Chapter 12
Thelma
I hated that Vera had become the Mount Hunter bitch. She was so much better than that, but couldn’t see it due to the way she was treated. She hid her majestic beauty, but I for one could see it. Now she had two other wolves who also could see it. Archer and Clive and it gave me cause to dance when I saw the jealous, spiteful fire blazing off Grant as all three of them connected.
Who would win her heart? All I hoped is for them to treat her right. Personally, I hoped it was Clive, there was a small thing at the back of my mind that left me uneasy about Archer. Maybe it was because he was a rogue and not one of our own. His kind were the whole stinking reason I’d been wrongfully posted at the border. The ground was damp from the midnight dew as the blades of grass touched on my bare ankles. I reached down to swipe it away as it caused me to be paranoid and feeling as if something was crawling on me. The moon’s luminescent light shone it’s beauty on the side of my face. At least it was an atmospheric phenomena I could enjoy. I lifted my head to the sky and enjoyed looking up at it. Star were out in full force and the twinkling lights seemed to be hanging in thin air to me, and were backed by a midnight canvas.
Vera was having fun with me and dancing around, but a special set of tingles ran through my body as I witnessed the moon showing the fullness of its face. Vera would soon stand as a proud wolf and it would be a sight to see. Most of the Mount Hunter wolves were black or a deep chocolate brown, I for one was the latter variety with a white spot on my foot. I hated that white spot as it identified me easily. As a hunter in unchartered territories roaming through treacherous terrain I often wanted to blend in without the special features.
Vera was busy spinning and twirling in front of me and I badly wanted to join her and roll down the hill. Instead I had to stay and pretend to be a good little wolf soldier. Not a rogue wolf in sight, it was all a hoax. “You seem happy Vera. I’m happy for you. Do you feel sick or anything?”
“I feel strange, that’s for certain. All these hot and cold flushes are doing my head in. I wish I could just change already and get it over with. I think I’m too tipsy to care at this stage. Bring it on I say.” A loud hiccup popped out of her lips and broke my seriousness as Vera grabbed my hands suddenly starting to spin me around.
“Ah fuck it, it’s time to have fun. What the hell am I doing here anyway at this post? Bloody stupid if you ask me.”
“Exactly!” Vera cried out at the top of her lungs as I spun around as my my blonde locks fanned out on both sides. Felt freeing to be with Vera and I was honored to watch her turn. I would die for my friend as she would die for me. I loved her dearly and sometimes wished to hear Dane say she had run away.
I’d cried myself to sleep at night looking at her broken bones. The way she pieced herself back together again after being tortured by the death of her parents and others around her joining in to make her a shadow of herself. Even with her whippet thin body she had this glow, a light that never seemed to go out and nobody could take that away from her. Every now and then one of the Mount Hunter wolf boys would stare at her. To me she was something special and none of them had any idea what they were looking at. It was the essence of her, and a feeling filled me that she might be this grand wolf, one that surpassed all the others of the clan. The spark of thought came from somewhere and I couldn’t figure out where.
Dizziness set in as Vera twirled me some more, surprised she was still standing given the speed were twirling at. As sure as the stars hung in their pockets in the liquorice sky is as sure as I was about to throw up from the spinning.
“Slow down, Vera. I’m out of breath and I think I’m going to be sick. How are you not feeling sick with all this spinning?” I accused as I puffed from exertion. Maybe my fitness plan needed to be boosted.
“I don’t know. I have these funny feelings going on. I have this extra boost of energy. I don’t know how to describe it, Thelma. It’s like an electrical charge of energy running through my system and I’m buzzing right now. I can’t even feel the alcohol. I feel incredible, almost as if I could run a marathon. Did you feel like this before you changed?”
Skipping my mind back to when I changed I recalled a different experience altogether. Part of the way through I thought my jaw dislocated and I was sick for about an hour before.
“If I’m being honest, it was rough, but after I changed once the next time was no problem. I switched over no problem. It’s a cake walk now.” Winking at her for reassurance her big emerald pools sought the truth of the matter. I’d always loved her eyes, but what I saw in them made me jump back a little. A quick flicker of gold pulsed through them and I had to peek again at her face to check I saw what I saw.
“Thanks for telling me. I can feel these prickles on my skin, I think it’s happening to me now, Thelma. I am so scared. There’s fur patches on my arm. Look!” She lifted her thin arm up to the moonlight to show me the thin covering of downy fur on her arm. Frowning I stared at the color of it. That was nowhere near black. If I wasn’t mistaken it was a bone color, almost white. No, there’s no way her fur would be white. I gulped down my amazement as she put the other arm up to the light confirming what I denied.
“Vera, the fur you have is white. That’s crazy. Dane - your grandfather has jet black fur. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Maybe as you shift the rest of your color will come in. Might be the undercoat or something.” My justifications weren’t working and I knew it. I shuffled my foot in the damp carving out a muddy patch with my shoe. Vera’s features were making me nervous.
She stopped and fanned her face as I recognized some of the alcohol had worn off.
“Wow, white fur. I am floored. I have black hair though, I’m sure I’m meant to be black not an albino wolf. Ha! Wouldn’t that be funny.” Vera hiccuped as the first crack of her shoulder sounded off like me sending a warning shot to bears in the woods.
“Vera! It’s happening. Take your time and enjoy the experience. Just know I’m here and you’ll be fine. The less you resist the better, remember that. Okay? Can you do that for me?”
