Duncan's Story: 1-4

         The forest air smelled of damp earth as I shifted. My chocolate skin melted into silver fur while my bones crunched and reconstructed. I couldn’t hold in my pain any longer.

         My best friend had been put down yesterday and because of his actions tomorrow the pack would leave our large home forests just off the coast of Glacial Lake. It scared me that all I have known would be gone and in it’s place, the rolling hills of Northwest Georgia. Tomorrow was a day that I mourned the coming.

         That feeling wrenched itself out of my throat and was multiplied as I recognized the doleful howls of my age-mates.

* * * *

         Tomorrow came all too quickly as we piled into the van with my age-mates. It was crowded with twelve other teens but it wasn’t uncomfortable. We were used to being close and rubbing each other’s elbows. It was how we lived and would always live. The farm in Georgia would change nothing about how we lived, just where.

          The driver side door opened causing everyone to howl in horror as our eclectic Uncle Morris slid into the driver’s seat. His triplet sons were loudest since he constantly embarrassed them with telling on how much they admired some of the human women.

         “Don’t worry pups, I’ll make the drive enjoyable. Steppenwolf time!” Howls of tortured agony erupted from in the back as my ‘Uncle’ blared “Born To Be Wild”

         Ignoring the blatant attempt at irony, I turned to my thoughts. They were filled with the black-haired best friend that I had caused to be put down.







Ch.2



Chapter Two

         “You must be Duncan and Emerald Waters. Please come in. Shiloh has been here already and told me about the others. Eira, do me a favor and wait outside.” It was hard not to growl savagely as I entered Admin 3. The girl Mrs. Stone spoke to was beautiful. Long auburn tresses stretched in waves to her hips while blue eyes shone with intelligence and curiosity. I caught myself sniffing the air and smiled. She smelled of mountain air and some flower I’d never smelled before. She stalled at the door and cast me a short glance.

         “Eira, I’m going to need you to show Duncan to his classes. I’ll write a note to Mrs. Norris and Mrs. Rickey explaining why you were late.” ‘Eira’ nodded and quickly shut the door.

         “We were told to see you about a parking pass for our van.” Mrs. Stone nodded and started shifting papers. Emerald glared at me as I tried not to shift. It was hard but I stifled the fur beneath my skin.

         “Not to be rude, but who was she?” Emerald tried to look contrite but the curiosity won over. Mrs. Stone smiled happily.

         “Eira, she’s my niece. I believe she now has some classes with other people who moved here with ya’ll.” My smiled died a bit. She will probably scorn the supernatural and notice me for the predator I am.

         “Here you go, Duncan, could you call Eira in here please?” I nodded as my frame vacated the small office. Scanning the crowded hallway, I didn’t find her until a soft shuffle sounded down and to my right. I looked down and saw the most beautiful sight in the world. This human sat on the ground snuggling with a small furry wolf pup. He barely fit in the palms of her dainty hands yet she still held him like a wild beast. Carefully and lovingly.

         “You do know that those are wild animals right?” She smiled as she continued to stroke his ears. The wolf whined and wriggled so she held a bottle to him until he started to suckle

         “Yeah, I know, but he’s still a baby. I know that sounded airhead but since he‘s a mix the pound almost put him down in fear of the danger. As soon as Danny’s a year old, I have to register him with the police stations, pounds and vets. If he get‘s out even once, he‘s getting put down.” The name struck home but I ignored it.

         “Your Aunt told me to come get you.” She handed me the pup as she stood. Her petite form stood all of five foot four. It was a good average height but it only made her shorter in around since I stood a monstrous six foot nine. I kinda liked the height difference. 

         “Yes ma’am?” Her southern lilt tinged every word but it didn’t make her sound uneducated like most people thought. 

         “You have fourth lunch today and first tomorrow right?” She nodded. “Good, so does he. He’s the only one in either of those two lunches so can he sit with you  at lunch?” My stomach plummeted. I know how humans tend to treat newcomers.

         “Yes ma’am. Danny has just been fed so he won’t need it again until end of second period. Come on; let me show you around the prison that is Woodland High School.” She bowed playfully.







Chapter Three

           “Susan, Beth, Dixie this is Duncan. My Aunt wants me to show him around and introduce him to people.” I grinned. The girls at the table took well to me but Eira hid her emotions behind an iron curtain.

         “Where did you move from?” This came from the black-haired girl Eira called Beth.

         “Nome, Alaska. Is it always this warm here?” My question set off laughter from the girls at the table beside me. The girls around me smiled playfully while Eira answered my question.

