Chapter 3

2 days later

Percy gasps as he sits up in horror, he scans his surroundings, trying to figure out what just happened. He briefly panics when he couldn't remember where he is until he slowly recognizes the wooden floor, the cramped space and the newly acquired stove resting in the corner as it gives off warm heat. He rises from his place on the floor where he made a small nest with his one and only blanket.

He stretches, causing a series of pops to sound out as he does so. He glances to the sky and barely makes out the blooming moon as it pale light is starting to break from the cloud front. It is almost time.

This is the moment that excites yet terrifies him all the time. He is weary from the monthly pain he has to endure whenever he changed. He shivers as he thinks about it; his bones being crushed, his face being rearranged and the feeling that scalding water has replaced his blood would take over. He wishes there was a way to avoid the pain, but there is no real solution other than to get used to it.

Despite this though, he is actually excited by the prospect of running through the forest, an activity that he has become quite fond of. Whether he's running on two feet or on all fours, he always gets a kick out of it. It's as if he can run; sprint away from his worries and his problems and from the curse. He has also grown a liking to his wolf self, a black furred creature that has an enhanced sense of smell, in-tuned ears and immense strength that no human can possibly match.

The dogs he has run into in the past has often yelled at him calling him a freak, whether he is in human or wolf shape. Slowly, he is starting to believe them. It has almost been three years since he was bitten and, he feels as if he is alone. He is alone in a world that will hate him if they ever discover what he is. The demigod is almost tempted to give himself over to the people, to reveal his secret, maybe they know what he is. Sadly, the only ones that accept him, are the ones he can't go to because he was banished.

He hears the howls in the dark and he looks back at the moon. It is slowly making its appearance and he feels his body reacting. His joints suddenly feel loose, his head is beginning to throb and the room is becoming unbearably hot. Percy checks outside again to make sure no one is watching before he sheds his clothes. When he took off his shirt that is when the pain started.

It feels almost like an unbearable cramp struck him in the torso, making him want to stretch and relieve himself of the torment, but he knew there was no way of easing the pain. The only thing he can do is to crouch down on the floor and grit his teeth as he tries his best not to yell out in agony.

He starts to pant as his arms go numb before a sharp pain strikes his bones. He sucks in a large breath of air as he feels his bones tighten before being crushed. The closest thing he can compare this sensation to is when he broke his wrist during a fight and didn't feel it until the adrenaline left his body. Only this time it feels as if it's happening all at once, his skeleton is crushed, leaving a senseless sensation before unbelievable pain takes over.

It's all he can do not to moan as he falls to the ground as his body twitch and churn with every pinch to his organs. He can feel his bones mending themselves back together, but now they are longer, stronger and wider, he knows this as the newly form skeletal system push and stretch his skin like an extra small shirt being forced to accommodate a large man.

He groans as the finale hits home. He forces his new body to stretch as hard as he could to relieve himself of the pain, but it has little effect. His eyes are burning; it feels like a machine gun is chattering away in his head as it thunders with full force. His skin is quivering as waves upon waves of pointing objects break through and covers his skin, from toe to head. He moans as his hands and feet quiver before, with a distinct patter, his nails drops to the floor, replaced by wicked talons that curves in a deadly arc. Finally his nose shoots out before his eyes and he howls as his skull is forced to transform along with it. Tears are streaming as he closes his eyes, waiting for the agony to go away as his suffering continues for what feels like hours.

He breathes heavily as he lies on the ground before he carefully forces his eyes to open.

He can instantly sense the differences between his human and wolf self.

He could hardly see in the dark room before, but now he can see into every dark corner, he can even see a small spider as it makes a web on one of the ceiling's bars. The moon beam that now filters into the room is like sunlight, a ray of light that is beckoning him to soak in like sun rays. Percy smiles at the thought of his patron Artemis. He can smell the forest, a heavy musk that fills his nostrils, almost intoxicating to him, pine needles and scents of various animals covering the whole area. To him, it's the sweet taste of freedom, the freedom that he has lost, but found again.

Shakily, he pushes himself onto his haunches and he inspects himself. His black matted fur shines in the light and, though embarrassing, he has to admit his hide feels soft, like puppy fur. He looks at his hands and can see the rough calloused pads that mark his palm and fingers. He puts his arms on either side of him, lift his rear and stands to his full height. He has grown almost two feet higher and his body has become a little broader while the hair covers all parts of his body. His feet are like that of a canine, slightly raised in the back with long toes and heels. He raises his arms and stretches again; popping his new muscles and getting them ready for a night of exercise. It has been a long time since he last made a stop and he wishes to run without being chased by a mob for once.

