I was the first in the room, followed closely by Cass and Hanon. The other wolves, rogue or pack, didn’t move past the entrance. They peered in with morbid curiosity but couldn’t bring themselves to experience this up close. This room looked to be a second living room, with one couch and a tv set up on the opposite wall. Hugo had been set on the couch initially, but with all the thrashing and screaming, he had to be moved to the floor.
“There’s a bed upstairs…” Hanon began, but Doc cut him off.
“One hit from him in this state could be lethal. He doesn’t have control of himself. We can’t risk it, for the sake of everyone he will remain here.”
Hanon nodded, but I was wondering how Doc knew that. No one else but Doc would come close to his son, except me. I knelt beside him and he handed me a warm rag.
“Wipe his forehead but be watchful of his hands.”
Hugo prepared to pounce again, steady and stealth. As little experience he had with this form, it came so naturally to him. I might have admired it, if he weren’t about to attack Byron. I snapped myself out of my daze, my instincts screaming to move. Move where? This wasn’t my fight. Hugo had challenged Byron for the pack. For me. This wasn’t the human; this was the wolf. Pure wolf instinct. Doc had said not to engage. Maybe engaging is what had prolonged Hugo’s conscious state. He was supposed to have passed out by now, but then again, he was not the average wolf. He was an Alpha. I wasn’t even sure that was possible, but everything about the midnight wolf told me otherwise. I watched his body tense, but just before he jumped, he slumped to the side with a whimper. Byron’s ears perked up, not understanding. The midnight wolf was Hugo again, and Hugo was unconscious. The episode was over. It took us all several seco
There’s something about the smell of rain that both ignites the soul and eases the mind. The morning sky was veiled with dark clouds, preparing to shower my forest. I opened the door to our cabin and took in a deep breath, before sighing contently. While the weather was in my favor, this day would not be. I heard my father’s footsteps coming down the stairs and closed the door behind me as I stepped outside. I already knew what he was going to say and preferred to enjoy these few moments of bliss before going back to reality. If this had been any other day, I would have already been gone, running through the trees in sheer harmony. Unfortunately, this wasn’t any other day. This was the first day of my last year in high school. To some, that may seem something to celebrate, given this would be my final year. For me, it was the end of a long road leading up to my final days of freedom. School had been a welcomed delay for my inevitable fate. -
The rain began trickling down the windows just as the bell rang for lunch. I was already halfway through the day, but it felt like time had sped up just for this. I exchanged looks with Fyn and nodded in reassurance. He didn’t look convinced but stood to meet me outside anyways. I led the way into the hall and we waited for the others by my locker. I scanned over the faces of the crowd as they walked excitedly to the cafeteria. One by one, everyone took their place against the wall with me. Jace was the last to show, giving me a slight nod as he walked past. We fell into step behind him, trying not to draw attention to ourselves. Being a wolf in a school of humans made us stand out regardless, and I caught a few people staring at me. I wondered what they might think of us. Unlike Byron’s pack, we kept to ourselves. He was popular and outgoing, while we focused our attention entirely on being invisible. I think this is what I didn’t like about him. He made a point o
The rain’s fall had become heavier by the time school let out. My pack was the first through the doors, running through the street contently. I followed them, smiling at their uncontained excitement. I was a few yards behind when I saw them disappear into the tree line. I glanced behind me to make sure no one had noticed us, before stepping into the forest. When I was far enough in, I dropped my backpack and shifted. The feeling of shifting is a hard to describe. At first it’s painful, with all your bones transitioning to take a new form. It’s not an overwhelming pain, unless done repeatedly in a day. There is a magical aspect in changing form though, one that allows us to appear wearing clothes when we shift back to human form. I appreciate this aspect the most. The rain soaked my fur as I ran. There was nothing that compared to the feeling of my paws hitting the ground at an unhuman speed. I dashed through the trees and bushes,
