, there was nothing in her eyes save two emotions. Grief, of course, and something that promised danger. Like a child looking into the eyes of a rabid dog. Without saying anything to the boy, the girl walked away and got into a silver Mercedes Benz.

Suddenly I was flying, trees and sky blurring together and the wind roaring in my ears. When I saw the girl again, she was older. Her curly hair was longer. The air was muggy and hot, and she wore only a tank top, jean cutoffs and workbooks. In one hand she held a bucket full of feed and in the other she held an empty canvas satchel. She walked into a large barn that was a couple hundred meters from a giant plantation house. After dumping the feed into a trough in front of a large, brown horse. Before the horse could start feeding, she stuck her hand into the grain and pulled out a wad of cash, then a bag of sunflower seeds.

"Later, Buster," she said to the horse, then went to the corner of the barn and yanked off a tarp that covered a shiny motorcycle. She went to the other end of the barn and pulled out clothes and more money from a pile of hay. I suddenly recognized this scene. This was when I ran away from my grandmother's home. I was only eighteen, but had stolen money from the rich old hag and worked many different jobs to get the supplies I'd needed. The girl looked around and stuffed the objects into the satchel. She took the sunglasses that were perched on her head and put them on. She walked over to the bike and kicked it into gear. The machine roared to life and she sped out of the barn, down the gravel road leading to the front gate of the plantation. There was shouting and the girl looked behind her and saw an old woman with a cane screeching at her from the front porch and a mean-looking young man running after her. The girl let out a cruel laugh as she sped away in a cloud of dust.

The girl went into town and stopped at an old cafe on a corner. Once inside, she went to another girl behind the counter.

"Alright Anna, it's done," the old me said to the other girl. Anna squealed and threw her arms around the old me.

"God, I am so proud of you, Haleigh! You're runnin' off to go to college!" she said. Tears were flowing down her cheeks. "You can be someone. Someone bigger than this goddamn hellhole."

"Oh, Anna, you know I'll visit you when I can. Don't cry." The old me let go and squeezed the other girl's shoulders. "I'll miss you so much, though." After a quick goodbye the old me was on the road again.

The dream began to fade as I slowly woke, shaken by the sudden and odd flashback. I once again found myself to be alone in the bed. This time, however, there was a sharp soreness from between my legs and my muscles ached all over. The curtains were open and morning sunlight spilled into the room, lighting it with gold. My heart started to beat faster as I the events of the past day came back to me and I buried my face in my hands, then fisted them in my hair. I'd never felt so angry. So... used. I also felt dirty and sweaty and with a grimace stood to take a shower. Shame and embarrassment colored my cheeks when the remnants of Matt's 'visit' ran down my leg. I quickly walked to the bathroom and paused at the extravagance of it.

The actual room was in the shape of a circle. Tall windows circled almost the entire room and had white, gauzy curtains that were swept gracefully to the side. Mirrors with gold frames stood against the wall between the windows. The floor was a maroon-colored marble with gold-colored marble around the edge. In the middle of the room, a huge jacuzzi grew out of the marble floor. A shower took up the entire far wall and two vanities curving along the rest of the wall. I looked through a wooden door and and wasn't surprised to see a toilet inside. As I passed by my reflection in on of the mirrors and gasped in horror. Bruises in the shapes of finger marks decorated my hips and waist, and my nipples looked red and swollen. My hair was a tangled mess on top of my head and a purple bruise graced my right cheekbone. The worst was a bite mark where my shoulder met my neck. What was odd about it was the places where the canine teeth broke the skin were deeper than I would have imagined them to be. I shook my head at the thought and jumped into the shower, then turned the water to boiling hot. Even after scrubbing my skin raw, I couldn't get the smell of Matt out of my mind. I sighed in frustration and stepped directly under the spray and closed my eyes as water cascaded over my face. My thoughts began to drift toward the sex I had with Matt. I couldn't understand it. One minute I'm scared out of my mind from almost getting raped, then scared shitless after waking up in a strange room in strange cloths and all of a sudden I'm having sex with a man I barely knew. What the fuck was wrong with me?

My thoughts were interrupted when I felt arms wrap around my waist and my back pulled against a muscular chest. I screamed and sputtered, lashing out with my eyes still closed. When I opened them, Matt himself was standing in front of my in a t-shirt and jeans getting soaked by the shower spray. Anger grew inside of my and I started screaming at him, calling him every bad name I knew as I shoved at him. Matt's eyes widened and he backed out of the shower, but I wasn't finished and I was still pissed off. Granted it was at myself, but I had plenty of reasons to want to kick his ass. I followed him out while still hurling insults and threats at him as I slapped at his head and chest. I foolishly ignored the growing irritation in his eyes in response to my tirade.

"... and what the fuck? What is your goddamn problem you piece of shit? You are one audacious son of a bitch. How dare you? I almost get raped and the next day you make me have sex with you?" I railed as I reached up to slap him on the side of the head. With one of those feral growls he grabbed both of my wrists in one hand and pulled me forward. When I realized I was still butt naked and dripping water, I grew even angrier, but also a little afraid. Matt could wipe the floor with me. Before I could continue with my insults, Matt cut me off with the look he gave me. His eyes were swirling with gold and I felt lightheaded at the sight.

"What the hell are you?" I whispered, pulling weakly at my wrists to get away. Matt backed me up against the glass wall of the shower and looked me directly in my eyes. He had shaved recently and his skin looked soft and smooth.

