Call of the Wild

Authors note: Thank you for choosing to read this story. I have only recently fallen in love with the story of the wolf and this is my first attempt at a wolf based story so please forgive me any folklore mistakes. Comments would be most welcome so that I can judge whether or not I should continue. I hope that you enjoy it as I have many great ideas of where to take this tale.

Thanks

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Emily's skin went cold as the warm night breeze slid over the thin layer of sweat enveloping her body. Goosebumps stood out and she moaned once again in her sleep. Fighting the covers her body trying desperately to run from the creature in her mind, never quite seeing what it was, never having it touch her. But she could smell it, sense it behind her as she ran through the forest in her mind. She could almost taste its power and strength and her muscles flexed once more as she bolt upright in bed screaming for the 4th night in a row.

"Damm it!" she cried. "What is wrong with me? I have rarely had a bad dream in my whole life and now I get 4 in a row!" she muttered to herself shaking her head. The terror of her dream still gripped her as she pulled her knees up under her chin and pulled her arms tight against them. She realised that she was physically shaking and she felt afraid, afraid for what this meant, she knew the dreams held some kind of mystery that she had yet to unlock. She shivered not wanting to go there. Instead she focused on her breathing as she pulled the quilt around her shivering body, trying to calm herself enough to just breathe.

Emily realised that she must have fallen back to sleep when her alarm rudely announced that it was 6am. She rolled over to slap the snooze and her nostrils caught the scent of something delicious and her stomach growled. With her eyes still tightly shut she slowly forced herself one leg at a time up into a sitting position and finally stood and shuffled toward the bathroom to relive herself. She got up and ran the shower breathing in the steam from the boiling jets bursting onto her skin as she stepped in. She closed her eyes again and held her head back baring her neck and allowing the hot jets to pound her skin forcing her body to come alive.

After showering she quickly dried and put on her favourite red silk dressing gown pulling the smooth material to her body, always enjoying the feeling of such smooth silkiness mixing with the smooth silkiness of her skin. She made her way downstairs to the kitchen where her flat mate Jo was busy finishing off what smelt like the best breakfast in the world. Morsels of bacon and mushrooms filled her nostrils, she could almost taste the golden scrambled egg that came into view and her mouth salivated at the sight of the syrup melting into the homemade pancakes. The coffee pot drew her attention away from the food just long enough to breathe in the strong bitter aroma that she loved so much in the mornings.

"Another dream then huh?" Jo stated without even looking up. "Thought you could do with something nice after the night you've had".

"I'm sorry Jo, I woke you again then?" Moving forward Emily placed her hand on Jo's shoulder and gently squeezed it in an apologetic gesture.

Jo shrugged. "Ah it's ok. If you can't wake up your best friend in times of trouble who can you? What was it this time? The same?" Jo asked, this time looking up at her friend, the worry clearly showing from the frown lines on her forehead.

"Yes, i don't know....it......I mean I'm just not sure what it's all about but I feel it, deep within me, down into my bones. Trying to tell me something, almost like a memory locked away, but played out wrong. You know?"

"Erm...not really, if I'm honest. Maybe you just need to go out and relax more; you've hardly been out of the house for over a month now. I think perhaps we just need to get you drunk! Really really really drunk so that everything inside comes pouring out and then we can beat the crap out of it!" Jo was smiling now and Emily began to respond in kind. She couldn't stay down for long with Jo around. They had been best friends since puberty and lived together ever since college. At 27, people kept telling her she should be settled by now, married off with 3 kids at her ankles not still living the student life with her best friend It just wasn't for her. Something always held her back, the men were too tall, too small, too old, too young, not funny enough, and not serious enough, blue eyed, brown eyed. It seemed that sometimes Emily could almost use the fact that they were simply breathing as an excuse to move on. People thought she was picky and she thought perhaps they were right. But she knew that something just felt wrong, it was like she knew something great was due her, like she had always known it. The pull for that something special was strong. And so she waited. Jo called him her knight on a shiny white horse.

