Chapter 11

Wolf was startled awake when a fist curled into his hoodie, pulling him eye to eye with Jack. The boy's eyes narrowed down spitefully, the light of the moon shadowing his face. Wolf stared at him in shock for a moment, stunned by the sudden awakening, but he felt anger stir in him as he brushed the kid off with a lazy brush of his hand. Wolf stood up from the campfire. He risked a glance around to make sure Red didn't linger close by. She must have headed into the woods to carry out a perimeter check. "What do you want Blondie?" He messed with his hair, irritation glimmering in his mind.

The Blonde glared at him, fingers of amber fire flashing in his eyes. He jerked his head to the woods. "Follow me."

Giving off a nonchalant shrug, Wolf walked after him, carelessly going with his hands in his pockets. Jack kept looking over his shoulder at him, eyes narrowed down to hard, murderous glares.

They got a few minutes of walking before Jack stopped, out of hearing distance from the others. At last he whipped around, "I know what you're doing," he growled threateningly.

Wolf stared, his emotions a combination of confused, amused and just plain annoyed. He was tired. He needed some sleep for Bane's sake. Wolves need their beauty sleep too. "What are you talking about?" he asked, pale ears itching with the arrival of early dawn. He allowed himself to yawn, dwelling on the thought of actually sleeping.

Apparently Jack didn't know wolves (even transformed ones) needed to sleep, because he began to rant, "I know what you're trying to do, you've been after it ever since I met you!"

The dark haired human blinked back at him, "Um, after what?"

Jack looked furious. Stalking forward he poked his finger against Wolf's chest. "I know you've been after Red the second I saw you! You're not going to take her away from me!"

Wolf instantly grew furious when Red's name left his lips. He snapped at him, "Well she isn't exactly yours either Casanova! You kinda struck out earlier!"

Rage flashed over Jack's expression, "You- You spy! You saw that?"

Wolf scoffed, "Saw? I didn't need to see it. I could feel Red's anger that you would actually hope she would go out with you. How pathetic can you get? She obviously isn't in to you."

"Only because you're playing dirty!"

Wolf groaned, "Who ever said I even wanted to go out with her? You heard what Red said! The mission comes first! She's my partner and I would do anything for her but its because I've worked with her for years, not just because I want to get my tongue down her throat, unlike some people on this mission!" Wolf glared at him, going on full fire now, "Not only that but what ever gave you the idea that I was in love with her?"

Jack didn't falter for a second, "You said it, not me."

Wolf felt heat rise up in his throat. For a minute it felt like he could have breathed fire if he wished it, "You have nothing to prove I love her or she loves me!"

Jack shouted out, "You're so protective-"

"Well excuse me for being worried of my partner's well being!" Wolf interrupted angrily. "If you'd worked with someone, seen their weak and their strong spots, wouldn't you want to be careful of the company they chose to be around? Because so far, Jack, you haven't given me a lot to work with that would get you a place with Red!"

Scoffing, Jack spit right back out, "Oh yeah like you've been trying to help me! That's a laugh!"

"Well after you made out with her without her permission I say this game is pretty open and shut," Wolf answered back immediately.

Turning purple with rage, Jack walked back towards him, "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!" Their voices began to rise in volume.

"Then why did you turn human?"

Wolf started, hair along his spine beginning to bristle, "What?"

"The witch said that it was the wish of someone on the team that you would turn into a human. I know it wasn't me. It wasn't Granny or Red or Twitchy because they need your nose, so it's obviously you because you want to take Red for yourself!"

Wolf's lip curled. Snarling at the boy, jumping forward, pushing Jack against a tree, keeping him away as Wolf pressed his arm against Jack's chest. "You pathetic, insolent, naïve brat! You think I wanted to turn human? You think I wanted to walk around without a tail, or be able to smell right, hear better of even see? You think I don't miss the sound of the forest, the feeling of life all around me? I hate it! I despise being human! And you think I wished it upon myself just for some girl! Get your priorities straight!"

With an irritated growl, Wolf shoved him away so Jack fell on his hands and knees. The once-wolf glared down at the boy, lips curling, sharp canine teeth gleaming, thirsting for blood. "We're done here."

"I'm not done with you!" Jack called, standing back up.

"Well I am!" Wolf roared, furious. "And you can keep watch for the rest of the night!"

