Part Ten: Little Hope

Sometimes, he wished he could come out and say that his sister had done something terrible to him, but Hemlock knew that no matter what, Iris would always be the one listened to. He could never explain it, but certainly growing up he’d faced the constant sharp eyes of his father whereas Iris only have to say one thing and he believed it was some holy sermon! Hemlock knew his father didn’t like to listen to him, he knew too that in the beast form his father was disappointed that he could talk to them and listen to them and didn’t smell like a threat but couldn’t change. It was something though he sensed his father in beast form was like around Iris too… but that only made him more depressed… the father that was not human was the one that seemed to show more signs of caring than the one that was!

Hemlock was not sure what was going on with his life, but he’d finished his work at the shop and gathered up the last item to be delivered to a household with a smile. He’d said goodbye to his master and his fellows, glad that they all trusted and liked him, the began his walk down from town. He had taken off his bloodied apron and left it at the shop to be washed, if only because he could sense the time with the beasts would come sooner than expected and he did not want them to accidentally jump him and attack his apron like the first time… he’d had to buy a whole new apron with his first wage packet!

As he marched down a narrow alley with the distinct scent of the sewer where people were flinging their waste out the windows to the drain below, Hemlock was aware of the sound of feet pacing after him. It made him curl his lips, he could smell the scent of someone eager to fight in the air and he knew that it was a situation he would not be able to win, so he had to keep walking faster. As he started to pick up his pace he could hear his follower catching up too and Hemlock had to kick his feet and beg to the universe that he might just see someone at the end of the alley… and by luck he did.

“Uncle! Uncle!” He called out more joyfully than he purpose should have at the sight of Uncle Matthias pacing past the alley. His follower ducked behind something, getting out of the way as Hemlock stepped over to the beaming figure that was quick to pat his back and chuckle at how puffed out he was. Hemlock then stepped into pace with Matthias, glad the last delivery was for him as the pair of them were chatting comfortably on the way towards his house. “You’ve been on the night patrol less, Uncle, any reason?”

“Well… I start to get strange dreams when I’m awake on them… does that make sense to you?” Matthias looked as perplexed as Hemlock was as he said it. For a while the younger man rolled it around in his head before looking back up to his uncle with searching eyes, hoping for more of an explanation. Matthias blushed, surprised at how much he felt like Trista was looking up at him whenever he was around Hemlock. He tried to think more about these guys as like his own daughters but, Hemlock had so much of his mother about him in his gentle manner that Matthias could never help but feel like he was walking with that adorable chubby woman. “So… there was a time when I was on night patrol, after the Beast had seemed to stop coming and I swore I saw it walk in front of the road I was heading down. It stopped, looked at me and gave the most wicked and human grin at me… almost as if it were pleased or had something I didn’t. I had to tell myself it was the Devil playing tricks on me, trying to make me think there was danger when there wasn’t, I only had to blink a few times and it was gone!”

“And now?” Hemlock queried, though he was inwardly thinking about his father’s actions in the monstrous form. The thought of him coming down to smirk at Matthias because he had Trista and well, Hemlock had overheard the Beast telling his mother that her dear friend Matthias was being cuckolded more than he knew… it was not hard to imagine his father smirking at him about it because of that. However, Hemlock was curious as to what that had to do with the current concern that Matthias was going through as they stopped just on the street before his house and Matthias grit his teeth.

“Willing to come in and talk?” He queried, always a little cautious whenever he was asking Hemlock in if only because he reminded him so much of Trista and with his wife being so unfriendly with him these days, Matthias was often pretty lonely. Hemlock was nodding his head eagerly, hoisting up the meat he’d brought for them and Matthias gave a chuckle of delight at it before then beckoning him inside. As Matthias stepped in, he called out to see if anyone was back yet but the household was quiet and he gave a groan as he sat down and pulled the chair out beside him. Hemlock sat and put the meat down before he felt Matthias’ hand gently patting his shoulder as he sighed gently. “You’re a good kid Hemlock… I know you don’t always fit in but… you don’t have to fit in the way others do… you’re too good for most of the people in this village.”