All remnants of sleep have rubbed off after his transformation. He carefully looks out the window, trying to see if there is anyone out for a midnight stroll. Then again he is in Alaska, where the nights are ten times colder than the day. What fool could possibly want to be out during this late hour. Well, there is him, but with Hestia's blessing and fur coat he hardly feels anything most of the time.

He kneels down low before placing his hands in front until he is on all fours. His new joints don't restrict the movement, as they let his bones roll into different positions, allowing him to be on all fours, feet and hands flat on the ground, like a natural wolf. With the transition complete, he takes off like a shot and is sprinting into the woods. It feels glorious, the wind blowing through his fur, the trees passing at an unbelievable pace and with the moon guiding him.

This is what he was made for, and he's going to enjoy it tonight.


Aleu POV

After spending the entire day attending to each of her wolves' needs, roaming the pack's territory, and hunting for enough meat to store for the coming winter, Aleu is quite appreciative of this small celebration.

The hill the pack is howling on is partially filled with trees, allowing many lupines to find a place to sit and to sing. Now far away from them is the gully that they have transformed into their home. From a distance, one probably wouldn't even notice it was there, but if they keep walking then they will see the crevice in the ground, revealing a ten foot drop. At the bottom is smooth stone that stretches almost fifty yards along the length of an old underground river bed. Carved into the walls on either side are huge holes, big enough for the entire pack to sleep in comfortably. The only entrance is a small hole, big enough for the wolves to crawl through, resting a hundred yards away from their sleeping areas.

They have a new home, it's beautiful, hardly any threats, plenty of food, and they haven't run into any trouble what so ever.

And yet…for Aleu…something doesn't feel quite right.

Maybe it's the fact that she is at the base of the hill, looking at her fellow pack members as they sing to each other. She notices that almost all of the wolves have broken up and are now sitting in pairs, mostly males and females. She looks to the left and sees one of her Beta's, Kila, with another wolf, a male who is probably courting her. Kila leans her head back and is about to release another howl when the male moves in and nuzzles her exposed neck. The Beta's song turned into a giggle as she turns her attention to the male and licks him on the forehead.

Aleu suddenly feels heaviness in her chest, causing her to turn and walk away. What is wrong with me? I should be happy for Kila, having a male around must surely be a wonderful thing. Someone to take care of you, to nuzzle with, hunt with, talk to and eventually have pups with...

Her mind slowly trails off before discovering what is wrong. She is jealous, of one of her friends no less. She isn't interested in that one specific male with Kila; she is interested in having a male of her own. No doubt all her Beta's are already taken, save for Nuju and she doesn't want to be rude, but she is having trouble envisioning herself being with him in an intimate relationship.

She is so preoccupied with what she is doing that she walks by the very wolf in question without realizing it. "Something wrong Aleu?" the male asks.

She couldn't help but smirk, she finds it amusing that Nuju acts like he is a wise elderly wolf rather than the young male he is. She looks towards him and sees that he is sitting on top of a boulder; his grey coat is startling bright whenever the moon is shining on him. He doesn't glance at the female though; his eyes are staring into the sky as he observes the stars with a solemn, but interested expression on his face.

The pack leader hesitaters before saying, "I'm fine Nuju, I just…"

"Couldn't stand the crowd?" he offers.

"Well not that I can't stand them," huffs Aleu. "It's just that there's something..."

"Different?" Nuju suggests again.

"Yes," she looks at the twinkly lights as she finishes. "I don't know what it is, but for some reason it just feels like there's something wrong with me and I don't know what it is."

"You're lonely," the male said.

Aleu eyes the male closely, wondering if the stars are actually giving him the answers for he hasn't so much as take a look at her the whole while. "I guess…" she ventures hesitantly. "But I don't know why, I mean, I have you, Kila, Sitka, and the entire pack, I don't understand." She looks down in slight embarrassment.

Nuju remains quiet, not speaking for almost a whole minute before saying, "So where are you going?"

She is taken off guard by the question. Weren't they discussing her confusing situation a few minutes ago?

"Uh…" she thinks to herself before answering, "I don't know, just going to walk along the border of the territory I suppose." She muses over a thought in her head for a moment before asking, "Do you think it will be okay that I visit my parents?"

