5

Aspen

The snowmelt from the mountain peaks fed the icy cold brook that trickled over river rocks in little waterfalls and filled natural pools ankle-deep. I hung my clothes on the low tree branches that lined the water source. Goosebumps pricked my naked skin until my wolf surged forward to take her form.

Finally. She shook her coat out with a deep sigh of satisfaction, taking longer than necessary to stretch out her limbs. We hadn't fully shifted into her body since the day at the hospital when I'd let her out to entertain the kids.

Time was strange. It'd only been a couple of weeks, but it felt as if months had passed since then. Almost like how an entire good summer could be over in the blink of an eye while a harsh winter month could last a lifetime.

Time is such a human concept.

You would think that. I rested back in the confines of her mind and let her take control.

My wolf huffed her annoyance as she padded over to the little brook to drink her fill.

Sometimes I wonder if things were better in the old days.

Me too. I stared through her eyes as she looked at her reflection in the water. She was a beautiful beast–I could admit my own bias–with water dripping from her snout. I knew she was strong and graceful. My inner strength came from her. It wasn't the first time I wondered if things would be better with her in full control.

Way back when our ancestors went into hiding after the witch-hunt persecution years, shifters lived mainly in their animal forms. That was when the land was less developed and we had more chance of hiding our families from the humans.

Not that long ago, maybe a hundred years or so, wolf shifters came forward to the human government petitioning for basic rights. There was a flurry of crazy where a lot of shifters went deeper into hiding as fear ran rampant, waiting to see what the humans would do. A select few of the packs took the brunt of the fallout and subjected themselves to government testing.

Human scientists couldn't come up with an explanation of shifters so the government concluded we were natural and deserved unalienable rights. Like we were the ones who were unnatural to begin with.

Right? She scoffed.

Over the years, even our own shifter scientists couldn't explain why we differed so much from the humans. Evolution theories held some promise since our DNA had advanced hidden sequences that rearranged with the shift. Religious zealots called us mutants and monsters. Even psychologists weighed in, citing the DRM and multiple personality disorder manifesting in a physical form.

Some days I agreed most with that theory since my wolf seemed to be an entirely different being. She argued with me and had her own opinions, more so than I'd read about other wolves. Though I hadn't been close enough with many other wolves to compare our thoughts with.

Whatever the case, I couldn't argue that she was the better half. My wolf could keep us hydrated without needing water purification. She could keep our bellies full with a kill and raw meat. And she could empty her bladder by lifting her leg and peeing on a tree without having to drip-dry after.

I fail to see what you bring to this team.

Fair enough. I chuckled, thinking of going feral and living the rest of our lives in a cave. It wasn't such an awful idea. We could howl at the moon and run naked through the forest. Live on our terms without anyone telling us what to do. Sure, there'd be no bagels, no hot showers, no fluffy beds…

You made your point. She gave another languid stretch of her back before she released her skin to me. By all means, go do human things.

*

Human things.

I dusted off my hands after pulling out the splintered remains of the bedframe. It sat in a pile by the rock pit I'd quickly put together. The chemical wood would stink if I burned it, but it'd do in a pinch for warmth if we got a late-season snowfall.

My nest was stripped to the bones again with the mattress on the floor and furs pushed up next to it. I swept the shed out as best I could with a pine needle branch. It had to be the coming heat that was driving my instinct to build this location up as a camp. But the rational part of my brain still wasn't sure if I wanted to stay in the mountains to ride out the season.

Ranger will come.

What if he doesn't? I shook my head.

There were too many variables. I had no clue what the show was trying to do. What if they held the males back? What if he was too late? What if he decided–

I lied. Stop doing the human things. You think too much.

I ignored her because one of us had to be responsible here.

Once the nest was as clean as I could get it, I tested the braided wire as I rigged a few basic small fixed snares with woven overhand knots and nooses. I set them up where I figured small game would run, though I was having trouble scenting anything fresh. For the bigger game, I measured out lengths of 0 cord and cut the strands with my claws. A few well-balanced rocks and some slip-knots and I had a couple of weighted ground snares meant to hold and suspend unsuspecting prey.

My papa would have told me snares were meant to kill in a situation like this so I should up my defenses, but I planned to check the counterweight traps often and have the option to let things go. It was more of a warning on my part. One that made me feel safe for the past few seasons. It also kept anything from sneaking up on me.

A girl could never be too careful in the woods. There were men and bears out there.

When my perimeter defenses were set, I hiked back to my nest. The moon rose as the sun dipped below the trees and the first stars were trying to shine through the purple twilight overhead.

I wrapped my gram's blanket around my shoulders, careful not to rip it further. It was late and I still needed to make a decision.

The thrumming within me was getting harder to ignore. It was a dull ache. A feeling of discomfort. The air was too warm and too cold at the same time. My skin too sweaty. Too dry. Like Goldilocks, I knew nothing would be just right until the heat finally crested and took over.

I glanced up at the moon.

It was almost time.

We had two more nights after tonight until she was at her fullest and the call of mating season would begin in earnest. As much as I hated Nuva Pack, there I'd know what to expect. I'd be getting ready–like I was now–in preparation for the run and heat that followed over the next week.

I hated how lost I felt sitting here waiting.

He'll come.

You don't know that for sure.

The little red light from the trail camera above blinked, mocking me. Infrared vision most likely. They could see in the dark almost as good as wolves. I turned, giving my back to the camera.

The humans were playing a dangerous game and I was really tired of being their pawn. Screw the contracts and the money. This wasn't worth it anymore. As long as my papa was safe, I didn't owe the show anything.

I could leave. Hike down the mountain. Find a road and a phone and get some help.

We need to wait for him.

Do I want to?

I touched the smooth and unmarked skin of my neck, feeling the throbbing ache in my chest intensify. Every part of me was bone tired and weary. I was sick of deciding.

It was bedtime anyway.

Tomorrow, I'd figure it out.