FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The subtle rustic sounds of chirping crickets was almost an anomaly compared to the loud bursts of fire bombs that still seemed to echo within the forest's ears from the previous night. The pale gray overcast set a somber mood where the field and forests met. The once pristine green hilltop was now in complete ruin. A palisade wall was mostly destroyed in every section, but in different ways. Some sections were charred and burned from a raging fire merely hours ago. However, other areas were blasted away leaving only splinters and chunks of woods scattered in the grass and dirt. In either direction, anyone could notice the destruction lurking within.

Smoldering ash and ruins was all that remained of a remote human village that bordered the fields and thick forests. Brick and wood were shaped into half recognizable piles of rubble where houses once stood. Pieces of furniture, clothes, books, and utensils were mixed with the debris. Personal items were strewn about as if they had been taken by a mighty whirlwind. Even a modest hand cart had been crushed under the collapse of a small brick home. There was simply nothing left of the once mostly peaceful settlement.

A large beastly figure completely covered in jet black fur cautiously approached the extinguished village. Despite her size, she barely made a sound in the grass. She walked through where a formidable palisade wall once stood. A large chunk of the earth was missing as well, creating a freshly made crater to crawl through. Paw prints and animalistic hand prints were left behind in the fresh mud and dirt. Walking onto all fours, she cautiously approached the nearest section of rubble. Her canine ears preened through the silence, but there was nothing to hear above the subtle breeze.

The local pack of forest werewolves, and town of humans had been the bitterest of enemies up until the previous night. The werewolves lived in the untamed wilderness, abiding by their own laws of nature in stark contrast to their human counterparts. The humans, however, had moved into the adjacent fields where they built their homes, leading to conflict for nearly two full generations. Hunting, sources of fresh water, and even land itself became a contested battleground between the two forces. Both sides had their advantages. Humans could erect structures and transform their world with tools and fight using firearms. Werewolves on the other hand used the natural terrain to their advantage and relied on their natural strengths and cunning.

And yet, that bitter rivalry seemed suddenly alien to the lone canine inside the shattered palisade walls. She slowly walked by one home that had partially caved in on itself. Large wooden beams were snapped like twigs and blasted brick nearly covered the ground around the house's perimeter. Her large hands touched the bits of burnt red bricks that were closest to her. Brick and wood were not always easy to break, and yet so much of it had been toppled and broken. Her long snout cautiously peered inside the human dwelling only to quickly retract. A disgusted frown formed on her face as the fresh stench of death had invaded her sensitive nose. However, it was not the only body she found. She scanned the ruins carefully in utter confusion. It was the same wherever she went.

'What could've caused this?' The female werewolf couldn't understand what would bring a once vibrant human settlement to complete destruction. Not even the mightiest of thunderstorms and winds could have been the sole reason. She crossed a fragment of colored cloth that littered the grass. Her nose lowered and smelled it. It had someone's fresh scent, but that person was nowhere to be seen. She continued walking, but the eerie miserable scene was repeated at very corner of the destroyed village.

The werewolf's head tilted curiously at one particular spot, a house that was nearly completely collapsed. However, the fallen sections were in shambles leaving only piles of brick, dust, and course dirt. At the tail end of the debris was a fallen figure.

'A human pup!' Her eyes widened at the sight. The canine cautiously approached, having never seen a young human. He looked so small and fragile! His dark hair was modest in length, and his hands were tiny compared to her bulky wolffish ones. Unmoving, his closed eyes made it appear that he was peacefully asleep. The left side of the little human's body was partially buried underneath ash, clumps of dirt, and a cracked piece of wood.

"Is it dead?" She looked closely and smelled him, but there was no decaying odor. The werewolf frowned as she touched his small body. She expected him to be cold, and eyes briefly darted away at the sound of the wind whistling by. However, his skin was faintly warm. She paused and her eyes focused. Her ears wiggled at an unmistakable sound. The boy was breathing! The canine looked around, but there was no one else to help. Parts of the clothing he wore were marred with noticeable blood stains. It was clear that he needed immediate help, and it would be entirely up to her.

The werewolf reached out and wrapped her hand around his arm with ease. She started to pull, but his partially buried body didn't budge very much from underneath the debris. Some began to crumble and trickle down like water flowing over rocks. Unable to easily pull him free without causing further injury, she frowned and looked up. She grabbed ahold of an overhanging wooden beam, and twisted it away. Wearing a stern frown she dug him out of the rubble. With a second pull, he was freed.

"Yes!" She managed to grin and felt her tail wag with success. The canine carefully laid him down and wiped the dust that partially covered him. His skin had bruises and cuts, but none of the injuries appeared life threatening.

"Wake up." She craned her head lower and licked his face. Thankfully, her efforts were not in vain.

"Uungh..." A weak voice mumbled and the child's face moved. Excitement made her tail wag. He began to move and grumble, but it was the feeblest signs of life. Her eyes focused on the stirring child only to realize something.

'He can't stay here.' She realized. The child had nothing, and no one to take care of him. His village no longer existed, and he was almost certainly the sole survivor of a horrendous event. Not wanting him to perish, she had one course of action.

'I will take him.' Having made up her mind, the werewolf carefully picked the boy up and cradled him to her bosom. The human's arms and legs dangled limply from her arm, but she carefully stood up and walked away with him securely in her grasp. She did her best to ignore the rubble and carnage around her, and instead focused on helping the human pup. The werewolf left the destroyed village through the same opening in the palisade wall. She trekked down the gentle sloping of a grassy hill, gradually leaving the village far behind her, and headed towards the dense trees of the forest.

'What am I going to do with him? How will I take care of a human? What will the pack think?' A flurry of thoughts racing through her mind was soon interrupted by the sound of coughing. Her ears perked up, and glancing down into her arm, the boy was wriggling and moving! The werewolf immediately halted by the tree line as the boy began to wake up. She carefully knelt down and placed him in the grass and moss. His front rose and fell more noticeably than before as he breathed.

Her worries were partially alleviated as the human's eyes gradually blinked opened revealing brown irises. Soft mumbling noises were unintelligible to her ears as he touched his head. His legs shuffled and arms moved as he managed to sit up on his own. The drained emotionless expression on his face worried the werewolf.

"Are you alright?" She asked. He appeared to hear her voice, but was disoriented. His eyes looked around the grass as he held his head with one hand. A long moment passed as he started becoming more aware. He started to stand up only to realize the werewolf was looming over him. The human immediately froze and his eyes opened wide. His eyes blinked several times at the large black furred shape kneeling before him. The look of disbelief was obvious.

"Are you hurt?" She asked. His petrified state quickly changed when she tried reaching out to touch him. He silently screamed and fell back onto the ground with a sudden burst of motion. The werewolf was surprised. But didn't know what to expect from the small human. He turned to run only to fall down with a pained cry. The female's ears perked up and she quickly closed the gap between them with a single leap. She grabbed his sides only to let go when he released another wail.

'He is frightened of me.' She hesitated, not wanting to make things worse, but it was apparent something had to be done. The human shrieked as he was suddenly picked up and taken into the dark pine forest. The monstrous creature swiftly carried him and wove between trees. The foliage nearly blurred around the boy as he struggled to figure out where the beast was taking him. The brighter meadows faded away, and it became dark and silent beneath the towering trees. He was too shocked and tired to scream anymore. His jaw quivered, and the look on his face was pure terror as he was brought to an unknown location.

The werewolf's pace slowed down and stopped altogether as she stepped behind a sturdy tree with few gnarled roots at its base. She sat down with her back against a tree, and held the human boy in her lap. Her legs were pulled up so he was reclined but still facing her. He tried twisting away several times, but each time she managed to wrestle him back onto her lap.

"I'm Ner-" She started to speak, but he immediately covered his face and whined. 'He's still very frightened.' She knew and watched him shudder uncontrollably and whimper.

"I won't harm you." She said in a soft voice, but the little human couldn't understand her in his state of fear.

"I-I..." His speech garbled as he began to cry. It was a pitiful sound that made her ears fold back sorrowfully. The warmth of a large palm gently rested over his hands and forehead. She gently removed his hands to see his face once more. He looked up at her with tears streaming down his reddened eyes. His face was contorted into a pitiful sadness that made her heart ache. She craned her head closer, but he tried pushing her head back. His small hands nearly disappeared into her cheek fur as they feebly pushed back. Using as little force as possible, she pressed forward and licked his forehead.

The boy froze only to realize something. His face morphed into something that bordered on confusion. It reminded her of how a pup reacted when tasting something foul or when hurt during a play fight.

"You're alright. You're safe." She told him in a consoling voice before gently wiping away his tears with her tongue. The wide pink appendage was smooth and warm as it washed over the boy's face. He expected pain or a bite, but neither happened. Once she had finished, he was left laying on her legs utterly confused. The large wolf head instinctually scared him, but all she had done was lick him.

His eyes darted towards the side as something touched his arm. He blinked at the werewolf's hand that gently lifted his arm. The large hand was similar to his own, but far larger and noticeably animalistic. The fingers were bulkier, and instead of nails each one wielded a thick black claw. He whimpered as one harmlessly grazed his pale skin, but it was immediately replaced with the heat of a leathery palm pad. Her entire hand gently closed over his small hairless hand, coddling it with warmth. It felt nice and reassuring.

He looked up and stared into her dark eyes that seemed endless like the night sky. There was no anger in her gaze, only a motherly softness. His body began to relax as the fear dissipated. No longer panicking, he noticed the warmth of her body against his own. Her legs warmed his back, and the fur along her waist kept his legs warm too. Of course, her hand was warm too.

However, he could feel the soreness and tiredness in his body. The cuts faintly stung and the bruises ached. Using his free hand, the boy winced when he touched his side. His head was also sore, but he had no memory of falling.

"Are you hurt?" She softly asked. His eyes darted back to the werewolf's. He modestly nodded and wiped the lingering tears from his eyes. She looked over his arms and legs, revealing a series of small cuts and bruises across his fair skin. The little hand she held had a thin red line running from one knuckle to another. With a gentle lift, she brought his hand to her furry lips. The boy tensed, still half expecting a bite, but her teeth never chomped down onto his his fragile body. A wide pink tongue slipped past her lips and licked the entirety of his back hand with one gentle swipe. She cleaned over the red cut with tenderness, and relief quickly washed over him like her tongue.

Another sensation soon made itself known. The werewolf's ears perked up and heard a distinct grumbling noise. The boy grumbled and touched the part of his shirt covering the front of his torso. It was his stomach.

"You're hungry?" She asked. To his ears, her voice wasn't human in its accent, but wolffish. For a moment, he wondered if he had imagined her voice.

"Hungry?" She asked again in a quiet voice.

"Um. Mmhm." He nodded almost silently. The canine looked around the quiet forest, but knew that humans cooked their food with fire. It was also against the law of nature to create fire. She didn't have a way to feed him, except for one.

'I have been helping Valasa nurse her pup, so I should be able to...' She thought to herself. The human saw her other hand rest on her chest. He watched as she gently pinched around the base of a naked nub of flesh. To his surprise, a milky white droplet formed along the tip.

"I don't have any food, but I can nurse you." She offered. The human stared at the female's bosom, and the realization of what she meant dawned on him. Her breasts were small despite her monstrous size compared to the young boy. Her thick black fur hid them well along her chest, except for where the two wide rings of skin and firm nipples protruded in plain sight. He had seen mothers nurse their infants before, but it was normally kept out of sight. It felt wrong, and he hesitated despite the persistent growling. Uncertainty made him nervous, but the fact was stark and obvious. He was hungry.

Gnawing hunger prevailed over his fears and drew him closer. He sat up and a hand gently rested on his back, but didn't force him. The human leaned forward and parted his lips. He took the thick nipple into his mouth and softly bit the ring of surrounding flesh. Her breast was soft and warm against his mouth and chin. He started to suckle, and at first very little came out. However, with a little determination, he felt a small yet steady flow pass over his tongue. At first the taste was bitter, but it quickly sweetened. A sigh from the monstrous canine above made him pause for a second before continuing.

The hand on his back began gently rubbing him, coaxing the human to drink as much as he wanted. After a few moments she helped him switch to her other breast until he had his fill.

"Are you full?" She asked once he backed off.

"Yes." He nodded and wiped his mouth. His stomach was no longer growling, but there was so much he didn't know. He felt confused and nervous.

"W-Where am I?" The boy tiredly asked with half lidded eyes as he gazed around the forest.

"The forest." She told him and felt his hands hold onto her fur tightly.

"I'm scared..." The worry in his voice caused her ears to fold back sympathetically.

"You don't need to feel afraid. I'll protect you." She promised with a kind smile, and held onto him. However, the female suddenly spotted movement from the corner of her eye. The smile on her muzzle faded as a shadowy figure stalked through the trees along the gently sloping hill. A scent she personally knew reached her nose as a male black furred werewolf came into full view.

"Nerva? What is that?" A deep male voice questioned.

"Seneca!" She looked at him in surprise. His black nose flared as he sniffed the air curiously. The boy looked over his shoulder only to fearfully bury his face into the female werewolf's tuft of chest fur.

"That's a... a human?" He nearly recoiled at the discovery, but Nerva held the boy close to her front. She silently bared her teeth at the male as he cautiously approached.

"Why do you have a human child?" The male was in shock.

"I found him unconscious, and he needed help."

"Help? Have you forgotten what those humans have done to us, and what we have done to them?" The male challenged her. "The hunting lands and fighting one another... Your own pup, your only pup, was killed from their hunting traps." He pointed out.

"I know, and you don't have to remind me." She frowned and held the human boy closer.

"If those humans discover their missing pup-"

"No other humans remain in the entire area." She rebuffed him. "That town was the only one, and I know there is no one left. They're all dead." The male blinked in surprise.

"So you went over there today." He realized.

"I did." She confirmed. "The human village is destroyed. Those noises we heard last night were part of it." The boy was shocked to hear her words, and Seneca was even surprised.

"We should not get involved in human affairs." He recommended.

"He would have died if I hadn't saved him."

"That human is not like us. Humans are naturally weak and don't live in the forest like our kind do. The great forest spirit has given every creature like us the law of nature, but they abandoned it long ago. They are unclean."

"The great forest spirit has also given everything it's life, form, and shape. He is not so different from us." She retorted. Seneca huffed, sensing that she wouldn't budge on the issue.

"You're bringing him back to the den, aren't you?" He guessed and sighed.

"Where else can I take him? He needs my help."

"I don't know how the rest of the pack will react to this." Seneca warned her. In her lap, the boy dared to leave the safety of her furry chest and peek over his shoulder only to quickly hide once again.

