อาณาเขตแห่งความสดใสของนายโฮป (Territory of Brightness)

Alright, so maybe it was not the smartest idea to be tracking werewolves. Actually, considering I have been hiding from this specific pack for almost a decade now this is borderline suicide. There is just something about these scouts that I have to find out about.

I am currently tracking and learning about two scouts that walked by me recently without realizing that I was there. Both are rather tall, but one is about two inches taller than the other and is built like a mountain, so he seems so much bigger than the other one. The smaller of the two actually seems just a bit more intimidating and would most likely tower over anybody else besides his scouting companion. Something about him just makes him seem more dangerous than the larger on though.

“Did you smell that.” The shorter one said.

“No, Alpha. What does it smell like?” The mountain replied to the……Alpha?

Just my luck I would be following the one that I should be avoiding more than any of the others. Standing behind a bush I shift and accidentally rustle a tree branch. Instead of continuing on both heads whip over to my hiding spot. Oh Crap! I have to hide again.

Turning my focus inwardI use the trick that I stumbled across a long time ago. Slowly, I turn my attention inward. When I do my body begins to shrink into something much smaller and less intimidating. As soon as I finish shifting, I hear the two werewolves walk over. Looking down the smaller one scoffs, “Pff, it is just a bird. That does not explain the smell coming from over here. It reminds me of a mixture of roses and lavender.”

“Well, I do not think that a bird could smell like that combination, and I do not smell anything close to that. Do you want me to have the other scouts check this area better?” The larger one replied.

“No, Kevin. Maybe I am just imagining the garden from my childhood. My mother grew all kids of fragrant plants and flowers.” He mused.

After looking around one more time they both head off into the woods. Learning my lesson, I head back to my normal hiding spot. Following the Alpha of the Hidden Warrior pack is a terrible idea. If I had known that he was the Alpha I never would have tried to learn more about him. He piqued my interest when they both walked past, and I caught a hint of basil and rosemary. The combination of smells made my mouth water and I just wanted to find out what could make such an appealing smell.

When I get back to my hiding spot, I scout carefully to ensure that nobody followed me or found the hidden entrance. There are two trees that are large enough for three people to barely be able to wrap their arms around standing closely together. The rose bush that stands in the middle of them is positioned well enough that it hides the fact that there is a hole in the ground between the trees leading to what I have come to call as my home.

My sad backstory started when I was 8 years old. Up until then I was a happy wolf pup living with my mother and my human father. We never lived with a pack considering that my father was a human. I never knew any other way of growing up besides being both of my parent’s worlds. They made it their life goal to make sure that I was always happy and safe. That is up until shortly after I turned 8. Then, my world turned upside down.

Our home was a cute little cottage that was in the middle of the woods. A creek ran along the front of it and there was a mountain not far behind it. That mountain ended up saving my life. One night, my mom came running into my room and told me that it was time to hide. They had warned me long ago that this was a possibility, so I knew exactly what they expected me to do.  Under my bed, there was a hidden trap door that connected to an underground tunnel that led to the mountain. From there, all I had to do was find a hiding place on the mountain until my parents came for me. If they did not come in three days, I was to find somewhere farther away and stay hidden until I found my mate. I waited for a week for my parents to show up, but they never did. Broken hearted, and at the tender age of 8 I had to learn to take care of myself and stay hidden.

It was a bit of a learning experience each day to stay alive. I had to learn how to feed myself, how to clothe myself and even where I was going to make my den. My first winter I almost did not make it but by some miracle I found a way.

I hadn’t given much thought to a possibility of a mate until recently. Considering I have been in hiding and have not had contact with anybody that might begin to recognize me it didn’t seem that likely to find a mate. While I still am not sure if that is what I was smelling today in the woods it is still a possibility. I have never smelled anything that unique and appealing before.