CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The soldiers return to the palace.
"Where are they?" Wendell asks.
"We couldn't find them Your Majesty." The leader replies.
"WHY HAVE I SENT YOU FOR?" he turns to General Silverstone who was standing next to him. "General I want a new group of soldiers to search for them. More experienced soldiers. And, if they return without Wolf and Virginia, they will not work here anymore."
The general's eyes opened wide. He couldn't believe how the king was behaving. Orders combined with threats? That was new. But, the general nodded in agreement. "As you wish Your Majesty."
Wendell went back to his office. Tony was there reading a book.
"They couldn't find them." Wendell said.
"What?"
"They couldn't find them Anthony. I've ordered to send another group to search for them."
"Wendell, what if they don't come back at all? What will we do?"
"I think I'll have to announce it at the council meeting."
"Why don't you do it now?"
"Anthony, if I did that, it will get to the ears of every wolf in all of the nine kingdoms. Do you want a civil war to start?"
"Damn it! Why did the moon choose THIS miserable day to be full?!"
"What does the moon have to do with it?" Wendell asked.
"Wolf's temper! If it wasn't full moon tonight, he would've behaved a lot more differently. He would've headed to Kissingtown immediately to find Rupert."
"Anthony, you gave us the answer! You're a genius!" Wendell said and hugged him.
"They're heading to Kissingtown? Wendell we have to tell the soldiers to go and search there!" Tony said.
"No Anthony, we are going there ourselves."
*^_^* *^_^* *^_^* *^_^*
Tom came back to Mary's room in the hospital at evening.
"Hi sweet heart." He said as he entered the room.
"Hi! Where have you been all day? I missed you!"
"I missed you too." He came near and gave her a kiss. "I had to explain the general doctor why I have disappeared from the hospital all this time. No doctor was given such long vacation before."
"Oh, and I was the reason for that. I feel sorry."
"Don't be. Besides, I've quit my job there."
"What? Why?"
Tom took an envelope out of his shirt pocket and gave it Mary. "Read this."
Mary took it and started to read. After finishing, she looked at Tom with bright eyes. "The head of the plastic surgery department in this hospital? Tom this is great! I'm so proud of you!"
"Well, you have a share in this. The owner of this hospital heard about your surgery, and that's why he invited me. He didn't know that I was here all this time, so he sent this letter to the other hospital. And today, when I went there, Dan gave it to me."
"How is he doing?"
"He's fine. Suffering by the hands of his own patients." They both laughed.
"You know, we should tell Wolf and Virginia about this." Mary said.
"I will contact them when I go home. The mirror is there."
"Tom, may I ask you a favor?"
"Anything honey."
"Could you bring that mirror here?"
"Sure, but why?"
"I want to see how does it look like over there. Maybe it would show my old house."
"How could I never think about that before! I will get it right now!" he kissed her and went home to get the mirror.
*^_^* *^_^* *^_^* *^_^*
"Wendell, why don't we wait for them a couple of days before going?" Tony asked while Wendell was getting ready for the trip.
"Anthony, we have to find them as soon as possible. And what made you change your mind?"
"They won't be there now. They must be somewhere in the forests. It will take them a week or so to get to Kissingtown. So, we can wait for a week, and then we'll go there. Besides, I think it's better to leave them alone for a while. Especially after what you said."
"I guess you're right Anthony. Alright. We're canceling our trip." Wendell said.
*^_^* *^_^* *^_^* *^_^*
Wolf and Virginia sat in the tree house. They had nothing to do. Wolf's blood was boiling.
"Virginia, I must go out for a hunt now. I'll be back soon."
"Can I come?"
"I don't think you can handle this now. What about the baby? You will feel tired so fast."
"I wanted to learn how to hunt."
"How about next time?" Wolf made a puppy-dog eyes. "I don't want you to get tired today. You had a long walk already."
"OK." Virginia said in a sad voice. Wolf gave her a kiss and went out.
