Whispers of the Wolf

My Run

Alaric

The rain stung my eyes, soaked my fur and made the woodland floor slippery under my paws.

But still my wolf ran, pounding forward, almost as if he wanted to get lost amongst the trees.

I couldn't let him just run without being guided. I had to keep a rein on him. I was the Alpha's son, and in charge of leading a group of guards and warriors throughout the woodlands, racing along the borders to help keep out anyone that shouldn't be in our pack. I had to set an example, keep my wolf under control.

So, I took a back seat in my mind as I let my wolf out as much as I dared, let him run, let him feel the rain, feel the freedom ... almost.

Next to me, Enzo's wolf was keeping up. Unlike my wolf's black fur and silver eyes, Enzo's had beige coloured fur and bright green eyes that looked almost haunting in the dark of the night.

"You're keeping up", I told Enzo over the mind link. Because we were in wolf form, we couldn't speak, couldn't talk like we could when we were in our human skin, so I used the link to communicate with him, and with the wolves running behind us.

I could almost see Enzo's wolf roll his eyes.

"Of course I'm keeping up, asshole", he growled. "I'm your Beta, remember? I gotta keep up with you. I mean, someone's gotta kick your ass every now and then, right?"

I chuckled, my wolf's pace never slowing down. Being the future Alpha of the pack, my wolf was bigger than most other wolves, his frame a hulking mass of power. Whereas the muscle should have made him slower, my wolf actually used them to hurtle himself forward, the strength in his legs propelling his body.

Dad thought it would be a good idea to send me into the woods, to lead a team of guards for a race around the perimeter. He thought the fast movement of our wolves, the herd-like effect we would have, would help to scare any intruders away.

We passed a few guards while we were running, warriors and scouts that my dad had instructed to keep an eye on the borders, follow any scent that was out of place, report anything out of the ordinary straight back to him.

But the weather was against us. The rain could easily mask any scent. The wind was blowing quite strongly, sending leaves flying, branches snapping. The rain was coming down much harder, being thrown in our faces by the wind.

I thought what I was doing right now was pointless. Dad had added to the number of guards and their patrols along the perimeters. He had even enforced a curfew, telling members of the pack that weren't expected to help protect us to stay inside, going as far as placing some guards around the houses, roads, and walkways of the pack. Just in case.

It wasn't like any more protection was really needed. I mean, we were wolves. Our senses were sharp, advanced. So what I was doing right now didn't really make any sense.

The only good thing to come out of it was my wolf was getting a good run.

Weaving in between trees, dodging low branches, leaping over exposed roots. My wolf's tongue was lolling to the side of his mouth as he pushed on, his breath coming out in pants, the air burning his lungs.

"Young Alpha", one of the guards called over the mind link. "Permission to have a rest."

There was a chorus of chuckles from the others, a few others joking, calling this guard unfit.

Smiling to myself, I slowed down. "Yeah, let's all take a breather."

Every wolf slowed a stop, all of them panting, a couple of them dropping to the floor.