Hunting Wolves Ch. 06

It was the smell of the deer that brought my wolf out.

One moment I was standing by the cave entrance, my back sore from sleeping in weird positions and my balls aching from all the sex last night. I felt something pushing in my mind, then as I started to lose control of my body I could hear and feel the change coming on. Lissa had told me about what would happen, so I tried to relax and just be an observer, because that was what it was like when the wolf took over. There was pain, crunching of bones reforming, snapping of tendons and stretching of skin. It was all over in a few seconds, and she promised that later changes wouldn't be like that. I was glad, that wasn't fun.

She was right about what being a wolf was like. It was like wearing a virtual reality headset for gaming that was being controlled by someone else. You could see, hear, smell and feel everything but you were powerless to control what happened. I wanted to yell for Lissa to tell her what happened but the plug had been pulled to control my voice. I could just watch as my wolf surged forward into the snowy field outside the cave.

I was amazed by the senses my wolf had. My eyesight was better, not having the color vision but it was incredibly sharp and even in the shadows I could see well. My hearing was off the charts, and the smells were assaulting me on all sides. I tried to pick out the scents, but human experience smells are nothing like these. I watched as my wolf loped through the forest, nose up occasionally to sniff for deer as we silently moved closer. I heard Lissa yelling for me, but my wolf didn't even turn around. I could see my silver and grey paws below me as I slowed down about five minutes later. The smell was much stronger, now I knew what deer smelled like. I could sense the difference between the bucks and the does as my nose picked up the scents carried in the light breeze. We were coming up on the edge of a ravine. I watched in fascination as my wolf hugged the ground, belly crawling to the edge to look over.

I could see half a dozen does and one large buck along the crick that ran through the ravine. The group was moving along towards an open field, grazing along the way. I knew my wolf had hunting instincts, because as a sniper I recognized the stalking techniques he was using. We kept brush and vegetation in between us and the deer, moved slowly and stopped frequently, and froze when there was any movement towards me. It took about five minutes to make it down and get close enough to one of the does to have a chance.

BANG!

The sound of the shot spooked the deer, and they took off before my wolf could react. I could tell immediately that it was a large caliber rifle round, but that didn't matter as my wolf jumped up and took off after one of the does. It ran up the side of the draw and into the forest, and it had enough of a head start that my wolf gave up the pursuit. A few minutes later we were retracing our steps, when the scent of humans came, mixed with another scent. One I recognized. Lissa. My wolf was nose to the ground, tracking the trail she left when we heard the sound of an engine. Creeping to the edge of the treeline, I watched in horror as Lissa was dressed in extra coats and bundled onto an ATV before being driven out. My wolf watched but did not move, the instinct to avoid humans and their guns, I figured.

We watched for quite a while, one human down there field dressing a buck. My wolf eventually lost interest and headed back for the cave. He sat outside it and let loose a mournful howl, his companion was gone and he was alone. As the sun set, he went inside and curled up on the bed. We slept surrounded by her scent.

In the morning the wolf still had control. Stepping outside the cave, he watered down the entrance before heading back towards the lake where I had set up the hide. He was tracking the trail we had made to get here. It didn't take long to get to the lake and nothing but my smell was left there. My wolf searched around, and I could tell that he had picked up the scent of the pack from a few days earlier. Something Lissa had told me came to mind- that wolves are pack animals, they are driven to form groups, and become unstable when alone too long.

My wolf must have agreed, because he started following the trail of the pack around the lake and into the woods. Being detached from control let my mind wander. It was a beautiful day, Christmas was coming, and carols played in my head. "Over the river and through the woods, To grandmother's house we go, the nose is the way, to find our way through the bright and drifting snow, oh!" Yeah, I know. Sue me. I'm just a back seat driver here.

We covered maybe ten miles before we came upon the pack compound. As we got closer, the scents became much stronger and fresher. We made it almost to the shop before we were noticed. A man was putting wood in a wheelbarrow one moment, and the next was a brown and black wolf surrounded by shredded clothing. He let out a warning howl as he approached us, hackles up and snarling. My wolf stood his ground, and must have been threatening enough that he stopped. In less than a minute we were inside a circle of wolves.

