Sincere apologies to all of you reading this story. This story is a slow process but I'm slowly moving forward with it so bare with me please! Remember I enjoy feedback - good, bad, even suggestions. I have to thank my new buddy Kenny for some of the ideas in this chapter!
Note -- Just wanted to take this moment to add something important. My character's names reflect who their wolf is more then who the person actually is, it's a 'wolf custom that they find their 'wolf's name and then take it for their own. The idea is as they age the human part of their soul achieves more and more harmony with the wolf part of their soul and will eventually mirror their wolf. Like Koen's name means Honest and his wolf's defining character trait is honesty. Honest is the true source of _who_ his wolf is and who what he is slowly becoming.
CHAPTER SIX
KOEN
Koen was dreaming. Only it didn't feel like a normal dream, Koen felt it was a summoning dream. Koen found himself out in the old familiar vale in 'wolf form. It had been the meeting place of his pack for generations and Koen found himself waiting for something as he sat on his haunches patiently, relaxed but alert. The darkness of the night was all around him, broken up by the cold glow of the stars and the subtle blue-white light of the heavy waxing moon hanging high in the sky above him, showing only a quarter was left before it was showing all of it's pale face. The tall oak and birch trees that stood at the edges of the grove spread out as far as his wolf eyes could see and a thick mist, nearly a fog drifted lazily around the area with no breeze to push it. A huge, ancient apple tree sat at the centre of the clearing with huge, flat granite stones scattered about it at random. It looked to Koen the same as it always had, but there was no smell and it was eerily silent of the normal noise made by such a vale , nor was there a breath of wind or the natural breathing rhythm of a forest at night. But Koen wasn't disturbed by this, he just waited patiently, still as the clearing around him. The reason he was here would be answered in due time he told himself as he waited.
Time passed and yet it didn't for Koen, he had no idea how long he waited there but where there was no noise suddenly there came a howl. Low, solemn, not commanding but it was demanding an answer all the same. Koen's sensitive ears swiveled as he listened to the howl as it seemed to carry on tirelessly, effortlessly, as if the wolf howling had all the time in the world to howl like that. The tone of the howl had him cocking his head curiously. The tone and the voice were familiar to him, young, female. Raising his muzzle he answered her with his own voice in a similar low, solemn fashion, but his had a chiding, less serious edge to it. It conveyed that she didn't have to be that formal with him, or that demanding. He'd done what she wished and he was here wasn't he?
The howl stopped and knowing she wasn't far way stayed where he was indulgently, still in no real hurry to be anywhere else. Before long he heard a soft yipping sound coming out of the misty trees ahead of the slender red wolf that loped out of the trees. Her teeth were showing in a wolfish grin as she loped towards him, pale green eyes a mirror to his own reflected amusement and annoyance. Stopping in front of him she nuzzled him affectionately in greeting, rubbing her chest and side against him vibrating with that growling purr. Koen nipped her shoulder affectionately, making sure to drape a heavy leg over her shoulder to hold her still so he could wash her ears and muzzle with his tongue to be irritating. She sneezed rubbing a paw over her muzzle and ears as she moved back from him, glaring her opinion of a gesture she hated. Koen laughed silently at her, cocking his head to the side he asked her in wolf language what she wanted. With a very human roll of those pale green eyes the slender red wolf reared up on her rear legs and slipped into her human skin. Unconcerned with her nudity she sat cross legged on the grass, a pointed expression on her face as she waited for Koen to slip back to human. With a huff Koen did and mirrored her position on the grass.
"Well out with it Kaula, you don't usually go to this much trouble unless its important." Koen prompted his twin sister. The slender young 'wolf across from him looked almost identical to him, lean, as tall as he was, but her dark red hair was cut short enough that the silky looking stuff brushed her jaw. Her features were more feminine then his but they were the same, mirror images of each other.
Kaula gave him a penetrating look her lips twitching into a smile. "Can't a little sister just want to say hello to her older brother?"
Koen returned her look without the smile. "You know this isn't a good idea."
Kaula snorted. "Oh cut that crap. They're human they can't track us into our dreams and I doubt if the 'wolves they enlisted will be looking for us this way."
Koen arched an eyebrow. "That's not the point and you know it. Leaving meant no contact between us, but you guys still managed to follow and find me."
Kaula frowned a touch of anger glittering in her pale eyes. "We miss you, you know. I miss you"
Koen softened a little. "You think I don't go a day without missing any of you?"
Kaula scowled. "Well if you miss us that much why are you still not with us? Come back, we need you. You shouldn't have left us in the first place. But you had to go and play the hero." She responded heatedly. "You had no right to just do that. We had a right to fight with you, be by your side. But no, oh no, you have to be the way you are, all pig headed and bad assed."
Koen felt his own temper straining it's leash. "Hey! Listen to me! I left for a very good reason. They weren't _just_ human you know. It was my fault they found out about our serum. They weren't giving up and they killed Dad thinking he was me and came very close to catching Rey and Raine. They severely injured Brant and Mum. I had no choice! I mean fuck me, they got Rain! He was just a baby!"
"Oh fuck you Koen! That's bullshit. Dad knew what he was getting into and the risk he was taking, so did Reynard and Mum. Raine I grant you shouldn't have happened. But that didn't give you the right to just abandon your pack. Without Dad to lead us we need you. You know it's your damned responsibility to lead our goddamned family." Kaula snarled back.