revo
mad to live
Birchwood Wildlife Preserve, Grenier Mountain Range
1:00 AM, Saturday May 15th, 2020
His family didn't usually make the trek all the way out to this part of the countryside. Usually, during a full moon, they'd change in the woodlands on their own private land. Jackson preferred it that way; he'd rather have his people safe within borders he could control.
Yet with the addition of two new wolves to their little compound this month, it was better to travel farther up the mountain to the wildlife preserve. If they'd stayed home, Jackson wasn't a hundred percent convinced they wouldn't become distracted by the sounds and scents of the city. New wolves could easily allow their senses to take over and and the last thing the pack needed was for them to follow their noses right into the center of town.
Out here, in the hundreds of acres of open woodland upon the mountain range, the only thing they had to fear was a rare park ranger or other predators. Jackson and the other more experienced wolves would just have to keep a keen eye out. and make sure they kept the pups focused. It was something they'd done before. They had often been driven to change on the preserves when they had guests.
In fact, his younger brother Liam was excited for the change of pace. It was like being on a field trip to him. He'd grinned from ear to ear the whole time he was packing camping gear into the truck in preparation for the trip. Now, as they all undressed in the brisk open air, he was a step ahead of them. He'd flung his clothes into a bush the second he put boots to ground.
He was already messing around, wolfed out, without a care in the world, his big blue eyes pleading with the rest of them to hurry up as he danced on his paws. The two new wolves still didn't have much control over their change. They stood, naked and contorted, struggling between human and wolf. Gutteral sounds came from their open mouths, as their faces grimaced in pain. He rolled his eyes at them impatiently.
Jackson folded his clothes, stored them in a bag, and threw them into the back of the truck cab. Then he rolled his shoulders and transformed seamlessly into his four-legged form. He was mostly charcoal black with tufts of tan and brown around his hocks and face. His cool blue eyes shone, a reflection of his brothers. Liam's coat was warmer, more brown than his brothers, but their eyes were almost exactly the same hue of bright blue. Jackson rolled his shoulders, stretching out the kinks. It'd been too long since he let himself change and all of his senses felt like they were on fire. He forced himself to breathe slowly, in through his snout and out through his open, panting mouth.
After a few moments later his cousin Peter emerged from another area of the woods. He'd stopped at their camp and set up the tent, sleeping bags, and fire. They'd need them when they came back from their run. He waved to his wolf brother before stowing his clothes in the truck, shifting, and coming to sit by his side.
"We're all set." Peter thought to Jackson, taking advantage of the telepathy their wolf forms allowed. His green eyes settled on the two still stuck in their change. He shook his sandy colored head. "Poor saps."
"Feels like just yesterday that was you and me." Jackson replied, his mind immediately drawn back to the day they had first changed. Peter nodded solemnly. Liam, unable to sit still, ran past them, doing wild circles around their camp. Peter smirked to himself and sprang forward as his lap neared the two of them. He lunged forward, tripping up Liams legs, and send him sprawling. Liam got up quickly, his tongue lolling out, eye sparkling, his expression clearly saying "it's on."
Jackson laughed to himself. Bunch of pups, the both of them. Speaking of which, the two new wolves had finally finished the change. Their names were Marcus and Lyla. Marcus had been a NAVY communications officer and Lyla was his wife. The Supernatural Military Network (SMN) had sent them to Jackson when Marcus' service was up. He didn't know much about their story, but what he did know made it hard to look Marcus in the eyes. One night right after Marcus had been changed he was on leave. He'd come home to his wife, thinking he had a handle on his wolf. But he was wrong. They'd gotten into a fight. He'd turned. He'd bit her, nearly killed her. Lucky for him, she survived the change. Now, they were broken, barely hanging on. The tension between them was palpable but he was the only one she knew who could teach her how to deal with her new life. She depended on him and Jackson to get her through this.
They looked around them through their newly canine eyes, obviously captivated by how vibrant things were despite the setting sun. Jackson let out a low woof to get their attention and made his way towards them. He passed between them, rubbing his sides along theirs in greeting.
"You can do this." He thought softly to them. He padded softly away, motioning with his head for them to follow. They did, and he picked up speed. In the distance he could smell a rabbit. Liam and Peter were already on it's tail. He could hear them crashing through the underbrush in the distance. Marcus caught the scent of it and surged a head. Lyla stayed by his side, subdued and depressed, just barely keeping up. Jackson huffed and slowed his pace until he could ram his head into her flank as if to say, "Let's go girl!"