"It's okay." She reassured him. "Seneca will not harm you either." Nerva whispered into his ear. The human gradually pulled away from her, but still shivered fearfully. His little hands clung to her sides for support.

"What is your name?" She quietly asked him.

"A-Alistair." The boy managed to speak without looking directly at her. The canine head and muzzle still scared him.

"He can understand you?" The male werewolf behind him was surprised.

"I nursed him. I would expect no less from him." She firmly stated and ignored the male to return her attention to the young human. Seneca said no more and quietly departed. The soft sounds of the other werewolf walking away soon vanished. Relief washed over Alistair's body once he was gone.

"Wh-who was that?"

"That was Seneca, my mate." She explained. Alistair stared up at her, not entirely sure what she meant. "And I am Nerva." She told him her name.

"Nerva?" He hadn't heard a name like that before.

"Mmhm." She nodded.

"Where are my parents?" The human looked around the forest. "Where are they? Can I go home?" The innocence in his voice saddened her. Nerva somberly shook her head.

"We need to go." She told him.

"Where?" He asked, but she gave no answer. Nerva carefully picked him up and set him aside on the ground. She stood up, easily dwarfing him with her height alone, but settled down onto all fours. Even then her back and shoulders were taller than him.

"Follow me." She told him and began walking ahead of him. Alistair blinked and stood idle for a moment. He was scared and confused, but followed her anyway. It would never cross his mind to follow a wolf anywhere. He had heard stories about how dangerous they were and the vicious monsters that lurked in the forest. The trees were endless in every direction he looked. There was no sunlight from above as the thick canopy of leaves and limbs wove an impenetrable web high above his head. The ground was lush with moss, dead leaves, occasional sticks and dead limbs, ferns, and bushes.

The ancient forest was dark and spooky compared to his home in the fields. The tall trees and untamed undergrowth made seeing far away impossible. An eerie feeling that something was always hiding just out of sight. Were other monsters lurking just out of sight? He had never been in the woods before. Everyone in his village knew the forest was a dangerous place.

Alistair felt very nervous. The boy didn't know where he was, or why he was following the werewolf. Something felt incredibly wrong and dangerous about what was happening. His stomach was tense and his body felt sore. Nothing around him seemed real. Clutching his shirt tightly, he suddenly turned and ran away. Overcome with panic, he fled from Nerva, wanting to return to a home that no longer existed.

"Wait!" A voice called after him above the crashing of leaves beneath his steps, but he didn't stop. The human ran through the little saplings and wove around the endless trees. He couldn't find the end of the forest. Hearing a stick snap behind him, he looked over his shoulder only to run faster. The image of the werewolf racing towards him on all fours like a giant shadow only fueled his fears.

"Stop!" Nerva called out, but just before she could reach him, the boy dove and crawled under a dense thicket of brambles and dry underbrush. Nerva had to halt or risk entangling and hurting herself. She circled the little natural fortress worriedly, but had no easy way to catch him. Jumping in blindly would likely frighten him even more.

Inside, Alistair was curled up with his face tucked into his knees. Holding onto himself tightly, hoping all of this was a strange nightmare while he was sleeping soundly in bed.

"Alistair?" A wolffish voice called out, but he didn't want to listen. "Are you stuck in there? Please come out."

"I don't wanna come out! I'm scared!" He cried and held onto himself even tighter.

"Please come out." Her voice was concerned. "You don't have to be scared." He peeked over and could see the tip of her snout from an opening nearby. His body began to shiver as if there was a chill in the summer air. The boy didn't know if he should trust her. He had been told several times that werewolves lived in the woods and were dangerous. It made sense. They were large and scary monsters that could easily harm someone. Nerva looked very large and scary, but she hadn't harmed him. She had licked his face, held him, and even nursed him. The taste was still faint on his tongue. He wasn't hungry anymore thanks to her.

"It will be okay. You don't need to cry alone." She told him. Alistair wiped his eyes several times, but found it difficult to repel his sadness and fears.

"I'm just... afraid. I... I'm scared!" He huffed and breathed. Alistair heard a rustling sound as the werewolf laid down. He leaned away as she reached into the small opening, but the wall of thorns prevented him from escaping. Her arm stretched close to the boy, but wasn't able to fully reach him.

"Can you see my hand?" She called out.

"Mmhmm! I see it." He wiped his eyes, and looked at her outstretched hand. The large werewolf hand wasn't very different from his own. It was big, and the fingers were bulky with black claws and pads. Black fur covered every other space and down her arm.

"Hold my hand." She asked. The boy hesitated, but eventually reached down and touched her dark palm. It was warm and leathery like before. Her fingers gradually closed, gently enveloping his hand in her own. The thick claws didn't scrape his skin or cut him, and she didn't pull him out. The werewolf's grip was warm and comforting.

"You don't have to hide and cry." She spoke from outside the thicket and thorn bushes. "I'm here." Alistair nodded and wiped his face with his shirt guiltily.

"I want to go home." He whimpered. Nerva was at a loss of what she should tell him.

"You can't, Alistair." She regretfully told him.

"Why not?" He asked. Her voice fell silent, but she held his hand tightly. The boy stared at her hand closely. "You said everything was destroyed. Is... Is that true?"

"Yes." She admitted. "You were almost buried under rocks and dirt." Nerva didn't want to take him back, even just to show him what had happened. The stench of death from the bodies would be difficult for either of them to stomach. Her ear flickered from shuffling inside the thicket. The hand in her palm moved as well.

"I'm coming out." A quiet voice spoke up after several silent moments. Nerva retracted her hand and sat up as the human crawled out of his temporary hiding spot. Dirt and bits of leaves were in her fur from laying down and chasing after him. A look of relief was apparent on her face as he emerged from the thicket. She quickly pulled him into her arms.

"Don't run away and scare me like that." It sounded like something his own mother would say.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled into her fur.

"It's alright." She reassured him and patted his back. The large hands gently holding him were gentle and warm. A smooth tongue began licking his forehead causing some of his hair to stick up. Alistair stepped back and looked up at Nerva. Her large wolf head and muzzle full of teeth still frightened him. However, her eyes were as human as his own. The werewolf cared for him, and he finally accepted it.

"I'm tired..." He spoke in a soft sleepy voice. The entire day's events had finally caught up to him.

"I'll carry you." She offered. The boy nodded and allowed her to pick him up. He rested his head on her shoulder and listened to a bird chirping nearby. The forest looked the same to his half open eyes no matter where he looked. Nerva remained upright and walked in the other direction to the pack's den. She glanced at the little human in her arm as he fell asleep.

'What will the others think?' Worried thoughts entered her mind as she walked through the forest. The birds chattering overhead didn't give her any answers as she made the long walk to her home.

***

The edge of a natural rocky structure became visible through the trees. The closer she approached, it was revealed to be a cave hidden deep in the dense forest. The natural shelter it provided made a perfect home for the werewolves. Humans never ventured that far into the forest; it had access to a stream not far away; and it was situated on an elevated hill that was safe from flooding. It was the place Nerva called home.

The scents of everyone else was strong in her nose. Her powerful nose could detect each individual even though she couldn't see anyone yet. The pack she belonged to was small with only a handful of individuals, but that was typical for werewolves. Including Seneca and Nerva, there were seven members. Two mothers, Valasa and Oma were seated close to their two pups who were play fighting by the cave's mouth. Valasa had a white and cream fur complexion, and Oma had darker grays with lighter browns. An elder dark furred male with a grey muzzle named Saturn was peacefully slumbering despite the excited yips causing his ears to flicker.

Valasa was Seneca's second mate. Even though Nerva was Seneca's mate, it was customary for an alpha male to have more than one mate. However, Oma's mate had passed away due to an illness not long ago.

"You finally returned-." A voice spoke up only to fade as Nerva entered the mouth of the cave. The play fighting ceased as both pups stopped and cleared space for Nerva to walk through. They watched with a mixture of curiosity and concern.

"Is that a human?" A young voice asked. The young female pup stared at the light skinned figure in Nerva's arm curiously from a safe distance beside her own mother.

"Yes."

"You killed a human?" The female pup's mother, Oma, presumed.

"No, he is alive." Nerva stated. Their ears perked up in surprise.

"Why did you bring it here?" The other mother, Valasa inquired. "A human can carry diseases."

"Did something happen to the other humans?" The elder wolf named Saturn spoke up.

"Please listen to me." Nerva firmly spoke without raising her voice so the child could sleep. "All of them have died." She told them much to their surprise.

"Really?"

"What could have killed them all?"

"I don't know." Nerva admitted. "But I found him clinging to life, partially buried underneath one of their dens. I brought him to the forest and nursed him."

"You nursed a human?" Valasa's jaw parted in surprise.

"Yes. He was hungry."

"Why are you helping a human?" Oma spoke.

"Because he was hurt, and unable to care for himself."

"What are you going to do with him?"

"I will care for him until I can find another group of humans to take him." Nerva reasoned.

"He smells..." The male pup covered and wrinkled his nose.

"He will smell like us after a few days." She pointed out. The other werewolves looked around at one another skeptically as Nerva laid the human down in a bedding of dry leaves and moss where she normally slept. The female pup curiously but cautiously crept nearer to see the human closely.

"Cayuga. Let him sleep." Nerva warned. The little werewolf bowed back with her ears laying flat. Everyone watched with concern and bewilderment but didn't intervene.

"Seneca!" One of the werewolves spoke up through the silence. Nerva turned around and found her mate entering the cave on all fours.

"Seneca, Nerva brought a human pup into the cave. She said that all of the humans have died." Oma quickly told him, however, the male wasn't phased.

"Seneca, did you know?" Valasa asked.

"Nerva surprised me as well." He huffed a defeated sigh. "I went by the human settlement, and it is true. The entire place is destroyed. The bodies I found are all lifeless." His explanation left the others in shock.

"However," he continued, "some could have survived and fled to the other human settlement in the east. Nerva will take care of him until we find at least two adult humans to return him to." His judgement was final. All eyes stared at Nerva, and the boy asleep at her paws.

A pair of eyes slowly blinked open only to close once again as sleep gradually lifted from the human's bruised body. There were no bedsheets underneath him or warm blankets covering him. Instead, dry leaves crunched softly as he moved. He rolled over only to frown. Soreness lingered on various parts of his body, but no sharp pains bothered him. Wherever he was, it was not a bedroom in a house. The ground was beneath him. Fear gripped him for a moment as he sorted through the turbulent fresh memories. The loud blasts and bangs of bombs, the voices of his parents telling him to hide, but then there was nothing. The gap in his memory resurfaced when he woke up in the werewolf's arms.

'The talking werewolf...' As soon as the thought entered his mind, he felt the sensation of fur. He could see light from the corner of his eye, but a thick wall of black fur was obstructing most of his view.

"Is he finally awake?" He heard a whispering voice from close by. Alistair didn't recognize the wolffish voice. Looking up, he found a canine figure towering beside him. The bold eyes of a werewolf were looking directly at him. Fear shot through him for a brief moment, but it was only Nerva watching him closely. Glancing over, there was another canine figure curiously watching him as well. It was a second werewolf!

Much smaller compared to Nerva, the younger werewolf had a dark fur pattern with mixtures of lighter grays. Despite her smaller size, she was still bigger than Alistair. The excited glint in her eyes terrified him. Half expecting her to pounce, the boy quickly sat up and huddled close to Nerva's side. An arm protectively held onto him, quickly allaying his fears.

"Are you sure he can talk?" The younger werewolf tilted her head and looked closely at the small human. Her voice wasn't human, but it was definitely feminine like Nerva's.

"Yes, Cayuga, he can talk." Nerva softly spoke.

"He's so quiet. Can he play?"

"No, not right now." Nerva held back a chuckle at Cayuga's innocent nature. "He just woke up." The younger werewolf huffed impatiently and sat down on her haunches. Despite her restraint, Alistair kept a watchful eye on her. After a few uneasy moments he relaxed and managed to look around the dwelling he was inside. It was naturally dark, but there was more than enough light to see. One side opened up to a tall entrance and the forest, and the other led to a dark rocky wall.

"Where am I?" He peered around the dim place.

"In our pack's den." Nerva calmly told him. "This is where we sleep." Alistair blinked and noticed several patches of dry grass, leaves, and fur marked other "beds" but no one else was present in the cave.

"He can talk..." Cayuga whispered excitedly and rose up onto all fours. Before the energetic werewolf could make a move, a distant victorious howl caused Nerva's ears to perk forward. The eerie sound softly echoed into the cave like a distant cry.

"What was that?" Alistair stared out into the forest outside while holding onto Nerva. Before she could answer, Cayuga darted outside the cave on all fours with her tail excitedly wagging behind her.

"Let's go outside." Nerva spoke and stood up. "The others must have returned from their hunt. It sounds like they were successful." Nerva told him.

'A hunt?' He thought to himself, but didn't understand and followed right behind her. The human carefully walked over the cave floor and squinted his eyes from the brighter light. Emerging outside, Alistair found himself in the middle of the forest with an opening in the canopy around the cave mouth. The trees towered high above with saplings growing in the midst of their mighty roots. The open partly cloudy sky above was like a little oasis surrounded by greenery on all sides. However, the younger werewolf was nowhere to be seen in the little clearing.

A sudden loud rustling sound beyond the bushes and undergrowth was followed by an excited yip. Alistair was surprised to see several canine figures emerge from the forest in quick succession. One adult male and female were each carrying a deer, and were quickly followed by another adult female, and adolescent, and an old male. Cayuga appeared beside them, eagerly tugging on one of the deer legs with her mouth.

"I almost caught it on my own!" The adolescent male nearly bounced beside the other adults.

"Luckily your father was alongside you." The elder male grinned.

"I see your hunt was successful." Nerva spoke up and congratulated them.

"Ah, it was." Seneca contently remarked. Alistair stood still at Nerva's side as their attention was drawn from her to him. Several sets of eyes looked at him curiously, but no one gave more attention than a prolonged stare.

"Can we eat now?" The adolescent male asked.

"Can I have a leg?" Cayuga asked.

"Yes, let's eat." One of the females agreed. The deer were dropped and fell to the ground with a dull thud. The entire pack immediately began tearing into both fresh kills.

"You can wait here." Nerva left his side to feast on one of the deer.

'They're huge.' Alistair watched the wolves eat with a voracious appetite. The crunching of bone and wet chews were impossible to ignore, even if he looked away. It was scary to witness, but he didn't know what else to do. He was hungry too, but didn't know how to prepare raw meat. Moreover, approaching a bunch of eating werewolves was unthinkable! The young female werewolf glanced over at him curiously.

"Why is he standing there? Isn't he hungry?" She asked an adult.