One wolf strode confidently into the circle with me. He was larger than me and power radiated from him. His fur was brown in color with a white patch on his face and ears, and I could see a little gray in his muzzle. My wolf started to whine as he came closer, his posture demanding submission from my wolf. I was praying my wolf would give up. If there was a fight, it would be short and bloody for me.

My wolf rolled over and presented his neck. The big wolf took my neck in his teeth and squeezed gently before releasing. Sitting back, he smoothly shifted into a man. "SHIFT, all of you." The wolves surrounding me immediately shifted back to human form, unconcerned with their nudity as that was normal for them. My wolf gave up control and my body shifted as well, leaving me on my back in the snow.

"Doug, we need to talk. The rest of you, go back to your work. None of you are to harm or interact with this man unless I direct it." They nodded their heads and walked away, averting their gazes from us. He offered me his hand and helped me to my feet.

"That was interesting."

"I bet. My name is Joel, I'm the Alpha here. Was this your first shift?"

"Yes, it happened yesterday afternoon."

"I figured that. Let's head back to the house. Lissa is all over the news now and we need to talk about the both of you." The cold didn't affect me as much as I thought it would, and it didn't bother Joel at all. He stopped at a box on the front porch and tossed me a pair of sweats.

"We go through clothes like you wouldn't believe. We buy cheap sweats, shorts and T-shirts at Walmart by the cartload just to keep up." Dressing quickly, I followed him inside and into his office. He sat down behind the large desk and gestured for me to sit at one of the wooden chairs in front of it. The seat was slippery and the chair tilted forward a little, forcing me to use my thighs to keep from sliding off. Joel grinned a little as he saw what was happening. "That's a little tip I picked up when I read a book on Admiral Rickover. He messed with the chairs because it kept people slightly uncomfortable and focused when he talked to them."

I smiled back. "Yeah, I can see that. I guess you can pick up tips from anywhere, we're a long way from the Pentagon." I was actually shocked to be here, there was a big smelly turd in the room and it was time to get it out in the open. "Lissa told me that the wolf I shot was the Alpha Bitch of your pack and your mate. I'm truly sorry for your loss. I had no idea." I held his gaze for a few moments but his eyes were cold and distant. I could see the emotions in his face, anger, pain, sorrow and pity warred across them.

"I don't know if I'll be able to forgive you for what you did. Emma was my best friend and the mother of our twins. I have a hard time looking at you and knowing that you will cause our babies to grow up without her." I tried not to show emotion and just listen. "Let's face it, this thing sucks all around. Snow never wanted to be a wolf, she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. You've been put through hell because we couldn't let anyone know she was a member of our pack. My pack will never trust you. They know you sought revenge, but Emma was like a mother to all of them and we all felt the loss."

I slowly let my breath out as I thought carefully about my next statement. "I can sense how my wolf wants to be part of a pack, but I could never ask to be part of this one. I respectfully request assistance so I can leave here and try to make a life with Lissa before it is too late."

Alpha Joel tapped his fingers on his desk. "Long term we can help with that. Do you know what happens when a wolf pack has a strong new leader come up within its ranks?"

I thought back to my research. "Well, either the Alpha is challenged and the loser is killed or driven off, or the younger wolf just leaves."

Joel nodded. "Yes... especially if that wolf wants to mate with another wolf in the pack. It is common for pairs to head off together, to form a new pack. It is not an easy life, there are many challenges and many such pairs don't make it, but I think that is the option I would prefer you to have. Not because I'm afraid of what would happen if you challenged me, but because of Snow. She loves you, you know. She always has."

"She is everything to me now." I was gripping my hands together to keep them from shaking. "If I hadn't come here, what would have happened with Lissa?"

"She's out in the world right now, but her wolf won't stand for being apart from an Alpha for too long. Eventually it will take over and return to us. She would be the new Alpha Bitch of this pack. She would go into heat soon, and I would fight anyone for the right to mate her."

"What if she doesn't want you?"

