Second Born Son

Dream a Dream of Me

My alarm goes off at 10 pm scaring me out of my thoughts as I stand up from where I sat just at the base of the waterfall. I stretch before making the trip back to my father.

Once he sees me his eyes light up and he smiles gently, " Are you ready for this son?" I nod and walk into a steady stream of the full moon light and feel a sudden burst of heat and pain coming from the dislocation, reshaping and relocation of my bones that I have never felt before. My screams caught in my throat as the shift began and soon turned to whimpers and growls of pain. Once we completely shifted there was another pain that started, this one was like a really intense migraine. It confused me as to why until my father let out a soft gasp and mumbled under his breath as he looked at me. Rian cautiously walked to the river bank and looked at our reflection in the water.

We were still an all white wolf but the only difference is that we have a crown made of some sort of bone that seems to have grown from our skull. This crown is impossible to remove as it is a part of Rian and I. Father walked up next to us and tentatively reached out to feel the crown. We felt his hand touch the crown and we felt him try to move the crown to which Rian let out a warning growl.

"Does it hurt?," was the first words father uttered after his shock went away. Rian shook his head and looked at the reflection again, mesmerized by the sudden crown upon his brow. He turned and looked at the rest of himself to see if he could tell anything else that was different. Father chuckled and patted Rian's flank.

"Well son it is late. I am going to head back inside for the night. Enjoy your night," Dad said as he turned to walk off towards the house. Rian turned the opposite direction.

'I don't think we should sleep in the house tonight. The cave gives us enough of a hideout where it would take a while for them to find us,' Rian says as he walks into the river to mask our scent as he makes his way to the cave.

'Why do you think something will happen?,' I ask curiously.

'We don't know why Father and Whitley wanted to see whether or not we had the crown upon our brow. For all we know he could tell James and warn him about what it means,' he replied firmly. I could feel that he didn't really know what to make of the way father came to us on the eve of our 18th when we were going to get our crown and it was something he knew of but never came to us to explain everything before.

When we make it to the cave Rian gets out and shakes off before giving me control again. I slide over the rock ledge with nimble feet before going to the bag hidden in a pile of rocks to grab a towel to dry off and then grab a change of clothes. I put the bag back in the hiding spot before grabbing the towel and tossing it over a root that makes a perfect clothesline. Against the back wall of the cave is a pile of firewood that ranges from small twigs to thick logs that would take hours to burn. The fire pit sat in the middle of the cave with the log cabin stack of wood and kindling to be ready for the next time I needed it. Settling down next to the fire I take out my lighter to light a twig which I slide under the log cabin to start the fire. I grabbed the two blankets that were tucked into a cupboard like concave space in the cave and laid one blanket down upon the flat ledge that was at knee height. I lay down with my head comfortably supported by the stone and pulled the second blanket over me, watching the fire slowly eating away at the wood until the only thing that was left was a thicker log that slowly burned through the night as I slept.

I dreamt of a battlefield that reached from horizon to horizon in every direction, thousands upon thousands of dead wolves scattered across the field with many more still fighting around me. I stepped around the bodies in my human form as I walked in no certain direction looking around. I could feel a great grief counting the bodies even though no scent was familiar until suddenly I could smell my brother's scent. I ran after the scent without any thought my eyes darting left to right until I came upon the sight of my brother standing over our father's immobile body. I stare as I wait to watch his chest rise with a breath but I never see it. My brother is covered in our father's blood and it takes only a second for me to realize why.

The growl that ripped through my chest shook the ground around us that it made everyone freeze. My brother's eyes lock to mine as he lets out his own ferocious growl as he stalks towards me. Soon, the wolf body crashes against the wolf body as my brother and I lock ourselves in a fatal dance. Each dodging and lunging at each opening, claws cut or s***h at whatever skin is left open. Finally breaking apart after I shoulder checked my brother in the chest, sending him scrambling to find footing. I take a deep breath before jumping on my brother's back and breaking his neck quickly.

The wind is knocked out of me when I am pulled into a field that I've not been to before. I see a glowing white wood bench that appears to have a white animal laying asleep underneath it. I walk towards the bench slowly and cautiously glancing around me. A tan skinned beauty in a silver modest dress with long sleeves and long dark hair appears upon the bench as I reach it. A gasp escapes my lips before I kneel and tilt my head down showing my neck to the moon goddess.