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Tendrils of mist curled lazily between
the trees towering overhead, undisturbed as was the quiet morning air. A shadow
passed through the underbrush; a well-muscled harbinger of destruction moved
swiftly on four padded feet, his hackles rising as he caught another faint
whiff of his prey’s scent. Hunger gnawed at him, ripping at his insides as he
forced his feet to tread lightly. He dropped into a slow stalk, every inch of
his body taut as a spring as he closed the distance between himself and his next
meal. Disappointment washed over him as he peered through the last bit of
foliage and realized exactly what it was that he’d been tracking so diligently.
Piercing yellow eyes studied him with an
intense stare as he brought himself up short, abruptly dropping back on his
haunches as a small whine escaped his throat. His prey was, indeed, a rabbit as
he’d thought…but it wasn’t just a rabbit. Unfortunately, the keen human
intelligence in that gaze identified this particular fuzzy treat as a Were: a
shifter, a hybrid between the animal realm and the human world. Although the
massive creature would feed him for a long time, he knew without hesitation
that attacking it would mean the end of his own life. As hungry as he was, that
wasn’t a price he was willing to pay.
Rhochlan watched the wolf’s motions
carefully. He wasn’t worried for his personal safety, but he was concerned
about the beast’s state of mind. He could sense the aura of desperation
radiating from his stalker. Despite being heavily muscled, the wolf appeared
malnourished and the way it was licking its muzzle while watching him indicated
that hunger may force it into action. He was relieved to see the decision to
stand down finally reflect in the animal’s eyes; he wouldn’t have to euthanize
it to protect the other members of his colony.
Struck by inspiration, he hopped slowly
toward the wolf where it was reclining with its chin on its paws. The large
animal raised its head as he approached and watched him with a wary alertness,
body tense and ready to flee. Rhochlan dipped his nose to the ground, nodding
his head at the wolf as he turned and hopped away. He paused and inclined his
head again, hoping the canine would get the message. He waited patiently as the
animal finally realized he wanted to be followed, and slowly padded over behind
him. The Were lead the wolf deeper into the woods, pausing every so often to
make sure he was still trailing behind.
Finally making it to the copse of laurel
he was looking for, he hopped to the side of the entrance and motioned for the
wolf to precede him. If he could have smiled while in his animal form, he would
have done so at the incredulous look he received from the other animal. While
on his rounds in the early dawn, he’d run across the freshly killed carcass of
a small deer that had most likely run afoul of another wolf. The dew had been
heavy, making identification of the hunter difficult at best.
He’d been contemplating ideas on corpse
disposal to keep the younger members from running across it. He figured that
delivering it as a meal to another hunter, one who was capable of showing
common sense and intelligence even in the midst of its hunger, would be a prime
solution to his dilemma. The wolf bowed its head to him in silent gratitude as
it walked toward the corpse, settling in for the best meal it had eaten in
weeks. Satisfied that the mess would be taken care of, Rhochlan turned his back
on the grisly scene and hopped back through the forest to pick up his rounds
where he’d left off.
After an uneventful hour, the large Were
slowed as he crept toward the most dangerous area of his route. One edge of the
colony’s territory fringed a local state park, and it was the one area where
accidental contact with humans typically occurred. While contact with humans
wasn’t forbidden (after all, the Weres led human lives as well outside of the
warren), such contact generally led to dire consequences so close to home. As
Alpha Buck of his colony, it was his responsibility to be both judge and jury
when such infringements came to light.
Rhochlan froze. A strange scent floated
across the breeze, and his entire body went perfectly still except for his
whiskers. Suddenly thankful for the light cloud cover that kept the sun from
gleaming off of his bright white-tipped fur, he crouched low to the ground as
he tried to decipher what had alarmed him. He could hear the voices of a group
of children in the far distance, but he knew that wasn’t what had triggered his
fight or flight response. No, there was something disturbing his sense of
natural balance…and that something was very close.
When a visual search didn’t alleviate his
tension, he closed his eyes and concentrated on his other senses. The scent was
familiar, yet not; almost as if it was similar to something he’d smelled
before, but just different enough to make it unique. His long, tapered ears
moved independently of each other as they twisted and turned, listening for the
slightest nuance of sound. His sharp hearing picked up a muffled whimper off to
his side, and he held his breath as he opened his eyes to trace the sound to
its source.