She rolled her eyes but picked up the pace and before long was captivated by the chase like all the others. Her shoulders began to relax. They all fell into a rhythmn. Even when the rabbit had disappeared into it's hiddey hole, they kept running, enjoying the wind in their fur.
Then suddenly, the wind changed. Human! The scent of human was suddenly on them, clear and distinct.
Everyone panicked. Lyda lunged in the direction of the scent, jaw chomping, beginning to salivate. Peter jumped in front of her and cut her off with a low growl. Marcus immediately jumped to her defense, lip curled back at Peter. Liam had to jump in between the two anxious male wolves.
Jackson barked and all four heads swiveled towards him.
"Get them out of here." He ordered Peter. Without protest, his cousin herded them out of there and back in the direction of camp. Liam followed at their heels, making sure they didn't double back. Marcus and Lyla looked wild and agitated but they didn't try to run. They headed back, glancing back in the direction of the scent longingly. Once Peter got them to camp they would change safely and loop back around to the camp ground. They'd have the trucks ready in case they needed to make a quick get away. There was no public camping in this area of the wood. But better they get arrested as humans camping illegally than be seen wolfing out.
Jackson immediately went on the defensive. He headed to investigate, planning to be swift and unseen. He'd find the location of the park ranger or whoever this human was and make sure they weren't headed this way. From the scent they were about a mile away. It could be nothing. There was still time. Stay calm.
He ran in that direction, but the winds had started to pick up. They were spiraling and changing course on a dime. He couldn't keep track of the human scent. It was dark, and while he had excellent night vision it wasn't enough. By the time he smelled her he was practically on top of her. She stood there, gun raised, and fired.
He acted on instinct and sprung. Luckily, the gun shot out a tranquilizer dart instead of a deadly bullet, but he couldn't stop himself. He fell on her hard, his jaw clamping down on her arm as he would with any prey in his sights. She hit her head. She fell and lay unconscious. He could already see the blood starting to spill from the gash he'd made.
Instantly in shock at how he'd lost control, he sprang away from her, the soft whine of a saddened dog on his tongue. He tucked his head low, cowering in concern. He stepped forward and licked her face, his wolf suddenly distressed. The human side of him struggled for dominance but his mind was woozy and unclear. Damn tranquilizer. He staggered on four legs, teetering before they gave out beneath him and the world went dark.
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It wasn't until a few hours later that he came to. He was back at the pack house. He was in his bed, his family and pack around him. From what he could gather Peter had gotten them out of the woods. All of them. Human girl included.
He'd brought the three of them back to camp. They'd changed and redressed. Then he'd posed as a hunter, having found an injured woman, so that he could drop the human girl off at a local hospital. He'd lied to the staff and said he thought it was a rabid dog.
Peter said it didn't look good. She had been in bad shape and he wasn't sure her wolf was going to stick. Jackson knew his bite might just kill her. A lump lodged in his throat. The human side of him thought it might be better if she died: less backlash on the pack, less guilt about what he'd done... but that didn't make his wolf happy at all. He could practically hear the growling inside his head.
He had to know. He had to know if she had survived the night. He had to find her, to take care of her. No one deserved to go through what he and Peter suffered, alone and afraid. He had vowed he would never do that to anyone, and now he'd broken that promise. She'd had no choice. There should always be a choice. He closed his eyes, lines of frustration showing deep across his face. He tried to sit up and it felt like his head was going to crack open.
"Hey, easy, easy." Liam argued, trying to get him back onto his bed.
"No." Jackson replied sternly, the weight of the order taking root in his brother's wolf. "When you changed Peter and I didn't leave you to go it alone. If she's still breathing she won't be either." End of discussion.
Jackson stumbled groggily into the passenger seat of the truck and Liam drove. Peter stayed home with their sister Amy, Marcus, and Lyla. Amy had made them dessert and coffee, her fave tight with worry. They had been sitting at the dining room table speaking softly when the two of them left.
They arrived at the hospital in about an hour but the girl was already gone. Jackson had been pushy and intolerable but the hospital refused to release her records. All they'd say was that she had just suffered a small bit to her hand. They'd disinfected it, bandaged it up, and sent her on her way. Little did they know, disinfectant would never cure what had been done.
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It took them a day or so to hack into the hospital files and by then she'd already left town. But a man of his word, he wasn't about to leave her. If she wanted a place in his pack she would get it. If she had questions about her change he would answer them. He would not let his wolf be the one thing in her life that haunted her into eternity. He had to find her.
