The Eternal Wolf

Sun rained down on the forest trees, slicing through the leaves as if it were creating a path on the forest floor. “Hurry Belle! Follow the light!” Young Alpha Lionel called out to his friend as he quickly navigated through the forest home he loved. His fire red hair stood out among the dark green of his forest home. He was rather big for his age and his body left a trail of broken branches or bushes wherever he went. “There’s no way I could have been a tracker”, the boy of 7 thought to himself. “The enemy would spot me instantly!” He laughed at this thought. Good thing he was not born a tracker but an Alpha. And not just an alpha, but the Legendary Eternal Wolf. At least that’s what everyone told him since the day he was born. He didn’t quite understand what that means, but he did know that it meant he was going to grow up to do something important! His thoughts were interrupted by a sweet, giggling voice calling out to him,”Lionel! Slow down! You know I’m not that fast!” Lionel searched the greenery around him. His sharp eyes caught the sunlight shining off the golden hair of his best friend Belle. She was the daughter of his fathers beta, and just a year younger. While she wasn’t as fast as Lionel, she was just as brave and she was good at things he wasn’t. Tracking, for instance. Her small, petite frame made her look more pixie like than wolf, but she was better at not being noticed, which was important for a tracker. She was also the only child of Beta James, so she was slated to be the Female Beta to Lionel. He was glad. Even at the young age of 7, Lionel could see the importance of Belle with her quick wit and giggly nature. She was calm compared to Lionel’s lion heart, which was great for charging into battle, but not always the best at thinking before the charge. They complimented each other nicely and Lionel’s Father, Alpha Stephen, was constantly reminding his son of the little girl’s strength and worth. They were fated by birth to be a very important Alpha and Beta team, blessed by the Moon Goddess for some reason. Lionel still was a bit confused by that, but he had heard it said just as often as he had heard about him being an Eternal wolf. It was drummed into the pair. Finally, Belle caught up to him. He was hiding behind a tree in hopes of jumping out and startling her. Belle’s eyes became suddenly sharp as she slowed down her soft steps. Lionel knew she was tracking him. He listened hard for the sound of her breathing but it was like she could even stop her breath. Remembering what his father had taught him, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, searching for her sweet smell. Belle smelled of fresh cut grass and blooming tulips in the spring morning, which was his favorite smell but was ever so hard to distinguish between the other smells of the forest plants around him. This was another trait that made her a good tracker. If what you were tracking couldn’t hear or smell you, they don’t know when to run. Lionel’s heart started racing. He hated losing this game. He lost to his friend often. But it was a skill he needed to work on as an Alpha. He took another breath, slowly this time, searching for tulips. Suddenly, he caught it! He jumped from behind the tree with a great roar! “Roar!!!!!” He fiercely growled while reaching out to grab the little girl, but his arms only wrapped around air. He quickly blinked, adjusting his eyes to the forest. He saw nothing but tree trunks and grass. He only felt a soft breeze and he heard nothing but birds chirp. Wait! He could smell her. She was there! Where was she? Lionel brushed his unruly red locks off his freckled forehead and ran his fingers through his shoulder length mane. He hated this feeling. He knew that he was no longer the hunter but the hunted. His mind quickly shifted from the fun of catching his friend to now trying to outsmart her before she caught him, again. His head snapping upwards to scan the trees around him. Belle’s light frame and nimble fingers made her favorite hiding spot up in the trees. Since she could walk, she would climb the tallest tree she could find, up to the very top. Beta James was always fussing at her to come down before she got hurt but Lionel thought she was so brave to go so high! He once asked her why she did that and she told him, “ it’s harder to scent me when I’m up there. The breeze carries my scent off into the clouds. So if I’m ever in trouble, I’m not strong like you, so it’s smarter for me not to be found.” Lionel didn’t exactly agree with what Belle said. He thought Belle was very strong, for her size, but compared with most wolves, she was so very tiny. Many misguided wolves saw her tiny size as her weakness but Alpha Stephen taught his son that it was actually her strength. Lionel had long learned that his strength never did him any good if he could never find her. The Goddess was wise in making Belle so small. Her strength was Lionel’s weakness, and he was sure he would be strong enough for the both of them. Suddenly, Lionel noticed Belle’s scent quickly becoming stronger and he heard a high pitched whistle through the trees. Oh no! Before he could react, Belle had pounced on him and he landed on the forest floor in a pile of giggles. “I got you good Lionel!” She rolled on the ground in the leaves laughing and laughing. At first, Lionel was upset that once again, he had lost their game of cat and mouse, but his anger quickly left his heart when he saw the joy on the little girl face. Her bright blue eyes shown like sunlight reflecting off the ocean waves. Her laughter echoed in the air and sounded as beautiful as bells. It had to be his favorite sound. Her long, golden hair fell messy past her shoulders and shown bright agains her Snow White skin. Lionel always thought she was a beautiful as the forest pixies and if he didn’t know she was a wolf, he would have sworn she was one. Pixies had the power of beauty and magic and she was definitely magical to Lionel. She had a magical ability to calm his mind and she could make him understand things that his father tried and tried. He truly trusted his Beta and he couldn’t imagine anything or anyone ever being more beautiful than Belle.