9 Gaining Control, Part 2

I pushed harder to catch up, stretching and releasing my muscles, elongating my stride to match his as the cool air rushed past. It was September and the weather was already beginning to change. Air rushed into my lungs as I stretched farther, running all out, stretching my body as I easily dodged trees rushing by. Then in a few more strides, I overtook Dakota.

He tried to catch up when I blew past, elongating his stride, but his attempts were futile, and we crossed into Wyoming before we knew it. I would have loved to have kept going... to just run until I could run no more. Running like this was freeing, liberating. I felt one with nature and with the Great Spirit as never before. It was then that I understood my people's fascination with and respect for nature. We were a part of it, and it was a part of us.

"Do you want to go all the way to Canada? It's okay with me if you want to run away. I'll go with you," Dakota joked, enjoying the run as much as me.

"Don't even think about it," Mark's baritone voice responded within our heads. It was definitely a reminder that we could never be completely alone while in our wolf forms. Taking the hint, Mark responded, "Okay, I'll leave you two alone."

"Thank you," Dakota said, mentally smiling. "And don't worry. We'll be back in time for dinner."

"Ha, ha," Mark replied flatly. Then we could feel him pull away from our minds. Mark must have been in his wolf form at the time. Then a moment later, I could feel him phase out as he disappeared completely from our minds. The rest of the pack was in school, so they wouldn't be in their wolf forms yet.

I looked around and we were in the Montana Rockies when we finally slowed. Then something occurred to me. "Dakota, did you say something about hunting?"

Dakota mentally laughed. "Yes," then assessing my mood, he added, "It's not as bad as you think, but we have to eat this way until you can control this. We can't go into town with you phasing on a whim. Also, your wolf needs to hunt."

I nodded, then took a deep breath, fearing the worst." Okay, what do we do and how do we do it?"

"Just watch me and you'll get the hang of it," Dakota said. "First, you smell the air to see what game is around. Then we find them... simple."

"Yeah, before they find us," I added in an aside.

Dakota laughed in his mind, then raised his nose high into the air and took deep breaths. "Go ahead. Do you smell anything?"

"Lilacs, evergreen, musk, juniper, rain...."

"Game wise," Dakota interrupted, laughing.

"Oh," I said, smelling the air again. "I smell a heard of white-tailed deer over the ridge."

"Very good," Dakota said. "Now we just have to sneak up on them, choose one, then take it down."

"Easy for you to say," I said sarcastically.

"When it's time, just pull back and let your wolf take over," Dakota replied, trying to help. "Go with your instincts. Don't think."

I nodded my big silver head, then followed Dakota over the ridge. I knew we were drawing near our game because the smell was getting stronger. Suddenly, Dakota crouched low to the ground, his body tensed, ready, a dangerous hunter stalking his prey.

I looked ahead and in the clearing was a herd of beautiful white-tailed deer, just as I had predicted. For a moment, I wondered how I knew the scent, but then my animal instincts took over and my mouth watered in anticipation of the hunt.

The sleek animals were graceful, a thing of beauty to behold. Suddenly, one of them sensed danger, popping its head up, then caught our scent and bolted from the clearing to hide in the forest.

Dakota bounded forward as fast as lightning, kicking up dirt under his giant paws as he ran. I followed, digging my paws into the lichen for more traction, pushing myself harder, anticipating the kill. I took down the buck, catching it on the hind quarter, pulling it to the ground. It thrashed violently, but its attempts were futile against my powerful paws. I quickly snapped its neck so it would feel no unnecessary pain.

I looked over and Dakota had taken down the next largest doe, snapping her neck, as well. His great lips pulled back and he bared his teeth. I watched as he let the wolf take over within his mind and pulled a slab of hot, steaming flesh from her body, exposing the bone.

At first, I was revolted, but hunger soon won over and I gave myself over to my wolf, tearing a slab of flesh from the shoulder of my kill. I chewed and it tasted pretty good. I ate until my belly was full. We both ate our fill, then left the carcasses to the buzzards and other forest animals to finish off.

"Don't you think we'd better start heading home now?" Dakota asked, thinking of the long journey back. Actually, it wasn't very far, running as fast as we could. In our wolf form, running across two states was child's play.

"Race you!" I mentally shouted, then ran toward home as fast as my giant paws would carry me, thudding heavily upon the ground, digging into the rich, black earth and lichen. Aspen, juniper, and birch trees whizzed by as I expertly dodged them. I loved running like this, feeling the wind brush against my fur, feeling free.

Dakota ran after me as quickly as he could, up for the challenge. He passed me a few times, but not for long. I enjoyed watching him run as his muscular body elongated and stretched to push himself faster. He was quite graceful, as if he were born for this life... born to run. Watching him run and stretch, I knew I could definitely get used to this new life... if Dakota was by my side.

A short time later, we crossed back into Colorado again, near home, hating to see our run come to an end. That felt good, I said, pacing, stretching my muscles. Soon, we were back were we had left our clothes. Let's go again.

Dakota laughed in his mind. "First, we need to find shelter for the night, unless you want to sleep under the stars again."

"Actually, I wouldn't mind," I replied, thinking of stretching out under the stars with Dakota. Dakota mentally smiled and I quickly pushed the thought aside.

"We were lucky it didn't rain last night," Dakota replied.

But I had the feeling that in my wolf form, I wouldn't mind the rain so much. With our thick coats, the weather probably wouldn't have much effect on us at all.

"No, the weather doesn't bother us," Dakota said, reading my thoughts. "Our body temperatures run a bit hotter than the average human and our fur keeps us warm in the extreme cold, as well. Come on, I know of a place we can go. Let's grab the blanket and our clothes."

Dakota scooped up his clothes into his mouth and waited for me to do the same, then ran toward the north. "I saw a cave on our way back. That will do just fine for a few days."

"For a few days?" I complained. Although I was enjoying my time alone here with Dakota, I was beginning to miss home and my friends at school. Following Dakota, we dodged trees and rocks with ease, even while carrying our clothes.

"Once you master morphing into and out of your wolf, then you can go back home," Dakota answered, dodging trees. We then followed the tree line upward, into a mountain. Soon, we came to a rocky crag and above it was a cave entrance cut into the side of the mountain. "This will do just fine," Dakota said, going into the cave first to make sure it was safe.

I followed hesitantly, looking around. "Are you sure there isn't anything living in here?"

Dakota laughed. "If there is, you're probably bigger than it is. It'll be more scared of you than we are of it."

I mentally smiled, looking around the cave. It was dark, but we could easily build a fire in our human forms, if we wanted. It felt weird that this would be our home for the next few days.

"I'm going into the woods to shift and gather some firewood before dark. When I get back, you need to practice controlling your shifting." Then Dakota scooped his clothes up into his mouth and headed outside.

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