"If that is what you wish," Nuju says, "I can inform the other Betas and we'll stand watch until you return."

She nods in appreciation to Nuju before turning in the direction of Nome. She starts walking, but pauses and looks at the male, "Would you like to join me? I do not mean to sound rude, but it looks like you could do with some company as well."

Nuju merely shakes his head, his gaze never wavering from the night, "I know it may sound odd Aleu, but I actually prefer the company of the stars than other wolves."

She tries her best to not look confused by this so she says, "Alright then…I guess I'll see you later then."

Finally Nuju looks away from the stars and turn his light blue eyes towards her. He dips his head and says, "Have a pleasant visit, pack leader."

Aleu nods in turn before she begins walking away. She briefly looks over her shoulder and sees that the Beta has return to his star gazing, appearing to be at peace with the world.

Why wasn't it that easy with me?

She remembers her life as a pup, playing with her brothers and sisters as they ran in circles, wrestled and occasionally ganged up to find their uncle Boris and use him as a chew toy. However the memories she cherished the most was her spending time with her papa. She thought it was neat that she looks just like him while everyone else looks more like their mother. She thought the fun times would never end, but that was before she found out they had to be adopted.

The idea was very foreign to her and at first she was frightened. She didn't want to leave her mother's human's home, to be separated from her siblings and parents. After a while though, she started to play with the thought, thinking of how it would be exciting to visit a new place and to have a new human to play with. That was when tragedy struck though.

Her siblings easily found homes, it was as if the humans couldn't resist not taking them, but by the end of the day it was just her. Days, weeks and eventually months went by, she grew big and strong, but despite all that time nobody so much as glanced in her direction. She started losing faith that she would never find a home, and the doubt was supported greatly when she was almost killed by a human, a hunter.

After that her life changed forever, because that was when her father told her the truth. Nobody accepted her because she looked like a wolf. The people tolerated her in town, but to actually want to keep her is a whole different topic entirely. She always believed being part wolf was something to be proud of, but on that day she realized that she is an outcast, not wanted by human, dogs or wolves.

She was so torn up by it she left home that very night and ran, she ran as far as she could, want to get away from it all, to escape what she is. She has no idea how far she went, so far that she couldn't find a way back. She remembers being afraid, hungry and alone as regret piles up within her.

Not long afterward, she discovered Nava and his pack. The few days she spent with the elder wolf were amazing, his guidance and wisdom still fascinates her and makes her wonder if she will ever become just as wise as he is. She was shocked when he proclaimed the next leader of the pack would be "the one who is a wolf but does not know."

At first she thought it was her papa, but it wasn't long before she realized it was her, she was the wolf who did not know. After accepting her wolf self, Nava made her the pack leader before she and her new found pack were forced to leave their old lands in search for food. She was afraid to leave, and hoped her parents understood. But when she looked into her papa's eyes and saw the pride within them, she knew he did.

The first year she spent away from them was one of the hardest things she ever had to overcome. It didn't help much that she lived off kibble treats for most of her life and didn't know a thing about hunting. Eventually though, she learned to live as a real wolf, to lead and have a life of adventure. She had her pack, her family and what could count to be her old life again. Everything should feel great. She sighs once more as she finally forces her head up and gazes into the forest.

She freezes when she sees something breaks through the bushes on her right and is heading right for her. She twists her head and sees a black mass heading right for her, she backs away, but knows it's too late, she's going to be run over by whatever this thing is.

Snow suddenly flies through the air as the thing digs its feet in and it comes to a sliding stop right in front of her. The thing, a creature, is slightly crouch as it leans away from her in an almost submissive position. She looks down before gasping as her eyes lock with two orbs that are staring right back at her.

The two circles are ruby red, appearing like flames that are cutting through the dark. They are clear to see against the thing's matted fur and shines with the brightest gleam she has ever seen.

The crimson colors are evil looking, as if they belong to a deadly and dangerous beast, but what she sees contradicts that belief. Deep within the irises she can see what appears to be surprise and something else, a flicker like an ember.

Is that sadness?

The thing begins to move; it shifts away from her and sits up on its back legs. Her eyes widen at what she sees. Before her is probably the largest wolf she has ever seen. Its head alone looks like it could squish her if it wanted to. Its more than two heads taller than her, fur that is blacker than the night and the blazing eyes stare down on her. Slowly, she takes in its whole form and that's when she notices something even stranger about the creature. Its front paws are larger than that of an ordinary wolf, in fact it looks like they split at a point and form their own individual digits that are standing apart from one another.

