Chapter 99: Lust for Life
Maddie
"I would like to know what your name is, or if I can give you one. Are you just a little wolf, or are you a pup that will grow up to be a big and fierce wolf?" I asked the animal that had stayed with me all night as I changed its temporary bandage and prepared to face another day in the forest.
Of course, the little wolf didn't answer me; he just perked up his ears and stared at me intently. "I must be crazy," I think. What was clear to me was that he seems to want to stay with me, since it only went out at night to hunt, which it certainly did well, while I prepared to look for some of the fruit I had gathered earlier.
"What's wrong?" I ask when I saw it getting restless, its ears pricked up. Then I hear several shots and what sounded like a fight. I left the cave, although I wasn't sure if it was the best decision.
"Wait!" I yell as I watch the animal run back and forth in the forest. When I finally caught up to him, I saw that it was sniffing something on the ground. I am surprise to see that it was the beast… dead, one hundred percent dead.
"Oh my God!" I exclaimed in shock. "If it was just one that was stalking me, I think we got rid of a problem, don't you, little wolf?" He seems very excited and jumps from side to side. I didn't know if he recognize the beast as one of its kind, but he starts to get agitate when he picks up another scent, and I was even more surprise to see that further ahead there are definitely some packs that seems like provisions.
"What is that?" I knelt on the ground, still amazed. There were some snacks, bars, nuts, cookies and even dried meat, which I opened and gave to the little wolf. He bites them eagerly. There were also some matches. I didn't know who had done this, but it had to be a miracle! It gave me hope to think that it could be my mates or someone from the pack.
"Someone wants to help us, little wolf, and we could make a fire in the cave," I say happily.
I searched for more fruit, even though I already had a little feast with these provisions. And more than that, it wasn't just about surviving and fighting against the odds; I had a very clear goal: to get out of here. I don't know if it was the presence of the little wolf, finding this great food, or perhaps seeing the big beast dead, but now I feel extremely motivate.
Not only had I survived several days in the forest when everyone seemed to think I'd die almost immediately, but I felt good, you know... really good. Now I believed I could do things and defend myself, that I understood this wild world. I wasn't a stupid human who would sit and cry and wait to be killed.
I had to reunite with my mates and warn them of what the Council and these wolves were doing, warn the humans, my family, of the danger that came with the wolves losing control. If they were supposed to be the strong and organized ones compared to us, what could humans expect?
"I have to get out of here, little wolf. I must help those I can." Once again he shows signs of understanding me, getting excited as if it noticed something in the forest.
"We must go where the humans are. You must have seen them, not the werewolves, but those who live in the city," I tell him, and I decided to try to leave tomorrow, at least to leave my safe haven and find a way out.
I was on my cave, I thought I heard noises outside, but as long as I was here, I felt safe. I look out very carefully, but saw no more movement, just small rocks moving and falling from the top of the hill. As long as the little wolf and I were inside, I trusted that no one would come near.
The next morning I wake up very determined. The little wolf was still by my side, and as I packed my backpack with food, water, and everything else, I think it is time.
"If you know the way to the humans, little wolf, now it's time to show me," I ask him, and he gives me hope as he walks ahead of me, and we began to move forward. Every moment we move away, I felt uneasy because I was leaving the place I already knew and which had strangely become my home.
We kept moving, passing through completely unfamiliar and inhospitable areas, and I wondered if any human had ever passed through here. I heard animals growling and felt some fear, but I also had hope. I slept outside under a tree with the little wolf curled up beside me. I must have fallen into a very deep sleep because I began to have very strange dreams.
It wasn't a clear or specific image, but I felt the suffering of my mates, and it was terrible. They were crying for me, and I felt that Dominic was in danger, he seemed to be in great pain, and was thinking of me, crying for me. What could it be? What condition are they in?
I had been confident, thinking that I was the only one in danger, that since Moonvalley was their pack, they would be fine, protected. What if I was wrong? My heart sank at the thought, and I woke in the middle of the night, terrified, when I hear a howl, and the little wolf stood up too.
"What is that? Did you hear something too?" I asked him, and he was very attentive to his surroundings. Suddenly he starts to run, as if he had noticed something, and I ran after him.
I don't want to scream so as not to alarm the forest, but I am more and more frightened when I heard strange noises and growls. I ran as fast as I could, my pack bouncing on my back. This couldn't be a good sign, things had been going so well! As a large shadow loomed over the animal, I couldn't hold back a scream as I saw a large net appear above him, trapping him.
"Little wolf! No!"
The poor creature began to growl and cry, caught and desperate. I knew that if this trap was here, there must be men nearby. I knelt down beside him and stroked his fur over the net. I quickly realized that this wasn't just anything, this wasn't an ordinary trap, this was a well-thought-out job. But what can I do? I can't leave him here!
"Don't worry, little wolf, I'll get you out," I swear, my hands shaking, and I started to cut the net with my knife, but it was too thick. When several men appeared from all sides, I knew I was surrounded.
The little wolf began to howl, trying to move, desperate, looking behind me and around. This is the end, I thought; my heart was racing, there was no point in running or escaping.
"You've been free for too long, human, but you didn't think you'd make it out of here alive, did you? Your time has come, the rite ends now!" one shout, and then they all howl.