As if my talk of magically willing answers actually works… I suddenly hear the muffled sounds of someone’s footsteps shuffling along. The slight echo of the steps make it sound like they are walking through a cement hallway. I lift my head, my ears moving toward the sounds I’m hearing, which gets incrementally louder, clueing me in that they’re getting closer.
There must be some kind of voodoo magic going on here for me to hear someone walking through a hallway, yet I don’t see a damn thing. Is there some kind of Star Trek cloaking device hiding a building right in front of my face? See, I should’ve done some sleuthing! Because that would be pretty cool.
A distinctive ping sounds out along with a slight grunt. Ok well, now it sounds like someone is climbing a metal ladder. My imagination runs wild, and seeing as how I've already been thinking about Star Trek, the image that pops into my mind is of someone climbing between floors of their spaceship, except it’s not one of the human-looking characters. Oh, no! Of course, I have to go and picture a Klingon. This doesn’t bode well for me.
My imagination has my heart rate speeding up at the unknown situation unfolding before me. Suddenly, I hear a twisting sound, followed by three clicks, then a pop accompanied by a slight grind, then the soft sound of shifting sand. My eyes are fixed on the small area of space where the sounds seem to be coming from, and slowly right before me, I see one of the shorter bushes lifting and tilting onto its side. It’s clearly attached to the top of a hatch which is now leaning perpendicularly.
Holy shit, Batman! It’s a secret lair!
Chapter 2
Klaus
Two Hours Ago
My boots crunch on some gravel as I walk in the direction of the park where I’m supposed to meet the guys. It’s not quite sunset, so I pull out my phone to find a relaxing spot to chill and wait for darkness to descend. I could technically shift now and just avoid any humans that haven’t left the park, but I would rather hang out and rest for a bit.
I pull up a topographical map of the area. I can see now, I haven’t exactly made it to the border of the park yet. Not too far away from here, just on this side of the park’s perimeter is a lake, the perfect place to sit back and relax for a bit. Decision made. I’m going to take some quality “me” time before meeting up with the boys. So, I continue toward the lake.
With my earbuds in and connected to my phone, I select one of my playlists at random. It’s clear I chose an instrumental one when the piano and cello’s haunting sounds play in my ear. It’s the perfect melody to accompany me into the mellow mood I’m seeking. I lock my screen and slip the phone into my pocket.
I adjust the ballcap I’m wearing while I'm hiking through the woods, my slightly shaggy sun-bleached blond hair damp from the heat. Every so often, the sun’s rays break through the leafy canopy of the trees surrounding me and shine right into my eyes. With most of the light blocked out, it’s not quite bright enough to put on sunglasses, but I sure do wish I had some kind of protection. Each time the rays get me in the eye, it's like a child playing with a laser pointer.
My long legs quickly eat up the distance through the forest when I realize my focus has been on getting to the lake and the music flowing into my ears. I should be paying attention to my surroundings as well. With that thought, I remove one of my earbuds, which allows me to listen to the sounds around me and still hear my playlist.
The sound of water gently lapping at the shoreline reaches my ears. Sniffing the air, I catch just a hint of the musty freshwater of the unpolluted lake. I didn’t notice when I was looking at the map, but I’m willing to bet there aren’t any roads leading to this lake. Without a road, people can’t bring their boats here, making it a less desirable location for those who don’t enjoy nature’s simplicity.
I finally make my way out of the trees and into a grassy area that splays out before reaching the pebble-filled shoreline of the lake. I take a deep breath of the fresh air as a slight breeze caresses my cheek. Finding a comfortable place to sit is an easy task. Once I’ve relaxed into the perfect spot, I pull my phone out and continue reading the book I started this morning.
∞∞∞
I’m abruptly startled awake by the sound of an owl swooping down to catch his dinner from the forest floor. The mouse makes a frightened squeak before it’s sharply cut off, not too far away. As if on cue, the thought of food makes my stomach start growling. I should shift and hunt for dinner, or at least a snack, before finding the guys. Hmmm, I guess we could all hunt together and enjoy a bigger meal later. I suppose I can just decide while tracking them down.
