Tresspassed

We stood there and gazed in awe and anger. Our creek, destroyed. Where our once peaceful and lively creek was, there now was a small trickle of water with the backdrop of a bare, treeless field. All our tress were gone, the banks scraped away, and it looked just plain deserted. And we both knew just who had done it. The same humans that had messed around and screwed up Fire’s territory. We let them off easy, too. One dead dog and a broken down tractor was to send a message, not a threat of what we would do if they crossed our paths again. Sure, they did not know that we called this place home, any normal human would not take notice to us unless we wanted it. But this time, we would make it known.

“The worthless…,” Fire growled as we crept closer to our ruined paradise. “We turn our back to them for one week and they do this? They’re asking for it this time.”

I paused at the edge of what was left of the creek, I could almost see the reflections of my parents, brother and I playing in the shallow water and looking for arrowheads. I had tried to tell my parents that the Hoovers were going to clear the land close to the creek for their horses but they assured me that they were not doing anything to be looked down upon. However, my parents had never been down here to see just what we were now furious about. If I was alone, I would have cried out in anger. But I bit it back in front of Fire.

“I’ll kill them this time, Luna,” he said. “Just for you because I can feel your pain all the way over here. You know they deserve it.” I nodded my head, not really listening to what he was saying. But I shook it when I realized the consequences.

“No, I will not risk us being discovered for their wrong doing,” I replied.

“I saw your teeth show, you’re wanting some fresh meat,” he said, steely. His fangs showed as he licked his jowl and he snickered evilly. “Rabbits and small deer aren’t enough for you and you know it.” He always loved to encourage me to take full advantage of my wolf form and feast on raw meat. The full moon would force us into our true form but my choice to stay human during time when we get to choose our form usually angered Fire. Fire was four years younger than me and he was, in a word, reckless. He was the one who killed the dog, while I stripped a wire to short circuit the tractor they had used to rob Fire’s territory of trees and our old swimming hole.

“You’re the one with the taste of blood on your tongue. Not me,” I said flatly, shedding my moon white fur for my human skin. I leapt across the creek with the agility of my previous form and landed with a thud on the other side. I kept close to the ground to assure that I was not going to be spotted by anyone who might have lingered behind at the “crime scene.” Fire leapt as well but landed further than I did and he was in his human form too. He had brown hair that was long for a guy and light blue eyes, although his right one had a brown ring around the pupil. His once silver fur was replaced by a pair of old yellow swimming trunks and a white shirt.

“I forgot you were wearing my brother’s trunks,” I whispered, trying to get our conversation away from blood.

“Why are you being so quiet?” he asked, not lowering his voice.

“Because I hear them coming.” We ducked back down in to the embankment as the sound of footsteps in the brush got a bit louder. “Don’t you dare do anything.” Fire mumbled something about not listening under his breath. I shook my head and then peeped back over the bank.

“Now remember, we want them to think we’re just a bunch of stupid kids,” Fire said before I could. But then again it sounded like he was just mocking me. “We don’t want them knowing our true identity.”

“Got it,” I whispered back. “Because we can always change our location if necessary.” We could run if ever necessary but it was not that easy for me to. I had already left my family for Fire’s and I had reasons to stay close to this forest. I had given several forest dwellers my word that we would protect them, and I had my heart in another passion as well. Though Fire did not approve of it. I had once seen a red wolf in my dreams though he always said that I was crazy to think that this dream-wolf was even real. But I felt it in my heart that he was real and that I would soon get to meet him

Fire had always had an interest in me but that was since we were the few young wolves that inhabited this area. He was just too young and immature. I also wanted something different, something better…

“There they are,” Fire whispered this time. I perked up over the embankment a little and saw two older men walking down the dirt trail on their side of the creek.

One was Mr. Hoover himself. I could tell it was him with my eyes closed. The smell of liquor and booze clung to him heavily. He had no business in this woods and even relocating his horses did not help them either. Those poor animals; they were forced to eat the bark off the pine trees in that old, cramped quarters. The grass was always covered by their own feces and their coats were such terrible shape. They were underfed, over crowded, and most definitely mistreated. Although the field that he had moved them to was larger, it was just as bare. Those horses were likely to eat up all the vegetation within a week.

“Get the hell out of our woods, you jerks!” Fire yelled and sprang up over the ground. He landed right in front of them. He grabbed the smaller one by the neck and lifted him into the air. I knew that I had to act fast, Mr. Hoover was known to carry a pistol. Although a bullet was unlikely to kill either one of us, a well place one would. I leapt over to Mr. Hoover and shoved him into the dirt using all four of my limbs. I then looked at the man that Fire was holding captive. His eyes were wide with fear and surprise. A voice in the back of my he told me to kill them while we had the chance, to make them pay for their sins. But murder itself was an unforgivable sin even among wolves like us. And that was what Fire was about to do if I did not say something quick. I could see the life slowly leaving the man’s eyes as Fire tightened his grip. I had no other choice. I grew my wolf fangs and bit the arm that the man was being held by. He yelped in pain.