Jo was never really the settling down type, tall for a woman at 5'9 inches without heels, her long black hair and startling white skin such a contrast, when combined with her stunning blue crystal eyes and to die for figure she really was something. She also had a much wilder personality than Emily and was simply having too much fun still to settle down yet. Emily suspected it was this contrast in personalities that had brought them together in the first place. Jo with her loud unthinking, unadulterated passion for life and Emily, more cautious, thoughtful, softer but with a loyalty to those she loved so strong she would turn into a force to be reckoned with when it came to looking out for and protecting them. So they stayed together, for now content in the trust they had in each other and in the lives they led. Except something had changed in the last month or so, ever since that night Emily had hurt herself something was different. She felt restless all the time, on edge, like she was waiting for something but not sure what. And then the dreams had begun and she felt like her life was spiraling out of control into something...she wasn't quite sure what....something currently just beyond her reach. She was pulled out of her reverie (or more like poked) by Jo slamming a plate full of food into her side.

"Here". She said. "Earth to Emily.....eat, dress, work" Smiling Jo gave her a brief wink as they went to the table. "It'll be ok. We'll work out what's bothering you" she said as she gave her friend a quick squeeze and sat down to eat. Emily wasn't convinced, she knew Jo well enough to still see the tell tale signs of worry and she just couldn't shake this thing away.

Daniel sat up in bed with a sharp intake of breath. "Her!! Again!" He thought. He has seen her in his dreams many times now. Her scent was strong as he chased her through the forest; he could almost reach out and touch her long golden locks whipping behind her....almost but not quite. He could never get close enough to actually touch her, to see her face, hold her, claim her as his. But he knew she was. He knew it without his wolf ever screaming it at him, before he even caught that scent. There was a pull to her, stronger than he had ever known a bond with any of his pack. He knew she was meant for him, designed to be part of him, the two of them combined to make a whole and there was no way he could live without her now. Not after sensing her like this, feeling her soul touch his even though he couldn't get to her. He sensed something else about her too, he was unsure exactly what but it troubled him. He pulled himself from his massive bed just as there was a knock at his door. "Come in" he shouted. The huge smiling face of James poked its way into his suite.

"Good morning My Alpha". Said James, sheepishly bowing his head with a playful hint of sarcasm.

"Stop it James you fool, call me by my name" I half laughed at him.

"Why of course Daniel My Alpha Sir and how may one serve one on this bright and sunny morning?" He was bent over almost double at this point, in part to act the submissive servant and in part to also try and disguise the fit of laughter that was bubbling up. James was the only one in his pack who got away with this type of disrespectful behaviour and only because he never did it in front of any of the others and only because he was one of the very few people in the whole world that Daniel loved with all his heart. They had grown up as pups together, taken their first hunts together, and tasted their first females together. Unmated they had only pack business and meaningless fun to occupy them over the last 150 years and as such often took part of the females of both theirs and the human world.

"Well you can stop acting like a demented dog at any rate!" I leaned over and threw a book at him, landing square in the back.

"Ouch!" he yelped. "Ok ok" He said, finally standing up straight and walking over to me. "So what are gonna do today?" I lay back into the pillow again and tried to think of the days tasks but I just couldn't focus on any of it.

"I don't know. James I dreamt of her again last night. She was so close I could almost taste her. I just can't seem to think of anything else my friend. She has me completely wrapped up only in concern about her. How is she? Who is she? Who is she with?" At this James heard the low growl coming from his friends chest. He laid his hand on his friend arm.

"It's ok my friend, I truly believe that if she was hurt you would sense it, the bond is already growing it seems based on the strengths of your dreams each night. As for anything else, I think that you would sense that too. She is yours, you belong together, there isn't another who will be able to satisfy the need in her, only you can do that, only together can you feel complete. She will sense this too, whether she is human or wolf. The bond between mates is too strong to resist." He stood up then. "So....are you going to bury yourself in here and wallow or are you going to get out into the world and find her?" James was smiling again but he knew that this was a very dangerous time, the bond and need he felt in his friend was so strong that it made him unstable. In normal circumstances he was a great friend and amazing Alpha but right now....well, anything goes in his fear and desperation of not finding his one true love, the only other living soul to match his. He would help his friend find this woman if it were the last thing they did.

