Wolf's Instinct

Chapter 4

Two days had passed since Dean had left that night to go hunt for food. He hauled down a deer that night and he tore into it like the wolf he was. He didn't dwell long on his meal and ate it fast, wanting to get on with his search.

He was getting frustrated. He travelled around the county asking, reading, and looking for anything that could tell about his sudden infactution with Felicity Banks. He talked with other wolves, and he spent hours in libraries. Yes he was that desperate. The days passed into nights and back again into morning, and he was no less close to finding the information he wanted. After the eighth day of being away from Felicity, he came to the realization that he had only two other places he could go to find what he wanted. And neither was appealing. They were his last hope. One was his father. The other, Chase. So Chase it was, even though his father was the first wolf who knew everything about anything and most likely the only who knew what was happening with Dean. For personal reasons, Dean didn't want to see his father ever again. This was something considering he could possibly live forever. Chase was the lesser of two evils in Dean's mind and that was how he found himself back in the small town of Hariston and at the door of Chase's house.

"I'm here to see Chase." Dean was greeted by a burly man, who when seeing Dean at the door, shuffled his way back and let Dean pass through. Dean strode through purposefully into the main foyer and walked through the house towards the room he was brought to when he had first arrived. He banged the doors open and when noticing the wolf he wanted was not there, he turned.

"Where is he?" Dean gritted out, impatiently.

"He is attending to some business right now but you are free to wait here until he..." he was cut off by Dean's hand pressed against is throat, lifting him off the ground.

"I don't have time to wait, you asshole!" The ire and frustration in Dean came out as his eyes glowed amber, the colour of strength and courage. All attributes to being one of the first. The wolf in him came out seemlessly through his movements as he started squeeze tighter on the wolf's throat.

"Get him, and bring him to me!" Dean threw him away, and the man reverted into his wolf form in instinct to Dean's authority.

"He is out of town; he won't be back until tomorrow." The wolf then ran out, tail between the legs.

"I'll just have to help myself then." Dean muttered. He was left alone in the room, trying to tame his inner wolf. He shut his eyes as his fingers started to unclench. Slowly his breathing calmed and his muscles started to unwind. Being around Felicity had taught him to keep his true nature hidden from humans and to keep her safe. And after not being around humans for four hundred years he had to learn quickly. But he couldn't suppress it for long. It was who he was.

After calming himself somewhat, he walked towards the massive bookcase that took up an entire space along one wall of the room. Books of many sizes and genres filled the shelves, but Dean was only interested in one. The book was created by a werewolf, Tristan, just after he was turned by his father. Tristan was the tenth human that his father had changed, and it happened a year after Dean had turned. Tristan wanted to gather all the information on werewolves including their history and habits. Throughout the years, it had become the encyclopaedia on werewolves, the only one of the kind. Tristan eventually passed away, caught in a civil war within his pack, eight hundred years ago. The book got passed to the first human Tristan had turned; Chase. The council trusted Chase to keep it from the humans, for if it was ever found by them, the secret and the safety of the werewolves were at risk. And war would inevitable. The book, that they called The Raydias was only known to the council members. It was a book of knowledge.

Dean nearly cried when he saw the size of the book. He hated reading. It took two hands to hold it and was at least one thousand, five hundred pages long. They weren't that complicated where they? Dean dropped the book on the desk and started to flip though the book, his extra sensory eyes skimming to find the words that could help him. Going through it, he found out it was almost like a journal that Tristan had written about his travels and it gave his insight to the problems that werewolves faced through the years. He was slowly getting crestfallen at maybe not finding the information he wanted as he made his way to the end of the Raydias. That is until he read an entry:

I traveled to Europe to meet with the leaders about the rogue wolves that seem to be multiplying in that continent and while I was there, I was met with an interesting story. I met a wolf known as Wesley during my stay. He came to me saying he felt fidgety and full of energy, and that he wanted to leave and travel. He didn't know where or why. He said he felt like his heart was being torn out of his chest. I have never heard of such a problem within a wolf before in all my years of existence. Wesley tried to ignore the pull but it became increasingly clear that he would eventually leave. A few nights later he did. I left soon after not knowing what became of Wesley. Though I found out during the next visit there for I saw him, with a lovely young werewolf by his side. He told me the story that he was led by his instincts to the south and was drawn to a human woman, Beth. He eventually turned her a year later. All I could describe it as, was that he found his soul mate. How else could a reaction come from a man, who was dead and became half wolf? No semblance of remembering what love was from their previous life, but wanting to protect this young woman, be with her and keep her safe?

Was Felicity his soul mate? He was drawn to her, to stay by her side. He wanted to keep her safe and keep her for his own. He realized then he didn't love her. It was his instincts that made him feel this way. Made sense, he only knew her for a few days. Dean hadn't been human for over a thousand years. Love was just a foreign emotion to him. He closed the book and turned to place it back on the shelf and walked out of the room. He got out of the house without incident and became determined to follow his drive to keep Felicity safe. From either the world around them, or himself.

