Beneath The Moonlight

CHAPTER ONE

Odd One Out  

Megan had always felt like a misfit in her pack. Despite her efforts to fit in and be like everyone else, there was always a sense of disconnection between her and the other wolves, so it wasn’t unusual that she felt awkward as she stepped into the hallway of Wolfgang University, she clutched her books closer to her chest, eyes down so she didn’t have to make contact with anyone, as there was the usual whispering and sniggering from one or two people whenever she came into a room.

“There goes the freak”, whispered a blond-haired Beta to his friends who laughed in response. She just wanted to hurry into her lecture room, where she felt safe. She had just stretched out her hand to turn the door knob when someone brushed passed her roughly, upsetting her books, and scattering them all over the floor.

“Oops!  Watch where you are going”, a female voice said saucily.  Megan didn’t have to look to see who the voice belonged to. It was Elvira, the most popular werewolf in school, every male had secretly hoped she was their mate but she was Jake’s. Megan quickly bent to pick up her books and her glasses fell off. She hurriedly picked them and put them back on her nose, as the sound of malicious giggles filled her ears. Elvira had two Omegas who followed her practically everywhere doing her bidding. A foot in pink sneakers kicked her textbook on purpose.

“Don’t be so mean” Elvira said to one of her stooges. “Here let me give you a hand”, she bent to pick some of the books. Megan was shocked, Elvira was never nice to, especially with the history they had.

Elvira stood up and held the books at eye level, Megan was just going to say “Thank You” when she dropped the books on the floor.

More giggles from Elvira and her ‘dolls’.

Someone bent down to pick Megan’s books up gently, arranging them neatly and handing them to Megan who kept her eyes on the floor.

“Thanks, Ryan”, she said very quietly.

“Be careful, in case she bites”, Elvira said to Ryan in her sing-song voice.

Laughter erupted from the other wolves in the hallway. 

“That’s enough Elvira!” Ryan retorted. Megan touched his arm lightly.

Elvira eyed him for a bit, then spat out maliciously, angered that anyone would defend the reject.

“Awwww, isn’t this sweet? Two rejects ”

More laughter erupted. Megan wished the floor would open and swallow her.  Her face was burning. 

“Ignore her,” Ryan said as he held a hand out to Megan which she took gratefully, and helped her up.

“Let’s go girls”, and with a flip of the hair the three of them walked away.

“She is just mean. I don’t know why you put up with that”. Ryan said as they walked into the lecture room together.

Megan barely heard what the Myths lecturer was teaching. Her mind went back to why Elvira had been horrible to her. 

Megan wasn’t as strong or as skilled as the other werewolves were, even though she had trained timelessly with the pack’s elder wolves, hoping that her skills and abilities will improve, but it seemed like she was always one step behind everyone else. The more she struggled, the more she felt like an outsider.  The insult came from the known fact that she couldn’t seem to fully shift into her wolf form which contributed a lot to slowing her down, and more of the other thing.

 The training wasn’t much different from the lectures. Megan felt even more inadequate during these sessions as it was another time to show her inability to show strength and skill. She was spared the embarrassment when she was told to feel free to go at her pace, she didn’t have to run with the others. She knew deep down that it was just so she didn’t slow the pack down. 

The pack ran off into the woods transforming as they went,  howling into the dark. Megan longed to go with them. 

Ryan sat by her. 

“Are you okay?” He sounded concerned.

Megan nodded her head and gave a half smile.

“I’ll be fine”, she replied.

“If you need any help, just howl,” Ryan said. He worried about her.  He believed she would be better; it was just a matter of time. He remembered what was said about the flowers that bloom late being the prettiest. 

He was drawn to her, but she wasn’t his mate and she hadn’t gotten over her past hurt. He decided to keep it in the friend zone. He didn’t think he was ready to forget and move on either.

He had been rejected by Sheila, his beautiful mate because she thought he was a weak wolf and it hurt like hell sometimes. He had left his hometown to seek new opportunities and get away from the hurt but the news had a way of traveling far.

“Earth to Ryan”, Megan nudged him gently and smiled.

“Sorry, I trailed off”, he apologized.

“What were you thinking of? The look on your face said it wasn’t pleasant.”

“It’s nothing”, he gave a half smile.

“It’s about her right?”, Megan gave a knowing half-smile in return.

Ryan sighed.

“I can relate. I mean you wait your whole life to meet the right person and then they turn around, and boom! you are suddenly the bad talk of the town”, she gave a small forced laugh.

 They were quiet and lost in thought for a while when Ryan got up.

“I’ll just take a quick run and be back in no time”, he reassured her.

A group of late-comers walked up laughing at something one of them had said, she recognized one voice and turned to look. Megan’s heart froze as she realized who it was. Jake!

She didn’t particularly like to run into him anywhere and did all she could to avoid that, especially after what he’d done.

“Megan? Is everything okay?” Ryan asked from beside her, concerned about her change of countenance. She hadn’t even noticed that he hadn’t left.