After gathering as much information as he
could without moving, he slowly eased his rigid posture and crept towards the
sound. He paused after every step, his ears constantly swiveling to vector in
on the sound’s location. After several such steps, a bright flash of color
caught his eye, and he instinctively dropped back to the ground. Soft sounds of
misery made his ears perk; as his eyes adjusted to the darkened area he’d crept
into, he realized he was looking at the bowed head and hunched shoulders of a
small child.
Quickly scanning the rest of the area, he
was certain that they were alone. He crept closer, taking care to remain silent
as he approached. He could sense the fear rolling off of the little one in
waves, his small frame shaking with barely repressed sobs. One hand appeared to
be clutching a plastic bag filled with plastic Easter eggs, while the other
showed evidence of melted chocolate. Rhochlan paused to observe the child,
taking in his disheveled appearance.
The boy was covered in mud, evidence of
his tears visible in the small clean stripes cutting through the dirt on his
face. The bottom of his red shirt was ripped, and there were scratches all over
his tiny arms that were probably made from branches as he ran through the
woods. His hair was longer than normal, brushing the collar of his shirt and
feathered back from his face. Rhochlan’s eyes narrowed as he noticed that his
hair was dark at the roots, graduating out to light blonde at the tips…very
unusual coloring for a human.
He took one step further, his whiskers
twitching as he tried to catch the child’s scent again. As fate would have it,
his paw fell on a brittle twig and the resulting sharp crack caused the child
to cry out in alarm as he darted a few steps away. As the child hesitated and
looked back over his shoulder, his eyes fell on the large rabbit for the first
time. He turned slowly, a tentative look of wonder creeping across his delicate
features. Rhochlan was amazed at how quickly the boy moved, and as his scent
washed over him, his amazement continued to grow.
The child—lost, alone, and staring down a
“wild animal” that outweighed him by at least three hundred pounds—was a Were.
“Are you the Easter Bunny?” The child’s
tremulous voice was so quiet, he had to strain to hear it. “I snuck some
chocolate away from the party while Nyrra wasn’t looking…and I got lost. Can
you help me find my way back? She’ll be so worried.” Light blue eyes watched
him expectantly as the little one began to inch toward him. Rhochlan stared at
him pensively for a moment, wondering at what twist of fate had crossed their
paths. His thoughts were brought up short as he remembered the starving wolf
he’d run across earlier; he shuddered at what may have happened had it been the
canine, and not himself, who’d stumbled upon the youth.
He moved slowly, taking a few short hops
toward the boy while watching his eyes carefully for indications he was about
to bolt. He stared intently into the child’s eyes, and chuckled softly to
himself. All of the fear scent was gone. Only a child, he mused, could be alone
in the woods and feel safer with a
five foot long rabbit. Only a child would see his appearance on Easter weekend
as a natural occurrence, and trust him. He decided, in that instant, that he
would return that trust and deliver the child safely back to his home.
“Riocha?”
He sent a mental message to his sister, the
acting Alpha Doe of his colony. He would need to inform her of his plan to
leave the surrounding territory, knowing she’d be tearing the countryside apart
looking for him if he didn’t.
“Rhochlan!
I was worried when you didn’t check in…everything alright?”
His sister’s instant reply had him rolling
his eyes. It didn’t matter that he’d been Alpha for many years, he supposed, he
would always be just her little brother as far as she was concerned. He loved
his sister with all his heart, and couldn’t imagine her any differently.
“Everything
is fine. I took care of the mess I contacted you about earlier; found an
honorable wolf that needed a good meal. I’ve found another issue that needs my
attention, and have to leave the territory for a couple of hours. Have the
triplets come to the south border, near the park, and take over the border
patrol while I’m away.”
He paused, wondering for a second if he
should tell her about the boy. He could feel her curiosity through their bond,
and decided to indulge her.
“I
found a child while I was on my rounds; it looks like he ran away from an
Easter party in the park. He thinks I’m the Easter Bunny, and asked me to take
him home. I have a need to see that he makes it there safely. Rio…he’s a
kitten, and I don’t think he has any idea of it. I need to know his story, and
why a Were-rabbit child has been abandoned in the woods.”
