Chapter 1
The sun beat down upon my skin like an angry fire, not that it hurt bad at the moment but it would definitely sting like hell tomorrow. I use to hate how pale I am but I've come to except it and go with the flow. The only bad part was that I burned easily even if I wore tons and tons of sunscreen. But on this particular day I had no choice. Ms. Rich, my nickname for my boss Tanya, had ordered me to go plant flowers in one of her many flower beds out in her humongous lawn. Ms. Rich was an older lady who smelled badly of body odor and was a spoiled brat. But, she was my boss and in this day and age one couldn't turn down a job since they were so scarce. Though never before would I have ever imagined that I would be a gardener. My friends had teased me about it quite a bit.

A small worm crawled across my toe and once I realized what it was, I screeched and ran in the other direction like a stampeding cow. By the time I stopped, I looked down at my toe and it was far gone. Wearing flip flops today had been a bad choice. I shuddered at the thought of the nasty bug being on me, then wiped my toe on the grass. A large long haired German Shepherd bounded up to me as I made my way back to the garden bed. "Hey Grizzly." I greeted the dog with a small pat on the head before crouching to poke another hole in the soft soil with my finger then carefully place a seed in the hole before covering it up gently. But it seemed that the dog had other plans than me working as he nipped the back of my heel with his teeth. I jumped in surprise and spun to face him, hand on my hips. "Grizzly, don't make me go get your mama. You know I need to work. I'll play with you later." I told him firmly before turning back to work. But once again the great dog bit at my heels, making me swipe at him halfheartedly. It was enough to make him understand the point and he bounded off to the edge of the yard that connected with dense forest. I looked up and watched him with my green-eyed gaze, debating on whether it was safe to let him wander those woods or not. But in the end I decided all was well.

By the end of the day I had seen no other signs of Grizzly but had managed to get all my tasks done for the day. I trudged wearily up the steps to the house then knocked on the door. A bleach blond, skinny old lady with a bit of a hunch to her shoulders answered the door. "Oh good, you're done. Tomorrow we'll be cooking for a bake sale." She explained to me in a matter-of-fact tone. I nodded, suddenly feeling much perkier. I would get out of being outside for a day, sweet! The older woman peered around me and asked, "Where's Grizzly?" My lips turned down in a small frown and I replied, "He ran off into the woods earlier."

"Oh, no no no no no, that is bad. Go find him for me." My boss ordered me, closing the door in my face before I could get a chance to reject the offer. The time was eight o'clock, soon it would be getting dark and it was time for me to go home. But Tanya obviously couldn't care less.

My feet dragged the ground lazily as I walked down the large staircase connected to the house and across the lawn towards the large dense woods. As I looked at them a shiver ran down my spine. They looked rather menacing in the light of the dying day. Soon it would be night and then what would I do? I couldn't be lost in those woods at night. They were unfamiliar territory and who knew what kind of scary creatures lurked there.Upon entering the thick woods I instantly felt like I was being watched. The thick overgrowth made the ground before the trees look as if night had already fallen. My instincts yelled at me to turn around and run out, but I couldn't. I needed the money so that I could get myself a new car. "Grizzly?" I had meant to shout it but my voice came out as a soft whisper. A frown contorted my expression and I growled to myself, "What a wimp." I was being ridiculous and I knew it but still. Images of creepy crawlies and other unwanted things streamed into my mind as I trudged deeper into the dark abyss.

"Grizzly!" I called with much more force this time, flipping up the hood of my hoodie. That way I couldn't see much of my surroundings and wouldn't get freaked as easily. I stopped walking and listened closely....no answer came. "Damn it you mutt, get your ass over here." I yelled angrily and somewhat desperately. I didn't want to be here, I wanted to be home taking a nice warm shower. I could imagine the warm water flowing over my skin and smell the comforting perfume of my coconut shampoo. But then my fantasy stopped and I realized that I really was smelling some kind of perfume on the air. It was strong and smelled of... lavender?

My feet seemed to decide on what to do for me and I was dragged in the direction of the sweet, comforting smell. I burst into a clearing that was filled with wild flowers, some which I recognized as herbs. Sure enough, a lavender plant took up most the population of the area. (Well, you've got to know your plants if you're going to be a gardener.)