With a raging snarl, the human-wolf took off into the trees, leaving the blonde human to stare in confused anger.

Nearby, hiding behind a tree, Red stared into the forest, brooding in her silent confusion.

Jack walked past her, not noticing her presence as he stormed back to camp. Red watched his back until it disappeared in the waning darkness before she began taking off in the direction Wolf raged.

It didn't take long from Wolf running to figure out someone was following him. Because of his steaming rage he couldn't control his senses as well, and could only hear them coming.

Assuming the pursuer was Jack, Wolf whipped around, snarling with open fangs, "I told you I'm done talking to you Jack! Leave me alone!"

Out stepped Red.

Wolf instantly calmed, embarrassed he yelled at her. "Oh, its you Red."

"Yeah, it's me." She looked over him, keeping her distance in case his temper decided to flare again. "I heard what you said back there. You okay?"

"I'm fine," he said curtly, still annoyed by Jack's assumption about Wolf's deepest desire. He looked up to Red, "You really heard all that?"

She nodded, Wolf looking down, shame crossing his features, "I'm sorry you had to hear that."

The girl shrugged, "Oh well. Things get overheard." She approached him a little closer, hands held behind her back, careful not to stir his irritation. At last she stopped in front of him, looking up to meet his eyes. After a few moments, he looked away, unable to hold her gaze.

"Did you mean it?" she questioned.

This earned an ear flick from him. "Mean what?"

"You know, what you said about being human, how even if you did wish this, it wasn't just because you wanted to be," she cleared her throat, "with me."

He glanced to her, eyes narrowed suspiciously. Red noticed this too, how it became more obvious to read his emotions as a human. Wolf answered back cautiously, "Yes, I meant every word." Worried, he went on, "I-I don't mean that as an insult to you it's just that-"

"Don't worry Wolf, its okay. I understand," she gave a light laugh, "Actually, I feel more respect for you, that you value yourself more than to just give up everything for some girl."

Wolf blushed in the darkness, unable to make a plausible answer. "Well, uh, thanks, I guess?"

She laughed again, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Wolf, when you're an animal, can you really sense the life of the forest?" she decided to change the topic before things got awkward.

"Yes," he answered, his eyes growing misty as memories danced in the theater of his mind. "When you've lived with wild animals half your life, something happens. You begin to feel, to understand more of your environment. It's amazing, but as a human, I can't sense a thing. It's like I've been disconnected." His gold eyes gleamed with hurt.

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

He smiled at her, "It's not your fault."

Red gave a flicker of a smile, deciding to move on. Without voicing their thoughts, the pair began to walk together, both looking down away from the other. "Thanks, by the way."

"For what?"

"For worrying about me. I'm glad I mean a lot to you as a partner. I feel the same."

He smiled, reaching forward to ruffle her hair underneath her hood. "No problem Red. You're not usually an easy person to worry for but you sure get us freaked when you do."

She only smiled.

Looking down modestly, Red gazed at their feet.

"Wolf?"

He looked to her, copying the gentleness in her voice. "Yes?"

"Why aren't you wearing those shoes we gave you?" she looked up to him, amused anger tossed at him.

"Uhh. . ."

"Your feet are going to scar up really bad you know! Why don't you wear those shoes?"

"Hey gimme a break! I've never worn shoes until this happened! Do you have any idea how weird it feels!"

"No, but it obviously looks like it hurts. You can't just walk around barefoot! You could get really hurt!"

He threw her a complaining look, "But Re-ed!" he mocked.

"No whining! You're wearing those shoes!"

They headed back to camp, both laughing. When they neared the fire, dawn began to stretch its lazy fingers across the horizon. Jack didn't appear. He must have crawled back into his tent.

Giggling, Red nudged her partner, who bumped her back. "Brat," he muttered.

"Mutt."

"Redhead."

"Stray!"

"Shut up will you? Some of us are trying to sleep!" Jack yelled, angry at their happiness.

They broke into laughter.

FYI, when it says, "He needed some sleep for Bane's sake," Wolf is thinking of the wolf diety called Wolf Bane, or the more popular term to the wolves, Bane. It's another thing that separates the animals from the humans, and a touch that I thought was pretty freaking awesome :3 I dont know if Wolf will think anything like that again but I sure know I'm going to like using it for future writing pieces xD