His firm was good at tracking people down and it wasn't hard to follow the bread crumbs that eventually led to a small University about an hours drive from the mountains.
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He pulled into the University parking lot with only less than 12 hours before her first change. He'd set his watch and it felt as though there was a bomb about to explode. His chest was tight with anxiety. He had to get to her before she turned.
He'd pulled into the lot outside her assigned dorm. He needed to remember to give their Apex Corp. IT guy a raise... He neared the main entrance and flared his nostrils, taking in the scents. More than one supernatural had passed through these doors. Only a two or three of the scents were fresh. He closed his eyes, trying to remember that night. It had all happened so fast... He pictured her face as she raised her gun at him, the shock in her eyes as she saw the sheer size of him, the musk of her skin as the breeze shifted. Yes. There it was!
He followed the familiar scent of her perfume, natural skin, and underlying wolf. His fists clenched at his sides as he forced himself to maintain his easy pace. He wanted to run. He wanted to find her as quickly as possible. He wanted to grab her and shake her, to warn her of what was coming. But he didn't. Keep it together, he told himself.
He wound his way through the concourse, through the groups of curious undergraduates. They probably thought he was an adjunct professor in his dark slacks, button down dress shirt, and matching belt and dress shoes. He was a CEO of a successful business and he dressed the part, his leather jacket and unbuttoned collar the only sign that he wasn't a corporate cog in the machine.
He reached a big, brick building, with four large pillars out front and a pretentious plaque above the door with some rich schmuck's name on it. He walked in, pulling the heavy door open with an easy swing of his arm. A young freshman was walking in at the same time and he held the door for her, his jaw tightening with restraint as she came between him and his goal. She blushed as she passed, assessing his strong build and purposefully unkept hair. He ignored her and moved forward past her into the hallway. He tracked her into the right wing, down the hall. The scent was getting stronger.
Then he was in front of a large auditorium. A professor was lecturing, gesticulating wildly at numbers on the board. Obviously his class wasn't nearly as excited about the subject matter, but the sturdy bald fellow certainly seemed into it. Teachers, odd sorts, he thought to himself, reminded of his adorable little sister the elementary teacher.
He took a seat in the back, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the room. It wasn't long until they settled on her. He heaved a sigh in one whoosh of breath, relief flooding through him...
1:00 AM, Saturday May 15th, 2020
His family didn't usually make the trek all the way out to this part of the countryside. Usually, during a full moon, they'd change in the woodlands on their own private land. Jackson preferred it that way; he'd rather have his people safe within borders he could control.
Yet with the addition of two new wolves to their little compound this month, it was better to travel farther up the mountain to the wildlife preserve. If they'd stayed home, Jackson wasn't a hundred percent convinced they wouldn't become distracted by the sounds and scents of the city. New wolves could easily allow their senses to take over and and the last thing the pack needed was for them to follow their noses right into the center of town.
Out here, in the hundreds of acres of open woodland upon the mountain range, the only thing they had to fear was a rare park ranger or other predators. Jackson and the other more experienced wolves would just have to keep a keen eye out. and make sure they kept the pups focused. It was something they'd done before. They had often been driven to change on the preserves when they had guests.
In fact, his younger brother Liam was excited for the change of pace. It was like being on a field trip to him. He'd grinned from ear to ear the whole time he was packing camping gear into the truck in preparation for the trip. Now, as they all undressed in the brisk open air, he was a step ahead of them. He'd flung his clothes into a bush the second he put boots to ground.
He was already messing around, wolfed out, without a care in the world, his big blue eyes pleading with the rest of them to hurry up as he danced on his paws. The two new wolves still didn't have much control over their change. They stood, naked and contorted, struggling between human and wolf. Gutteral sounds came from their open mouths, as their faces grimaced in pain. He rolled his eyes at them impatiently.
Jackson folded his clothes, stored them in a bag, and threw them into the back of the truck cab. Then he rolled his shoulders and transformed seamlessly into his four-legged form. He was mostly charcoal black with tufts of tan and brown around his hocks and face. His cool blue eyes shone, a reflection of his brothers. Liam's coat was warmer, more brown than his brothers, but their eyes were almost exactly the same hue of bright blue. Jackson rolled his shoulders, stretching out the kinks. It'd been too long since he let himself change and all of his senses felt like they were on fire. He forced himself to breathe slowly, in through his snout and out through his open, panting mouth.
