Fletcher fell backwards. His hand gripped his chest. I stepped forward and inhaled the smell of fresh blood. I was on my own. Just Fletcher and I. My pack had fled the scene leaving me with only two choices. Run and flee, as they did. Cowards. They called themselves wolves but they acted like cubs. Or stay. Help the arrogant alpha. I supposed I could have used it to my advantage in the future.

I waited what was no longer than a few seconds, though it felt like at least several minutes, and inched towards him as he lay on the ground. I looked up at the sky. The clouds gradually moved to reveal a stunning full moon. Knowing I'd read something about our kind and injuries in one of my brother's uni books, I knew what I had to do.

I wrapped my arm around Fletcher's waist and using all my weight, slowly managed to help him to his feet. His hand still clutched his chest and I could see the blood seeping through his fingers.

"What happened?!" I said, "what was that?!"

Pain and rage contorted his face. With every step we took, I felt his body weaken.

"Just get me to the centre."

One foot, then another, then another. Slowly and without help, I managed to move him from where it happened to the centre of the clearing. He slipped to the ground as the moonlight shone from above. I moved back to let the moon do its thing. I watched. At first Fletcher's fingers twitched slightly. Then his arms and then the rest of his body. I knew then that the moon and his wolf were one.

A subtle sensation like pins and needles started in my fingertips. I looked down at my hands. Bluey black veins moved up my fingers towards my arms as my wolf inched closer to the surface. My heart pounded inside my chest and my breathing quickened. Not long now. Slowly I dropped to my knees, my hands outstretched. My fingers gripped into the soft ground. My whole body stretched. I could hear my bones creaking and feel them changing as I shifted from girl to wolf. One final stretch and I was no longer myself. My thoughts now occupied by finding my pack and discovering what happened to Fletcher.

Talking of the devil. There he lay. Still in his human form. I knew from Nathan's book that that was not normal. I thought the moon cured everything in a werewolf, maybe I was wrong. I thought once he'd be fine once he'd transformed, maybe I was wrong. Fletcher Juddington-Jones may have been the most annoyingly arrogant twat I'd ever met, but he needed my help whether I liked it or not.

Not knowing if I was doing the right thing or not, I pressed my canine nose to the ground in the desperate hope that I would pick up the scent of my pack. I inhaled deeply, but nothing.

Then I caught a whiff of something, not a member of my pack, but another wolf scent. I sniffed the air and slowly began to walk, slowly at first, in the direction, following it through the forest. The scent was a female and older female, so that ruled out the pack girls. It became stronger with every step I took. From the cover of trees and bushes, I saw the wolf. There she stood. Her muzzle deep inside the carcass of a poor dead rabbit. I couldn't help wondering if she'd caught it herself or whether or not it was roadkill. I stepped forward. A twig snapped under my weight. The wolf turned towards me, a deep growl rumbled under her breath as she moved closer.

Fletcher needed help. And I knew that. The wolf, whoever she was, was an adult. He was a stupid teenager. I hope more than anything that she would be able to help. I looked her straight in the eyes, growling and snarling. Wolf code for I need you to follow me. She moved even closer, my queue to run. I ran at top speed back towards where I'd left Fletcher. My head was full of stupid what if, scenarios. What if she refused to help? What if she turned on us? What if Fletcher didn't survive?

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For Chaoticmocha 's contest

If anyone's read the previous story, who do you think the wolf is?