A small grin crept across my lips and I walked towards the flowers, seeing the sun set from the corner of my eyes. But as I realized what I saw, it shocked me out of my brief moment of entertainment. I turned to look full on at the sunset, my eyes wide with obvious worry. In mere minutes this place would be covered in dense black darkness and I would be left alone to fend for myself. "GRIZZLY!" I screamed more urgently, but once again there came no answer.

A panic began to take me over, making me hyperventilate. My breath came in quick gasps and I felt like I was going to throw up. It was then that a furry mass plunged into me knocking me to the ground. In that second I swear my heart stopped. What kind of monster was attacking me now? But then Grizzly's curious nose poked into my face and he licked my cheek.

A flicker of relief caught me and I wrapped my arms around the annoying dog that I was so glad to see. "Oh Grizzly, thank God." I muttered, squeezing him tightly. He struggled in my grip and broke free, jumping back into a crouch with a small yip. I laughed and stated, "Of course you would want to play at a time like this." Lifting myself off the ground, I dusted my backside off then turned to look around when a frown caught my lips. Which way had I come from? "Shit." I stated, glancing to Grizzly for an answer that he would not give. He simply sat down and cocked his head to the side curiously. "Thanks," I muttered sarcastically before trudging off in a random direction with Grizzly following faithfully at my side.

By the time that night came I had gotten no where and was feeling numb. I would be spending the night in the forest and I knew it. A glance around told me that there was nothing but trees. "Alright Grizzly, we need to find a safe place to stay. I'm going to sleep in a tree and you can sleep on the ground below it." I told him, scratching his head. He simply wagged his tail and I walked over to a tree and began to climb. With a lot of effort I finally emerged on a thick upper tree limb. I rearranged myself so that my back rested on the trunk and I sat in the crook of the branch with my legs dangling on either side. Tonight I doubted I would get any rest. But when I looked at Grizzly he was already snoring below. A small smile flitted across my expression for a second until it got dark enough that my eyes could no longer see. Then the howling began.

Chapter 2
Despite my certainty that I would get little to no sleep, I did end up drifting off. I couldn't keep my eyes open no matter how hard I tried. It was as if the deep howls echoing around me were a lullaby being sung to me, encouraging sleep. Not to mention I hadn't slept well for the last couple nights due to my own annoying dog who insisted on whining every half an hour. I didn't blame Dozer for it, he's just a baby and needs the attention. Dreams accompanied me with my sleep.

I was still sitting on the branch but I was looking out in front of me at the most beautiful man I'd ever seen. Golden hair fell down around his face slightly, reaching his chin. Though I couldn't see his face in the darkness I knew it would be extremely handsome. He cocked his head to the side, watching my reaction to him, and his hair fell to the side. A gasp emanated from my lips at his beauty and the unique color of his eyes. They were a strange shade of violet and seemed to almost glow in the moonlight. "You're amazing." My dream-self stated breathlessly. A deep chuckle rumbled from his chest in reply to my words.

A howl forced me back awake and I grumbled in annoyance to myself, "Had to wake me up before the good part." Not that I had the dream before, I just knew that something good would come of it.

I froze as I realized what had woke me up, that howl had been too close. A growl turned my attention down below me where Grizzly was standing up. I could see the glossy black hair along his back standing on end in the moonlight that penetrated the branches of the over growth. "Grizzly? What's wrong?" I asked hesitantly. In the next second a larger gray force collided with Grizzly and yelps rang through the air. "GRIZZLY!" I screeched, scrambling down the tree with thoughts of only helping. But once on the ground I realized just how much bigger the thing that had collided with Grizzly was. It would tower over me, which wasn't hard since I was only 5 foot tall. It was covered in gray fur and appeared to be a wolf…but there were no wolves here. I was shivering with fear but still managed to grab a large branch from the ground. By now the wolf thing was standing over Grizzly's bloody body and I could tell now was the time to act. I rushed forward, yelling like a mad woman and swung the branch at the thing. It hit it and I received a yelp for my actions. I quickly put myself between Grizzly and the animal, holding the branch out to threaten it if it came closer. It made no move to and I felt a sense of relief flood me. But looking back at Grizzly that relief was short lived. He didn't look good at all and despite how much I hated my boss, I loved Grizzly. He was my big brotherly companion through thick and thin. Though he was definitely a brat, which I told him all the time.