“That’s… that’s really kind of you, Uncle.” He almost choked on saying Uncle but his eyes were fluttering gently as he looked towards Matthias in surprise and awe. He had not expected such compliments and it also made him a little curious as to whether Matthias really did understand where Hemlock was different from the others. Matthias though just smiled and grasped the younger man’s shoulder, squeezing it with reassurance but then feeling an odd urge to rub at his shoulder as Hemlock looked up to him with such affection and then Matthias pulled back suddenly. Hemlock’s heart was hammering in excitement, he’d felt a pinching in his groin too… his whole body had been expecting that something might happen before Matthias had shaken his head and given a grunt.

“Back to what I was saying… so, three times in the past few months… I’ve been out on the Night Watch and been feeling that Beast Moon in the sky and feeling that sensation of discomfort. Nothing’s been killed, no one’s been hurt so I know our old killer is gone but… that always made me wonder if he really was just an ordinary wolf that had gotten the taste of human blood and now his pack are the ones I’m sensing… but they don’t cause trouble or come into town… everyone who remembers the beast knows that.” Matthias stated, wagging his hand firmly to make a point of what he had come to understand and what he was feeling in this moment. With a slow growl of frustration, it was clear to see that Matthias was probably a little aware of Ash out there… or even his father! All the same, Matthias then gave a soft grunt of frustration and then had given a soft sigh before then shaking his head. “But lately, in the evening… even on non-moon nights… I swear I’ve seen a great white wolf prowling the edges of town. Its shocking, I’m convinced its real but… whenever I turn and go to look, it’s gone and yet I keep finding one huge paw print wherever it was… but only one. Do you think the job’s getting to me?”

“White?” Hemlock queried, knowing damn well that there were no pale members of the Beast community and he shook his head gently. Surely there was something wrong with that idea, but he gave a soft groan and pinched his lips as he tried to think it over. As he looked towards his uncle he then gave a tap of his chin and then shrugged his shoulders gently. “I’m curious… maybe its just a new wolf in the area and you probably are getting flashbacks to what you guys felt before. But if you keep seeing it on the fringes of the village… maybe you should alert everyone to be cautious about it. The younger lot like me may not think much of it but, the adults in the village will remember and will take it…”

“Hmm… I think just telling you has helped me out Hemlock. But you’d better head out, it’s going to get dark soon and you’ll be passing over the bridge where I saw it… tell me if you see it, alright?” Matthias stated with a grunt, trying to ignore the sensation of dismay within his being but patting at Hemlock’s shoulder again. Hemlock nodded his head and straightened up, marching out of the house and saying his goodbyes and his good luck to his uncle. He thankfully stepped out in time for the street to be busy and so Hemlock moved around the crowded paths towards home with ease.

He could sense that his usual bully was still following him, but the moment he stepped out of the village compounds and up towards the bridge into the woodlands, he felt the bully peel away. No one dared leave the village on their own except for the neighbours and Hemlock’s family. He was curious though to have a look at what Matthias had mentioned and so he stepped to the end of the bridge and looked into the grasses around the corner of it, peeling blades back to see the familiar mark of a huge wolf paw. He spotted a lone hair within the marking and pulled out a cloth from his pockets, gently scooping the hair up and hoping it might have some scent to it.

Then steadily, he was pacing back towards home with a sensation of hope in his heart that maybe something could happen between him and Matthais. He could never explain it to anyone at home, but he was going to hold onto the possibility that he and Matthias might one day understand one another’s feeling fully and he would leave the woman that was abusing him. However, upon entering view of home he noticed that Iris was strolling smugly towards the household and making the dog whimper and back away. That was never a good sign and Hemlock was fearful of what he was going to step into from them this time and how Iris was going to bully him.

