. the run

My mom found me minutes before the Run was about to take place. There was no words exchanged- she merely drew me into a wide hug and pressed her nose into my hair, just like she used to when I was a little girl. I returned the hug just as fiercely, and the other wolves gave us berth sensing a bittersweet moment in the air.

"I tried to stop him," she murmured into my ear, and I could almost sense the tears before it came.

I knew she was seeking reassurance- that there was life beyond this- but I couldn't bring myself to comfort her and with one last squeeze stepped back. I wanted her to memorize this moment. This startling moment of clarity in-between the full moon and the scented pheromones in the air mashed together.

Because it was the last time she was going to see me.

William was quick to find me, as I lined up with the other girls by the glen at the base of the chestnut tree- a focal point for most mythical creatures. His knees were knocking together and he kept having to push his heavily rimmed glasses as they threatened to fall down his nose. "You know I'll fight for you Kym," he said seriously. "With my last dying breath, if I have too."

I wasn't disillusioned enough to believe he was doing this because he loved me. Loved me like a best friend sure, but the idea of getting horizontal with me must have it's disadvantages. Especially since Will couldn't even see a girl in a bathing suit without turning thirteen different shades of puce and hiding in the nearest Beano.

"It's okay Will," I soothed, placing a hand on top of his. "It's okay," I felt his hand twitch, and I knew he was trying as hard as he could to not withdraw from my grasp. I knew him too well to be offended, and appreciated that he was bypassing all ethics of his "No-Touching" code just to afford me this moment. He loved me too much, but it was a pity it wasn't in the way I wanted.

"Right, ladies!" a voice called out over the megaphone. I recognised it to be my cousin, Patrick. "Get yourselves ready whilst your male suitors limber up! Men- you know the rules- if your balls aren't buried deep into the vulva then it's a no-go for the mating. Happy hunting!"

You may have thought that sounded really crude, but I'd grown up with this stuff since I was a pup. Will had too, but that didn't stop him from whining in distress and abruptly whipping his hand from between my own. "I have to go," he muttered before falling into step with the last man I wanted to see.

Uncle Gabriel, better known as Fitzpatrick's dad, spotted me over the crowd and leered unpleasantly. His earlier promise of being the first to enter me hung in the air between us, and I turned my back in dismissal. I never did like Uncle Gabe. He was my dad's younger brother by ten years but still managed to knock up Patrick's mom before my dad even considered taking a mate.

This was some eighteen years ago, and not even six had passed before he was pulling up a five-year-old version of me on his knee, and telling me when my time came for a mate, he would be there fighting all the other men off. All the other grown-ups compliantly laughed, thinking how poor, handsome Gabe was coping so well after his mate had died during childbirth to raise Patrick all by his lonesome. Mom had been alarmed- pulling me right of Gabe's knee and clutching me tight to her chest.

Then she promptly started sending me to kick-boxing lessons with Patrick, for my sixth birthday present. I think all my life, she had been preparing for this day- the day all those laughing grown-ups were silenced when they found out Gabe, now a bit older and a little less handsomer, put his name down for The Run. Dad couldn't do anything about it- he spent most of my childhood and teenage years patrolling the vast borders of the territory in-case of an out-of-the-blue attack.

Don't ask me by who. I'm just as clueless as you are!

Some of the girls were excited as they picked out their sweethearts, anticipating that their one true love would catch them and mate them. The other girls were resigned to being caught by a complete stranger, because other packs came to compete in The Run too, and hoped that they just weren't too ugly nor too old. The vanity astounded me sometimes but I guess it would be awkward if your mate was a pug-faced man old enough to be your father.

Uncle Gabe just chose that opportune moment to send a wink, and I visibly shuddered.

"Okay, girlies," Patrick swung the megaphone our way, "At the sound of the air horn, that's your cue to grow your pelts and run like you've never run before! Sure you can manage that?"

A chorus of yes's met Patrick as he did a really stupid thing, and placed the megaphone against his ear as if it would amplify what we were yelling, or in some cases shrieking. "What was that?" he hollered into the megaphone again, and I rolled my eyes itching for the whole thing to be over-literally.

As the clouds parted for the first time that night (with a full moon no less), a low buzz of whimpering filled the air as the females doubled over, feeling the Heat envelop them for what could continue for the next few days. Already some of the unmated males were surging forward, a low growl beginning to rumble in their chests as our scent hit them full force. One actually collapsed to the floor, eyes rolling into the back of his head, and with a pang I realised it was William- unable to cope with the high levels of oestrogen for what was really his first Run.

I'm so sorry William. You really won't be doing this if it weren't for me.

The air-horn sounded, and my wolf tore my clothes apart as I set out sprinting into the woodland that surrounded the glen. I felt my pack sisters change with me- some ahead and some behind- but my wolf was only interested in The Run that lay before her. She relished the idea of running miles and miles through the forest, weeding out the competition until the one worthy enough to claim her came forward, fresh from his battle-wounds with the other males, and rutted her till the moon sank to it's earthy grave and her eyes rolled deep into her head at the orgasm of it all.

It was an ancient ritual programmed in our pack- but over the generations coinciding with female rights coming into play, it became more and more expected for the female not to do The Run after her first menstrual bleed, but when she was 16 or 17, and more physically capable of bearing healthy pups. I was one of the lucky ones, holding out until I was 18 before the time approached when I knew the time for mating had come. Months ago, my wolf had started acting more vivacious and flirty around the other wolves. When my Heat came I would drag my hindquarters around the males, leaving behind my fertile juices and driving them wild.

Of course the human me denied all parts of her wolf, and would lock herself up for days after the full moon due to embarrassment.

