Running with the Pack - 1. Chapter 1

Ethan Scott leisurely made his way along an old game trail as he hiked through the Blue Ridge Mountains. He had recently left Richmond for the first time since arriving three years earlier. Life on the streets had been hard and he figured he needed time away from the city; time to think, time to decide what he wanted to do next, and even time to find himself. Maybe he would be lucky and this little trip might turn into something as close to an adventure as someone like him could have. Being away from the city already felt like he was on a journey into the unknown.

His existence in the city had been lonely even though there were always people around. Now that he was away from everyone, Ethan thought there might finally be one advantage to living as he had, with no real friends or family to be tied too if he decided to up and go, there was nothing to stop him and nobody to miss him. That thought saddened him though because he knew no one would care if he was not around or never returned to Richmond. Maybe a couple of people would notice he had gone, but they would quickly find a replacement for him.

When Ethan finally made the decision to leave town, he packed the few things he had into his backpack and started walking. Once he was near the interstate, he decided to try hitchhiking towards the Blue Ridge Mountains. He had wanted to go there ever since he saw pictures of the mountains in a magazine he had found in a dumpster while scrounging for food. Hitchhiking was a risky option, but it was better than trying to hike the entire hundred miles. He got rides from a few people; one willing to take him some distance while the others simply picked him up in hopes of quick sex before dumping him on the side of the road once again. When he got close enough that he could not find any more rides, he resumed hiking on foot towards Shenandoah National Park. He had to admit it was beautiful, more so than pictures had revealed. It was a different kind of beauty from the mountains and forests he remembered in other places he had lived, but it sure was a welcome change from the concrete jungle of the city.

In a way, Ethan wished he had made the decision to go to the mountains sooner. He really did not know why he stayed in Richmond as long as he did. It was partly because he was afraid to leave what was familiar and he had learned how to survive. Ethan had been living on the streets since he was fifteen. His father kicked him out upon finding out about Ethan being gay. Home life had never been particularly great, but it was a roof over his head and meals to eat regardless of his father’s indifference to his existence. In the three years that had passed, he felt like he was doing okay and had managed to take pretty good care of himself most of the time. He knew where he could usually find something to eat or a place to sleep for the night. He had to do things he did not like for money, but selling himself also meant he could eat better that what comes out of a dumpster. He never really thought he would make it to his eighteenth birthday and now that he had, he still could not see a future for himself beyond life on the street. A small part of him hoped it would be a major thorn in the side of the old sperm donor if he knew Ethan was still alive.

He had hiked past several campgrounds after arriving in Shenandoah and was able to scavenge quite a few things campers had thrown out. He felt lucky when he ran across an old frying pan that just looked like it needed a good washing; a small pot and a fold-up campfire rack were a lucky find as well. It was all easily tied onto his backpack. He was surprised by all the things people threw out that to him still looked to work fine. The cheap fishing rod and box of hooks was a treasure as far as he was concerned; the only thing wrong with the rod was it needed the fishing line untangled. Not wanting to stay around where people were or get caught as a non-registered camper at any of the national park campgrounds, he moved deeper into the mountains thinking if he needed to scavenge more he could always return.

******

Spring in the mountains seemed to truly be a bountiful time he thought. There always appeared to be plenty to eat. He was getting better at fishing and catching small animals like rabbits and squirrels for a little meat every now and then. It was a good thing he actually paid attention on those scout survival campouts he used to get sent on. He had worried about being able to find things to eat, but managed to rarely go hungry.

Ethan knew there were bigger animals around, ones that could hunt him for their next meal. Fortunately they had left him alone, so he made sure he left them alone as well. Regardless of any danger some creatures of the forest might be, to Ethan, the best part of all in being there was he had not seen another person in quite a while. Every so often, when the winds would shift, he would smell smoke on the breeze from a campfire off in the distance.

