Zach looked around frantically searching for a sign that what just happened wasn't his mind telling him  he was going crazy. He saw nothing but the same bunch of Oak and Sycamore trees so he picked up his newly found watch and froze. There was something different about it, the back felt as if someone took a knife and cut something into the back of the silvery metal frame.

He flipped it over. There was a wolf head howling inscribed in the back. Under read: "Dawn". But what was under that word was what confused him more. The were three letters: SOL.

He sensed something behind. Quickly he looked up and saw another dark figure. Without thinking he ran away, hoping to escape the possible danger that lurked in the trees.

"Zach, wait!"

He stopped and turned to see Skyler running after him before being tackled to the ground. His heart raced and he squeezed his eyes shut, preparing himself for the worst.

"Chase, come here. Get off of him."

His faithful pup lay on top of him, panting hard from running. He tried to clam himself but his heart kept exploding out of his chest.

"Zach, I just found something weird."

...

He ran after his friend, the small weeds scratching his ankles as he went. Chase, running ahead of him, pulled him along desperately.

"Where are we going again?"

"Well.... its a lot easier to show you."Skyler responded. He kept scanning the forest as he ran, going towards trees that had cuts in their bark.

He marked the path. Why I aren't that smart?

"Over here." Skyler pointed to something at the bottom of a hill. He suddenly stopped and Zach, not being able to stop in time, crashed into him, sending them both tumbling down the hill. Zach fell on top of Skyler who groaned under him, making him quickly get up.

"Sorry." He mumbled nervously.

They both dusted themselves off and walk towards a cut in a tree.

"Here." Skyler said.

In a mess of blood, dirt, and flies lay the the mauled carcass of a large buck.

"But- but there are no predators in Hesper Woods." Zach said worriedly.

"I know and look at this." Skyler said and pointed to the paw prints in the dirt. He took Chase's paw and pressed it into the soil to compare the two.

"The animal was a canine. I know what you're thinking, no it could not have been a wolf that escaped from the sanctuary. A single one could not have taken down a full grown buck. And look at the size of its prints. It was much bigger."

"The deer only just died... we need to go. Now!" Zach panicked before a low, familiar growl emitted nearby, sending shivers down his spine.

The two boys ran, not even knowing where they were going. Part of Zach wanted to stop, to let the white wolf save him again only to see if it was real.

"Come out. I need your help. You protected me once, do it again." He whispered to no one at all.

They had been running for ten minute and Zach, convinced the beast was gone, kept running not daring to stop.

He looked back, but that was his mistake, right as he looked back ahead he saw a gray blur and he fell.

"Zach, don't move."

He looked up, a few feet lay a gray wolf on its back. Zach flinched back as it snapped it's eyes open. He flipped himself over and kept staring at Zach taking a quick glance at Skyler He he stood up.

Chase growled, held back by Skyler. He kept watching the wolf to see how it would react to Chase, if it would attack his loyal dog. Suddenly Zach felt something in his chest, something that somehow melted his fear away. He felt as if the wolf wouldn't hurt him, that it was in no way ordinary.

Slowly Zach got to his feet, not taking his eyes off the wolf. He looked quickly to left then back to the two boys before taking off.

"Help!" Zach turned his head towards the cry. It came from the direction the wolf had gone.

"Someone help me!"

A boy, about the same age as Zach, came running through the forest. He stopped near him. He was dressed in a grey short sleeved shirt, his long pants and plain shoes matching the color. His eyes were blue and fearless despite his tone. His medium long hair lightly hung over one of his eyes.

Zach gave Skyler a nervous look before approaching the teen.

"There was a wolf." He panted.

"Um, who are you here with." Zach asked him, ignoring his statement.

"No one, I'm alone."

"Oh." He looked towards Skyler, who came forward towards them.

"We can take you home if you want our car is... um hold on." Skyler pulled out a compass, "That way. Do you need a ride?"

"I don't have a home... hey um this a wired question but can I see your watch?"

"Uh, sure." Zach said and unbuckled his watch and places it in his hands. He turned it over running his fingers over the engraving.

"You have a SOL?" He asked, surprised.

"A soul? What?" Zach asked in confusion.

"Oh um SOL spelled S-O-L. Wait you don't know what that is? Oh no."

"Wait, what's wrong?"

"Yeah, are we supposed to know something. And when did you get that watch, I didn't notice it before cause we were too busy getting chased by a wolf." Skyler chimed in.

"Wait, THERES ANOTHER ONE?!" This time the fear in his eye was real.

"Yeah, um Skyler I didn't tell you this but I was attacked by a large dark-furred one. And somehow a white one saved me...?" He said unsurely.

The boy sighed, "There's a lot to explain, but right now we need to go before the wolf comes back. Tell no about this, ok?"

Zach and Skyler nodded and walked back to the car.

....

"Ok start explaining.... something. Wait what is it that need to explain?"

"This might be a lot to take in, everything I'm gonna explain. First thing, my name is Alec, from what I gathered your name is Zach and his is Skyler."

The two boys nodded and Alec continued.

"Ok I'm only doing this cause I trust Zach since he has shown some qualities I'm looking for. I believe I can help you and you can help me. So don't freak out."

Suddenly Alec disappeared and in his place was the same gray wolf that Zach met in the forest. The one that ran from him into the forest.

Alec was a shapeshifter

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Hi, I haven't done an authors note  in a while so umm.. hi.... I hope you're enjoying this story

Thanks for reading and plz vote❤️❤️