A.N.D. - Wolf Woods

Benjamin sighed with happiness as a heaping plate of rare, red meat was placed before him. All he could eat, fresh off the joint, and served by a human wench as well! This was the way things should be! He’d almost forgotten what it was like to live in a cage and eat kibble.

But he had not forgotten his duties. He’d spent the whole morning writing out a grand delusional fantasy for his mistress about King Wendell’s supposed plot. It was harder to play her in writing than it was to her face; he could not scent the changes of her emotions, or watch them play across her face. She thought she was so restrained, but he could read her like a book! Still, this more limited form of communication had worked well enough for the last several weeks. And it all tied in so nicely. The spot where he dropped his missives for the royal messenger was only a short jaunt from where the conspirators were meeting in the woods. Which reminded him; he had just enough time to eat before they held their final meeting.

He reached for the first chicken leg. It was tempting to just rend it with his teeth, but he was civilized now. Besides, he was so fond of using his new dagger! He unsheathed it now with a flourish, so that the hammered silver hilt flashed in the sunlight.

Benjamin passed his den on his way to the secret meeting, taking a moment to stuff his tail down his pants. It was a pity that he had to live in a den, but town was too full of people from his past for him to feel comfortable closing his eyes there. So far, he had avoided any chance meetings by sticking close to the tourist traps, but there was always the chance that his luck might turn.

That was what made the game so delicious to play.

He was hot with moon-fever; snappish and edgy and excited. Even though the full moon would not rise for several more hours, he wanted to hunt, rend, and kill.

But first-one last pep rally for the conspirators.

He was late to the clearing, and their leader-some butcher who was always a little overfond of the sound of his own voice-was in full oratorical mode.

“Tonight the full moon rises and the wolves fall! As it was in my great-grandfather’s time, it will be again! The humans shall rise and defeat the animals, cleansing the land they have polluted with their presence with their blood!”

Benjamin blinked. The light was very odd in this clearing. For a moment, he had a double-vision of the lead human, as though a copy of him was standing in the shadows behind the original. Another blink and a headshake, the mirage disappeared.

Oblivious, the man finally focused on the people in front of him. “This time we can’t just rise up in revolt, or we’ll bring all the other wolves on us. This time, we have to use our brains. It’s not enough to kill. We have to discredit that so-called hero. You all have your assignments. Go!”

Wolf could hear the sounds of shutters slamming and doors locking as he walked through the town in twilight. Most of the wolves in New Sanctuary wouldn’t hurt a person even this night, but that didn’t stop the more prudent humans from settling in with a good book to wait out the full moon behind secure barriers.

He’d just escorted Littlebit to the training pens; fields bounded with stone walls where children learned to safely hunt. During moonrise, the pens were filled with children still learning, pregnant women, cripples, and others who could not hold their own in a full pack hunt. It was a humiliating place for his poor cursed sister to have to go, but at least she’d be safe and fed; the shepherdesses had been well paid to keep her supplied in lambs.

Edwina smiled tentatively at him as he came back, keeping a wary distance, then ushered Betty down into the root cellar. Wolf snorted, but didn’t try to coax them out of it. Let them spend their first full moon down there if it made them feel safe; he’d convince them he was harmless next month.

In the meantime-now he and his creamy, dreamy girl had total privacy tonight! With that pleasant thought, Wolf bounded up the stairs.

Virginia frowned over the crib. All the wolves had told her that Dell wouldn’t catch “moon-fever” until he hit puberty, but he seemed somewhat warmer than usual, and he was certainly more fussy. She was leaning over to tuck his blanket in closer when someone grabbed her around the waist and threw her on the bed.

“Wolf!”

He pounced on top of her. “You rang?”

Two could play that game! With a quick wriggle, she kicked him off the bed; Wolf disappeared below the mattress with a startled “Ahroo!” A second later, his accusing face popped back up.

“Gotta catch me!” Virginia taunted, and lunged for the door.

She never made it. He had her on the floor before she’d taken two steps, and they rolled, laughing, on the carpet. Wolf had a good grip on her and-OH! NOnononodon’tstopitstopit “Stop tickling me!”

“Rah!” He stopped, nose to nose with her, staring deeply into her eyes. “Roo?”

“Whoo!” And with that, she bit his ear.

That lusty, maniacal grin she hadn’t seen in so long was back. Wolf rolled so that she was pinned beneath his hands and knees, then bent to nip along her neck. When he reached the neckline of her shirt, he growled, bit at it, and started undressing her with his teeth, growling all the way. Virginia squealed, laughed, and returned the favor.

From the crib, Dell echoed his parent’s laughter, but they were too busy to hear him.

Virginia was snoozing against him, tangled in their sheets. Wolf wanted to stay with her, but the beautiful full moon was shining right through the window, calling him to play and hunt. With a last regretful nuzzle, Wolf slipped loose.

Forgetting something! the last remaining shred of humanity reminded him as his hand was on the doorknob. The Wolf stopped, thought for a moment, turned back, slithered into his pants, and slipped out the door.

As he headed for the woods, a shadow slipped from beside the house and followed him.

At last! At last! All night prey had frolicked around him on two or four feet, tempting and taunting him to hunt them down and rend them to oblivion. But with the last shreds of his mind, Benjamin kept to his purpose. Take the Wolf! Catch him during the full moon! Knock him out so he would be helpless when the conspiracy caught him in the morning! None of the human conspirators could do it. This would take a wolf.

The night breeze wafted his quarry’s scent to him. No wonder he had been so late to come hunting-he’d been dallying with his mate!

He had a mate! He had a cub! He had respect! He had everything Benjamin should have! It wasn’t fair!

Benjamin snarled, drawing his silver-hilted dagger, the conspiracy’s plans swept away in a surge of fury. Kill him! Kill him! Kill the wolf! Still snarling, he lunged.