Survive Read online

  Alex Smith

  The Wolf In Me

  Survive

  First published by Midnight Wolf Publishing 2022

  Copyright © 2022 by Alex Smith

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

  This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

  First edition

  ISBN: 979-8-9863848-1-8

  Editing by Alana Joli Abbott

  Cover art by Rafael Andres

  This book was professionally typeset on Reedsy

  Find out more at reedsy.com

  Contents

  1. Prologue

  2. Chapter 1 - Attack

  3. Chapter 2 - Hatred

  4. Chapter 3 - Saved

  5. Chapter 4 - New Home

  6. Chapter 5 - Surrounded

  7. Chapter 6 - Welcome to the Pack

  8. Chapter 7 - Fear and Pain

  9. Chapter 8 - Regret

  10. Chapter 9 - I’m What?

  11. Chapter 10 - All A Dream?

  12. Chapter 11 - Family

  13. Chapter 12 - Happy Birthday

  14. Chapter 13 - New Arm

  15. Chapter 14 - Moving Day

  16. Chapter 15 - Decisions

  17. Chapter 16 - New Family

  18. Chapter 17 - Human Or Wolf

  19. Chapter 18 - Lost And Found

  Afterword

  About the Author

  1

  Prologue

  Classified

  November 10th, 2285

  Time: 14:00

  “Today is a day for celebration!” The human standing behind the podium raised his lab-coat clad arm in triumph. “With the success of this project, the world will change forever! Since abandoning the use of artificial intelligence, due to the events of the Manhattan Massacre, we’ve devoted all of our resources to replacing AI with something better that will relieve pressure from the working man.”

  The more the human with the pristine lab coat and smug smile spoke, the more he infuriated me. The camera zoomed out to show the emblem for a research facility on the podium and part of a large red curtain behind him. “Finally, after years of experiments and hundreds of billions of dollars in research grants, we have succeeded! Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to present the first wolf-human hybrid, with an intelligence nearly on par with the average human!”

  The camera panned out toward the human’s right as he waved to the large curtain. Someone backstage drew the curtain up, and an enormous wolf, much like myself, stood there. Chains connected all his paws, and he wore a muzzle. The wolf easily towered over the human at seven feet tall, with his muscular frame barely fitting within his bindings. “This is the fruit of our labor! These Wolves will….”

  I swiped my paw across the screen, and the old, grainy video disappeared. With a heavy sigh, I rubbed at the bridge of my muzzle. As I waited for the next video to load, I looked around and couldn’t help but sigh again at the sparse decoration of the office that served as my team’s meeting room. Every piece of furniture was once the property of the U.S. Military. Most had been given to us as surplus deemed appropriate for wolf use. While wolf packs were part of the military, we never received any proper resources. We were so expendable that all of our missions were considered black ops. When deployed, we would not be recognized as U.S. soldiers. If captured or killed, the government would deny any relation to us. We were worth less than a carton of spoiled milk.

  This meant we got the bottom of the barrel equipment, but it encouraged us to acquire gear ourselves. Most of our newer armaments came from missions we had been deployed on over the years. When the government didn’t care how many wolves there were in a wolf pack, nor the resources we used, it made it easy to expand our numbers and keep anything seized during a mission. We simply didn’t report it.

  The crackling of another old video played in my ears. “And here we can see how efficient these wolves are. A single guard standing watch can easily manage a team of wolves. The wolves can lift significantly more than your average human, so moving fifty-five-gallon metal barrels is a simple task for them.” The video moved from the reporter to pan across a warehouse full of barrels and wolves. Biohazard signs were everywhere, yet not a single wolf wore any protective gear. It was another show of power from the humans. We were never anything more than a tool to be used and discarded.

  I swiped my paw across the screen again to move past that horrendous recording and start the next, much newer video. “Breaking news from Russia! We have received reports that a pack of wolves living near the small town of Yam, south of Moscow, has attacked and killed all the humans living in the village. Russian President Alexei Volkov has already mobilized military forces, who are mounting an assault on the wolves. This is the first time in history that any wolves have attacked humans unprovoked. Trepidation is spreading quickly around the globe, as many fear that this may be just the beginning of more…”

  I snarled and bitterly swiped away the video. “You call all of this ‘unprovoked’? Denying us equal rights! Enslaving us! Torturing us! Murdering us! Using us to fight your wars and then using us as the scapegoats. That is ‘unprovoked’?” That video always made me angry, but I insisted on watching, because it showed just how the humans loved to twist the news to suit their agenda.

  Jackson sighed from across the room. “He’s at it again with those damn videos.”

  Jackson was off in his usual corner, picking at his teeth with a knife. Jones was sitting in her chair next to the medical supply cabinet, working on her medical kit. Higgs was sitting on one of the spare chairs, looking between Jackson and I nervously. “What’s going on?”

  “The captain is just torturing himself with some old news footage. Reminding himself why we all hate the fleshbags.” Jackson said.

  “Isn’t that bad for your mental health?” Higgs asked.