"Humans can't eat meat unless they burn it with fire." The elder wolf answered.

"Weird..." She thought aloud before resuming eating. After several moments, a head popped up above the group and looked at him. Nerva backed away from the group and approached the idle boy.

"Are you hungry?" She asked while licking her red stained mouth.

"Mmhm." He nodded. Nerva took him away from the others feasting themselves on the deer; and brought him to the other side outside of the cave wall. She sat down and the boy sat on her lap. Alistair looked at her chest, but hesitated despite the hunger in his belly. He glanced up at her, and she gave a nod of approval. The human leaned forward and latched onto her. After surviving the destruction of his entire village, it was not very difficult to see the werewolf as a source of nourishment when he was completely dependent on her.

A large pair of hands loosely held onto him while he ate. Nerva felt more than a mere physical connection to the human as his lips drew life from her breast.

"Although you're a human, you're a wolf to me with every drop of my milk you drink." The hand rubbing his back felt nice, and her kind words soothed him. He switched to her other breast once the first became softer and the flow of milk lessened. With his nose buried into her warm fur, Alistair realized that Nerva smelled like the forest, but warmer, and almost spicy in a strange way. He hadn't noticed it before, but her scent was unlike anything else he had smelled. It was uniquely her own.

Alistair backed away once he had finished eating, but remained in Nerva's lap while she dried both of her nipples. With his hunger abated once again, he found himself staring blankly out into the forest. The still trees were endless in every direction, and the furthest ones appeared tiny despite knowing they were just as large as the others. However, it wasn't the same as gazing out from a bedroom window or out into a meadow. The human felt as if he had been taken to an entirely different world; but rather than feeling lost, Alistair felt hidden and safe from any danger with Nerva. A hand gently rested atop his head, stirring the human from his long gaze.

"Is there something that you see?" Nerva softly asked. Alistair glanced above his shoulder and found the werewolf curiously looking at him.

"The trees are huge."

"Yes, they are." She grinned.

"How big is the forest?" He asked.

"It covers a large portion of the land." Nerva held a hand out before him and slowly moved it. "There are many streams and creeks; herds of deer; small fields; and hills that are in this forest." Her description sounded vast and expansive.

"Hi!" The boisterous female pup suddenly appeared around the cave and trotted up to them. Alistair curiously looked at the female werewolf pup, but remained in the safety of Nerva's lap. Outside in the brighter daylight, he could see her in better detail. The female pup was nowhere near the size of an adult, but still bigger than Alistair. Her hind legs were digitigrade like Nerva's and had the same kind of sturdy human-like hands as well. Her fur coat was a mixture of lighter grays compared to Nerva's jet black fur pattern. A pair of green eyes appeared as lively and wild as the forest.

"Did you finish eating already, Cayuga?" Nerva noticed the red stain of blood around her mouth.

"Yep! Are you nursing him like you used to nurse me?" She asked.

"Mmhm." Nerva nodded. "Although, I only had to help your mother nurse you since you had a big appetite."

"I'm not nursing anymore!" She playfully stuck her tongue out.

"I know. You are growing up so quickly." Nerva smiled. "This is Cayuga." She introduced the boy to the young werewolf. Cayuga stepped closer until they were nearly nose to nose.

"Uh..." Alistair leaned his head back, but Nerva gently held his sides to keep him still. The young werewolf loomed even closer and smelled him. Her green eyes stared unwaveringly at him. A brief chill ran across his skin as her cool damp nose touched his nose. Alistair reactively tensed up but a tongue suddenly swiped over the center of his face.

"Hey!" He scrunched his eyes and wiped his nose me forehead. She giggled and licked her nose before retracting her head.

"We're going to the stream where the waterfall is." Cayuga told them. "Are you coming with us?"

"Of course." Nerva agreed. She picked up Alistair and stood up before setting him down. Cayuga bounded away as quickly as she had stumbled upon them a moment ago.

"Where's the waterfall?" He asked.

"Come with us. I can show you." Nerva motioned, and he quickly followed her. Having never seen one, the human was eager to go with her. Walking around the cave entrance, the rest of the pack had already departed, but their voices were still audible a short distance away. The deer carcasses has been removed from the cave's vicinity, but the ground was noticeably stained red in two spots. Alistair didn't want to look at any lingering remnants and closely followed Nerva onto a narrow little pathway in the forest.

The massive ancient forest was endless in every direction. Alistair had no sense of direction where they were going. Each section of forest felt entirely different, yet almost the same in his young eyes. The bright green foliage around him from the ferns to the trees was immaculate and otherworldly. The ferns and saplings covered available sections of the forest floor like a living carpet. Ivy trailed up sturdy tree trunks to dizzying heights. The various grey and brown colors of tree trunks as well as fallen leaves from the previous year contrasted against the greenery.

Looking up ahead, the other werewolves were either walking on all fours or two digitigrade legs. He spotted Cayuga trotting alongside a brown and light grey wolf.

'She didn't hurt me.' Alistair thought to himself as he walked alongside Nerva. Despite hearing stories about the ferocity of werewolves, they were not harming him. Even when he lost view of the others ahead, she safely guided him along the forest floor. After some time, a distant noise caught his attention. At first it wasn't discernible from a distant bird call, but it soon became a constant rushing sound. Nerva's ears were facing directly ahead. She had already heard the noise long before he had. The gentle sound grew louder as they all walked along the twisting pathway. Soon it became a subtle roar. The trees parted just enough for him to see where the source of the noise was coming from.

"Wow..." He paused and stared at the waterfall with wide eyes. The water flowed off a tall cliff several meters high where it poured loudly into a pool. From there it transformed into a wide stream. It rushed and bubbled down into the forest past his sight. Grasses, ferns, sedges, and reeds all grew plentifully along the surrounding embankments. Even the rocks in the water's edge were green from thick moss and sparse grass growing on its wet surfaces.

"Come on, Alistair." A female voice stirred him from his thoughts. He looked around, and despite not being by Nerva's side, the female werewolf still kept a watchful eye on him. She was already at the stream with the others so he quickly crept down the sloping embankment through the patches of sedges and short reeds. The occasional rock and soft earth made his steps uneven, but he reached the edge of the stream close to them. He watched the werewolves crouch down and drink water from the shore by lapping it up. Alistair knelt down at the water's edge and tried extending his neck. However, he couldn't reach the water with his tongue and mouth like the others. Over stretched, he suddenly tilted forward and lost his balance.

'Uh oh!' Alistair quickly stuck out his hand to stop himself from falling into the water. A splash resulted alongside a sigh of relief, but soft laughter caught his attention. Looking over, the young female wolf pup was grinning at him.

"You can use your hand." She demonstrated and lowered her wolffish hand to the running stream and cupped enough fresh water to her face to lap up.

"Oh." His gaze returned to his submerged hand. Alistair copied what she had done and brought the clear water up inside his cupped palm. He spilled most of it down his chin, but was still able to drink some of the refreshing water. Another giggle made him pause.

"What?"

"Your face is very... short." She looked at him curiously.

"No it's not." Alistair touched his nose and face while looking at her long muzzle.

"Is no muzzle or short face your name?" She asked.

"No!" He crossly frowned at her.

"What is your name?"

"It's Alistair."

"That's an odd name. I'm Cayuga." She proudly smiled. "But Nerva already told you my name. "Is it true that humans can't eat meat?"

"No, we can eat meat."

"But Saturn told me humans burn it with fire."

"We don't burn it. We cook it with fire."

"Cook? But fire burns."

"Fire can burn if you leave food on the fire too long."

"Humans are strange." Cayuga didn't understand, but Alistair had other questions in mind.

"Who are they?" He looked up at the others also the upper embankment.

"That's my mom, Oma." She looked at the female werewolf with darker grey fur mixed with various browns. "The female with white and cream fur is Valasa. Seneca is the dark furred male, and the elder male is Saturn." She told him. "And that's Apollo." Lastly, the young adolescent male with a mixture of creamy white fur and black fur was quickly approaching them down the thick vegetation along the muddy embankment. Alistair felt his muscles tense as the wolf looked at him curiously, and sniffed the air.

"You're not scary." The male stood up on his legs and towered over Alistair.

"What?" He stepped back.

"I know humans carry weapons that shoot lead pellets. They look like heavy sticks." His description only confused Alistair. "But how could you carry one when your hands are so small!" He remarked and grabbed the boy's arm. Alistair's eyes widened as his hand was pulled directly to the young wolf's mouth.

"Ah! Don't bite me!" He squealed once a damp nose touched his skin.

"Apollo!" A bark pierced the air. They froze and looked up at Nerva, Oma, and Valasa watching them all very closely.

"Don't play rough and bite him!" Nerva stated in a strong voice.

"I didn't even nip him." He whined and tucked his tail between his legs.

"Come up here with me." His mother, Valasa ordered. Apollo released the human's hand and retreated up the embankment where the others were laying with his ears laying flat. The boy felt a sense of relief as he was left alone with Cayuga once again.

"Do you want to play in the water?" She asked.

"Yeah." The flowing stream looked fun to the human.

"Let's play then!" Cayuga excitedly tugged on his arm.

"Will you bite me?" He feared.

"Not unless you want me to." She teased and stuck her tongue out at him. Alistair gave her a funny look, but hesitated.

"Wait. I can't get my clothes wet." He stated and took the time to properly hang them up on a think branch within reach, even though they were torn and very dirty.

"Your clothes?" She looked at the garments curiously. "They smell bad." She wrinkled her nose. "Why do humans wear those things?"

"Um." He hesitated. "We always do. Why don't wolves wear them?" He countered, but her head twisted curiously.

"Wolves don't wear clothes!" She laughed at the idea. "What good are they for?"

"So you aren't naked."

"Naked? Humans are weird. Why hide yourself?" Cayuga pointed out. Alistair looked away frustrated and abandoned the argument. He stepped into the flowing water cautiously to acclimate to the cooler temperature.

"It's a little chilly-AAHH!" He froze up as a cool splash of water rained over him. Looking over, Cayuga was already in the middle of the stream wearing a guilty, but mischievous smile across her canine face. Crouched low to the water's surface, her long canine arm easily drove her hand underwater.

"Ah! Hey!!" Alistair squealed as she splashed him again. Left dripping wet, he quickly retaliated. Jumping back, Alistair returned a splash back at her. Cayuga laughed and jumped around with loud splashes before hiding in the reeds along the opposite muddy embankment. Alistair splashed the area to no avail as she stayed hidden from view. He crept forward and looked around for movement.

'She is too big to be silent...' He carefully pried apart two handfuls of green reeds only to freeze. Only a set of paw and hand prints were there! Beside him, a wolf head lunged towards him. Alistair stumbled away back into the stream as she dove back into the water with a playful roar, frightening him. Alistair splashed her and ran out of the stream to the opposite embankment. The human took shelter in the tall sedge grass, ferns, and reeds bordering the water while she cleared her eyes.

'She can't see me!' Alistair was giddy with excitement. However, Cayuga was quick to track where he had exactly ended up along the shore. Alistair froze with fear as she zeroed in on his position. A hand reached through the reeds and grabbed ahold of him.

"No!" Alistair yelped, unable to slip away. The wolf pulled him out of the reeds and back into the water. They splashed one another and jumped through the stream until Alistair was soaked and out of breath. Sensing a moment of victory at hand, Cayuga tackled him into the soft mossy ground.

"I captured you!" She huffed triumphantly with a tongue lolling smile. Alistair was smiling as well even though he was effectively pinned to the ground. Cayuga lowered her head and began licking his face without abandon.

"Noo! Blehh!" He flailed to no avail. Unable to fight back, Alistair could only laugh and plea for the young werewolf to stop her "assault." Cayuga gradually lessened her attack to licking his neck before letting him go altogether.

"Thanks for playing with me." Her wet tail wagged.

"Uh huh." He barely had enough energy to speak.

"Alistair!" Nerva called out to him. "Come dry in the sun." The human gradually sat up and trudged his way up the embankment. Alistair was thoroughly soaked and tired from playing. He plopped down and laid back in the sunny patch beside Nerva and the other werewolves in a lush bed of short grass. His front rose and fell as he relaxed and caught his breath. The sun felt nice against his wet skin as the golden rays warmed his entire body. For the first time in two full days, Alistair was truly happy and carefree once again.

An arm suddenly pulled him closer and a large head loomed over his face, blocking the sun entirely. Blinking, he found Nerva gazing at him before she began licking his face with smooth laps.

"Ugh." He turned his head but didn't struggle against her as she washed over his face dutifully.

"He seems to act like any other pup." Oma mumbled and watched them.

"At least he doesn't smell so strong now that he's bathed in the stream." Valasa added.

***

After spending the afternoon and evening at the stream, the pack returned to their den. Everyone laid down in their respective spots inside the cave to fall asleep as soon as darkness crept into the forest from the fading sunlight. There were no candles or other little lights to use to stay up any longer. The werewolves followed the cycle of the sun and moon very closely. Due to the approaching storm late in the evening, there was no moonlight entering the cave. Everything around Alistair was pitch black, much like Nerva's fur. Despite being snuggled up to the werewolf's front, the human found himself turning once in a while, unable to make himself comfortable.

A soft snoring sound from another werewolf could be heard from nearby, although he had no clue who exactly was snoring. Laying back down, he hoped to fall asleep only to feel a little tinge of hunger. Wanting the hunger to go away, he was sorely disappointed as it lingered and threatened to grumble angrily. Seeing that sleep was out of reach, Alistair turned to his side and felt around the werewolf's furry chest. He soon located a soft breast and aligned his mouth with the protruding bud of flesh. Once the human began to nurse, he heard a soft sigh before feeling a hand gently rest on the back of his head.

He comfortably ate his fill as the sound of rainfall began to echo into the den. The storm had finally arrived. A flash of lightning illuminated the clearing and forest just outside the cave. The distant rumble of thunder quickly followed like a spooky roar. Alistair shuddered and clung onto Nerva's side causing the slumbering wolf to stir.

"Don't fret over the weather..." She mumbled and pulled him closer, enveloping the human into a warm embrace. Alistair soon relaxed with the arm "guarding" his back. Pressed up to her furry front, he was cozy and warm despite the pouring rain outside. If a large werewolf wasn't afraid of thunder, then he didn't need to be afraid either. He soon found sleep half hidden in her thick fur coat all while the thunder rolled outside, and soft snoring quietly echoed around the cave walls.

A faint glimmer of light filtering into the cave helped wake up those slumbering inside. The cloudy skies of last night had dissipated and sunny weather returned in their absence. Alistair was only beginning to wake up from a full night's sleep. He found himself lost in the wonderful warmth of Nerva's embrace. The softness of her fur against his skin was very cozy and comfortable, better than any blanket could offer.

