Prove To Be

29

Jay breathed a huff of heavy air, interrupting her run as she approached the water she scented out on her travels. She paused momentarily, breathing in to test the air. Sensing no one else was near, Jay padded toward the river and drank deeply, keeping her eyes trained on her surroundings and her ears flickering between noises disturbing the undergrowth.

Knowing this river held memories of her, Jay felt safe and protected in its presence as it lapped at her paws. The water bubbled a familiar greeting, ushering her into comfort.

Feeling rejuvenated, Jay used her tongue to clean up the water droplets on her fur, walking back to the forest with a skip in her step. She stretched with a squeaky yawn, digging her claws into the wet soil. Although it was still the dead of winter, the sun's heat competed with the cold, melting some of the snow only to freeze when the sun sank below the horizon. It was a vicious cycle of tag, and Jay hated the constant fluctuation in temperature.

A piece of snow fell atop Jay's head as if she were being scolded. Shaking her fur free of snow, Jay trotted through the forest, sniffing the different scents in the air. The scenery around Jay reminded her of what her coat looked like; a mosaic of black, brown, and white.

Nearing the end of her run, Jay turned in the direction she knew the Bohannan's house to be, recalling the last hour as she leisurely walked through the undergrowth. She had gained a better sense of understanding of her beast. The two beings worked together instead of trying to overpower one another, which resulted in Jay feeling more comfortable within herself. No longer fighting with her body or mind, Jay could find peace in being who she was. This may be her greatest accomplishment.

Her giant paws sank into the wet soil, leaving an indicator that there was a wolf residing within the vampires' territory. Tonight the prints would freeze in place, hardening within the earth as it memorized the details of her paw prints, wondering where she would travel next in the days ahead.

Jay, too, thought of where she would go next.

Soon, she would travel to her grandpa's territory, where he would bestow her his teachings. Jay wasn't entirely confident in taking over as leader of what her grandpa built when he was younger, but she didn't want to let him down either. He wouldn't have suggested the idea if he didn't have some amount of faith in his granddaughter.  

Jay's ear twitched unintentionally, directing her attention to a different part of the forest. Raising her nose, she breathed in, sensing something within the vampire's territory. Immediately, Jay's beast grew defensive, growling lowly at the thought of someone trespassing onto the sibling's territory. Instead of heading to the house where she would alert the brothers of possible danger, Jay decided to investigate the intrusion herself.

Smelling their scents before hearing them, Jay realized multiple rogues were on the property. Three or four, to be precise. Rogues had a different scent from linked wolves. They had a wild, deranged aura to them, for their animal was slowly turning insane from not having the stability of a pack. She could taste the pungent odour of longing within them as their animal slowly decayed within their mind. Rogues had a sad life, but the reasoning for their abandonment was unbeknownst to Jay.

"I'm scared." Jay stopped in her tracks as she heard the voice of a young girl. 

"I know, Naia," A man's voice replied instantly. "Just squeeze my hand."

Jay peeked out from behind a tree to see an older man, who appeared to be in his late thirties holding hands with a younger girl. She looked to be around ten years of age. Two other males followed in their path, watching their surroundings but seeming oblivious to Jay's presence. 

"I'm not too sure about this, Ranel." The younger male voiced his concerns as his eyes went from the trees to the back of the older male. "Her aura, it's..." He trailed off as if he couldn't find the right words.