Christmas Tree. 1/4
So, this is a big fat HAPPY BIRTHDAY to sylsdarkplace who really shouldn't get one because, along with
meus_venatorand a few others, she fucks up my mind by encouraging this sort of nonsense.
I was never going to write a werewolf fic, I'm not even sure if I'm comfortable with the notion. There was not going to be any cheesy Christmas fic on my LJ and I was definitely going to leave all the dark stuff behind for a while.
Oh, and anything I wrote before Christmas was going to be short, a drabble at the most.
FYI - I hate you, I hate you all!!! ;)
and I never could resist a challenge *faceplant*
Oh and BTW Lia, please don't slap me. The mentions of MPreg are very, very tame. My mind went places it shouldn't have and I figured if I could write my squicks, you can read one! *cruel laughter*
Christmas Tree. ~ The J2, AU, Christmas, Werewolf, birthday gift, fic
Description: NC-17. Werewolf Jensen and Jared, a Christmas Tree. "In the end it was a Christmas Tree that saved Jared." A strange lone werewolf finds its way to the home of the Wolf-Pass Pack but how can Alpha!Jensen save a starving and dangerous Were who wants nothing to do with his own kind? Jared finds salvation by the light of a Christmas Tree.
Status: Complete
Warnings: Explicit werewolf sex, werewolf knotting, intent of suicide. Mentions of:- Mpreg, Past abuse, dub con and underage.
Pairings: Jensen/Jared, Chad/Milo, Katie/Steve, Genevieve/Christian
Beta: The generous
meus_venatorwho did an amazing job in minimal time because it was an impulsive decision with a ridiculous deadline. That said, it is partly her own fault for planting the seed of a werewolf knotting fic in my head in the first place. All mistakes remain my own, especially the grammar, because I decided that was what mattered least in the time frame. (Sue me, I’m a grammar rebel)
Length: ~22,000 words
Disclaimer: This is fiction, pure fantasy folks. Nobody here belongs to me and they’re not likely to get in my van for candy a side of beef any time soon
Part 1
JARED
In the end it was a Christmas Tree that saved Jared.
It was seven feet of lush, green, undecorated foliage which spread the sharp tang of an alien wilderness into the air, like the fog of a heady drug. Maybe it was the fresh fragrance that woke him from a five year stupor, or perhaps he had always been looking for an exit, the instinct hidden deep on an unconscious level, even once all hope had left him.
His Alpha was lugging the outsize decoration out of the SUV with his Beta, Meg taking the rest of the weight, steering the item and moaning about the trail of needles that dropped onto the soft leather seating. For ten wonderful, ground-breaking minutes the pre-Christmas tension broke into a full-on dominance-posturing row. Their selfish, demanding, pups were engrossed in a race on the games consul and, for ten, crucial, glorious, moments everyone forgot that their Omega was unattended and untied while he cleaned the main house to an exacting shine. Jared slipped out of the door and ran.
His escape took him through dirty alleys and fluorescent-lit subways. For two days he hid in the darkest corners, skulking in terror of silver bullets and the snarling fangs of Packs that would run him off, or maybe worse. He looked at the strangers who passed him by and was sure they saw what he was. He worried about illicit fur traders who would attempt to shift a werewolf to take its life for the value of its skin, but more than that, more than anything, he struggled to contain the raw, gnawing hunger that cramped his belly and threatened to consume his mind. The City was a dangerous place for a lone werewolf and when that Were was a mere Omega, starving, cold, and unable to shift, escape from such precarious situations became almost impossible.
Yes, it was a Christmas Tree that saved Jared, but perhaps not that one.
***
He waited until the market was closing, joined the throng of expectant vagrants that surged for the trash cans as the stall holders tipped away the unwanted and rotting remains of their trade. It wasn’t in his nature to wrestle for anything, his Alpha had seen to that when he thoroughly instilled his submission. Jared lost the fight with only a few leaves of old cabbage to maintain him. He slunk back into the shadows and waited until he could leave without drawing attention. In two days on the street he had learned to hide his youthful face and lean body from those who saw a hungry young man and assumed he would welcome their advances. He was done with all that. He would die before he allowed anyone in again.
The strong, sweet and sharp aroma of wilderness assaulted his over sensitive olfactory nerves and he moved, drawn by invisible force to the loading bay where men whistled Christmas songs while they hefted and threw a pile of fresh-cut pine trees into the store. He drew his breath and held in the wonderful fragrance until his lungs were fit to burst. Something primal drew him close to the neatly cut Christmas forest. When sudden movement startled him, he hid in the only place he could find that afforded him enough space. He leapt onto an almost-empty truck bed and made for the very end, behind the only tree that remained. He ducked under a tarpaulin that covered an assortment of logging tools and curled up small under its sparse protection.
