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Chapter 9

Elena

I made it. By the fur of my neck, I made it through the gate, grabbed the pup and run like crazy toward the human scent I noticed. I have no idea where it will lead me but I have no other choice but to follow it. Thankfully I’m not sensing any Alphas near here, but that will be another problem I might face when I make it to the city.

As I run I realize that the school is the only building for miles around. How I managed to pick up that scent is impression because it takes me a while to finally notice the scent getting stronger. There is also another smell that draws me forward…the smell of food. I had been so nervous about tonight that I didn’t eat more than a few bites at breakfast. It’s not smart for me to go near the human in this form, but if I turn back into a human then it might be more difficult to lay low. I’m small enough that I probably look more like a pet than a wolf. Let’s hope that will be an advantage now and that the humans I’m searching for like animals and will take pity on me.

As if the universe is trying to make me look even more pitiful, rain starts to fall. I run even faster feeling my energy fading but I don’t stop. Soon I see a house in the distance and head in that direction. The rain is making it hard for me to scent the air, but I’m sure this is where the smells were coming from. There are some lights on inside, but there is a fence around the house. I stop in front of it and tuck the pup under me and sit.

He moves further under me and buries himself against the fur of my lower stomach. I lick the top of his head to try and comfort him but we’re not in an ideal situation here. There's no way for me to get closer to the house, and I’m too tired to run anymore. I look around hoping to find a tree or bush to hide under so I can rest for a little while. There are a few large trees scattered around but there isn’t much for me to hide under which will leave me too exposed.

There has to be a break in this fence somewhere…

My head snaps in the direction of the road, and I see a pair of headlights heading our way. For a second I wonder if they are heading to the school, but the car is moving slowly like it’s in no hurry to reach its destination. I take a chance that whoever it is isn’t a threat and wait for the car to get closer. There is a slight wave of a scent and I can tell it’s a human. The car slows down and turns into the driveway leading to the house and stops in front of me. When the door opens I glance up at the person and hesitate. It’s a man…a big man.

“Well hello there. How did you get out here beautiful?” His voice is kind despite his size which makes me relax.

The pup peaks his head out and the man gasps.

“You have a baby with you? Well I can’t leave you two out in the rain can I?” He opens the door wider not caring one bit about getting wet. “Come on. Let’s get you inside.”

I grab the pup and jump into the car risking everything in hopes that I can trust this human. Do I have any other choice? The man jogs over to the opening of the gate and unlocks it throwing them wide before jogging back to the truck and climbing in. He drives further inside and stops again to close the gate. Once that is done he drives further in to park in front of the house. He opens the door again and motions for me to climb out. I do with the pup firmly in my mouth again. He slams the door behind me making me flinch.

“Easy girl, it’s alright. Come inside.” He walks toward the door but I hesitate for a second before following him.

If I go inside how will I know if they will let me leave again? Also, will I be able to hold onto this form for much longer? I had shifted by accident. Hopefully, the trouble I've been having with my shift will come in handy.

As soon as I step into the house a wave of warmth and something that smells delicious hits me. The sound of the door closing behind me scared me and I back away from the man with a whine. I’m skittish after all that running and being around people I can’t trust has me on edge.

“Oh dear, you’re a scared little thing. Gloria! Come in here will ya?” The man yells.

“I hope you got those carrots or dinner is going to be a microwave meal.” A woman calls out from another room.

“Just get your butt out here will you!” The man says before crouching down and holding a hand out to me.

I suppose a dog would step forward and sniff it or something, but I’m not a dog. A wolf’s instincts are far different, so I back away again holding onto the pup just a bit more. I can’t let them take him from me…I must protect him.

“Oh my…who is this?” The woman says with a gasp and my head snaps her way. “Oh, how sweet. You for dears…soaked to the bone. Come sit by the fire.” She points to a room behind me where there is a set of flowery couches and a large fire in the fireplace.

I don’t move…I can’t give them my back.

“She’s terrified. It’s alright sweetie we won’t hurt you or your baby.” The woman coos at me.

My panic starts to settle just a little. They don’t seem dangerous…

She smiles at me sweetly making me finally relent and slowly move toward the fire. As soon as I’m close to it I set the pup down and nudge him closer to the fire. He makes a small excited sound and the humans laugh.

“So sweet. Are you hungry girl?” The woman asks me.

I bark in reply making her laugh.

“You’re just in time. I’ll grab you something. Where are those carrots, Berny?” She asks the man with her hands on her hips.

“In the truck, sheesh woman don’t get your knickers in a twist.” He says before grabbing an umbrella that sits by the door and heads back out.

The pup nudges me and I glance down at him. His big eyes blink up at me and I let out a huff dropping down on the floor so he can cuddle up against me. I’ve never been around pups before, but my wolf side seems to recognize his cues so I roll with it. He nuzzles his nose against my belly before settling against it and sighing. I reach over and lick the top of his head. He huffs out a small breath and I watch him a little closer.

He’s small, but I’m not sure how his size would translate in his other form. Is he a baby or a toddler? Wolf pups tend to grow quickly in the womb and their size varies just like adult wolves do, so until he shifts I won’t know. Does he know how to shift?

The women in that room hadn’t been in wolf form, so he had to be born in his human form. The only way he would be born in wolf form is if the mother had been in the same form. So when did he shift into this and how did he know how to? From what I've studied about our anatomy and development, which was a lot, he is too young. However, wolves born into a strong pack can shift at a younger age.

One thing for sure is he hasn’t presented yet. That won’t happen until he is around eight years old. Either way, he will either become an Alpha or a Beta. There has never been a male Omega before.

“Here we go.” The woman says when she returns.

My head perks up at the smell of food. When she sets down a plate covered in meat I nearly salivate. The pup gets to his feet so fast that he nearly falls over and quickly makes his way over to the food. He and I dig into the pile of meat offered to us making the woman chuckle.

“There we go. It looks like you like it.”

The pup lets out a small bark in reply and I huff out a version of thanks. Once she’s gone the pup has eaten enough and wobbles back to lay against me while I finish off the food. It’s amazing! With our bellies full I start to feel the fatigue settle in and the worry.

What do I do now?

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