The Familiar || ONC 2022

Chapter 4

The hesitant crunching of disturbed snow crust made Mordecai's ears twitch in anticipation. Lazily, he stretched out on his bed of dried leaves covered in furs and stalked towards the exit of his wintering cave.

The chirping of red-breasted robins pierced the frigid spring air. Low hanging clouds didn't dampen the beauty of the deep Canadian wilderness. Mordecai's breath curled into the frosty pines at the cave entrance, dampening the hair around his face.

He loved this time of year. Winter still clung to the landscape with overnight freezes despite the tenacious buds and shoots emerging from underneath the remnants of the cold season's heavier snows. As the sun warmed the day the dripping of the springtime thaws would accompany the gentle babble of the nearby stream.

Warming weather meant easier hunting. Animals both large and small were transitioning from the struggle of wintering into the abundance of spring and summer. Always there were late bloomers, prey easy to spot.

Mordecai lay prone on the ground, waiting patiently for his unsuspecting victim to wander closer to the green tuft of turf poking out from the snow near the entrance of his home. There was nothing better than an easy breakfast to start the morning. The past season had been long and sparse, even for an apex predator such as himself.

It didn't help that humans were expanding into even these nearly uninhabitable expanses of wilderness. Mordecai's usual hunting grounds were reduced by a third, forcing him to move even further up north than he usually wintered.

A flash of white caught the corner of his eyes, causing his mouth to curl in a wolfish smile.

The rabbit meandered closer, unaware of the predator stalking it from the shadows. Mordecai's focus narrowed as he pounced, salivating as his lithe body sailed through the air. His jaw was open and ready for a taste when a heavy weight smashed into his side.

The rabbit scurried away as Mordecai rolled on the ground, ready to face his attacker. A deep growl left his throat before he recognized the large gray wolf sitting innocently on its haunches as if it hadn't just interrupted the hunt. Mordecai's tail swished in annoyance at the other wolf's cocky grin.

It seems this last season did not treat you well, brother; you look far too lean. The amused voice of his older brother, Maximilian filtered through his head. Did a lack of food dull your senses as well?

Why are you here? Mordecai responded through their mental bond. Wariness replaced his initial irritation. There were very few reasons anyone, let alone the pack's heir, would waste their time combing the deep wilderness in search of him.

Father summoned everyone back.

Mordecai let out an undignified huff as he turned back into the cave to shift from his dark grey wolf into his lanky human form, pulling on a pair of thick pants and draping a moose pelt over his shoulders for warmth.

"Still running Father's errands, brother." Mordecai's voice was rough and strained from lack of use. "Or can he still not stand the sight of his abomination?" He couldn't remember the last time he spoke to another human despite regularly shifting into his human form to keep a hold on his sanity.

Maximilian followed him inside the cave, also transforming into his human state before grabbing another pair of pants and a padded plaid shirt. Unlike Mordecai's lean figure, he filled out the clothes until they were bursting, the strength of their bloodline and his status as a firstborn Alpha showing itself even in his body's easy bulk.

"I volunteered." Max said. "You left without giving me the chance to say goodbye. Four years is a long time."

Mordecai held back a bitter laugh. The scars on his back from that day itched uncomfortably. "Don't patronize me brother." Uneasy silence fell between them. Mordecai eyed his brother. Max had matured slightly in their years apart, but showed no signs of the hardship etched into Mordecai's body.