Chapter Text
Deep in the woods, where the sliver of moonlight provides only hints of lights, there was a wolf. Not just any wolf, but a werewolf, and a very hungry one at that. Her name was Sylvia, not that she would tell you that. Syliva was young, roughly 25 in human years, and has only ever known hurt. The humans of this world were not kind towards those they deemed beasts, and Sylivia matched their description.
Now, Sylvia didn't live in the woods, nor did she live in the cities that surrounded the forest. She was a wanderer, not staying in one place for very long, having learned that it was safer to move around. The reason she was there that night was due to her escape from the local animal control van. One of them had left the door open and with her strength she pushed the cage she had been in out, bending the metal enough for her to wiggle through.
Her body ached from where the metal bars had hugged into her skin, just barely managing to get away with only a couple of scrapes. More importantly, she was hungry and the woods would have food for her, as long as humans had not been through. With a small groan, she kept her head down and ears open, hoping to catch a scent or sound of prey. Her paws were soft against the leaf litter, as she kept her pace slow and steady.
As she was nearing a small opening in the trees, not quite a clearing but the trees were less dense, she paused. Her body held stiff and a tiny noise reached her ears. When no other sound followed, slowly she crept forward deeply smelling the ground. Her hope of finding a meal tonight was diminishing. Another sound, one more unnatural than the last, and the stench of human hit her. As fast as she could, she turned around running as quickly as she could.
The sound of a gunshot thundered across the forest, scattering the few birds nearby. Sylvia's heart thumped against her ribcage, her exhausted body screaming at her. She missed the first bullet, but if she wasn't careful she would not get so lucky next time. As if fate had heard her thoughts, its twisted hands intervened. The crack of a shot echoed through the woods again and searing heat lit up her left hip. A pained yip left her throat, and she pushed harder, running faster. A second bullet seared across her right shoulder as she turned, hoping to throw this guy off her path. A strained yowl followed, before she turned once again and headed towards the border of the forest, hoping the greater chance of other humans would deter him.
In her panicked state the larger rocks around the edge of the woods caught her off guard and she tumbled over. Sylvia's ear twitched as the sound of breaking twigs reached her. With shaking legs she stood and faced him. Her teeth were bared and the tense air was filled with her snarling.
“What a pretty trophy you'll make” the man smirked, setting up to fire again. Sylvia lunged, throwing her whole weight into him, causing him to lose the rifle. A low growl rumbled from her throat, as she stared at this man. Her vision slightly blurred, and her breathing labored, but she still persisted.
A sharp sting in her ribs threw her off as Sylvia caught sight of the now blood cover knife in the hunter's hand. The hunter shoved her off making for another swing, missing. She lunged again clamping down hard on his arm, tasting the foul blood. The blade swung again, cutting across her muzzle. She shook her head, feeling tendons resist against her grip. The man screamed and kicked her in the chest. The blow winded her, and she dropped like a sack of rocks, tumbling back.
There was only so much adrenaline someone can produce while exhausted and starving, and Sylvia was running out fast. Using the last of her strength she stood again, her vision blurring and breathing becoming harder. Before falling again, sure that this was her end, something dragged the hunter away into the forest. Her eyes shut after that, hoping that her suffering was finally over.
A pale pair of hands reached out from the shadows and encircled the bleeding hunter’s neck.
“You were warned many times…” a low voice close to his ear sends shivers of fear down his spine. “You knew what would happen if you continued to try my patience.” One hand grasped the knife and ripped it out of his hands, as the other tightened around his neck and pulled him into the shadows. “You only have yourself to blame.”
“Your life is forfeit,” a flash of fangs a strangled gurgle and soon the hunter was no more than a corpse. The figure in the shadows sighed with content, their hunger sated for now and their forest bereft of intruders. They looked at the wolf the hunter had been assaulting and crept closer to examine them. There was blood loss, but the heart was still beating.
They leaned closer to the animal to further assess their condition, running their hands gently along it’s flank. Prominent rib bones and rough fur, this creature was desperate and hungry long before the hunter attacked them. A few deep but manageable cuts. There was something about this wolf that felt a little off too. Felix wasn’t sure what it was, maybe they had some dog in their lineage or something. Although wolves were especially rare in these parts.
They tore off a few strips of fabric from their dark clothing and bandaged the cuts they could, before gently lifting the large furry creature. They took one last look at the crumpled form of the hunter, making a mental note to put him in the mulch for their garden before making their way back to their house.
Their house was a surprisingly friendly looking cottage with a green roof covered in moss. There were ample gardens surrounded by a low brick wall with tall round circular openings of stone. There were no gates, just openings on all four sides, three of which lead directly into deep dense woods. The front opening led to another friendly looking structure, a small one room cozy looking shop.
The dark figure stalked towards the house while holding the large wolf close to them and carefully making their way through their garden- pausing for a moment to grab a sprig or two of some medicinal leaves to help with disinfecting wounds and maybe a poultice for staunching the blood flow and keeping the area covered while it healed.
Two hours and several minutes later, Felix was sitting on their couch with the wolf laid out next to them. There was a pile of bloody bandages and other used implements they’d need to clean up. They had made a bowl of simple broth they had left in a thermos next to them to pour out as soon as the wolf woke up so they could eat something. Felix figured liquid calories first would probably be better for a creature that had been starving. They leaned back on the comfy couch while absentmindedly petting the wild animal lying unconscious next to them.