After a few moments later his cousin Peter emerged from another area of the woods. He'd stopped at their camp and set up the tent, sleeping bags, and fire. They'd need them when they came back from their run. He waved to his wolf brother before stowing his clothes in the truck, shifting, and coming to sit by his side.
"We're all set." Peter thought to Jackson, taking advantage of the telepathy their wolf forms allowed. His green eyes settled on the two still stuck in their change. He shook his sandy colored head. "Poor saps."
"Feels like just yesterday that was you and me." Jackson replied, his mind immediately drawn back to the day they had first changed. Peter nodded solemnly. Liam, unable to sit still, ran past them, doing wild circles around their camp. Peter smirked to himself and sprang forward as his lap neared the two of them. He lunged forward, tripping up Liams legs, and send him sprawling. Liam got up quickly, his tongue lolling out, eye sparkling, his expression clearly saying "it's on."
Jackson laughed to himself. Bunch of pups, the both of them. Speaking of which, the two new wolves had finally finished the change. Their names were Marcus and Lyla. Marcus had been a NAVY communications officer and Lyla was his wife. The Supernatural Military Network (SMN) had sent them to Jackson when Marcus' service was up. He didn't know much about their story, but what he did know made it hard to look Marcus in the eyes. One night right after Marcus had been changed he was on leave. He'd come home to his wife, thinking he had a handle on his wolf. But he was wrong. They'd gotten into a fight. He'd turned. He'd bit her, nearly killed her. Lucky for him, she survived the change. Now, they were broken, barely hanging on. The tension between them was palpable but he was the only one she knew who could teach her how to deal with her new life. She depended on him and Jackson to get her through this.
They looked around them through their newly canine eyes, obviously captivated by how vibrant things were despite the setting sun. Jackson let out a low woof to get their attention and made his way towards them. He passed between them, rubbing his sides along theirs in greeting.
"You can do this." He thought softly to them. He padded softly away, motioning with his head for them to follow. They did, and he picked up speed. In the distance he could smell a rabbit. Liam and Peter were already on it's tail. He could hear them crashing through the underbrush in the distance. Marcus caught the scent of it and surged a head. Lyla stayed by his side, subdued and depressed, just barely keeping up. Jackson huffed and slowed his pace until he could ram his head into her flank as if to say, "Let's go girl!"
She rolled her eyes but picked up the pace and before long was captivated by the chase like all the others. Her shoulders began to relax. They all fell into a rhythmn. Even when the rabbit had disappeared into it's hiddey hole, they kept running, enjoying the wind in their fur.
Then suddenly, the wind changed. Human! The scent of human was suddenly on them, clear and distinct.
Everyone panicked. Lyda lunged in the direction of the scent, jaw chomping, beginning to salivate. Peter jumped in front of her and cut her off with a low growl. Marcus immediately jumped to her defense, lip curled back at Peter. Liam had to jump in between the two anxious male wolves.
Jackson barked and all four heads swiveled towards him.
"Get them out of here." He ordered Peter. Without protest, his cousin herded them out of there and back in the direction of camp. Liam followed at their heels, making sure they didn't double back. Marcus and Lyla looked wild and agitated but they didn't try to run. They headed back, glancing back in the direction of the scent longingly. Once Peter got them to camp they would change safely and loop back around to the camp ground. They'd have the trucks ready in case they needed to make a quick get away. There was no public camping in this area of the wood. But better they get arrested as humans camping illegally than be seen wolfing out.
Jackson immediately went on the defensive. He headed to investigate, planning to be swift and unseen. He'd find the location of the park ranger or whoever this human was and make sure they weren't headed this way. From the scent they were about a mile away. It could be nothing. There was still time. Stay calm.
He ran in that direction, but the winds had started to pick up. They were spiraling and changing course on a dime. He couldn't keep track of the human scent. It was dark, and while he had excellent night vision it wasn't enough. By the time he smelled her he was practically on top of her. She stood there, gun raised, and fired.
He acted on instinct and sprung. Luckily, the gun shot out a tranquilizer dart instead of a deadly bullet, but he couldn't stop himself. He fell on her hard, his jaw clamping down on her arm as he would with any prey in his sights. She hit her head. She fell and lay unconscious. He could already see the blood starting to spill from the gash he'd made.
Instantly in shock at how he'd lost control, he sprang away from her, the soft whine of a saddened dog on his tongue. He tucked his head low, cowering in concern. He stepped forward and licked her face, his wolf suddenly distressed. The human side of him struggled for dominance but his mind was woozy and unclear. Damn tranquilizer. He staggered on four legs, teetering before they gave out beneath him and the world went dark.
