A beautiful ending
Luz stared at the body, "But…what about the rest of the bears? What will happen to them?" she asked relaxing as she shape-shifted back into human form.
"We humans will take care of it." said Gus’s father walking up. The other wolves got around luz, eda and Oswald and the others started to growl.
He put his hands up, "Easy, I'm not going to hurt anyone or luz." he looked at them. "If you feel like seeing us, any of your are welcome." he said leaving with his son and friends.
Old Smith smiled, "So they’re the one who kept you safe?" he asked his leader’s daughter.
Luz nodded, "Yes they’re my friends.”
________
Few nights later.
Luz was sitting there staring out the cabin window at the bright, silver moon over the darkened forest. For the first time in months, she had taken a long hot bath, changed into clean clothes, and ate at the table at a delicious hot home-cooked meal thanks to her mother and father.
Everyone had been so stunned to hear her story and willow just started at her hands—as if lost in thought.
Willow and Gus’s father was especially torn up when they learned what had happened.
They all just held onto her and told her everything that had been happening since she left. After she disappeared, they called in a huge search party to search every square inch of the woods. They searched the whole of whispering Woods for days, but they never found a trace of her.
“Even if we did tell the truth, would you all believe us?” Eda spoke out.
"We didn't know what happened," willow said, as she ran her fingers happily through luz’s hair. "It was like you just disappeared into thin air."
"I'm sorry," luz croaked out, still not used to using her voice after all this time. "But I just didn't…"
"No, we understand," gus said firmly. "How could anyone believe a story like this?"
"Yeah," willow gasped. "If I didn't see you transform like that I never would've! Can you do it again?"
Luz shook her head. "I don't know… I honestly don't know how it happened, but I’m still learning." She looked to willow, who looked just as confused as she did.
“ Luz , I swear if I knew then…?"
But Luz shook her head. "No, don't willow," she said hoarsely. " I learned so much…" luz then told them all about her adventures in the forest. How the wolves had taken her in, and how she had hunted with them.
Gus’s jaw dropped. "You have got to be kidding!" he cried. "You hunted with wild wolves all this time?"
"You saw her turn from a wolf into a human didn't you?" Willow demanded. "How else could she have survived all this time out there? She couldn't have all alone!"
"You're right," luz smiled. "They were so kind to me…"
"But the wolves always disappear around this time of year," Gus said hurriedly.
She lowered her head and put her face in her hands. "Humans treat wild animals like they aren't living beings!" she muttered. The traps, the men chasing them, flapjack’s parents… hunters standing over her with guns….
“We’re very sorry—
"It was terrifying being hunted!" she cried out. She started shaking and she felt her mother's warm arms wrap around her.
"We climb the cliffs," luz croaked out. "They know that you guess are after them, so we had no choice but to go up where you hunters can't follow them."
"But wolves can't climb," gus said at once.
"I lived with them for months, Gus," she said. "They can't climb like cats, but they are so smart and kind…"
She raised her head and looked at her father.
"Dad?" she asked softly.
He blinked and stared at her with pride.
"These people can't hunt anymore," she said looking at him through pleading eyes. “The day I became a werewolf, many was also killed. Dad, you know something must be done. I owe so much to each of these wolves and I can't stand by and let them ever become stuff and mounted!"
Oswald stared down at her and then he nodded. "I promise kiddo, No human won't ever hunt again." He turned his back on her and walked from the room. "And I won't let anyone else do so again either."
Luz stared at him as he headed to his coat and pulled out his phone. She watched as he dialed a number and held it up. "Hey," he said. "Listen… I need you to do me a favor, we gotten rid of belos and the collector. We're going to put an end to this hunting season."
Luz blinked and suddenly she felt warm tears in her eyes. She moved from her mother's arms and ran to hug her father tightly.
*A few days later*
___________
Her father was as good as his word. He had called the rest of the remaining hunting groups and told them that they were going to create a national park. A park where it would be against the law to hunt the werewolves and other wildlife here.
Predictably, they were all stunned at his words and were demanding to know what had got into him. Her dad then told them that he found his missing daughter—he didn't tell them about how she had been a wolf. Who would ever believe him about the legendary battle that took place—but that he owed Amity’s family for keeping her safe all this time.