  I ignored his question and my teammates snickering in response, pushing in my headphones as the next video played.

  “The shocking assault on Berlin last night has brought the total number of wolf attacks to well over one hundred. The death toll has many believing this will be the beginning of the fourth World War. While trying to calm the masses, world leaders will meet to discuss how to quell these heinous attacks…” I didn’t care about the rest of the report and irritably swiped my paw again to load the next video in the list.

  I tugged at my ear as I thought back on the decisions my Alpha had made for our pack just weeks ago. We had stolen everything that we could and gone rogue. In under a week, we cut all communication with the military and moved over one hundred kilometers to the northeast. We built our bases from modular buildings, making the move that much easier. Over four hundred soldiers, and their families, all vanished from the Military’s records. We risked innocent lives because the humans refused to treat us as anything more than mindless animals.

  The sound of the next video playing drew me from my thoughts. This one I had never seen before, and the banner at the bottom drew my attention. “Recorded Earlier—Nov 10th, 2285 12:00.” I pulled my earpiece out and switched the audio to project, allowing the others in my team to hear. As the audio reverberated through the room, the President of the United States appeared, standing behind a podium bearing the Presidential Seal. “My fellow Americans,” he began, “it is obvious that these wolves do not care about peace. Their
claims of wanting equal rights are just a cover for their animalistic need for violence. Nothing short of total domination over humans will satiate their alpha-predator mind set.” He paused as loud jeering overwhelmed the audio. Once the crowd died down, he continued. “After meeting with my Joint Chiefs of Staff, a state of emergency is being declared until we have handled the situation with the wolves. Effective immediately, any wolves enlisted in WOLF packs are discharged. We will relocate all wolves to one of four different camps, starting this afternoon. These camps are for their protection, and ours. We will also join the war in Europe, and troops are being deployed as we speak. With the combined forces of the United States, the European Nations, and Russia, we hope to bring a swift end to this war!”

  I closed the broadcast, not wanting to listen to another word that stupid fleshbag had to say. I was beyond furious. And I wasn’t the only one ready to start a war.

  “That’s fucking bullshit!” Jackson growled from his corner of the room. “They did this same shit during World War II. I, for one, won’t let them herd me into a concentration camp! I’d rather die fighting than roll over and let them do whatever they want.”

  “What do you think, Captain? Will we fight back?” Jones asked as she continued reorganizing her medical kit for the hundredth time this week. “I mean, what was the point in moving everyone if we end up fighting, anyway?”

  “I don’t—” I started to answer when my computer pulsed with an incoming call.

  My screen showed a still photo of Alpha Richard, now calling me with a video conference request. I dutifully accepted, and a projection of his relaxed form filled the space in the middle of the office. The image showed every detail of him, from his deep blue eyes to his black fur muddled with spots of brown and silver, partially hidden by a grey military uniform. “Ah, Captain. I’m glad you and some of your team are here! I’m sure by now all of you have seen the president’s lovely little speech?”

  “Yes, sir. We were actually just discussing it,” I replied, sitting straight in my chair.

  “Excellent! Then you have a grasp of what is about to befall us.” His demeanor changed as he stiffened. “Captain, I have a mission that requires your team’s unique abilities.”

  “What’s the mission?” As he spoke, I, too, switched from being relaxed into the soldier I had trained to be.

  “The other Alphas and I have just finished our discussions regarding the internment camps. We have decided that we will join our brethren overseas in fighting back. The humans started this war, and we intend to end it swiftly and brutally.” Even though it was a mere projection, it emphasized the rage I was sure he felt as he spoke to us. “Through some intercepted reports, we know that they plan to exterminate us within these camps. That is where you and your team come in.”

  A wicked grin split my face. “I’m listening.”

  2

  Chapter 1 - Attack

  Percy Ornelas (Age 6)

  November 15th, 2285

  Time: 09:00

  I sat on the couch with Teddy in my lap while I played a game on my computer. I wanted to play at the park, but Dad was busy in his office, and Mommy wasn’t back from her mission. Taking the computer off my arm, I threw it to the side, grumbling because I beat the game for the bajillionth time. I wanted to play the games older kids played, but Mommy and Dad said I couldn’t until I was older. They always said that, even after I got older. Taking Teddy by his left arm, I hopped off the couch and wandered around the living room, looking for something to do in our empty house. Because Dad’s work, we constantly moved from house to house, and there was never anything I could play with.

  Our house was always the same. It was small, and I didn’t have any room to play because my bedroom was tiny. I used to think we just brought our house with us every time we moved. Then I got to watch the soldiers put our house together because we had gotten to the new base early. The soldiers used a couple of different looking trucks and weird tools to build it. All the walls had been built already; they just stuck them together. Two days later, we had a brand new, boring home. They probably made this house the same way, because my room was in the same spot as always, like the bathroom, kitchen, and everything else.