Fire released the man and I sighed in relief but failed to realize that my jaws were still clamped on Fire’s arm. He glared at me with a flare in his eyes. I let him go and bounded down the embankment, knowing he was about to pursue me for hurting him. As soon as I was sure that I was out of the humans’ view, I transformed into my true form. I had to lead Fire away from the men so they could get away. And find me he did. He sprung onto my back, forcing me to the ground, and sunk his claws into my skin.

“I could have had them!” he shouted, taking my neck into his mouth. He bit down and I struggled to scrap at the ground to get away. “But you had to go and hurt me!” He picked me up from the ground and slung be over his back. I flailed through the air, trying to regain my balance before I hit the ground, but the soft earth was not what I struck first. I slammed into a tree and I heard a few of the bones in my back break. I landed on the softer soil and damp leaves a lot gentler than I had collided with the tree. My breath was ragged as I glared up at him. I held back to urge to attack him for I thought he could rip me to shreds if I gave him the chance.

“I’ll kill you the next time you come between me and my prey. You need to learn your place,” he snarled. My bones in my back popped and shifted back into place. I whimpered with the pain of my bones healing. How ironic, I thought. Feel pain to heal. I stood on all fours and smiled at him, deviously. His glare loosened as he thought I was being submissive and apologizing. That was far from what I was truly thinking.

He turned around, bounding back down to the creek. I knew the two humans would be long gone and I would not have to worry about Fire hurting them for now. I walked slowly back up the hill, going back towards his house. My paws dragged the ground as I shuffled through the underbrush. My shoulders ached and I knew they were healed but still the pain from the impact trickled through my blood. I paused under a group of small trees that gave me cover from the hot sun. I laid my head on my paws and closed my eyes. I knew I would not be able to put up with Fire much longer so I really needed to find a mate and settle down elsewhere. I would need him to protect me from Fire because he always had the thought of if he could not have me then no one else could. How had he gotten so hungry for human blood? And what made him snap enough to hurt me, his lifelong friend? I smelt a wolf nearby and I sprung up thinking it was Fire coming back for another attack. I looked around and did not see anyone. Then I heard steps from behind me and breath against my tail. I tucked my tail under instantly, laid back my ears, and jerked around to see who it was.

There stood a red wolf with piercing blue-gray eyes. He was a bit more muscular than Fire and he scared me since I had never seen another wolf other than Fire and myself. Perhaps he was just a regular wolf but that was impossible, wolves did not occupy the woods so far into the Piedmont.

“What are you afraid of?” he asked in a deep seductive voice. My ears perked up and I turned to face him completely. He was the wolf from my dreams; he looked just like him. He was much bigger than I and was obviously a bit older. He had to be the alpha male to a pack, judging by how big he was. I had accidentally forgotten his question as I continued to look at him.

“Who are you?” I said, resisting to urge to get too close.

“My wolf name is Seki, my human name is not of your concern,” he replied, stepping close to me. He sniffed across my back and his cold nose touched me and I jumped. I flinched, I had triggered the pain in my back again. “Are you hurt?”

“I healed but I’m sore, that’s all,” I said and I was about to tell him not to worry about me but he licked the fur between my shoulders. It was a weak spot for me and I just melted, my tongue hanging out, my tail wagging like a cub. I shook my head. “Hey, don’t do that!”

“I’m just making sure you’re okay,” he replied, still licking. “Who did this to you?” I was not thinking clearly as I told him.

“Fire did it since I wouldn’t let him attack the humans…” my voice started to trail as he stopped licking me and I realized that I could have put us in danger. “Wait, you’re not supposed…” I tucked my tail back under and cursed under my breath. I bounded up the hill, hoping he would not follow me. I looked back and he just stood there.

“Just be careful!” he shouted, not pursuing me. He walked in the opposite direction and I slowed to a trot. He was just looking out for me?

I made my way back up to the house, changing back into my human form. I took off my outer clothes, leaving on my bathing suit. The air was warm but I knew the pool water would a lot cooler due to the rain we had the day before. I walked over to the steps and put one foot in but I immediately retracted it; the water was freezing. I shook my head, there was no way that I was swimming in that water. Then the heat from the concrete began to get to me, I stood on the front pad of my feet and walked back over to the picnic table where I had discarded my clothes. I jumped on to the table, trying to give my battered feet some rest. I closed my eyes and rubbed my head. It was so hot out but the pool was almost too cold to stand. Two extremes…