Wolf 13

Good Bye

Evening

Tarun was in pain but at least Camlo was safe now.

Evening

Camlo rushed over to the black wolf's side. He had already been injured before this attack and now he was hurt even worse. He transformed into his human shape., paying no mind to his nakedness.

He talked softly to the injured wolf and pet his head to distract him from the pain. The wolf had three red stripes through his fur across his ribs.

Evening

Tarun could feel three burning stripes on his side. He was having trouble concentrating. He could feel his control over his shape slip. His fur was melting back into his skin. His paws were lengthening and splitting into hands. His muzzle receded. His ears rounded. His tail shrunk.

Camlo was still crouched beside him. He tried in vain to stop the reverse transformation, but he knew the moment he turned completely back into his human form when he heard Camlo's surprised and horrified gasp.

Evening

"T-tarun? Alpha?"

Camlo couldn't believe what he was seeing. His Alpha, the Alpha, the one he was running from was here. He'd been the black wolf the whole time!

"H-how?"

Tarun shifted onto his side and turned towards him.

"I...I wanted to talk to you, to apologize..."

He still didn't know what was happening. It was scary that this man had followed him across the plains. Who would do that?

"I just-" Tarun reached a hand out to touch his arm. Camlo flinched back. The arm fell.

"I really do love you. I just wanted to love and protect you."

That was no excuse. He needed to tell him that. His throat felt like it was closing. He'd never stood up to anyone in his entire life. It wasn't in his nature as a person or a wolf. Being at the bottom of the pack did that to a person.

An aborted sound left his mouth. He licked his dry lips to wet them.

"W-well, you should've asked me f-first. If I wanted to m-mate with you."

Tarun looked down, he assumed in guilt.

"I was working on getting that tradition changed. The pack I was born in was even worse than this pack. It was very traditional."

"Why did you want to mate with me without my consent then?"

"It was-just. Your parents-"

"What? What about my parents? They have nothing to do with this. This should h-have been between just...you...and me..." He'd lost his momentum after that, realizing he was yelling at his Alpha.

"Camlo..."

But he found his resolve.

"A-alpha, no, Tarun, I do not, will not, mate you."

The alpha's face looked stricken.

"Camlo, I need to get back to the pack soon. Please come with me."

"No. I want to live out here, in the plains. Roseath is teaching me to live on my own. I will be able to live on my own soon."

Tarun looked down in defeat.

Suddenly Camlo remembered why he was able to be coherent.

"Tarun, when you go back can you bring some berries to the healers? When I was running I ate some berries that made my heat stop."

Tarun looked shocked. "I-I'll..see what I can do."

"Good bye , Tarun."

"Good bye, Camlo."

Tarun turned his body towards the way back to the pack. Camlo could see the sadness in his hunched shoulders.

"Tarun."

He stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"Yes?"

"You know...I will still visit. My parents are still there, after all."

A smile spread over Tarun's face. This time when he turned around his shoulders were back and he wasn't so stooped.

And that's the end of that.

I know some of you may be disappointed that this has ended so suddenly, but I feel that I've really come further in writing than this so I needed to end it.

I may rewrite this sometime in the future. For now I'll just leave it for anyone who still wants to read it.