This story is a work of fiction solely from the twisted mind of Chromex. Any resemblance to any persons living or dead is purely coincidental. All characters are of at least 18 years of age unless otherwise specifically mentioned. Please do not copy/redistribute the story, in part or total, without the author's permission.
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As the howling died, I kept a wary eye on Holly, her light brown fur covered in dirt slowly drag herself to her feet. I'd seen people before who thought they were the top of the walk get knocked on their ass and did not know how to handle it. Sometimes they grow sullen and withdrawn while others lash out hoping to redeem themselves. Rasp and Natalie appeared to be keeping their distance, wanting to see how this played out. Finally, steady on her feet Holly looked around before settling her gaze on me, her light blue eyes narrowing and started in my direction. I don't believe the Red Sea parted as quickly as the people rushing to get out of her way.
It wasn't until she was standing in front of me that I realized not only was I more than a head taller than her, I was just physically larger. As she looked up at me I could feel her surprise as the differences between us became strikingly apparent. "Biggest fucking Beta I've ever seen. You know, I hate to lose, but fuck, you could have at least make it look like I put up a decent fight. What the fuck is your head made out of anyways, concrete?" All the tension seemed to just vanish as Holly stuck out her hand.
"Well, I've always been accused of being a stubborn, hard-headed bitch," I said shaking her hand, "and no one ever expects me to use my head. I've never fought as anything other than a human and didn't feel like getting my ass beat. I wasn't about to give you that much of an advantage."
"You sure as hell don't move like a Beta," Holly said, "I don't think I've ever seen anyone move that fast who wasn't an Alpha." I started to reply, only to be cut off by Rasp.
"Alright Shadow Reavers, it's time to run," Rasp bellowed before shifting, not into the two-legged form I was just now getting used to but into a full-on wolf. Albeit he was humongous and dark grey but still totally a wolf. Looking around at the pack, only a few were still in human form and those who were quickly shed their clothes before shifting. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do and was about to ask my wolf when my perspective began to change. I found myself far closer to the ground, and upon looking down I had a pair of massive paws where my hands had been. From the laughter, I looked pretty silly whipping my head around trying to see my body. I could even hear my own wolf laughing at me.
"Don't worry, everyone does that the first time," Natalie said trotting up next to me, her light grey fur a startling contrast to my deep black, "As one of my betas, you're upfront with me. Just relax and trust your wolf, she knows what to do." Standing next to Natalie I was struck by the realization that while she and I were the same size, I was larger than every other wolf in the pack, save Rasp. There had to be a reason for this and I was going to find out.
"Reavers," Rasp said suddenly before sprinting off into the woods. We were all caught flat-footed and I could hear his laughter over the bond as we ran to try and catch up.
"I hate it when he does that." Diving into the trees I kept pace with Natalie as we caught up with Rasp, who seemed to accelerate once we caught him. The miles seemed to vanish as Rasp led us through the woods and I realized I hadn't felt so free in a very long time. Feeling the forest floor under my paws, the wind through my fur and the scents of the trees filling my nose was both exciting and liberating. My mind drifted back to summer days chasing my sister, through the woods behind our parent's house. For that brief moment, I allowed myself to forget how much and why I despise the woods. I was so lost in my memories, I nearly plowed into Natalie when Rasp suddenly slowed.
"Deer," was all Rasp said and the pack instantly broke apart, with Holly leading a small group away, making sure to stay downwind. From the scents, we had stumbled across a large herd and managed to catch a break with the wind. I know how to hunt people in the city so I just relaxed and followed my wolf's instincts for the deer. Crawling forward on our bellies we got to the edge of the clearing where the herd was grazing.
"Holly and her group are going to sweep around and let themselves be scented. It should drive the herd right at us. Rasp always goes after the largest buck, so be sure to keep that in mind when picking your target." I could feel the excitement building in the pack as we patiently waited for Holly to get into position. My own heart was pounding in my chest as the deer, one after another, raised their head to look around. You could see the herd growing more skittish by the second.
"Ok they have the scent should start moving any second now." Almost as if by cue, as Rasp's comments echoed in my head, the herd began moving in our direction. My heart pounded in my chest as I picked a buck that was wasn't the biggest but he sure as fuck wasn't tiny. Adrenaline poured through my veins as the deer ran even closer to their impending demise, and I was fighting with myself to wait. This was the same problem I've always had. They say patience is a virtue, however, it's not one of mine. I've always been a wee bit too aggressive for my own good and only by blind staggering skill did I manage to extract myself from whatever trouble I found myself in.
I was lucky this time. With my blood pounding in my ears, my patience ran out and I leaped toward my target no more than a heartbeat before Rasp gave the command to move. I was impressed I'd waited that long. Breaking through the undergrowth, you could see the fear in the deer's eyes as they realized the desperation of their situation. There were only a few scant yards between the tree line and the deer but it was enough time to realize Rasp was right, this was a far better rush than taking down a recovery.
I let my wolf guide me as I closed the gap on the buck. Unfortunately, as I leaped towards my target I discovered I may have been a bit too excited. Just as my paws left the ground, I realized not only was I not going to hit the deer in his throat, unless I did something spectacular I was going to clear it completely. Again my luck held and the buck paused, only for an instant, but long enough to twist my body midair and close my jaws down on the back of his neck. Sometimes, however, a last-second plan doesn't turn out quite as well as you hoped it would.
If you've ever been riding a bicycle when something gets stuck in the front wheel, then you can imagine what happened to me. Twisting and sinking my teeth firmly into the muscles of his neck effectively killed some of my forward momentum, please notice I said, some. With my teeth fully embedded, it seemed my ass end did not receive the memo about stopping and continued its path up and over the buck.