Daniel sensed the protective strength of his friend and lead Beta, he looked and felt lost for the first time in his life but trusting in his friends loyalty and love, he stood and went through the motions of getting dressed before heading out to breakfast with his pack and looking at the business of the day. All the while James was pushing images into his head of the perverted kind of fun he wanted them to go out and have that evening. He couldn't help a small smile curl up at his lips. Only James! He said to himself as his thoughts once again drifted to the mysterious blonde beauty of his dreams and he felt his groin stir and ache for her.

Emily sighed as she packed her bag full of books and remnants of her day. She looked down wearily; the lack of sleep was really starting to affect how she functioned. She looked down again at the pile of books ready for marking, sighing once more allowing her mind to drift off to a large glass of wine in a hot bubble bath as she lugged the strap of the heavy leather bag over her shoulder. She knew she would be better off with a case on wheels of some kind but the loved this bag, it meant so much, old and battered as it now was, her father had brought it for her following her graduation as a teacher just 3 weeks before both of her parents were killed on a mountain holiday in a freak animal attack. The police said wolves but no one was hundred percent sure. As she turned her head she glanced up at the clock, 3.46pm. "Damm! " She muttered under her breath. "I am going to be late" Emily still had a meeting with the vice principal and a teacher from a neighbouring school. She started half walking/half running down the maze of corridors that was South Sunset High.

Emily almost burst into the office in her rush and collided headlong into a chest as hard as a wall. The chests owner didn't even flinch as she mumbled an embarrassed apology and dropped her bag of books at his feet. She bent down to pick them up and he copied her actions. Books in hand she slowly lifted her eyes toward the giant before her and found herself pleasantly surprised. His eyes were what she first noticed, pure liquid chocolate that felt so warm and welcoming, they turned up slightly in a smile at the corners. Next she saw his straight nose and full red lips, quite plump. All of these were graced upon a face of the softest skin and framed by shoulder length silky chocolate brown hair. She managed to get out a thanks, suddenly becoming a little unsure of herself as his plump lips beamed into a smile so friendly and fresh it almost washed away her tiredness. He held out a hand to hers as he went to help her up and introduced himself. "Hi, sorry about that, I'm James. James McCovy, Vice Principle at Northwest Juniors, I was really interested in the techniques you have been using with your kids and so invited myself to the party so to speak". Truth be known they had a handful of pups each year who found getting their wilder wolf side under control harder than most and as a result found education difficult. The pack found educating them difficult. He was hoping that the techniques developed by this young beautiful creature would help them to learn what they needed to know in order to grow into useful members of the pack. Wolves who were unable to get their wilder side under control as pups often grew up to become rogue, a dangerous threat to both wolf and human alike, usually destroyed. This was not only heartbreaking for the pack but also diminished it. James wanted to try and avoid this in future generations and help with the survival and growth of the pack.

Offering her hand she stuttered "E...Emily Calvert. Nice to meet you and sorry once again, I was rushing to get here on time. When she touched his hand she felt something strange. It jolted her and made her snatch her hand away quickly, perhaps a little too quickly as she caught the frown on his face that went as fast as it came. She felt so natural and comfortable with him and that made her feel decidedly uncomfortable!

James had felt the connection too, what was it about this small blonde woman that made him feel like he already knew her? He watched with an amused smile as she stuttered and fumbled and fussed with her tatty looking bag overflowing with books. She looked so disorganised and was surprised that this was the woman who had been having so much success teaching those deemed previously unteachable.

"Please everyone have a seat and I will get Janet to fetch us some refreshments as we begin" Emily looked up to see Martin Booker, her vice principal already at the table along with who she assumed was the teacher from Northwest Juniors. She realised that she hadn't even noticed they were in the same room and again recoiled from the effect that this giant was having on her.

