Moonlit Fur Chronicles: Torn Fur

The next several days were absolutely wonderful. Quinn and I spent all day together. WE shopped and explored the mall, we found a cute little mom and pop ice cream parlor. The ice cream there was so delectable. Quinn decided I needed a completely new wardrobe. I tried to refuse but to no avail. She found this gorgeous black dress that had a chain belt and was form fitting. She practically drooled as she imagined the dress on me. We found lots of tee shirts with our favorite bands on the fronts. She bought me lots of clothes, mostly dresses and skirts, “for easy access” she murmured seductively in my ear.

It was fantastic that someone doted on me. All the presents and material things were nice, of course. Quinn was the true prize, she was so kind hearted and sweet. I don’t think I smiled as much in my entire life as I did that glorious week with her. It all seemed too good to be true. The idea of ‘Regression to the Mean’ came to mind. Things wouldn’t always be great and things wouldn’t always be terrible. Eventually things will settle down somewhere in the middle for a while. If only it truly happened that way.

Two days before we were scheduled to return to school and the pack, River called me in a panic. Sloane had disappeared days ago and Casey got out in search of him. Neither had returned. I filled in Quinn as soon as I got off the phone with River. Quinn lifted her phone to her ear and spoke quickly with someone. We hurriedly packed our bags and met the limo at the front door. I could feel my anxiety reach critical mass. It felt like the car wasn’t going fast enough. We boarded the plane, I fidgeted the whole flight. The car ride back to the college was too long as well. I couldn’t breathe.

We tossed our baggage in our dorm room. River met us there and quickly told us everything. Sloan had told them he was supposed to help set up some holiday event in the woods and never returned. Casey searched for Sloan, that was two days ago. My inner wolf banged against my rib cage, it knew my pack was in peril. We ran out of the building and into the woods. I was barely fifty yards deep when my inner wolf exploded, and transformed me into a large powerful wolf. I sniffed the air and howled. I could pick up my pack’s scent. I followed it, my paws kicked up dirt as my claws dug into the earth.

We quickly arrived at Casey and Rivers’ campsite. They had a very nice RV set up. A few tents had been pitched close by. People stood up from camping chairs that circled a fire pit. My pack recognized instantly, within seconds they had embraced their extra fuzzy side and raced along behind me. I managed to pick up Casey’s scent close to the RV. I stopped for a second to make sure I had properly isolated Casey’s scent. Ellis, Kai, Phoenix and Jules gently nudged me with their noses as a greeting. I let out a long howl, I was frustrated and scared. I hoped Casey could hear me. Maybe they could respond. My wolves lifted their voices and joined me, music to my ears.

My adrenaline surged as we bounded through the woods. Casey’s scent grew steadily stronger. My ears perked up, I heard something in the underbrush ahead. I growled and ran faster. Whatever it was, it wasn’t getting away from me. I lept high in the air, jaws open wide ready to snap down. A shadow darted to my right. I landed with a thud and spun around to face the shadow. River let out an excited bark and dove into the shadow. The dark colored wolf rolled away from her and sprinted off. I took a second to process, I recognized that wolf. He was one of Chad’s thugs. I roared in anger and pursued, River and the rest of my pack close on my tail.

The wolf we followed didn’t make much of an effort to conceal his tracks. At one point, it actually turned its head over its shoulder to ensure we were still behind it. Casey’s scent was strong now, as was the scent of blood. River was on the edge of terror and rage. The wolf ahead of us dodged around a tree. It leaped over a mound of dark lumps and crashed into the ground beyond. River screamed in pain. We had found Casey and they weren’t doing well. Dark blood stained the ground, this blood was not fresh. I got close to Casey, their breaths were too short. I leapt over Casey’s crumpled form and roared at the wolf who had led us here.

