The Forest-

(I'm going to write this in first person. If you'd rather I wrote in third person, just say )

I was thinking about three things as I followed the scent of a rabbit through the woods: When will I eat again? Where will I sleep tonight? Will I ever find a home? I'm sure it was obvious that I was starving; you could probably see all of my ribs through my skin, and I was trembling ever so slightly. I knew that if I didn't find food soon, everything would be over. I would never have the chance to find a forever home. And that chance itself was shaky, but what made it even more uncertain was the unfortunate fact of my size. I knew that being big was a bad thing, for my so called family had tried to kill me because of that. Because of not being small and nimble; for being huge and lumbering. Ha! As if I could help it. But because of them, my confidence plummeted and my insecurity soared. Another thing was my current state of weakness. Who would take in a starved wolf? All of my worries were cut off as the sweet scent of the rabbit was joined by another smell: a border. My heart leapt, but sank at the same time.

I was a daring wolf. I wasn't afraid of anything. This was a matter of life and death.

Here goes nothing, I thought to myself.

I raised my maw to the sky, and howled. The howl told the pack that I was waiting at the border for acceptance, and that I wished to speak with the alpha. I winced as I heard my voice waver from weakness. I know, right? Way to give myself away. Now they knew I was weak. When I finished, I sat and waited for my fate.

One consistent thought was nagging at my mind:

What will happen to me now?

It had been around ten minutes ever since I'd howled for the alpha. As each agonizing second ticked by, I grew more and more afraid of what would happen. Were they waiting to ambush me? Or had the alpha taken a detour? I felt myself become very frail. The trembling grew. I started panting involuntarily, not able to cease. What was happening to me? Oh. Right. Starvation. Why now? I really didn't need this now. I wanted to be accepted. Actually, then, I wanted my life to end. For the misery to disappear. Me telling this to you may seem dramatic. But let me tell you, the pain was excruciating. My ribs and pelvis felt like needles poking at my skin. My hunger was so great that it felt as if another wolf was biting me in the stomach. Several whimpers of distress escaped my lips.

At this point I was completely desperate. My legs grew weak and I fell to the ground, but managed to stand again with a vast amount of effort. My head was pounding from effects of hunger and dehydration. I knew I would lose consciousness soon. So I lifted my muzzle, issuing a cry for help, just before my body grew very heavy, I passed out, and hit the ground with a painful thud.

Hoping that some way, somehow, help would come.

I felt as if everything was gone. A deep world of nothing consumed me. But I heard a voice, one that to this day I believe saved my life. For as I heard it, a distant echo that reached my clouded senses, I slowly regained my consciousness. As I surfaced myself, I realized where I was and what was happening. There was a wolf standing over me. I gave a bark of alarm and attempted to scoot away in vain, my efforts only moving me a few centimeters. But then it hit me. I'd howled for help. And an air of dominance seemed to reside around the fae. I don't know exactly how I knew, but this was definitely the alpha. I lifted my silver optics to make contact with hers. Then I realized. Those eyes were really pretty. They looked genuinely concerned. The alpha was not going to hurt me. She was my tourniquet.

Only then did I remember it was provocative, and rude, to make this much direct eye contact with a higher rank, much less an alpha. I quickly whimpered, "Sorry, sorry!" and averted my gaze. I tried to press my body further to the ground, then pushed off with an audible grunt, trying to obtain the standard submissive position. It worked. With my stomach (more like skeleton) exposed, I arched my head back, showing my neck and granting easy access to my jugular.

In response to the alpha's question, I croaked, "I'm... fine. I just need some food." My voice broke several times during this obvious understatement. I wasn't fine. But I did need food. The question was, would she give it to me?

I commenced to tell her why I was here. "I was trailing a rabbit" -I paused to gulp air- "and found the border. I wanted to ask if I could join your ranks" -and again- "And serve you for life." The sentence was exhausting. I'd been practicing it for moons. I let my eyelids drop again, trying with all my will to resist the tempting comfort of sleep.

With the astounding beauty of the she-wolf trapped in my mind...

From my submissive position, I was hopeful that the Alpha could see how close I was to death. Just then something alerted my sixth sense, the one all wolves have. Another name for instinct. I raised my muzzle and sniffed. I was right. It was faint, but there was definitlely another wolf nearby. A fae. I voiced my thoughts.

"Smells like a fae, either behind that tree or near that bush," I murmured between deep breaths. "I think perhaps if you let her know you aren't going to harm her, she would show herself."

My eyes remained closed. I wanted to impress the Alpha. To show her that when UNstarved and fully healed, I would be a useful pack member. If she allowed me. And if I didn't die first...

(sorry for the short post, but I really don't have much to put here. If there are any typos, forgive me, my keyboard sucks)

I flicked my ears in acknowledgement as I heard the femme's lyrics.

"It's Song," I croaked with some effort, stammering. "I hate to ask you but I... I need food as s-soon as possible. H-have you any?"

Just like life, to give me a blackout of starvation when I was trying to join a pack. But if I didn't get food soon, my time would be up.

(ok, my posts are getting worse and worse, the next one will definitely be decent. just not much to put here.)

Happiness surged through me at the promise of food. "Thank you, thank you so much, I don't know how I'll ever repay you!" I gasped between short gulps of air. I was panting with the effort of just getting up. I had to lean against the fae to walk... which made me more excited. Each step was painful, but I managed to carry on. Before we left, I remembered the mysterious she wolf who had emerged from the bushes. I looked back at her, and then the alpha. "Can... she join us?" I asked tentatively. No wolf should be left out as a loner. Life was not easy that way. If the alpha had not heard my cry for help, I could easily be an example of that tough life, a carcass, the birds pecking at me, now just a food source. I shuddered at the horrid thought of it, awaiting the alpha's response.

The bright hope of food coming was keeping me alive, and the warming rush of adrenaline that surged through my veins as my pelt had brushed the alpha's. I could tell she was hiding some aspectof her personality, and I wanted to see that aspect. She was impossibly gorgeous, at least in my eyes. I thought about possibly spending my life with the female. Amazing, to think I'd fantasize such things when I hadn't even learned her name.

I snorted. "Are you kidding?" I scoffed jokingly, "I feel like I could run a mile!"

This, I think, might be classified as flirting. If she saw it that way and considered it to be rude, to flirt with the alpha, then I didn't know what would happen to me. But considering the femme's playful additude, I was pretty sure she was cool with that. Hearing the howl, I learned the pretty wolf's name.

"Fawn, eh? Beautiful name. It suits you," I told her, thinking of the delicate beauty of the deer itself. Quiet but gentle and inquisitive. Her mother had named her perfectly. While joking with her, I still maintained my respect, lowering my head, for this was the alpha after all. She deserved the recognition of power. My stomach growled audibly. I flicked my ears, signaling that we should be on our way.

(shall we continue this thread at the den?)

(ok I wanna post but I can't really say anything here. Next post at the den please)