Were-Mutt

We spent so much time training and eating that we all decided to take our naps in the wolf form, since they get more rejuvenation from each bit of sleep than the human form, and we needed to be at our best.

Much to my surprise we discovered that just before the alarm goes off there is a click. The click made us jump, sounding much like the click of a gun to our super wolf ears. Immediately after we jumped we were covering our ears in an effort to protect them from the piercing wail of the alarm. Lakiya managed to make it to the alarm clock, but not knowing how to shut it off she simply unplugged it.

We all took our human forms, with clothing on and everything. Making certain not to retain any of the wolf’s features in us. The Due-Weres went back to the woods, so they at least had the option to run if they needed to. Jed grabbed Lakiya’s dinner contribution and handed it to her so we could hurry off to join the rest of the town.

We were still tired, but as we walked the fresh air and the warm sun gave us more energy and refreshed us better than we expected. When we got to the square Narine invited us to sit with her, and Lakiya gave the dish back to Jed, who brought it to the central table.

Sheriff Bruce sniffed the air, and turned towards Jed. Then as he approached the smirk on his face grew. He walked right up to Jed and whispered, “I see your brother has shared his new gift with you. I wouldn’t count on that helping you, any more than your Dad helped your Mom. Lakiya will be mine before the night is through.”

Jed almost dropped the dish in his hand to the ground, but managed to get it on the table instead, then he pushed it gently inward away from the edge. When he turned his attention back to the Sheriff he noticed the bandage on the Sheriff’s left ear. Jed couldn’t keep from grinning as he asked, “What happened to your ear? It sure looks painful.”

The sheriff stepped back just enough to be able to look Jed in the eyes as he said, “Wonder if you’ll scream more like your Dad or your Mom, bet your baby brother sounds most like her.” Then he turned to walk away, either trusting Jed wouldn’t make a move, or daring him to.

Jed took a deep breath and came back to us, slightly shaken. “Don’t listen to him, he’s just trying to rattle you.” Lakiya whispered as she grasped him in a firm hug.

“You heard?” he asked Warrick and me, while still in her embrace.

I confirmed, “Wolf hearing is so much better than what we’re used to, and he can probably hear us as well, if he’s focusing.”

Jed took a deep breath as Lakiya released him. Narine and Marie simply sat there quietly watching us, and grasping that now wasn’t a good time to talk. When it came time to serve up we all stayed close to each other, safety in numbers, even in a crowd, after all.

After dinner was over, and dusk started to settle in, the Sheriff said his goodbyes and left as usual. We were trying to figure out how to make our escape when the Deputy announced that they were having a surprise fireworks show, courtesy of the Sheriff. While the rest of the town rushed to find the perfect spot from which to observe the show, we took the opportunity to walk away quietly, after making sure that Narine and Marie understood they needed to stay safe among the crowd.

We didn’t go back to the house, instead we went into the woods where we were greeted by the Due-Weres. Shortly after reaching the woods Jed Warrick and I turned to wolves in an instant, and without an ounce of our own will. Lakiya smiled slightly and then joined us in wolf form. A short distance away we could hear the painful howl of the Sheriff as he became a wolf, at the same moment we all transformed into our Human forms. The Due-Weres had to concentrate on keeping their fur for the first time in their lives.

Lakiya motioned for them to leave, but stopped herself as she sniffed the air and perked her ears. “Stay close.” she whispered harshly, “He has friends.”

“Of course I do.” The large gray wolf with red eyes, known as Bruce, snarled as he entered the small clearing we were gathered in. “A slaughter with friends is always better.”

I exclaimed, “Great, now he’s a poet.”

He never looked at me, instead he looked at Warrick and Lakiya as he said, “The snack is playing brave, think we might save it for last.”

“Doesn’t matter how you attack, we will defeat you.” Jed stated, trying his hardest to keep the boiling rage within him under control.

The black wolf with red eyes, standing just behind and to the side of him asked, “Would you like us to give you a moment to turn back to wolf, so you at least have a chance?”

“No need!” we replied in unison.

Then the white wolf elder grabbed a bag from behind a bush, that Warrick and Jed had loaded up earlier with our Dad’s entire sword collection, and passed it along after removing a sword. When the bag got to Lakiya she took the last sword out and dropped the empty bag carelessly to the ground.

On the other side of the Sheriff was a white wolf, also with red eyes, she sneered, “How cute they brought toys.”

The three Were-Wolves stepped forward and leaped. Bruce’s gray wolf went for Warrick, the black wolf went for Jed and the white one tried to go through Lakiya towards the Due-Weres.

Warrick and Jed both jumped to the side at the last moment, sending Bruce and the black wolf into the middle of the group. Lakiya on the other hand pulled forth the strength and agility of the wolf, grabbing the red eyed white wolf by its throat and raising it into the air, as her wolf fangs emerged in her mouth she said, “You should not have come.” and slammed the beast to the ground.

The Sheriff didn’t wait to find out how bad his friend was injured. He simply turned and attacked one of the young Due-Weres, ripping the young male’s throat out as he did. The black wolf took an extra moment to gather himself and then jumped at Warrick as the boy that Bruce attacked fell to the ground.

Warrick, Jed and I copied Lakiya’s balance of wolf and human, keeping the human form, but the wolf’s muscles, teeth, and reflexes. The Due-Weres attempted to do the same, but having never done it before they were only minutely successful.

The fight went on for what felt like an eternity. Teeth and claws, fur and blood every which way we turned. The white wolf that Lakiya had grabbed laid on the ground motionless for a good portion of the fight. When the others put themselves between the other two Were-Wolves and myself, she waited until I was a mere foot away and then she snapped her jaws, catching me in my right calf.

I screamed and twisted as I fell, putting my short sword into her chest with the handle angled away from me. Her blood spewed out soaking me in it as she gasped her last breath. Jed turned his attention to me and asked, “Are you alright?”

“My leg is still stuck in her mouth!” I cried out in response, no longer able to hold back my tears.

Jed dropped his sword and bent down to help me, that’s when the black Were-Wolf lunged at Jed’s side. Just as his teeth scraped Jed Lakiya swung her sword down through his neck, chopping off his head, and spraying the bottom half of Jed with Blood.

Meanwhile the Sheriff leaped at Warrick, who used his sword to plunge through the underside of his neck straight into Bruce’s brain, bathing both Lakiya and Warrick in his blood.

As the Were-Wolf bodies tumbled to the ground Jed helped me up. The stench of the Were-Wolf blood we were covered in threatened to cause a puking party as we looked around and surveyed the damage. Besides the four of us, two of the elders, and four of the young Due-Weres survived. All of us were battered and bruised, to varying extents, but happy to be alive, and free of our enemy.