A rustling alerted me of the things that were going on around me. The wolf had suddenly gained numbers. Around me was a mixture of large and normal wolves, all staring at me. A squeak erupted from my throat and I sank to my knees, pulling Grizzly in my lap and holding the stick out to each of them, ready for a fight to the death. I knew who would win this fight though. Some of the more normal looking wolves that would only come up to my hip or lower snarled and snapped their teeth at me. Despite Grizzly's obvious pain he managed to snarl back at the creature. I swung at it and it narrowly avoided my branch. A smirk crossed my lips and I gave a growl of my own at the thing.Maybe I was going insane, either way I was almost positive I was about to die. Not like anyone would ever know.

The larger wolves were sitting on the ground now, watching me with eyes that were much too intelligent for my comfort. Their eyes were a startling shade of violet, which automatically reminded me of my mystery dream guy. "Go away," I pleaded, hugging Grizzly's blood soaked body to me. In reply a large wolf stood and walked forward, staring at me intently. I stared back and then lifted my branch threateningly. But as I did this I felt a sense of calm overwhelms me and set the branch back down. The wolves around me howled, singing me to sleep.My dream this time was not one that pleased me, if you can call it a dream. It was full of horrible monsters and pain. Not to mention the blood, so much blood, everywhere I looked. Though throughout the whole nightmare I was well aware that it was fake and that I needed to wake up. But for the life of me why I needed to wake up I couldn't remember.

By the time sleep finally released me I was so confused that I thought I was laying upside down when I was just laying on my stomach, which I never do. It felt too smothering to me to sleep like that. I took in a deep breath then let it out slowly before opening my eyes and stretching, arching my back. My breath caught in my throat as I realized I was not where I should be. Everything around me was pitch black and I would have thought that my eyes were still asleep if I didn't know better. "H-hello?" I stuttered, fear gripping at my quickly pounding heart. "H-hello?" A lower male voice responded somewhere near me, making me jump. Was he mocking me? "Look, whoever you are…I just want to go home." I told the person, standing up slowly and spinning in a slow circle. Maybe I was in a windowless room, since I had been on a bed. Wait…hadn't I been in the woods earlier? Yes, because I was looking for Grizzly then… "Where's the wolves?" I asked with panic in my voice as I remembered. "Where's Grizzly? Where am I? Who are you?" I stammered on, backing up till my back bumped against a wall. I slid along the wall slowly, looking for a door. "Me, I'm a stranger, the wolves are here, Grizzly is not, and you are in the darkness." The strange guy answered me. I wasn't quite scared enough to not feel the hint of annoyance that rose in me at this guys mocking. I would have replied if I hadn't realized something he said that scared the hell out of me. "The wolves are here?" I asked slowly, my heart pounding faster in my chest. Where? I peered into the darkness, my eyes narrowing to try to see into it. But it didn't work, all I saw was endless ebony.

The guy obviously found my question not worth answering and didn't reply. I continued to feel around the wall until my hand found what I was looking for, a wooden door. I reached down to the doorknob and turned it, finding it locked. Of course it would be locked, I was stupid to think otherwise. A feral growl rang through out the room and my body froze, every muscle locked tight with fear.

"I would suggest against running, never run from a predator." The oh-so-helpful male told me as the growl subsided. "Thanks," I muttered unhappily as my muscles relaxed slightly. But I still felt like a deer caught in the midst of a pack of wolves. "Isn't there a light in this room?" I asked with a small hint of annoyance in my voice that I was pretty proud of. Amazing how I could be annoyed when I was terrified. "Yes," Was the vague answer that I got. "Well can you turn it on?" I asked, between clenched teeth. This guy got more annoying by the second.

"No." He answered simply then added, "You can though." I sighed and asked with impatience leaking from my voice, "How?" He chuckled, a deep sound that made me want to purr with happiness at the sound, like a cat. It was very…attractive and was an odd music to my ears. Not to mention there was something familiar about it. "Light switch," He told me when he was done laughing at my expense.I frowned and felt my cheeks warm a bit with a blush, now I felt stupid. I felt along the walls and asked, "Am I warm of cold?" He chuckled again, which resulted in a tingle gliding down my spine. "Very warm." Seconds later I'd found a switch and flicked it on.

