Chapter 2

   I wake up to the bright light of the sun shining in my brown eyes. I yawn and move away from the burning sun light. Looking around, I notice that it is early morning, the sky still a slight shade of orange. The birds are chirping happily. As Dad used to say, "The birds wish to say good morning to you. Say good morning back, dear Celestial." 

   I look down at myself and notice I shifted back in my sleep. Bad thing: I have no clothes on. I blush bright red. It's not that I have a bad body or anything, I mean sure it's not the best, but my body isn't the worst either. It is just that I don't know what time I shifted back. Anyone or any creature could have seen me at any point it the night. Completely naked. 

   I get up slowly and my body aches from the way I slept in a cramped position against the tree last night. Last night. All the memories come rushing back and tears start to fall down my cheeks. Mom. Gone in an instant and it wasn't even a great way to die. I mean, she might as well have died all because of me. Because I wasn't strong enough to protect her. To help her.

   I quickly wipe away the tears and get up. Both Mom and Dad would tell me to be strong. They would want me to stay strong.

   I decide to shift back, until I can find some clothes to "borrow." I soon feel the familiar snapping of my bones that I have grown used to. In fact, it gets to be a really comforting feeling over time. I close my eyes, letting the feeling consume me. When my eyes open, everything is enhanced. I can see further and see more details of objects. I can see every single little bend and bump in the multi-colored leaves that lay on the ground. I can hear the tiniest of creatures that are rustling around, most likely trying to save up food for the upcoming winter. I can feel the lightest of breezes going through my fur.

   I stretch and yawn, still tired. I’m not sure if I’m tired because I just got up, because of a restless night, or a combination of the two. My eyes start to droop and I decide to let my wolf take over, since I can barely keep my eyes open as it is. I feel her take over. It’s a kind of feeling of rushing through the wind feeling and then it is like you are watching everything from a bit farther back. She shakes our tiny form out.

   Hello Celeste, She says happily. Way too happily for this early in the morning.

   Ancillary, I acknowledge her.

   She takes off in a sprint, running through the forest as the morning air glides through our fur and the multicolored leaves crunch under our paws. I laugh in my mind, starting to enjoy how Ancillary can be so very chirpy, as Ancillary howls towards the sky.

   She makes us leap over any objects small enough for our tiny form to make it over, like the small logs and rocks that are scattered everywhere throughout the forest. She splashes in a river when we find it and stops to get water.

   I sighed, all sad thoughts from last night gone for the moment. Not even a hint of the memories flashing in my head.

   Keep running, I tell Ancillary, even though I was starting to feel our body lose energy, and she does.

  The autumn air nips at our snout and I kind of wish that I couldn't feel what was going on when I was in wolf form. But that thought is forgotten when we jump over a small log and I can feel that same air going through my fur. It was a heavenly feeling.

   All of a sudden Ancillary yelps as she doesn't make the landing and our right back paw snaps backwards. I finch as I feel the pain and we land with our back hitting a tree, adding more pain.

   I whimper as the pain goes throughout our entire body. I feel myself take control again and the pain increases. I can always feel what is going on when I am in wolf form except it is only like feeling eighty percent of the feelings.

   Ancillary? I try reaching my wolf but she doesn't reply. Ancillary? Nothing. What's going on? Where are you? She remains silent, worrying my further.

   Another wave of pain goes through out my small body as I try to shift back. I whimper. The pain was almost unbearable. Almost. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd say around 8.5. But I've never been good with pain. I lay my head down on the ground and try to ignore the pain from my slight movement. I whimper once again as I realize I'm not healing at all. Usually my healing is slower than other wolves but right now I'm not healing what-so-ever.

   Ancillary, what's happening? I still don't get a reply which has me really worried. Ancillary! Where is she? Why isn't she replying?

   All of a sudden a twig snaps and I look up, trying to find the source. I look around, my heart racing in fear, and I whimpering every now and then from the slight pain.

   I only see the trees and the multi colored leaves. Then a guy and two wolves pop out from behind one of the trees. The guy has power radiating from him but not a lot. I can tell he is probably a beta from my past run ins with packs when we would part from people. I finch realizing I must have wondered into a pack territory. We, the remainder of my pack and I, were always careful about crossing into a pack's territory. 

   The guy is tall, at least 6', and he has a mop of brown hair slung across his forehead. He has dark brown eyes that are filled with annoyance and a hint of anger. The two wolves on either side of him are similar in heights and even have the same light brown eyes. The only difference between the two is that one has dark brown fur while the other has light brown fur.

I didn't dare move as fear entered my eyes. The guy growled at me before barking out, "What are you doing on this territory!"