Daring to resist the almighty pull of falling back asleep, Alistair peeked an eye to look around the cave. Glancing over Nerva's side, he could see Cayuga and Apollo whispering to one another. However, the rest of the pack appeared asleep. They were still laying in their respective spots despite daylight breaking into the cave.

Alistair laid back down and snuggled up to Nerva's warm fluffy front. He wanted to fall back asleep once again before needing to nurse. However, he blinked but realized something was very different. He looked over himself and quickly sat up.

"I forgot my clothes!" Alistair realized he was no longer wearing anything.

"Hmm? Your what?" Nerva sleepily replied.

"I forgot them at the river." He quickly spoke. The werewolf lifted her head and couldn't help herself from giving a long yawn revealing her large jaws full of teeth. Her eyes looked over his skin with a skeptical look.

"Do you need them?"

"Yes. Can I go back and get them?" He asked urgently.

"Can I go too?" Apollo asked.

"Me too!" Cayuga jumped at the opportunity as well. Several grumbling voices and huffs signaled a disdain for a sudden outburst of noise.

"Yes, you may go, but immediately return to the den." Nerva rested her head back down. Shaking away the last remnants of sleep, the three wasted little time and exited the cave together.

"Why do you need your clothes back?" The female werewolf asked. "I thought you left them on a branch the other day."

"I meant to wear them again." He ran his hands through his hair nervously. "But I dried off and forgot."

"Don't worry. I'm sure we can find them." She wasn't worried as they left the cave. Alistair's naked skin felt a subtle chill. The air was damp and humid from last night's thunderstorm, but it was cooler. The trees and ground appeared darker from the lingering wetness. It gave the entire forest a completely different mood compared to the previous day. It was almost eerie.

"I'll lead the way!" Apollo declared and trotted ahead of Cayuga and Alistair. The trail leading to the creek gradually descended down the gentle forest slope. He stayed close to them so he wouldn't become lost.

"Hey, Alistair." Apollo looked over his shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"Sorry for scaring you the other day at the creek." He apologized.

"Oh." The human remembered. "It's okay. I was afraid you would bite me."

"I thought humans were... monsters, so I didn't think I could hurt you." Apollo told him.

"What?" Alistair was surprised to hear a werewolf call him a monster. "I thought werewolves were monsters."

"Huh?" Cayuga and Apollo gave him a bizarre look.

"Humans came to this forest generations ago with their weapons... They are the ones I told you about yesterday. They look like sticks." He wasn't sure how to explain it. "I've only seen humans a few times from a great distance." The wolf admitted.

"You're the first human I have seen." Cayuga gave a friendly grin towards the human.

"Can you make a stick thunder like the sky, and shoot lead pebbles?" Apollo asked.

"No." He shook his head completely clueless to what the wolf was talking about.

"Maybe you're a good human then." He concluded.

"Of course I'm good!" Alistair insisted.

"Yeah. Alistair is a good human." Cayuga agreed.

"I was always told that humans left nature long long ago." Apollo continued. "Saturn, Seneca, and the others have told me that when humans left nature, they changed. Humans began destroying forests, feuding with each other, and trying to control everything. I can't tell all of the stories that my dad and grandfather can tell, but that's how humans abandoned the law of nature." The young male werewolf concluded. Alistair didn't know what to make of the wolf's explanation, but he didn't have much time to give it a lot of thought as they arrived at the stream.

The landscape had changed since the previous day. A lingering mist hovered in the area, particularly dense surrounding the waterfall. It gave the forest an serene appearance where the land, water, and foliage subtly blurred together. From what he could tell, the water level had risen from the fierce storm during the night. There was evidence of a minor or very brief flood. Tall sedges, grasses, and ferns were bent nearly flat towards downstream. Traces of mud, silt, sand, and pebbles were moved by the strength of the water into odd natural shapes. Tiny pools of water resided in the dark mud as well.

"I'm going to look around the waterfall." Apollo walked away.

"I want to look too!" Cayuga hurried after him. "Come join us when you find your things, Alistair!" She called out and quickly disappeared into the mist.

"Okay!" The boy was excited and crept down the embankment. He was eager to join them at the waterfall. Alistair carefully crept over a few patches of moss and a stone to avoid stepping into the mud.

'It rained a lot.' The human thought once he reached the swollen stream. He turned and approached the small tree only to find that his clothes were no longer there.

"Where are they?" He stared at the branch and then the surrounding ground with no luck. "I put them right there." Alistair clearly remembered. 'Did they fall in the river?' He wondered aloud and peered into the flowing water. Crestfallen, he feared they were washed away somewhere downstream. Looking up, a flash of orange caught his eye, but disappeared from sight.

'Was that a fox?' Alistair looked around the thin veil of mist, unsure if he could trust his own eyes. His ears nothing but silence behind the soft chirping of birds in the trees. He took several steps only to hear a rustling sound through the ferns.

"Cayuga?" He quietly spoke up but didn't receive a reply from her voice.

"My, my... What do we have here?" An unseen lighthearted voice teased.

"Who is that?" Alistair stood still. A figure emerged from the mist, revealing a red fox with amber eyes staring directly at the human. His fur was a brilliant fiery orange with a white front and black tipped ears. Like the werewolves, the fox was able to walk upright on his hind legs, but his stature was much smaller. The fox was only a little taller than the boy as he sauntered towards him.

"A naked human lost this far in the forest. How will you ever survive?" He walked around the boy, circling him like a waiting vulture. Alistair didn't like the tone of his voice, but noticed something more important. Something odd was tied around the fox's neck, and appeared similar to a cape.

"Hey! That's my shirt!" Alistair realized.

"Yours? Are you sure?" He questioned. "I found it here earlier on this branch." The fox pointed with a brown "socked" arm.

"Yes. That's mine. Give it back!" He demanded.

"Why should I give them to you?" He countered. "I don't think they're yours." The vulpine teased.

"They're not yours. Give them back!" Alistair tried grabbing his shirt but the fox quickly stepped aside. The boy tried several more times only to result in the same outcome. The thieving fox was too quick and evaded the human's every move until frustration settled in.

"My, my! You're already out of breath?" The fox snickered and proudly showed off the shirt around his neck. "I guess this will be mine for-" The fox suddenly froze before spinning around and fleeing across the stream. In the blink of an eye, a wall of fur darted past Alistair on all fours and chased after the red fox.

'Apollo!' Both disappeared into the mist, but loud splashes interrupted the forest's silence.

"What happened?" Cayuga ran up to him.

"Apollo ran after that fox. It stole my clothes!"

"We smelled it and came back for you." She quickly explained.

"Do you think Apollo will catch him?" Just then the splashing noise returned and Apollo soon reappeared with wet lower arms and legs.

"Hey, did that fox try to harm you?" He asked, nearly out of breath.

"No, but he took my shirt. He might have my other clothes too." Alistair pouted.

"Couldn't you smell the fox?" He asked.

"No. What do foxes smell like?" He asked in turn. Cayuga and Apollo looked at each other questioningly.

"Like foxes." They said in unison, but Alistair blankly stared at them.

"Stinky." Cayuga spoke up.

"Musky." Apollo added.

"I don't know." Alistair shrugged.

"Maybe it is because you have a small snout." Cayuga pointed out. The boy touched his nose, wondering if that was true or not.

"Oh well. This one got away." Apollo shrugged. "They're tricksters, so when you see one, be careful or have someone with you." He warned.

"Thank you for chasing him." Alistair said.

"I would've caught the fox if I was a little older." Apollo puffed his chest out proudly. "Bit we should go back to the den now. Everyone should be awake by now." With a defeated sigh, Alistair followed him from the creek back onto the pathway alongside Cayuga.

"Sorry that we couldn't get your clothes back." She frowned.

"Thank you for helping me."

"But you look normal now." She mentioned. "I thought they were skin or you know... an animal pelt." The female shuddered at the thought.

"No, they're made out of fabric." Alistair told her. "It's not animal fur." The rest of the trek through the woods was peaceful and quiet, although plenty of birds were chattering in the treetops beyond their sight. Alistair worried what he would do without his clothes. They were the last items he had left of his regular human life. The two werewolves bounded ahead once the reached the clearing around the cave entrance. The rest of the wolves were awake and lounging around the mouth of the cave.

"We saw a fox!" Cayuga proclaimed.

"I chased after it!" Apollo added.

"The fox talked to Alistair too!" The childish excitement in their voices betrayed with how serious Alistair felt about the entire matter. The human crept up cautiously to the mouth of the cave while Apollo described how he chased the fox, and Cayuga talked about the misty stream.

"The fox ran away with the human's clothes?" Valasa questioned.

"Yes!" They both said in unison.

"Where is Alistair?" Nerva asked and spotted the boy nervously hiding in plain sight.

"Here." He meekly spoke, unsure how to cover himself appropriately.

"Come here." She waved a hand. "So a fox talked to you and had your clothes that you were looking for?"

"Y-yes." He approached and nodded. "He had my shirt, but then Apollo chased him away."

"I don't recall smelling any foxes yesterday where we were at the stream." Oma mentioned.

"We are going to hunt soon." Seneca spoke up. "We can check around the stream first. Hopefully we will find deer there too." The alpha male stated. "There's no need to tolerate foxes causing mischief."

"If any of us catch sight of a fox, we will ask them about it." Nerva told Alistair. The boy frowned as he touched his growling stomach. He was upset, but had to satisfy his grumbling belly first. He hadn't eaten since the previous night.

"I'm hungry." He looked up at her.

"Come here and eat." Nerva kindly spoke and sat down for him to nurse.

"We can play when you're done eating then." Cayuga teased as Alistair sat down in Nerva's lap.

"We will let the closest pack know as well so they can find this fox, and your clothes." Nerva added.

"There are other werewolves?"

"Yes. We are not the only pack in the forest." Nerva smiled at him. The human wondered how many werewolves there were in the giant forest. He wrapped his lips around the naked skin surrounding the spout of flesh and began nursing. Cayuga impatiently waited for him to finish as soon as he started, but a protective arm rested against the human's back.

He felt a hot flash of embarrassment that he was naked, but no one else took notice nor did anyone make fun of him over the fact. After all, they had fur covering their bodies and had no use for clothing. Staring into the wolf's black chest fur while he suckled, Alistair wondered what a fox needed clothes for.

The bright sunshine of a cloudless day only reached the forest floor in dappled sections even during high noon. A small group was trekking along the gently sloping forested hills. Led by Seneca; Oma, Apollo, Cayuga, Alistair, and Nerva were traveling southward towards the boundary of the pack's territory. The human wasn't sure how far away they were from the cave, but they had been walking for a while. Despite having lost his clothes a couple of days ago, Alistair had forgone wanting them in the werewolves' presence. They hadn't treated him differently without them. At least no one complained of his scent or 'human odor' anymore.

The human was walking alongside Cayuga through the damp leaves. They had been bumping into one another and playing whenever they had the chance.

"Why won't Apollo play with us?" Alistair whispered to Cayuga. Looking ahead, the young adolescent werewolf was never too far away from his dad, Seneca.

"He's always serious around his dad." Cayuga murmured to him.

"Oh."

The dense forest suddenly gave way to a clearing, albeit, not a natural one. The canopy above had vanished revealing the bright blue sky. Several stumps stretched out before them for a fair distance before the forest continued. One in particular was naturally jagged and decaying. Thick dark green moss grew along one side with a small trail of green ivy around its base. However, many others were more cleanly cut at the base, indicating a two man saw had been used to fell the numerous trees for timber. A small handful of young growing saplings was all that remained in the cleared section.

"What happened here?" Alistair asked out loud.

"There was a lot of fighting for this area a few years ago." Seneca explained.

"Why?"

"The humans wanted to clear cut this entire section of forest."

"Is it bad to cut down a tree?" Alistair asked as he hopped onto another stump.

"Humans should only take what they need, and nothing more." Seneca explained and continued walking. The boy thought for a moment only for Cayuga to playfully nibble his leg.

"Ah! Cayuga!" He squealed happily but was unable to pry the small wolf's jaws off his leg.

"I'll get you!" She threatened to pounce.

"Ah!" Alistair jumped off the stump and ran as Cayuga chased him across the clearing. The werewolf swatted at the human and circled him before suddenly darting away.

"Hey! Wait!" Alistair watched as she suddenly pursed a rabbit lurking along the edge of the clearing. He hurried after them only to slow down once she disappeared into the forest ahead of him. The human crept along and peered through branches of leaves, but didn't see where she went exactly.

'She is so fast.' He thought to himself and lingered around the tree line only to see something very out of place in the werewolves' forest. An odd item was hanging by a rusty chain on the trunk of a lone standing elm tree. Alistair walked up and looked curiously at the circular metal object ringed with formidable teeth. It looked fairly heavy and familiar, but he couldn't place exactly where he had seen it before.

'Is that a-?'

"Get away from that!" Nerva's voice snapped and shook Alistair. A swift hand pulled him back into the warmth of her furry front. The human blinked and found her large hand rubbing his chest and arm.

"W-why?"

"You should stay away from those. They're very dangerous." She warned him without saying very much in detail.

"Sorry..." He apologized. Nerva gave his shoulder a quick lick before letting him go. However, the werewolf stayed very close to his side as they reached the other side of the clearing. Just as they reached the new tree line, an odd rumbling sputtering noise caught everyone's attention. Looking up into the sky, he could hear the motorized noise echoing overhead.

"What is that?" Apollo turned his head. The others didn't answer but glanced up at the sky anyway.

"It's a plane!" Alistair excited pointed up at the sky as a small aircraft flew by.

"A plane?" Seneca looked at the boy skeptically.

"Is that what humans call those things in the sky?" Valasa asked.

"Yeah! Those are planes." He explained. "They fly high in the air with a person inside." A few of the wolves gave him a bizarre look as the plane gradually disappeared out of view. The rumbling of the motor turned to silence as well a few seconds later. They quietly entered the tree line and back into the forest. That brief moment of the human world had touched them only to vanish out of sight like a mirage. Alistair looked over his shoulder at the clearing behind them, only to see it disappear behind them as well.

"What's wrong?" Nerva noticed the human's silence and brushed against him. He looked at her guiltily.

"When humans cut down trees, does it mean that we're all bad?"

"No, of course not." She told him. "However, if a lot are cut down at once then that will change the land. Imagine if I hunted a dozen deer in a week. That would waste the deer meat and there would be fewer to hunt." She told him and then showed him a tiny sapling with only a few leaves and a couple inches tall.