It was getting darker. While Virginia lit a candle that she found on the table and sat near the little window, Wolf ran through the forest. He was finally able to run as much as he wanted freely. No cops, no cars and… no humans. Well, except for his mate. He hunted a couple of rabbits, and caught another two, but kept them alive.
"Your time is close fluffy ones." He smiled at the rabbits and his eyes flashed yellow. He walked back to the tree house. On his way he stopped for a moment and looked to the sky. It was dark already. He didn't feel how time passed. He stared at the moon and let a long howl. Then he smiled and continued his walk.
Suddenly, something went wrong in him. He felt pain in every muscle. He fell on his knees, but didn't let the rabbits go. He kept holding them from their ears. Of course, they tried to run, but he was holding them too tight. He howled, he growled. It was time for his wolf side to take control.
He stood up. Rabbits still in his hands. His eyes were flashing gold. His canines were longer than usual. He started to run. He knew where he was heading. A place that has just turned to be home for him.
Virginia saw Wolf coming, so she headed to the main door of the secret house. She opened the door and went out to greet her mate. Wolf came running and when he saw her he stopped. He looked at her, his head tilted to a side. "Well, well. What do we have here?" he said. His voice seemed strange to Virginia. It wasn't the same soft voice that she was used to hear. This one was deep, and cruel.
"Wolf? Is that you?" she called. She noticed the rabbits in his hands, and now she was sure that it was him. She smiled and walked to him. "I see you've hunted a lot of bunnies. You said you were going to hunt just a couple…" she stopped when she noticed the look on his face. He had a grin on his face. A wolfish one. He always grinned like that when he was going to play a bad trick on someone. Virginia knew that he was under the influence of the full moon at this moment, so she took a step back.
"Are you scared Virginia?" he said, and walked around her. "You're scared of the big bad wolf?"
"Wolf, you don't know what you're talking about." She said in a shaky voice. "Can I go back inside now?"
"I'm not sure about that. You know I'm hungry. And you're so succulent!"
Virginia ran to the tree. He followed her and blocked her way. She stopped.
"Wolf, why don't you bring more bunnies?"
"You can't trick me like that. I'm not going anywhere. I have what we need here." He lifted his hands to show the bunnies. Two of them were still alive.
"But those are not enough." Virginia said.
Wolf lifted an eyebrow. "Why?"
Virginia took a deep breath. It's now or never. she thought and walk to stand right in front of him, just a few inches away. "Do you smell anything?" she asked him.
Wolf sniffed her from the head until he reached her stomach. He dropped the rabbits and put his hands on her stomach. He sniffed again, and then he put his ear on it.
"You're my mate! And you're carrying our cubs!"
Virginia sighed in relief. "Yes Wolf."
"That's why we need more bunnies! Cripes! I have to feed the cubs!" he scratched his head. All that time his eyes were yellow.
"Wolf, I think that you promised me something."
"What?"
"Teach me how to hunt."
"I promised?"
"Yes. And wolves should keep their word."
He told her that he would teach her in some other day. But Virginia thought that this is the best time to make him teach her hunting. Besides, it would be safer for her to keep him busy somehow.
"Yes. I always keep my word." Wolf replied. He looked around and saw the two rabbits hopping away from them.
"All you have to do is run after them on four."
"Why four? Can't I just run in the normal way?"
"No. Because on four you're much closer to the ground and you can catch them faster. While on two legs you will have to bend and that will take a while. Bunnies would run away."
"Ok, I think I got it." Virginia said.
Both of them got ready to go after the two rabbits. Wolf ran after one of them and caught it in no time. Virginia was amazed.
"It's your turn. Hurry, it's getting away." Wolf told her.
"OK." Virginia was on her legs and hands now. She raced the rabbit for a while, but they only ran in circles.
Wolf stood there and watched them while he took a bite of the fresh meat of the rabbit. Finally Virginia was angry. She got tired of running in circles after that rabbit.
