Page 3

I made it just in time today, the sun has just begun to crest over the mountains, lighting the valley in a warm, amber glow. Flowers begin to open as the rays of light wash over them. My spot along the creek is empty as usual with the only sign of life being my body’s indent into the grass. You can easily see where I lay each day to watch the world come alive.

I stop abruptly in my tracks. Wait? Is thata wolf printnext to my spot?

He never comes over to me when I’m here, so that can only mean that he has already been here. My head whips from side to side trying to place where he could be. He has to be here somewhere. This track is way too fresh to have been yesterday’s.

My enhanced hearing offers nothing more than the wind rustling leaves, some birds ruffling feathers in the trees behind me, and the gentle rolling of the water over the river rocks. Lifting my nose to the air, I check to see if there are any new smells, maybe a different wolf, but nothing seems out of the norm. He must have come by earlier today and I missed him. Damn, I was hoping to grab some shots of him in the fog. It would have been fire. With no wolf in sight, I shrug my shoulders as I move down to my usual spot.

After several minutes of adjusting myself and taking a few test shots, I settle in for my hour of peace, with nothing but me and my camera. Glancing through the viewfinder, I catch the dope reflection of the sun's rays peeking over the mountain as I snap the photo. The whirl and hum of the camera as it spits out thepolaroid seems to scream across the peaceful field. Shuttering and hoping I didn’t scare off any wild life, I grab the photo from the front of the camera to shake it out.

Something slithers along my elbow as I’m shaking out the photo.What the fuck was that?I jerk my elbow back hoping it’s not a spider. If it’s a spider, I’m out. “Oh shit, it’s a worm. How cool,” I whisper as I scoot back to snap a photo of it while my heart rate chills out. This damn camera is going to scare away any possible wildlife. Next time I need to bring my film camera. Why didn’t I think of that today!

It’s going to be dope if my parents go through with their promise to get me a DSLR camera for my birthday. It’ll def help me become a wildlife photographer if my camera isn’t practically screaming at the animal that I snapped a photo. Placing the image down with the first, I pull up my camera again.

I’m mid-snap of my fourth photo when I hear him coming. Took him long enough today, I almost thought he wouldn’t show up. He looks like he is covered in glitter as the light gray parts of his coat reflect the light. I let out a little snort as I duck my head. His eyebrow quirks as his ear flicks back and forth.

“Hey Shadow. I was starting to think you weren’t going to show up today being all late and shit.” My third visit was when I realized he didn’t mind if I talked to him, sometimes I felt as though he was far more than a normal wolf and most likely a wolf from my wolf pack. Not that I’ve been around a lot of normal wolves, but I can’t imagine they would sit here listening to a teenage girl ramble on about their life. Which has led me to trying to catch others in their shifted forms to see if I could figure it out, but much to my dismay, I can’t.

He snorts as he shakes his head, as if he is already tired of my sassy behavior. He walks over to his usual spot directly across from me. Sitting down on his haunches, he gives me this bored expression.

“I’ve been sittin here thirty minutes this morning.” My eyes squint. “Did you get lost or sumtin? Does my little wolfie need me to put markers out for you?”

I can almost see the indignation crossing his wolf features. His head tilts to the side as his eyebrow raises in question.

“Yeah, yeah. Alright, today is supposed to be a bit foggy, as you can see.” He humphs like I’m an idiot. “Do you think you can walk towards me with the sun behind you?”

He doesn’t move, continuing to stare at me with the same expression.

“What? I’m going for a dark and mysterious wolf coming towards me.”

He snorts again as he shakes his head before standing to walk off in the direction I pointed. Another reason I’m pretty sure this is a shifter, but maybe he isn’t from our pack? I know there are other packs around here, but surely he isn’t an enemy. I don’t think.

He walks for a few short minutes before turning around and giving me the look like,is this far enough?

“Perfect,” I shout with my hands cupped around my mouth.

His head drops down almost like he can’t believe he is doing this before he starts walking towards me. Quickly grabbing my camera, I snap the photos as quickly as the polaroid will let me. I pull the photos rapidly from the camera before dropping them in the pile below me. I don’t have time to wait between shots, I can only hope these turn out like I hope.

I drop the camera down allowing the strap to hold it as I pick up the five photos I was able to capture before he made it over to me. He never crosses the creek, as if it’s guarding him from me.

“Oh! This one is perfect,” I squeal before flipping it around to show him.

His head quirks to the side as he examines it. I’m not even sure if he is looking at it, but it looks like he is, even from across thedistance. Shit, he shows more interest in my photos than any of my friends do. At least, it feels like he does.

My alarm chimes.Fuck! I gotta go!If I’m not in my room before my mom’s feet hit the ground, surely she’ll know I’ve snuck out. I don’t even want to think what dad will say if he finds out I not only snuck out, but that I wasn’t even on pack lands. I’ve got fifty minutes to make it back to the house before my parents leave for the Sunday morning pack breakfast that our Luna, Nova, has started as a new weekly tradition.

“Shit, I gotta go, Shadow. Thanks again for letting me take pictures of you today! See you next time,” I say as I scramble to my feet, dusting off my leggings.

He continues to sit there even as I walk away and just before I walk into the shadows of the tree line, I see him nod his head once before leaving himself. Almost like he watched to make sure I made it safely.Weird.

After rushing back home, I stopped by to put my shoes on because gosh forbid a lady walks into town without shoes. I’m pretty sure my dad would actually blow a gasket. Thank the goddess he doesn’t know that every single morning I walk to the woods barefoot.It’s called grounding DAD. Look it up, Boomer.

My window is still open, exactly how I left it earlier, when I come around the back of the house. Thankfully, my mom should be in the kitchen at the front of the house by now, having her morning coffee. The woman lives on coffee.

The branches crack underneath my feet as I push up into my window. Hoping that nobody heard it, I slip in. A quick glance in my full length mirror shows just a few twigs and leaves clinging to my leggings. Nothing a little brushing off won’t fix. My braid is still perfectly intact, thank the hairspray gods for that.

I can hear my parents mingling in the kitchen down the hallway. Without another glance back, I make my way to them. We should be leaving for breakfast soon.

Fifteen minutes later, barely making it to the Pack House on time, my parents leave me to mingle with the other geriatric members of the pack.