         “This is as cold as it gets here. A frigid 10 degrees. Don’t worry, wait until summertime when it hits 101 degrees. Then you’ll be begging for winter.” She danced around as two guys came up to the table. It was cute until the blond midget poked a finger into the small of Eira’s back. She stilled and turned to look at the boy. She laughed.

         “That’s not my finger. Hey, who’s he?” I tensed until the blond midget sat down.

         “Jeremy, leave the poor boy alone. You and Matt molest almost everybody. Go molest Kenny.” Eira shook her head as the two boys left. She had feelings for the guy but they were brotherly from what I could tell.          Interesting enough, She seems to treat each of her friends with a different sense of personality. It wasn’t fake, just a different side of her persona.

         She turned to me and I lost myself in her big blue eyes for a minute. She wore a smile on her face and her curls were falling down in front of her shoulders. She looked beautiful…too beautiful. My fur once again began rippling beneath my skin.

         “Sorry about them, they’re kinda strange but you get used to it after awhile. I have 2nd period with a guy named Jake and he’s just as weird as them in some ways.” A boy at the next table glared playfully at her but she laughed it off.

         “So, Nome right? Is Balto just a myth or was he real?” She laughed slightly as I shook my head. Why would she even care? Yes Balto was real but everyone would flip if they found out that he was actually half native American and half white. Not to mention the fact that he was a werewolf!

         “Yes Balto was real. Although the rumor is that he was a werewolf that chose to live his life in his wolf-skin.” I grinned slightly and playfully. Her blue eyes found my face and lit up with wonder. Did she really believe in the supernatural or was she interested in me? The possibilities of that smile seemed endless. 

         “What, do you believe in things that go bump in the night?” She blushed and nodded her head. I waited for her to explain, but she seemed entirely interested in her tray of half eaten pizza.

         The girl, Dixie, rolled her eyes and left as Eira finally looked up. She noticed it and looked back down at her tray in embarrassment. Anger tried to fight it’s way to the surface but I ignored it.

         “There is nothing wrong with believing in that stuff. You should’ve met my best friend. He was way into anything most people deem as unnatural.” She smiled and once again I thought of what she’d be like outside of school. Why would anyone ignore such a beautiful girl such as this?

         My fur rippled beneath my skin in warning of another werewolf. This one was female and she was headed my way. I sniffed the air discreetly while Eira and her friends rambled about some project that was due tomorrow. The scent reminded me of the snow and burned my nose with it’s intensity. Whoever the she-wolf is, she’s cold and unloving.

         “Hi my name is Skylar and I was wondering if you’d like to come sit with us adults.” She flipped her white-blonde hair over her shoulder to reveal her neck to me in offering of her body. It disgusted me that she would be so blatant. Then her smell caught me; she was in heat.

         “No thank you.” She sniffed in disgust but I laughed at her retreating back. Her skirt began riding up on her thighs on ‘accident’ as she headed back towards her entirely human table.

         “Wow, either you’re gay or have really great taste in women.” I was confused by this comment. I didn’t know what the word ‘gay’ meant.

         “Gay?” Her small mouth dropped open slightly but she quickly explained that that word was used for homosexuals or bisexuals. “why do you say that?”

         She blushed a little under my intent gaze. “Because Skylar Malone is one of the prettiest girls in the school and she was obviously into you.” Her blush deepened as she realized that we were the last two at the table. I grinned causing her to look down with a even deeper blush on her pale cheeks.

         “Pretty faces hide ugly mind…most of the time.” I placed my hand on her cheek and lifted her face to look me in the eyes. They were changing color from their clear sapphire to a smoky grey. It fascinated me. She fascinated me. This little human girl, who held a half wolf pup lovingly and protectively.



Chapter 4

         “So how did you like your first day?” Eira found me on the way out to the buses, well fine…I made sure she saw me.

         “It was okay. Warm, but okay.” I rolled my eyes at her incredulous look. Apparently she thought it was cold. She should try living in Alaska. It would destroy her idea of ‘cold’.

         “I’m sorry, I’m just not used to anyone walking around in ten degree weather wearing only a thin long sleeve tee-shirt.” She smiled softly and once again my fur rippled beneath my skin. She seemed to cause that a lot.

         “That’s fine. Hey, what bus do you ride?” She smiled.

         “205, what bus do you ride?”

         “When I ride the bus, it’ll be 205.” She shook her head playfully. It made me smile that she never seemed to be in a bad mood.

         “Could you tell me when we get to Tuba Dr.?” She looked incredulously at me.

         “You ride the same bus and live in my neighborhood? Andi is going to die.”