The Wolf in Sheep's Skin

Chapter 33

Jay

The moon was a small sliver in the sky, surrounded by bright stars. The surrounding forests were one of the few places where the sky still looked the same as when I was young. Vivid, with stars so bright you could almost reach out and touch them.

I lifted my head and sniffed the air as it blew through my fur. Nights like this almost made me forget about how much the world had changed over time.

If only there wasn’t d*mn space junk floating around, ruining my view. I huffed, making a billow of mist. We picked the most remote mountain range for our pack, and yet, we can’t get away from all the changes.

Should’ve moved to Alaska.

An unfamiliar howl pierced the night air. I growled and turned in its direction. It was close.

Too close.

I took off, bounding through the forest towards the howl. My feet pounded against the pine needle littered forest floor, barely making a sound.

It didn’t take long to get closer to where the howl had come from, and I slowed. I was too big to hide well, so I slinked into the shadows where my black fur would give me the best coverage.

I lowered my head and crept closer, listening and sniffing. But the air was blowing in the wrong direction, and they had gone to a noisy area. A stream was up ahead, creating a border between territories. In some sections, it was small enough to cross, but here it was fast moving and wide, with rapids.

I crept closer into the shadows, scanning the area. I stopped at the edge of the shadows, hunched over. Who the f*ck would be d*mb enough to come this close to my border?

I was at Tyler’s border, but it wasn’t Tyler’s howl.

I tensed, and my ears perked up as a wolf came out of the pines on the other side of the creek. A sandy colored wolf trotted to the water. They were small, and could be easily mistaken for a dog or a coyote.

They stopped at the water’s edge and bent forward to take a drink. Their pink tongue darted out of their mouth, dipping into the water. I inhaled through my nose, taking a deep breath, but the wind was still going the wrong direction.

Their eyes met mine, and I tensed. Violet eyes gazed at me, pinning me to the ground.

Gwen?

She lifted her head and her ears perked up.

Did she come out here to find me? My heart skipped a beat at the idea. Her violet eyes told me her wolf was in control.

How can someone filled with so much spite be so small?

I stepped out of the shadows and onto the grassy bank. She looked down at the rushing water before her. She whined, tapped her little feet across the ground, and wiggled.

What is she doing? She paced back and forth, glancing at the water, then at my side of the bank. Oh, no. Don’t jump d*mn it, it’s too deep.

I moved to show her a better place to cross, but she backed up, whining, and ran. She flung herself across the waterway, and I lunged.

She nearly made it, but her lower half splashed in the water, and her front paws dug into the dirt. She whined, and I grabbed her by the scruff of her neck, pulling her out.

Why would you do that? It’s too risky! I snarled at her and wished for the millionth time I could talk while I was a wolf. The water here was too deep and fast for any wolf to be able to swim well.

She glanced at me and snorted, then shook herself. Water sprayed me, making me squint. She perked up, wagging her tail, and met my eyes.

I leaned down to sniff her hind leg in a greeting.

She snapped at me, snarling, and wrapped her mouth around my neck. Teeth pressed against my skin, enough to warn, but not enough to puncture.

I pulled away and snarled at her, letting a deep growl come from my chest.

What the f*ck was that? It was just a greeting!

Her ears pressed against her head; she squinted, leaning away from me. Her fur puffed out, making her appear bigger than she really was. Her mouth was open, showing off sharp white teeth, and she let out a low warning growl.

For a wolf so small, she’s awfully defensive. I froze, taking a better look at her. I could pick her up and carry her as a human.

How terrifying to be so small. My gut sank, realizing I towered over her, and any wolf could easily beat her in a fight. No wonder she’s so defensive.

I flopped onto the ground on my back, exposing my belly to her. Her fur laid down flat, her ears perked up, and she stopped snarling. My stomach churned, and I tried to remember the last time I’d submitted to anyone, but I couldn’t.

I waited for the unease to settle in; the terror of exposing my most vulnerable area to someone. Even as a small wolf, she could still do damage.

But I was oddly relaxed. I melted into the ground and waited for her to make a move.

She plunged her snout into my thick black fur on my belly and took a deep breath. It tickled, moving my fur around. She let out little puffs of air, warming my skin. I twitched and stopped myself from pawing at the spot she was sniffing, to relieve the tickle.

Gwen continued like this, sniffing me, sticking her snout in my fur. Her cold nose occasionally grazed my skin. Her scent swirled around me the longer she was near, and I calmed, my mind going into a haze. She sniffed me all over, huffing, snorting, and whining.

Eventually, she stood next to my head, sniffing my chest. It was the fluffiest of my fur and tickled the most as she nuzzled in. She moved up to my neck, making my heart race as my skin tingled. Tiny shocks danced across my skin, and I could’ve stayed there for eternity.

She lifted her head up and sneezed, looking me in the eye. Her pink tongue darted out of her mouth, and she slobbered all over my face. She whined and stopped, backing up. Her tail wagged as she danced, tippy tapping her paws.

At least her wolf likes me. My tail wagged, thumping against the ground. My mate. My heart warmed, radiating through me. She’s really mine.

I laid on my side and she lowered into a play bow, with her rump in the air and her head between her front paws on the ground. I tensed and my ears perked up. I’d never been invited to play, not even when I was I young.

Don’t f*ck this up.

I hefted myself up and mimicked her motion. She yipped, wagging her tail, and took off towards the center of my property. I leaped after her, but she was fast, her smaller body built for speed.

We ran around, chasing each other through the pines, and hours went by. We stopped at a different section of the river, far from the first. This part was a small stream, smooth and bubbling, easy to cross.

She trotted up to the water and took a drink, and I followed. The water was frigid and fresh from snow run off up in the nearby mountains.

A toad croaked nearby, and Gwen lifted her head, her ears swiveling. The toad croaked again and hopped nearby. It was big and fat and loud. She darted over to it, bowing at it, sniffing.

It croaked and hopped away from her. She bounced in the air and yipped.

Her wolf is so playful. How is she so angry and spiteful all the time? She sniffed the toad, and I continued to drink. My tail hurt from wagging it.

She bopped the toad with her nose, and it hopped again. She’s not going to eat it, is she?

She opened her mouth wide and picked it up. The toad let out an awful hissing scream, and she dropped it, shaking her head. She hacked and sneezed, and I let out a rumbling, growl-like sound, the closest thing I could make to a laugh.

She ran to the water and shoved her whole mouth in. She swung her head side to side, then lifted her head and snorted at me. She glared at me, with her ears flat against her head, and I could almost hear her shouting at me for not warning her.

We played through the rest of the night, running around, chasing rabbits. Once she grew tired, and started yawning, I found us a comfortable spot I was familiar with. I curled up underneath some trees, and she snuggled up next to me, in a little ball, and shoved her nose in my fur. She drifted off to sleep; the sound of her soft breath made my mind hazy.

I shoved my nose in her fur and took a deep breath. Her scent wrapped around my mind, sweet yet spiced. Intoxicating.

Her wolf seems to know we’re mates. At the least, she likes me. Trusts me.

Why doesn’t Gwen? Is her wolf hiding it, like mine did? Waiting for the right time?

I let my head relax, resting on top of her. I shielded her from the cold spring wind that carried down the mountain. Whatever it is, I’ll just have to court her.

I’m sure as f*ck not letting her go.

I curled tighter around her and drifted off to sleep with her scent wrapped around me.