The immediate lighting made me squint my eyes and blink rapidly as my eyes adjusted. I stared intently at the wall, unsure if I wanted to look at the horrors that were possibly behind me. But my curiosity had always been my downfall and now was no exception. Warily, I spun on my heels to look at the room around me. It had stone walls, like a basement or cellar, with two beds. On one of the beds sat the man from my dreams, stroking a small black wolf whose head lay on his lap. The other bed held Grizzly's mangled body. My eyes welled up with tears at the sight of him, thinking him dead. But then there was a small rise in his chest and I knew my companion was alive still…if only barely. I took a step towards him then jumped back as a growl sounded from seemingly no where. A small white wolf slunk out from underneath the bed that Grizzly lay on then stalked towards me. I pressed my back against the wall and felt a small tear escape my eye.

Another growl erupted into the air and I was surprise to find it was from the man, but it had sounded exactly like an animal. "Tula, no eating our guest." He snarled at the wolf, baring his teeth to it. Tula looked to him and then stalked over to the bed and jumped onto it, snuggling into the black wolf's side. I would have thought it adorable if I weren't so scared. "Is that all of them?" I whispered, not trusting my voice not to shake if I spoke louder. But it seemed that the man had no problem hearing and shook his hair, his golden bangs flopping into his eyes before he pushed them back and pointed into the corner, "Ajax."

I looked over to Ajax who sat in the corner, watching us with a calm gaze. He was like the big wolves from what I would guess was last night, his eyes a intimidating shade of violet. His pelt was a glossy brown with white tipped ears and a spot of black on his rump. I stepped towards my boss's dog and said, "Alright Ajax, I just want to check on Grizzly…so please don't kill me." Ajax continued to watch, making no sign that he even heard me. I took it as encouragement though and walked quickly over to the bed, placing my hand on the large German Shepherds head. A whimper came from the dog's mouth and I took in a deep breath. "It's okay Grizzly, it's just me, you know me." I cooed softly to one of my favorite dogs in the world.

"He will bite if you hurt him." Stated the man that's name I still didn't know. I clenched my teeth, anger consuming me. "WHY DID YOU LET THEM DO THIS!" I yelled angrily, spinning to glare at him. The wolves reacted to my anger by standing and growling, their fur rising in hostility. Ajax in the corner continued to stare calmly though. "Oh shut it, you stupid mutts. If I had my stick you'd be shishkabobs." I threatened half-heartedly, glaring at the man."They are not mine, I do not tell them what to do." He replied calmly with a shrug of his shoulders. Then added, "You shouldn't have let him run away to begin with."

I gasped, so I had been being watched, I knew it! "Why were you watching me?" I asked, my anger turning to curiosity. Well, any normal girl would be curious as to why an extremely attractive guy was watching her work with a unruly flower bed for a old rich spoiled brat of a woman. The guy shrugged, looking to the two wolves in front of him and beginning to pet them once again. Obviously he was tired of talking to me. Well fine, I had a dog to tend to. At least Grizzly would be nice to me.

I slid up onto the bed and began to inspect all Grizzly's wounds and there were many. He had numerous bite marks all over him and a large scratch down his side. Thankfully no vital organs had been harmed or exposed. Which surprised me a little. "He will survive." The man told me, standing up. I watched closely as he left the room, the wolves following him, All except Ajax who had no moved one inch and was now watching me with intelligent thoughtful eyes. "Fine," I murmured to myself with disbelief, the poor beast was just laying there pathetically looking at me for help while the mutt in the corner sat like a statue. I flipped Ajax the bird and could have sworn he grinned at me, which resulted in a glare from me. "Great, I'm imagining the big bad wolf can understand me." I muttered with disbelief before sitting down on the floor beside the bed. I was wary as to cause anymore harm to my bosses dog, she was already gonna kill me for the scars his wounds would cause. I crossed my legs sitting indian-style as my kindergarten teacher and taught me so many years ago and looked back at the big wolf. His eyes were thing that kept catching my attention and before long I found myself lost in the swirl of violet and black orb. It was as if I was transported to a new world, a world I imagined would be what it would be like if humans had never touched it.

I sat in the middle of a rich green clearing, a circle of large spruce trees surrounded me. The sky above me was filled with light blue that didn't have a single imperfection in the light colored ocean of it. I took in a deep breath to access my situation and scents I knew but didn't flooded to me. I could smell the sweet scent of flowers in bloom that almost was too sweet to handle. I could also smell the earthy scent that made me feel home. This place was beautiful and smelled like... peace. A sigh of contentment slipped through my mouth and I laid against the soft natural grass carpet. It was then that everything changed in a matter of seconds. I was laying on hard packed dirt, the air was chokingly filled with stenches making me want to gag. The sky about was a angry sea of dark thunder clouds while the once beautiful clearing was now a mess of tree stumps.