"I'll get you Mr. Bugs Bunny!" she said. She stared at the rabbit for a few moments, and when it stopped, she attacked.
"I got it!" she held the rabbit by its ears and stood up.
"Now you have to kill it."
"What? I can't! He's so sweet." She looked at the frightened rabbit.
"Hunting means to catch and to kill. You caught it, now you have to kill it."
"How?"
"Twist its neck."
"What?! Are you going to force me to eat it next?"
"It tastes good that way." He took another bite.
"OK. I want this. I can do it." She closed her eyes and twisted the rabbit's neck. "SORRY!" she screamed so she wouldn't hear any voice of the rabbit's bones.
"Good work!" Wolf threw the rabbit that was in his hand and took Virginia in his arms. He kissed her passionately. "I'm proud of you." He said and kissed her again. Virginia could taste the rabbit's blood on Wolf's lips. She pulled back. Wolf stared at her in a shock.
"Wolf, you're all blood." She said calmly. She didn't want to make him go crazy again.
"Come, I'll teach you how to eat raw meat."
"We can make it rare."
"I like them both. As long as it's fresh meat. You must learn to eat both of them. We need the cubs to know the tastes of both kinds."
Virginia made a disgusted look on her face, but agreed with him. "Just as long as it's for the baby." She said.
They sat near a tree. Wolf cut a piece of meat and gave it to her. "Here you go."
Virginia took it and looked at it for a moment. "Eewww!" she said, but she put it in her mouth. She felt like she was going to throw up. But chewed the meat. And for her own surprise, she liked it.
"This was nice. I never thought that raw meat would taste like this."
"I told you it's good."
They ate together. And when they were finished they went inside the tree house and fell asleep on the ground near each other. Wolf pulled Virginia close to him and put his coat on her to keep her warm.
+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Author's note: As you see the story is focusing on the relationship between Wolf and Virginia now. Please tell me what you think about this. Thank you!
The soldiers return to the palace.
"Where are they?" Wendell asks.
"We couldn't find them Your Majesty." The leader replies.
"WHY HAVE I SENT YOU FOR?" he turns to General Silverstone who was standing next to him. "General I want a new group of soldiers to search for them. More experienced soldiers. And, if they return without Wolf and Virginia, they will not work here anymore."
The general's eyes opened wide. He couldn't believe how the king was behaving. Orders combined with threats? That was new. But, the general nodded in agreement. "As you wish Your Majesty."
Wendell went back to his office. Tony was there reading a book.
"They couldn't find them." Wendell said.
"What?"
"They couldn't find them Anthony. I've ordered to send another group to search for them."
"Wendell, what if they don't come back at all? What will we do?"
"I think I'll have to announce it at the council meeting."
"Why don't you do it now?"
"Anthony, if I did that, it will get to the ears of every wolf in all of the nine kingdoms. Do you want a civil war to start?"
"Damn it! Why did the moon choose THIS miserable day to be full?!"
"What does the moon have to do with it?" Wendell asked.
"Wolf's temper! If it wasn't full moon tonight, he would've behaved a lot more differently. He would've headed to Kissingtown immediately to find Rupert."
"Anthony, you gave us the answer! You're a genius!" Wendell said and hugged him.
"They're heading to Kissingtown? Wendell we have to tell the soldiers to go and search there!" Tony said.
"No Anthony, we are going there ourselves."
*^_^* *^_^* *^_^* *^_^*
Tom came back to Mary's room in the hospital at evening.
"Hi sweet heart." He said as he entered the room.
"Hi! Where have you been all day? I missed you!"
"I missed you too." He came near and gave her a kiss. "I had to explain the general doctor why I have disappeared from the hospital all this time. No doctor was given such long vacation before."
"Oh, and I was the reason for that. I feel sorry."
"Don't be. Besides, I've quit my job there."
"What? Why?"
