Image of the dream catcher is from Pinterest.com. I couldn't find any additional information.

The song is Homegrown by the Zack Brown Band.

Please criticize my writing, I need constructive insults! Even if a chapter already has a song, comment if you think you have a better one.

Edited 😉

This picture will come up again later along with the full sized map of the territory.

I let out one last moan as I felt the final bone left in me crack. Little flecks of light shined through gaps in the den walls. I had been moved to its confines when I started shifting to avoid the prying eyes of my pack.

"Hi! You must be Crystal, I'm Brook!" chimed a voice in my head as I eased onto my paws.

I, along with most of my pack, am a werewolf. And like all werewolves, I shifted for the first time after sixteen summers.

Shifting is the event when every single fiber of a werewolf's human form morphs into that of a wolf. The first time is uncontrollable and horribly painful. But from then on, the werewolf is able to shift painlessly whenever he, or she, pleases.

"I can't believe I finally shifted!" I tried to squeal, but only to hear my own deformed whimpering.

Despite this, the voice jubilantly responded, "Yes, and I must admit, it's good to finally stretch my bones! Oh, and you don't have to speak out loud for me to hear you. Just think it and I'll hear!"

I dipped my head in embarrassment and stared at the leaves that littered the ground inside the den, they had escaped from the pile that was used as a bed. I realized what a moron she must think I am; after all, I've been told countless times what it's like to speak with your wolf. Every werewolf has a wolf's spirit inside who helps guide and protect them. When you're alone, your wolf is there. When you don't know what to do, your wolf will help. When you find your mate, short for soul mate, your wolf  can confirm it's them. However, your wolf, like everyone else, comes with their own problems.

A person's wolf tends to be irritable, rambunctious, rude, controlling, overly confident, and most of all, once you've found your mate, hornier than a rabbit in breeding season.

I leapt into the air- startled- when I heard a high pitched laugh reverberating in my mind. I clumsily crashed back to the floor, cursing my inability to catch myself as the sandy earth filled my nose.

I snapped out of my thoughts about the typical wolf and swore when I hit my head on a nearby table.

"Would you stop insulting yourself, silly! This is just new is all, I'm sure you'll be used to it in no time," she assured me as I precariously got back onto my four wobbly legs.

My head dipped even lower and my tail hid between my legs when I realized she could hear me. Embarrassed, I quickly asked "Right... are you always this nice? I've heard that a person's wolf tends to be... umm, well kind of a pain in the-"

Her amused snorting cut me off, "I'll be honest," she exhaled, "no, I'm not always this nice. I've just been really nervous about meeting you. I actually am pretty rude... sometimes," she repeated with an unruly tone.

I grinned and lifted my head, relieved I wasn't going to have to live with a pansy giggling in my mind for the rest of my life.

"I guess it's a good thing I'm not," she laughed more naturally than before as I carefully stepped out of the box-like shelter of sticks, mud, and rocks and into the sunshine that seeped through the clearing around my pack's summer rendezvous site. Like regular wolves, we moved around from site to site throughout the year due to food, water, and weather. The dusty clearing was grassless from all the wolves romping around on top of it, exposing the soft golden dirt underneath. It wasn't quite sand, more like a point somewhere in between. The medical ward was on the opposite side of the circular camp to the left of the rocky sandstone ledge where pack meetings are held.

My grin turned into a full blown smile while I imagined everything my wolf and I could do together; abruptly, I realized half my pack was watching me and I must look ridiculous since I was smiling in wolf form.

"Are you aware of our rituals?"

"No, can't say that I am." She murmured thoughtfully through the mind link.

"Well, first we're going to patrol the territory borders to ensure no bears have crossed onto our land. I've never been able to before since I was too vulnerable as a human. Afterward, when we return, we'll stand guard until dawn since the moon will be rising soon. If it were closer to dawn, we'd just guard until moonrise, but that's irrelevant..." I ranted until I heard her huff.

"That's great and all, but can we just do it instead of standing around? I'm dying to run!" She exclaimed exasperatedly.