"Her wolf won't give her the choice. It's what she is now. She will mate with the dominant wolf of her pack. If you want her to be with you, the only ways are to kill me or take her away and become her Alpha." I could tell he cared for her by the way he put his own pack's welfare behind what Lissa would want. "You will have to get her in wolf form and get her wolf to submit to yours. After that, you must establish a territory away from other packs until you are large and strong enough to defend your borders. It has to be away from here, too."

I sat back in the chair, noting how my thighs were starting to burn from holding myself in place. I hated these things. "How do I get to Lissa? My truck is hidden back at the trailhead."

Joel smiled and pulled a couple of papers out of his desk. "Actually, it's in my pole barn. You sold your F-150 to me a month ago for $500 and this old Honda Civic. You said you couldn't afford the gas and maintenance. Just sign here and here, it's already backdated. I'll get them mailed in soon enough." I smiled and signed the forms.

"How did you know to bring it here?"

"We heard over our police scanner that a naked woman had been found in the woods by hunters. We figured it was you and Snow, so I sent a few of my Pack over to make sure no evidence of our existence was left behind. They loaded all your gear into the truck and got it out of there before the Sheriff could find it."

I was so relieved to hear about this, I was worried I'd be in more trouble. "So now what?"

"You stay with us for a few weeks, let the news cycle blow over and the searches stop. Lissa will be fine, now that she's in a hospital she will return home. You spend time with me, learning about your wolf and about how we live without society knowing about us. Deal?"

I smiled and leaned forward to shake his hand. "Deal. Thank you for doing this for me."

His smile faded. "I'm not doing this for you, I'm doing it for Snow. Until you become her Alpha, she's still a member of my Pack and I'll protect and support her as best I can."

I can respect that.

*******

Lissa's House, Two Weeks Later

*******

I couldn't let this charade go on any longer. "Dad?"

He quickly came to see what I needed, ever since I reappeared they had been doting on me to the point of annoyance. I knew they felt horrible about what I went through. "Dad, please ask the Deputy to set up a time this afternoon to take my statement. I'd like to do it here, he probably needs to include the District Attorney's office."

He was confused. "Honey, why a statement if you can't remember what happened?"

"I remember everything. I need to talk to them before Doug gets hurt."

At the mention of his name my Dad tensed. "But Doug..."

"Is in love with me, and I love him. He didn't rape me, I gave myself to him. Please, Dad, set it up. This has to stop."

My Dad looked back just before he left the sun room. "Can you tell me what happened first?"

I shook my head. "No, I'd rather get the whole story out at once. Everything is going to be fine, Dad, I love you and Mom and I'm sorry I put you through all this."

"I'm just happy to have you back, Lissa. I'll go set it up." I went back to watching the woods and sipping my cocoa. I could hear the conversation easily in the front hallway, the Deputy was on the phone with his office and my Mom made a beeline for me.

"My baby, you really remember?" She squeezed in next to me in the large wicker chair. "You're really OK?"

"I love you Mom. I'm sorry about everything."

She sat back a little and looked at me. "Lissa, are you going to be in trouble?"

"No, Mom, I'm good. I feel much better now." I rested my head on her shoulder as she cuddled with me and I fell asleep. My Dad must have put a blanket on us because we didn't wake up until two hours later when the investigators and county attorney arrived.

Fifteen minutes later, I was seated in the living room facing a video camera and the investigators. They had gotten my permission to Skype into the county attorney's office in Duluth. "The following interview takes place on December 18th, 2014 in Madison, Wisconsin. Present for the interview are Deputy Stanley Wilkins of the Madison County Sheriff's Office and Assistant County Attorney David Smith. Present via videoconference is Cook County, Minnesota County Attorney Lawrence Andersen and Deputy Philip Kuhn. In the room are victim's parents, Gary and Madeline Miller. Ms. Miller, can you state your full name for the record?"

"Alyssa Irene Miller. Please call me Lissa." Deputy Wilkens nodded back.

"Lissa, you are not a suspect in any investigation and you have declined legal representation for this interview, is that correct?"

"Yes. I just want to tell what happened and be done with it. Parts of it are difficult for me to talk about, so I'd appreciate it if you'd let me tell the story before asking any questions."