He spent most of his days hiking, exploring, and collecting what the forest provided that he could eat for a day or two; never taking more than he could use and not letting food go to waste. He tried to only spend a day or two in one spot before he moved on, not wanting to leave too much of a mark on the land to show he had ever been there. If he got tired of hiking, he would find a nice spot and pull out one of the few books he had and read about werewolves, dragons, a young vampire prince or other such nonsense as his old man used to call it. Even though he knew it was all fiction, at times he wanted to believe maybe there was something more out there beyond the only existence he had known.

Another benefit he was finding to being out there all alone in the forest when the weather was so nice, was there really was not a need for much in the way of clothes. One day, after washing up in a stream and laying out to dry, the feeling of the sun on his skin was wonderful. Ethan figured since no one was around there was no reason to mess up a set of clothes he would to have to wash later. It did not take him long to get comfortable walking around in just his boots, always keeping a pair of shorts handy just in case he met someone. He gave a small laugh as he thought maybe he liked it because it went against everything he had been taught was acceptable. Or maybe it was just a rebellious exhibitionist streak within himself coming to light for the first time. Besides, people had told him he had a decent body. He may only be 5’3” and weigh in around 135 pounds, with blond hair and deep blue eyes, but it was all trim and tight from years of swimming, sports, martial arts, and lots of walking. As long as he did not run into other people, he definitely liked this.

Mountain nights were serene beyond description. That is not to say it was completely quiet. Not by a long shot. The sounds of the crickets and other animals made it easy to fall asleep though. It was such a nice change from the noise of a busy city. He loved the sound of the wolves and coyotes the most. For the first time in years, Ethan felt at peace with himself.

******

Ethan realized at some point he was good and lost, but surprisingly, it did not really bother him. He had gone there to more or less get lost and maybe find himself in the process if he was lucky. By watching the sun, it was easy to tell what direction was what and he had been traveling northeast away from the national park. He was simply trying to enjoy himself for a while. There was no need to deal with city people that were usually just looking to take whatever they could from you. No creepy guys offering him cash for sex. Fortunately, he left all that behind in Richmond. Out there, it was just him and nature.

He found a clearing with a wide stream running past that had fish in it. The sun was warm, the sound of the water was so relaxing, and there were berries and other things close by for food. After washing up in the stream, Ethan laid out on the grassy bank to let the sun dry him. He could feel the smile forming on his face as he laid there with his eyes closed and realized it was the first time in a long time he had truly smiled.

Being a teenager lying naked in the sun, it was pretty much a guarantee he was going to easily get aroused. Since there was no one around and he did not see any reason to not take care of it then and there. He took matters into hand and laid back to enjoy slow leisurely strokes as images of sexy men came to his mind. After keeping himself on edge far too long, he finished and promptly dozed off.

When he finally woke up, he rinsed off in the cool water of the stream and went to pick berries. A couple of times he thought he heard animals fairly close, but whenever he looked to where the sound came from he never saw anything. He went hiking a little ways from the clearing and found a cool spot on top of a large boulder that gave a beautiful view of the area. He could see further down the stream and it looked like a couple of coyotes getting a drink. It made him wish he had a camera. The more he watched, he realized they were not coyotes but must be wolves. They were bigger and their color was different, plus he did not know if coyotes went in groups or packs. If there were wolves nearby, he hoped they would leave him alone.

As evening wore on, he could pick up the faint scent of smoke from a camp fire. With the light breeze there was no telling how far away it was. He managed to catch a fish from the stream, made his own fire, and cooked it up for dinner. Full and happy, he laid back and listened to the sounds of the forest. The moon was shining bright and looked like it would soon be full. After making sure the fire was out and cold, he crawled into his sleeping bag and went to sleep.

He woke to the sound of a snapping twig close by. It was not the first time some animal had ventured close during the night. He figured it was a deer like the previous night or something like that, so he laid quietly trying not to scare it or draw its attention to himself. After a short time, he heard it move off and he went back to sleep. He knew he probably was not the smartest person when it came to camping out in the forest, but figured if something is going to happen, it would happen.

******

The following day was more of the same. Wash up, find a handful of wild berries close by to snack on, do some hiking, work on an all over tan, and see what he could catch for dinner. He thought he caught sight of the wolves he had heard at night off in the distance from one of the higher spots he found, but it was so quick he could not be sure. He headed back towards his campsite and along the way started getting aroused, so he did what any teenager would do and stopped to take care of it. He thought he saw movement in the trees a couple times, but it in no way distracted him from the task at hand.