"That's quite a vocabulary, hun. I wonder who taught you to speak that way," he said casually, using his free hand to caress the side of my face. I flinched at the intimate gesture. "Now, I may be an audacious son of a bitch, but you didn't exactly protest much in bed. As I remember it, you were screaming for more." My face must have been the color of a tomato.

"You have no right-" I was cut of by a terrifying growl that emanated from Matt's chest.

"I have every right!" he roared, whirling me around and pinning me to the floor beneath him. He pinned my hands above my head and I screamed in terror. I was completely shocked when he gently caressed the bite mark he left on my shoulder. "This marks you as mine." I was panting with fear and I could feel Matt's heartbeat through his chest.

"I don't understand," I said quietly. "You're insane." Matt's eyes narrowed and he stood, pulling me up with him.

"Get dressed and meet me outside of the room. I'll explain everything at dinner," he said. He caressed my cheek and kissed my forehead before he left. I was freaked out by the oddness of Matt's behavior. He acted as if he owned me. I looked around the room and saw the clothes he had laid out for me. Another oversized shirt and a pair of sweats yet again.

I exited the bathroom carefully and walked over to the extravagant double doors left open by Matt. On the other side was a living room area. A extravagant couch and a couple chairs were in the corner facing a large flatscreen on top of a fireplace. A fur rug was placed in front of the fireplace. On the other side of the room were floor length windows with the same gauzy white curtains as the bathroom. The couch and chairs were made of leather and the floors were hardwood. An open doorway led to what seemed to be a small kitchenette and a set of wooden doors with glass windows led to an office. Another pair of carved mahogany doors much like the ones that led to the bedroom were closed in the corner to my left. Matt stood by the fireplace with his arms crossed, looking imposing.

I slowly walked over until I stood behind the couch facing him. With a sigh, he gestured for me to sit down.

"This will take a while," was all he said as he sat in one of the chairs. I sat down on the far corner of the couch and eyed him warily.

"Well then, you'd better get talking," I said quietly. Matt smiled and leaned back in the chair.

"My family originally came from the forests of northern France as far back as we can tell. Back then, they were known as warriors, defenders of several cities from supernatural threats. Vampires, Werewolves, etc. However, the story is that a man named Jaquise Robespierre was bitten by a werewolf during a hunt. Rather than killed, his father banished him and forbade his son from returning unless he wished death upon himself. Robespierre wandered through France until the full moon. He experienced his first shift alone in the dark. He didn't change back to his human form until a few weeks later. Naked and shivering in the woods, he was found by Émile Antoine, wife of Pierre Antoine. Pierre was a Beta of the Antoine pack and the youngest brother of the Alpha, Louis Antoine. Soon, he was initiated into the pack and made a Beta. A couple hundred years later when Pierre's grandson reached manhood, chaos struck the pack.

"Their Alpha died with no heir named and fighting broke out about who should be the next leader. When the pack split apart and the dangerous rogues were killed, Pierre's grandson and what remained of the pack fled to the new world in search of peace. As per tradition, the pack's name changed with the new leader. They were named and are now currently known as the Prange Pack. Pierre's grandson gained more and more members as the pack grew more powerful. Pierre's grandson died in a battle with rogues and his daughter, Marianne inherited the pack. She never found a true mate, but she had one daughter named Jacqueline and three sons named Andre, Mattieu and Benjamin. Benjamin and Andre died at a young age during a raid on the den and Mattieu was named heir to the Prange pack. Marianne retired and became a pack elder and left the pack to be ruled by her son. After only twenty-five years of his rule at the age of seventy-one, Matthieu became known as the Werewolf King of North America and the Warrior King of western civilization. Where as most alpha males find a mate within the first fifty years of their rule, Matthieu remained alone. He gave up on finding a mate and planned to name his first Beta's son, Nathan, as heir before he caught the scent of a certain young woman in an old Mississippi diner a couple days ago. He followed her though out the day, planning on how he was going to make his move when she was abducted near her apartment building by another male."

I started to hyperventilate as I realized where this was going. My knuckles were white from gripping the couch and I was stiff as a board. Matt really was insane.

"Matthieu followed the van that carried his captured human mate and attacked it with a few members of his pack. The man and his accomplices were slaughtered for their challenge to Matthieu and their audacity as to kidnap any female that was helpless and vulnerable."

"But I went to high school with you for two years," I interrupted, challenging him. "How did you not notice that I was your 'mate' back then?"

"A female doesn't fully mature until she is twenty years old in order to have the best chances of success for having pups," Matt said causally, drumming his fingers on the arm of the chair.

"So, basically, you're saying that you are a mythical nightmare that isn't a myth and is a killer wolf whenever there is a full moon? You belong in an insane asylum." I said looking at him with wide eyes. Matt only chuckled.

"Not exactly. We can change whenever we feel like it. Actually, if we don't change often we would go insane and the wolf would take over, making us go rogue. But, since you obviously need proof, I will show you. Even though the mating mark on your shoulder should be enough," Matt said, then stood and took off his shirt. When he started unbuttoning his pants, I jumped up from the couch and backed away.

"Whoah buddy, I'm not in for a strip show. So, just....put your shit away and take me home," I said quickly. Matt only laughed and pulled down his pants and underwear. Naked as the day he was born, Matt actually began to change. His legs lengthened and grew black hair. A snout started to grow from his face as well as ears and fangs replaced the strait, white teeth in his mouth. With a few pops and a growl, a black wolf the size of a small horse stood in front of me. I was too shocked to do anything but stand there with my mouth hanging open.

Matt was a wolf. Matt was a freaking wolf.

Well...shit.