He heard the squeak and scrape that the final tree made as they began to tug it over the fallen twigs and needles on the truck bed and Jared squeezed his eyes closed, he was bound to be discovered without the protection of the sharp foliage. Somebody whistled and shouted. “Hey! Leave that one. I’m taking it home.”
The driver high-fived the men who had helped him unload, stepped back to his truck and slammed the door with metallic clunk. For a moment Jared could detect another scent, faint and disturbing, under the pungent pine but it was gone before he could name it.
He was still there, with closed eyes and trembling flesh, when the workers slid the safety rail in place and shouted their goodbye. The engine fired and roared, cold wind tugged at the tarpaulin and he hung on tight, under the canvas, as it blew in the funnelled air.
Yes, it was a Christmas Tree that saved Jared, but perhaps not this time.
JENSEN
Katie squealed and put down her phone. She extended her hand to Jensen, swung her hips, pulled him from the sofa and began to sing “Rocking around the Christmas Tree…”
“Ugh, Katie. Do you have to?”
“Yes. I do. Chad’s at the store buying a string of fairy lights. He found the perfect Christmas Tree and, as Alpha, you are going to organize and encourage us in an enthusiastic manner.”
Jensen laughed and relaxed into the dance, adding his deep, tuneful tone to the mix.
“Ooh party!” Genevieve entered the room with a long trail of tinsel in her hand. She sidled up to Jensen’s back and draped it around their Alpha’s neck. The petite Omega slipped her hands about his waist, rested her head on him and swayed with them.
“Everyone’s dancing merrily
In a new old fashioned way.”
Chad’s truck scrunched over the snow and squeaked to a halt. A soft snowball landed on his head as he jumped from the cab of his truck. “Hey. Santa’s gonna put you on his naughty list.” he yelled at Christian, before returning the favour.
The rest of the pack mobbed them with demands to stop the distraction and get on with settling the proud tree in their yard. Jensen threatened the withdrawal of cookie rights and they soon settled. Nobody wanted to miss out on Milo’s cookies.
As they took the tree from the truck Jensen sniffed the air curiously. “Chad? Who’s been in the truck?”
They all stopped and Chad inhaled by Jensen’s side. “That’s weird.” he said. I didn’t notice another Were at the market but I guess the smell of the trees was overpowering.
“Its very faint.” added Katie. The Beta came to Jensen’s side, her instinct to protect the pack, coming to the fore as she investigated the scent, Christian joined her and scrabbled and sniffed in unison.
“It’s not alpha, it is sweet.” Jensen inhaled again, it was more than good, it was pure ambrosia.
“It’s Omega and there is a good measure of adrenaline, the wolf was excited or fearful.” Christian added.
“Or, we were all working our paws off and sweating up a storm to make everyone else’s Christmas perfect.” Chad moaned.
Jensen was still inhaling, with a slightly dreamy look on his face.
Christian sneaked a glance at their Alpha. “Looks like Chad will have a passenger next time he has a City delivery, eh boss?”
Jensen snapped a glare at him. “I have better things to do with my time than go on a wild goose chase.”
“Now the pack has a home and stability surely there’s nothing more important than finding your mate?” Katie declared.
Genevieve hid behind Milo and Milo shuffled his feet.
Jensen dismissed the topic. “Let’s get this thing up, shall we?”
***
The snow was falling, thick and steady. Jensen was restless. He made a cup of cocoa and settled by the window with his book. Everyone else had retired to bed, Christian made his excuses early, closely followed by the ebullient Chad, with his quiet Omega mate, Milo. Genevieve had slunk to bed shortly after that. He was relieved that she had retired to her own bed because, while she and Christian remained stalwartly single, they weren’t above the occasional session of extremely athletic, comfort sex and Jensen really didn’t feel like hearing that tonight. Katie had stayed up longest with him. Her mate, Steve was away for a business conference and Jensen could tell she was missing him. Misha and Steve would return together on Christmas Eve and the pack would have their first Christmas together, in this place that they had made their home.