I came out of the day dream with a loud gasp, my chest felt as if it was as heavy as a concrete slab and for unknown reasons to myself, I wept. The only thing I felt was sorrow that flowed over and around me like a thick fog. Eventually I realised I was not the only one making noise, in the corner Ajax had his nose to the sky and was howling a deep eery note to the ceiling. While Grizzly whimpered helplessly on the bed. My sobs subsided to mere sniffles and a few hiccups later I was silently staring at Ajax. Ajax was just as quietly staring at me and he seemed to understand what was going on. I let my hands hold my head while I shook my head and stated, "Not possible, I'm going insane." A few seconds later I was greeted with a familiar clicking noise and a fresh draft filled the dank room I was in. "Ajax, we must talk." A human voice stated and before I could comprehend what was going on, Ajax was out of the room and the door was locked shut again. I glanced over at Grizzly who looked about as confused as I was. I could hear the silent murmurs of voices but it was too quiet for me to be able to make out what they were saying. Now was my chance to get out of this wierd place and I needed to take advantage of it. With no wolfy guards I was free to explore the room more thoroughly. I looked everywhere and had just as much as I did to begin with, nothing.

It was then that I realised how hopeless this situation was. If I got out I wouldn't have a chance in hell of escape since the wolves would undoubtedly be around. I was not even about to try to outrun a full grown wolf. As the man had said before, "Don't run from a predator." I wasn't going to make that mistake, I didn't want it to be my last.

Chapter 3
"I don't like this place, Grizzly." I told the large dog, moving to stand beside the bed, towering over him. "I don't know what is going on but we need to get out of here or atleast get something to defend ourselves with." I stated, looking over the bed. A quick escape plan came to my mind, I could turn off the lights, hide under the bed. Then I'd be able to surprise them, I'd have to come back for Grizzly. A quick kiss on the dogs muzzle and I was moving over to turn off the light. Shrouded in the dark abyss I made my way over to the bed, then carefull under neath it. Images of cobwebs and spiders went through my mind and I secretly hoped they kept this room clean. A bloody dog I could handle, a spider I could not. Time seemed to slip by slowly as I listened to the murmurs of voices, too quiet to make any sense of. Every once in awhile I would here a noise from the wolves but not often. My impatience kept growing and I was getting frustrated at how long this was taking so I began to amuse myself by counting. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50. On and on the numbers went until finally at 1290 there was the familiar click of the door and a flash of light. The light flooded the room and I cursed mentally, that would make things harder.

I squeezed my body as far back against the wall as I could. I shivered slightly, my mind beginning to rethink my plan. I was chickening out. Instead of thinking hard about anything I focused on my breathing which seemed louder then it should be. I put my hand in front of my mouth to stifle it and tried to take little breaths. It seemed the harder I tried the faster my heart beat and the more I needed to breath. The shoes I could see slowly were walking over to me. I second later I felt a tug on my pants and was being dragged out from under the bed by the white wolf from before. Tula. I clawed at the floor, trying to stay hidden but it seemed to only piss the white wolf off more. Tula bit down for a better grip, pinching my flesh. "Alright, alright, I give up!" I yelled at the animal and crawled out. Tula didn't seemed convinced but she stopped pulling, yet kept ahold of me. Annoying man from before was standing not far away, grinning like a fool. "Nice try, but I'm not stupid." He stated proudly, while Tula let go and went to sit at his side. His hand rested on her head and pet her slowly. "I beg to differ." I muttered, mostly to myself. I was greeted with a growl from Tula and a glare.

