White Wolf’s Curse

I head to the tree line again. I know that Dad is going to be too worn out to do anything and Uncle Jared is spent too. Neither one is going to follow me tonight. When I reach the treeline I step to the point where I am blocked from view. I don’t know what I am hoping for, but I have this feeling. I sit on the ground facing the ranch with my back against the tree. I kind of feel like an idiot here like this. I am pretty sure he isn’t coming here, I mean it is right on the edge of our property.

I close my eyes and just listen to everything around me. I can hear some critters scurrying around. There is an owl a little ways off, sounds like he is waking up for the night. There are some branches that break off to my right. I don’t know if it is him or if it is someone I need to be afraid of. I look over, and smile when I see the gray wolf standing there. “How did you know to come back?” I laugh at myself. “Sorry, habit. I don’t really expect you to answer.”

He comes over to me and sniffs my cheek. It tickles a little. I let out a chuckle and moved my face to the side. “That tickles.”

He sits back with his tongue hanging out. Then he walks behind me. “Wait, don’t go.” He looks back at me and nods.

I’m not sure why, but I think I understand him. I turn away from him and listen to the sounds behind me. I can hear the bones cracking. It’s the same sound when my uncle and dad changed. Is that what he is doing? I don’t turn too scared to know the answer to that question. I hear someone let out a sigh. “Just don’t turn around ok.” His voice sounds so nice. Slightly gruff, but soothing too.

“Why?” I’m curious.

I hear him sit on the other side of the tree. “Well, for one, I am naked.”

I laugh. “Oh, yeah, right. I forgot that part.”

“Secondly, I don’t want you to see my human form yet. As you can imagine, your family doesn’t exactly like mine.”

“Yeah, but why?” I lean my head back on the tree. I’ll respect his wishes and not look.

“It’s a long story. My family doesn’t like yours much either. Why don’t you know this?” He sounds confused.

“I just found out tonight that this even exists. I don’t really know anything about anything. My dad didn’t want me to even know that this could happen. He thought that I wouldn’t be affected because my mom is human. Uncle Jared says that that doesn’t happen. Thankfully they told me before my birthday, if not I would have been really shocked, probably would have freaked out.”

He chuckles a little. “That’s why you weren’t scared of me. I figured when I saw that wolf come at me that it would be all over. That you would hate me, but you didn’t. You defended me. That just doesn’t happen.”

“Well, you could have killed me, but you didn’t. So I believed you when you said that you wouldn’t hurt me.”

“Yeah, I guess I could have. I didn’t even think about it at the time.”

“Why did you lick my face?” I blush remembering it.

“I wanted to surprise you.” He chuckles again. I like that sound.

“You certainly did that.” I laugh with him. “You didn’t answer my question, why do our families hate each other?”

“About two hundred years ago, there were two men. One from each family. One from mine and one from yours. They were both in love with the same woman. They wound up fighting over her. In the end the woman died. Both men claimed that the other was at fault. They continued to fight even after she died. I think it was stupid. She was dead, it’s time to move on. I don’t even know what happened to the two dudes. Like was she really either of their mates. I have asked these questions and never gotten an answer. I don’t even know how the woman died.”

“Wow, sounds like a bunch of crap. For one that was so long ago, none of the people involved are even alive. Why still hold a grudge? I don’t feel any hate for you, just so you know.”

He chuckles. “I don’t hate you either. I think we are different. You saw how your dad and uncle reacted to me. It’s like they expected me to kill you on the spot. I don’t get it.”

I sigh. “I don’t get it either. I don’t know much about all of this, but I don’t think I could ever hate someone for something that someone else did. It just wouldn’t make sense.”

“I agree.” We are both quiet for a minute. “You should probably get back, it’s getting late. They will come looking for you. You don’t have the defenses that we do.”

“Yeah, I guess I don’t.” I stand so I can walk back to the house. “Hey, what do I call you?”

He is quiet for a minute. I think he is deciding if he should answer. I am pretty sure that he didn’t leave. “Gray. You can call me gray. And I will call you Brown.”

I smile. “So, I’ll have a brown wolf, is that what you’re saying?”

“Your whole family does. It would only be natural that you would too.”

“Alright Gray. Will you meet me again?”

“When would you like to meet me?”

“Can you come tomorrow night? A little before sun down. Like tonight.”

“As you wish, Brown.” Clearly a joke.

“Funny.” I chuckle. “See you tomorrow Gray.”

“Wait. I changed my mind.”

I turn and look at the tree. “About what?”

“I am going to call you Green.”

“Why?”© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“Because that is the color of your eyes. I like it better.”

I laugh. “As you wish, Gray.”

“See you tomorrow Green.” It comes out soft and I like it. I am usually a strong willed person, but Gray makes me a little soft. Maybe that will be my downfall.