It had been a long hard winter. There wasn't much around to catch or even scavenge from others. Not that I would steal someone else’s meal unless I had too. I had been a lone wolf for as long as I could remember. I didn't even know why I was on my own. Weren't we meant to be in a pack or group of some sort? Although I had come across other wolves, some friendly and some well not so friendly. I never felt I needed someone else, until this winter. Sure males have tried to mate with me, by trying to lure me into their pack or even by force but something held me back and so I traveled on my own. My strange markings seem to be a beacon to all unattached males. After a nip or two, most seem to get the message I wasn't interested. But then again there were the few where a simple no turned out to be a full on battle, which in the end I won.

I am abnormally large for a wolf and my markings were like no others I had seen. I was pure black with a silver... um... collar I guess you could call it, it went right round the back of my neck and ended at a V on my chest. I also seemed to have longer fur on the top of my head and down my neck than any other wolf I had seen. I didn't understand why I was so different. My eyes made me stand out the most, instead of being yellow or blue or something in between, mine were purple. An older wolf, an alpha I think he was called me demon. But personally I think they are morons or jealous of my eyes. And that is also how I got my name, Demon. Even though I am female. For the longest time I didn't have a name and so I decided to adopt Demon. And since I was on my own, I wasn't sure I ever had a name. So in a way the moron named me.

I had been living on the outskirts of a pack in the west and most mornings the pups would come and try to surprise attack me and we would play most of the day away but I was never one of them. One morning the pups finally surprised me and I knew it was time to move on. No point having the pups get attached to me or the pack thinking I would be around to babysit all the time. I saw the alpha pair emerge from their den, I stood and lowered my head and gave a low non threatening howl and turned my back and waved my tail. I looked back and saw both alphas lower their heads in understanding that I was leaving. The pair howled and the pups took off back to their parents, as it should be. I would miss the little things but best leave now before I too got attached. I knew about most of the packs around, most didn't mind me if I hung around for a little while just as long as I kept my distance and didn't interfere with them, I was mostly left alone... well beside the unattached males that is. But one pack, the north pack, couldn't stand me... it was actually the alpha of that pack that sort of named me. So I did my best to steer clear of them and so I headed south east.

I was happily bounding around in the snow when a stranger appeared. I stopped and lowered my tail and ears and bared my teeth, showing I was in no mood to deal with 'another would be suitor'. But what happen next threw me for a loop, this large brute of a male who could easily overpower me, flopped down and rolled over and threw his head back, stomach skyward. I had seen this many times on my travels, he was submitting to me. But I didn't know why.

My ears went up and my head leaned back towards my shoulders. I closed my jaw but my tail remained down. My stance would have shown this male that I was confused. But still I was in no mood for what ever 'he' was up to. My ears shot up again and I growled low and deep as I pounced forward half a step and landed with both paws on the wet ground. I snapped my jaws to show my annoyance and was answered with a whimper. His scent finally hit me, he was different to the other wolves I had been around. It seemed off some how... I didn't like it. I lifted my head and howled loudly and then took off as fast as I could to get away from this wolf. I didn't stop running until the sun was almost completely gone from the sky.

Unbeknown to me after running away from the strange wolf I ran north west and realised my mistake to late. I was jumped by a north pack female. She had jumped on my back and bounded a few paces away from me, awaiting my move. I put my tail between my legs and my ears flat against my head and sunk to the cold ground never looking her in the eye. I snorted and whimpered and tried to be submissive but she growled at me. She wasn't buying it. I had never fought another female before, I knew I was in trouble. This she wolf would have been experienced and from what I had seen from other packs females are nasty when they fight.

We both heard a sound from my right and we both looked but saw nothing. The she wolf had had enough and was about to advance on me, then I saw a blur of movement to my left but kept looking at the she wolfs paws as not to give away the new comer. And then I smelt it, it was him.... again, he must have followed my trail to see where I was headed. I growled and the she wolf pricked up her ears and sniffed the air and she too growled. I guess I wasn't the only one who didn't like him.

I closed my eyes and when I opened them again I saw four white legs standing in front of me but not facing me, but facing the she wolf, like an alpha protecting his own. I heard a horrible rumble and suddenly the she wolf bolted. Only once the she wolf was out of sight did he turn around and look down at me. He then also sunk to the ground and pressed his nose to mine and gave a little nudge and whimper. I looked him in the eye and saw something strange, his eyes mirrored my own. I suddenly sat up shocked but he stayed where he was but I could see his tail twitching with excitement at what I had seen. I gave a growl and his tail stilled, I lifted a paw and bopped him one right on the nose. He too then sat up looking at his nose, which made his eyes cross. He put his head down and started rubbing at his nose with both paws. Once he was distracted doing that, I took the optionality to run off on him again... back the way I came.

I ran as far and as fast as I could, but I knew I needed to find water. To drink and to loose the strange wolf, I knew he was still following me. After running a little more I found a stream and I drank for along as I dared before jumping in and letting it carry me away. After a long time in the water my paws started to hurt and I climbed up a bank. I shook myself and kept going, knowing it would only be a matter of time before he found me again. I knew I couldn't walk much more and I was so tired, I had to find a cave or something to hide and sleep in.

Not long after I started my search I found exactly what I had been looking for. A small cave. I sniffed around it and found no one had been here in a very long time, it wasn't much but it would have to do for the night. I walked to the middle of the cave and curled up. I was almost asleep when I heard sniffing. I stayed inside and didn't move. I heard a snort. My head shot up and there he was again, sticking his head in my cave. I gave a growl that spoke a threat and he removed his head from the entrance. But I knew he didn't go far as I heard him walking around and then a thump and then silence.

I woke to the sounds of birds and went outside ready to give the he wolf a hard time, but as I got outside he was no where to be seen. I sat down wondering what he was playing at and then I noticed something near a tree not far from the cave. It was a snow rabbit and not just one but three. Those little buggers where almost impossible to catch and yet here lay three and right at my feet and as I sniffed them, I found they were still warm. So freshly caught snow rabbits. I suddenly looked around, and still he wasn't here. I gave a little wolfy shrug and gobbled up the first two but left the third just in case he came back and couldn't catch any more. With my stomach almost full, I knew I had to get on with my day and so I headed out but also left a few fake trails along the way. I almost giggled to myself, have fun with that big boy..... I thought to myself.

I had been walking a while and came upon a lake. Yes I could use a drink and maybe a wash. As I got closer to the water I noticed something on the other side. It was a strange thing... tall, long and pinkish. It moved in a weird way... upright on two legs. And then it hit me... A HUMAN! I had seen humans before but never without their colourful flat fur and never alone. This one had no fur at all! It looked up and saw me. I froze. But it didn't seem surprised to see me... I sniffed the air. It was weird. It smelt like a she wolf but different... like HIM! I wasn't going to stick around so I ran on, away from IT.