You'll Be Sorry

Dr. Pepper Blues

Hey guys! Its been a while since I updated, and I was going to write a huge "Sorry" thing before this chapter, but I changed my mind. Because you all aren't dumb. Those of you that are fellow writers know that sometimes, the creative juices just aren't flowing the way we want them too. Stress, children, school, it all gets in the way of the story coming out the way we want it to. Sure, I could update every week and you would get the story more or less. But, it would not be the story I want to tell, not really. For that, I need to get all my juices flowing the right way to give you the story the way it deserves to be written. So, instead of saying "sorry" I am saying, thank you. Thank you for waiting while I got my head around this chapter. Thank you for understanding that art takes time. Thank you, for being there to support me when I do manage to get a chapter done. 

The next few days were a blur of getting things in order. After my leg healed, I'll be it a little crookedly, I set to getting the cabin in order. Although it had all the things I would need, it was a bit dingy. I used scraps from my shirt to dust the area and water from the well out front to scrub the floors and walls. When I ventured into the back room, I was surprised to find a door to a smaller room. It looked like the bedrooms were attached to each other, and the only way to access the second one was to go through the first. The larger room into the living room was filled with normal bedroom furniture, but the second surprised me. It was all set up for a baby to come, with everything I would need. The crib was made up with a sheet and small blanket, and the matching change table was beside it. There was no window, but a small lamp was there. I felt tears prickle in my eyes and wiped them away. I had heard that being with cub could make you more emotional, but I knew I didn't want to give into that too much. After I was content that I had set up the cabin the way I wanted it, I focused on the outside. The flower beds were tended nicely, so I only had to pull a few weeds to get them looking orderly. The yard was another story altogether. The lawn wasn't terrible, but it was beginning to look a little overgrown. Before I knew it, the cabin really started to feel like home. As I was settling down with one of the books of old stories, I brought over the red can from the basket. I wanted to try to figure out what it was. It appeared to be a drink of some sort, and I cautiously pulled the tab on the top up. It gave a hiss and I almost dropped it from the sudden noise. I took a sniff of the liquid inside, and it stirred an old memory. I had smelled this before, I just knew it. But, where? I brought it to my lips and took a slow sip. 

"It can't be," I whispered and stared at the can in my hands. I had tasted this before, in my early childhood. I hadn't thought about it in so long, it was too painful of a memory. So long ago, when the rogues came onto pack land. So many wolves had died that day, and more would have if I hadn't interfered the way I had. 

I dropped the can on the floor and burst out the door. Whoever this Takoda was, he knew my secret and I had to find out how. I shifted into my wolf and smelled the air, searching for his scent. It was stale, but I caught it at the edge of the trees where he always left food. I looked into the unprotected forest and slowly snuck my way in. I knew that the pack warriors would still be looking for me, and I didn't want to be caught off guard. I knew I could have just waited for Takoda to come back in a few days, but I needed answers now. I slinked through the trees, following the scent trail of Takoda. I came to a break in the trees and looked around. I could see a few wolves, but I couldn't be sure which one was Takoda, because I had only seen his human form. It was too dangerous to just smell my way to him, with all these unknown wolves milling about. I settled into watching them, curious about the life of rogues. I watched small children playing naked in the dirt, while other naked members of the pack watched on protectively for threats. I was glad that I was downwind of the pack because otherwise, I would be the threat they were watching for. One child caught my eye the most, a little girl with dark curly hair. Her body was dusty, but not overly dirty. I could see some clothes hanging from the trees, so they must have been washing them. She seemed to be having a ton of fun, but one of the women watching suddenly lurched forward and ripped her from her playmates. The girl screamed, but the woman covered her mouth. All the other kids scattered towards the trees, climbing up like little monkeys. I watched this scene unfold before it occurs to me that while I was watching the pack, the wind had shifted to my back. I started backing away but heard a growl. I was face to face with a black wolf snarling at me. I whimpered and sank low in front of him. The growl cut off when a silver wolf, slightly bigger then the black came up on my right. I wanted to roll over and show my stomach, but I didn't want to expose my cub. So, I stayed low in hopes I wouldn't seem threatening. They stared intently at each other, and then the black wolf walked away from me. I stayed low, as the silver wolf moved around me sniffing. I could feel my legs shaking as I waited, the dread filling me as the wolf came to stand in front of me. I kept my head down, not looking directly at it. I could feel the cold wind blowing my fur, and thought about how dumb it was that I had so thoughtlessly gone looking for Takoda instead of waiting in the safety of my cabin. I could hear the wolf shifting to human form, and glanced up. If he had wanted to fight, I don't see why he would have shifted. My eyes took in bronze, toned legs following up to slender hips. I saw a peppering of dark curly hair before I quickly looked up, embarrassed with myself for not realizing he would not be wearing clothes. Although I am used to seeing naked human forms, something about this man made me feel like I shouldn't be looking at him like this. He chuckled, shaking his head at me. 

"Look all you want cheire, I don't mind." a gravelly voice told me, and my eyes went to his face. I barked out of surprise and then shook my head. Takoda laughed and sat with his legs crossed in front of me. I shifted back to human form and crossed my arms over my chest. 

"You! I was looking for you." I pointed a finger at him, and his face became serious. He stood, and it was his turn to shake his head at me. 

"It is not safe here, you must know this. Please, let me walk you back to the cabin." His face looked stern, with his eyebrows pulled together and lips pursed. But his voice shook with worry, and he held his hand out for me to take. For a moment, I forgot what had made me come running out of my safe haven after this man. For a moment, the feeling of being exposed had nothing to do with my lack of clothes. I had forgotten that the wolves from my pack could be bearing down on me at any moment, and I reached out to take his hand. He quickly started walking back from where I came from, but not fast enough to hurt my shoulder. I followed, trying not to make too much noise. 

"So, why were you looking for me?" Takoda asked after we had gone a ways back through the trees, and he smiled back at me when I hesitated. I had left the cabin in such a rush that I hadn't really thought about what I would say to him when I did find him. Now I felt tongue-tied, not sure how I was supposed to explain why the can had brought such a panic on. 

"That drink you gave me." I started, and he nodded looking a bit confused. "Where did you get it?" I asked, and he chuckled. 

"From the human village of course. Where else would I find pop?" He seemed to think it was a joke.

"No! I mean, how did you know? How did you know that I liked it?" I asked him sternly, panic settling into my stomach. He must have sensed my emotions because he sighed at me. 

"Cherie, I don't expect you to remember. It was so long ago, and you were so young. The years that have past have changed us both so much, it is understandable that your mind has let go of those painful memories...." he trailed off, almost seeming to be speaking to himself. There was a sadness to his voice, but that didn't stop me from being more confused. 

"Takoda, did you kill Cody?"