Once he reached camp, he did a quick wash up and lay out to dry. In a way he felt like he was being really lazy, but he told himself this was his reward for the hell he had lived through for the last couple of years. He quickly let those thoughts go and just enjoyed himself. Ethan heard movement a ways back in the trees and slowly sat up to look around. He couldn’t really see much since he was in the sun, but he was sure he saw something more than a shadow. He moved into the shade of a tree and took another look around. As his eyes adjusted, he was definitely sure something was there. He sat back against the tree and would occasionally look in the direction he thought the animal was. Whatever it was, it seemed to be lying there watching him.

Feeling like a bit of an exhibitionist just sitting there naked while something was watching him, he started to get a semi. Then thinking about it a little and laughing at himself that all it takes is a breeze blowing over him, Ethan went from semi to full-blown hard. He started putting on a little show for whatever it was back in the brush. It did not take him long to hit the point of no return and he thoroughly enjoyed the finish. When he was done, the animal quickly got up and ran off. He would have sworn it was a wolf he had just seen. He had to laugh as he thought, “I just jacked off for a fucking wolf.”

This seemed to go on for another couple days. On the third day, he had been out hiking again and came back to camp feeling like he was being followed. He tried his best to ignore it and kept walking. When he got there, he went over to the stream, got a drink, and did a quick wash up. After he finished and moved over to a spot to sit down, he could see a very large pure black wolf standing at the edge of the clearing just inside the tree line. A wave of panic washed over Ethan thinking it was going to attack him and he could hear little else but the sound of his pounding heart. It took him a while to realize it could have attacked him at any time if it really wanted to and he started to calm down just a little hoping it would leave him alone.

They both stayed there for who knows how long, quietly watching each other. He could not help thinking how beautiful the animal was. He had loved wolves for as long as he could remember and now he seeing one that was not captive in a zoo or far off in the distance. It watched him and stood there not acting at all aggressive. Ethan was not going to press his luck by doing anything and knew better than to try and run from it. After a little while, it laid down but continued to watch him. It would occasionally lift its nose and sniff around then look back at him.

It finally got up and started to slowly walk towards Ethan; moving like it was stalking its prey. Ethan stayed as still as he could, just watching the wolf and wishing his knife or something else he could use to defend himself was within reach. He was sure it could smell the fear coming off him. As it got closer, Ethan could tell it was a male. He walked right up to the blond, started sniffing him, and gave a few huffs. Ethan shook in fear thinking he was about to become a wolf snack. It stood right at his side and he had to look up at the wolf as it looked down at him. As if trying to put the boy at ease or deciding if Ethan would make a tasty morsel, the beast licked the side of his face and proceeded to lie down and nuzzle his snout against the boy’s arm and hand.

This was a dream come true for Ethan, getting to be this close to his favorite non-mythical creature. He was still too afraid to move, so the wolf took the lead and worked his nose under the boy’s hand, lifting it until he slid his head under it. The animal laid his head back on his enormous front paws seemingly happy with the blond’s hand on him. Ethan’s fingers slowly started to work again and he gently rubbed the wolf’s head and scratched around his ears. It was kind of fun seeing those ears twitch. The fur on its head was soft, much more so then he would have ever thought. As Ethan scratched its head, he quietly talked to the wolf telling him how beautiful he was, like it could really understand anything he said.

After spending a while letting Ethan scratch his ears and head, the wolf got up, sniffed the air while looking around, and ran off into the woods. Ethan sat there trying to figure out if it had all really happened. Had a wolf really come up to him? Not just a wolf, but an enormous wild one. The whole event ran through his mind over and over. Ethan still could not believe it happened, but he could still smell the creature’s scent on his hand; it had truly been a dream come true.