"It takes time for deer to return and populate an area. It takes a many years for a forest to grow back." She touched the meager sapling that easily bent to her touch. "And even then, it will not be the same forest. If you take everything away then it may not return. Even if it does return, then it will not be the same." Nerva glanced over her shoulder back towards the clear cut area.

"Do you understand?" She asked him.

"I think so." He nodded.

"Hiya!" Alistair jumped into the air with two rib bones from a deer in hand. The boy ran around almost in a dancing fashion brandishing both bones as if they were wings or weapons, whatever he desired. A youth's imagination was endless much like the forest surrounding him.

At the moment, Alistair was playing alone outside the mouth of the cave. Seneca, the pack's leader, was away for the time being and so was Oma and Cayuga. Valasa, Apollo's mother, was inside the cave asleep. Nerva was gone as well leaving the human with Saturn, the elder wolf, to watch over him. The older werewolf's ear flickered stubbornly as a gnat buzzed ceaselessly around his head. However, the noises that the human made were most bothersome. Having been so close to falling asleep in the warm sun only to be woken up a few times annoyed the canine.

"Ha! Yah!" Alistair clacked the two bones together creating an obnoxious noise. Drawing enough ire, the elder wolf opened his eyes and sat up.

"Human!" An aged canine voice barked causing Alistair to jump. "What are you doing to those bones?"

"Playing with them..." He quietly answered the elder werewolf.

"Bring them here." He ordered with stern eyes. The human sullenly stepped forward to the elder werewolf who looked at him with a disapproving gaze. Despite the werewolf's white grizzled muzzle from age, his size was no less intimidating than Seneca. The elder easily harbored enough strength to attack a group of adult humans with minor difficulty.

"You didn't break the bones with your hands, did you?" Saturn asked and held out a hand.

"N-No." Alistair shook his head and handed over the two small deer bones. The elder looked over the bones closely before setting them down with a soft sigh.

"Don't you know about the importance of bones?" He questioned. Alistair blinked nervously as a single padded fingertip poked his forehead. However, to the human's surprise, the wolf grinned.

"No." He answered.

"Ah, you don't know." Saturn wasn't surprised. "This pup had no sin. How could he? He knows nothing wrong nor evil. Hatred doesn't grip his heart like an illness." Saturn calmly spoke as of no one was there.

"What does that mean?"

"Human!" The elder wolf nearly howled at him. "You have no idea how the world came to be!" Alistair nearly jumped at the wolf's sudden mood swing. "When the great forest spirit emerged from the breath of life, he enabled everything to exist. The water spirits descendant from him enabled the trees and plants to grow from fresh springs, lakes, and streams. They are the ones who first established the laws of nature to all loving creatures." Saturn explained, but Alistair didn't know what to make of all the information he was being told. He struggled to keep up with what the elder was telling him!

"Aside from the law of nature, each animal has their own rules to follow." Saturn mentioned. "Werewolves have their own laws that differ from one of foxes or owls or bears. Werewolves howl at the full moon, attend to the bones of the dead, and-."

"Saturn, what are you rambling on about to Alistair?" A voice interrupted. Looking over his shoulder, Alistair found Nerva standing in the clearing with a questioning look on her face.

"You're back!" The boy piped up, but the elder's gaze narrowed.

"The human pup was improperly treating the deer bones. He was going to break them." He insisted.

"Alistair didn't mean any harm." Nerva reassured the elder. "I'm sure he was just playing."

"Why don't you teach him about the bones?" He huffed stubbornly and laid back down to nap. Alistair breathed a sigh of relief, hoping that he was no longer in any trouble.

"Come with me, Alistair." Nerva waved to him.

"But why?" He quickly ran to her.

"I want to show you something important." She told him.

"Did I do something wrong?" He followed Nerva closely through the forest along a pathway.

"No, you are fine." She reassured him. "I have done the same thing when I was your size, but I want to show you something that is very important to werewolves." She explained. The chirping of birds was ever present in the forest, but an occasional cricket or tree frog would chime in with their own music from time to time.

"What was Saturn talking about?" Alistair didn't understand.

"It's very important to tend to the bones of the deceased." Nerva told him. "All werewolves are taught this from a young age." She explained. The human hopped over a thick tree root dappled in sunshine, thinking about what she said.

"What kind of bones?"

"All kinds. Even the bones of a deer cannot be broken improperly." She told him.

"Improperly? How can they be broken?" He didn't understand.

"You can only break them with your teeth, but not your hands."

"Why only my teeth?" He clenched his teeth with parted lips. It sounded bizarre to him.

"Because teeth are bones too." Despite her explanations, the boy was still unsure why it was forbidden. Nerva stopped between two pine trees growing close together. Alistair watched her closely as she dug away a layer of pine straw, revealing a flash of white hidden underneath.

'Huh?' He blinked as she pulled an odd item out of the ground. It was stained with dirt, but she cleaned the surface revealing a white surface. Realizing what it was, Alistair felt a small chill crawl across his skin. Nerva held the large femur of the deceased carefully in her hands despite its durability. The boy watched the werewolf's eyes study the bone with fondness, but also a little hint of sadness.

"Werewolves care for the bones of the dead, even prey." She reminded him. "It is all that physically remains of those who once walked through the forest with us. They howled, played, ate, and slept with us; but their life has ended. When you care for the bones, you are caring for the memories of those you hold dear lest you forget them." Nerva did her best the explain everything heartfelt to the boy. Alistair silently stared at her with pursed lips. At the very least, he felt the gravity of her words.

"Here. You can feel it." She handed it to him. The bone was very large in his small hands, and resembled a club-like weapon. However, despite being very hard and durable, it no longer carried life. Alistair traced over the smooth curves on its white surface only to shudder when he imagined it was part of a living werewolf. It was a little scary to hold it. He wondered if human bones would look any different than a werewolf's. Would it make any difference if they did?

"I hate death." He frowned and set the bone down. His eyes started to tear up, threatening to cry; but a large hand cradled the side of his face. The pads of Nerva's palm and fingertips warmed his skin as much as her fur. Looking up, he could see the werewolf gazing down at him empathetically. She knew that his emotions were justified, especially at his age.

"I have felt that anger before, but you shouldn't hate death." She wisely told him.

"Why?" He didn't understand.

"Without death, there is no life." Her simple words rang clear but despite her explanation, the human stared at her with a puzzled reaction. "Let me say it this way... All things must live and then die." She told him. "It's the law of nature that no one can disobey, no matter what they do. Even the tallest and strongest of trees must one day fall." She pointed at the tree beside them. "One day it's bark will flake away, the branches will drop, and the wood will begin to rot until it is no more than a hollow stump."

"I don't want things to die." He mumbled sadly. Nerva felt sympathy for the young boy. He had endured a lot at such a tumultuous time.

"Even though their spirits have ascended to the sky and moon, their love still endures. It lasts forever." She told him. Alistair balled up his fists and wanted to cry. Everyone he had known was gone, including his parents. It ached and burned his heart as if it was resting above the flames of a smoldering fire. He felt soft fur brush against his cheek.

"What's wrong?" Her voice was sweet and comforting.

"Nothing." He mumbled.

"Nothing?" Nerva looked at him curiously only to see a saddened expression on his face. "Why are you sad?" She asked and smoothed his hair. Alistair pursed his lips and didn't say anything at first. He wanted to hold back his feelings because they were too painful to talk about. They only saddened him. Staring at the warmth of her eyes, his lips parted.

"I miss my parents." He quietly admitted. Nerva quietly sighed. The boy seemed to know deep down what had happened. She knew that awful pain very well.

"I'm sorry, Alistair." Nerva solemnly spoke and held him in a loose hug, but there was little more she could do to console him. Alistair looked away, but held her arm tightly. He was glad that she was there alongside him. The boy wasn't along to deal with that magnitude of pain, and she had selflessly helped him since he first awoke after the bombing. Nerva rubbed his arm and licked his neck.

"I'll be your mother." She offered. Alistair's head quickly turned and looked up at her. There was a brief moment of confusion, but he had heard Nerva correctly. Alistair brushed his hand over her fur covered arm, almost pondering what she had said. However, the look in her eyes was earnest as she awaited his reaction.

Alistair suddenly rose up, and embraced Nerva around her neck in a big hug. His face buried into the thick fur of her cheek and shoulder. Nearly caught off guard, she smiled warmly and hugged him tightly in return.

"I love you." She licked his face happily. Alistair squinted an eye as her tongue lovingly washed over him, but didn't shy away from her canine affection.

"I'm so glad that I found you." She thankfully spoke with joy in her voice. It was the happiest either of them, human or werewolf, had felt in a long time...

The singing of a boisterous wren echoed throughout the spring forest until the fast approaching sound of crunching leaves and laughter startled the little bird. Alistair was running through the forest, laughing and giggling as he constantly checked over his shoulder. Weeks had passed since that fateful night that virtually eradicated his entire village. However, those painful memories felt distant now. His appearance was wilder than before. His hair was longer and curling along the edges in a messy unkempt fashion. His skin was no longer pale and had a slight tinge of a tan. Alistair was no longer the frail human Nerva had found partially buried.

Laughter ensued as the faster crunching of leaves approached him from behind. He had been playing with Cayuga while his werewolf mother, Nerva watched over them faithfully. However, she had decided to join in on the fun. Darting from tree to tree, she pretended to chase him as if the human had become a deer. Nerva gave a final pounce when Alistair least expected it. Grabbing him around the waist with a single arm, the werewolf pulled him to the ground with ease.

"Aahh! No!" He squealed as she laid atop his legs, effectively pinning him with his back to the ground. One hand rested atop his chest for good measure. The werewolf's large head loomed over his face, smiling with loving affection.

"I have captured you now!" She triumphantly declared while her tail wagged. "Now I will devour you." Nerva half giggled at her own silly words.

"Nooo!" Alistair wailed with laughter as Nerva licked his entire face and neck unimpeded. He tried blocking her with his arm, but only managed to grasp her jaws resulting in a few innocent nibbles.

"Alistair!" Tongue lolling, Cayuga bounded up to them and exploited Alistair's sudden vulnerability. The younger werewolf laid down and began licking his forehead.

"Too many licks!" He sputtered as both tongues "attacked" him. More laughter ensued for a moment until they lessened their playful assault and gave the human a breather.

"Ugh. I've been eaten." Alistair wiped his spot covered face with a smile.

"You are delicious prey." Nerva giggled and rubbed her damp nose against his nose before rising up to all fours. Alistair quickly stood up and Nerva brushed his naked backside from dirt and bits of leaves.

"Thank you-" He said, but Nerva held an arm around his torso and licked behind his ears.

"I need to get behind our ears." She said between licks.

"Ahaha!" He squealed once again. "I'm clean!" He pried himself free and ran ahead with Cayuga. The werewolf smiled and rose to her legs. The human was not the only one who had changed noticeably. Walking upright behind him, Nerva looked subtly different from the prior weeks. Her small breasts had a slightly fuller appearance from nursing Alistair every day. Her nipples were also slightly more stout and pronounced like any nursing canine mother. The black skin surrounding each almost appeared to blush in direct sunlight. If anything, she enjoyed the physical changes. She was a mother once again.

The evening was coming to a close as the three returned to the clearing before their den. With the sun waning in strength, the human was expecting to return to the cave and prepare for a good night's rest. The pack normally went to sleep when the sun went to sleep. However, everyone had gathered in the small clearing before the mouth of the cave.

"Is something happening?" Alistair asked.

"It's a special night." Cayuga told him.

"Why?"

"What do you mean why?" She didn't understand what he meant. "It's the night of the full moon. This is a special time for all werewolves." Cayuga told him.

"It is?" He looked back at Nerva who nodded in agreement.

"You'll see once the full moon rises tonight." She promised him.

***

Sun fall took less than an hour, but patience was always in short supply for little ones. But even before the moon rose above the trees, another phenomenon fascinated the young boy. Little yellow orbs of light, glowing with a dull but ever present light, began appearing and disappeared back into the trees like ghosts. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Glancing around, none of the other werewolves seemed to care.

"What are those, mom?" Alistair stayed close to Nerva. The little glowing lights floated in the air, rising and falling wherever they went.

"Those are forest lightning bugs." She told him. "They resemble the life force of small forest spirits living inside the trees and rocks."

"If you catch any then you have to let them go." Cayuga spoke up.

"Why?"

"So they can fly away." Cayuga stuck her tongue out at him. Alistair watched them float and fly overhead, but didn't attempt to catch any.

"And they only come out during the full moon?"

"That's right." Nerva told him.

"What's special about the full moon?" He asked.

"Many things." Nerva stated. "The full cycle of the moon is important for tracking time. The moon spirit also presides over the dead, safeguarding their passage up to the stars once they leave our world."

'The dead?' Alistair wondered about his parents.

"There is even a tale of two wolves named Shenki and Cowagha who were visited by Juno, the spirit of the moon. The moon spirit licked both of their foreheads which caused their fur to turn completely white like snow. It is said that wolves with white fur are descended from the sky or moon spirit, because of this." Nerva added. "However, being in the moonlight is like being kissed by the moon." She told him and craned her head down to lick his cheek.

"The tale should begin with the sky spirit." The old werewolf Saturn spoke up.

"Who is that?" Alistair blinked.

"Keh. Humans and their ignorance." The male remarked only to receive a soft snarl from his mother. "The sky spirit existed before all other beings. Nothing else came before him. His appearance is no different than the world around us. His starry gray pelt glimmered with infant stars. When he shook his body, the stars fell out, scattered across the night sky. From his breath, the wind emerged for the first time. From is eyes the sun and moon appeared. From his saliva, the first rain and water. Out of these emerged the great forest spirit, the spirit of the moon, the spirit of the sun, and the water spirits..."

"You will have to tell the story later. The moon is rising above the treetops." Oma hushed Saturn.

"Hff." The elder werewolf huffed stubbornly but silenced himself as the celestial body slowly rose higher into full view. The silvery light illuminated the ancient forest in a powerful glow that rivaled the sun at high noon. Even the wolves' fur appeared silvery no matter it's original color.

"What happens now?" Alistair whispered to Nerva.

"We howl at the moon." She told him. "When werewolves howl at the full moon, we are giving thanks to the spirits of the moon, forest, and the sky."

"Awowoooooooh!" Seneca began with a powerful howl, and was quickly followed by the other members of the pack.

"Awoooooo!" A chorus was created as they lifted their heads towards the full moon shining high above. Alistair looked around as the deafening noises echoed around him. At first it sounded scary, but even Nerva's head was tilted back, howling freely. When she paused between howls, she found Alistair looking up at her with moonlight reflecting in his eager eyes.