"Yes, yes of course" She stated. "Let's begin, i have some examples to show you all and we can discuss the successes we have had over the last 3 terms" Emily quickly focused her mind back onto the job at hand and settled into the meeting, the back of her mind always keeping a wary eye on James McCovy.

As James arrived back at the den he headed straight up to his friends suite to give him an update. As lead Beta James didn't have to do this, he was more than capable of handling such everyday matters but he wanted an excuse to check on his friend without giving cause for concern to the rest of the pack. He arrived and knocking as he entered poked his head inside. "Daniel? Can i come in?" He shouted looking around to no sign of Daniel.

"Sure" came a slightly slurred reply from the direction of the red velvet couch. James walked towards the sound of the voice but before he could get even halfway Daniel's wolf appeared jumping over the couch and headed straight for James. Daniel was growling deeply and his lips pulled back into a snarl as his bared his teeth ready to sink into James throat. Shocked James quickly morphed into wolf form as the only way to protect himself but went low to try to show Daniel that he was no threat, that he meant no harm; all the while he wondered what the hell was going on. What was going through Daniel's mind for him to behave this way, he had never attacked Daniel before in their whole life. Why would he suddenly react like this?

A vicious game of cat and mouse ensued with James trying his utmost to dodge Daniel and project thoughts and feeling of calm into his mind. He tried to read Daniels thoughts but they were too clouded by rage. Furniture was thrown out of the way as if it weighed nothing by the force of the wolf running through it. The two friends ran round and round the suite of rooms for over 10 minutes like this until Daniel suddenly caught James by the neck and pinned him down on the floor his teeth still snarling. Suddenly he stopped to take a deep sniff of James; he sniffed him up and down, his huge black chest emitting a constant low growl warning James not to move. Once this stopped the snarling began again and James morphed back into human form in the hope he could talk some sense into his friend and Alpha, convince Daniels human side to pull his wolf back in and under control.

"Please Daniel, it's me. James. Your best friend. I don't understand what I have done to make you react this way? I love you like a brother, I would never hurt you or this pack. Please just change so that we can talk." It seemed to be working as the snarling ceased into the low growl once more.

"I know we can work this out. You are my best friend and my Alpha. I will do whatever you want me to do in order to resolve this. Daniel.....please..."

Suddenly, Daniel's wolf whimpered and made the most pitiful howl before morphing back into human form. Daniel stood up from James and backed off. "Your scent" was all he said as he stared at James. I'm so sorry but I couldn't control my wolf's instincts. You reek of 'her' the woman from my dreams, the woman who is my mate. How can this be? My wolf, it smelled her on you and just went crazy, I have never felt such jealousy and rage. James stopped and thought, this was impossible, he hadn't been near his friends mate, they didn't even know who she was so how was this to be true?

"Daniel, sincerely I have no idea how her scent is upon me. I promise you that I have not and would not try to take your mate. You are my brother, I would only ever want to protect you both" Daniel looked into the eyes of his friend and could see deep into his soul, could read his very thoughts and knew he was speaking the truth.

"Then how?" Was all Daniel said as he let himself fall onto the floor, grabbing the whiskey bottle he had been slowly devouring before James had arrived. He breathed deeply into the air needing to smell her once more, hating that her scent was mixed with his friends but unable to stop himself from taking her in.

"Wait" Said James, stopping Daniel mid drink. "The woman today, the teacher, she smashed right into me as she came in the door, dropped her books everywhere. We were close for a couple of minutes while i helped her pick them up and we shook hands. She is the only female unknown to us who I have touched today. I sensed something familiar about her at the time and I know that she felt it too when we shook hands." James stopped then deciding that he needed to be more careful with his wording as he heard the low growl of Daniel's wolf trying to get out again and remembered what an unstable and fragile state his friend was currently in. Daniels wolf would kill anyone who touched or hurt his mate. He would protect her with his life, always. James did not want to fight Daniel again.