He allowed himself a smile. If anyone had told him, a year ago, that he would be settled with a young pack of his own, in a town that knew their secret and supported them, he never would have believed them. It was always assumed that Jensen would follow his father as alpha of the Ackles, an established Texas pack, but his father was still a strong leader and looked to have many good years ahead. Jensen may be physically stronger but that wasn’t a consideration, this wasn’t the dark ages. Jensen used his time positively. He worked hard to gain a degree in physical therapy and took the fast track into his career by working all hours. He had plenty of time to find a mate later. That he still hadn’t at twenty-seven, was disappointing to his parents but they never complained.
Jensen was quiet but he found a number of loyal friends, in school and later in university. He had been shocked when his father had first pulled him aside and asked him to consider the merits of his small core of Were acquaintances. Despite being from several different packs, they fit together. They were an ideal combination of strong, intelligent, alpha, beta and omega personalities. That kernel of thought sprouted and grew. Alan Ackles never ran Jensen from his pack but he nudged him into action, gave him sound advice, loving support and the money toward the deposit on the home that currently sparkled with tinsel and glitter.
There were photographs of the pack on the wall. He stood to study a picture from the pivotal holiday they took eighteen months earlier. They were waving into the camera with cheesy wide smiles, by the sign that declared, “Welcome to Wolf Pass, National Park. Population 1057.” Milo and Chad stood awkwardly together, at a time when their love was fresh and undeclared to the rest of the pack. Katie was single, she hadn’t met Steve yet. Then there was Jensen, Christian and Gen, buddies since high school and Misha who somehow joined them in a coffee shop, somewhere on their travels, and never left. He stroked the glass-covered picture and turned back to the window to look out, into the snow speckled night that shrouded the wild forested hills of Wolf Pass, their home.
The Christmas tree shone a bright beacon into the snow laden night. Katie and Gen had strictly controlled the decorations so the design was a piece of art in itself. Jensen thought it was enchanting but, enchanting or not, the lights would have to be turned off overnight. Jensen padded toward the kitchen, where the switch was housed. He stilled as his sensitive hearing picked up the quiet sound of a dislodged snow whooshing to the ground and something that may have been the trash cans rattling. Bloody raccoons, he thought. He unlocked the back door and peered into the night. A pile of snow lay in front of the closed trashcan and slight trail led away. He sighed and closed the door against the cold. Time for bed, he thought. The light outside caught his eye and he remembered he had been in the kitchen to flip the switch off. He made to shut the curtains but a movement in the cold terrain caught his eye.
He wondered if he was somehow dreaming. There was a young man standing by the Christmas Tree. He was tall, and thin as a rake. Dark hair peeped from a snow soaked hoodie and his feet sank into the white, with no sign of boots. Long fingers reached to the tree and touched it gently. The man tilted his head upwards to stare at the angel atop the tree as he stroked the needles, eyes wide in wonder. While his attire was inadequate and his appearance unkempt, he didn’t seem to be in distress and his touch was reverent rather than destructive. Jensen recalled that several of the townspeople had student offspring staying over the holidays and wondered which household this irresponsible lad would return to, frozen through and dripping on the floor. He rolled his eyes and huffed, he wouldn’t be much of a neighbor if he didn’t at least offer some warmth. The lock rattled as he unlocked the door, he started to wedge it open only to see the back of the lad as he ran away. Jensen considered running after him, he could easily catch up if he shifted into wolf form. He dismissed the idea quickly. The last thing they needed was to scare the neighbors’ children. His pack was lucky to be accepted here. It could degenerate quickly with tales of youngsters being chased by hungry wolves. He locked back up and went to bed.
JARED
The trash yielded boxes from baking supplies, yards of rumpled tape and slivers of wrapping paper, as if the person wrapping presents struggled with awkward shapes. There had been meat bones and a chicken carcass which had, at least been wrapped before being disposed of. He stuffed them under his sodden hoodie. Later, he would be grateful for the meager pickings. He salivated at the thought of them but saved them to eat in the dubious shelter of the forest.
He hadn’t meant to touch the tree but the lure was undeniable. It was a thing of pure beauty and it radiated the love and warmth of those who had decorated it. There were lights on in the house and it seemed cozy and welcoming. It reminded him of the time before, when he was human, or as near to it as any Were got to be.
Christmas had been a big affair with his parents. They spoiled their only child and welcomed friends to their City apartment with a big fuss. Maybe if they had told him then, he would have understood the gatherings, it might have afforded him some protection, but they left that secret, the big one, until it was too late. Until after the police came to collect him from school. Until after the funeral, until his hormones went crazy and his behaviour became violent, until the day his care worker pushed him at his new foster care in exchange for a stack of notes and the cruel lip tipped as a heavy hand rested on his neck. “I know what you are.” the man had snarled. “You will call me Alpha and you are my Omega.”
