Fangs Or Tails?

15 | Chapter

It was safe to say that they didn't get the tour done that day. Both Tobias and Felix were too caught up in their conversation, that time seemed to fly by at an alarming rate. They kept walking around on pack territory, randomly swerving past the cabin-like houses and the occasional tree. Attracting a lot of attention from other curious werewolves as well with their aimless wandering.

Tobias let Felix do most of the talking, while he listened with a keen ear and observed the surroundings at the same time. When at times he felt stressed from the countless eyes trained on him, he flipped the coin fluidly which soon soothed his overworked mind. When Felix intermittently asked him something, the coin helped him to answer. To his immense shock, Tobias found that the conversation flowed smoothly without a hitch, from the start to when they reluctantly agreed to part ways for the day.
    
Before he left, Felix arranged a meeting spot for the two of them. So that he could steer Tobias in the right direction towards the pack, and prevent him from running into any more rogue wolves. All the former human had to do was to text Felix, and wait next to an oddly shaped rock that Tobias was quite familiar with just outside the woods, at a rather desolate part of the town.
    
For the first time in a long time… Tobias could honestly say that he was content. A little less apathetic, and a little less alone.
    
Like I said before, you're not alone anymore.
    
The repeated phrase almost made him smile, the corners of his lips curving upwards a fraction. That was more than he'd done for the past six years. Tobias never smiled once throughout those years… but now, he believed that things were changing. What turn it took, still remains to be seen.
    
All that's left is for you to become optimistic, like Felix! Chase remarked.
    
Somehow, I feel like that's one attribute that I'll never adopt, Tobias mused. And I'm perfectly fine with living without it.
    
Have a little faith in yourself.
    
That's a bit difficult considering my circumstances.
    
Tobias exhaled, some of his faded apathy returning full force at the sight of the door to his apartment. He rested his hand on the doorknob, the other plunging into the depths of his jacket pocket to hide the coin. A feeling deep down in his gut warned him against his father seeing him with it.
    
Bracing himself for the worse, Tobias twisted the doorknob and opened the door. The immediate hallway was empty, which was no surprise. He closed it again as quietly as possible. The worn floorboards creaked under his shuffling feet, making Tobias wince and cautiously glance into the living room, having heard voices.
    
His father was asleep sprawled out over the couch, mouth agape and a stream of drool dribbling out. An unopened bottle of cheap booze clutched to his chest. The television was blaring at full blast, the source of the noise. Apart from the snoring. Tobias swiftly tiptoed past the wasted man, and managed to silently slip into his room. Only to sigh at the unmade bed and empty beer bottles at the foot of it. More than a few spots of the sheets were stained.
   
That rat bastard... Chase fumed, his anger rising steadily. Tobias tore off the soiled bed sheets, depositing it on the floor and collected the bottles to dump them in the wastebasket. The bed now stripped down to the thin flimsy mattress, Tobias fell forwards on to it, face to pillow.
    
Can you please not? I can't... I don't want to deal with your emotions right now.
    
Tobias... Chase began to retort, but trailed off instead. The burning rage gradually subsided, and so did the wolf.
    
With his mind now silent, it took no time at all for him to fall asleep as well. In spite of his growling stomach, and faint snarling drifting from the dark recesses of his conscience.
    
"WHERE THE FUCK WERE YOU YESTERDAY?!"
    
Tobias snapped awake from the force of the shove that sent him toppling off of the rickety bed and crashing to the floor. He landed harshly on his left arm, both it and his left hip throbbed in pain. Gritting his teeth to avoid crying out, Tobias sat up, ignoring his new injuries for now, to face the man who paraded around as his so-called father, but turned around and used him for a punching bag when no one's watching.
    
"Out," he replied shortly, squashing down the meddling wolf who was trying to emerge to the forefront once again. To rip his father a new one, or so he claimed.
    
