2

The Luna Puer Pack

2002, Tver Region, Central Part of European Russia

Leaves rustled wildly as the strong wind raged; the clouds that looked like they were hanging above in the dark sky parted as if to give way to the big, almost translucent full moon. A blur of something white passes through the tall grasses, stirring some nightly animals from their slumber. Panting hard and roughly able to run fast enough anymore, she let out a groan but she didn’t stop, she run through the night despite being barefooted.

She paused for a moment, panting heavily. The simple white dress she wore; dirtied and torn. Her long black hair flow as the harsh wind blew in her direction. Her heart beats fast and loud, pounding against her chest wanting to get out.

Dark figures with cold eyes dangerously lurk in the darkness. Their eyes glimmer. Waiting. She knew that too, especially when rustles of the tall meadows were heard, alerting her.

A fast movement shadowed the scape.

A low, piercing growl followed.

Her gaze zeroed where the growl came from. Concentrating, she waits. Then suddenly a roar resonates behind her. She turned but not fast enough to brace herself for the attack. A big grey blur baring sharp fangs had jumped into her. She was unprepared that she fell on her back with a thud. Her eyes shifted from its dark color to the coldest of blue, sharp and menacing, her hands on the neck of her attacker. Her fangs showing, she snarls and with strength so strong she threw her attacker with one hand.

It hit the tree across the grassy field, she watches it whimper in pain. Standing up slowly, her crystal blue eyes glints in danger, her nails started to grow. She starts to move and was about to attack where she knew the rest were hiding when a girl wearing very short shorts and a tank top, also barefooted stepped out. Her long red hair was put up in a high ponytail, her bangs sticking on her face.

“I thought we’re playing hide and seek!” She threw up her hands and shook her head.  She glares. “What happened?”

There was a sound of whining and both women turned to the sound, it came from her attacker, it limped towards them. The grey wolf let out a sound of a whine. The ladies watched it shift, from wolf to human.

A young man who was nursing the bruised arm, naked had pouted while rubbing the sore spot. “November, why did you toss me that hard?”

November retracts her fangs and grins. “Why did you jump me at my back?”, she turned to the red-headed girl, “And you were growling Jennie! Like, some deranged wolf, it’s so distracting! Then suddenly Kai jumped me from behind! I thought we changed the game!”

“Ugh!” The red-headed rolled her eyes then motioned on her back. Few more wolves trotted forward, two of them had shifted to human form as well. “November? Jennie? Is the game over?”

They turned to the boys; both of them had already worn pants. One of them walked towards Kai and handed him his pants. One of them has a mohawk hairstyle they call Aidan while the other had dark hair he put up to a ponytail. His name is Eldric.

Jennie is annoyed enough, “Kai broke the rules! It’s supposed to hide and seek, not attack it!”

November nods as she dusts her white dress. While the rest of the kids looked confused and indifferent.

Jennie sighs, “Alright…” waving a hand to the others, “Let’s go home. Find the other pups.”

As they start to move, Jennie turned to November, “Your father is coming back tonight?”

November didn’t voice out a word but Jennie smelled her agitation. “I guess we’ll go for a run later eh?”

November turned to her and the smile she gave made Jennie think her best friend is up to something again. “The border.”

The border, they call it that. It was the outskirts of the Tyer forests, a few miles away from the nearest human town. They were not allowed there, not because of humans as they couldn’t know about them anyway but it was dangerous for them to be anywhere near a human town for they could be found by other shifters. They could be killed.

Once they reach their temporary home, an old-style mansion in the North part of the forest, they were greeted by other pups. The mansion may be old and abandoned but it has enough room for the pups and for some of the adults to live. November’s father had left for a three months ‘business trip’, wolves they may be but they’re slowly learning to live like humans and humans had a lot of needs. November realized this.

It was a struggle.

She stopped when she reached a certain room, two kids were playing quietly. They don’t need lights, after all, they’re wolf-shifters.

November leans against the doorframe. “Hey.”

Two heads popped up, the twelve-year-old boy named Victor immediately rushed to her, “November! You know Minzy’s fangs showed up!”

November turned to the eight-year-old girl, usually; fangs starts to grow when the pups turned 4, but Minzy was probably just a late bloomer, like Victor who even at 12 hasn’t grown his fangs yet. Or maybe it’s genetics. Unlike most of them that are full wolf shifters, Victor is half-human. His father had been human and like most humans he was ruthless. When he found out that his wife is not entirely human he instantly realized that meant his child isn’t as well, the ruthless fucker had killed Victor’s mother and had tried to kill Victor who was just a boy of three at that time.

It’s a good thing that the Luna Puer pack just came in time to save Victor, although it was too late for his mother. While Minzy is a full wolf shifter, she’s an orphan too, she lost her parents at the last battle against a different pack for survival.

Right now, the kids in the pack consist of Victor and Minzy. Having pups in the pack means the pack needs to be extra careful, alert for any kinds of attacks. It was thanks to Eldric, Aidan, and Kai for hitting puberty, and is now learning all about their abilities as wolf shifters. Other packs wouldn’t like knowing that Luna Puer’s pups are breathing and growing. Full-blooded wolves who roam around wouldn’t like it also.

Full-blooded wolves hate wolf-shifters the most.

Unlike the werewolves who can only shift every time the full moon comes and with changes they grow hair into their bodies and have a wolf head and who can walk in two feet with wolf abilities. Wolf shifters are entirely different species with the same power that the werewolves and full-blooded wolves have; only Wolf shifters were stronger and smarter. They can also shift into full wolf forms unlike the werewolves any time they please.

November played with Victor and Minzy for a couple of hours before she put the two on the bed and headed towards her room to take a short rest before she and her best friend Jennie runs out for the border. As she lay in her bed and stared at the ceiling, wondering why she was born a wolf-shifter? She wasn’t human, she’s not entirely a wolf either since she can shift from human to wolf any time she pleases. Why must they live to be hated and hunted not just by humans but by their species as well?

These questions always run into her mind despite fully knowing all the answers.