Her eyes travel to the thing's backside and sees its legs are also different. They too are bigger, so big in fact that they are folded together, allowing it to sit on its rear like a lupine, but with a lot of the limb left over. He sits with the attention of one of her warrior wolves, all business with its back straight and its tail lying limply by its side.

She returns her gaze back to his blazing red eyes, appearing almost warm to her, yet with an icy tinge to them. Their eyes continues the scan the other as if her orbs are just as memorizing as his.

Finally he moves, he rises back to its feet, but she notices the creature's limbs are still folded together, as if its keeping its body restrained. Then it turns and starts trotting away from her. She stares for a couple of more seconds before she shakes her head and hurries after the wolf-like creature.

"Hey wait," she calls out. Instead of heeding her words though, the mystery wolf picks up the pace and starts running.

Aleu follows close behind, trying to catch up to the creature, but it's obviously larger body is out sprinting her smaller self. She starts huffing, but ignores the discomfort, her curiosity is fueling her, pushing her to discover what she is chasing. Trees pass by as nothing more than a blur and the snow's coldness fades from the mind as the friction beneath her paws keep them warm.

She stops when she finds the tracks have come to an end. She is in the middle of a clearing, but the creature has disappeared. She follows the trail to the point where it came to an end. Here there is a small crater with grooves cut into the ground. She has seen these before, once when she saw an eagle land on the floor before taking off again, its talons left the same marks in the dirt.

She glances at the branches above her in wonder. Can this thing jump that high?

"Wait!" she calls out, "I just want to talk!"

She hears something rustling in the branches and she knew it was still here. She tries to pick out the creature's figure, but somehow it was able to camouflage itself well in the tree. She sniffs the air, trying to pick up some kind of foreign smell. She is surprised when she picks up the remnant of an unknown wolf.

"Come on," she growls as she looks around, "I know you are here, come out!"

Silence greets her.

She snarls more savagely before shouting, "Come out! What are you afraid of?!"

She hears a thump come from behind her before she is showered in a small down pour of snow. The wolf is standing before her, but that's what frightened her, it was standing.

Its long legs have extended to their full length and now it is standing over her with blazing fire set in its eyes. The front paws are at its sides now, but they are balled up like a human who is in a rage. She realizes its rib cage is a lot broader, almost equivalent to that to a large man. Here stands the lupine she has been chasing; its shape like a human but retains the fur, tail and head of a wolf.

What is this creature?

"Afraid," the creature growls in an obviously male voice. "Do you really think I am scared of a little pup like you?" Slowly he steps forward with human like movement, causing Aleu to back away in fear.

Finally she digs her paws into the snow and stands tall in the path of the approaching creature. He comes to a halt, one step away from her, his red eyes never leaving her face. She tries to subdue a shudder before saying, "I mean no harm. I just want to talk."

He gives her a sideways glance, before turning and lowers himself back down until he is on all fours. With that, he starts walking away.

"Wait," Aleu cries out and tries to approach, but he turns and snaps at her with his jaws.

"Just leave me alone," he glowers as he continues walking.

This doesn't dissuade Aleu; in fact, it challenges her fiery spirit, urging her to follow. She trots after him, keeping a distance of about three feet as she comes striding next to him. She saw his left eye flick in her direction before returning it forward. They walk in silence, time that Aleu uses to continue examining this wolf in her mind. Where did he come from? Are there others like him? What is he exactly?

"Are you done staring?!" he suddenly demands.

She jerks back a little, surprised and annoyed at herself for staring without even knowing. "Sorry." She responds, eyeing him for a reaction before asking, "What are you exactly?"

"Why do you want to know?" He asks cautiously, "so it'll be easier for you to come up with insults?"

She gapes at him before snarling, "No, I just want to know, who would even do that?"

"Just about everyone in the world," his voice is angry, but she could have sworn she heard what could have been wistfulness at the end.

"Well I don't," she says, "what's your name?"

He remains inaudible, probably trying to ignore her the best he could.

She sighs and thinks for a moment before saying, "Were you called names because you were different?"

He doesn't speak, but for some reason she sees the silence as a form of answer.