The man's face was cherry red, both from anger and his alcoholic tendencies. He stumbled on over to where Tobias lay, who tried to scramble up to his feet but was too late. A foot came down on his torso, pinning him to the floor and causing him to wheeze, having caught him at an exhale. Tobias felt as if his lungs were being crushed, even though it was his stomach that was being trampled.
    
"You don't get to talk back to me," his father seethed, putting his entire weight on that one foot. Tobias struggled to draw in oxygen, his diaphragm unable to expand downwards to accommodate the gas. He twisted his ankle, further spreading the wound. Everything felt so much more agonizing when it finally registered to Tobias that the man was wearing shoes. He'd planned this.
    
LET ME OUT, TOBIAS!
    
NO, YOU'LL ONLY MAKE THINGS WORSE!
    
"I own this apartment. I own this room, and everything in it! And that includes you! Which means, that after school ends, you're to come straight back home! You hear me, huh brat?"
    
"Yes," Tobias wheezed out, through gritted teeth.
    
His father finally lifted his foot, allowing him to immediately draw in a large enough breath to fill his lungs to the max. The man left the room soon afterwards, stomping his feet heavily in his unjustified anger.
    
Inhaling big, gulping breaths, Tobias hesitantly felt the burning area on his stomach. He hissed the moment a single finger brushed against the spot, a vicious pang of pain shooting through him at the minimal contact. He didn't bother examining it, knowing full well at this point in his life that a bruise took some time to form. And bruise it will.
    
Those random attacks never ceased to sap his energy, and yet all Tobias wanted to do, was to get out of the apartment building.
    
Chase sighed. If you're not going to fight back, or even let me take control, at least listen to me this time. Go to Felix's. I don't think that prick realized that today is a Saturday, so you can pretend to be heading to school. Maybe even consider asking to join his pack. It's not healthy for you to remain in these conditions, Tobias. That shitshow is going to end up killing you if you don't do something about it.
    
Yes. He was quiet for a beat, and then said, "okay. I'll go."
    
And we really have to talk about that coin-
    
Absolutely not. There's nothing to discuss. Tobias cut him off. He then proceeded to do exactly as his wolf told him to. Remembering to text Felix beforehand and receiving an affirmation in reply, he warily edged his way out of the godforsaken apartment. Thankfully avoiding getting spotted.
    
Tobias was pleasantly surprised that Felix was awake at seven in the morning on a weekend. However, he did recall that the werewolf mentioned something about morning patrol in passing. Felix's natural ability to talk about anything and everything amazed him. Tobias found himself hanging on to every word spoken by the man, even when he was rambling on and on about the most random topic.
    
He went on at great length about his opinion on whether the sky is blue because of the ocean, or vice versa. Felix believed that there has to be a separate reason for them both to be the same color.
    
His opinions were interesting to say the least.
    
You can say that again. I really enjoyed his theory on why carrots should be considered a fruit and not a vegetable, Chase snickered. Goddess, I love how quirky the guy is. I could listen to him for hours and not get bored.
    
I suppose it is nice...
    
Tobias saw the rugged stone in the distance, and hastened his pace. Eager to once again be enveloped by the forest on all sides. Being surrounded by such lush greenery had his constantly tense muscles relaxing and mind clearing itself from all negative thoughts.
    
One of the perks of being half wolf. We connect with nature on a whole other level that humans cannot hope to ever achieve. I can't wait for us to shift. It's even better as a wolf!
    
He tried to visualize it in his mind's eye. Him as an overgrown wolf, running through the woods at breakneck speed, thick fur coat whipping around. The wind in his elongated face, and the ground underneath his four paws. And for some reason unknown to him, there was another wolf running alongside him. A brown one.
    
I... me too.

A/N

Somehow this chapter ended up being more of a filler chapter than anything... This was not my intention, I assure you!

Was it too boring? A lot more was supposed to happen here, but sometimes my writing just does what it pleases and have me write something entirely unplanned...

Hope everyone has a nice day/night!

-RL-

❤️💖❤️