THE RUN TO PRINCESS TOWN

18 FEBRUARY, THURSDAY, TRAINING RUN

The guys came out hot and most of them shirtless, but once in our wolf forms, everyone looked better. I mean we were still, you know... But everyone had fur coats. No matter how au natural we got, I had never seen a gross wolf in my life.

And healthy pack wolves had the nicest sort of coats, particularly in winter. Have you seen Savy, the snowpuff? We were lux - that's why the hunters come. Well not to this part of the Green Packlands, but I heard it was a real kind of job in the Blue Packlands.

I think it was because of their white pelts and the fact that wolf hunting was a real career option in the Blue Packlands that nearly wiped out the Snow Wolves there. Snow wolves were mostly white, but they had grey or black markings. (Unless they were pure white, then they were snow wolves with some kind of healing powers.)

Talking about healing powers, Bell and Ki stepped out under the full moon, white fur on large muscular wolf frames. I could see why white wolves were prized for their pelts. Prized enough for rogues and hunters to target the Lorent Pack regularly.

My wolf sat there, flicking my tail as I admired Mates thick lux white coat. On a cool winter night like tonight, it looked like the perfect thing to snuggle against. If you had ever slept with a wolf, you'd know what I mean. It's like relaxing in a heated fur quilt.

Bell's wolf smirked at me as he drew near. His wolf walked past me, our sides brushed, and I could hear his deep throttled growling. Mmmm...

And then he sat just half a step behind me.

Ki, Harvey, and Ben stepped forward then,

{We're ready to go, anytime you're done staring at Bell.} Ben's black wolf reported, emerald eyes like jewels in the moonlight.

I growled lowly at him. What kind of beta provoked his Alpha on purpose? These three.

Harvey's rust red wolf, and Ki's white one stood calmly next to Ben. None of them made any effort to hide mild amusement. Did they think they were invincible just because they were in their big bad wolf forms?

Right. Whatever. I rose, releasing my alpha dominance. Maybe I was overcompensating for the way I felt my Betas were total dissing me, but Boo was out for the run.

{Let's go.} I opened up all the mindlinks to the wolves who followed me tonight. They were strong. I could feel the pulse of their warrior heartbeats. It was a good feeling.

I moved out and mate was immediately by my side, as usual, just half a step behind me. The other wolves followed in their run formation, my betas dropping behind to check them and then running forward again to join me, so I knew everything was exactly in place.

{Last wolves drop back. Keep the girls center back.} I ordered.

{Yes, Alpha.}

The formationed changed behind me. That's better. I know it was just a training run, but I didn't feel comfortable leaving Savy and Jessica at the back. Plus, I wasn't running the usual route. I was following my lucky sense of direction.

We entered the forest where the track ended.

{Should one of us drop back to guard the rear?} Harvey asked.

Hn? It was pretty safe, but it wouldn't hurt.

If I sent Ben, he would probably take it out on the guys in the rear.

If I sent Harvey back there, I was sure Savy was going to complain. Apparently, Savy and Liz regarded Harvey's presence as a stressful one, due to the constant risk of exposing any less than cool side in front of the coolest guy in school.

Yes, I was so considerate like that.

{Ki, please take the rear guard.} I decided.

{Your wish is my command, goddess.} Ki's wolf slowed with a graceful dip of his large head and dropped to the back of the formation.

Ki was reliable like that, and well liked too, if the welcome he was receiving from the rear wolves was anything to go by.

I sped up just a little. There was no thrill in the run without feeling the wind in your coat. Plus, I knew where we were going now.

{This is the Princess Town.} Harvey realized as we neared.

We got to the top of the hill. I slowed down to a trot. Up here the trees stood silently, some of them with a red tape around its trunk - the wild red plum trees.

Further on, we reached the road. We had come from the woods. The building work had begun - there were a few roads, and opened ditches where cable and pipes were being run. My wolf sniffed around.

The other wolves had walked out from the woods to explore the area... The workmen had built sheds on one side, and they had made effort to cover up with tarps in case of snow. But what we couldn't see, we could plainly smell - the smell of heavy machinery and dirt was pungent in the air.

{What's all this?}

I heard my wolves asked each other.

{This will be the Princess Town.} I told them, {In a short while, we will have new wolves. You are our generation's strongest wolves. When the time comes, I will be counting on you to be the stronger wolf, the bigger wolf, the more gracious wolf. Show our new members what it's like to run as one of us.}

{Together we will be strong, and we will rule from the top of the world.} Mate promised with a howl.

Wait, what?

The magic was strong on this hill... It tingled under my fur when the cold wind blew. I watched my mate, my betas, my warriors, throwing up their heads in turn to howl at the moon, the wind carrying our howls across the Green Packlands

I really had to talk to my Luna about his world domination plans. I mean, I'm all for persuing personal dreams and following your heart and all, but seriously...

Most Lunas usually did have charities or causes, or some kind of pet project they championed. You know, like the destitute house, or running Winderhill High, but world conquest?

I sighed, my breath a white cloud, and watched my wolves explore grounds of where the new town would one day stand.