----------------------------------------
It wasn't until a few hours later that he came to. He was back at the pack house. He was in his bed, his family and pack around him. From what he could gather Peter had gotten them out of the woods. All of them. Human girl included.
He'd brought the three of them back to camp. They'd changed and redressed. Then he'd posed as a hunter, having found an injured woman, so that he could drop the human girl off at a local hospital. He'd lied to the staff and said he thought it was a rabid dog.
Peter said it didn't look good. She had been in bad shape and he wasn't sure her wolf was going to stick. Jackson knew his bite might just kill her. A lump lodged in his throat. The human side of him thought it might be better if she died: less backlash on the pack, less guilt about what he'd done... but that didn't make his wolf happy at all. He could practically hear the growling inside his head.
He had to know. He had to know if she had survived the night. He had to find her, to take care of her. No one deserved to go through what he and Peter suffered, alone and afraid. He had vowed he would never do that to anyone, and now he'd broken that promise. She'd had no choice. There should always be a choice. He closed his eyes, lines of frustration showing deep across his face. He tried to sit up and it felt like his head was going to crack open.
"Hey, easy, easy." Liam argued, trying to get him back onto his bed.
"No." Jackson replied sternly, the weight of the order taking root in his brother's wolf. "When you changed Peter and I didn't leave you to go it alone. If she's still breathing she won't be either." End of discussion.
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Jackson stumbled groggily into the passenger seat of the truck and Liam drove. Peter stayed home with their sister Amy, Marcus, and Lyla. Amy had made them dessert and coffee, her fave tight with worry. They had been sitting at the dining room table speaking softly when the two of them left.
They arrived at the hospital in about an hour but the girl was already gone. Jackson had been pushy and intolerable but the hospital refused to release her records. All they'd say was that she had just suffered a small bit to her hand. They'd disinfected it, bandaged it up, and sent her on her way. Little did they know, disinfectant would never cure what had been done.
----------------------------------------
It took them a day or so to hack into the hospital files and by then she'd already left town. But a man of his word, he wasn't about to leave her. If she wanted a place in his pack she would get it. If she had questions about her change he would answer them. He would not let his wolf be the one thing in her life that haunted her into eternity. He had to find her.
His firm was good at tracking people down and it wasn't hard to follow the bread crumbs that eventually led to a small University about an hours drive from the mountains.
----------------------------------------
He pulled into the University parking lot with only less than 12 hours before her first change. He'd set his watch and it felt as though there was a bomb about to explode. His chest was tight with anxiety. He had to get to her before she turned.
He'd pulled into the lot outside her assigned dorm. He needed to remember to give their Apex Corp. IT guy a raise... He neared the main entrance and flared his nostrils, taking in the scents. More than one supernatural had passed through these doors. Only a two or three of the scents were fresh. He closed his eyes, trying to remember that night. It had all happened so fast... He pictured her face as she raised her gun at him, the shock in her eyes as she saw the sheer size of him, the musk of her skin as the breeze shifted. Yes. There it was!
He followed the familiar scent of her perfume, natural skin, and underlying wolf. His fists clenched at his sides as he forced himself to maintain his easy pace. He wanted to run. He wanted to find her as quickly as possible. He wanted to grab her and shake her, to warn her of what was coming. But he didn't. Keep it together, he told himself.
He wound his way through the concourse, through the groups of curious undergraduates. They probably thought he was an adjunct professor in his dark slacks, button down dress shirt, and matching belt and dress shoes. He was a CEO of a successful business and he dressed the part, his leather jacket and unbuttoned collar the only sign that he wasn't a corporate cog in the machine.
He reached a big, brick building, with four large pillars out front and a pretentious plaque above the door with some rich schmuck's name on it. He walked in, pulling the heavy door open with an easy swing of his arm. A young freshman was walking in at the same time and he held the door for her, his jaw tightening with restraint as she came between him and his goal. She blushed as she passed, assessing his strong build and purposefully unkept hair. He ignored her and moved forward past her into the hallway. He tracked her into the right wing, down the hall. The scent was getting stronger.
Then he was in front of a large auditorium. A professor was lecturing, gesticulating wildly at numbers on the board. Obviously his class wasn't nearly as excited about the subject matter, but the sturdy bald fellow certainly seemed into it. Teachers, odd sorts, he thought to himself, reminded of his adorable little sister the elementary teacher.
He took a seat in the back, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the room. It wasn't long until they settled on her. He heaved a sigh in one whoosh of breath, relief flooding through him...