Felicity sat on the bench watching as the children played on the monkey bars and swings, the laughter making her smile. She looked out towards the spot by the fence where she first saw the mysterious man just eight days ago. And now she knew his name and age. But that was all. After he brought her home that night and she kissed his cheek, she hadn't heard or seen him at all. Dean seemed to have just disappeared. Or left. Yeah, he most likely left. Good job Fliss, you chased another away. She put her elbows on her knees and watched her nephew scamper over the sand. She was babysitting for her brother and sister in law again. Besides work, she had nothing else better to do. She loved Daniel, she really did, but she would love to be surrounded by guys who weren't under the age of seven and who thought girls had cooties. She gazed around the play yard but her eyes stopped her scanning when she noticed what her nephew, Daniel was doing. She jumped off the bench and made her way over to the slide where Daniel was petting the fur of an enormous dog. Daniel glanced up from his ministrations.

"Look Aunt Felicity, a doggy!"

'Daniel, don't touch that dog." The boy did as he was told but giggled when the light brown coloured animal licked his hand. Daniel looked up at his Aunt.

"You could use a dog, Aunt Felicity, with Heather gone."

The dog growled suddenly and Felicity grabbed Daniel and pushed him behind her.

"See, Daniel. It looks like a wild animal. Like a wolf."

"Nuaww, see it's wagging his tail." And so it was, albeit not very enthusiastically. Its ears were perked up as it sat on the ground. Its amber eyes burned into her own, and she shivered in response. She shook her head, pushing Daniel back.

"We are not taking it with us."

"Awww come on."

"It's a wolf Daniel..."

"No, it's a dog. It looks life Kyle's dog. Except his is black and skinnier. But this one looks cooler." He turned to face Felicity. "I learned in class that wolves are the protectors of the forest." She rolled her eyes.

"Your parents would never let us go to the park again. Ever."

"He can stay at your house!" Daniel jumped up and down showing his enthusiasm. She shook her head though her resolve started to waver. It wasn't attacking Daniel and was being very calm. But she wasn't sure what would set the dog off.

"I thought you were the cool Aunt."

"I'm your only aunt."

"Please? A boy without a dog is unnatural." She grinned, and finally fell to her nephew's pleas. Damn her for being so easy to say yes. She shrugged. She could always use a guard dog.

"The wolves. They walk amongst us." Felicity was startled when an old woman appeared beside her. A garden hat sat on the woman's head and big, round glasses framed the old eyes that shone years of experience. They both looked towards Daniel who was trying to get the dog to fetch the stick he had thrown. The dog appeared to look on in boredom as it lay down, head resting on his paws.

"Yeah, I know. Last night it was hard to get to sleep with all the howling in the woods..."

"No. They walk," She gestured to the parents with their kids around the playground, "with us."

"Yeah, okay." Felicity agreed, not sure if what the lady was saying was completely crazy or not. Seeing Daniel start to lead the dog to the edge of the lot, Felicity stood up and grabbed her purse.

"Ummm, I should get going." The old woman just gave her a caution in response.

"Be careful child." Felicity nodded, and made her way to her nephew and her new pet.

"You ready to head out?"

"Yeah! I want pizza for supper and ice cream! Bo wants something to eat as well."

Felicity chuckled at the name. "Bo?"

"Yeah, Miss Morgan read us book with a dog named Bo and he saved the boy in the story from a fire in a burning building." Daniel scratched Bo's head. "So I named him Bo!"

"Your sure is a boy dog?"

"Yeah, I checked."

"Good to know." She said. They went to the store and picked up supper and some dog food for Bo. She opened the door and let Daniel in and put the food on the table.

"No way, the dog stays in the backyard." Daniel had Bo in the hallway and was petting him. The dog took up the space in the small hallway and made the small house look even smaller.

"But I want him to sleep in my bed!"

Felicity barked out a laugh. "Don't think so buster. He can spend the night outside." She didn't want Bo biting the face off her nephew while he slept.

"But..."

"No Daniel. Here's a bowl so get some food from the bag and bring him outside." Daniel did so in a huff and Felicity followed close behind, not wanting the dog and her nephew all alone together. He placed the food down, but Bo just sat on the back patio staring up at her intensely.

"Let's go. I'll heat up the pizza and we can eat. Then it's off to bed for you." He looked up at her with a small pout.

"You know what happens when a small boy frowns like that, don't you?" She started to tickle the side of the small boy as he tried to keep the smile from his face. Efforts were futile when a small giggle escaped his mouth.

"You can play with Bo tomorrow alright?"

"Yeah okay." Daniel gave one last pat to the dog's head and went inside.

"Goodnight Bo." She murmured as she shut the back door.

Again, please send me your thoughts.