Chapter Four

-Anastasia’s tale-
I vas alvays a verevolf, my fazer also, all ze way back to ze begging of ze virus.
I vas helping my fazer try to discover a cure for our condition vhen ve herd someone coming. My fazer assumed it vas Ilya my brother, but I knew better, I could smell better zen him and could tell it vas human.

I tried to stop him from going outside, tried to take him to the escape exit but he vould not fallow until ze gun fired. It struck him in ze arm, he pushed me to ze exit and slammed ze door behind me. I tried to open it I screamed for him to come. I vas afraid, I did not vont to lose him ze same vay I lost mozer. I did not stop screaming for em until I eard ze man shouting at my fazer, I knew if I did not stop es attempt to save me vould be for naught. I vent silent and listened from behind ze hidden door.

“Vere are de ozer two!” I eard em shout. He did not ansver, I eard him snarl and zen ze gun fired and all vas quiet. I ran for it after zat. I cam to Amarica vere nobody vould know I vas a verevolf.

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When he woke the next morning the pain of the silver coated bullet had spread all across his chest making it very painful to move at all but he had to in order to survive.

It was two days before Cody’s leg would no longer support him. Collapsing the ground he looked out to the horizon. Alone and starving Cody watched the sun rise. He could not help but wonder if he would ever be able to return to the cave where the others no doubt had lost hope in finding him, they probably thought he had run off and wouldn’t come back.

“There you are” Cody jerked his head around at the sound of the girls voice. Instinctively he bared his teeth his hackles rising. “Oh relax, you and I both know if you really wanted to hurt me you would have on the beach” Prue pointed out. Cody still would not let down his guard. Prue sighed “Well don’t trust me if ya don’t wanna, but I brought you some food and water” she said un slinging her backpack and pulled something out wrapped in wax paper and a big bowel. Cody still did not relax. Prue seemed perfectly relaxed as she poured water into the bowel. “Well, I gotta go now. My dad’s bound to notice I’m missing by now” Prue said standing up she waved then skipped off.

Cody remained tensed where he was for what seemed hours to his sore body. When he was sure she had gone he stretched his neck out and sniffed at the wax paper. carefully he stood, a little shakily. He sniffed at the food again before eating it. After eating and drinking the water he lay back down to rest.

As Cody fell asleep again it was not pleasant, snippets of old memories flashed through his mind but they made no sense to Cody’s confused mind.

A tall dark figure stood over him he couldn’t make out the face through his blurry eyes. He could see the figure whore white and had dark hair but all else was a blur. He faintly heard the words “He’s different all right, look at these two blood samples” the voice faded out as his eyes darkened.

He felt the crack of the whip before he saw it. A young girl had fallen she tried to carry a load to heavy for her tired week body. Cody felt the anger well inside him seeing the human whip the girl shouting for her to rise. He felt his human hands ball into fists “STOP IT!” he shouted at the top of his lungs, the man turned “You want some boy?” he said with a wicked grin. IT was the last grin he ever had, Thick white hair grew all over Cody’s body his hands changed to paws, the cuffs holding his wrists snapped, in seconds Cody was on top of the man his jaw clamped over his face.

Cody heard the whisper first “Escape with us tonight” Cody blinked as he turned his pounding head to look at the weathered man beside him “Come with us” he seemed so familiar but the name escaped him.

Cody jolted awake at the sound of footfalls. He struggled to stand but could not, he was forced to lay still though his hackles raised. “Looks like ya ate it anyway” Prue said as she emerged carrying a backpack again like before. Cody watched her not responding to her statement. “My dad’s gonna start noticin that there’s meat missin from storage” she said as she pulled another package wrapped in wax paper from her backpack and laid it by the empty bowl. She spoke again while she pulled a cantina of water from the pack and started to refill the empty bowl. “Ya know, I can’t very well get that bullet out if you stay in this form, if you changed to a human form I might could help you.” Prue suggested, screwing the cap back on the now nearly empty canteen. Cody growled low at the idea “It’s just a suggestion, but if you rather lay here and die that’s your decision, the silver would spread slower if you were human though” Prue stood with a shrug. “If you change your mind” Prue set some folded clothes down by the food and water.

