Fang
Chapter 19: Settling in

The first thing Jane does when she gets back is order Grandfather in a non-official way to inform the Tribunal to come here for the hearing. He starts to disagree but she stops him. “In accordance too by law 55 subsection 101 any Alpha may in a hearing involving a minor as determined by subsection 222 request such hearing to be held in the comfort of the minors pack boundaries.”

She is very satisfied with this and I don’t understand it besides that she wants the Tribunal to judge me here at the Compound. I hadn’t realized it might not be here.

Grandfather sighs then simply smiles and nods. “I’ll get on that shall I?” He agreesheading out with a wink my way.

Then she starts issuing Ian with orders as well. I don’t understand why they are listening to her considering she should have no status in the pack to speak of considering her age but I admire her take charge attitude and simply watch taking notes.

When they are gone it is growing dark outside and I feel drowsy. This is not my first injury and I expect I will be sleepy from lack of blood for a while still.

Jane is suddenly very uncomfortable and shields herself so well that I only get a short glimpse of what is causing it before she bounds out of the den. She hadn’t thought of the fact that having me there would mean sleeping in the same place as me but I don’t see the problem with it so I simply lay down closing my eyes. This has been the longest day I had ever had.

I wake up to the delicious smell of a fresh deer kill. I watch Jane drag it into the den and drop it in front of me.

“Are you awake?” She asks unsure and I realize that I was still shielding my thoughts.

I open my eyes and get up my shoulder is still sore but it feels much better than before. “Hi.” I say blinking away the sleep crusted in my eyes.

“You have to eat to get better.” She says pushing the carcass closer.

“You went out hunting for me?” I feel honoured. She nods simply and sits back waiting.

Not one to waste food I attack the carcass hungrily. When I come to the soft flesh of the liver I gently tug it free and place it aside. Then I realize she is still just watching me.

“Aren’t you hungry too?”I frown not use to eating alone.

“Oh yes of course a pack would eat together.” She rolls her eyes and slowly approaches tearing off small mouths full.

I don’t understand why she looks at me so intently while I eat but when everything is almost gone she makes sure to point out pieces I missed. Tomorrow is another day I tell her feeling over stuffed and sleepy. Considering the angle of the moon shining into the den’s entrance it must be very late indeed.

“What are you going to do with that?” She asks nodding at the liver I had put aside.

A deep pain fills me and I lift my head and howl my longing for my family. I had unthinkingly kept the softest meat aside for my youngest sister.

My actions startle Jane and she darts out and back into the den. She is confused unsure what family I am crying out for. Part of her wants to go and get Ian but at the same time she does not want to leave me alone. Ian comes to her rescue bounding into the den worried that something had happened. I can see that he had stayed close concerned about me and that too makes me miss my family.

I close my eyes shutting them out whishing this day to be over. Ian comes and lays down next to me giving me what comfort he can Jane does the same on my other side when I still whimper softly. I appreciate her trying to help but she is so stiff it is not much of a comfort at all.

There is no dreams to share I have to build my own and I do so in as much detail as I can summon my mind still a little foggy. I reconstruct my pack’s den around me from memory with each member in their place from LongFang to little SunBeam all snug around me every one in some small way touching the one closest to them and me in between DenMother and WindChaser with all the little ones around and even on top of us. With this image fixed firmly in my mind I finally fall into a restless sleep.

Both of them must be very early risers because I replace myself very much alone when I woke before dawn. I scanned for Ian and replace him where I presumed his den would be. Already his mind is a jumble of thoughts. Jane I cannot replace anywhere. This bothers me so I decided I will go track her down. The carcass and the liver from the previous night i gone and I am grateful not wanting the reminder of my sadness around.

I reached the den entrance and stop dead in my tracks. My breath is stolen from my lungs as I watched what my mind perceived as one of the most awesome sights my eyes has ever witnessed. I don’t even dare blink.

A human female is standing naked in the stream near the den. She is beautiful. I didn’t really have anything to compare her to not having seen many human females but to my eyes she is as the moon at its fullest, sacred and awesome in all its glory. The sun’s rays slowly maketheir way to where she is and touching her set her skin a fire with a soft glow.

I suddenly replace myself wanting to change into my human form just to be able to use my human paws to touch her hair and feel the softness of her skin with my human ‘fingers’. To stay in my wolf form in order to better smell the sweet scent of earth, water and spring blooms drifting from her body towards me on the breeze.

I could have stood there all day just watching her play in the water but she noticed me and froze her mouth gaping then she turned and took off running.

I didn’t understand what I had done wrong but she didn’t come back until after the sun had set and I pretended to be asleep afraid I would anger her and sent her running again.