"Ouch, kitty has claws." He stated, moving over to me and sitting down beside me. I scooted away from him a little. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and said, "That's what we are gonna call you, Kitty." I rolled my eyes in response, I had a name already. "Okay so Kitty, we are gonna let you in on our little parade here. Kay?" He asked, unfazed. I gave him a look that obviously meant I didn't care. "Well, hasta luego chica. You'll understand what I mean in a few minutes." He said while standing up and walking back out the door, Tula on his heels. He didn't bother closing the door behind him and I couldn't help but stand up and walk to the doorway. I peeked out and saw stairs leading upwards. This was most deffinitely a trap but I couldn't resist. A few cautious steps up the stairs and I was standing in a kitchen, no sign of life. I could see a door leading outside and through the glass window in the door I could see there was no one around. "What the hell." I stated to myself before moving to the door and opening it. I paused, expecting to be jumped by some big hair monster but when nothing happened I jolted forward, running as fast as I could for the tree line. That's when I felt it hit my back, knocking me to the ground. A stabbing pain and I was out.

I could feel myself being picked up in my sleep, and an odd sensation of changing. The only way I know how to put it is that it felt like I was becoming a whole new person. But yet it was still me. All my thoughts were my own, not that of another persons. As I pondered this new occurence it occured to me that I was still asleep. Okay not asleep, my eyes were closed and my body was relaxed but my concious was awake. I couldn't make my body react to my thoughts though. A bit of panic raced throught me and I heard a faint whine from what I guessed was a dog nearby. Then a hand pressed against my side and my concious grew dimmer as it went back into its hibernation.

The next time I woke up, I was fully awake. No numbness, no trapped inside my own body-feeling. I blink my eyes and looked around weerily. My eyes felt wierd and everything seemed more...sharp. I reached up to rub my eyes and was greeted with a big paw to the face. A yelp of surprise rang throughout the area and another followed when I realized I was the one who had made it. I jumped up in a hurry, four legs. I tried to look at my body and ended up turning in circles to do so. Dog. I was a dog. Okay, I must be dreaming so I closed my eyes tightly. Nope, still a four legged mutt. "Oh god oh god oh god oh god. This is NOT normal." I said in what seemed to me to be clear english. I would have frowned if I had been my normal self. "I can talk?" I asked myself. A low femenine voice answered, "Will you shut up already, you're acting like an idiot." I jumped and landed spread eagle on the floor before pulling myself up and doing a survey of the room. It was almost like a large living room, only there was no furniture and it was full of people and wolf alike. The person who had talked to me was Tula, the mean wolf from before and she was glaring at me now. My tail tucked under my belly of its own free will and I growled. "I don't like you."

It was an obvious statement but it was as if I couldn't help but say it. Tula met my growl with her own ferocious snarl and all the hair along my body stood on end. I didn't know what I was doing but at the same time it seemed my body did know. "Tula! Behave." A loud human voice rang through the room. It was speaking in another language yet at the same time I knew what he meant. I cocked my head to the side and looked at the stranger questioningly. "You, Kitty, are the newest member of our pack. Congratulations. You are what we call our animal halves. Someone who has been chosen to take the animal inside us and keep it until we need it." The man stated, the words were clear but the meaning was confusing. "Huh?"

A sigh was let out and the guy from before, the one that annoyed me, spoke. "He means that you are a wolf from now on until the full moon when you will be human for that night and I will be the wolf. Only much bigger and more...manly." I snorted, manly, yeah right. Despite myself my tail slowly began to wag. Tail. My attention became mesmerized with the flicking thing. It was almost a red color, but it had a brown tinge with gray hairs mixed in randomly throughout it. Its fluid movements was like a witch, casting its spell upon me. A part of me knew I should be freaking out but everything just felt...okay. A snap of fingers and my attention was pulled back to the strange leader-man."Hm?" He smiled at me, like a father would his child when they did something silly. "You will have quite a bit to learn about your new self and about your partner who shares your soul. But until then you will be taught the ways of the wolf by your pack." He stated, almost instantly a group of wolves surrounded me. Wolves of all colors, all sizes, all attitudes. They each sniffed me briefly and I slunk away from each breath I felt on my fur. It was odd to see so many in one place, atleast for me it was. I suppose to someone who is around wolves constantly it might not seem like many, there were only six of them. But wolves were not common in the area I lived and so this was almost like a trip to the zoo. Minus the safety barriers and paying. Yet at the same time, the strangeness of it all just seemed so...normal.

Slowly voices began to rise around me, some in greeting and other in assesing me. I felt like I should stand up strait and strut like a model being judged by her peers. My nerves felt like they were on fire, sensitive to every little movement which is probably why I reacted the way I did when a hand was placed on my back. I slashed out with teeth, more of being scared by feeling a human touch when surrounded by wolves. The hand dissapeared, without a scrape on it. Looking up I saw the hand belonged to the strange man who was the leader. He just smiled knowingly at me and spoke. "Kitty, that is your new name here as given by your partner. Kitty, I am Joseph." I nodded my head in a greeting. "Nice to meet you Joseph, I think."