He felt her sharply drawn breath, and her
gentle acceptance of his refusal to leave a baby rabbit, a kit, in the woods
unsupervised. He felt a shaft of love beaming down his Alpha bond, and was
reassured when he felt his sister support his decision. Turning back to the
expectant gaze boring into him, he finished closing the distance between
himself and the child.
Extending his head, he brought his nose up
and touched the boy’s nose in a customary rabbit greeting. The child giggled
and ducked his head as Rhochlan’s whiskers tickled against his face and neck.
The large Were snuffed at him, blowing air straight at his face and sending his
feathered hair straight up to the sky. Satisfied that the little one was
feeling safer, he stilled his movements and sent a thought into the kit’s mind.
“What
is your name, little one?”
The boy started in surprise at hearing the
voice in his head, before looking at the giant rabbit in wonder once more. He
put a trembling hand on the side of Rhochlan’s neck, stroking the soft fur as
it covered his fingertips. A shy smile spread across his lips as he mentally
whispered a response for the very first time.
“My
name is Rye.”
Rhochlan tilted his head to the side as he
wracked his memory for any potential kidnappings in the surrounding colonies.
He looked at the boy intently as he tried to match his coloring to any of the Weres
he knew. His scent was familiar, so familiar in fact that it was making his
protective instincts go haywire, but the reasoning for it eluded him for the moment.
Pointing his ears straight ahead, he began to hop toward the park.
“Come
along, child. Let’s see if we can find our way back to your party.”
As he hopped slowly in the direction of the
voices he’d heard earlier, he found the child to be a very good travel
companion. They lapsed into an easy camaraderie during which he gently
questioned Rye on his upbringing. He was certain that the little one wouldn’t
have been so forthcoming to a stranger if that stranger had been a human.
He learned that the boy was an orphan;
though Rye said that he didn’t remember much about how his parents died,
Rhochlan caught glimpses of images in his thoughts that belied the fact. The
raw pain and misery he felt emanating from the small body beside him caused his
own throat to constrict, and he worked to steer the conversation to happier
thoughts. He asked him about the woman, Nyrra, that the child had mentioned
earlier.
Rye’s face transformed with the radiant
smile that crossed his small features. It was obvious that he cared for the
woman a great deal, although she was just a social worker that had been
assigned to him two years ago. Relieved to leave the other subject behind, he
launched into describing the “angel” that he thought had been sent to protect
him.
As Rhochlan listened, he was amazed at the
love pouring from the child at his side. Obviously, this Nyrra person was very
special; she’d taken a personal interest in the children that she worked with,
trying to help ease them through a hard transition in their lives. It was
unusual to find social workers that looked at children as anything other than
numbers on a roster, and it appeared she was determined to help these children
find some sort of normalcy in their lives. It took strength and resiliency to
fight the degradation of the system, and he found himself respecting her
without having met her.
Although the short legs of his companion
made their trip a little time consuming, they only had to cover a short
distance. Without realizing it, they’d made it to the edge of the park and
could see Rye’s party group through the light brush at the forest’s edge.
Rhochlan came to a stop, and looked pointedly at the child.
“Wait
here, little one. I’ll send someone to take you the rest of the way; someone
that will be able to explain your disappearance so you won’t get into too much
trouble.”
Rye’s disappointment washed over him as he
soothed the child’s objections. While he understood that seeing a huge rabbit
would be a wonder for the other children, he had to ensure the safety of his
colony first.
“You’ll
know who I’ve sent when he appears. His eyes and his hair will remind you of
me. Listen and do as he says, and he’ll get you delivered safely.” Seeking to erase the tears he saw forming in
the child’s eyes, he butted his nose against the small chin and tickled the
tiny face with his whiskers. Satisfied with the sheepish grin peeking from behind
the sad gaze, he turned and began to hop away. “Don’t despair, Rye. We’ll meet each other again; we have more things
to speak of, you and I.”