My impromptu nap resulted in me missing the sunset. I don't know what colors painted the sky tonight, but I’m able to see the stars twinkling into view this evening. I stretch out my arms and work out the kinks in my back from laying on the pebbles making up the shoreline. The water creates such a soothing sound with the soft swish it makes over the tiny rocks. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that my peaceful surroundings lulled me to sleep after taking out my earbuds.
I pull my storage pouch’s string over my head and place it on the ground next to me along with my phone and start pulling off my shoes to place inside first. Next, I stand up to take off my jeans and fold them in half, laying them at my feet, then I strip off my briefs, shirt, and socks, folding each item and placing them on top of my jeans. Once everything is stacked nicely, I roll up my jeans with everything placed on the inside of the roll. This way, I can pull the packet of clothes out quickly once the guys and I are done chasing each other around for the night. Wolves will be wolves, after all.
Before putting my phone in the pouch, I check it one more time for any messages from the guys. Not seeing any, I type out my own.
Me: Hey guys, fixing to shift and head into the park.
Me: If I haven’t hunted anyone down by midnight, I’m shifting back and plan on cheating... aka tracing you down by your phone’s location.
We didn't set an exact meeting point because that’s always been part of the fun. For us, it's the thrill of the initial hunt, seeking each other out in a new environment. With the texts sent to our group chat, I check the map one last time to make sure I head in the right direction. Finished with my phone, I lock the screen and slip it into the pouch.
Remembering I was wearing a hat, I realize it must have fallen off during my nap. I check the area around me and find it just out of arm’s reach. Grabbing it, I tuck it into my pouch, thankful that I hadn’t shifted yet. I really like this hat and didn’t bring another. With everything all packed away, I place the string over my head and will the shift to take over my body. Within seconds I’m in my wolf form and sneeze at the sudden increase of scents around me.
I need to head east, which has me swimming across the lake. I suppose I could travel around it, but where’s the fun in that? Plus, I love the water. My father is the West pack’s Alpha, which means we’ve always lived near the beaches of the Pacific Ocean. When I’m home, I spend as much time on my surfboard as I can.
Being in or near the water is my happy place. The constant sound of the waves crashing on the beach brings a sense of calm to my soul, temporarily dulling the ache my soul constantly feels. It’s as if part of it is trapped in a constant fog it can’t escape. Like, the half of the soul living within me is screaming with agony, sensing its other half’s distress. I long for the moments when I’m at peace with myself and hope to find what my soul is seeking one day.
I pad over to the water’s edge, placing one paw into the lake. Eh, not too bad! I slowly walk into the water, which has a temperature similar to bath water from the summer sun beating down on it all day long. However, the further I swim, the cooler the water gets because of the depth of the lake. As the water reaches my neck, my pouch starts to float, pulling slightly at the string, keeping it from floating away. Thankfully part of the magic it entails makes it waterproof. For that matter, it’s fireproof, magic proof, scratch proof, windproof, pup proof… anything and everything proof.
I paddle through the water wolf-style, making sure my head stays dry. It takes me a while to swim across the expanse of the lake, but I don’t mind. The movement of my body cutting through the water is refreshing after such a hot day of traveling. Once I get close enough to the shore for my paws to touch the ground, I spring out of the water with more energy, energy I somehow gained while swimming. I shake as much water from my fur as possible and decide I can afford a few moments to dry off some more to avoid making my fur a muddy-matted mess. Blah, I despise the discomfort of something stuck in my coat.
I spot a large rock off to the left. At this time of year, it will still hold on to the heat of the day for several hours after the sun goes down. It will make a nice place to wait and dry off for a bit, so I push off with my hind legs and leap onto the top of the rock. It’s pretty broad with a relatively flat surface, void of sharp, jagged spots. I circle the top of the rock once and flop down.
Taking in the view from this side of the lake, it’s pretty much more of the same. What can I say? It’s a lake surrounded by trees. I rotate every now and again to make sure all of my fur can dry as quickly as possible because the quicker it dries, the faster I can find the others. An excitement begins to build with thought of my friends, causing me to become restless. I hop off the rock and trot off in the general direction of the meeting area we set up. There’s a pep in my step, with a hunt for my friends on the horizon.