  I walked into the kitchen and went to the small cabinet near the sink labeled “Percy’s Snacks.” The computer screen on the door had a note from Mommy today. Mommy and Dad always left notes like these around the house for me. They kept getting harder to read because I insisted I was a big boy and could read all the big kid words. “Only one snack. You don’t want to get big, because the evil wolves will eat you up. Always stay my little boy.—Love Mommy.” Mommy and Dad were always telling me about how bad the wolves were, even the ones that were soldiers. And that I should never go near them. I pushed the button at the bottom of the screen. The message went away, and a keyboard showed. “I will!” I typed and pressed the send button.

  “I hope Mommy sees my message,” I said to Teddy as I opened the door. I looked inside and pouted. The bottom shelf was empty, and the top shelf only had three bags of pretzels left. “Sorry, Teddy. Mommy forgot that you don’t like those. I’ll give you some of my chips when Dad makes lunch.”

  “It’s okay,” I said in Teddy’s voice.

  I grabbed one bag and walked the very short distance to our small dining room table. I sat Teddy in his chair right next to mine. Once he was settled, I reached up and put the bag of pretzels on the table before I climbed up on my chair. The table was as tall as me, but my special chair let me be up high enough to use the table. Once I was comfortable in my spot, I grabbed the bag and opened it. I liked pretzels, but Teddy and I liked cookies more. “I’m really bored… What should we do?” I asked Teddy before sticking a pretzel in my mouth.

  “Let’s ask Dad to take us to the park.” Crumbs flew everywhere.

  “Dad said he would take us to the park later…” I said after swallowing.

  “Maybe he’ll play Soldiers and Wolves with us?”

  “Yeah! Let’s go ask!” I grabbed Teddy’s paw and jumped off my chair. I headed down the short hallway. My room was the door on the right side, just as you got into the hall. The door on the left was a closet. At the end of the hallway was the bathroom door, and there were two more hallways on both sides. The hall on the left went to my parent’s room. And the hall on the right was where Dad’s office was.

  I walked fast because I wasn’t supposed to run inside and turned right. I stopped in front of the door and knocked quietly. “Dad?”

  “What’s up, Percy?”

  I pressed my ear against the door, and I could hear him moving around inside. “Teddy and I are bored. Can you play Soldiers and Wolves with us?” I asked, hoping that he would.

  “Not right now. I’m very busy. I promise we will play later today. Okay?”

  “Okay…” I said sadly, turning around. I let my arms drop to my sides, and I dragged Teddy across the floor as I moped back down the hallway and back out to the living room. I looked out the front window. A small group of kids were playing at the park across the street, with soldiers walking around. I put Teddy on the window and said sadly, “I wish Mommy were home. We could play Soldiers and Wolves again. Do you think she’ll be home soon?”

  “I hope so.”

  “Yeah… Me too…” I said sadly as I continued to watch the other kids. After a while, I noticed something scary. “Teddy! Look! They don’t have their parents! Don’t they know that the wolves will get them?”

  “Maybe they don’t! Should we tell Dad?”

  “Yeah! Let’s go tell him!”

  As I grabbed Teddy to head back to Dad’s office again, a big black car stopped in front of our house. I completely forgot about the other kids and started jumping up and down excitedly. “Teddy! Look! Mommy’s home!”

  I ran to the door, dragging Teddy on the floor along the way. I struggled to reach my hand up to the pad to unlock the door. It took me three jumps, but I finally got it open. A soldier was standing there,
smiling at me. He was as tall as Mommy, and his hair was cut like the other soldiers and mine, really short on the sides, but a little longer on top. He wore the same green uniform that Mommy and Dad wore, but he didn’t have a lot of shiny pins and medals on his shirt. When he didn’t move out of the way, I tried to look around him, hoping to see Mommy, but she wasn’t there.

  “Hey there, little guy.” I hated when grown-ups talked to me like a baby. Just because I’m small doesn’t mean I’m not a big boy! “Can you get your daddy for me? It’s really important.”

  “Yeah…” I grumbled and ran back down the hallway, leaving the door open. When I got to Dad’s office, I knocked again. “Dad, there’s a soldier here for you.”

  I heard Dad’s chair rolling across the floor. A few seconds later, the door opened to show my dad. He was wearing the clothes he always wore when he didn’t have to go anywhere: a white shirt that had nothing on it and black pants with lots of pockets like mine. He looked exhausted.

  “Did they say why?” Dad asked as he took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. I shook my head. He patted my hair as he walked around me. “Then let’s go see what he needs. And how many times do I have to tell you not to drag Teddy on the floor? You don’t want to tear another hole in him, do you?”

  I looked down at all the spots where Mommy and Dad had fixed Teddy. There were patches of fur missing all over his body, part of his right ear was gone, thread and stuffing were showing on his left foot, and his left eye was missing. I frowned. “N-no…”

  “Then pick him up.” Dad turned around and walked down the hallway toward the living room. I followed behind him, holding onto Teddy tightly. When we got to the door, I moved Teddy to my left arm and held onto Dad’s pants with my right hand as he talked with the soldier. “Hello, Corporal. Percy said you needed to see me?”