Some male classmates among her colleagues when they heard that Luz was alive and well, She forced a smile as they came in carrying health products fresh fruits to help her recover and some begged her to come back to college but she nicely declined saying she had other plans.
"It really is amazing," Willow said to luz as she came into her room, carrying a tray of hot soup for her. "Our parents are working hard and convincing everyone. It really wouldn't surprise me if we're able to get this pulled off in just a few weeks at most. Since hunting season is almost over, we have until next year to get if official."
___________________
Months had passed since luz had made her choice and had rejoined the pack as the new leader. She had run off with her parents and mate that day into the forest, her heart so full of freedom she thought that it would burst.
With their injuries healed and the transformation spell broken, Raine decided to leave and train their new music werewolf pups students Katya, Derwin, and Amber , but promises to return with amusing stories.
Hunter on the other hand left to be with Willow because you guessed it. He admitted to falling in love with her, flapjack and honey hitch a ride to experience brave human school adventures.
_____
'I do have some good news,' amity yawned. 'Overheard a few humans say that they was going to turn whispering Woods into a park or something like that.'
'A national park,' luz laughed rubbing her fluffy head against her mate. 'A forest preserve.'
'What's that?' Edric asked curiously.
'It means,' luz said happily. 'You—we—don't have to worry about hunters coming here again.'
'Really?' Emira gasped.
'That's right,' she laughed. 'Hunting will be banned here. We can all live in peace without worrying about being killed.'
'So we don't need to go up the cliffs anymore?' Viney barked happily, almost dancing. 'We don't need to worry about scary damn humans coming here with those weapons?'
She shook her head as she touched the end of her nose with her own. 'No,' she promised. 'We're free.'
It was a celebration that day. To celebrate the end of hiding and running… celebrating the whole pack reuniting and a whole new life ahead of them all they talked and laughed the rest of day and well into the night for three days straight.
____________
The next mating season had come and gone… and now it had been almost three months since that day.
It was one particular moonless night when Oswald was found pacing up and down in front of the den. Ava was lying on the ground next to Owen on either side—watching him.
'Boss,' Owen complained. 'You can calm down. I know it's a long wait. But we can't rush anything. I'm sure that lady edalyn is fine.'
'Oh, I’m sorry, luz birth was a long time ago.” he barked at him. 'It's been since this afternoon! What's taking so long?'
'I know it's tough,' Owen told him in a soothing voice. 'I remember when it was me out here waiting.'
'Just be patient dad,' luz piped up.
At that moment, they heard eda’s bark, 'Ok! You can up in now! Just be quiet though. I don't want to wake up the little ones!'
Oswald froze in mid-pace as Owen jumped up and laughed. 'That's how I reacted when Ava told me that I could go in.'
Luz gave him a small nudge in the back and said in a teasing tone, 'Go on… dad…'
________
“Dear, look at them. Aren't they beautiful?" said eda with tears of joy in her eyes.
Oswald smiled, "Yes…love..yes they are." He looked at the pups to see them. A brown pup with dark brown stripes like him and a solid white pup were covering something. It pushed up, Oswald and eda gasped, "A orange pup with brown stripes!" they said at the same time. They looked at one another.
"It's a girl. A strong female." Oswald smiled with pride, "Just like our oldest.
“She’ll will be a strong one, I can feel it!" Eda spoke, "What do we name her , her sister and brother?”
Oswald thought for a moment, "We can name her Scarlet. The brown male shall be named Alex and the white one shall be named Annie."
“Beautiful names for beautiful strong pups.”
In another dens.
A very mature Edric was guarding the den as Viney was already resting in a corner with her own brood of pups. She and edric had mated and it was only two weeks ago did viney have three pups. Two brown fur girls…and a green fur boy..they were still working on the names , but thank god they didn’t take after their grandmother.
With Lumity was a tender moment as the new family sat together with their adopted three week old pups ,string bean a light purple female and ghost jr a white male , were already starting to wander the den on their tiny, little legs , luz nuzzled her head against amity , their tails intertwined with each other.
The two of them shared a special glance and reared back their heads to let out a single long howl… a song that echoed across the forest.
The end.