Deputy Wilson smiled. "That would be fine. We will be taking notes during this interview, and if you need to take a break just let us know." I nodded. "Would you like to start with what happened on the camping trip this summer?"

I locked my hands together and placed them in my lap. Looking straight into the camera, I started. "Doug and I were heading on a camping trip. Things had been tense between us, we were fighting over him wanting to reenlist and me wanting him out. It didn't help that right before we left I found out I was pregnant. I was afraid to tell him about the baby until I knew where we were going as a couple. I didn't want to use our child to force him to stay with me. The first night was fun- we hiked in, set up camp, and made love by the lake." I could see my parents reacting out the corner of my eyes. I was afraid to look at them, but I guess they had long since accepted that I was not their little girl.

"Doug goes out for a run every morning, and he let me sleep. I woke up when this huge wolf came into our tent and started to sniff me. I screamed and tried to fight him off, but he was huge. His shoulders came up to the top of the tent flap and he outweighed me. He kept biting and scratching me. I tried to get away, but I couldn't. He was fully erect, and was fighting me to stick it in. When he finally mounted me I thought I was going to die, it just kept hammering away. I really fought then, poking his eyes and trying to choke him. He was biting at my neck and shoulder, trying to force my head down. I remember there being so much blood, so much pain, and I was starting to see black spots and get weak. I really thought that I was going to die."

My Mom was crying and Dad was holding back the tears. "My body started to burn up, I was in so much pain as I felt bones break and it felt like something was bursting out of me. When the pain stopped, I wasn't me anymore. I looked down and saw paws and white fur, fur covered with blood. I couldn't do anything except watch as my wolf fought back."

The Deputy couldn't stop. "Wait, what do you mean your wolf?"

"Just that. My body was now that of a wolf, but my brain was not in control any more. I could see, feel, hear and smell through my wolf body but something else was in control. It's like being in the passenger seat of the car- no control over where you go or what you do. The other wolf was soon bleeding and my wolf chased it off into the woods. When we caught up to him, we killed him. I watched him bleed out from the throat as I lay there trying to stay alive. I fell asleep, I must have woken up a few hours later and my body had healed enough my wolf was able to limp away. I traveled away from camp until late in the afternoon when we found a sheltered place under a tree near a stream. We spent almost a week there, healing up, before we were able to move on. After that, we roamed the woods, eating rabbit and deer and covering what must have been hundreds of miles of territory."

"What were you looking for?"

"I was looking for Doug, but I have no idea what my wolf was doing. We don't communicate between each other. She just took over and all I could do was watch."

I could tell he was biting his lip trying to avoid laughing at me. "Well, Lissa, when did you come back to your human form?"

"Two days before I was found. My wolf picked up a scent and followed it. It was Doug. When I saw him, I was so excited my human side pushed forward and I changed. He was shocked, there I was, naked and alive. He took me back to his camp and we made love for hours."

"Where did Doug go?"

"I don't know. I bit him while we were having sex, I didn't know that would cause him to change. He turned into a wolf that morning and took off. I ran after him, I didn't even grab clothes or shoes. I slipped on some ice and hit my head. When I woke up, I was so cold I was kind of out of it. I stumbled on some hunters and they helped me."

"So this whole time you were missing you were actually a wolf in the north woods?"

"Exactly. And Doug is my mate."

"Interview suspended." The Deputy turned off the video machine. "Mrs. Miller, could you and your husband take Lissa into the kitchen and get her something to drink? We need to talk for a few minutes." My parents couldn't get me out of there fast enough. I sat in my Dad's lap at the kitchen table and cried on his shoulder as my Mom got me a glass of water. They didn't know what to say. I don't think the "How to Raise Your Teen" books covered werewolf conversions.

I used my enhanced hearing to listen in to the conversation in the living room. The county attorney from Minnesota was pissed. "What a fucking mess. She needs professional help. I can't get her anywhere near the witness stand."

Deputy Wilson coughed. "It pretty much shoots the indictment to hell. Even if you ignore the fantasy land she was in, the rape charge won't stand when she is on record saying the sex was consensual and she's in love with the guy."