“Make the kill, B.” Grandfather ordered.

(‘Scent’ Excerpt Chapter 11)

My eyes widened in fear at what I had done as I looked down on the poor animal which was groaning in agony. Then I looked up at the tree she had been clawing when I saw some kind of insect hive inside of the broken trunk. The female grizzly had been happily minding her own business, trying to feed herself when I stumbled along and massacred her!

“Do it, B.” Grant growled out softly in his deep, rumbling Werewolf voice. He walked up to stand beside, as did Ian, Dad, Grandpa and Grandfather. “Kill her and put her out of her misery.”

“Then we will feast on her flesh.” Ian eagerly licked his lips as his glowing pink eyes stared hungrily on our prey.

“Make the kill, B.” Grandfather ordered.

No, no, no! I don’t want to! I shook my head as I stepped back from the scene of my crime. I’m disgusting! I shouldn’t feed on her as I don’t deserve it!

Dad’s glowing red eyes narrowed in what I thought was disappointment as he watched me back away. He must feel so let down that he didn’t have a son to turn instead. He must think I’m a disappointment to the entire pack…

Ian saw that I wasn’t going to do it, so he dropped down to his knees and took hold of the grizzly’s huge head in his supernaturally strong arms.

SNAP!

The grizzly’s head dropped to the ground lifeless, with her eyes staring blankly as her blood continued to ooze out of her many cuts and scratches.

Dad lowered to the ground beside his best friend, as both Grandpa and Grandfather followed. My mouth fell open in a mixture of horror and yet hunger, as I watched the male Lokoti Werewolves begin to feed. They used their claws and teeth to pull away her fur to reach the warm, succulent flesh underneath.

“B?” Grant held out his clawed hand to me.

“NO!” I roared before I turned around and took off out of there!

I ran in a direction I know not… The trees flew at me so thick and fast, I felt the odd scratch of a low branch or a bush that grazed as I concentrated on missing the tree trunks. I ran faster, slipping from Lokoti Werewolf speed to Circulator light speed. My skin turned bright as all of me and not just my eyes glowed. I tried to run faster than I had ever run before, even faster than light speed!

Something odd happened as I no longer felt my bare feet touching the cold, hard earth anymore. I was running so fast, I felt all light and tingly like I could have been floating. When I looked down at my bright body, I saw straight through myself! Oh my god I look like a ghost! Then that means I’m in phase! I looked just like Gran and Mum did when they went into phase being Circulators.

Just then I looked up when I saw I was about to hit a huge tree…! Frickin’ hell, this is gonna hurt! I ‘closed’ my eyes as best as I could, being all bright and see-through as I tried to prepare for the impact…but it never came.

I stopped, or I think I stopped. My body of bright light reformed back into it’s solid, Werewolf shape and I could feel my feet touching the ground again. When I looked around, there was no sign of the tree I was supposed to hit. Hang on, where am I?

Feeling completely lost, I looked around the surrounding wilderness which I had never seen before. I was in some kind of huge, grassy plain which stretched for a couple of square kilometers. But I knew I was still in the vast Lokoti National Park by recognizing the distant trees as well as the familiar backdrop of mountains in the Alaska Range.

The real question though, was how the hell did I get here? Oh my god, I think I must have instantaneously phased! It would make sense, I was running so fast I went into phase. When I thought I was about to hit the tree and I closed my eyes, somehow I instantaneously phased myself out of danger to another part of the National Park. Only how do I get back? I’m lost! I don’t know my way home from here.

My muscles turned to jelly because my body was depleted of energy and I slipped to the cold, grassy ground. I tried to remain in my Werewolf body for the supernatural body heat as I was wary of the icy cold air. Next, I tried to calm my racing heart by admiring the view of the snow-capped mountains which looked a haunting white under the starry sky.

Just then I heard a noise and my head snapped around to track it. My nose caught wind of a familiar scent…maple syrup? Off in the distance I spotted Declan in European Werewolf form. He stepped out of a section of wood carrying some kind of large, dead animal in his strong canine jaws.

On all fours, he trotted over to where I was sitting in the grassy plain. His glowing green eyes stood out in the night, with his jaws dripping with blood from his hapless victim. The closer he came, the sight of his huge, hulking, hairless supernatural body made him a sight for sore eyes!

“How did you find me?” I wondered.

I WASN’T LOOKING FOR YOU – he telepathically replied – I WAS HUNTING WHEN I CAUGHT YOUR SCENT.

“Oh.” I said flatly, looking on his prey.

Declan ceremoniously dumped the carcass he had been carrying in his mouth, which I saw was a male Elk? Then he sat down on his hind legs to look down on me as the weaker Werewolf.

“Elk?” I queried in my deep, rumbling voice. “How the hell are you hunting Elk? They’re not native to Alaska.”

SOMETIMES THEY STUMBLE INTO OUR TERRITORY, ESPECIALLY TO MIGRATE AWAY FROM THE RADIATION – Declan shrugged with his bulky shoulders – SO WHERE IS GRANT AND THE OTHER LOKOTI WEREWOLVES?

“I don’t know.” I answered.

