we-run-the-pack-and-never-fail:

James had been released from the hospital, escaped was a better word since he didn’t want his kind to risk exposure. Running out of town he didn’t stop traveling for days, if the pack was going to make sure they finished the job he didn’t want to stick around. However with stretched and broken ribs still not healing James was getting weaker with each step.

Finally his muscles gave in, his cuts were reopening and ribs stung every time he took a breath, laying in the middle of some forest he could sense another creature close. Worried wwht it was the old dog curled into a ball trying trying to protect what couldn’t handle another fatal blow. Smelling wolf she tried to get his back to a tree only resulting in a greater amount of pain, small whimpers came out with each breath. Feeling the full wolf get closer he his his face.

The full moon was the wolf’s time, a night that he’d gladly given over to the freedom that came from being what he was. Of course there were times when the wolf reminded him of his loneliness, of how he needed a pack and some days he did miss the comfort that came with having a pack. But Eames had no desire to lead the pack, no desire to step into the alpha role his parents demanded he step into. It was why he’d run, why he was now renting a small cottage on the outskirts of a small forest. It gave his wolf the ability to run, to frolic and not worry about running into any people. It was the only way he could live so close to town – if there was enough land for his wolf to run around in. Otherwise he knew what its curiosity would do – expose him for what he was and end up getting him killed.

This night was like all the others. He’d spent most of it running about, hunting the small prey animals that had entered his territory and was thinking of laying down for a bit. That was when the wolf smelled it – an intruder. Not just any sort of intruder, but a human. The scent of blood was heavy in his nose and he tracked it down. No one was going to enter his territory without consequence. The wolf had claimed it, had laid claim every single night and would continue to do so until they moved on. Tonight was different. The wolf tracked the scent to a body, a human and its first instinct was to growl. It knew that people tended to be afraid when it growled and this time was no different.

But he smelled blood and heard the whimpers, and something inside of him kicked into gear. The wolf remembered when there were pups in their pack, remembered their whimpers and this human made similar sounds. Cautiously it walked to the other, sniffing his form first. It still smelled human and the wolf growled once again before tentatively licking one of the wounds that he found.