Rhochlan moved swiftly away from the boy,
pausing only long enough to make sure he’d stay where he was told. He hurried
through the underbrush around the edge of the park until he reached a secret
stashing point known only to himself and the other members of the border
patrol. He shifted to his human form, activating the hidden door to access the
supplies hidden within. Grabbing a pair of khaki cargo pants, a tee-shirt,
socks and boots, he dressed himself quickly.
Moving with much less noise in his human
form, he returned to the spot where he’d left the child. Seeing Rye’s shoulders
hunched in defeat almost made him regret his decision, but he was an Alpha
first. He couldn’t chance exposure of the Were community until the kit was old
enough to need the information he was willing to provide. Squaring his
shoulders, he cleared his throat softly, trying not to scare the boy anymore
than he had already been that afternoon.
Despite his effort to be less frightening,
the boy cowered as he noticed the giant of a man that had entered the clearing
behind him. Crouching down to make himself seem as small as possible, Rhochlan
waited patiently as he gave the child time to inspect him. He knew that at 6’4”
his height was intimidating to most adults, and doubtless more so for the small
being located in front of him. Making sure to keep his voice low, he spoke to the
lad in a soothing tone.
“Hey there, Rye. I believe you’re expecting
me.”
The boy stood and inched toward him, his
hesitation evident as he paused every few steps. He squinted his eyes, focusing
hard as he tried to compare the man in front of him to the rabbit he’d followed
through the woods. He stared deeply into the yellow eyes watching his progress,
feeling a sense of relief wash over him as he reached up to touch the man’s
unusual hair. Longer in the front as it swept over his shoulders, it was black
at the roots, lightening to silver and then an astonishing white at the very
tips. It was the exact same color as the rabbit’s fur.
“Did the Easter Bunny send you, sir?”
Rhochlan’s heart ached at the hope and trust
in the small boy’s tremulous voice. He closed his eyes for a moment before
opening them once more and smiling with reassurance down at Rye’s questioning
face. He sent a silent prayer of thanks to whatever forces had decided to place
him in the child’s path, instead of one of the thousands of monsters that would
have preyed upon his innocence. Holding out his hand, he stood slowly as he
continued smiling.
“I’m not sure whether or not he’s the bunny
you have in mind, but a large fuzzy friend of mine said you needed some help. I
was happy that I could lend a hand. What do you say? Let’s get you back to your
party, I’m sure you have friends that are worried about you.”
Keeping his stride short so that he wouldn’t
outpace the boy by his side, Rhochlan picked his way carefully through the
light underbrush. Heading toward the other children, he cast his eyes around
the playground looking for the closest adult. Finding a portly looking young
woman he assumed was Nyrra, he called out to keep from startling her. The last
thing he wanted was for someone to think he’d kidnapped the child and taken off
into the woods with him.
“Excuse me, miss?”
Glancing up from the drinks she was pouring,
the young intern’s eyes automatically fell first on the child standing near the
table. Quickly setting the bottle of fruit juice on its surface, she exclaimed
in joy as she recognized his face. Rushing around the table, she scooped him up
with her arms in a gentle embrace as she set him on a nearby bench. As she
carefully scanned him for injuries, she withdrew a hand-held radio from the big
pocket on her scrub top.
“Nyrra, can you hear me?”
Rhochlan had been looking around, surveying
the surroundings and watching the children play. He was surprised to realize
that the woman before him wasn’t the one that Rye had been talking about. He
supposed that could be responsible for the little boy’s rapidly increasing
pulse and breathing. Was he upset that she wasn’t there waiting on him? When he
heard the voice that came back over the radio, his attention focused on the
sound.
“I’m here Isabelle, has anyone else checked
in with news?”
The voice was so pure and distinct that he
could hear it echoing in his mind. The melody of her voice sang along his
nerves like the sweetest song of Spring, waking up his heart and causing it to
beat a hard cadence in his chest. He shook his head as if to rid himself of the
thoughts that suddenly sprang to life in his mind.
TO BE CONTINUED...You'll have to read the rest on Literotica when it posts! Can't submit it until I decide on a title though, so put those thinking caps on, my lovelies!
Can't wait to read the rest of it. What a great teaser.
ReplyDeleteFew title ideas...
'Rhochlan's Easter gift'
'lost and found'
'Hidden Easter'
'Easter Reuniting'
'Rye for Easter'
'A Were for Easter'