AREN’T THEY SUPPOSED TO BE TEACHING YOU TO HUNT OR SOMETHING? – he gave a funny look with his monstrous face– IT’S WHAT THE PACK HAD BEEN PLANNING

“They did take me hunting.” I said dismally. “I’m a failure.”

IS THAT WHY YOU’RE SITTING HERE SULKING? – he chuckled which came out as an odd kind of panting noise.

“They took me hunting and I hurt a bear.” I said guiltily. “I think I disappointed Dad when I couldn’t finish the kill so Ian did it. Just as Grant tried to get me to eat with them, I chickened out and ran away.”

STOP BEING SUCH A PRINCESS BY WASTING GOOD FOOD – he rolled his glowing green eyes – GRIZZLY IS RARELY HUNTED AS THEIR NUMBERS ARE FEW SO YOU JUST TURNED DOWN A DELICACY.

“Thanks for the sympathy!” I looked away in annoyance. However when I heard some kind of strange, wet, crunching noise? I turned my head back around to find Declan eating his prey. “You’re eating that now?”

WHEN THE MEAT TURNS COLD AND IT STARTS TO DECOMPOSE IT’S NO GOOD – he thought with his mouthful – NEED I REMIND YOU THAT WEREWOLVES FEAST ON FRESH KILL?

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“Yeah but when I turn into you, I get locked up as my clothes tear and I feel the worse pain imaginable!”

(‘Scent’ Excerpt Chapter 11)

As the ‘Cranberries’ played softly as mood music, Grant occasionally looked over his book to watch me work. He quietly observed me separate all of my books on history and mythology from my novels and shelve them in alphabetical and categorical order. I was so fastidious, it took me most of the afternoon. I was almost done when we were interrupted by unexpected guests.

Knock, knock, knock!

“Come in!” He called out immediately, as if he were expecting the intrusion.

I watched my front door open with the entry of Ian, Dad, Grandfather and even Grandpa walking into my living room.

“Oh.” I stood up worriedly from the floor. “What’s wrong?”

“Why do you think something is wrong?” Grandpa smiled in amusement.

“Then what’s with the mini reunion?” I pondered.

“We’re declaring class is now in session.” Dad announced.

“Class, what class?” I looked his way in befuddlement.

“Tonight, tomorrow night and for the next couple of nights, you’ll be training with Lokoti Werewolves.” Grandfather grinned. “Your mother and grandmother as the Circulators within the family are your ‘lecturers’ in time manipulation. Now you have us as your tutors for your Werewolf abilities.”

“I do?” my eyes widened, before they narrowed when they turned towards Grant who came over. “You knew about this?”

“Of course.” He shrugged. “The pack have been talking about this for the last couple of days. When you fall into sync with us, you’ll hear as well as feel the pack consensus too.”

My heart skipped a beat as I felt dwarfed by being the only female amongst all of the males in the room.

“Where’s Mum and Gran?” I took a step backwards. “Are they coming too?”

“Your grandmother and mother can advise you on Circulator matters, but they can’t train your bloodlust as a Werewolf, B.” Dad said gravely.

“But I don’t want to wolf-out and go all yucky!” I took another step backwards with apprehension. “It hurts being a Werewolf and I always get into trouble for it!”

“If you start your training as soon as possible, you can be taught to control the bloodlust, B.” Grandpa said patiently. “The longer we leave it, the harder it will be.”

“It’s not a full moon so I don’t want to change!” I objected. “I don’t want this! I don’t want to be like you!”

“B…” Grant looked pained, “…it will be alright, I promise.”

“Yeah but when I turn into you, I get locked up as my clothes tear and I feel the worse pain imaginable!” I objected.

“Then we’d better get you trained as soon as possible, so you don’t feel the agonizing stomach cramps anymore.” Ian said calmly.

Suddenly in a bright flash of light, Mum and Gran instantaneously phased into my living area, to the surprise of the male Lokoti Werewolves.

“Arabella?” Grandfather looked on his mate.

“Jess?” Dad had to blink at Mum’s abrupt appearance.

“Hi Hunter.” She smirked. “We just came to drop something off for B.”

“For me?” I wondered out loud. “Like what?”

Gran walked forwards holding a small pile of neatly folded up clothes in her hands. As she came forwards, she unfolded the garments and soon we were looking on several elasticized black tops and bottoms of what looked to be like gym clothes.

“You need elasticized clothing which won’t tear when you change.” She announced. “Here’s a couple of pairs of work-out clothes you can wear which will handle your increased muscle bulk.”

I looked on the two other females in the room which coupled with their consideration; it was like they were the light in all of this darkness. I walked up not just to accept my gift, but I pulled both older women into my stronger arms in a grateful hug.

“Thank you!” I uttered out in a tight voice. “Thank you so much!”

“They’re just clothes, B.” Mum laughed at reaction, but Gran understood.

“Of course we’d be here for the first female Lokoti Werewolf who’s still our beloved B.” She rubbed my back in a soothing manner. “Now how about you go upstairs and change?”

“You mean you’ll be coming too?” I asked hopeful.

“Er, perhaps not.” She tried not to laugh.

“We’ll stay here though.” Mum promised. “Go off and do your ‘Werewolf bonding’ or whatever the males have planned? And when you come home all hunted out, we will be waiting for you.”

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