Chapter 31 - Drakos-Mati

Zelena.

What the fuck Cole, was he growling at me?

**What was that for?**

I thought to myself. I was caught off guard by a another voice in my head.

**He thinks you might attack Smith**

I looked behind me and saw a huge silver wolf, it was glorious. Tall and muscular, way bigger than me and a little intimidating.

**Gunner?**

**Yeah it's me**

**How can I hear you in my head?**

**We're flashing**

**No shit, cool**

He huffed and shook his head and walked over to me, rubbing his head along my side and up my neck. Wow, he is incredible, is it any wonder this wolf will one day be the Alpha.

**Why does he think I will attack him? I would never do that**

**Well now that I can hear you, I know that, but it's not always that way with newborn wolves. They are usually very aggressive and temperamental**

**Oh, am I like broken?**

**No of course not, you're just very mature. It's actually pretty incredible**

He pressed the side of his body against mine and looked up at the boys. They both immediately relaxed.

"She's beautiful" whispered Smith as he stepped closer to me. He held his hand out in front of me and I pressed my head against it. He scratched the top of my head and sat down in the grass. Cole was still standing and watching us. I wanted to make him feel a bit more comfortable and to get him to trust me. I walked to his legs and rubbed my head against his thigh and pressed my nose into the palm of his hand. He didn't respond right away but then he brushed his fingers through the fur on my head.

"You sure are different" he breathed heavily as he ran his hand over my ear.

Gunner walked up next to me and nuzzled his head into mine, he then jumped up and pushed Cole over. My ears pricked up and I stood up tall. Was Gunner trying to fight him? Cole rolled Gunner off and jumped on him wrapping his arms around Gunner's neck. I started to growl but Smith stood beside me and put his hand on my shoulder,

"They're just wrestling, they do it all the time" he said with a chuckle.

I looked back over at them as they were rolling through the grass. I noticed Cole's arms bend the wrong way and his back arch funny. There was the sound of a snap and a then crack, ripping clothes and in a split second he was changed. A big chocolate brown wolf took his place, not as big as Gunner but still huge. He changed so quickly, and he didn't yell once. I couldn't help but scream through my change, but he and Gunner could change in a snap.

Cole jumped on Gunner and chomped at his neck and then Gunner grabbed Cole's leg. They wrestled through the grass biting at each other. I looked up at Smith who was watching and laughing. I nudged his leg with my head and whined at him. Is he going to change too? He looked down at me and grinned.

"My turn now, ay?" he smiled and stepped back, taking off his shirt. He knelt down on all fours and closed his eyes. He knelt there for a few seconds and then scrunched up his nose, his right arm snapped to the side and then his left. He arched his back up high and his neck cracked to the side. This is what we look like when we change? No wonder it friggin' hurts. Reddish brown hair sprouted through the skin on his arms and chest and his face morphed into the shape of a wolf. He lowered his head again and lifted his back, I could see his spine twisting like a snake under his skin. His bare back quickly disappeared under the fur as his head was turned to the side. And then it was done, he didn't make a single sound either. How is it so easy for them?

Smith shook off from his head down to his tail. His fur was a dark red brick color and he was not too much bigger than me. He trotted over to me and did a little jump and roll stopping at my feet.

**Hey princess**

**Holy crap we can flash?**

**Of course we can**

**I thought it was just with my Mate**

**All members of the pack can flash each other when in wolf form**

Gunner flashed as he and Cole walked over to Smith and me.

**Oh wow, I had no idea. This is awesome!**

I jumped around a little bashing into Gunner. He laughed and shoved me with his head.

**So, what now?**

**You and I are going to do a bit of wolf training**

**And them?**

**They're coming too**

**We're just going to hang back for this one, let you two do your thing**

**Oh okay, I thought we were going running though?**

**Ha, we are, you'll see. Smith scout ahead and check things out, Cole pick up the rear. You, little wolf, just stick close, if you can keep up**

Smith took off through the trees, Gunner gave me a little shove and took off behind him. I followed after them and caught up to Gunner easily. I think he is running slower for me. We ran through the forest and it was just like my first change. The wind flowing through my fur and the dirt under my paws. I really like being in wolf form.

**What do you see?**

**Huh?**

**Look around you as you run and tell me what you can see**

I looked at a tree in the distance and like a camera lens, my eyes focused in on it. I could see the details on the bark and each individual leaf. I looked ahead of me to a bird's nest on a branch, I could see the twigs making up the nest and the bird sitting inside it.

**I can see everything, like things I shouldn't be able to see. I can see small details at impossible distances**

**Very good, now what can you smell?**

I sniffed into my nose, at first it was just the smell of the dirt and forest air, but as I continued to sniff I could start to make out different scents.

**I can smell the feathers of the birds and the there's a creek to the right**

**What else?**

**I can smell you and I can smell Smith**

**Who can't smell Smith?**

Cole chuckled through our flash

**Shut it, keep going Zee**

I sniffed hard at the air, sucking it in through my nostrils. A foul metallic scent hit me. Kind of like blood but different, not human and maybe rotten, it was off somehow.

**I think it's blood, but it would have to be animal blood, and it's old, at least a few days**

**You're doing amazing, now listen, use your ears and listen to the forest**

I concentrated on my paws hitting the ground and the dull thudding they were making. I can hear the water trickling over rocks from the creek and there are so many birds. I focused up ahead to a thumping sound, but what was it? I followed the sound and then it all came together, once I used all my senses together it's like I was transported. I was suddenly running behind Smith, but not really running, more like hovering or flying. I don't know.

**It's Smith, I can hear his heartbeat, and I can smell him, it's like I can see the path he is running**

**Seriously?**

**I don't know, it's weird. I can't physically see him, but I can still see him, you know, like in my mind. The sound of his feet on the ground and his heart thumping and his panting, add that to the trail of his scent and I can picture him, like I'm running right behind him**

**Duuuude what?**

**Everyone halt**

Gunner skidded to a stop and stood in front of me. I could hear Smith had stopped, and Cole was walking in our direction way back behind us.

**You could see Smith, in your mind, without actually being able to see him?**

**Yes, you can't?**

**No Zelena, I can't. No one can do that. At least not anymore**

**What do you mean not anymore?**

**It's called Drakos-Mati, the Dragon's Eye. It's from the story last night, one of the gifts Selene gave to her human lover was the sight of her dragon**

**You mean dragons are real too?**

**Of course not, maybe they were once, but not for thousands of years**

**I'm not following**

**Selene's chariot is pulled by dragons**

**Uh, huh?**

**Um, it means you can see things in your mind without having to see them in person**

**Oh, okay**

**Never mind, it's only a story. You're just intuitive and have a great wolf mind is all**

**Oh well that seems fair, I'm pretty great at this whole wolf thing**

I pranced around him swishing my tail on his face. He snapped at me playfully, taking me by surprise. He bowed his front quarters, waving his tail in the air. He was just like a puppy in prance mode.