“Yes, shit, I’m going to change. Wow.” She turned her fingers over in front of me as fur filled in between her fingers. The second coat of her fur continued to present itself as the other shoulder cracked into place and Vera’s mouth dropped open. I put my gun down beside me in honor and to make sure if I needed to help her and she got stuck I could, but she didn’t need my help. A sizzling pop occurred in the next instance as her shoulder fully popped out and she fell to the ground with a look of fear on her face.
“Remember what I said. It’s okay, you’re going to be fine Vera. Trust the process.” Her other shoulder fully broke down as well as the bottom of her what I assumed were her front legs melded into position. Her face laid in the wet grass for a moment and I bent down to lift her hair away from her face. It was so long now and she was becoming something so attractive to look at.
I knew the next part of the process was going to be quick. Now I would see her and then I wouldn’t. I wanted to enjoy this part of her, but I had to concentrate if I was to see it.
She started to break down even further, the metamorphosis of Vera was taking place right in front of my eyes. Crack after crack I heard her yelp wanting to help her, but knowing she would be just fine. Her fur fully sprouted and before I had time to blink Vera’s wolf was in front of me.
The sight of her blew me away. Raspy breaths filled my lungs as I’d never seen a sight so frighteningly beautiful as the one I was staring back at in front of me. Vera’s wolf was a huge white, shimmering wolf with pure, white as snow fur and brilliant emerald green pupils with flecks of gold running through them.
The wolf in front of me unleashed the most ear shattering of howls as it sung to the moonlight. \
“My god, you are beautiful. What are you? This- this is crazy. I can’t, Vera who are you? What are you? What am I looking at?”
Staring in complete awe I closed my legs together trying to not pee myself on the spot. This wolf was commanding, mystical and damn right otherworldly. There was an aura of white light around the wolf and that’s when I knew Vera was special. All those broken bones, if they only knew what she was they wouldn’t be picking on her anymore.
She was twice the size of Dane and he was the biggest in the pack. He dominated all in his wake which is why everyone was so afraid of him, but Vera and her wolf shat on him. My mouth was on the ground and I wasn’t about to pick it up.
The wolf closed the gap between us as the pace of my heartbeat threatened to overwhelm me, I thought I was about to have a heart attack. “You tried to poison my human. How dare you!” The white wolf spoke with crystal clear clarity and had the voice of an old soul wolf.
I bowed for some reason, almost as if magnetized to do it. It felt only right to do so. The last thing I wanted to do was poison Vera. I simply wanted her to let down her hair and feel relaxed before she turned into this magnificent thing in front of me.
“I’m sorry, please. No harm meant. Only for Vera to have a good time. Please. You are so wonderful wow.”
“You will not do that again. Ever. You will not poison my human. She is not to be harmed any longer. I will dismember anyone who does this in the future.” The snow white wolf blinked back at me as the gold centers of Vera’s eyes became brighter, more vibrant - to the point of blinding me. Hard to call her Vera when I wanted ‘her majesty’ sounded much more fitting.
“Yes, I understand. It won’t happen again,” I said as my fingers trembled in fear mixed in with admiration.
“Bow. You must bow to me. I am of ancient blood and you must bow.” The direction had been given as I snuck another peek at Vera. Her snout was long and all I could see was a regal presence of a wolf in front of me. My mouth was cotton dry and my tongue had stuck itself to the top of my roof cavity. I dipped down to the ground and bowed graciously to Vera. As soon as I did I felt a whoosh of electrical pulses run through my head. The wolf’s paw was on top of my head for a brief moment.
“I honor you Vera. Ancient blood. Wow.” I waited for the paw to lift off my head as she sat it back down on the hard, but damp ground. I felt the ground was too much for it to walk on. This wolf deserved a royal carpet of some sort to be rolled out. “Will your paws be wet?” Even though my voice wavered I wanted to make sure she was comfortable.
“Never mind that. I am of pure race. You will not feed my human drinks of any kind which harm her system. Be loyal to your friend. We do see you have been kind. We commend you. As you should. You will be rewarded for this. No more drinks.” The wolf relayed the message with a deadly calmness that cut the message through to me.
“I promise not to do that again Vera. You are a sight to behold. I love you. This is insane! You are scary.”
The wolf blinked as it came even closer to me and nudged their nose under my hand. I placed my hand on top of her fur. I couldn’t help but run my fingers through its fur. I wanted to lay my head there and sleep awhile. I’d never felt fur so soft. Often some of the Mount Hunter wolves had bristly hair that prickled when you touched it, especially if they were about to fight and had their hackles up. I ran a hand over her back as she closed her eyes to my touch. It was such an intimate moment, but Vera had initiated it so I figured it was okay.
“I am only scary to those who wish me harm. If you don’t and you take care no harm will come to you. I can offer you protection at my best.”
“You speak so royally, how ancient are you?” I whispered wanting to know absolutely everything.
“Since before your time, your mother’s time and those who walked before her. I am from the creation of mother earth and father sun. I have been walking here for so long I can hardly remember. I have chosen Vera to carry the torch of our lineage. She has a pure soul and is capable of taking the Mount Hunter pack forward to greatness.”
“I bet she does! This is fantastic.” I was gushing as the wolf stepped back to regard me with close scrutiny. I hoped I was good enough. I truly did.