"Do I howl too?" His voice was almost unheard between the other howls round them.

"Yes, howl with us!" Nerva placed an arm around him encouragingly.

"How do I howl?"

"Use your voice, and call out like us." She told him. The human lifted his head and attempted a loud call to the moon.

"Ghaohowo!" His high pitched voice was very far from sounding like the characteristic canine howl, but it was an enthusiastic howl nonetheless.

"Awoo-ooooh!" Nerva how,Ed immediately after with wearing a bright smile across her face. "That's was good! Keep howling!" She rubbed his back as their head pointed to the sky once again.

The pack's howling continued well into the night with few pauses, and Alistair enjoyed howling every moment alongside his mother and everyone else. The other wolves shared a few stories about the moon, hunting at night, and other interesting tales. Only after a final howl at midnight did the pack retire to the cave for a well earned rest.

"Did you enjoy howling at the moon?" She asked Alistair as everyone returned to the cave.

"Yes." He stated only to give a lengthy yawn. Alistair laid down exhausted, but had thoroughly enjoyed the night.

"That's good." She smiled happily. The rest of the pack began laying down without much else to say, except for one wolf.

"Nerva." Seneca spoke up before she could lay down with him. Nerva glanced over her shoulder, and could tell he wanted to speak with her privately.

"Mom?" The human looked back up at her with sleepy eyes.

"I'll be right back." She licked Alistair's cheek before quietly walking outside the den. Seneca led her a short distance away from the cave, but still in the silvery glow of the full moon.

"What did you need to talk about?"

"There will be humans at the destroyed village tomorrow." He informed her.

"What?" She looked at Seneca suspiciously. "How do you know that?"

"I saw a few people there earlier today, walking around, and I overheard them talking. They had one of those moving machines that they travel inside."

"So what if the humans return? Are they rebuilding their old dens."

"I don't think they will rebuild, but you will be able to give Alistair to one of them." He explained. Nerva immediately walked away with her ears folded flat, not wanting to hear what he was saying.

"Why would you say that to me?" She growled. "I just taught him how to howl! He learned about the history of werewolves, and he is learning about the law of nature. He is friends with Cayuga and Apollo too."

"I know you want to be his mother, and don't want to let him go." Seneca approached her side. She glanced over at him only to look away once again. "He can learn everything about us and our way of life, but you can't raise him to become a werewolf." He told Nerva.

"I love him as if he were my own flesh and blood." Nerva bared her fangs. "Does nursing him each day not mean anything to you?"

"He can't suckle you forever, and humans don't eat raw meat. Besides, what will you do when winter arrives? He has no fur of his own to stay warm."

"I know..." She sadly spoke with her ears laying back flatly against her head. "But he's my son now. I love him, and I don't want to let him go." She admitted.

"He needs to be with his own kind. Humans raise humans, not us." Seneca told her. "Humans and werewolves aren't the same. It's unnatural."

"Isn't it natural to care for another?" Nerva countered. "He has accepted me as his mother, and loves me."

"You're only making what needs to be done more difficult." Seneca pointed out.

"Do you want the sun and moon to come from the sky and kiss Alistair to show nature's approval of him?" She asked. "Why do I have to lose another son?" Nerva sadly remembered her firstborn.

"I know what it's like to lose a son too." A hand rested on her shoulder. Seneca frowned with great guilt and heaviness in his own heart.

"Then please let him stay." Nerva begged. However, her mate shook his head dutifully.

"You have done more than enough to help him survive. It's time to return the boy to other humans to live the life that's best for him." Nerva looked looked away distraught.

"He is still so young... What if he forgets me?" A sadness grew in her eyes.

"He will never forget you." Seneca reminded her. "You will always be his mother." He reassured her. Nerva nodded sadly, knowing what he said was true. "When the humans arrive, you can leave him nearby so they'll find him. They'll take care of him just like you have."

"How do you know that they will take good care of him?" She continued to worry.

"They are his own kind." He reminded her. "This will be the best for him. You should get some rest for tomorrow so you and the boy can leave by mid morning."

"Alright..." Nerva turned away without saying anything else. The female werewolf somberly walked back to the cave den where everyone else was asleep. She crept up to where Alistair was laying, but he had already fallen asleep, completely unaware of what had been discussed. All of the joy in her eyes was now overshadowed by the sadness she felt. The entire night had felt mystical and special. She had taught him how to howl; the life force of the forest; the different spirits; but suddenly it was their final night together. He was truly part of the pack, and she felt closer to him than ever before. Yet, now she had to let go.

Nerva laid down and snugged up close to his side. He instinctively held onto her warm fur. The innocent little act tugged at her heart. She watched him peacefully sleep in her arms, nuzzled up to her chest.

"I love you." Nerva whispered into his ear more times than she could count.

Quiet footsteps walked along the forest floor, brushing by the green leaves of saplings and small ferns hovering above the ground. The vibrant chirping of birds was ever present in the warm late morning air, albeit, quieter at a distance as their echoes became harmonic. The dappled sunlight reached the forest floor in small rays. A large black furred werewolf briefly passed by a few warm rays, briefly giving her dark fur a warm sunny glow. A smaller figure walking upright behind her passed under the same scattered light, giving his skin a brief warm glow as well.

Nerva was lumbering along the hidden pathway while Alistair walked briskly beside her. His attention was divided, looking around the forest with great interest. Everything in the extensive forest once appeared dark and scary to him now appeared beautiful and fascinating. It had become the human's new home since Nerva had taken him in as her own.

"Where are we going?" Alistair had asked Nerva more than once already, but the werewolf was strangely silent as they trekked through the forest. However, his mother didn't answer. She crept over an old fallen tree and passed through low lying thing branches, disturbing their fresh green leaves with a faint rustling sound. Alistair quickly followed with only a little clumsiness only to bump into her backside.

Nerva had suddenly stopped, revealing that they were along the edge of the forest. The ground transitioned from pine nettles to moss and then grass where the sunlight regularly reached. The hilly fields were before them, rising up from the gentle grassy slopes to the wide crest of a dominant hill. Alistair walked up to the edge of the trees only to glance back over is shoulder to a so,her face watching him so dearly.

"Mom, you look sad." He noticed that she wasn't talking or smiling at all. Nerva had even remained silent while nursing him twice earlier in the morning. Normally, she enjoyed nursing and always talked to him, but something felt wrong. The werewolf moved towards him, and Alistair was surprised to find himself suddenly enveloped into a big hug. Blinking, he couldn't see beyond the fluff of her black chest and neck fur, but the werewolf's warmth and tenderness always felt nice. He could even feel the softness of her warm breasts pressed up to his skin, as if her bosom desired to hug him as well.

"I love you." Nerva spoke softly from above, but paused for a moment. "You will always be my son. Will you remember this?"

"Y-yes." He nodded, but didn't understand why she was telling him so suddenly. "I love you too." Alistair said as she undid the embrace.

"Thank you." She licked his forehead and face next.

"Mom!" He closed his eyes and wiped his face. Alistair blinked and found her smiling once again. "Why are we here?" He looked around curiously.

"You must walk past this hill. Keep walking and don't turn back, okay?"

"I understand." He nodded.

"Okay." She whispered, but waited a moment before letting go. Her hands loosened with great difficulty allowing him to slip away. Alistair left the edge of the forest and walked into the field. The warmth from her hands lingered on his naked skin even as he walked into the direct sunshine. It was a beautiful day. The sky was a clear blue with only a lingering cloud in the distance. A buzzing insect briefly distracted the boy, but he kept walking as he had been told and ascended the hill.

'Maybe she is going to play chase with me?' Alistair grinned at the thought of her playing a game with him. Hide and seek was always fun; although, he enjoyed play fighting with her since she never harmed him. However, his cheerful expression dropped once he reached the top of the hill. He could see a once familiar sight.

'The village!' He blinked and stared at the dilapidated ruins ahead. 'My old home!' The palisade wall was still partially standing, and the ruins of several partially standing brick and wooden homes were still visible. The memories of his family came rushing back to his mind leaving him paralyzed for a full minute atop the hill. A breeze ruffled his hair and caused him to blink. Alistair looked over his shoulder and Nerva was still visible at the edge of the tree line watching him. He hesitated to step forward, but remembered what she told him.

'I need to keep walking.' He reminded himself and looked ahead at his old village in ruins. He hurried to his old home, not sure what to expect.

"Awoooo!" Nerva cried from the edge of the forest.

**

"Goodness, it's hard to imagine the suffering these people endured that night all those weeks ago." Alfred, a suit wearing man, remarked as he gazed upon the remaining ruins of what was once a vibrant village. The scattered rock, destroyed brick, and shards of wood formed piles of rubble or half obliterated structures that once served as houses. The small shard of glass before him could've been part of a jar or window for all he knew.

"No matter how many times I see this, I still shudder when I think about it." The brick, rubble, and wood had been destroyed in almost every direction. Houses that were only half collapsed were eerie reminders of what once stood so innocently in the countryside, far from any conflict.

"It's awful to think about." A woman named Varvara standing nearby remarked. She was dressed professionally as well with a classy modern dress. With a small notepad in hand, she wrote something down while the man looked at his camera.

"That air raid should never have happened." He frowned with frustration. "In the middle of the countryside far away from any city or transport hub... My jaw nearly hit the floor when I read the leaked wires in the paper. Documenting this is even painful." He glanced as his camera, already full of unpleasant evidence and images. A hasty sigh blew past his lips as his gaze drew over to a nearby untouched hillside. The man struggled to comprehend it all rather than ignore it outright.

"It's just madness... That's all war is I suppose, a giant bomb of evil madness."

"We can't go back and change anything." A plainly dressed old man, their guide, reminded the two. "You have to grieve and move on."

"He is very resilient." Varvara whispered to Alfred who mustered a steely grin.

"Speaking of madness..." He stepped away with her. "I heard that scientists are calling it shell shock now. You know, those who experienced the constant bombings and shelling. If only they had realized that before war broke out."

"Thank goodness the war is over." She remarked. "Now everyone can rebuild and pick up their lives after nearly a year of fighting."

"I don't think anyone will want to rebuild out here." He scratched his head and looked at the decaying buildings. "Those who survived from this place weren't even in the immediate vicinity when it happened. Almost the entire community was destroyed."

"How many did you say survived? I don't think there are any recent records on who exactly lived here."

"From the nearest village I think only twelve or thirteen people survived, and that's mostly because they weren't here when it happened. Only two or three survived the bombing itself and fled in the night."

"Ugh." The woman shuddered. "I can't imagine having to live through that." There was a pause in their conversation. A subtle breeze blew across the sunny hilltops that caused the wild grasses to dance and sway with rhythm.

"Awoooo!" An eerie sound called out across the landscape.

"Was that a wolf howling?" Varvara fearfully spoke.

"I believe so, but that's the howl of a wolf who's lost its young." The guide wisely spoke.

"What?" The others looked at the older man in confusion.

"It sounded long and sorrowful." The old man elaborated and approached them. "They have several different calls."

"Are werewolves are common in this region?" Alfred worried despite their guide having a rifle slung over his shoulder.

"I've heard stories about how violent they are towards people. This town had a long conflict with them over using the forest's resources. I think increased logging, trapping, and hunting made conflict unavoidable."

"Are they going to give us any trouble out here?" Alfred asked.

"No." The guide shook his head without worry. "They are rumored to never leave the forest."

"I wouldn't trust my life on that." He frowned.

"Oh my... Is that a boy?!" The woman's mouth gaped in shock at something she saw. Their heads turned and jaws collectively dropped as they saw a small figure standing at the edge of the destroyed village.

"There's a naked boy in the field!" She blinked and nearly shouted as the small scruffy haired human stood wide eyed in shock back at them. For an instant, no one could believe their eyes; but he didn't vanish like a ghost. He was real! All three of them dashed towards the mysterious child who stood in shock before them.

"Oh my goodness!"

"I can't believe this!"

"Is he hurt?"

"His skin looks clean." Varvara was surprised that he wasn't dirty or had any cuts and bruises. "Are you alright?" She knelt down only to see his face scrunching up as his eyes watered. He began to whine and mumble incoherently.

"What is it?" They listened.

"M-m-mom... Mom!!!!" He wailed and cried.

"We need to get him out of here, and give him food and clothes." Alfred quickly spoke and picked up the crying child. All of them hurried back to the car, amazed at what was happening.

"Give him some water. I'll start the car." The guide ordered.

"That howling wolf from earlier... you don't think?" Varvara looked at her husband skeptically.

"I think we can save him from being eaten alive." The man couldn't believe what was going on as the mysterious child cried in his arms.

"Awooo!" A final howl called out only to be drowned out by the sound of a motor starting. A sad pair of canine eyes hidden in the forest watched with a mixture of pride and pain as Alistair was safely taken away by the humans inside the belly of the automobile.

• 15 years later -

The chirping of a solitary cricket was drowned out as the grumbling hum of a motor vehicle quickly approached.The wild grasses were disturbed as a car drove cautiously over an old dirt road that had not been in use for well over a decade. A little dust trail lingered behind the car like dragon's breath, only to settle down again like a forgotten breeze. An extensive tree line was just visible over the crest of more distant hills. The picturesque nature was in a rural region largely untouched by modern development. The last village was several miles behind in the rear view mirrors as the vehicle gradually ascended a sloping hillside.

The interior of the vehicle was top of the line with leather seats. The driver was dressed in a black suit, but the single passenger was dressed very plainly by comparison.

"Where did you say you were from again?" The driver broke the noisy silence.

"Ashchin-Bosch." The seated passenger answered while staring out the window towards the passing trees and hills.

"Ah, that's a strong and vibrant city." He remarked with a smile. "The industry and financial sectors are growing so fast there, and the TI-EN factory built beside the naval yard is impressive." The driver spoke confidently. "It truly is an industrial hub that will not only power the regional economy, but the nation as a whole."

"The entire city is very impressive."

"You're young and smart," the driver added, "but you have no idea what this country rebounded from since that horrible war over a decade ago."

"I understand the extent of the destruction and human cost."

"War is a terrible thing." The driver agreed. "It's nothing short of a miracle that the entire country is modernizing so quickly."

"Mmhm." He quietly hummed and gave a nod.

"So uh, if I may ask, what would bring you all the way out here in the countryside Mr. Fauchescu?" The driver inquired. The young man smiled before even answering.

"I have a special land permit to build a cabin out here." He told the driver who was puzzled to hear this.

