Howling and Snarling (Book 1)

I didn’t believe in soul mates. Not really anyways. My name is Merna Plainswalker. I had just turned nineteen and was perfectly content to remain with my long time boyfriend, Arrys Greywind. He was everything a she wolf could possibly want - caring, loyal, protective, and an alpha. In fact, I was determined to stay with him. I never let another male touch me who wasn’t family, and I never really had to worry about anyone sniffing me out since I didn’t shift very often.

It wasn’t because I didn’t want to shift, because I did, desperately. It was because my wolf form didn’t belong in the New Haven pack. My wolf form didn’t really belong in any pack. Most wolves in my pack were around 200 to 300 pounds and had black, grey, and brown fur patterns with brown, green, and grey eyes. Me? I was an astronomical 532 pounds and had silver fur and pure black eyes. You heard me right, pure black. It was kind of freaky to be honest.

My mom and Arrys were there when I first shifted at the age of ten. Mom said she had never seen anything like my wolf before. She had come from another pack so she didn’t quite fit in either but the New Haven pack was accepting and allowed her to join with me when I was two years old. I had joined the pack on several runs before I hit my growth spurt and began to outsize everyone. Mom soon put an end to runs with the pack. I was only allowed to run with Mom and Arrys after that.

I opened my eyes and yawned before sitting up on my queen sized bed. I wasn’t sure why I was thinking about my first shift again. It had been nine years since my first shift and eight since my last run with the pack. I itched to go for a run. I wanted to feel the forest beneath my paws and the wind in my face. I picked up my phone and sent a quick text to Arrys to let him know I was going for a run in the north woods and asked him to join me.

I got up and picked up the bag I used to keep my clothes clean and off the forest floor before stepping out of my room and descending the stairs. Mom was in the kitchen and I walked up to her to hug her from behind. I squeezed tightly before I said, “I am going to go for a run in the north forest. I texted Arrys to join me, would you like to come?”

“No, but thanks sweetheart.” She smiled and kissed what she could reach of my cheek before adding, “Don’t ge-“

“I know, don’t get seen by anyone in the pack, I know, I know. I love you mom.” I cut her off and snagged some apples and cheese from the fridge. I stashed the snacks in my bag and made my way outside through the back door of the house. The early morning air was brisk and felt cool in my lungs as I faced north.

I trudged through the forest, for the most part walking but occasionally jogging to make good time. After about forty-five minutes worth of travelling, I arrived at my favorite clearing. I hung my bag on a tree and stripped, the air pebbling my pale skin into goose flesh. After putting my clothes in my bag and eating my apples and cheese, I took one last look around the clearing before letting my wolf skin rush over me.

The change for each wolf is different and for me it was pretty quick, maybe about two or three minutes. When Arrys changed, it took him a solid seven to ten minutes. Everyone’s shift hurt though and mine was no different. I stood up and whined a bit as the last of the change tingles wound their way through my body. I stretched out, shaking the residual pain away and relishing in the sheer power of my muscles.

I inhaled deeply and wagged my tail, scenting my boyfriend not far in the forest. I yipped happily when he entered the clearing and stopped. His gaze landed on me and I saw love and awe with each caress of his eyes. I loved it when he looked at me like that, and every time he saw my wolf form, he seemed to devour me whole. I shivered, burning desire pooling in my belly.

Arrys recognized that shiver and smiled wolfishly, “Hey Mer, gorgeous as ever I see.”

I huffed and he laughed before taking his shirt off. He was 6’3, with blond hair and grey eyes. His shirt revealed a toned and maintained muscular stomach and I could see his muscles working to remove his clothes. If I could have blushed as a wolf, I would be beet red. I quickly turned around as he slid his jeans down, but not before I saw his happy trail of blond hair leading down to his—

I furiously shook the image out of my mind. We hadn’t had sex yet. Oh we had come close a few times but we had agreed we should wait until we were sure we wanted to mark each other as mates. I was pretty sure and not to sound like a harlot but I was the cause of those close calls. I wanted to claim him as mine and be done with it. He, however, wanted to wait until I reached twenty years to make it official and because I loved him and had for the last seven years, I would wait.

I yelped as a sharp pain shot through my right leg and I whirled to see his dark grey and tan wolf standing before me, tongue lolling out into a wolfy grin. He stood no taller than my shoulder. I curled my lip at him in annoyance.

‘You really should guard your thoughts a little more carefully. Not that I mind hearing that you want me bad enough to call yourself a harlot.’ He said, mind linking with me to transmit his thoughts. Any wolf in the pack could communicate over great distances with each other this way, and to a lesser extent with other wolves in the area, not in the pack.

‘Stay out of my head, that was private!’ I was mortified. I couldn’t believe he heard me lusting after him.

‘I can still feel your lust, are you hazed?’ Arrys thrust his cold nose between my legs and I hopped away as fast as I could.

‘Let’s just go for this run before I do something drastic.’ I shied away from his nose and took off into the forest. He chuffed out the equivalent of a laugh before darting after me, nipping at my heels.