The Past pt. i

MACK POV

Two years ago we came to this territory. We left our nurturing home together hoping to find our next community - and secretly I hoped to find him too. Initially I was surprised when she said she would come with me, but after I thought about it, it made sense that Jip would want to leave with me. It's not exactly like she was in any danger staying with our nurturing home but I know better than anyone that Jip didn't exactly click with any of our former pack members. I knew this because I didn't exactly click with anyone else either. We stuck together a lot growing up and as kids we played together and made each other laugh. Many of the kids were older than us anyways and most had left to form their own packs by the time Jip and I were teenagers. It was a little lonely but at least we were lonely together.

Jip and I didn’t join our new community right away. Originally we tried living as solo wolves in an abandoned cabin of the west forest. It wasn't easy getting use to living on our own but we were capable of hunting and gathering our next meal. Other aspects of solo living such as patching up holes in the roof, tending to the gardens, and washing clothes came naturally when you don't have a lot of other options aside from learning through trial and error. Eventually we were working together to establish a pretty decent way of living while we search for him. I only wish one of us learned to cook better.

I think it was probably the vegetable garden that made our home stand out at first. From the outside, our abandoned cabin in the woods was unassuming and presumably just abandoned, but the well maintained garden in front definitely gave the impression the house was actually home to someone. And those who figured it out weren’t always friendly, but fortunately I was a skilled fighter and scare of a small group or two. 

One day our home was discovered by a little angel boy by the name of Harrison. He was average height, probably around my age or Jip's, and had brown, honey-coloured, curly hair. He wore a bright red jacket most days so spotting him from miles away was pretty easy. When he first approached our home I was a little weary but after getting a good read on him and speaking to him I discovered he's pretty harmless. 

One day he approached us in the garden after I had come bursting through the front door with a smoking pan and a black charred meal.

“Attempting to set the cabin on fire are we?” Harrison asked.

I smirk but don’t respond. Harrison looks at Jip and I curiously and leans against the broken white fence. He rests his head on his right hand and props his feathered wings up a bit. 

“Seriously?” He said. “Do either of you know anything about cooking?”

"It's none of your business, Harrison," I say.

He continues to tease us and I make efforts to shoo him away but this doesn't work - if anything it only encourages him. He snickers and I unveil my claws which cause him to back away with his hands up. I thought that'd scare him away for a bit but it doesn't. He comes back the very next day. I sigh at the sight of him. 

“So what’s the deal with you two?” Harrison asks. 

I groan at the sight of him after having just opened the kitchen window to let the smoke out of the room. I contemplate closing the window to avoid talking to him but I wouldn't want to accidentally poison myself and Jip with carbon monoxide. Besides, he'd probably just come back the next day. 

"What do you mean?" I say.

“I mean,” Harrison says. “I mean it's strange that the two of you live out here all alone in an abandoned cabin in the middle of nowhere. Your both werewolves aren't you? Where are the rest of your pack-mates?”

“We're not in a pack.”

"Where's your nurturing pack?"

"Very far away."

“How old are you anyways?”

“I'm nineteen in a couple weeks.”

“Cool. I’m eighteen. What about her?”

I notice Jip is in the kitchen with me and is staring at Harrison with a wide-eyed expression. 

“She's sixteen," I say.

“Can she not speak for herself? Or does she need her boyfriend to always speak for her?”

“I can speak for myself,” Jip says. 

“I’m not her boyfriend,” I say. 

“Well that’s a relief to hear,” Harrison says. “Otherwise I’d have to call child protective services on you after kidnapping a child and forcing her to live out here alone in the woods with you.”

“I didn't force her to do anything.”

“Well that's good to hear you're not a predator."

"A predator?!" I say. "I'm not even that much older than her - and it's not like that anyways!"

"Then why are your ears turning red?"

"Because you're annoying me."

I toss my kitchen towel at his face which he dodges easily. He's singing to himself and I decide in this moment that he is officially insane. Harrison stands up straight and stretches out his arms and wings. I notice the subtle silver tint of his wings indicating his angel morality wasn’t the purest out there but he was still probably in the category of a light angel. 

Harrison gazes back at the two of us. “Come on let’s go,” Harrison says. 

“What?” I say. 

“Well the two of you very well can’t eat whatever it is your making in there. What with all the smoke.”

I glance back at my scalding black pan and sigh defeatedly.

“You should come over,” Harrison says. “One of my pack members named Drew is the most amazing cook ever. He’s making stew as we speak.”

I can practically feel my stomach growling. It’s been so long since I’ve tasted a really good meal made by an actually good cook. Probably not since we left our nurturing pack which was well over two months now.

I could sense Jip’s uncertainty as well as my own. Harrison glances my way. 

“Are either of you a spirit reader?” Harrison asks. 

"I am," I say.

“Then read my soul,” Harrison says. “That way you’ll know I not going to hurt you and I’m telling the truth.”

I want to tell him that I've already done brief reads on him countless times but I decide not to. I’m not use to being requested to use this spiritually ability so casually but nonetheless I do as he says. I fold my hands and call upon the wolf spirits to lend me the ability to connect with the essence of Harrison’s soul and read his true intentions. I can feel that the boy tells the truth and feels genuine curiosity towards the two of us - and a bit of pity. But most of all he genuinely wants to be friends with the two strangers found alone in the woods. I can help but think how dangerously naive that is.

I feel a hand on mine and this causes me to focus back on reality. I’m being pulled by Harrison in the direction of his choosing with Jip directly beside me.