“Hi Hemlock… you’ve been working today?” The familiar call of his elder brother Ash alerted him to something odd and Hemlock turned his head towards his brother in confusion. Ash was sporting a black eye and Hemlock had a bad feeling as to where it might have come from. He waited for his brother to approach him, about to open his mouth to ask when Ash swatted a hand away. “Wrangling sheep, I never listened when I was told they’ll swing their heads up and hit you but… its true… was helping the neighbours, they said they thought they saw a white wolf in the area last night… but that can’t be right!”

“A white wolf? Matthias said something similar but he reckons its probably from the woodland pack and no doubt nothing to worry about.” Hemlock stated with a gentle smile upon his face before he strolled with his brother back towards the house. They were soon laughing with one another about the possibility of another Beast in the region when their conversation was overheard by their father and Dorjan gave them both a harsh glower, Hemlock and Ash both explained what they had been told and Dorjan turned towards Trista with a firm expression.

“I’ll put out the traps tonight.” He stated and Trista looked oddly anxious about it.

The wolf moon as they called it seemed to come earlier than expected, where Trista had always thought it was only with the full moon, during certain times of the year stress and puberty could trigger it out of nowhere. Tonight was one such time and Ash had sprung out to go and run through the forest as Iris had thankfully been dead asleep and Dorjan had shifted in response to his son. Trista was sitting out on the porch of their house, concerned about what was happening with Ash lately when Hemlock stepped to her side, sat down and they both caught the attention of the great black monster that strolled into view.

“Father… Matthias says he’s seen a white wolf of your nature… I found this hair near a footprint at the bridge, could it be there’s a new threat in the area?” Hemlock queried, unable to stop his hands form shaking as he unfolded the piece of cloth within his hands. The huge jaws of the monster came to it, taking in a deep breath and giving an odd sound of fascination. The big creature then gently seemed to lap at Hemlock’s hands, something unusual but he stared at the fearsome creature with his own anxiety as the Beast then lifted its head up. They were nose to nose and only because Trista was standing nearby did Hemlock believe he would not be killed.

“Good work… you’re keeping an eye out for the family and you’d done very well with this. The scent is unusual but I know it… someone with my curse bit an actual wolf and it’s having the curse in reverse. Easy to deal with, find it on the full moon in the human form it will have and then devour it before it causes damage. Good.” The beast stated with a firm nod of his head before then skipping off into the woods to go and hunt. Trista and Hemlock both watched him go in disbelief and turned to look at each other in surprise, they had not expected him to speak like that or to give such praise to Hemlock, but Hemlock was staring out after his father in confusion before he turned to his mother.

“Why is it, the beast in father is more tender to me than the man?” He queried, but it was the same question that Trista could never answer or understand. She pondered if Hemlock was too dark like his father in aura and Dorjan feared that Hemlock would be treated badly like himself for that maybe he was built with the same curse. Of course, Trista and the Beast both knew the truth but, getting it through to the other side would be impossible. With a gentle kiss to his cheek, Trista insisted that everything would be fine and she marched on into the woods herself.

Strolling through the woods she waited until she was in the deep darkness and she knew no one could see and no family member might hear either. She gently disrobed and then lay herself upon the soft ground, not far from the place where she and the Beast conceived the triplets. She lay there smelling the scent of earth and feeling the softness of it beneath her… not even insects would dare to get close to her and she closed her eyes, hands upon her stomach as she lay there and waited for her mate.

After a little while she heard the beast marching clumsily through the woodland, clearly wanting her to know where he was. Then she heard the desperate snuffling and automatically she lifted her legs and spread them, closing her eyes tightly so her mate may do whatever it was he needed. With a soft groan she felt his cold nose press to her thighs and then down against her pussy. She sighed softly as she felt him sniff her gently and nose at her lips, pressing against her clitoris and smelling her arousal. Then she felt the wolf’s wet, hot tongue gently graze her lips apart and start to sup from her aroused juices as she sighed and kept her legs splayed for her husband, giving a soft moan as she felt his tongue slurping eagerly at her and with a little more reckless motions.

