Wolves and Rabbits

Chapter 5 (Mature Content)

*Just a reminder: Female rabbits are called a "doe." The plural of "doe" is "does" I looked it up.

CHAPTER 5 (MATURE CONTENT)

The late afternoon sun cast very little rays of light onto the dense forest floor covered in brown crumpled leaves and fragrant pine needles. A couple walked back and forth over fallen trees and around bushes and briers searching for traces of the little bunny who had raced through the day before. Dana's sense of smell and tracking abilities far surpassed Dustin's meager skills. Hunting had never been a Wererabbit pursuit and the forest was off limits to their kind thanks to the abundance of wolves who wouldn't think twice about making a meal of them.

Coming to a small stream, Dana paused and knelt onto the wet sandy earth that lined the banks. Cupping her hands she drank the cool refreshing water. Grateful for the break, Dustin flopped down next to her and lay on his belly to drink. Satisfied, he rolled over onto a bed of green moss and stared up at the little peeks of sky though the canopy.

"We must go back for the night." Dana said quietly, sharps eyes searching for danger in the trees around them.

"But we haven't found Nina." Dustin said worriedly as he sat up.

"It will be dusk soon and we'll be at a severe disadvantage if either werewolves or vampires decide to make an appearance. We have to go back and start from here tomorrow."

Dustin sighed and tried once more. "But she couldn't have gone much further."

Dana stared into the distance beyond the stream. "For her sake I hope not. The Dark Forest lies that way." she said nodding toward the direction ahead. "Unfortunately her tracks cross the stream here and there are only two way she could have gone. West towards the Dark Forest or south towards the valley."

The North side was blocked by a small waterfall that trickled down a steep smooth rock face. A Wererabbit Nina's size would not have been able to climb in rabbit form and she would have easily been caught if she attempted it in human form.

Dustin sighed in defeat. He wondered if he made a mistake in not telling the elders that Nina was missing. He knew that the chances that they would send a search party into the woods was slim to nil. Even if Nina's father was the mayor, the Wererabbit community had a strict no entrance policy for the Wolf Lands. If you entered, whether by force or accident, then you were on your own. Plus they might ban him from searching for her and his conscience would never survive the stress of abandoning his best friend or the affair he was currently in.

"We were supposed to marry." Dustin said suddenly.

Dana's eyes darkened for a moment but the expression was gone before it was noticed. Her voice was impassive in response, "Oh?"

Dustin sighed again. He stood and started walking back home. Dana fell in step next to him. There was a bitter lump in her throat at the thought of her rabbit with another. Reason, however, told her that she had no right to feel this way especially since she had a mate out there somewhere. Despite that fact, she never saw the need in remaining chaste since male wolves rarely bothered to "save themselves" for their mates.

The chatter of squirrels and chipmunks filled the air around the couple as the silently traveled. A pair of birds twittered overhead waving and swooping through the air. Dustin watched them for a short while.

"Nina and I-" he began. "We've been best friends ever since other mothers, who were best friends, gave birth to us side by side. They've planned everything. Our wedding, our reception, our home. I love Nina but..."

"You're not in love with her."

"Exactly!"

The breath that Dana didn't realize she was holding released and her body relaxed.