It had been a few months since Willa had first transformed and she could change much quicker now. She loved to race her father as he was very fast and she felt like she had accomplished something when she could at least keep up. Nanook had never offered to continue their conversation on attraction, and after she had slept a bit she realized how awkward it had been for her to ask. That dream… The one that showed Gustaf trying to turn people… women… in to werewolves continued to plague her. Each time she had it, there was a different woman, and sometimes even different doctors. Maverik was still in the tiny cage with the chain leading to the wall that insured he didn't get out and cause distruction. How could she be seeing all this? Was it true? Her mother had asked what had scared her in to waking up or even crying in her sleep. Willa didn't tell her… Willa had not told anyone. She was starting to think that she should though. These dreams were too real… She had heard of pack members… mates, who could send telepathic visions to eachother in wolf form. Maverik had always told her that they would be together, and she had agreed. Though they had never consummated because they were much too young, maybe there was the mate connection. Was she seeing what Maverik was seeing? If so, then her family needed to know and needed to find Gustaf.
"Hey, Willa," Jason asked waving his hand in front of her face, "Earth to Willa…"
She blinked and looked at him with a smile, "Sorry." Sighing, he dipped a french fry in his chocolate shake before saying anything.
"I asked you if you wanted to go visit the states with Nanook when he goes to see that chick he is going to break it off with…" He sucked on his thumb to get the salt off and quickly picked up another fry. The café was empty today and nothing seemed to be happen in town. Nanook had made a decision on his girlfriend, the one that his father had talked him out of continuing his relationship with. Clara had been talking to Nanook about moving closer to her so that they could move in together. She was a very quick woman… didn't have much patience for taking it slow. Nanook had disagreed and so now they were in a fight. She was ignoring his calls and her voicemail was full.
"Why would I go with him," Willa asked, "Why would any of us… it is his business." Jason scoffed and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. Jason had been very pushy recently with trying to get Willa and Nanook alone. She could see he was trying to figure out her feelings for him without having to ask. She had figured out that he liked her and wanted to claim her. Willa wasn't impressed with how he had changed in trying to become the dominate male to win her affection. Nanook had only become more nervous. As the older of the pups, he was trying to be responsible and not cause problems. Though, with Jason on this dominance kick, he had been forced to beat him down in wolf form a few times. The adult members didn't try to stop them, and even found it slightly amusing that these two younger males had a female wolf to fight over. Willa hated it. Besides, if she was still connected to Maverik, then should didn't get to choose either of them. She was meant to be with Maverik, and getting with a different male would not work out. Their bond would be weak.
"We should finish up her and go home," Jason said throwing a napkin from the table on to his mangle burger plate, "Jeremy wanted us all to be back before evening." He stood up and walked out without her. She knew she had upset him, even though she couldn't understand why. He should have been happy by her response… maybe her tone was discouraging to him. Sighing, she got up too and walked out to find that he had driven off without her. Now she would have to change in the woods and run home. This was not the first time he had done something like this; he was throwing a child's fit, and she was tired of it.
She walked through the forest with the ground cold and wet under her paws. Sometimes she enjoyed just strolling through and seeing all the trees and critters that ran about. Almost as if they were screaming ahhhhh wolf! If a wolf could giggle, she would have been. There was a snap of a branch and she shot a glance in its direction. A young buck with velvety antlers stared back at her stone still. She let a low growl escape her chest and the deer ran off in fear. She trotted on towards stone haven. The moss and dirt smell wafted into her nostrils and made her nose twitch. The sun was going down and the air was getting colder which was her alarm clock that told her she was late and going to be in trouble with the alpha. She picked up speed and was nearly home when there was a scent that stopped her. A rogue wolf, in their territory. Wolf instincts turned her around to hunt, but she howled a red alert to her family that she knew they would hear. With her nose to the ground she took in the scent and galloped off to follow it. Not too long after, Jeremy ran in front of her, giving her a glare that told her she was late and that they would talk about it later. She fell back behind her parents who nuzzled quicly passed welcoming her home. Jason growled at her when she tried to run beside him which sent her back to where Nanook was running. He had taken up the rear to avoid confrontation from Jason, but in no way had given up his rank in line for good. He glanced at her and grunted to aknowledge her company and then continued to look forward. The scent was getting stronger and another scent joined it… death. Willa's heart pounded… there was something familiar about this wolf's scent… it smelled of her pack, with a mask of chemicals and medicine. Jeremy stopped and immediately howled in grief. Will ran forward and stared sadly at the bloody scene. Maverik lay there, cuts and missing fur. No life remained in his eyes and his corpse had begun to smell of decay. Swallowing hard, she wondered in she would dream of Gustaf tonight. Jeremy lay next to his son, their wolves being similar in size and he whined. The rest of the pack joined in the mourning of the fallen member. Willa felt her eyes water, though wolves were not supposed to be able to cry. A part of her felt broken, dead… the mate bond maybe? She licked his snout which tasted bitter. Something had been put all over him that was numbing to the tongue and possibly dangerous which she now knew. Stupid… why did she lick him. She shook her head as the others looked at her. She could feel her vision going blurry and her stomach lurched. She gagged as she regurgitated what she had eaten with Jason. Laying down she tried to avoid the dizziness that threatened to knock her down. Clay nuzzled her and she looked at him but only saw a brown blob in front of a darkening sky. She felt her bones cracking, but the pain was dulled as she blacked out.
