Evolution Of Dawn

Two: Dangerous Males

It was already late afternoon by the time the rest of the pack came back to the cave, Have slept with the other two and woke up. They'd arrived tired and lay under the cover of the cave to take their naps.

I look at my family of eight, small but strong in our way. Knowing I'd be leaving them after tonight, I sigh feeling the heaviness in my heart.

I moved closer to them letting them know what I can't put into words, we rub bodies together, licking one another's fur. They understood my unspoken words and likewise, I understood theirs. They are going to miss me as much as I will them.

By the time we finally sat out of our minds, the half moon was already high up in the sky. we stood up and walked out of our temporary home, strolling through the forest, listening to the chorus of night, the crickets, frogs, and other insects calling to each other.

We walked through the woods and towards the lake to quench our thirst.

After drinking to our satisfaction, we stayed and lingered at the lake playing, two of the pack sniffing the water for a catch.

I stayed there with them, enjoying their company one more night before I leave.

I heard a low whisper carried by the wind with the word "mate" and I looked around stunned, my ears stood on high alert hoping to find the source of the sound.

Instead, a loud growl came through, strong and clear. I felt the power it emitted deep within my bones.

And I knew the others felt it too because we all moved back into the water with our tails tucked.

I looked in the direction where the growl had come from and I saw two large males standing on two legs naked as day.

They stood tall, bulky, and strong.

Those males do not belong here "they aren't a local", and the forest is too far dangerous, and deep for any local explorer to be wandering naked.

I'd seen the locals twice when I went with my father to the edge of a human town, and they are all well dressed. The females in long skirts and blouses, the males in breechcloth and leggings with shirts. None of them walked naked. Not even the little ones that can blearily walk.

I have never seen a male's full nakedness before, though my father has shifted four times around me, he always had his back turned before he wrap himself up with woven leaves, I only know what the chest and the backside of a naked male look like not the entire front.

Those males stood in all their glory fully naked with messy black hair, dark olive skin, and brown eyes just like mine but a little bit darker, a wolf's head tattoo wearing the warhead bonnet decorated with feathers stood clear on their left arm.

I shifted my gaze to the male in front, he looked powerful and commanding with an air of authority around him.

He smelled of pine and campfire.

He growled again with the word "mate" and I felt a string click woven around my heart, the moment I understand he's spoken word my heart sank to the pit of my stomach "mate" the one that can make you lose it, just like my father once did.

I felt a chill run through me.

He'd called me his mate "he's my goddess-given madness" this hulk of a male, dangerously looking is my mate.

He looked masculine, a fully grown young male.

I can't make myself look past his navel, I heard another growl louder and stronger. And we all moved back again in panic, while I shield those behind me, I was shielded by those in front of me.

We have always stood with each other, to protect one another as a pack, as a family, and as one.

And with the speed of lightning, he followed us into the water, the air around him intensify speaking volume of his strength and power, letting us know he is a predator who has found his prey.

As if on clue we all bolted, dashing in different directions, I ran through the forest feeling my wolf's fear for the second time in all of my twenty-two years, the first was when my father had fallen down a hill, and the second is now, we are afraid. Afraid of the danger chasing right behind us.

We ran faster, and I tried pushing forward urging my wolf to get us to safety. I saw a fallen tree in front of us and I prepared my wolf mentally for the jump but before we reached it, I heard a twig from a broken branch in the wood by my left before I fell to the ground hard, crushed under a male's full weight.

"Danger" my wolf spoke into my mind, our hairs on the stand and our stance on defense. The male had caught up with us, and run us to the ground.

"Mate" he growled again before standing up slowly to allow my wolf's crumbled form to stand. We stood up on our jelly legs feeling weak.

"Shift" he commanded, the word strong and coaxing at the same time. And for the first time, I felt my wolf wanting to comply and give full control to my other form. But it isn't that easy, she's more comfortable being wild and in control.

Feeling the pain behind his command electrifying our body my wolf whimpered, not knowing what else to do. We lay low on our stomachs, begging the goddess above for him to leave us alone.

I heard footsteps from behind him and I looked over at the new arrival, he's tall, bulky, and strong with dark olive skin, black hair, and brown eyes just like this male and his companion from the stream, I looked at his left arm and saw the same wolf's head tattoo wearing a warhead bonnet decorated with feathers.

While I was still looking at the new male, another arrived. I knew this one from the stream, he was with this male chasing us at the stream.

"Alpha," the males said in unison before flunking his sides.

"Alpha"? looking closely at their unusual bulky build, and features resemblance, something clicked together in my head.

"Shapeshifters".

My wolf panicked and stood on her hind legs ready to bolt, but before we could make a move he ran us to the ground again and bit hard into the space between our neck and shoulder.

I felt a sharp pain followed by a small tug on my head and mind accompanied by a feeling of safety.

But as soon as his canines were retrieved from the crook of my neck, the feeling disappeared along with it.

And right then heaven wept and as the first drops of rain touched the earth, I dash into the wood running away from them.

He chased after us, I felt it. I don't know how but I do, even without smelling his scent of pine, and campfire.

I knew my wolf was in doubt, and my mind was in conflict, whether to go back to him, wait for him to catch up, or keep running away from him.

But we knew firsthand that he was dangerous, he'd bit us, so we pushed our paws forward and ran faster toward the north away from the danger of a male who had bitten us, and away from our pack of wild wolves.

I'd become a hunted prey, I'm sure they'd understand why I won't be coming back, not now, not so soon. I already said my goodbyes earlier, but I still felt sad about not being able to spend at least another full night with them.

But they are my pack, my family and they will understand.

I ran faster and harder through the night and the dawn of the next day nonstop, heading north and looking for a safe place to call home.

A place far away from dangerous males.