Cody shifted uncomfortably as he considered Prue’s suggestion. Slowly he ate the food thinking, by the time the food was gone Cody had come to a decision. Cody closed his eyes and pictured his human self, the shaggy white hair, the calloused hands and feet even all the petty human weaknesses, the cold, and lack of defenses. Opening his eyes Cody found his attempts a faileier Cody growled to himself. “After all this time avoiding my human side, now it’s all that can save me and I can’t even do that” Cody decided to try again, but again and again he failed. Closing his eyes once more he forced himself to remember what it felt like to be human. Cody began to feel the chill wind pierce through to his tender skin, felt himself shrink in size and his claws vanish. Opening his eyes he found himself staring down at his heavily calloused human hands. His nails were thick and slightly longer then most men liked. Cody took the clothes Prue had left and pulled them on, struggling some with the shirt and jacket. Cody staggered out of the cave but did not make it far before collapsing and curling in on himself, he felt as though ice cold lightning bolts were coursing through his whole body.

Cody lay there for some time before he heard a familiar voice. “You should have waited for me” Prue said approaching Cody, even in a human form Cody still growled. Prue didn’t hesitate as she continued forward and ever so gently helped him to sit up. “I’m not a doctor but I can at least get that bullet out” Prue said looking up at Cody’s eyes, they were still golden and more animal like then human.

“No.. take me…… Take me to Elizabeth’s house” Cody reluctantly told her. Prue looked up surprised at hearing his voice in her head. “Alright, but we should hurry before you get any worse” Prue said helping him to stand.

Nearly an hour later they came into view of the house, Cody staggering more then walking. Cody could smell Elizabeth was inside, the others weren’t, their scent was days old.

Elizabeth came running out of the house, she was surprised to see Cody in his human form, but she decided not to ask then, there were more pressing matters to attend to. She could see the blood stain that had formed on Cody’s shirt and jacket. None of them spoke as they helped Cody inside and got him onto a couch. “You should have come sooner Cody” Elizabeth scolded as she went about gathers the few medical supplies they had around the house. “I could not risk being fallowed back here, that would have endangered you and the others” Cody said to Elizabeth. Prue sat on the coffee table helping Elizabeth sort out what they would need to get the bullet out. “Cody we are a pack….” Cody cut her off with a growl, looking at Prue. “It’s ok Cody, she knows already” Elizabeth assured before going on. “We stick together no mater what, we’ve been through this” Cody winced as Elizabeth pulled off his jacket and shirt, she paid no head to the scars around his neck and wrists and the many other long scars across his chest and back, she had seen this before, and where they had come from. Prue however could not help but to stare but only a moment before Cody growled at her “This is what I get from humans” Cody growled. Prue lowered her gaze. Elizabeth glanced between the two, but said nothing, instead she shoved a strip of wood in Cody’s mouth. “This is going to hurt” she simply said.

Twenty minutes later the strip of wood was in two pieces on the floor and Elizabeth was wrapping the wound. “Prue, you should head home before your father comes looking for you” Prue shook her head “He said I could spend the night, he trusts you” Elizabeth sighed “You can’t stay here” Prue frowned and started to protest but Cody cut in, surprising both of them when he actually used his voice, “It’s already to late to send her home” his voice was gruff because of his dry throat. “She can’t stay Cody…” Cody cut her off “She can stay here with me”. Prue looked hopeful, looking between the two of them she could see Liz just might give in. After a moment of silence Elizabeth sighed “Very well” Liz reluctantly consented.

The Pack 2

Again, not my art, Laura did these too. One of these days I'll draw the pack myself. I need to draw them all in human form too...

The Pack

My cousin was wonderful enough to draw the wolf pack for me. So this is not my art but Laura's.

Obviously the white one in the back is Cody, Elizabeth is the brown and black one, Duke is the grey one with the scar, Alsander is the young red one, Anastasia is the black and the little one in the front is Prue.