The bell rang for the second time that day, indicating class was in session. Mr. Hing slammed his book shut and pushed up his wiry glasses. He faced the class with a dull smile and said good morning. Only a few people responded, to which he began addressing our more recent assignment. I listened while spacing out, my mind wandering to lunch with Byron’s pack again. This was the only class I had without any of my packmates, so I didn’t know have anyone to talk to. The only people I knew were Ava and Damien, sitting in the front row. I caught a glance from Damien and he gave a small smile, easing my mind slightly. I nodded to him, but our attention returned to the front when someone walked in. “Oh, good!” Mr. Hing waved him in. “Everyone, this is Hugo. I understand you were late yesterday?” Hugo nodded uncomfortably. “Sorry.” Mr. Hing chuckled. “You didn’t miss anything. I have
I checked the time on my phone again, sighing. It was five-thirty; I would have to head out soon. My father had been in a confidential meeting with the other Alphas for over an hour now. Luckily, Byron and the other youths in his pack had joined us. We’d been given more time to spend with each other, even in this dire situation. We’d begun our time talkative and friendly, but now, we were sitting in the living room sharing the same dreary expressions. Every once in a while, we’d hear someone raise their voice in the study, but other than that we didn’t know what was going on. Byron gave me a small smile and nudged me. “They’ll figure something out soon.” he tried to reassure me. I shook my head. “I won’t be here for it. I have somewhere to be.” Fyn raised his head. “Where are you off to?” “I’m meeting Hugo at the library to discuss the pr
He slammed into me at full force, his jaws snapping at my throat. I whined as I hit the ground under his weight. My shoulder was protesting in pain, and I heard the sound of my stitches tearing. I retaliated by scratching furiously at the wolf’s underbelly. The smell of his blood satisfied me, but it wasn’t enough to down him. He howled in frustration and sank his teeth into my wounded shoulder. Out of pain, I reacted by latching onto his front leg. I bit down and felt his bone crunch in my jaw. He let go and whined as he fell off me. I jumped to my feet and took my place in front of Hugo again. I only had a second to see his expression, but he was horrified. The snapping and snarling of the other two wolves brought my attention back to them. They growled, approaching very slowly. The golden wolf was limping, but he took his place in between them, teeth bared. I responded by snapping my jaw warningly. He snapped back. They moved closer and I was forced back furthe
“Insubordination is punishable by death, Natalia.” Cedric’s voice was dripping with irritation. “May I remind you.” I met his eyes. “I agreed to the union only after I graduated. I don’t care what kind of power trip you’re on, Shadowfang has fulfilled their debt to you.” He took a step closer to me, menace in his expression. He looked like he might kill me right then and there. I bit my tongue, wondering if I should’ve listened and obliged. To my surprise, Byron stood and put a hand on his father’s chest to stop him. When he spoke, his tone was cool and collected. “We agreed to this when we were very young, father. We have known our place since we were ten. Natalia isn’t opposing the union; she’s simply asking us to uphold our end of the deal. Redclaw and Shadowfang agreed to letting the youths graduate first. Pushing the date up is voiding the agreement.” Cedric’s face contorted to anger, before he calmed again. He
Hugo prepared to pounce again, steady and stealth. As little experience he had with this form, it came so naturally to him. I might have admired it, if he weren’t about to attack Byron. I snapped myself out of my daze, my instincts screaming to move. Move where? This wasn’t my fight. Hugo had challenged Byron for the pack. For me. This wasn’t the human; this was the wolf. Pure wolf instinct. Doc had said not to engage. Maybe engaging is what had prolonged Hugo’s conscious state. He was supposed to have passed out by now, but then again, he was not the average wolf. He was an Alpha. I wasn’t even sure that was possible, but everything about the midnight wolf told me otherwise. I watched his body tense, but just before he jumped, he slumped to the side with a whimper. Byron’s ears perked up, not understanding. The midnight wolf was Hugo again, and Hugo was unconscious. The episode was over. It took us all several seco
I was the first in the room, followed closely by Cass and Hanon. The other wolves, rogue or pack, didn’t move past the entrance. They peered in with morbid curiosity but couldn’t bring themselves to experience this up close. This room looked to be a second living room, with one couch and a tv set up on the opposite wall. Hugo had been set on the couch initially, but with all the thrashing and screaming, he had to be moved to the floor. “There’s a bed upstairs…” Hanon began, but Doc cut him off. “One hit from him in this state could be lethal. He doesn’t have control of himself. We can’t risk it, for the sake of everyone he will remain here.” Hanon nodded, but I was wondering how Doc knew that. No one else but Doc would come close to his son, except me. I knelt beside him and he handed me a warm rag. “Wipe his forehead but be watchful of his hands.”