"I know the feeling," she continues, "I'm part husky…and part wolf," finally she sees his red orb look at her before glancing away, he was listening. "Everyone was nice to me, dogs and wolves and humans…but it wasn't until I tried finding a home did people reveal what they truly thought of me… but I found a place to call home and have a lot of friends, I may have been rejected by some people, but I eventually found who I was, who I am, along with wolves who welcomes me as a companion," she finishes with a smile.

She is surprised when he snorts, "Well that's a lovely story. Shall I call for a newspaper team?"

She suddenly snaps at him and he glances at her with some surprise in his eyes. "Look," she growls, "it may sound lousy, but it's my life and it's quite rude of you to make fun of it." She glares at him, "not unless you are making fun of me like you think I would do to you."

He watches her for a moment before he exhales heavily and he comes to a stop. He is motionless for a while before finally he responds. "No…I'm not making fun of you."

"Well it sounded like it," she says defensively.

He looks up and snarls, "If you don't like it then just leave. I'm not keeping you here."

She growls in return "Look, I just want to ask you some questions."

"Why?" he demands.

"Because I need to know if I should see you as a threat to my pack or not," she answers, but she knew she was actually just plain curious.

He looks down again, clearly deep in thought before saying, "I have no quarrel with any wolves unless they come looking for a fight."

Aleu gulps at the words. "Alright, but if you don't mind me asking, where did you come from? I've lived in these woods since my birth and I have never seen anything or…anyone like you before."

He watches her briefly before saying, "I'm new, just got here."

She nods along, "Well if you would like a tour of the area, then I can give it."

He looks back up at her before asking, "Why?"

"Just to be friendly," she says truthfully.

He shakes his head as he looks away, "You just want to know who, or rather what, I am."

Now it's her turn to be quiet and think things through before eventually saying, "Alright, maybe I am a little curious, but I want to help you."

"Why?" he repeats tiredly.

She makes sure she is looking him in the eye before saying, "because I know what it's like to be an outsider as well."

They stare into each other's eyes before he turns away and mummers, "I'll think about it," before he starts walking off. She notices the change instantly, his muscles are more lax, his tail is close to hiding between his legs and he just generally looks downcast.

Was it something I said?

"Are you alright?" she questions as she tries to follow, but stops when he looks back at her.

"Yes, you just remind me of someone I used to know" he responds.

She looks around at their surroundings. "It's a nice night though," she ventures cautiously, "no one should be alone."

"I'm used to it, it happens to some of us." Th wolf says stoically.

"Well why don't we spend more time together then?" she asks.

"Now that's something I'm not used to," he replies in a truthful voice.

"Okay..." she says as she thinks her next words carefully. "We'll take it slow then, how about we meet again tomorrow?"

He only thought for a moment before nodding, "Yeah, sure."

She nods, "Alright…let's meet at the edge of the forest, near Nome, and do you know where Nome is?"

She sees his hackles rise in amusement for some reason, "As a matter of fact I do."

"Great," she smiles and her tail wags before a dark thought cross her mind and she frowns lightly, "uh, you're not the sort of wolf who likes to go into town and murder people right?"

He chuckles, "No, in fact, I try to avoid that."

She breathes a sigh of relief, "Good."

An awkward air hangs in between them before finally the wolf says, "I should go," as he turns and starts treading off.

"Alright, see you tomorrow..." she trails off again before calling out, "What's your name?"

He stops dead in his track and his face consorts as he sinks into deep thought, concentrating on her question. Was it really that hard to answer? Or did he simply not want to tell her?

Finally he lightly smiles and says, "Omega."

She tilts her head, "Is that your name?"

"Just call me Omega," he says again.

Well it's better than nothing, she thought. "Alright Omega," she says, "My name is Aleu."

"Aleu," he says in an undertone, as if he is curious with how it sounds on his tongue before nodding himself, "see you tomorrow then."

"Okay," she says, leaving another awkward silence.

Finally he shuffles his feet before turning and walks off, without offering a final farewell. Aleu finds this odd, but doesn't call after him, she just watches as he walks between the trees and he is gone, leaving her alone.

She just shakes her head before turning and starts walking back to her pack, all thoughts of a good visit with her parents are dashed with the appearance of Omega. Not in a bad way, but in an interested way.

Who is this wolf, or rather what is he? Maybe Nuju or Kila can help her figure this mystery out, she can just hope no trouble will arise from this.

Secretly though, she hopes, one way or another, she can help Omega, it is clear he has been though a great hardship like her. Who knows, they could be more alike than they realize?

Updated: 03/10/2018