Tom took an envelope out of his shirt pocket and gave it Mary. "Read this."
Mary took it and started to read. After finishing, she looked at Tom with bright eyes. "The head of the plastic surgery department in this hospital? Tom this is great! I'm so proud of you!"
"Well, you have a share in this. The owner of this hospital heard about your surgery, and that's why he invited me. He didn't know that I was here all this time, so he sent this letter to the other hospital. And today, when I went there, Dan gave it to me."
"How is he doing?"
"He's fine. Suffering by the hands of his own patients." They both laughed.
"You know, we should tell Wolf and Virginia about this." Mary said.
"I will contact them when I go home. The mirror is there."
"Tom, may I ask you a favor?"
"Anything honey."
"Could you bring that mirror here?"
"Sure, but why?"
"I want to see how does it look like over there. Maybe it would show my old house."
"How could I never think about that before! I will get it right now!" he kissed her and went home to get the mirror.
*^_^* *^_^* *^_^* *^_^*
"Wendell, why don't we wait for them a couple of days before going?" Tony asked while Wendell was getting ready for the trip.
"Anthony, we have to find them as soon as possible. And what made you change your mind?"
"They won't be there now. They must be somewhere in the forests. It will take them a week or so to get to Kissingtown. So, we can wait for a week, and then we'll go there. Besides, I think it's better to leave them alone for a while. Especially after what you said."
"I guess you're right Anthony. Alright. We're canceling our trip." Wendell said.
*^_^* *^_^* *^_^* *^_^*
Wolf and Virginia sat in the tree house. They had nothing to do. Wolf's blood was boiling.
"Virginia, I must go out for a hunt now. I'll be back soon."
"Can I come?"
"I don't think you can handle this now. What about the baby? You will feel tired so fast."
"I wanted to learn how to hunt."
"How about next time?" Wolf made a puppy-dog eyes. "I don't want you to get tired today. You had a long walk already."
"OK." Virginia said in a sad voice. Wolf gave her a kiss and went out.
It was getting darker. While Virginia lit a candle that she found on the table and sat near the little window, Wolf ran through the forest. He was finally able to run as much as he wanted freely. No cops, no cars and… no humans. Well, except for his mate. He hunted a couple of rabbits, and caught another two, but kept them alive.
"Your time is close fluffy ones." He smiled at the rabbits and his eyes flashed yellow. He walked back to the tree house. On his way he stopped for a moment and looked to the sky. It was dark already. He didn't feel how time passed. He stared at the moon and let a long howl. Then he smiled and continued his walk.
Suddenly, something went wrong in him. He felt pain in every muscle. He fell on his knees, but didn't let the rabbits go. He kept holding them from their ears. Of course, they tried to run, but he was holding them too tight. He howled, he growled. It was time for his wolf side to take control.
He stood up. Rabbits still in his hands. His eyes were flashing gold. His canines were longer than usual. He started to run. He knew where he was heading. A place that has just turned to be home for him.
Virginia saw Wolf coming, so she headed to the main door of the secret house. She opened the door and went out to greet her mate. Wolf came running and when he saw her he stopped. He looked at her, his head tilted to a side. "Well, well. What do we have here?" he said. His voice seemed strange to Virginia. It wasn't the same soft voice that she was used to hear. This one was deep, and cruel.
"Wolf? Is that you?" she called. She noticed the rabbits in his hands, and now she was sure that it was him. She smiled and walked to him. "I see you've hunted a lot of bunnies. You said you were going to hunt just a couple…" she stopped when she noticed the look on his face. He had a grin on his face. A wolfish one. He always grinned like that when he was going to play a bad trick on someone. Virginia knew that he was under the influence of the full moon at this moment, so she took a step back.
"Are you scared Virginia?" he said, and walked around her. "You're scared of the big bad wolf?"
"Wolf, you don't know what you're talking about." She said in a shaky voice. "Can I go back inside now?"