Jared still hadn’t understood. Not until all the suppressant had left his system and he shifted for the first and only time. The scents, the instincts and the emotions were overwhelming. He wanted to run but the City was busy and his form unfamiliar, his paws were uncoordinated and the sounds and vision too intense. His Alpha was huge and mean and he couldn’t understand why he tipped his neck to him and let it be marked as taken, why he shivered with anticipation as the wolf form of the man he hated mounted and took him, why his bitch-body humped at the air and his channel slicked and welcomed the knot. It shamed him that he rested meekly under the huge Alpha while the knot pumped hot semen into him, over and over again and the rest of the small pack watched. When the knot slipped free he had slunk away with his tail between his legs and head low. He had curled small with his tail over his nose, under his tiny bed in the box room. They locked him in there while they ran free and by morning he had managed to cajole his aching human body back. The next day his pack described the ugliness of his wolf form, they fed him vile caplets to prevent his ‘hideous’ pups from forming and the drug made him sweat, cramp and vomit. He didn’t object when a daily suppressant dose was added with his sparse meals. He had never shifted again.
When he touched the tree small bells chimed, he raised his head and saw the golden angel that smiled down over him and he considered the bright house. He stroked at the needles on one of the branches, soft and smooth when handled the right way, and wondered if he could walk right up to the people here and ask for shelter.
The sharp, clattering of the door echoed and pounded his ears with physical hurt, the suppressants would soon be utterly gone from his blood and he couldn’t decide if it was a good or bad thing. For now he craved the warmth of his wolf form and that would make it welcome but there was little else good that could come of it. He mused that if it weren’t for his inner wolf, he would have succumbed to hypothermia hours ago. Then again, if it weren’t for his wolf, he would never be in this predicament at all.
All thought of taking shelter here was chased away by the scent that wafted to him on a swirling ice-breeze. It was strong, masculine, musk and pheromone, his heightened sense of smell told him it was unmistakably werewolf and undoubtedly Alpha. It wasn’t unpleasant in the way that he was used to, but for him it spelled danger. He turned from the house and forced his blue-frozen limbs to cooperate. He waded through deep snow until he reached the first stand of mixed pine and heard the slam of the door and locks being reapplied.
He found a sheltered hollow and when he had exhausted himself in an unsuccessful effort to shift, he curled into a small, uncomfortable ball and nibbled at the bones he had stolen.
JENSEN
The morning was chaos. Chad climbed into his truck and drove off to check on the campsites and projects that took most of his time as a Park Ranger. Katie and Milo walked together to the small school where Katie taught and Milo assisted in the nursery. Christian was on late shift at the bar, so he slept late and Gen organized Jensen’s schedule and took calls before running out to volunteer at the library.
Jensen worked from home, he had a large room converted to take patients that doctors referred to his care and he visited the hospital on two days a week.
He made a quick tour of the kitchen and cleared debris that had been left lying, he may be Alpha but he was equally responsible for the chores and working from home gave him time for the little tasks. He wrapped the waste and stepped outside to tip it into the trash. The scent assaulted him as soon as he lifted the lid, sweet and spicy and distinctly werewolf. In fact, the same wolf he had scented in Chad’s truck and if that wasn’t distinctly odd then the fact that said werewolf had obviously been dumpster diving for their scraps was even more so. There was a whole forest of wild creatures within a few strides of their house and the pack had never had trouble taking something down on their sorties, even if it was generally a token rabbit, to skin and casserole for a few of the elderly residents.
Jensen recalled the noises from the previous night and the young man that had reached to the Christmas tree and at least some of it made sense. The snow was thick and, if this was their stray werewolf, the wind had blown away from the house, so the scent may not have reached him, besides there was something too faint and altogether weak about the smell. Sure, an Omega was less pungent than a Beta or Alpha but this was less again.
Whatever the circumstances, a strange Were spelled trouble for his small pack and if there was evidence that it was staying nearby, the pack would need to make a decision about what to do with it.
***
Jensen’s last client finished in early afternoon and he took time to talk with Christian about his suspicions. Christian, another alpha and second in command, was every bit at a loss as he was.
“A lone Omega? How can that even happen? Its not like he will have challenged for Pack Alpha and he’s not here to claim territory. Why would any pack exile an Omega?”