A small chuckle and he began to introduce me to the rest of the people and pack. The annoying man from before that named me Kitty was Derek. Then there was Janine, a blonde bimbo-looking barbie doll that seemed to not care what was going on. AJ, a large muscled man who looked to be about 20 and have stepped out of a surfing magazine. Jazz, a teen who had freckles and red hair with a plus size body that she managed to make look more attractive then any skinny woman. A guy named Ben, covered in tattoos and somewhat intimidating. Then two twin boys who looked only five years old, named Matt and Mason. Seven people, seven wolves counting myself. "So each human has a wolf?" I asked, not meaning to blurt it out but I was confused. "Yes, the wolf is someone chosen by one of us to share our life with us. Not as a human but as a wolf, to be by our side at all times. The wolf, keeps us from becoming animals, they take our curse until the full moon when it is given back and they are released to the world in their human form for that night." Joseph explained and it was suddenly very understandable. I was going to be in a wolves body for the rest of my life except one day out of every month.

My heart sank in my chest, I was doomed. My life was over. But had I had that much of a life to begin with? I had a truck that was so old it should have been dead long ago. Parents who were always working and never home. I had dropped out of school because I simply wouldn't do the work, it wasn't anything important enough to me to be useful. The only thing I had going for me had been my job, which I was sure I'd have lost if I went back with my bosses dog all bloodied up. So in a way this was like a new beginning....as a canine. Odd but I could hopefully turn this into something good. My tail slowly began to wag. I just had to stay possitive. "Everyone, lets leave her to her thoughts for a little while before we begin showing her our ways." Josephs voice drifted away as everyone exited the room, wolves included. I would need to get to know my fellow wolves as they hadn't been introduced but until then, it was time to get use to this new body. I slowly laid the front half of my body down and stretched out as far as I could, stretching my back. Not bad, not lets see about walking around a bit.

I stood up and circled the room, sniffing the air. I could smell things I had never smelled before. I didn't know what they were but it was time to start cataloging. I put my nose to the wooden floor and breathed in deeply. It smelled of chemicals and faintly of cedar. Cedar flooring, the chemical must be from what they used to clean it. I shook myself and walked over to the wall, placing my nose against it. Wall. I put the memory into the back of my mind, just as I had the scent of the floor. Nose in the air I walked to the door and sniffed. Door. On and on I went until I had sniffed just about everything in the entire house. Except for the rooms that I couldn't get in due to the door being shut. I could hear the faint noise of voices and I knew that everyone was outside. The twins were playing with what sounded like a puppy. "Puppy?" I asked myself, I didn't remember seeing a puppy. Wait.... did we have puppies? Was I gonna have a... puppy? Odd thought but at the same time it would make sense. So the pack really were just a wolf pack, with the exception of the connection we shared with the humans. I trotted out the open back door and nearly ran into Tula. She looked down on me condescendingly and said, "You should go back inside." I stepped away from her at the harsh words and my tail drooped. She really hated me. Derek came to my rescue, crouching down beside me and snarling. It was wierd to see a human snarling like an animal but at the same time it made my tail wag that he was standing up for me. "Leave it bitch, she is family now." Dereks words were harsh but it seemed he had the authority in this case because Tula backed away and stalked off to stand beside the twins and a puppy. I'd been right, there was a puppy. A wolf puppy.

I glanced to my side where Derek was still crouched. "That's Tulas' pup, she didn't want you near it." He explained to me and suddenly I didn't feel like he was the same annoying person as before. "Pup?" I asked, wondering how that had happened. "Yeah, she is mated to the black wolf you saw before in the basement, Demon." I couldn't help but snort at the black wolfs name. "Yeah, everyone gets a new name when they become a wolf, Ben chose Demon." Derek explained to me, as if he could read my expression as clearly as day. "That explains it." I stated, looking over at the tattooed man sitting against a far tree with his wolf laying loyally at his side. "So is the puppy...normal?" I asked, looking at the gray and white furball playing with the two boys. "Yep, just your ordinary run-of-the-mill wolf." He stated, watching the puppy as well. "So it can't talk?" I asked. "Well of course he can, he isn't stupid." I huffed out a breath, so we were normal wolves? It was the humans that could understand us. Not the other way around. This was becoming more confusing by the minute but I wouldn't think too much into it. Instead I laid down, placed my head on my paws and watched as the children played. Soon I felt Dereks hand on my fur, petting me, and surprisingly it seemed to calm me.