“Oh!”, Ryan followed the direction of her gaze and suddenly understood.

Jake walked up with Bob, Frank, Hector, Elvira, and her crew; Ashley and Mandy.

“What do we have here?” Jake drawled in his deep husky voice.

“It’s the fated pair” giggled Elvira. The others laughed.

“I was just seeing Megan off”, Ryan said casually, ushering Megan away from them, and feeling protective of her.

“Oh don’t leave on our account”, Jake was mocking.

“Why don’t you stay a while longer, let’s play fetch”  Frank said. The whole pack burst into laughter.

“That was a good one”, said Hector

“Fetch, you’re killing me, man!”  Bob howled laughing.

Ryan’s face was a storm. Megan saw this and pulled at his arm away from them.

“Don’t pay any attention to them”, she said quietly, badly wanting to get away from them.

Ryan gave in. They had only walked a few meters away with the trail of laughter following them when Bob said, 

“ Yeah! Run away with your tail between your legs”. Ryan lunged at him, transforming as he went, taking Bob by surprise and flinging him like a ragged doll, sending him crashing into a tree. Megan raced back to stop Ryan while the rest of the pack formed a circle around them, transformed and snarling.

Ryan and Jake stood face to face snarling and growling at each other, spoiling for a fight.  Megan tried to transform but didn’t succeed, she stood beside Ryan whimpering until he calmed down and transformed back.

Jake and Ryan had a brief stare-down, broken by Bob who had transformed,  was itching for revenge, and lunged at Ryan but Jake put out a hand to stop him dead in his tracks, holding him back.

Jake transformed back and so did the others, breathing heavily. Ryan turned to leave, and Megan patted him calmly on the back following him.

“You should have let me”, whined Bob.

“He is not worth it. Let them go” Jake looked at them until they walked out of sight. 

Let’s Go! Jake suddenly turned and ran transforming as he went, jumping from tree to tree and howling. The other pack members followed suit.

A few hours later, Megan was in her room, Ryan had seen her to her door, she didn’t feel like hunting, so he had gone to join the others. She browsing through her phone looking for something to distract her, when a message popped in; it was her cousin, Sandra. She had sent her a picture showing off her younger brother and his beautiful mate. She typed ‘Congratulations’, added a few emoticons for effect, and sent it, then switched off her data. The last thing she wanted was a call from Sandra, hearing her excited voice going on and on about her brother’s mate and how their pack had increased and the inevitable question of if she was going to get another mate and when.  Megan was the only one she knew in her family who had been rejected by her mate.

Despite these feelings, Megan held on to the glimmer of hope that one day she would find her mate; a soul mate to complete her and make her whole. She held onto the belief that there was someone out there who would accept her for who she was, strengths and weaknesses alike.

Her mind went back to what had transpired earlier that evening with Jake and his crew and why it had bothered her so much.

Most werewolves find their mates in their mid-teens, and Megan had watched her pack mates find their mates and be paired off, forming strong bonds that seemed unbreakable.

Of course, there were potential mates in the pack. There were even a few males who had expressed interest in her, but she somehow couldn’t shake the feeling that they were only into her because she was the only eligible female left in the pack. They didn’t see her as an individual but as a means to an end. 

“Owwwwwww”, she heard howling and she longed to be out with her pack, but that wasn’t happening tonight, no siree it wasn’t.

She tried to shut her eyes, but sleep wouldn’t come. She tossed and turned, her mind roaming to and through many things.

She was grateful to Ryan for saving her, and having her back at all times. He was kind and sweet. A guy any lucky female will be grateful to have. He was a gentleman, who made sure she was always alright. She’d heard about his mate’s rejection before he told her about it. She was shocked. She hoped he’d get a mate too.

He had called to check on her; to make sure she was okay.

He was also quiet and assertive; but his reaction tonight had been extremely surprising. Megan had never seen that side of him before.

But she was sure he’d make a worthy protector. She smiled at this thought. She was still restless however and tossed several times underneath her duvet. 

The room suddenly felt stuffy, she needed to get out; to get some fresh air, 

and that was exactly what she did. She wore her slippers, put on a light dressing gown, and stepped out the door as a small gale of wind blew into her face, sending tendrils of her hair flying.

She shut the door behind her, took a few steps out, and closed her eyes, inhaling the cool breeze. This activity was to heighten a werewolf’s hearing and scent-catching. She listened to all the night sounds while soaking them in; a chirp of a cricket, the croak of a frog, a night owl hooted afar off. She couldn’t hear the werewolves anymore and she strained for that sound, eyes still closed. She tried to see with her mind’s eye when shockingly Ryan’s face that popped up in her head. She raised a brow.

“What was that?” She asked no one in particular.

“I think this air might be a bit much for me”, she said to herself, fastening her dressing gown, and trying to stifle a smirk. She blushed slightly, turned around and went back into the house.