Jensen shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve heard the occasional story, if the Omega has been caught in a compromising position with a member of another pack or if there has been a crime committed. Once because the Pack Alpha wanted to force an unsuitable mating. Sometimes a wild pack will exile a sick wolf.”
“That’s pretty cruel.”
“They don’t take the benefit of antibiotics.”
“It might explain the weak scent.”
“It doesn’t explain why he was fully dressed, in human form, and rummaging for scraps.
Christian hummed and scratched his head. “Guess not. I’ll see what I can find out at work today. Of course, the simplest thing would be to track him down and ask his intentions. Chad’s always good for that.”
“Yeah.” replied Jensen. “Anyhow, chances are, he was passing through. He’s probably long gone by now.”
He walked into town to chat to Sheriff Hodge. It didn’t harm to maintain PR and keep in contact. Aldis Hodge had been instrumental in the pack being invited to settle in this town and Jensen regarded him as a good friend.
“I was looking to speak to you.” Aldis looked serious. He grabbed at Jensen and pulled him towards the coffee house before the Alpha had the opportunity to speak. “Double espresso with blueberry muffin?”
“This must be bad.” He joked but his friend just frowned.
Aldis made sure Jensen had taken his first sip before he spoke. “Look. I’m the one who knows that your pack is reliable. I was the one who you helped when you didn’t have to. You found a kidnapped boy when others would have continued out of town, unwilling to tell us what you were, and how you could scent and track the boy. For that, the entire town was grateful, so consider this a warning, as long as you identify the culprit, bring him in and let us deal with it.”
Jensen practically spat his coffee. “A warning for what?”
“One of your pack, out of control, up on Black Ridge this morning. The bunny massacre was almost forgivable, aside from them being pets, but jeez I thought you killed things outright. It’s not like your boy even got a meal.”
Jensen’s eyes widened in panic “Little Sarah’s bunnies, Honey and Marmalade?”
“Strawberry jam now.” said Aldis but the joke wasn’t meant to be funny.
“Oh God! Poor Sarah.” Jensen buried his head in his hands.
Aldis reached his hand over Jensen’s. “Jen, I hate to piss on your parade, but it’s not all. It was Sarah herself, she trusted all of you and when she tried to save her rabbits your boy turned on her, faced her down and snarled. Stopped just short of the pounce according to her Pa. He was lucky he backed up and ran before her Pappy got his shotgun.”
Jensen had turned pale. “What time?”
“Bout eleven.”
Jensen calculated. “Look Christian was with me, everyone else was at work.”
“Can you account for Chad? Will Christian back you up?”
“Aldis!” Jensen shook his head. “I don’t think it was one of us. I know how it looks but I was coming to see you. I needed to know if you’d seen anyone new about town. We had a Were by the house last night, raided our trash can, a tall, scruffy guy with dark hair.”
Aldis leaned back and scrutinized Jensen. “Are you saying that there is another werewolf in town? A little convenient don’t you think?”
Jensen got angry. “Look! Nothing is convenient Aldis, there’s a little girl scared witless and an uncontrolled werewolf, on the prowl. Now you can continue pointing the finger at me or you can let me help before somebody gets killed.”
Aldis sucked in a breath. “Wow. There’s the Pack Alpha talking. You’re in luck Ackles, I believe you. There was a guy matching your description. Rolled into town late evening. He was hassling some of our store keepers, asking for work, getting quite overwrought, saying he’d work for food.”
“And nobody offered him anything to eat?”
Thing is, he’s a tall one, and dirty. He wouldn’t give a name. He had no i.d. and no belongings. It stank of recent ex-con, just turned out. He had that look they get, like the world is too big for ‘em. We asked him to leave. He said he had no money and Old Remus in the post office asked what was wrong with walking. He said okay and took off.”
Jensen gulped his coffee. He fought to contain his anger with the townspeople. He knew that they were mostly generous people and that the stranger had looked threatening but damnit, it wouldn’t have harmed to feed a starving man. “Guess we better find him Aldis. His clothes weren’t even half adequate for the weather and if he felt the need to search trash for scraps then he must be starving. A hungry wolf is a dangerous thing.” His brows knitted. “Aldis, honestly, I saw the guy and he is ridiculously thin, I’m surprised he managed to pull back from the attack on Sarah. She’s a small child, easy prey and he was already in a blood-frenzy. However bad it looks for the pack, you should put out a warning, make sure children aren’t playing in vulnerable areas. I’ll gather the rest of the pack and we’ll go hunting.”
“Will you kill him?”