The rogues had recruits come in soon after the fight had died down. The elders ended up trading places with my youths, having their wrists and ankles bound. My pack didn’t make a move towards me, but I could see they wanted to. I hadn’t moved from my place on the floor, cradling Hugo’s head in my lap. He hadn’t moved since the injection, but his breathing had gotten stronger. I could see the wound already working to heal. Whether or not he made it, my blood was a natural remedy for his wounds. Byron’s youths took seats on the stairs, watching the rogues warily. They weren’t bound, since they hadn’t made a move to attack. I wanted to know what he was thinking, but I couldn’t bring myself to ask. I’d come too far from the girl he thought I was, there was no going back. From the corner of my eye, I saw the rogues ease into the sofas. All except Doc, who sat near me, and my father, who’d taken to guarding the Redc
It wasn’t until I heard his voice that I noticed his scent entwining with the others in the room. There were so many werewolves in such an enclosed space, it had been so easy to miss at first. He stepped from around the corner. No one moved. This made him smile as he reached for the door. Several Redclaw elders entered, stone faced and ready. They were followed by the Redclaw youths and…my father. If I hadn’t been fearful before, I definitely was now. My father didn’t look at me; he looked through me. I heard commotion and seconds later, my pack was pushed through the door. They were not coming in willingly. This was a relief as much as it was horrifying. Fyn came in last, his bound hands tearing at the Redclaw elder that held onto him. I saw his nails slash across the elders face and bright red blood appear. Enraged, the older wolf shoved him as hard as possibly able. Fyn hit the ground with a sickening thud. My instinct was to rush to him, but I was
Doc hurried upstairs to retrieve the man I’d heard so much about. I didn’t know what made me more uncomfortable; Hugo walking home when Redclaw could be stalking for him at the very moment or knowing the man who convinced my mother to betray her pack and the Elites was right above my head. I tensed as the stairs creaked. It was almost dramatic, how his feet appeared, then his legs, then his torso, and finally his face. He was a broad man, every inch of him screaming Alpha. Equal. This was the silent confirmation. He was my equal. He was an alpha. An alpha without a pack. When he stepped into the living room and looked up, his face paled. It was such an odd sight to see. His face didn’t look like it drained of color very often. I watched him with unease. Doc and Cass stepped into the hall, leaving me alone with this man. He took a step towards me and I took a step back, my lip pulling in a snarl. He put his hands up, realizing his mistake, and nodded affirmingly. “You’re Natalia.” He
I knocked on the door for the third time. I knew it was only my impatience, but it felt like it was taking too long for them to answer. They had to be home. They had to be. I strained to hear past the door, but there was nothing. Silence. Deafening silence. My wolf paced in the corner of my mind, whining at the anticipation. Finally, I heard the latch on the door unhook and watched the knob turn. Doc’s face peeked at me through the small opening, but this wasn’t an invitation for me to come in. No, he was staring at me with confusion. “Natalia?” I froze. My heart stopped. The undeniable stench, foreign to an average human home, hit my nose like a warning. Wolf. Move. Trying to be as kind as I could manage, I shoved my foot into the opening and pried it open. Doc’s eyes widened but I kept going until there was enough room for me to slip in. I put my fingers to my lips when I saw him about to speak. He reached out a hand to grab me, but I shrugged him off and continued into the ha
It wasn’t until Byron leapt on me and I fell hard on my back that I realized what was happening. I shifted instantly; my wolf already prepared. This is what I’d been trained for. This is something I knew and understood. Attack. Fight. Defend. I ignored the pain from my fall and twisted my body, eventually getting a decent enough hit to Byron’s underbelly to make him jump back. He landed lopsided and scrambled to gain his balance again. It was only a few seconds, but it was enough for me to get to my feet and prepare for the second attack. It never came. Byron’s wolfish eyes met mine and he stilled. It was only then that I realized he hadn’t made a sound the entire attack. His lip wasn’t curled back the way mine was. His muscles weren’t tensed. In fact, he looked almost at peace. This unnerved me. He’s not your friend, Natalia. His thoughts came so clearly to me. Because yo
I shot out of my seat. “Excuse me?” My father raised a hand to silence me. “Cedric and I have been trying to put together a meeting to talk about the union. We didn’t think something like this would happen, but this has been planned a week in advance.” “Reschedule.” I gritted my teeth. My father’s eyes hardened. Even from where I stood I could feel the power coming off him. His wolf had awakened by the challenge, but my father was calm. He had many years on us and knew how to control himself better than we did.. “Not an option.” He said coolly. “We aren’t in any mood to see Redclaw today.” He shrugged. “That’s your issue, not mine. The union must be discussed. It’s business, Natalia. I have a deal to uphold.” “No, you mean I have a deal to uphold. You need me to hold this meeting and I’m telling you to reschedule.” “Luckily for me, you’re not my Alpha.” He
Fyn draped an arm over my shoulder as we pushed through the cafeteria door. It was a friendly gesture to us, but it drew a few eyes from surrounding tables. I saw Fyn smile, enjoying the attention. I glanced back enough to see Jace take Mel’s hand; the gesture was so subtle but I knew I was seeing the beginning of something. I caught sight of Byron, leaning back in his chair and smiling at Claire, who sat beside him. The Redclaw wolves didn’t look uncomfortable around Chelsea’s friends; the same group they’d spent most of the last three years with. This triggered me, knowing that they’d nearly torn into Shadowfang for befriending Hugo and his friends. So, only they were allowed to hang out with humans? Not likely. We came upon a table that was erupting in laughter. The group of humans were enjoying themselves and their break time. It was only the sight of us sliding into the empty chairs around the table that silenced them. I sat beside Hu