"I'm not sure about that. You know I'm hungry. And you're so succulent!"
Virginia ran to the tree. He followed her and blocked her way. She stopped.
"Wolf, why don't you bring more bunnies?"
"You can't trick me like that. I'm not going anywhere. I have what we need here." He lifted his hands to show the bunnies. Two of them were still alive.
"But those are not enough." Virginia said.
Wolf lifted an eyebrow. "Why?"
Virginia took a deep breath. It's now or never. she thought and walk to stand right in front of him, just a few inches away. "Do you smell anything?" she asked him.
Wolf sniffed her from the head until he reached her stomach. He dropped the rabbits and put his hands on her stomach. He sniffed again, and then he put his ear on it.
"You're my mate! And you're carrying our cubs!"
Virginia sighed in relief. "Yes Wolf."
"That's why we need more bunnies! Cripes! I have to feed the cubs!" he scratched his head. All that time his eyes were yellow.
"Wolf, I think that you promised me something."
"What?"
"Teach me how to hunt."
"I promised?"
"Yes. And wolves should keep their word."
He told her that he would teach her in some other day. But Virginia thought that this is the best time to make him teach her hunting. Besides, it would be safer for her to keep him busy somehow.
"Yes. I always keep my word." Wolf replied. He looked around and saw the two rabbits hopping away from them.
"All you have to do is run after them on four."
"Why four? Can't I just run in the normal way?"
"No. Because on four you're much closer to the ground and you can catch them faster. While on two legs you will have to bend and that will take a while. Bunnies would run away."
"Ok, I think I got it." Virginia said.
Both of them got ready to go after the two rabbits. Wolf ran after one of them and caught it in no time. Virginia was amazed.
"It's your turn. Hurry, it's getting away." Wolf told her.
"OK." Virginia was on her legs and hands now. She raced the rabbit for a while, but they only ran in circles.
Wolf stood there and watched them while he took a bite of the fresh meat of the rabbit. Finally Virginia was angry. She got tired of running in circles after that rabbit.
"I'll get you Mr. Bugs Bunny!" she said. She stared at the rabbit for a few moments, and when it stopped, she attacked.
"I got it!" she held the rabbit by its ears and stood up.
"Now you have to kill it."
"What? I can't! He's so sweet." She looked at the frightened rabbit.
"Hunting means to catch and to kill. You caught it, now you have to kill it."
"How?"
"Twist its neck."
"What?! Are you going to force me to eat it next?"
"It tastes good that way." He took another bite.
"OK. I want this. I can do it." She closed her eyes and twisted the rabbit's neck. "SORRY!" she screamed so she wouldn't hear any voice of the rabbit's bones.
"Good work!" Wolf threw the rabbit that was in his hand and took Virginia in his arms. He kissed her passionately. "I'm proud of you." He said and kissed her again. Virginia could taste the rabbit's blood on Wolf's lips. She pulled back. Wolf stared at her in a shock.
"Wolf, you're all blood." She said calmly. She didn't want to make him go crazy again.
"Come, I'll teach you how to eat raw meat."
"We can make it rare."
"I like them both. As long as it's fresh meat. You must learn to eat both of them. We need the cubs to know the tastes of both kinds."
Virginia made a disgusted look on her face, but agreed with him. "Just as long as it's for the baby." She said.
They sat near a tree. Wolf cut a piece of meat and gave it to her. "Here you go."
Virginia took it and looked at it for a moment. "Eewww!" she said, but she put it in her mouth. She felt like she was going to throw up. But chewed the meat. And for her own surprise, she liked it.
"This was nice. I never thought that raw meat would taste like this."
"I told you it's good."
They ate together. And when they were finished they went inside the tree house and fell asleep on the ground near each other. Wolf pulled Virginia close to him and put his coat on her to keep her warm.
+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Author's note: As you see the story is focusing on the relationship between Wolf and Virginia now. Please tell me what you think about this. Thank you!