“Aldis, that’s an absolute last resort. Like I say, he’s starving and yet he managed to pull back from an attack that few others could resist. He may not be a bad guy.” Jensen couldn’t help the vivid memory of his sweet scent or of the sight of the tall, youth who reached to stroke their Christmas Tree. It didn’t seem like the action of a ruthless killer.
JARED
Jared felt sick. He licked at the blood on his coat and it tasted delicious and atrocious all at once. His human mind battled with his wolf ego for supremacy in this shared mind and lupine body. He didn’t even know if his wolf could be sick.
It had seemed like a godsend when he had woken in a faint reflected sun, to rub his snout over a thick-furred coat. He had shifted in his sleep, another thing he hadn’t known was possible. Maybe it was normal or maybe he had simply wanted it enough. Whatever, it had felt good. Every sense was heightened. He had a new energy and the buzz of a myriad wild scents and noises fired through this unfamiliar body. He felt joyful and alive and this foreign, empty landscape suddenly became home, life and breath. He rose and tested his limbs, it wasn’t easy but with his new-found enthusiasm he managed to co-ordinate four paws with his tail and body. He was hungry and instinct kicked in. He could hear the little heartbeats, smell warm blood that raced in the bodies of creatures he was now super-aware of. He found himself drooling, the thick saliva, falling onto his paw.
Hunting wasn’t as easy as he had anticipated and he found the pads of his paws getting sore as he roamed and stalked and pounced with increasing despair of ever catching a meal. The longer he spent in his wolf form the more his instinct seemed to take over and human thought slipped. He was desperate and focused. He couldn’t remember the exact events leading up to the encounter with the child but he remembered the blood on his lips, the coppery tang on his tongue hitting his stomach and an all encompassing need for more, more, more. He had given in to a red haze of primal intensity, until, in a brief moment of lucidity, his sight cleared and he was staring down a small child, barely older than a toddler. He could hear the intent in his own snarl and feel the tension in his body and suddenly the human Jared was screaming in his wolf mind to stop this, to shift and end the danger.
He couldn’t change, he didn’t know how, he stepped his wolf back and turned to flee, tripping over his own paws as he ran.
***
He was still hungry. He made himself get up on tired legs to try to make sense of the place he found himself. He was at about hip height to his normal stance and it made everything unfamiliar. His nose sniffed the air and his brain received messages, some he could decode, the smell of creatures nearby, the whiff of the pine, his own strange Omega scent. Others were more difficult. He was fairly sure his wolf should be able to interpret them and use it to find something even if he didn’t know what he was looking for. He had no pack, and no destination. He knew he couldn’t make it across this vast wilderness alone and yet he understood, with every breath of pure air, that he couldn’t go back to the City. It was obvious he would have to return to Wolf Pass to find food but if he couldn’t shift, he was too dangerous to be near people. A hint of werewolf scent wafted in on a breeze and he knew the only place he could go to look for scraps. He had found sustenance in their trash once before. He would have to try again. If he was lucky the pack worked during the day, he hadn’t seen evidence of cubs, so he may get lucky. If there was another reason why the scent lured him in, he was in no fit state to examine it.
***
In stark, white daylight the huge house that sat on the edge of Wolf Pass reeked of Were. He was shocked he hadn’t smelled it on his last visit. It pulled him in for miles like a blinking red light in the night.
Even though he sensed no inhabitants within the house Jared watched for what seemed like an age, to confirm that nobody was at home. He still hadn’t shifted. He had to knock at the trash and scrabble his paws against the can until it fell, spilling pungent, filthy treasure over the clean white blanket. His pride left him with the aroma of old bread, fruit peels and butter wrappers. He ripped and tore at the trash until he had devoured every crumb of stale bread and each rind of apple and then licked the wrappers clean. It wasn’t enough, not nearly, but it pushed back the growl and ache of his empty stomach and gave him brief respite from his exhaustion. He should have left immediately but he saw it again. He looked at it with the keen eyes of a wolf, the same sight, but different vision of light and scent, still beautiful through his wolf’s perception. He crept to the Christmas Tree and pressed his snout right into it, until the bells clanged, loud and distinctive. He looked up, searching for the angel at the top of the tree but he couldn’t see it from this angle. He backed up, mistiming his coordination and his tail landed with his back end, in the snow and now he could see it. He treasured the moment but he didn’t wait. He turned and loped into the forest. He would have to make a den somewhere far from the town and, if he was going to survive, he needed to learn to hunt.
{ Part 2 }