Nanook stood up on all fours and walked over to Willa as she began to transform. Looking at clay and Elena who were frantically calling on the change, he crouched over her and lay on her. It was cold out… too cold to not be wearing clothes or fur. Clay was the first to change and quickly shooed Nanook away. Nanook saw clays eyes which held an unspoken thankyou before he picked up his daughter and set her on Elena back. She had stopped transforming in order to carry her daughter back home. Clay transformed back and they walked back to the house. Jeremy growled a release to Nanook, Nick, and Jason as he stayed laying by his son. The others left him to mourn in private. Nanook looked at his father and nodded as they ran to tell him that he was going forward to check on Willa. As he approached the house he could hear Elena crying. His short were hung over the rail outside and he grabbed them quickly after changing. Skipping steps he made it upstairs to Willa's bedroom where she was laying under the blankets. Clay stood in the corner and Elena help her hand to her daughter's forehead.
"What's wrong, What happened out there," Nanook asked, "She licked it him and then passed out!" He took a step closer and saw that Willa's lips were blue. Gasping, he looked up at clay who had tears in his eyes.
"She is ice cold, and her pulse is dropping," Elena sobbed, "There must have been something on his fur… poison maybe?" She lay her head down on the bed next to Willa and cried more, though it was muffled by the blankets. Nanook walked over and opened Willa's mouth. Taking a sniff he realized that she must have swallowed whatever it was and couldn't get a scent. He turned around and ran back downstairs.
Nick walked in to the house as his son ran out. He grabbed his shoulder in passing and asked, "What is going on?"
"Willa's been poisoned," Nanook growled, "I'm going to go back to get a scent from Maverik's body." Nick nodded and followed his son back through the forest to the corpse. They arrived at the site where Jeremy sat naked with tears streaming down his face. He glanced up at them and nodded as they approached his body. Nanook bent down and sucked in a large breath of air. There was no scent…. Nothing on Maverik's body that alerted him.
"What is it, son," Nick asked at Nanooks look of shock, "Is it bad?"
Nanook looked at him, "There is no scent… nothing on him." After a moment of hesitation, Nanook quickly plucked a couple hairs and put them on his tongue. He tasted something bitter and felt his body lagging. "There is something on here," He gasped as he became dizzy, "Its bitter, medical…" Nick steadied his son.
"Nanook, what are we going to do with you and Willa if we don't know what it is," He asked a bit angry with his sons recklessness, "You might die from this!" Nanook glanced at his father.
"Find mom," He sighed as he passed out.
Nick held his sons body up from the cold ground. Find mom? Nick sighed… Paige was going to be unhappy with how he had let their kid danger himself in this way. Nanook was not supposed to know about his mother, it was against Jeremy's rules, but Nick had taken his son to visit a couple times. Jeremy stood up and helped Nick carry Nanook back home. He would return soon and bury his sons body. Nick would call Paige… Maybe she would be able to tell what was making the kids sick.
*** I am so sorry for taking so long. I know I have said that before… I am horrible with time, and being consistent schedule wise. I got engaged and am going to be getting married in August 2017 so I have been visiting family, meeting my fiance's family and planning. Adult stuff. Haha. I have had many plans for this story and have been writing them down in incriments. Please enjoy this addition!***
