The Wolf and the Natural ✔️

~•4•~

"Are you scared?" Sam asked, sliding up next to me in a rolling chair, his eyes searching my face for a sense of fear.

I nodded. "Terrified."

Sam tilted his head, raising one eyebrow. "Then why are you doing this?" He asked.

"Because of what you guys have told me. This will stop a war, so I'm all for it." I say, not meeting Sam's eyes.

Instead of answering me, Sam gulped. "You might want to cover your ears."

I gave him a curious look. "Why?"

But he didn't need to reply in order for me to understand why.

The sound of a hundred bones breaking and bending sounding outside the door. It made me cringe up, my body tensing as a sharp growl boomed through the room even though it came from outside the door.

"His wolf is going to be stronger, meaner, faster, hungrier than Arlis." Sam says, taking a step away from me and then looking me up and down. "More protective. And Arlis is... bigger than most wolves."

The door rumbled and groaned as something rammed into it, the hinges barely holding.

Sam shook his head, muttering. "I'm so dead."

"Seymour, TURN!" Chleo yelled and then something banged, glass shattering against the floor in a ear-piercing shriek.

More bones popped and crackled, making my stomach tie itself into a knot.

Sam placed his hand on my shoulder. "He won't hurt you. Me... he might. But not you."

He took a step back and stood as far away from me as possible, much to my dismay.

Two growls tore through the hallway, followed by whimpering.

Something pounded in my chest, making me scared. What if it was Arlis? Was he okay? I almost went to open the door but Chleo's voice cut me off.

"Dammit, how did you even take down Seymour!?" He asked, his voice laced with fear almost more than Sam's was. "I have thumbs! You can't open a door ya dumb wo— haha, yeah yeah, no my bad you can eat me. Look, I'm opening the door."

The door handle jiggled and as soon as I heard the familiar "click" of the bolt, the door burst open and a wolf almost the size of me tore into the room, headed straight for Sam.

"No!" I yelled on reflex and the wolf stopped, turning to face me with sad eyes.

I took a small step towards it, remembering Sam's words, and sat on my knees. Now it was taller than me, but I felt like this was the right thing. Make myself seem smaller.

The wolf stalked to me, and something its eyes seemed too... human. Nobody else would have noticed it, but I did. Especially since it was so close to me.

It pressed its muzzle against my cheek, smelling my hair.

"Arlis?" I whispered.

Sam moved to leave but the wolf growled out, vibrating my stomach.

"Sam, c'mon." Chleo ushered.

"I'm just... leaving." Sam announced and ran from the room, Arlis nipped at his heels and Sam squealed, slamming the door shut behind him.

The wolf looked back to me and laid its head on my legs.

I didn't know exactly what to do with my hands, so I just set them on the wolf's neck, running my hand through his soft fur.

"Can you hear me?" I asked, feeling immediately stupid after asking the question. Of course he could hear me. "Do you understand me."