I was liking her more and more as her true nature shown through.

Quickly, I trotted over to my friend, Ivy, whose name comes from her brilliant green eyes. She laughed happily as her long black hair fell over her shoulders before jabbering, "Girl, we need to find you a puddle to look in! Your wolf is stunning."

I ducked my head; sure that if I had been in human form, I would be turning red at the compliment. Ivy just laughed and affectionately shoved me. As a werewolf, I was much larger than normal wolves. Ivy and I were both tall in human form. I was 5'7 and she was 5'8. Don't be fooled, that extra inch meant everything and she never let me forget it. Now in my wolf form, my head rested at her elbow.

I gratefully let her lead me away from the growing crowd. I always hated to be the focus of so many people. And shifting for the first time, is a very big deal. On the full moon my entire pack will come to recognize those who've shifted since the full moon prior. All fifty seven wolves will attend.

I was expecting to instantly be used to my new form, four trips and ten wolf lengths later, obviously not.

For the fifth time, my hind paw caught on my forepaw as I was stepping forward and I found myself laying in the dirt.

I snarled when I heard laughter coming from the side and lifted my head to see Geyser and Talon mocking my not-so-skilled attempt at walking. They quickly feigned terror at my warning growl.

"Aren't they older than you?" Brook inquired at their childish behavior.

"Yep," I tried to sound exasperated, but they looked so ridiculous it was hard not to be amused.

"Oh, mighty wolf," Geyser called, "please forgive us for looking upon one as great as yee! We shall gauge out our own eyes so as not to tarnish thee ever again by looking upon your greatness!" he cried.

Talon quickly joined him while they muddled about, continuing to beg for their lives until something flew through the air and hit Talon in the face. I turned to see Ivy had grabbed several acorns from the ground beneath the great oak tree that we stood under, and continued to pelt them with acorns. I rushed to join in by spraying them with dirt, using my hind paws as support. It was easier to do than I expected, my forepaws hit the ground regularly to keep me from falling, and I was able to keep them from tangling since I no longer had to focus on my hind paws.

I felt something hit my flank and turned to have an acorn whizz over my head; the two boys were returning fire with our own ammunition. I felt Brook growl inside me and let her have a turn at our childish game.

She quickly took control of my body to spring forward and carefully, but effectively, knock Geyser and Talon over with a single movement.

I felt my whole body go numb and could only watch as she whirled back around to look at Ivy who was grinning widely, mischief gleaming in her eyes. I didn't mind though, it was entertaining to watch them fight.

Geyser yelped when he hit the ground but was soon up and charging. I turned to find him on my back. "Onward!" he commanded me.

"Like I'd listen to him!" Brook mumbled in my mind. I smiled as she effortlessly threw him off.

There was a loud thud when he hit the ground and he dramatically crawled over to where Talon was lazily sprawled out where we'd left him, his black hair falling in thin strands against the pale skin of his forehead. "Talon?" Geyser gasped out, gripping his side.

Talon, focused on the task of picking at his nails, drawled out "yuuup?" and paused work to glance at Geyser.

"I think that we should surrender before they start throwing walnuts at us too!"

"Mhmm," Talon mumbled, now staring into the bright summer sky as the sun set, casting orange and red streaks across its depths.

"You heard the man, you fierce beasts! We surrender. Now, begone with yee!" Geyser yelled comically as he slowly fell to the ground and lay dead.

I snorted and sauntered over to Ivy who looked like she was plotting another attack, but before she could act on her likely demented plan, I shoved her away, as Brook once again left me in my staggering control.

That's the end of chapter one, please let me know how you liked the writing, detail, and characters.

Also, when I first started writing, I indented all my paragraphs, but wattpad was autocorrecting some of them so it became extremely inconsistent. I'm currently rereading all my chapters to make changes, including fixing the indentations; so in other words, as of 7/2/2017, all my chapters are an incredibly inconsistent indentation mess! The story is still intact though.