Wolf Kingdom

While we take a break from the Lore of ZooKazoo, it is my great pleasure to begin to share the first and second chapters of a story being written by one of you! Congratulations to "Alexandra" for being our first contributing novelist! I hope you all enjoy the beginning of "Wolf Kingdom."

Chapter One..

My ears twitched backwards to better catch the sound of the rustling leaves in the bush behind me. A low growl built in my throat. At that precise moment the creature soared out of the bushes. I whirled around letting out a feral snarl. I lunged at the creature, my jaws wide open and dangerous. I saw the glint of it's eyes as I lunged. Suddenly they were no longer glints. They were bright lights that blinded me and I swerved off course landing in a pile of dead pine needles. What was that? But I had no time to ponder, the creature was still there. I sucked in a breath preparing to call the rest of the pack when I heard a low familiar voice in my ear. "Getting a little tense there Tecumshi?" she teased. 

"Huh?" I mumbled. I stupidly turned around to see my best friend Deaidre. If wolves could blush, I would look like a ripe strawberry right now, I thought. She laughed lightly at my expression. "What was that?" I asked remembering the bright lights that threw me off in the first place. 

"What?" she asked confused.

"That thing with your eyes," I explained.

"Oh," she looked uncomfortable. "That was a...um... Oh, I've got to go right now. I've got a message for Tom," she said quickly maneuvering out of the question. She still looked uncomfortable.

"OK, but I'm not going to forget this," I said warningly. 

"OK," she said hurriedly and darted into the trees.

I shook my head. "She is something different," I mumbled to myself. Then I slunk back to the den.

"Where were you? I sent four of your brothers to find you an hour ago," the male Alfa wolf, Daniel, demanded as soon as he saw my grey hide through the trees. 

"Sorry, I met Deaidre on the way home and stopped to talk," I said.

"Do you like Deaidre?" he asked teasingly but with unconcealed curiosity in his voice. 

"Erm... sort of ... I guess," I said sheepishly and ducking my head, embarrassed.

"Aha!" he howled with laughter. 

"What?" I asked confused by his answer.

"I finally embarrassed you," he said still chortling. 

"Yay. You finally embarrassed Tecumshi, what a great accomplishment," I said rolling my eyes.

The female Alfa wolf, Tanya, growled at the biting sarcasm in my words. "It's ok Tanya," Danile said to calm her.

I threw him a grateful glance before shooting out of the cave opening to hunt.