so this is a project for my writing class. I need people to review to make sure it'll be good enough for a good grade. Let me remind you I'm in middle school, so its not suppose to be high school level writing. Plz review and tell me your thoughts. I'm gonna die if I don't figure out if something's wrong with it.
I wake earlier in the morning, my ear twitching. I hear steps outside, they sound cautious. I peek out my window and see Matthew, Jason, and Caleb, one of the high lieutenants, outside. Oh no! They must smell Alex. I rush downstairs and see Alex sleeping in the couch. I shake him roughly, trying to wake him.
"What?!" He shoots up, panicked.
"Shhh. Go downstairs. You need to hide." I pull him to his feet and push him to the stairs. He limps down without any questions. I rush to the door and look through the peep hole.
"Crystal, let us in!" Matthew shouts. Dominant much? I snort before pulling the door open, looking completely civil with my messy hair.
"What? I was sorta sleeping." I groan. I rub my eyes and pat down my hair. He pushes past me and looks around. I grumble, but move aside for Jason and Caleb.
"Why is there a smell of a stranger?" He asks sharply. I cock my head and sniff the air.
"I don't smell anything." I state. He growls lightly and looks at me with sharp yellow eyes.
"Don't play dumb. Your nose is the best in the pack." He says calmly. He always tries to keep his cool. I scowl at him, I like pushing his buttons. He stares me straight in the eye and I will Alex to be quiet. Apparently his will is not the same.
I small bang comes from downstairs and his head shoots to the stair door. He glance back at me before walking to it and going downstairs. I growl in frustration and run down after them. I hear a bark and growl echo off the concrete walls. I see the three of them have shifted to their wolf form and Alex cowering in a corner.
I run the rest of the way and jump over their heads, shifting in mid-air. I land and spin on them, baring my teeth. 'What is she doing?' I hear Jason think. Matthew growls quietly.
"Step aside Crystal." He barks. He may be alpha, but I will not let them hurt Alex. I just meet this boy and I'm saving his butt again. I stand my ground and stare him down.
"No Matthew." I growl. Caleb steps toward me and my fur bristles until I'm twice my size. They know I'm strong and smart, I will fight until I drop. "Leave him alone." I narrow my gaze at all of them, my lips twitching back, showing my razor-sharp teeth.
"Crystal, what are you doing?" Jason demands.
"I won't let you hurt him." I growl again. I usually don't act like this to Jason. He seems lost at what to do. "Now back off!" I bark loudly. Matthew narrows his eyes, but flicks his tail, telling them to step back. Caleb growls once before stepping back behind him. I look back at Alex and see fear in his eyes, but there is also something else. Something I can't distinguish.
"What is going on Crystal?" Matthew asks calmly. Always with the calmness. He sits down and folds his tail around his paws. I huff quietly and pad up to him until I'm directly in front of him.
"I already saved this kids butt once, I won't let you hurt him." I say in a low, but hard voice. He cocks his head with a question. "He was attacked by hunters. Bear trap, guns. I saved him, I'm taking charge of him." His eyes show understanding and a small amount of pride. "Alex come here." I bark.
He shifts and walks forward on wobbly legs. He can probably tell Matthew is alpha here. He stands beside me, head lowered. Matthew looks him up and down with strict eyes.
"Who are you boy?" He asks.
"I'm Alex Cildin, past point guard of the Red Mountain pack." He replies and lifts his head slightly.
"Well, Alex, why are you here?"
"My pack was wiped out by an unknown disease. I am a lone survivor and I've been wandering the woods for about 4 months." That long! How can a wolf live that long without a pack?!
"I see. So the Red Mountain pack is no longer around?" He nods. "Very well, I will let you stay here, under watch though. If you get out of order at all, you will be chased from the territory."
"Yes sir." I glance at Matthew and see a slight smile.
"Welcome to the Silver River pack, Alex." With that he and Caleb exit. Jason glances at me before following them. I snort and turn to Alex. He has shifted back to a human form, so I do too.