"Why on earth would you ever want to build way out here?" The driver couldn't understand. "The land is of little value, and so far from any city. A village used to exist out here, long ago. Of course, it was destroyed during a bombing campaign years ago, like many other places in the southwest of the country. Ever since that day only a logging camp was established for a brief time. However, an attack by a werewolf put an end to logging in this area for good... It is crazy that you'd want to come to this cursed place." The older man concluded.

"Is it?" The young human plainly questioned. The old man looked over at him with curiosity etched into his brow. "I wasn't born in the city, of course." He added. "My first parents died from an aerial bombing during the war. My second mother saved me from dying all alone, but she eventually allowed me to be adopted. I was taken in by my third mother me second father. They're wonderful parents, and I will always call them mom and dad, but I want to visit this place to pay respects to my previous parents."

"Wow, that's a very turbulent past." The driver admitted, but had little else to say. He didn't seem too interested in what the younger man was saying anyway.

"Oh. We've made it." He stated and slowed down to a stop in the grass.

"Perfect! Thank you for taking me all the way out here." Mr. Fauchescu hopped out of the car with a small backpack in hand. The driver soon followed suit and stepped out of the car. They had a particularly good view of a mostly clear field and the dense forests fired ahead downhill. Even farther in the distance was the faint backdrop of cloudy mountains against the blue sky.

"I would say it is a picturesque place." The driver offhandedly mentioned. "Somewhere an artist would enjoy gathering inspiration from."

"Yeah..." Alistair nodded, halfway lost in his thoughts.

"Per our agreement, you'll take something of mine so I will come back and get you." The older man handed over a silver pocket watch to the young man.

"Ah. Thank you. Here's this in exchange." He accepted it and handed over a small journal in return.

"What's this? It isn't worth anything." The driver looked over the old item with confusion etched into his face.

"If you knew what it was, then you'd know its value." The young man countered.

"I'll come back tomorrow, one hour past noon." He tersely spoke and kept the journal in hand. The car door closed with a heavy metallic thud. The motor bumbled and hummed as the car went into reverse before driving away along the same dusty road. Alistair watched until the dust settled and the vehicle was gone from his sights.

'I'm alone.' The thought was as haunting as it was freeing to the young man. Having grown up in a bustling city that quickly recovered for the harsh economic strains of war meant that there were many people around him. However, the bustling noises of cars, streets, and shouts had been entirely replaced by nature's divine silence. Not even a subtle breeze made much noise as he looked across the landscape.

Alistair walked over to a particular section along the gently sloping hills where the terrain wasn't natural. The soft rustle of grass beneath his steps interrupted the occasional soft chirps of crickets hidden from sight. Despite the grass growing freely in every direction, there were signs that buildings once stood proudly on some sections of land. Faint traces of rubble, brick, and even wood were littered on the ground. It was a far cry of what once stood tall. Where muddy little "streets" once existed now had been covered entirely by grass and soil. Nature had nearly fully reclaimed the sight.

'It was right here.' He recognized the exact spot despite how much had changed. His lips pursed tightly as he set his pack down. A small memorial had been erected some time ago to commemorate those who had so abruptly lost their lives. A long list of names had been etched into stone to act as a single large tombstone for the deceased.

'Marma Ushold... Evgeny Ushold...' He looked at two names in particular and traced his fingers over the letters. They were names he had once known as mom and dad long ago when he was very little. The memories he held of them and the now vacant fields were small, but invaluable. However, his earliest memories did not end there as many others had.After paying his respects, Alistair moved on towards a section of the field where a palisade wall once stood tall. He stood at the top of the hill facing the eerie dark forest. It's long gentle slope trailed down to the impenetrable tree line that resembled a protective wall from one word to another. His thoughts churned at what he was about to do, but decided to follow through with it. After all, he add it this far! Alistair cupped his hands to his mouth and raised his head up towards the sky.

"Awooo!" He imitated a true howl. He stopped feeling goosebumps develop on his skin. The eerie sound of a howl, even from his own voice, scared him. There was no response as his call had quickly faded away into the wind.

"Awoooo!" He made the call several more times. However, only silence greeted his ears. The grass rustled from a passing light breeze that disturbed the chirping crickets around him.

'Will they hear me?' He started to doubt what he was doing. 'Are they gone?' Maybe what he was trying to do was impossible. He waited a long moment silently hoping only to hear a faint reply.

"Awoo." A howl made his face brighten.

'That's a howl!' He smiled and heard another follow shortly thereafter. Moments passed and he felt his heart race. Excitement made his nerves tingle. The hairs on his arms stood up. That feeling... He was being watched! Alistair scanned the trees for a sign. Any of the leaves or shadows could be hiding someone. For the average person, this would've been very dangerous, but he was unafraid. Cupping his hands to his mouth once again, he called out.

"Awoooowoh!" His voice carried across the field into the forest. A sudden movement of black fur drew his gaze to the right. A large figure trotted out towards him, stopping twice to look at him and then the surrounding open fields before hurrying towards him. The black furred werewolf ran up to him and rose to its hind paws, easily towering over the human by nearly half a meter. Alistair stood firm, even though the monstrous canine was so close to him. He could see individual hairs of her fur coat. The canine was decidedly female with two visible breasts that were small, but sagged noticeably with age. Her fur coat was no longer completely jet black. Her muzzle was dashed with silver, another clear sign of age. Despite the changes that came with age, he easily recognized her.

"Mom..." He quietly said. Her black ears jumped up. The werewolf cautiously approached on her hands and paws, smelling the air before rising up to her full bipedal height. Each breath she took sounded like the soft huff of a powerful engine. Her intimidating stature would strike instant terror in most individuals, but Alistair stood his ground. Even after so many years, she still towered over him. They were so close now that he could see the individual hairs on her body. A grin curled up along her long canine snout, and she lunged forward. The distance between them was closed in an instant.

"My son!" Nerva hugged him tightly, enveloping Alistair into her embrace.

"I love you mom." He embraced her fully. Nerva smelled the same as he remembered: that unique pungent odor of a werewolf living in the woods, like an exotic mixture of spices. She rubbed her face all over his head and began licking his face; but the human endured her loving affections. Her bulky hands held his face as if his head was a fragile object that would fall and break. Alistair could see the joy in her brown eyes through the welling tears.

"I feared I would never see you again." She wept only for him to wipe the tears from her eyes. "Look at how you've grown!" She commended him. "You're taller."

"I'm nowhere near as tall as you." He smiled. "But I came back to see you, and the rest of the pack. Can I come back into the forest with you?"

"Yes, of course you can! You should see everyone." She happily spoke as her tail briefly wagged. "How have you been all of these years as you grew up? Tell me as we walk." Nerva tugged him towards the forest.

"My parents adopted me after they brought me to a large city far away from here. Because of the destructiveness of war and poor record keeping in this region, it was difficult to know if I had any relatives in the nearby villages. Many of them had died during that night of the air raid." He explained.

"I know you didn't see the damage the way I saw it when I found you." Nerva told him. "It was terrible, and made my stomach ache like when my first born died."

"I'm glad that I didn't wake up inside the village before you had found me." He wondered if that would've changed how everything had happened. It was impossible to tell, but thankfully fortune had favored them both that day.

"My parents are wonderful people." He changed the subject back to something brighter. "You left me in good hands. They cared for me and finished raising me as their own, and I received a good education at the best private schools and tutors. I have a wonderful life worth living."

"I'm so glad to hear that." Nerva smiled proudly. There was movement along the edges of the trees and underbrush as they descended the gentle slope towards the forest. However, once they reached the tree line, he could hear the fast crunching of leaves as the hidden onlookers quickly scattered. The ancient forest appeared different, yet the same all at once. The indefinite greenery and darker understory was the same. The smells hadn't changed from their damp earthy aromas. It was as if he had traveled back in time.

"What about Seneca? How has he been?" Alistair asked.

"He is doing well, although he is older like me." She pointed out.

"What about Apollo?"

"Apollo is a strong adult much like his father. He has two mates from another pack and has started the next generation." She smiled.

"Wow. That's great to hear! What about Cayuga? She must be as big as you now."

"Of course!" She chuckled. "She is no longer a pup and is still rambunctious at times. Cayuga always asked about you too, and eventually when she was older I explained what happened."

"I'm surprised she asked about me, but I am glad that she remembers me."

"None of us would have forgotten about you." She reassured the human and kindly held a branch back for him to duck under.

"What about Saturn?" Alistair asked about the elder wolf last. "I'm sure he is as cranky as I remember him." The werewolf's smile faded for a brief moment.

"Ah. Well, he died a few years ago." She sadly informed him.

"Oh. Wow... That's awful." Alistair was crestfallen for a moment. "I had no idea."

"I can take you to where his bones are." She offered and took a turn off the pathway through the dense thicket of bushes and young skinny trees. The walk through the forest became solemn and silent as Nerva took Alistair to a spot near a large fallen tree. A small opening to the sky was visible along its path as well as a few saplings seeking out the new source of light above. Nerva knelt down by a small section marked with several claws. She uncovered the shallow hole underneath some carefully placed pine straw and sticks. Nerva picked up a small white bone and inspected it before handing it to him. Alistair handled the bone with great care and respect. He shuddered when thinking about how it was once not only a living werewolf a few years ago, but one that he had met and seen before his very eyes. It felt far more personal than before.

A hand touched his shoulder, spreading warmth over his body. Looking over, Nerva's eyes were happy to see him, but there was a small hint of sadness deep inside. A cool sensation passed through the human's stomach. The thought that Nerva would one day die as well disturbed Alistair. He didn't want it to happen even though death was inevitable. It strengthened his resolve to spend more time with her and everyone else. Neither needed to say a single word as he returned the bone to its resting place and buried it safely.

"Thank you for showing me." He rose up and followed her back through the forest.

"Despite being cranky around you, Saturn mentioned that you always listened when he spoke to you." Nerva told him. "I think he liked you despite barking so much."

"I'm glad to hear that." Alistair said with a small grin. Passing by a few more trees, the pathway ended at a small clearing before a familiar cave mouth. The werewolves were all seated near the cave's entrance as of they had been expecting the human all along. He vaguely recognized some, but not everyone who was present.

The black and white werewolf Apollo was no longer a young adolescent. Much like his father Seneca, he had grown into a powerful male with a tall stature and incredible strength. Alistair didn't doubt that Apollo could run as swiftly as the wind or break formidable young trees with little more than brute strength.

Beside him, two female werewolves stared at Alistair with wide curious canine eyes. The first had pure white fur, but held something very precious in her arm. Nuzzled up to her bosom, asleep, was a little pup covered in black fur but had two white star shaped patches on his forehead and chest. The other female werewolf had a standard mottled grey fur pattern, but had a rounded belly, a clear sign of pregnancy.

A dark grey and light grey furred female ran up to him with Apollo not far behind. The female didn't hesitate to hug him with energy just like Nerva had. Alistair was nearly taken off his feet, but found himself in secure arms.

"Alistair!" Cayuga barked happily.

"You remember me!" He was happy as his face became lost in her thick tufts of chest and neck fur.

"Of course I do! You still smell the same." She exclaimed and licked his face for good measure. Apollo rose up once Cayuga was finished, and placed a large hand on the human's shoulder. The leather pads were warm and covered part of his upper arm. The friendly gesture was a little intimidating due to his overpowering stature.

"It's good to see you again." Apollo grinned.

"It's good to see you too, Apollo." Alistair had to look up to meet the wolf's gaze.

"This is Augusta and Livia." He gestured behind him. "They are my mates. Augusta's firstborn is my son Arian."

"You have a great family." Alistair smiled.

"Thank you." Pride was evident in his voice as he stepped aside. Further along in the pack, Oma and Valasa bowed nods as respectful greetings from where they stood. At the head of the group, older but nonetheless the undisputed alpha male of the entire pack was Seneca. The black furred male appeared stoic as always, only changed by a fair amount of grizzled white fur signifying his older age. There was no ecstatic joy, grief, or anger towards the human in his eyes.

"Why have you returned to the forest?" Seneca plainly asked.

"Seneca..." Nerva nearly growled at her mate.

"It's alright to ask." Alistair answered. "I wanted to come back to see everyone. I regard Nerva as my second mother for selflessly caring for me. She's the reason I am alive today, and I will always be thankful for that." He looked over at Nerva who smiled happily at his kind words.

"I also wanted to write down the customs on the forest, and the law of nature." He pulled out a notebook with several pages already written on. "I wrote down what I could remember all those years ago, but there is very little that I could think of."

"What will you do with such knowledge?" Seneca asked skeptically.

"I want people to learn about the laws of nature and how this pack lives." He explained. "Werewolves are feared as monsters with an appetite to kill, and are to be avoided at all costs. If people ever move back here then I want everyone to live peacefully alongside one another."

"Hahaha!" Seneca laughed to his surprise. Everyone watched as his laughter boomed with strength even in age. "Nerva, it seems you have raised a human as one of us." He smiled. The female werewolf smiled with a hint of pride. "I had my doubts when Nerva first brought you into the forest." Seneca admitted. "Other animals, not just werewolves, were wary of this decision as well."

"I can understand that, but I have so many questions that I want to ask you."

"Like what?" The wolf tilted his head.

"There's so much to ask..." The human thought of just a few things on his mind. "What all of the Laws of Nature are; the different werewolf packs; the cycles of the moon; all of the spirits; and what do the werewolves know about mankind's past?" He asked the more important question last. "What changed man from all others?"

"There are two stories that mark the separation of man among all others. One is about his usage of fire, and the other is about man creating his own laws above those of nature... but there will be plenty of time to tell you what werewolves know if you choose to return." He stated with a smile. "It will take many long days to explain these things to you."

"I'm looking forward to it." Alistair answered excitedly.

"I want to show you something." Nerva walked into the back of the cave before returning with something in her hand. "I saved this from long ago." She revealed a meager scrap of cloth. Its color was indiscernible and edges were frayed. It no longer resembled what it once was in its entirety.

"What is it?" Alistair looked at it with curiosity.

"We found the fox who had stolen your clothes not long after you had left, but they were torn to shreds." She told him.

"Oh my..." He stared at the shred of fabric, likely from his pants.

"I dreaded losing it, because this is all that I have to remember you by." She nearly started crying again, but Alistair hugged her tightly.

"If something bad had happened to you then I wouldn't even have the bones to remember you by... It was so painful to let you go, Alistair!" The werewolf held him as if he would slip through her fingertips like air or water. "I knew you had to be raised by humans, but you're still my son."

"It's alright mom. I'm here." He comforted her. Alistair rubbed her fluffy neck and back until she gradually unfurled her embrace.

***

Once the sun had finally set, leaving the forest shrouded in darkness, all of the werewolves filed into the cave one by one until Cayuga remained outside with Alistair.