Still, he seemed to know what he wanted as he then clambered about her, trying to get into a good position and she felt his thick, hot rod slip out of its sheath and rest over her pussy. She gave a soft moan and opened her eyes, hoping to give him the stroke and reassurance he needed to take her, when her eyes widened in disbelief. The wolf trying to mount her was not her husband but Ash and she quickly gave him a firm push right off her, standing up and staring at him in disbelief.

Ash bounced away a moment, looking confused as he gave a whine to her and then began to approach, ears back and whimpering like a pup. Trista took a few steadying breathes, her body trembling with fear and disgust for the fact her son had dared to do something so… but then she considered it. Canines licked each other everywhere to gain information and he was still young and yet, she knew he should not have done that and he continued to approach her with a whimper. She wanted to roll her shoulders and shake the sensation of disgust away, to soothe her fearful son but for the fact she could see his cockhead probing out of his sheath. She started to back away as he seemed to keep approaching, slapping his tongue against his lips and sniffing eagerly towards her, his cock getting more and more visible.

“Ash… go away… I’m your mother… you don’t do this to your mother!” Trista warned and the young wolf stopped to stare at her. It seemed he’d forgotten who she was and a shameful expression fell upon him until suddenly, a huge black creature landed upon him. Trista gave a gasp of shock to see Dorjan drop onto his son, grasp him by the scruff and shake him so violently Trista was surprised Ash’s spine was not suddenly snapped! She hurried over, grasping at Dorjan for him not to kill their son before Ash was released and leapt away whimpering again. “Oh my god… oh god… oh god that was awful…”

“You should not have held me back, he needed to know his place.” The wolf growled and yet, feeling her warm body cuddling into him made him snuffle and lap at her desperately. She was muttering his name, still saying oh my god and the Beast gave a groan as he felt himself becoming aroused by her naked flesh against him. He gave her a barge that knocked Trista onto her bottom, making her grunt before she stood over her naked form. His tongue grazed over her lips and then she leant forward, kissing the frothing lips of the beast before she knew what would clear their minds and take her head away from it all. She turned around, going on hands and knees as the wolf reared up behind her, its heavy black body smothering her from view as his thick bestial cock rubbed against her wet slit before slowly penetrating.

Trista moaned and sighed thankfully, leaning into the ground to bear the weight and spreading her legs as best she could. Dorjan’s cock slid in and out of her with ease, thrusting hard and firm to make sure every part of her would be coated in his scent as he growled and grunted and groaned. He thrust firm as his big paws wrapped about her body and then Trista began to give a desperate keen as she felt his knot form and swelling inside her. The sound only urged the beast on faster, he had to make sure she was marked by him now so that Ash would never think to do such a thing again… Trista moaned and cried softly into her arms as she felt herself being stretched wide around the swollen bulb that rubbed so perfectly as it grew against every good part whilst the wolf panted away happily.

Ash was startled by the attack and knew to retreat; he rushed about in the deep woodlands looking for the place where he could recall himself having drunk the nectar of another woman. His mind was filled with confusion, a woman had showed herself to him and let him drink from her body and he had enjoyed it. Why had there been a different woman out in the woods, his mother of all women… Ash was confused. He knew a woman had let him touch her out here and a woman would let him claim her out here… his potential mate must be out here, yes that’s what the sensation was!

“Oh… big brother…” The voice cut through to him and he knew it was the voice of a human female, so Ash rushed towards it expectantly, tail wagging and cock throbbing. He then came upon the place that smelt like where he’d drunk from a woman before and there, lounging upon the grass, naked and with her fingers dipping in and out of her wet pussy was a woman calling to him. “Come here Ash… you want a mate, don’t you? I’ll be your mate.”

Iris smirked as the wolf approached and she knew he would never even remember what was happening.