"That was amazing. How do you stand up to him like that?" He asks in disbelief. I smile slightly.
"He's more like an older brother to me. He brought me into the back." I say with a shrug. 'This girls amazing.' He thinks. I feel my cheeks heat a bit. "Thank you." His eyes widen and he turns red. I laugh quietly, walking toward the stairs.
"How do you do that?"
"What, read your thoughts? It's just like a power or something." I state like it's simple.
"There go all my secrets." He mutters. I grab his hand, electricity running up my hand. I shake my head and pull him up the stairs, his leg giving him some problems. He sits down on the couch and I sit next to him instead of across.
"So I guess you're going to be sticking with us for a while." I say. He nods and gets a small smile on his face. "Is your leg ok?" He glances down on his legs and I see red tint the bandages. "Here, I'll put some new bandages on." I prop his leg on the foot rest, running off to get the first aid kit. I come back, holding it in my hand. He winces when I pull the bandage off of his ankle. The skin is red and the wound is really deep, you can see a dot of bone. He's lucky he didn't get it broken. I put some medicine on it and wrap it in new, clean bandages. On to his gun shot wound. I push the leg of his shorts up a bit until I can reach the bandage and unwrap it. He is a bit red, I think from embarrassment. I fix that one too and stand up again, clapping my hands together.
I go to the kitchen, finding some bacon. Starting the frying pan, I line them up in a row, listening to them sizzle. Breakfast is very important, especially if it consists of bacon. I flip them then put them on a plate for Alex. He is sitting on the couch, but he must have turned the tv on because he's watching Drake and Josh. I plop down next to him and put the plate between us. He looks down at the bacon and licks his lips.
"Bacon!" He grabs several pieces and eats them ravenously. I take one and nibble on it as I watch him. He must really like bacon. He finishes all the pieces he took and smiles toothily at me.
"I'm guessing you like bacon?"
"Uhhh..yah. I haven't had it in a while." He says shyly.
"Can't blame you. I mean seriously it's bacon." He chuckles lightly. "So, what was it like?"
"You mean being alone in the woods? To be truthful, it was terrifying. I thought I was going to die out there." I see a sadness in his eyes, but it disappears in and instants. "Those hunters had been tracking me for some days. When they finally got me, I thought I was done for. Then you showed up." I faint smile graces his lips. My eyes land on his lips for a few seconds before I look back at his eyes. 'And I will eternally be grateful.' He thinks. My lips twitch up into a small smile.
"Heard that." I smirk.
"Darn you." He mutters. Laughing quietly, I look at the clock. Wait, is today Wednesday?! Oh it is! Yay! On the first Wednesday of every month we have a howl circle. The whole pack gets together and we howl together. I look at him, suddenly excited. He raises and eyebrow. "Why the sudden excitement?" He asks curiously.
"Did your pack ever have howl circles?" He nods. "We're having one tonight, and you're coming." I say happily. He frowns slightly and I can tell he's thinking.
"Ok." He says simply. I jump up and down in my seat happily. This is the only thing that gets me this excited.
"Yay! It's gonna be so much fun." I have to go think of something I can howl. "Ok, you can watch tv, I need to go do something." I run upstairs, leaving him to his own supplies. Snatching a pen and notebook from my bedside table, I plop down at my desk and start writing.
When I finish I look down at my small poem proudly. Now I'm super excited. I grab my phone to text Christina.
Me- I have the perfect thing to howl tonight
C- Ohhh is it for a special someone?
Me- maybe...
C- eeeek! Can't wait to hear it!
I put my phone away and run back downstairs to find Alex is asleep on the couch. His hair is tossed over his forehead and his lips are parted slightly. Pulling a blanket over him, I watch his peaceful figure. His chest moves up and down with his breath, and my eyes are bewitched by him. His skin is tan and even, perfect matching his hair. I shake my head and watch tv. Time passes quickly and it's soon time to start getting ready to leave.
