Hidden in Plain Sight

Two

As we carried on running in silence, I couldn’t help but question why. Why would the king order such a thing? It just doesn’t make sense! We weren’t bad people. Just because we were different to everyone else, doesn’t mean we should be treated this way. Werewolves and humans have lived side by side for centuries, been friends, had families. Why would he suddenly order our kinds excursion? Why would our towns Mayor agree with such orders as well? I mean, I know they’re orders from the King but still! We’re a small little town in the middle of nowhere surrounded by forests, the closest town to us is hours away. And our village was 30 minutes by car from our main town. Us werewolves were in a separate area away from the human town - the way it had always been - deep in the forest, where we all love to be. We never crossed paths with them unless we went to their town or they come to ours and even then it was only if you knew people from either place. We could of easily stayed in our village and no one would of had to die. We could of agreed to not step foot in the human town and kept to ourselves. Our village - our pack - would of been okay with that. I know it. It just doesn’t make sense.

We carried on running for what felt like hours until we reached the small cave we use to go camping in when I was younger. I dropped to the floor exhausted, Mum handed me a bottle of water from her backpack and flopped down next to me. Dad kissed the top of my head and leant against the cave wall.

“We will rest for a few minutes then we will have to move again. I can’t hear any footsteps right now but I don’t want to wait around just incase.” Dad spoke softly in between his heavy breaths.

“How do we know that Aunt Maggie will be there waiting for us?” I couldn’t keep the worry out of my voice. Mum grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze.

“She’ll be there baby. Even if she’s not, we know the way to her house, we will just make our way there. She helped with this plan, she wouldn’t let us down now.” She promised, I just nodded, too scared to say anything else.

We all sat there in silence after that, listening to the very faint noises of gun fire in the far distance. Just as we were finishing our protein bars and water bottles, both my parents tensed up and their heads shot to the side. Mum stood up and grabbed my hand on the way, they both pushed me into the cave and stood in front of me and forced me to crouch down so I was out of sight.

My sense of hearing wasn’t as good as theirs as I didn't have my wolf yet so I had no idea what they heard. I held my breath, closed my eyes tightly and hoped whoever it was wouldn’t find us.

Few moments later, I heard quick footsteps heading in our direction. My eyes shot open and strained to hear anything else distinctive but got distracted by my dad pulling a knife out from somewhere and holding it in front of him defensively. He extended his wolfs claws in the other hand, while mum done the same with both of hers.

I tried to will my heart rate to slow down and take calming breaths. Just as I managed to get them under control, the footsteps rounded the corner and a young boy come skidding into the cave. Before he could even stop, both my parents pounced on him and pinned him to the ground. They both growled at him while he made a startled cry before my mum covered his mouth with her hands.

“What are you doing here boy? You following us?” My dad growled, deep and rough, meaning his wolf had come forward. The boy frantically shook his head side to side. Mumma moved her hand slightly but still hand her claws against his face as a warning.

“I-I-I s-s-swear, I was j-j-just trying to get a-a-away. P-please, the-they killed my family! I’m meant to get my wolf today, I-I-I failed them! I-I couldn’t save them!” The boy sobbed, tears streaming down his face as he continued to shake his head. My parents both sighed and glanced at each other.

“Did anyone follow you?” Mumma asked, retracting her claws back him but still leaning down against him. He boy sniffed and shook his head again.

“I don’t think so.” The both got off the boy and helped him sit up.

“Okay, you need to shift right now-” the boy interrupted my dad with a yet another head shake.

“I can’t! I’ve never shifted before an-”

“I know but you have to. You either shift now, here in this cave with us here with you and you have half a chance of escaping or you shift randomly out there with those… f*****g hunters and they kill you mid-shift which will be 10x as painful. Okay?” The boy kept sobbing softly but eventually nodded his head at my dad.

“How?” The boy whispered. Mumma sighed and pulled him further into the cave.

“You need to feel inside of yourself for your wolf. Have you had contact with him yet?” The boy nodded.

“Yea, first thing this morning.”

“Okay that’s good.” Mumma nodded. “You need to call on him and tell him to shift now.”

“He hasn’t fully awakened yet. He only come to me a few hours ago.” He kept shaking his head and crying.

“I know but you have to. It will be more painful but it is the only way. We can’t stay here much longer and we are not putting our daughter in danger if you suddenly shift while we’re out there. Or we just leave you here on your own.” Dads voice was sharp, with no room for arguments.

The boys head snapped to me with wide eyes. I gave a small smile and a little wave. His bottom lip trembled as he looked at me until he finally nodded.

“Good choice, now come on.” They went to the far end of the cave, as far away from the entrance as possible. “You need to take your clothes off so you have something to wear after you shift back.” The boy nodded and took his top and jeans off, mum covered my eyes while he took his pants off. “Okay, now call on your wolf. Let him take over your body.”

I couldn’t see anything now, only hear but I heard him take a deep breath in. Once. Twice. On the third breath, I heard a horrible cracking noise that made me flinch.

“That’s it, good. Just keep taking deep breaths and allow the shift.” My dad encouraged.

More awful snapping noises followed by him crying in pain. After a few more agonising snaps and cracks, I felt a rush a air go over my face and could hear heavy breathing. Mum moved her hand away from my eyes and I was now looking at a big reddish coloured wolf. He wasn’t as big as my dads wolf but still impressive. I giggled and run up to him, his big wolf head moved back slightly at me coming closer to him. I held my hand out wanting to stroke him.

“Hi, I’m Rosie.” The wolf let out a soft growling noise from deep in his chest and put his head under my hand so I could stroke his head. I gave him good hard scratches behind his ears, the way I know that wolves like, I got a deep grumbling purring noise in response. My parents both huffed a laugh at me, I just grinned.

“Alright kid, you need to have a walk round, get use to your new skin then we need to get moving.” The wolf followed my dads orders and took a few tentative steps around the cave, there wasn’t much room for him to move but it would have to do for now. He then done a big downward dog stretch and wagged his tail. I couldn’t help but smile at him. Dad picked up his clothes and tied them round the wolfs leg. “Alright lets go. You need to stay low and try not to draw to much attention to yourself. You’re putting a big fat target on your back walking out there like this but you haven’t got a choice right now.”

We all silently left the cave and started running at a steady pace through the forest once again. I stayed between my mum and dad while the wolf was along side us, almost like he was keeping us hidden.