Emptiness

Fandom: Wolves of Mercy Falls/Shiver

Type: Chapter One

Cannons: Grace, Sam, Cole, Isabel

Words: 1835

Summary: Grace wants one more winter as a wolf and Sam can not understand why while Isabella gets news that changes everything with her life and Cole.

Chapter One: Parting Paths

Fall had come to the forest of the land in colors of rich golden and scarlet, birch showing every white with a company of golden leaves still clinging in the false Indian summer that soon would give away to cold winds from the Great Lake and winter once more coming to claim the lands and encase it in a deep slumber.

Nothing seemed to move under the leaves and between the timbers but a faint ruffle of movement from the ferns and cracking of leaves on the forest floor. A flash of black and others of red and gold's, grays and browns and a near white now and then as they pushed and touched, growled and whined, showing images of simpleness in their bound of minds and pack. They where the wolves in this land of summer fading, and this place was both their home and also in some ways also a cage with a fence around parts. A watcher might think them normal for wolves but the eyes framed in furs of tones where not like the wolves of normal lands, these eyes where keen and too human, to deep and forth coming of what lay hidden under the shape.

Some of the even the body langue of the wolves seem too human, a pause in a glance, eyes closed to long in grief and even their howls had notes of more depth. Among their numbers, some had just come back to the pack and where met in grand joy of their noted abduct but some of the wolves also knew close by where others in a shape once theirs in the heat of summer, in which the chill of winter would remake them back to the lean shape of the wolf and rejoin their family. The leader and black of their numbers along with a playful brown would come to the edge of a large cabin in knowing and scenting others of their numbers close by. Humans waiting to shed their skins and come to run back home where they belong.

Hazel eyes looked back into the deep chocolate of the black as they moved from the pack, showing him a image of a car or two in the drive way and images of a young man with black hair that they both knew and also of one more human male and one female, one with gold. Paul sent back a feeling of knowing them but a question also of why? The black hair boy he knew, recalling the images of the blue grey wolf with amber eyes over lapping the human and an auburn shade she wolf over the human girl and also in same with the other male who lived in the cabin.

Derrick blinked, and fell close to the leader as they moved from the pack and made way to the cabin and scent of wood smoke. One other male, a nearly dirty grey in shades with a white foot also knew the boy and not the girl and was order to keep the pack to the lake for a hunt. Ulrike whined a bit, nearly recalling images of the boy as a kid, all legs and voice but there was no names but images and near recalling of their human days. Images passed of no understanding in their simple langue of human days of cars and books with words not recalled but Paul pushed the order and Ulrike shook his body and moved the pack.

Both wolves in moments of stride came in the bushes of the cabin, ears perked in hearing human voices but the tone spoke of a fight, Paul sat down a moment and listened in while the younger male moved closer as the words drifted out.

If the wolves could understand the human voices and meaning of words, much would have been known of the reason of the fight.

Grace for the moment leaned under the sunlight lit window, her body feeding on the warmth that kept her human for the seasons but last night the chill had stolen her human form and the wolf has bound into the forest of their old pack lands. Coming back later in the morning with an over worried Sam pulling her in to a hot shower and the heater all the way up. Much the reason they had come here and for other reasons.

Sam on the other hand was sitting on a love seat that had seen better days but his body was tense with anger, "I don't see why you want to wait Grace? Last night was to close for comfort when you shifted. What might if a hunter had been out there?" His tone was edge, nerves and angry but soft as always in talking.

She paused a moment, letting his words slide on her mind but it was a fight they had been having all summer. Why was it strange she wanted one winter to be a wolf and live out her dreams? Just for one winter to be in the pack and live in the moment with no past or regrets? Some how it would make up for all these years of longing to be one, her soul to take its right shape? Sam could not understand after all that had happened to them this year from the hunt of spring and finding a near cure for the virus that made them shift thanks to Cole who at the matter was looking up from a medical book of some kind. He and Grace had talked about this and strangely he understand her reasons but kept silent, having shifted himself last night and loving the freedom.

"Look Sam, I have told you why more then once why, it's just one winter. I can take the cure come spring and everything will work out like it did for you..." Softly her voice floated out, leaning under the warmth of the sun but already her nose catching the scents of the forest and the wolf under her skin pushing a bit, "It's just something I need to do for myself personally."

Sam narrowed his amber eyes in a slight anger once more, why could she not understand his side? Too many things could happen to her as a wolf in winter and she would be stuck as a wolf. Yes this new place was safe from human hunters and threats but there was an endless list of natural ways a wolf or one of them could be killed even with the pack. "Grace, you know my own reasons Angel. And I know how I feel on it but it just seems why take the chance?"

She loved him more then anything, he was the other half of her soul but sometimes Sam only could see his fear, after nearly losing himself as a human in the wolf. Meningitis had burned the wolf to a point out of Sam, fighting the virus in his body and keeping him human. Cole had been the one to find out the so called reasons for the shifting and trigger and how it all worked out. Even now he was playing around in his home made lab with blood and such things of the wolfs.

Once a rock star now werewolf and researcher, he put down his book, looking like a model always even with messy hair, "Ok love birds, lets let the subject dye for a bit huh and get to the point! I've been hearing this fight all summer and let's get it out. A: Grace wants one free winter as a wolf to make up all these years of not being one. B: Sam is scared something will happen to said Grace while she's a wolf and he will be helpless to save her life. C: Come spring, Grace takes Cure, stays human mostly with a shift now and then till all settles while said Sam is the Cure and hates the idea of Shifting. That kiddies sums up the whole thing."

Something of the parched tone of Cole did get a smile from Grace as always to the point in his own way. "Yah that kinda puts things black and white Cole, thanks."

He smiled, bowing, "Yes, I am hear to please as always."

Sam only reached over to rub his forehead as he felt a headache coming on between the two in knowing he had just lost the fight some how. Yet he kept it up, knowing time was fading in the warmth would take his Grace away for months till spring. He hated the idea of her not being with him and the fears of loosing her always echoing in his mind set. "Grace, look…"

"No Sam, no more fighting on this. No reasons why and I know why hon, but this is the one thing I want to do for myself, selfish as it sounds and it's not like I am going to be alone. Cole is going to be there also and the pack. Things will be and its just one winter, one winter is what I want…." Grace was firm in her tone as she walked out and pass him outside for some air.

Sam bit his inner lip once more, casting a look at Cole, "You're not helping this at all Cole…"

Cole raised a brow of question as he put down the book but no sarcasm enter his tone in being point blank as he could with the former werewolf. "It's her choice Samuel, not mine or yours. Yes I can understand why she wants it and I won't lie that I don't. Let her have her winter as a wolf, then after that Ringo, you two love birds have your whole lives as humans mostly. Or other, you could join us….."

Sam looked up, a bit of shock in his features that Cole would even say something like that. Becoming a wolf again and loosing him partly? He had fought too hard to become human and stay with Grace till she had herself become the wolf. Even after moving the pack and knowing that in his heart, he was Sam even as the wolf. That fear of loosing his humanity would just stay.

"No Cole, never again. I can't take that chance again. Grace knows why and so do you." Sam's voice was hollow, looking down at his hands. "I can never be wolf again…"

Outside, both wolves lingered and caught the tone of the words but the meaning was lost yet the scent from the girl outside held a promise she would shift soon come the edge of winter and so would the other male but what of the black hair youth? Would he shift at all?

Note: First fanfiction in a while but I love the books and so far have 7/10 out chapters done! So there might be moments of occness to let you know but please bare with them.