A cold winter wind whipped around us. Mate moved so that his body would shelter my face from the wind. I watched his fur bluster in the wind. I'm not sure why, I felt like a hunter studying my prey. If I were a hunter, watching in the shadows, I would definitely shoot Bell.

He noticed me staring, our eyes met, I watched his golden eyes gleam under the moonlight. Maybe the vampires had the right idea - to collect beautiful wolves as show dogs or fight dogs. Because Mate at this moment was the most beautiful wolf I've ever seen.

Mate growled a little, and for a moment I thought he was going to snap at me to back off, but then he just adverted his gaze back to the full moon.

So... His royal white wolfiness was giving me silent permission to stare at him? Hahahaha. Did he know I was coveting his pelt? Or that I was fully considering the option of keeping him... Well, not in a cage, maybe more like a acrylic enclosure, like a hamster.

Yeah. I guess that would be my solution should my Luna prove to be a menace to world peace.

{Alpha, should we head back soon?} Harvey's wolf approached us.

Harvey didn't say it, but ah, I was caught staring at my mate again.

Mate nodded his large head, {Ready the men.}

Hey, he was talking to me! I got up on all fours and headed to where the front of the formation should probably start.

{Let's go, people. Move!} Ben ordered.

It only took a moment, I took the chance to watch Mate a little more. Again, he had followed me and positioned himself half a pace behind me.

{We're ready to go, Alpha and Luna.} Harvey reported, {Ki will take a rear as before.}

I nodded, {Yes, thank you.}

Harvey's wolf dropped his head in a bow as he stepped back. That was my cue to run.

{Let's go!} I called out to the wolves behind me, {Run, run, as fast as you can. We're going home!}

And we did, this time winding through the other section of woods and across the frozen stream.

{Whoot!} I leapt and skidded and jumped through the snowly embankment, over the thickets, and back out onto a new road that winded up from our pack town to the hill where the Princess Town will one day be.

I crossed the dark road and ducked back into the treeline. In no time at all, we were back in our pack town, running along the road, pass a neat row of houses.

Pups ran to the windows of their homes to watch us run along the empty roads. Shouldn't they be in bed by now?

But that's besides the point. The point was we were that cool - the next gen leadership and elite warriors of Night Leaf! Our wolves were huge and strong,  heaving and hot from the exertion, our breaths blew out in clouds, our claws scrapped on the tarmac. We were amazing.

And then we drew up in perfect formation by the packhouse. Hank came out to meet us (and count us to make sure we were all still there.)

The guys shifted first, as usual. Mate shifted without bothering to go behind the treeline first... again. Why? I looked away quickly, but seriously, I couldn't even put it on them being Lorent. Last I was there, they had stalls on the side of their packhouse to protect their modesty while they changed and showered.

I looked to the back of the run formation. Ki had also shifted, his human form smiling among the other wolves... maybe it was a fight dog thing?

Savy and Jessica came over to stand next to mine, while the guys disappeared behind the trees.

Female wolves were typically smaller than males. And Savy and Jessica's wolves were smaller than mine. Savy's white wolf had grown, but she was still pretty small - like maybe the size of a very large dog, small. Jessica's brown wolf was long and slender, just like her human self. They were both the type that were built for speed.

I guess if you were a normal female wolf, that would be the best build. You could run from danger really quick.

I sighed a little. Savy wasn't made to protect her mate... She was made to be protected. Oh well, it's okay. I was the alpha. I'll protect her. I will protect everyone.

{Sam, we can go change now.} Savy prompted me, and then she added as an afterthought, {That was a cool run.}

{The full moon and the stars out tonight. It was so romantic...} Jessica enthused, {Do you and Luna Bell run there often?}

We had each found our own private place to shift back and change so I couldn't see their faces, but I was quite sure Savy would be grinning at that. 

{Not really.} I said. It was my first time there. I just wanted to see it, the thing I had kept in my heart, being built in real life. And I wanted to show it to them, our growing territory.

I hopped into my pants and pulled on my tshirt. For some reason, I remembered how I had tripped over my hair and fallen over in the snow at first. My hair didn't get in my way anymore. In fact, it was very helpful and was able to slot itself into the right holes. It was second nature, like putting an arm through my tshirt now. Because of my clever hair, I was as usual the first to finish changing. I walked out to the porch to wait for Savy and Jessica. 

Looking up at the full moon, I marveled at the way it was white, the way Bell's fur was so very white. Never mind the Full Crow Moon, we could get a full moon any night one of us were dream travelling. What should we call it? The Full Travel Moon? Hahaha. 

I looked down at my hands. It wasn't just our territory that was growing, my powers too.

Little by little, one step at a time. Everything was changing, even me, no matter how slowly. Because of this, tomorrow would never look exactly as it did today. 

Since resistance to change was futile, then let us change into something better. 

A romantic Princess Town, a carefree Night Leaf Town, a peaceful Morning Light Town, an elegant Lorent Town. 

This was my dream. I was the alpha, and I will protect the happiness of the wolves who followed me. My territory would be the safe haven for happiness to be planted and grown by their own hands. Because I get it now... the only happiness that means anything, is the one we reach out for with our own hands.