"Come inside when you are ready to sleep, Alistair." Nerva called over her shoulder.

"I will." He answered. She smiled before disappearing into the darker depths of the cave. The clouds overhead parted enough for the light of a bright gibbous moon to shine through, illuminating the forest with its silvery light. Cayuga stood before the human with an unwavering gaze.

"You're not going to sleep yet?" Cayuga asked.

"No, I wanted to see the forest lightning bugs, if they would come out." Alistair looked around only to find darkness where the silver light didn't touch. "Although, I don't see any like I remember."

"That's because they only come out during the full moon." She pointed out.

"Oh, that's right!" He bashfully remembered and rubbed his head. "Aren't you going to sleep though?" Alistair asked.

"Not yet..." She looked away nervously. "I wanted to stay awake and be with you."

"Me?" He was surprised. "Why?"

"I haven't seen you in so many years!" She blurted out only fold her ears back. Cayuga cleared her throat and calmed her voice. "You've grown." She quietly spoke.

"You've grown as well." He noted her appearance. "You're no longer a pup."

"Of course I have grown!" She laughed. "You can see that yourself." The female's gave him a wolffish grin and arched her back to puff her chest out. Despite her different appearance compared to a human, there were many similarities. She had small breasts covered in light grey fur, but the soft femininity was impossible to miss. A small nub of skin barely poked free in the center of each breast.

"You look beautiful." Alistair stated.

"Thank you." She bashfully replied. "Do you want to go to the stream?" She offered. "You haven't been here in a long time."

"Of course." He agreed. "But I probably wouldn't recognize anything at night anyway."

"I'll lead the way." Cayuga held out her hand. Alistair's gladly accepted and followed the werewolf into the dark nighttime forest. Even though he had a very difficult time seeing, Cayuga's eyesight had little trouble discerning the forest around her even in darkness. She also had a powerful nose and set of ears to navigate the endless ancient forest.

"I'm am amazed Apollo has two mates and is a father already." Alistair stated. "I still remember him as the adolescent wanting to be strong like his dad."

"He is very much his father." Cayuga agreed. "And he is very proud of starting his own family."

"Haven't you found a mate?" He asked. "You're of age."

"Well, no." She admitted. "What about you?"

"No, I don't have a human mate." He shook his head.

"Don't humans always have mates?"

"Not always. You have to find the right person, someone you deeply love and care for."

"Hmm. I understand that. Werewolves are the same way." She agreed and led him down a twist in the pathway.

"You know..." She said in a low voice and bumped into his side. "Clothes are forbidden in the forest. It's the law of nature."

"That's not a law I remember." He saw through her little ploy.

"But you look strange wearing them. I barely recognized you with them on." The wolf insisted. "You can leave them on a branch. I'll make sure no fox steals them." She playfully teased.

"I remember that happening!" He laughed. "I can't believe Nerva managed to get part of them back."

"I think she scared a group of them and found it by accident." Cayuga grinned. "But she was overjoyed to find it."

"Yeah, she held on to it all of these years." Alistair felt a little sentimental about it.

"You can give her these to remember you by until you return again." She innocently tugged on his shirt.

"H-Hey." He halted in the moonlight. "You just want me to take everything off."

"You can see me, so why can't I see you?" She challenged.

"Pff. Fine." Alistair relented.

"Why are humans uptight about hiding their bodies?" She didn't understand.

"That's just the way things are." He shrugged and pulled his shirt off first. Once it was properly folded, he removed his other garments until he was naked as the days he spent with the pack in the forest. Dappled in a little moonlight, his skin was given a silvery glow from the moonlight. Cayuga looked him over.

"You look nice." She softly smiled.

"I was afraid you would say delicious." He folded his arms.

"Haha!" Cayuga laughed. "No! I would never let anyone so much as leave a scratch on you." She promised.

"Thanks... Uh. It's chilly tonight!" He shivered with a grin.

"I'll keep you warm." She quickly offered. Alistair soon found the werewolf pressed up against his side with both arms holding him close.

"I'm glad your fur is soft and warm." He hummed gratefully even though it was very close and sudden.

"Thanks."

"Ah! Hey." He felt Cayuga lick his forehead. The wolf grinned and rubbed her muzzle and cheek over his head instead. However, her hands cautiously roamed over the rest of his naked body. The soft fur on her arms and leathery pads on her hands had contrasting sensations, but both made his skin tingle with delight. Alistair's found himself pressing closer to her when one hand lightly gripped his rear. Another went lower over his groin where she stopped suddenly.

"Hmm?" Cayuga stepped back. "I didn't think humans had fur anywhere except for their heads." The werewolf was surprised.

"It's not something anyone really shares or sees." He looked away nervously.

"I like it!" Cayuga exclaimed. "It's a good spot for humans to have bushy fur." Alistair felt his cheeks warm at the odd compliment.

"It's normal." He brushed it off. "It happens to all humans when they become adults, but I have heard that people tend to shave themselves there."

"Shave?"

"Remove it by cutting."

"Eww. That's gross." She huffed with a frown. "But I want a closer look..." Her voice lowered almost to a whisper. Alistair's heart skipped a beat as the werewolf dropped to a crouching position before him. Illuminated clearly by the moonlight, her nose rested a mere inch from his naked skin.

"Careful. You're close." He attempted to step back only to feel a tree behind him.

"Your scent is... arousing." She breathed heavily onto his groin. Alistair felt the warmth of her breath wash over him like a heated wave. Cayuga took several breaths as if she was drinking in the aromas of a beautiful flower. He expected her to lick him, but a leathery warmth reached up and touched him instead. Alistair widened his stance and watched her as if he had been mesmerized. The wolf's large hand and bulky fingers gently cupped his manhood in its entirety, enveloping his most intimate area into her grasp. It was a subtle reminder that she was human-like despite her initial appearance. Although, he couldn't help but notice her long black claws mere centimeters away from touching him.

Cayuga gently fondled him with the utmost care. Her leathery fingertips rubbed his soft skin with gentleness and erotic flair. Her damp nose drew closer and buried itself on his pubic hair, drawing each breath as if his scent gave her strength. The fuzzy fur on her chin rubbed over the base of his member quickly engorging with arousal.

"C-Cayuga!" Alistair's realized where this was going only to lock eyes with her.

"Alistair." Cayuga placed a hand gently yet securely around his upper leg. "I want to." She told him with a firm gaze. The human blinked, almost unsure how to react. He was a human and she was a werewolf after all! As much as the idea made him nervous, it also excited him.

"Ok." He nodded. The wolf grinned and felt his length jerk and pulsate inside her hands. Cayuga started to pant as she gladly turned her attention back towards his fully erect length. The warm breath blowing over his naked skin caused little goosebumps to form. Her tongue slipped past her fuzzy lips and drew over the top of his manhood.

"Oohh! Your tongue!" He tensed as his member jumped, unable to process the raw pleasure. However, when her lips drew over his skin, a different sensation grazed over where her tongue once passed.

"Y-your teeth..." He shied away when her lips gracefully traced along his rigid skin.

"Don't squirm. I'm not biting you." She coyly spoke.

"You have big sharp teeth!" He suddenly shuddered as her lips parted and brushed over his sensitive flesh once again. Alistair gasped and felt his entire length jerk stiffly as her strong tongue slowly swiped across his entire length.

"Oh my..." He struggled to speak as the slick and smooth heat left his nerves on fire with pleasure. A second swipe trailed lazily underneath his erect length causing his entire body to tense as his member throbbed. The human instinctively rose up on the balls of his feet. Her claw tips lightly pricked his naked skin, partly to excite his nerves, but also to silently tell the human to remain still. However, that was easier said than done. Alistair was sweating as he struggled to keep his composure, but the sudden swipe of her slick tongue over his tip made his knees bend.

"Oohhhhh..." He groaned and bent forward.

"Mmm!" Cayuga hummed in a delectable tone.

"I need to lay down!" Alistair quickly spoke in a shaky breath.

"Are you alright?" She helped him recline on the ground.

"Y-yeah." A brief dizziness passed as the muscles in his legs no longer burned. "It's just... Your tongue feels so good." He admitted. Cayuga's face lit up in the moonlight as he tail subtly wagged behind her. The werewolf settled down between his legs with her sights clearly set on pleasuring him once again. Alistair's gaze lowered to where she was focused. His member stood tall with stiffness like that of a tree. He felt each breath like a little fire on his groin. The sight of his erect length throbbing directly in front of her nose made his stomach feel fluttery.

"Mated werewolves make love frequently." She offhandedly remarked. "And I'd love to taste you more... a lot more." She emphasized the last words. His face flushed a heated red at the thought of her wanting to frequently "taste" him that way. His length throbbed with desire, ready to spill his seed with vigor. Cayuga gently placed her hands on Alistair's stomach as it rose and fell. The sudden warmth of her large padded palms and fingertips made him shudder.

Rather than simply continue licking him, her mouth suddenly opened wide. Alistair's eyes popped open as the moonlight fully revealed her jaws full of teeth. He watched with a silent gasp as his sensitive flesh was fully enveloped in the heat and wetness of her entire mouth. She locked eyes with him, and he didn't object, and instead chose to trust her in such a vulnerable position.

Trapped inside the delicate grip of her teeth and strong jaws, his erect member was constantly jerking as it was bathed by her smooth warm tongue. The slick sounds softly echoed around them, and the moaning quickly resumed. Alistair's body shuddered and trembled. Her tongue even slipped out beyond her lips and lapped at his balls, only adding to the dizzying pleasure.

"Gyughhh!" Another full bodied groan escaped his lips.

"Cayuga-! I'm going to..." He tried warning her to stop, but the werewolf's tongue continued lapping at his member trapped inside her jaws. He moved his hips around to no avail as she gave him a little warning nibble to lay still. His breath came in short gasps as the rising pleasure almost became unbearable. Grabbing ahold of her hands laying on his chest, he felt the point of no return as his length jerked incessantly inside her mouth. Alistair came with a silent cry as his body spasmed with the greatest erotic pleasure he had felt in his entire life. Cayuga lapped with every pulse, accentuating each orgasmic spasm until he was utterly spent.

Panting like a wolf on the verge of exhaustion, Alistair laid limp on the ground while Cayuga cleaned his manhood until he softened completely. All of the softer subtler sound of crickets chirping, and the occasional owl hooting returned to his senses. A large canine face loomed over him with concern.

"Are you feeling okay?" She asked.

"Uh... Yes." He managed to speak.

"Did it... feel good?"

"That was... the best feeling I have ever had." Alistair's sighed.

"Good." Cayuga smiled and helped pull the human to his feet. "I never thought I would see you again, and well... your scent is... very nice." She concluded by licking his chin and neck gently. Alistair left his clothes behind and followed her down the silver dappled forest pathway. Despite being completely naked, he felt safe and at ease alongside Cayuga. If anything, his nudity was just as natural as her naked furry body.

The shared few words, but only those marked by sweetness or romance. The sound of a soft roar was audible the further they walked. The subtle roar gradually grew until they emerged overlooking the stream and waterfall. Under the open sky of the gibbous moon, all of the water and surrounding vegetation was brightly aglow from the heavenly silvery light. It resembled a little oasis in the middle of the ancient forest.

"It's beautiful." Alistair remarked. "It's exactly how I remembered it." He smiled at the entire sight.

"It hasn't changed since you left all of those years ago." Cayuga spoke as she rested her hands on his shoulders. They laid down together overlooking the entire pool, waterfall, and stream. Cayuga was behind Alistair holding the human closely. Her fur easily kept him warm. They watched the silvery moonlight glitter and shimmer along the surface of the rippling water. The loud chirps of crickets and croaking of frogs filled the air in a beautiful harmony found only in nature. The moment was pristine and peaceful, something Alistair's had longed to experience for so long.

"Sorry if I was too direct with you earlier." Cayuga suddenly apologized.

"What?"

"I shouldn't have been so forceful."

"It's alright. I told you that I enjoyed it." He reassured her. "Besides, that tongue of yours was... incredible." Turning his head, he kissed her damp nose. A canine grin sprouted along her muzzle.

"Mmm. I'm glad to hear it." Cayuga playfully nibble his cheek. "I don't know how to ask this, but how do humans mate?" She asked. Alistair's felt his cheeks blush slightly despite everything that had just happened.

"Well..." The human rolled back around to face her. "There are many ways." His hands ruffled through her thick light grey fur. One brushed over her small breasts and began rubbing a stout nipple hidden in her fur. The other began to tease between her furry thighs only to find a subtle dampness much like her nose. Claws suddenly threatened to scrape his back out of passion.

"Oohh." Cayuga's tail thumped the ground behind her. Her arms enveloped him into a deeper hug, and her front gyrated against him.

"How do werewolves say I love you?" Alistair asked between a kiss.

"We don't say it." She told him. "We show it." A little growl escaped her lips as she hooked her leg over him. Cayuga wasn't about to let go. The blaring frogs and crickets did not cease their own passionate cries into the early night. It was going to be a long and passionate night as a lone cloud hid the moon, granting them some privacy in the darkness of night.

"Awwooooo!" An echoing howl from nearby brought a chill up the old man's spine like a cool early morning breeze. The scowling worrisome frown only depended as he silently paced over a patch of dirt.

'Those werewolves...' He kept the thought at the forefront of his mind, lest he be found by one undefended. His car was mere steps away from him, but it often felt too far away when he glanced over his shoulder. His gaze remained watchful along the hills for Mr. Fauchescu.

'I hope he's alive.' He didn't want to abandon the young man out of his own fears, but didn't rule out the possibility. His eyes lifted upon seeing a figure emerge over the hillside. Alistair calmly strolled over the grass towards him.

"You're that boy..." The old man realized and pulled out the journal from his coat pocket. "The one that was found here weeks after the aerial bombing of the village."

"Yep. That's me." He nodded and pulled out the watch from his pocket. They exchanged items fulfilling their previous agreement.

"Thank you." The driver slipped his watch back into his pocket. "There is a rumor that you have a special connection to the werewolves. Is that true?" He curiously asked. Alistair stared off in the distance for a moment before answering.

"No." He shook his head. "Those are only rumors." Alistair informed the driver.

"I couldn't help but ask." The man bashfully grinned and opened the car door for him.

"Thank you, but I'll come back very soon." He looked over his shoulder with a grand smile as the wind swept through the naked fields. Back where the village once stood, a piece of paper was left at the memorial, held in place by a small stone as it flapped in the wind. Scribbled on one side was a little poem that Alistair had created earlier in the morning once he had left the forest.

Breathe in the air,

Walk or run without care

across all the fields,

the forests, and streams,

the whole world is here

for you to dream.