After the adrenaline rush started to wear off, Ethan got very tired and laid down to take a nap. It was just coming on dusk when he woke up. He was a little mad at himself for having slept away the afternoon. He had not tried to catch anything for dinner so it was going to be a meal of berries. As he started to get up he noticed a rabbit at his feet. When he looked closer and saw it was not moving, he realized the wolf must have caught dinner for him. He looked around, but did not see or hear the animal anywhere. Ethan picked up the rabbit and proceeded to clean and cook it. As night came, he could hear the wolves howling in the distance and the sound brought a happy feeling to him. He said a silent thank you to the wolf for dinner and went to sleep dreaming of his new friend.

******

Ethan had not planned on staying at the same spot this long but the food around the area seemed to be plentiful and the recent company was nice. He saw the wolf from time to time while hiking as if he was making sure Ethan was okay. If he sat somewhere, the wolf would walk up to him, lick his face, and lay down next to him. The beast rested his head in the boy’s lap and Ethan became uncomfortable when the animal’s hot breath made him hard. Ethan finally got up and started walking back towards camp, talking to the wolf the entire time.

When they got there, Ethan got his fishing pole and sat along the stream with the wolf at his side. He kept up his one sided conversation and the wolf seemed like he was listening to everything that was said. He caught two nice rainbow trout, cleaned them, and cooked one for himself. He sat down to eat his and gave the other to the wolf. The wolf happily ate his fish and watched Ethan while he ate his. As if something had shocked him, the wolf quickly jumped to his feet and started sniffing the air. He let out a very low growl while looking around. He looked at Ethan briefly who was again shaking with fear, gave him a quick lick to the side of the face, and ran off into the trees at full speed. Ethan was feeling tired and could not concentrate when trying to read so he decided to turn in early. He put out the fire and dowsed it with water to make sure it was cold.

Just after dark, he could see the moon rising. The night looked like it would be a bright full moon. In the distance, he could hear the wolves. It seemed like each time he would hear them, they would be a little closer or maybe a little louder. The sound made him happy because every howl made him think of his wolf. He felt like it was the first real friend he had had in a long time even if the beast did not know it. Ethan went to sleep feeling remarkably happy.

******

Something woke him up during the night. He could see the full moon overhead and as he looked around surprise set in at the moon reflecting off several pair of eyes. Ethan’s blood ran cold with fear as he heard several deep growls. The glowing eyes slowly started stalking towards him and the lead stepped out of the shadows into the moonlight followed by several other wolves. One was ahead of the rest and he could tell it was not his wolf. It did not matter one way or the other because as they got closer, he could see them baring their teeth.

Ethan curled up in the fetal position hoping to protect himself from the attack he knew was coming. It had been a warm night, so he was on top of his sleeping bag, not that it would have provided any additional protection to him. He heard the growling getting louder and closer. He could not bring himself to open his eyes as he did not want the last thing he saw to be his beloved animal taking his life. Suddenly he felt fur brush over his side as one of the wolves jumped over him from the opposite side. It seemed to place itself between him and the rest of the pack with its tail touching Ethan. The growling grew louder as the fur moved away and was no longer in contact with him. He dared to opened his eyes and saw the black wolf and the lead wolf from the pack fighting. His wolf was trying to protect him from the others. It forced the other to back away from him. The others seemed to be moving away from the clash, no longer growling or snarling at Ethan. It was as if they were watching the battle and did not know what to do.

As the fight moved back towards Ethan’s side, he hid his face and pulled himself into an even tighter ball. He felt the teeth sink into his leg and screamed out from the intense pain from the bite. He heard a yelp and the one that bit him quickly let go. When he looked once again, he saw his wolf had its jaw wrapped around the neck of the other. With the battle was over, the black beast dragged the whining animal away. As Ethan’s wolf released the other, it rolled onto its back with paws in the air and appeared to go limp in submission. He thought he saw the wolves start to shift and turn into people as his body was racked with convulsions. Others were pulling their defeated leader back while the one that had been his wolf looked down at him with a sorrowful expression on his face.

The human version of his wolf knelt beside Ethan and gently held him. “I’m so sorry. It’ll be okay.” More convulsions wracked the blond’s body as Ethan’s world went black.