But that still didn't stop mom finding me one day after school, and letting me gently know I was ready for The Run. Aghast didn't even begin to cover what I felt. I began unconsciously spying on mated couples during dinner, and wrinkled my nose whenever one licked the sauce off the other's lip, or forgot the sauce and just settled for sticking their tongue down the other's throat, like an all-suctioning vacuum cleaner.

To think I would be doing that one day, repulsed me heavily.

And then Uncle Gabe "accidentally" brushing his leg against mine under the table made me loose my appetite altogether.

The wolf inside me panted as I raced through the undergrowth, just enjoying the breeze for now whilst my limbs made short work of the alarming pace I was setting. Already contented yips were drifting through the air, as the more slower of the females succumbed to the weaker males. In my mind's eye I could already picture the nameless female offering her throat in submission before rolling over, and letting the male get on with it. As if to confirm my speculation I heard a particularly loud howl breaking into a contented whine as he offloaded his jet to utter satisfaction of both parties.

My wolf pushed harder.

I encouraged it to push harder, the human part of me that still existed wanting nothing better to do than run until I reached a safe place to rest for the next few days without being ambushed. If I was going to maximise the fact my wolf was only running for the thrill of a chase, then so be it. My paws glided, my spirits soared and just for a moment- all was right in the world.

But then a familiar scent drifted downwind, and I knew everything wasn't right in the world. Everything was bad- more so now that I knew Uncle Gabe was near- and my human part and wolf part simultaneously agreed to put on another burst of speed. Behind me, the sounds had began to catch up with the smells, because I heard heavy paws with retractable claws so like my own racing after me. They were much less graceful- finding any pothole to crash into and as many brambling to crash across.

And then I heard another wolf struggling to keep up, and my heart did a can-can my chest as I recognised William's pitiful whine as he streaked after my uncle. Was he here to save me? Did he realize the potential threat he was saving me from, if he miraculously managed to outrun my uncle?

Maybe I didn't have to leave. If William claimed me, although we were both far from ready, we could come to love each other over time and bear little pups that resembled both of us. I admit, it wasn't the worse case scenario compared to my alternative. But I turned my head, and Uncle Gabe was there, his pink tongue gaping out of his strong jaws as he aimed a bite out of my hind legs. I caught glimpse of a slim russet mongrel leaping onto Gabe's back and they both tumbled out of sight as I continued outrunning them all. I prayed for William's safety then-William didn't have quarrels with anyone in the pack- and hoped Gabe would recognise that quality in him before going in for the kill.

A lone victorious howl sounded in the distance, and it seemed like my worst nightmare had come true. I had to leave this pack- I had to leave my mother who had been good to me all these years- I had to leave William who despite being bookish was the best friend I never had- and I had to leave behind the father who should've usurped Gabe as the temporary alpha all that time ago and cast him from the pack.

Because then I wouldn't be doing this- running for my life- running away from my life, even.

My paranoia imagined every buffet of wind as hot breath panting down my neck, every twig that snapped as something more ominous stepping out of the shadows. And then my skittishness became true as a bruised but proud wolf raced out of the corner of my eye and pounced at my back. He missed the first time, but managed to rake his claws through my fur and shredded skin as I roared in pain and stumbled.

Second chances don't come that often, and Gabe took advantage of that to full effect. My lean body was no match to his three-hundred pounder as he pinned me to the ground by crawling over my hindquarters, and nuzzling his nose against my jaw, expecting to reveal my throat in submission. But I resolutely stared on ahead, with narrowed eyes and ears standing to attention instead of lying flat across my head and growling softly whenever he got too lovey-dovey for my liking.

Gabe, realising he had only a matter of minutes to work with, gave me a warning nip that smarted before surrendering his head high to the moon and offering it a howl. I guess that's what saved me that night because Gabe simultaneously also tried to thrust his balls into my vulva. The feel of his testicle slithering around my outer lips must have panicked me, because I reared my legs back and gave such a powerful hind kick, that Gabe flew several feet into the air and landed in such an awkward position that I would've laughed if I was in the mood.

But I wasn't.

I had been nearly desecrated. Raped. Mated. By my own uncle.

Do you know how sick that sounds?

I didn't stick around long enough to see if I'd knocked him unconscious. Instead I took of running, and ran and ran until my back didn't hurt so much and my blood was intermingling with the semen running down my back leg. I ran until I came across a wide raging river and against all natural instinct, took a flying jump and let the current buffet me downstream until the river started getting calmer and I was sure my scent had been long lost a few miles back. Anyone who managed to follow my trail to the river tomorrow would have to declare me dead because there is no way an animal could survive that.

But I did. And as the moon sunk into the sky, I stumbled out of the water shivering and in my human form stark naked. I shook the droplets off me like a dog and wrung my long hair with both hands, before looking round and determining I'd drifted further downstream than I thought. Using the twilight as my only protection, I stalked down my rucksack that I'd left there two weeks previous and was relieved to find no wild animals had gotten to it in the mean time.

Greedily, I spilled the contents on the earth, taking in the objects I'd taken from my previous life to join me in the new one. They were nothing special, but to me they spoke millions. I fingered the raggedy doll my mom gave to me when I was a pup. The dream catcher that used to hang over my bed. The picture of my entire pack, sans Gabe because I'd scribbled his face black with a biro, last summer resting easily on a beach lapping ice-cream cones. Then I pushed past the lingerie, three sets of jeans and a couple of tops to the more important stuff- the money.

I'd been saving for a long time now, anticipating this day sooner or later. Two hundred dollars and fifty nine cents would do brilliantly to get me started in a whole new town. With this cash and a new identity, I could be anyone I wanted to be and just my luck…

But I was headed to college.

i havent posted in a long time- and I missed that ;) review my lovelies