When he awoke the second time everyone else was already awake and sitting in the den. William sat up as best he could and folded his legs in front of him. The crowded space of the den was a little uncomfortable. Aceso looked over everyone but it was Charles who spoke first.
“How did you find this place?”
Aceso looked over at Achelois. “This is a very old den that has been here for many generations of wolf families.” Aceso looked back at Charles. “It was my home when I was born.”
William and Charles shared a look between them. “That’s how you knew to find this place in almost complete darkness and driving rain,” Charles said.
Aceso nodded. She showed no signs of any emotion at all, these things were mere facts nothing more. William felt a small twinge inside himself at the indifference that Aceso showed toward the place she was born. He knew that the next time he saw his home, the house he grew up in rather, he was sure he would feel something. The matter-of-fact attitude Aceso showed toward this old wolf den was disconcerting.
“We have a job to do,” Aceso said into the stillness. “Nobody leaves without Charles or Katherine, both would be better.” Aceso looked around at the pack. No one argued these points. William sat still knowing that Aceso would make the right decisions. “Charles, take Katherine, Achelois, and William out in the surrounding forest.” Charles nodded. “I want you to stay close to the den no more than a radius of three miles or so.” William nodded at the logic of the decision. This was their first jaunt out in the wilderness, if anything happened it would be better if they all stayed close by so they could cover for each other.
“I know I’m not going…for some reason,” Nicolas retorted, “but what exactly should we do if we are discovered by, say, some random poachers, hunters, or campers?” Nicolas stared hard at Aceso. “I know that Charles should be able to smell any such people from a mile away but for my own reassurance, what is the plan if it happens anyway?”
Aceso looked around at her pack members. William glanced over to see Nicolas beaming. He knew that he had caught Aceso off guard and he must have counted that as a victory against her.
“We transform back into our natural forms,” William said.
“Then what?” scoffed Nicolas, “prance around naked with the wolves and say we are making a movie?”
“Well,” Katherine said, “this is California.”
Aceso looked over at William. “Nicolas has a point, William. What exactly did you have in mind?”
William looked at his alpha. “When we change, the humans won’t want to believe what they saw, if anything. And if you and Achelois bolt off then we could always say you were attacking us.”
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“And why, pray tell, would we be naked in the middle of the forest?” Nicolas asked sneering.
The reference to what had happened between them yesterday was not lost on William. He turned a cold eye toward the blonde. “We could always say that the wolves ran off with our clothes as we were taking a shower, or you know.” The implied subject matter would be enough to satisfy anyone else. However, the idea of actually having to pull off a story like that with Katherine and Charles was a little uncomfortable. “Then before too many questions were asked Charles could make them want to go back to their campsite or better yet go home.” Aceso cocked her head to the side and Charles raised a questioning eyebrow. William looked around to see dubious looks from the rest of them at best.
Aceso spoke before more questions could be raised. “Hopefully you won’t have to deal with that.” She fixed her gaze on Charles and Katherine. “Keep sharp and stay close.” She looked at everyone in the den. “Like I said, we have a job to do. Let’s get it done so we can go home.”
There was an unmistaken note of finality in her words. William stood up on all fours as best he could, which was by hunching over, and made his way to the entrance and poked his head out. The sun was bright but cold on his face. The wind from last night was mostly gone leaving only the remnant of the storms scent. He ducked back down and watched as Charles moved up beside him and out, William followed.
They waited for Katherine and Achelois to emerge from the den. Charles took a few steps in one direction then another. The Tracker was trying to get a scent. William backed against the cold stone that served as the overhang for the den’s entrance. Charles turned around again and walked a few steps in a new direction. Charles turned to the rest of them. “That way.” He raised his finger at the forest.
The others hunched down on all fours and began the chase. The four werewolves covered each other watching Charles for directions and distance cues. The trees in this part of the forest were impossibly thick. How had any of them navigated these woods last night without running face first into at least one of the thick tree trunks? It had been about a minute or so before Charles raised his hand to stop them. He pointed up toward the sky around them. “The wind is still coming from the north,” Charles said in an almost inaudible whisper. “We’ll have to approach from the south.”
William nodded and began to circle to the south. He of course knew this from his time in his forest but why be redundant. The other three followed his lead and they were moving much slower now, trying not to disturb a single stone or rustle a single fern bough. That proved to be a lot tougher that he had expected.
Charles tapped William on the shoulder and gestured with his hands that the wind had changed direction and the deer were actually moving toward them. William nodded and turned back toward the north. Charles took the lead and constantly tasted the wind with his nose. He dropped to the ground. William and the rest didn’t need any further directions and dropped down a half a second after Charles.
Charles stood up and walked ahead of the group. William raised a startled confused look at Katherine. She returned his look with a questioning glare of her own. William raised himself up so he could see what was happening through the foliage.
Charles was walking through the trees and in front of him were two female deer. They were both lying on the ground. They both had their noses tucked under their hind legs. One was facing toward him, and he could have sworn that the deer had its eyes open. They were both a beautiful light brown with black spots on their hind quarters. Their tail was off to one side showing a snow white under coloring.