I laid there contently as Derek pet my fur and every once in awhile I'd sigh in contentment or yawn. The slow motions felt good and were putting me to sleep. As I realized this I decided I wasn't comfortable enough to fall asleep in the presence of all these strangers, silly but true. I slowly stood up and shook, shaking his hand off in the process. He looked at me and I looked back at him, not bothering to give an explanation. Instead I trotted over towards the edge of the tree line. I let out a small bark, suddenly feeling extremely hyper. I wanted to play. The puppy began to lumber towards me when his/her daddy instead intercepted him/her. I cocked my head to the side, asking silently, really? But it seemed he had decided to play instead, slowly he crouched down into a pouncing position and I felt my tail begin to wag furiously. I met his stance with an identical one of my own but before he had a chance to jump at me and bolted to the side. At that point the fight was on.

He jumped to the side and began to chace me around the yard until I was with my back against the wall of the house. Which I thought was a good position, protecting my back. I grinned at him, though I suppose it looked more like showing my teeth but he understood and gave his own toothy grin back at me, tail wagging. Slowly he began to move forward, reminding me of a cat stalking a mouse and I backed up until my rump hit the house siding. Then I bolted to the right but he was ready for it and pounced on top of me. I fell to the ground and before I knew what hit me I felt his teeth gently bite my neck. Instinctively I knew this meant he had won and a small whine of submission was let out from me. A small playful nip on the back of my neck again and he was jumping off to the side of me. "Nice match kiddo, don't worry you'll get better with more practice." He told me encouragingly. I nodded my head, that having been the first time I'd heard him talk to me directly. "Thanks." He gave a nod of his own before trotting back to his human as if nothing had happened. My tail drooped a little, I guess that was his way of introducing himself but I was left without a play partner. I glanced around, as if asking if anyone else wanted to play. I found Tula glaring me down and met her gaze for a moment before looking away in submission. I'd just let her know that she was stronger then me and I didn't even realize it till afterwards. "Damn." I muttered to myself before sitting down. Maybe I should go practice by myself. Yep, that was what I would do.

I shot off through the treeline and into the forest, tumbling over a rock before I could make it very far. I grunted as I landed on the ground, there was a bit more to this wolf thing then I thought. Slowly I picked myself up, shook, and decided to just walk fast. As I walked deeper into the forest I came across many smells that were unfamiliar to me, yet instinctively I could tell what general category they were in. Animal scat I stayed away from, while the scent of my pack I tried to keep within range of me. I felt like a bear rumbling through the forest because of how loud I was. But unlike what usually happened when I was human, animals seemed to be curious about the noise I made as a wolf.

A few times I saw squirrels watching me. I even stumbled upon a black snake that I immediately wondered if I could talk to. "Hi." It looked at me like I was an idiot and I sighed. Then a voice said, "Hello." I jumped and turned around to find I had been being stalked by one of my pack members. The wolf before me was completely gray, no white at all. It was almost a strange thing to see. I could smell the scent of home on his fur and my tail gave a single wag of greeting. "So, trying to get the hang of things?" The stranger wolf asked lightly, it was obvious he wanted to start a conversation but at the same time he kinda sucked at it. "Yep." I wasn't about to play easy for him. He sat down, keeping his cool even though I was making this more awkward for him. "Want help?" I rolled my eyes and let out a snort. "That's kinda a lame way to ask if I want company. " I gave a wolfy grin and he gave a growlish chuckle. "Well you are the new girl, you're kinda big news."

I sat down opposite from him, ready for a nice chat between wolves. "Technically my names J-Kitty." I told him, almost having said my old name. "Nice to meet you J-kitty. I'm Ryan." He teased before introducing himself, taking a small bow which looked hillarious from a wolf. I flopped down and rolled onto my belly, giggling. "Wow I didn't think I was that funny." He stated, obviously a little confused. Instead of telling him why I was laughed I stood back up and bowed like he had. A grin appeared on his face and together we were laughing.

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 12.03.2011

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