Dreaming of Fate

Chapter 9

I woke moments before the alarm on my phone blared that it was time to get up and ready for the patrol. I groaned, both with exhaustion and loss. I could still feel his touch on my back, his lips, firm at first but then softening as the tension left his body. My dream man, I suppose, I suddenly remembered the first dream I had with him and the feeling of warmth flushed through my body all over again. Who was he? You're only supposed to dream of people you've seen before, but he doesn't even really have much of a face. I can only see his eyes. Those golden eyes.

I shook my head and began getting dressed, just like before the dream began to fade, and I couldn't remember all the details anymore. I was running, then I was in the arms of a strange man, and then I was awake. Simple as that. I tried to tell myself, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing. Something important. I put on the clothes I had laid out the night before, a pair of leggings and a t-shirt. I ran a brush through my hair and slipped my feet into my boots.

Marc was at the front door just as he said he would be "good, you're on time lets get to the border."

I followed him out the door and to a truck, and he motioned for me to get in the passenger seat. I got in and buckled my seat belt, he hopped in on his side, and we began to drive. We were heading down a dirt path that must have been the way to the border. We didn't speak much on the way there. Marc seemed to be concentrating on the road, and I was lost in my own thoughts. I kept replaying what I could remember of the dream in my head, trying to find some sort of pattern. Some clue about what it meant.

Marc came up to a large gate and parked along the side of the fence before hopping out, and I followed suit. Waiting for us were three other members of the pack that I had seen at the meeting last night but couldn't for the life of me remember their names. There were no introductions though, and I internally shrugged, I guess I would know them in time anyway.

. we started out, two of the pack members undressed right away and shifted. I averted my eyes for the process and followed Marc's brisk pace along the fence line.

We were making good time and I hadn't smelled anything out of the ordinary until we were almost all the way around the fence. One of the wolf pack members stopped and let out a low growl, Marc and the other human stopped and sniffed the air. I followed their lead, and my heart sped up. "That smells like a werewolf", Marc said.

"Where?" I asked. I looked around, and I couldn't see anyone. One of the wolves yipped and gestured with his muzzle off into the forest. "Stay here with her," Marc said, and started following the scent into the forest.

I stood still but looked around for any other sign of movement. The other pack members did the same. After a few minutes, we heard rustling in the bushes and Marc came back out, followed by a werewolf. A large gray wolf that was limping badly.

"This is a bad idea" he muttered to me, his eyes wide as he took in the wolf who had followed Marc without a fuss.

The wolf yipped at him. "I know he's hurt, I'm not arguing that." He said. "You don't smell like any of the local packs."

The wolf whined in pain and slowly eased himself to the ground. He was right, the wolf was hurt badly. The other wolf padded over to him and sniffed his face before letting out a long howl that startled me at the suddenness of it.

"What is he doing?" I asked the man next to me.

"She's letting the pack know we found something, someone should be on their way shortly" he replied. I winced as he gently corrected the pronouns. I really should have been able to tell based on scent, but I guess I'm still not there yet.

The injured wolf looked at her with his ears flat against his head. I could tell he was trying to shift but couldn't.

"Shit." Marc said. "Alright, I'll call Ethan." He pulled out his phone and hit a number and held it up to his ear. "Ethan, we found a hurt wolf, we're at the border near the river. We're going to need the doctor." He said, listened for a few moments, and then hung up. "He said he's sending Doc. I'm going to go scout around to make sure there's nothing else in the area." He said and looked at me. "Stay here. And stay shifted." He added as he ran off in the direction he came from.

I looked around alarmed. The last time I shifted wasn't the greatest, and I was apprehensive about trying again. I searched inward for the wolf inside me and she responded excitedly. 'This can't be like last time' I thought at her, my tone scolding. I heard her whine in response and got the mental image of a wolf wiggling its haunches in excitement. 'This won't be for fun, you have to listen to Marc and the others. We're in a serious situation here' she chuffed at me and settled down a bit, waiting for me to begin my shift.

I looked around nervously at the others, and they were all pointedly looking away from me. Sighing, I stripped quickly and began my shift. It wasn't anything like the first time. It happened quickly, and I barely felt anything at all, and then I was the wolf. Instead of being in the back of my mind, I was in the front, and I directed her exactly how I expected her to act.

She sneezed in annoyance, causing the others to chuckle and the stranger to look at her curiously, but she stood still, keeping her ears perked up to make sure she heard any movement that wasn't the group of us. The hurt wolf stayed put, his chest rising and falling slowly and steadily. The other wolf stood right next to him, keeping a close eye on him. He didn't try to move, just staying where he was.

Marc came back shortly and glanced at my wolf looking pleased, and picked up my clothes for me. "The blood trail weaves around the territory for a while before leaving it. I don't know where he came from, but we know he's injured and there's no point in letting him stay that way" he said before signaling me to follow him and walking next to the strange wolf. "Riley, come with me, you'll be my protection incase he tries to do anything"

My wolf perked her ears and followed Marc, proudly standing guard over the wolf to ensure nothing happened. The wolf's demeanor changed slightly, and his scent became a little more. Relaxed? Excited? I couldn't tell, but my wolf seemed to understand and c****d her head to the side. We really need to figure out how to communicate, and fast.

Marc did a cursory exam of the wolf, poking and prodding, being gentle around the obvious injuries while searching for others until the cavalry arrived. They didn't take long, a small group of wolves ran across the clearing from the mansion, all carrying sets of clothes in their mouths and as soon as they arrived they shifted into their human forms.

If it weren't for my wolf's curiosity, I probably never would have seen the process of the change, thanks to my own modesty, but I suppose it's good to know what it looks like from the outside too. Their fur receded quickly and by the time that was finished, their bodies were nearly finished adjusting themselves to be normal human bodies. I say normal, but Ethan's body was flawless, and my wolf made sure to appreciate him entirely before registering the others who were with him.

Emily, the doctor, was there, as was a bleary-eyed Linda. She likely had an overnight patrol and was woken up to join the party, followed by a few other wolves I didn't recognize, they were all attractive in their skin, and entirely confident as they quickly dressed and walked up to the patrol group and their captive.

Linda seemed to perk up when she saw me in my wolf form, looking entirely too impressed. The silent praise caused my wolf's tail to thump once on the ground, which attracted the attention of the gray wolf at my feet, who seemed to observe the interaction with interest.

"Thank you, Riley, you can stand down now" Ethan said, waving my wolf back to the others. Thankfully, she bowed her head and retreated, but not before giving Linda an affectionate headbutt.

Ethan talked at the wolf on the ground for a moment but noticed he hadn't taken his eyes off of me. It took a moment, but I had noticed it too, and it had started to raise my hackles a bit. "Shift" he commanded, in a voice I hadn't heard him use before. The wolf whined and tensed up all his fur standing on end, his body contorted slightly before he lay panting on the ground, unchanged.

"It must be wolf's bane," Emily observed "I'll need a makeshift stretcher if he can't walk to the clinic."

The wolf whined but stood up at her comment, likely too proud to be carried away, and took a few steps toward her with his tail low and his ears neutral.

"Good" Ethan said in response, "Sasha, make sure he doesn't try anything," he said, gesturing at the she-wolf who had been in her wolf form all this time. "Riley, follow us back to the pack house"