Just Another Story

I fume as I stalk through the woods trying to remember all the curse words I know. It’s not that I dislike hiking, it’s that I dislike hiking when it’s mandatory. What’s worse is that we have to be up at the crack of dawn with the birds. Not that the birds want us here either, if their stoney silence is anything to go by.

Let me tell you what, I am never taking another college level physical education course. I was thinking oh it’ll be easy! You’re a werewolf after all, you know the woods. So a course about exercising safely in the woods will be a breeze. I should have known the stupid humans would make everything ten times harder than they need to.

So here I am stalking through the woods on a hike that accounts for the largest grade in the entire course. It isn’t a difficult test, just tedious and annoying. Lucky for me as soon as we are done with the test we can leave. I got a text from a couple of the Jocks in the pack highschool, they are having trouble with Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet. Not that I can blame them. The outdated sentence structure and archaic words can throw off the most literate of readers.

Ah ha! Tradescantia fluminensis also known as Wandering Jew, the last plant that I need for this stupid test. I can’t wait until I can hand in this test and go home. these woods hook up with the ones behind my house I might just run home. I haven’t run from here before. I know we are still on pack land but I probably had better ask the Alpha before I shift. I think to myself as I hand in the test with a smile to the professor and turn around to walk back to my car.

~Hey Alpha?~ I started using the packs mind link. I waited a moment before his answered me.

~How can I help you Miss Thatcher?~ The Alpha responds picturing the nervous look on the brown haired college student’s face.

~I was wondering if it would be safe for me to run home in wolf form from the woods near the college campus? I think they hook up with the ones behind the pack housing don’t they?”~ I asked a little nervously. It’s not that I’m uncomfortable with my Alpha, it’s just that his authority is overpowering even through the mind link making me submit to him.

~I do believe you’re right Elizabeth. Are you planning on going straight to your apartment then?~  Alpha asks as he goes to a map of the town to look at the layout of the woods that ran through and around the small town.

~Actually no sir. I have been called to help Phillip Jr, Roscoe, and Julio. They said something about Shakespeare being confusing.~ I answer nearing the edge of the woods and stepping into the early morning sun with a little smile.

The Alpha laughs and shakes his head wondering why she lets his son and his betta’s two sons call her over for every little thing. ~Sounds like something they’d say. At any rate, there is a wide stretch of woods that will connect you but you’ll have to go all the way out of town to use it and then there is the animal bridge over the highway. That’s a much shorter route but if you go that way you have to pose for the webcam.~ he informs her with a chuckle.

~That was one of the dumbest ideas they’ve had since they built that bridge. I’m almost waiting for one of the younger kids with highlights to streak through there and cause an uproar.~ I laugh with a mental eyeroll. ~I’ll go that way anyway though, I haven’t posed for the cameras in awhile I’m sure some scientist is worried. Thanks for the help Alpha.~ I say happily and grab the small pack that will fit on her wolf’s back and hold my clothes.

~Sure enough Elizabeth. Be sure to make my son work to understand the homework.~ The Alpha chuckles and cuts the mind link.

I laugh a little at the Alpha’s words now that he isn’t focused on me and head back to the edge of the woods well away from where the class is still testing. I crouch down several yards from the edge of the woods and remove my clothes quickly and stuff them into the small pack before picturing my wolf in my head as I melt down into her much smaller form.