"Alex, wake up." I shove his shoulder. He groans and rolls over. "Wake up!" I push him off the couch, quite forcefully. He yelps when he hits the floor and his head shoots up.
"Don't so that!" He groans. I laugh and run to the door.
"Come on slowpoke! We need to go!" He runs up behind me, opening the door for me. I smile, walking out the door as he follows me. I shift quickly and start running through the woods. I hear swift, quiet footfall behind me as I glide across the earth. I am led by moonshine, the stars shining bright above my head. I finally see the cliff far ahead and slow my gait. "Almost there." I mutter. He stands beside me, easily keeping up with my smooth gait. We finally reach the clearing with the rock cliff that reaches up into the sky like a giant claw. Hence why we call it, claw cliff. I see Matthew at the top and several other wolves around the base.
We stay to the border since Alex is still a stranger to most. I see nervous looks and curious stares. I smile slightly and inch closer to him.
"Careful. They ain't so fond of strangers." I whisper. He nods and glances at me.
"Attention!" Matthew howls. "May the new year howls, begin!" He let's out a long and melodious howl, several others joining in. It all turns into one note, one sound, one voice. This is why I love it. I tilt my chin up and howl, howl to the moon. My voice smooth and sweet, unlike how I talk. I bay to the moon and starts, my ever standing friends. Then I hear a deep howl beside me. It's as smooth as butter but as hard as steel. It resonates through the woods. I turn to Alex and see his head slung back, eyes closed tight, howling like it's his last breath. It's truly breath taking the sound of it. Soft as a feather but as strong as iron. I watch him with wonder as his voice fades. He opens my eyes and catches me looking.
"Am I that bad?" He asks, embarrassed.
"What! No, you are amazing." I yip. I flick him with my tail and start another howl. He joins me and our voices intertwine, like a duet made for perfect partners. My howl high and melodious while his is deep and smooth. I love the sound of them together. All the voices slowly fade and Matthew barks again.
"Does anyone have anything they would like to howl?" I bark loudly and his attention turns to me. "Come up, Crystal." I pad forward, glancing back at Alex as he watches me. Standing on the cliff I glance at Matthew before I start.
"Your eyes shine like the moon
None can compare
They sparkle like gold
They light up the air
Your pelt shines bright
It shines like the stars
It captures thy eye
Even from afar
I watch from the shadows
For you can not know
The secrets I hold from you
Hidden deep in the snow
Your eyes, Your pelt
Oh how I wish you were mine
You light up my world
You keep the stars align"
I sing this with mystery for no one knows who I speak of. Everyone but me. My eyes cast on Alex near the back of the crowd, my heart thumps loudly in my chest. I told him my feelings without him knowing. This is how I always do it, turn my feelings into art. Wether music or paintings.
"That was beautiful Crystal. I'm sure we all wonder who it was about." Matthew says with a hint of curiosity.
"Ahh that is for me to know, and him to find out." I say quietly. Jumping down the rocks, I am crowded by people saying I was amazing. I ignore them all and push through to get to where Alex stands. He looks at me with awe, his eyes shining like the moon. The song so truly fits him.
"You were amazing." He murmurs. 'And beautiful.' I lower my head and smile to myself. "Oh crap, you heard that didn't you." He grumbles. My smile grows wider, he thinks I'm beautiful.
"No need to be ashamed." I nuzzle his side. To think, I never believed in true love at first sight. Now I do.
"So who was it about?" He asks curiously.
"I don't howl and tell." I say quietly. He looks semi irritated but still wags his tail.
"You really are something, huh?" I flick him playfully with my tail. We listen as more people stand alone and howl. I slowly inch closer to Alex until out pelts brush slightly. He doesn't move away, so I'll take that as a good sign. What surprises me though, is that I feel a tail drape over my shoulders. A sign of affection. Glancing at him, he acts like nothing is abnormal. I know I just meet him like three days ago or something, but boy, am I falling fast.