Chapter 5 The Pack Run

Five minutes to midnight, Alpha Chase blew the horn. The bouncy castle had been put away, much to the disgust of the little pups. Most people had shifted or were in the process of shifting and getting ready. A few of us who were more modest had changed inside, but the rest shifted quickly in front of the pack. Nudity wasn't a massive deal with wolves unless you were self-conscious like me. You would be, too, if everyone around you looked like they sat for those Greek god sculptures.

I once joked to Mom that if someone sculpted me, they'd need extra clay for the curves and a separate tray for the awkward limbs. She laughed way too hard.

My stretchable backpack could easily transition between my human and wolf forms. Most of the pack ran the perimeter of the boundary and returned to the packhouse, so they didn't need to carry anything. Many teenagers did the loop and then hung down at the river. I usually preferred to run the perimeter and then head to the waterfall. I had my backpack secured on my back because tonight, I just felt like heading straight to the waterfall.

"Alright then," Alpha Chase began. "As the Moon Goddess Selene watches over the Realm, she blesses the wolf pack with divine grace. May your paws be swift and your senses sharp as you run through the wilderness. May the Moon's light guide you through the darkness and keep you safe from harm. May your howls reach not only the living but those who have run before you-our ancestors, our fallen, and the spirits of the Pack-so they know they are never forgotten. May your howls echo through the night, a testament to your strength and unity. And when you return from your pack run, may you find yourselves stronger, wiser, and more united than ever. The Pack is the Wolf, and the Wolf is the Pack."

"The Pack is the Wolf, and the Wolf is the Pack," I murmur the mantra with the rest of the pack.

The words settled in my bones like warm tea-familiar, grounding, sacred.

"Let's go!"

A few howls and everyone were off. A couple of wolves were set to stay behind. The run was optional but always highly encouraged. A way to rejuvenate and be at one with your wolf, the pack, and the Moon Goddess. Mom had opted to sit tonight's run out and take some leftovers over to Warrior Leo, Daisy, the doctor, and the nurses at the hospital. So, I was on my own.

My coordination has improved over the years. I no longer stumbled around but developed a decent run. I was not as fast as my peers, but I kept up fine with the younger ones and moms and dads. Sometimes, I helped out, but tonight, I decided I needed some me-time, so I opted out after we hit the northernmost point and veered off to my intended destination.

I always wondered what the humans thought was happening when we did our runs. You can't register the noise when you're amongst it, but when you take yourself out of it, the thunder of the paws hitting the ground is something else. The earth shakes slightly, and the thumps fall into an almost rhythmic beat that penetrates the air. We were far from the nearest human settlement, and no one is allowed near our borders, especially on a full moon, but surely, they must hear or feel something? It was like the heartbeat of the forest itself, strong and steady-alive.

It was a hike to the top of the waterfall, but I slowly bounded my way up mostly rocks. Breath ragged, I clambered over the final ridge, emerging from the tree-lined top and looked out over the pack lands. It was the best view. In wolf form, I could clearly see the pack house and surrounding houses and stores littered around. We are not a large pack, so we try to conserve electricity this time of year and instead opt for more twinkling candles and solar-powered fairy lights. I can see to the southernmost part, where there is still movement amongst the trees. That must be where the last of the pack is running. The quickest ones, Alpha, Luna, and Canne, are probably already back at the pack house by now. The moon in full bloom, the forest glittered with tiny flickers of life, scattered like fireflies.

I shifted, changed, and settled on the edge with my legs hanging over the cliff. Placing my hand into the smooth water flowing to my right, I tried to soak up the energy as it touched my fingertips. The water wriggled past my hand and congregated at the large rocks standing sentry. Fights ensued to get past, but success had them sliding their way through and diving off the edge, plunging into the prussian blue pool below. It wasn't that far down, maybe a hundred and twenty, perhaps a hundred and thirty feet.

I'm not sure how long I stayed like that.

The night wrapped around me like a blanket, and for a little while, I just let myself breathe.