Page 4 of Fifty & Feral

My senses came alive. Like the fire that burned within me sharpened every sense. The howl erupting from my throat echoed in my ears along with everything—the rustle of the leaves as the wind blew through the branches, the sounds of crickets, of little animals stirring in the night. They scurried away and burrowed deep under the ground or high into the trees, running from a predator.

Me.

I was the predator.

I blinked my eyes. Everything came into focus. The nighttime colors were sharper, more clear. It was as if I could see farther away. I was still on all fours. I moved to stand but couldn’t. One step forward, then another. Only I was moving on four legs and not two. I looked down at myself. The fur I had noticed on my arms covered them completely now, and where I expected to see hands were large paws and long claws instead. I let out a cry. It came out as a whimper. I howled into the night. A loud plea for someone to hear me, to understand my call. Seeking something, anything. There was a response. I couldn’t tell from where.

Another howl echoed, then another.

There were more like me out there.

But what was I?

Was this a zombie apocalypse, but instead of zombies, we were wolves?

Not knowing what was happening, I went to take off on a run, but it was as if my limbs wouldn’t cooperate and I fell to the ground. I let myself lie down in the cool grass, the warm breeze washing over me. I closed my eyes. A long, slow whine escaped my muzzle.

This was a dream. A fever dream. I had some kind of crazy flu that came with hallucinations. I would wake up and all of this would be a crazy fucking dream. I would call Maya and tell her all about it—or maybe even call Connor and tell him about it. He might get a kick out of it. He seemed like the type to appreciate a random dream story.

I wanted to lie on the ground forever, or at least until whatever this was passed, but the forest beckoned me like a, siren’s call. The sway of the branches in the wind like a finger crooking, telling me to follow them.

When I’d purchased my home I knew it came with a lot of land. The entire forty-acre woods belonged to me. It butted up against a lake which I shared with others and woods that belonged to some neighbors I’d never met. I’d always meant to make trails and utilize the lake for fishing and even put a little cabin out there for fun, but I’d never gotten around to it. Besides the initial walkthrough of the property line, I hadn’t set foot in the woods I owned.

I did now though, with new, sharp eyes and a keen interest in my territory.

The scents and sounds of the forest flooded my senses and welcomed me like a long-lost friend.

The cool spring air had a bite to it now that the sun had set. The birds quieted, content in their nests for the night. The owls began to emerge from their trees, letting out an introductory hoot to alert the forest that they were up and ready to start hunting.

Hunt.

That was what I was doing. I kept my nose to the ground and ears alert as I trotted my way through the forest. A rabbit scurried away here, a mole there, a family of raccoons froze in their tracks when I raced by. Lucky for them my hunting was tame. I wasn’t out for the kill. I just needed to get this energy out of me. For the first time in my life, I was free. Free to run, to play, to hunt. My senses were on fire, and I wanted to experience all of it. All the scents, the sounds, the sights. I’d draw the line at the tastes. The creatures of the forest had done nothing to me, and my belly was full. I had no need to kill, so I would let them be.

I roamed for hours, the moon sliding across the sky as I explored. When I came to the edge of my territory, I simply turned and went the other direction like there was an invisible barrier that kept me contained. Even though I didn’t scent any other wolves around, I would at least be respectful of land that wasn’t mine.

When I made it the lake, I lapped at the water, quenching the thirst I had built up on my run. The cool water calmed me and my panting died down.

My mind whirled. The events of the evening weren’t plausible. I was a wolf. A creature of the forest.

Not a man.

Or at least, not totally a man.

If this was a dream, it was the craziest one I’d even experienced.

It all felt so real. Yet it couldn’t be. Werewolves or shifters or whatever didn’t exist.

I lay down, letting my eyes drift closed. I couldn’t sleep, not totally. It wasn’t safe to sleep in the open without a pack nearby to protect me. But I could rest my eyes a little. Surely when I opened them again, I wouldn’t be a wolf at all.

Chapter 4

Connor

“You’re calling!”

What a stupid thing to say. Of course Jack was calling. I currently held a phone to my ear and he was speaking to me through it. It wasn’t like he was speaking to me telepathically. I rolled my shoulders back and looked around. It was early morning. I had the early shift at the call center. What was more embarrassing about the words I said was how I said them. All high-pitched energy and absolutely no chill.

“Is there something I can help you with?” I asked, making the switch to my customer service voice.