Its ears laid back on his skull, fear in its eyes. It trembled violently. I launched myself at the wolf, it fell to the ground under my weight. It whined and moaned pathetically. I felt its body shake and twist, it was about to shift back to its human form. The guy stayed curled up in a ball, his arms around his head. I snarled savagely and stepped heavily on his chest. “It was Chad! It was all Chad. He has been recruiting! He took your human friend! This wolf must’ve tracked him! Chad was furious! He and two others caught him by surprise and ripped him apart! That’s all I know, I swear!” I didn’t believe him, I sunk my claws slowly and painfully into his chest. He howled in pain and tried in vain to get free. “Okay okay! Chad was last holed up in a cave about three miles from here to the south! It’s beside a huge oak tree! Please! I beg you!”

I growled at him and exposed my fangs. He shook violently with fear. I eyed him quizzically. He seemed to guess my question, “Chad ran me out. I tried to get him to not kill this poor wolf. Tried to free the human too. I don’t know why he left me alive. Please don’t kill me!” Memories of how scared Phoenix and Jules were of me flashed in my mind. This poor kid was no different. I snorted and let my lips fall back over my fangs. I lifted my paw. The kid scurried away. River cried and threw herself over Casey. They did not look well. I shivered and willed my human half to come to the front. My body ached and snapped into my soft human skin.

“Jules, Ellis shift back to human and get Casey home. The rest of us will stay as wolves and provide protection. We are not safe here. Everybody Move!” I fell to my hands and knees and my body tore itself apart and reformed the wolf. The boys shifted and gently lifted Casey. The rest of us circled. River stayed close to Casey, whimpering and crying. I was so angry. Quinn stayed at my side, her eyes were bloodthirsty. I saw Phoenix and Kai tightly circle us. They wouldn’t let anything happen to us. It was slow going, the boys had a hard time as they picked their way through the woods.

Quinn and I leaned heavily against young trees and shrubs to help make a path for Ellis and Jules. I growled angrily under my breath the whole way. I blamed myself in part, I knew things had been too perfect. I knew my luck would run out. I should’ve foreseen it. Should’ve called Casey to check in at least. It was well past dark, the boys exhausted. I jerked my head to Quinn and shifted back to human. She followed suit. “Boys take a break but stay close, Quinn and I will get him the rest of the way.” We gently shifted Casey from the boys’ shoulders onto ours.

The woods became less dense the closer we got to Casey and Rivers’ camp. My shoulders trembled with fatigue, we were so close. River walked under Casey, she nudged me with her nose. “Quinn, slowly lower Casey onto Rivers’ back. Be ready to stabilize him,” I said. Together we put Casey onto Rivers’ back. We both kept hands on him to help stabilize him. “Phoenix, Kai, we are getting close to camp, run ahead make sure there’s no one waiting for us,” I said. The two nodded briskly and surged ahead.

They returned a moment later, tails wagged. The camp was clear. We continued ahead. Quinn opened the door to the RV, I took Casey from River and slowly carefully ascended into the RV. I lay Casey gently onto the bed. River jumped up on the bed beside Casey. She whimpered and started licking Casey’s wounds. I sat down on the couch in the main room of the RV. I did not let them out of my sight. Quinn snuggled up to me and put her head in my lap. I absent-mindedly stroked her hair, a tear rolled down my cheek. “It’s not your fault Reese,” she whispered faintly. “Yes it is,” I hissed through clenched teeth. “It’s all my fault! I’m the Alpha. I’m responsible for all of them!” tears rolled freely down my face. “I’m just so angry!”

Quinn stood up and cupped my face in her hands, “Look at me,” she said sternly. “This is Chad’s fault. Completely and totally. You did nothing wrong!” I took her hands in mine, “I left them alone! They ARE mine to protect! And I left them alone!” I fell to my knees and sobbed. Quinn wrapped her arms around my shoulders and tucked my head into her chest. The wolves outside howled in response to my sobs. I found comfort and pain in their howls. I cried hard, I cried for Casey and River, I cried for myself and my failures, I cried for my pack, they were in pain and in danger from a psychopath. It was up to me to figure this out, save the day. I had no idea how to fix any of this. Casey would be the one who could guide me through this mess, and they were at death’s door. I was scared he would die, I was scared that I would fail my pack again.