Creatures of Shadow Forest

Wolves

Finally able to relax I grabbed my goodie bag and book and curled up in my favorite chair. Pulling out the tins of cookies, brownies and other foods I sat them on the table. The quilt came next, unfolding the material a very life like wolf face stared back at me.

It was beautiful. The eyes were a piercing brown. The blueish-gray colored fur looked soft, I wanted to reach up and pet it.

Wrapping up in the quilt made me instantly warm. Snuggling into the warmth I took out the final package. Pulling the ribbon off and moving the paper aside I revealed something bright red. Picking it up I noticed a hood. I gently shook it to to reveal a long red shawl with a hood. The material was soft like fleece with black fur around the sides and the edges of the hood.

This turned out to be a very lucrative day.

Grabbing a cookie I pulled the book into my lap and began reading the part about myth or legend again.

According to this book there are real werewolves and if you survive a bite you will turn into one yourself. 

Werewolves live together in packs with an Alpha as the leader. They all share in duties given by the Alpha.

Hmm, it seems this alpha has a lot of power. Probably goes to their heads and makes them all high and mighty. I feel sorry for the other wolves, having to obey anything this Alpha says. I would feel suffocated and uneasy under the rule of a monarchy.

Thumbing through the pages I came upon one mentioning mates. A mate is much like a human spouse only they consider them a soulmate.

They believe there is only one mate per wolf and that mate is cherished and protected above all else. Especially an alpha mate. The Luna, if the alpha is a male, is held in high regard throughout the pack.

There is an order of leaders: Alpha is at the top with their mate either equivalent or next in command(depending on the pack and their laws), beta is second in command then theta is the third. Many other duties or positions are filled within the pack.

Packs are one big family, strange to me since I have no family per se. My parents were killed in a car accident when I was just a child then being taken in and raised by my aunt. After many years of battling cancer she gave up the fight five years ago. Now with no close relatives I have lived by myself in my aunts cottage. Her life's work was her little shop. All varieties of homemade remedies and beauty products. Fortunately she had two ladies that have helped out at the shop since she opened it and have agreed to help me keep it supplied and open.

Thirty minutes later, yawning and rubbing my eyes, I gathered the goodies and put them in the kitchen and carried the quilt and shawl to my room.

Falling asleep with visions of wolves running in a colorful meadow with a breath taking waterfall in the background I couldn't help but shiver as those brown eyes haunted me. Pulling the quilt up to my chin I burrowed into my bed as sleep took me.