Posy

Vignette #2 - Sid's Bad Day

Author's Note #1: I'm not a professional voice actor by any means, but you can watch a video of me reading this story in the media above if you want. You can read this and any other bonus stories on my website, tinyurl.com/FiveFangs.

Author's Note #2: The floral cover editions of all the Posy books will be on sale in the US and UK for 99 cents each on Nov. 8, 2023. You can check it out at tinyurl.com/MaryAnnWeir. If you haven't been reading Thoreau, you can find it here on Wattpad. Read it for free while you can! 

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Five-year-old Isabelle Donahue sang the ABC song as she walked home from kindergarten. Her teacher had helped her learn the last few letters today, and she wanted to practice so she could sing the whole song for her dada as soon as she saw him.

Lost in her alphabet world, the pup didn't notice that her voice was the only sound in the forest, which was a very bad sign. She also didn't notice that no one was around, which was an even worse one. Usually, birdsong and squirrel chatter accompanied her home each day, as did a guard on the pack's day patrol, which was the only reason her dada allowed her to walk home alone.

"Lelo menno pee!" Isabelle sang with all of her heart in every syllable.

Then an almighty roar made her mouth snap close and her little body jerk in fright.

Trembling a little, she looked around with wide eyes until she spotted a half-shifted wolf pacing in a circle and muttering to himself. He howled, but this time, the little girl didn't even flinch.

She knew who this was, and Sid would die himself before he ever hurt a pup, especially when it came to her. She held an extra special place in his heart - his and Tamā's - and was not above using it to get her way or, as was about to be the case, calming the upset wolf.

She first tried to talk to Alpha Ash Mitchell - Ashy to his wolf and Tamā to her - but Sid was blocking him. With a sigh, brave Isabelle walked right up to the enraged, seven-feet-tall man wolf, put her hands on her hips, and scowled at him.

"Siddy!"

The man wolf swung around and looked at her with wide eyes.

Rosebud? What are you doing here?

"Just got out of school. Why is my Siddy so mad?"

Sid is sad, not mad. Sid should have pups! Everyone but Sid have pups! Sid. Want. Pups!

"I'm sorry you are sad." Giving him a poochie lip and puppy dog eyes, she let her arms fall to her sides. "Let Tamā out, please. We can talk."

No! Sid tell everyone to go away! Sid not want to talk!

"Siddy!" Isabelle changed tactics in an instant and shook her tiny index finger at him. "You being bad! You let Tamā out! Right now!"

NO! he bellowed.

The pup then decided to play the biggest card she had in her hand.

"I will get luna," she threatened, "and I will tell her you yelled at me!"

And just like that, Sid yielded control, and Alpha Ash swiftly finished the shift, electing to use the wolf's body as he had no clothing with him to resume his human form.

"What's wrong with Siddy, Tamā?"

You're too little to understand all of it, Rosebud, Alpha Ash sighed.

"I am not, Tamā!" She rolled out her bottom lip and narrowed her big green eyes, and Alpha Ash yielded faster than Sid had.

Posy tried to get pregnant during her heat, but it didn't work. Sid is upset because he's wanted pups for as long as I can remember.

Alpha Ash was right; Isabelle was too little to understand all of it, but she understood enough. Her fuzzy friend wanted a pup and luna wasn't pregnant.

She knew the word pregnant. Her stepmother was pregnant, and her dada said that meant a baby was growing in her belly. When the pup came out, she would be a big sister! Dada told her that it was a really important job, and she was determined to be the best big sister in the world.

Seeing Sid's drooping ears, wet eyes, and tucked-under tail hurt Isabelle's little heart, and she wrapped her arms around the wolf's soft ruff as far as she could reach.

"I know I am not your pup, but I love you, Siddy. You and Tamā are my bonus dadas."

Her words healed the crack in Sid's heart, and he bent his head to rub his chin on her back as she hugged his neck.

Aww! I love you, too, Rosebud!

Yes, Rosebud, we love you very much, Alpha Ash seconded his wolf. You are so special to us, and you always will be.

Now that Sid was calm and back to his happy, simple self, the small girl stepped back and kissed the tip of his nose.

"Come on, Siddy. Let's go home. Dada and Mumsy will be worried."

I let them know you're safe and with me, Alpha Ash assured her.

Isabelle nodded her head gravely and resumed her trek home. The hulking alpha wolf fell in step beside her, and together they walked down the path and out of the woods.

The End

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This story was inspired by the artwork of Jim Cooper (first two) and Benjamin Zocholl (third one) of Pixabay: