Chapter 1: The Blood Moon

18 Years Later

        Runa ran her hands through her long red hair as the female who gave birth to her eighteen years ago continued to go on and on about how the moon goddess has turned her back towards her. Kyia was not only verbally abusive to her but physically as well, despite everything Runa has tried to do to make her happy. This woman has never been a motherly figure to her and still, she remained just as cruel as always. Runa could not understand why.

        "She would not waste her time upon creating a mate for you! You were unwanted, an abomination! You will never know the love of a mate. The moon goddess has not smiled upon you, little Runa." Kyia spat at her, the sting of her words hit Runa hard but she did not let it show, she has heard these words her whole life yet she still has no explanation as to why.

         "You just wait. I do have a mate and when I find him..." She let the words go and just gave up trying to convince the woman.

         She began to think she was only trying to convince herself rather than anyone else. Her heart broke at the thought of not having a mate. Of not having that one person who would love her completely. Of being utterly alone for the rest of her life.

         "Just because you can shift does not mean you were born with a mate to search for." Kyia crossed her arms over her chest as she turned away from the daughter she did not want nor did she raise. She did, however, spare her the look of disgust on her face as she turned her back on Runa.

         "Yeah and you've said repeatedly that I did not have a mate because I did not shift at thirteen like every other wolf in the pack." Runa sighed heavily as she retrained her focus on the back pack in front of her.

         She was grabbing a few clothes and stuffing them inside her pack. Runa planned on staying with the she-wolf she was raised with and was her best friend. Even though Becky was more of a sister than just a friend. Just for a few days anyway. They had decided a few weeks back that they would share a birthday party weekend considering their birthdays were so close together.

         Becky's mother, Jackie, had given birth to Becky a week prior to Runa being born. So when she heard that Kyia was going through depression over the loss of her mate and would have nothing to do with the child, she took Runa in and nursed her as well as if she were her own offspring. The only thing Kyia had ever given to the child she did not want was her name, Runa. 

         The pack assumed Kyia would get through her depression and live for her newborn pup, only she never did. She just got worse, and even more cruel towards this innocent girl. Runa had stayed with Jackie and Becky most of the time, though when it was time for Runa to turn thirteen, Kyia had chained her down in her basement. When Runa had not shifted, Kyia could not try to explain why to her pack, though everyone except Becky and her mother acted as if she were the plague. Kyia's only argument being that Runa must have a rare disease she heard about as a child in her old pack.

         "I'll be back in a few days." Runa said as she walked past Kyia to the door.

         "Well now, since you're eighteen you can find a place of your own and never come back." Kyia replied, emotionlessly.

         Even though Kyia was never a mother towards Runa, she just could not bring herself to hate her as much as Kyia hated her. When she looked towards the woman who gave her life, all she saw and felt was heartache. She was still Runa's mother after all.

         Runa left before Kyia could see the tears welling up in her eyes, Kyia was never one to care for tears and would only backhand Runa for such weakness, calling her a 'pathetic waste of fur'. The walk to Becky's was short, though with memories from her past running through her head, the walk seemed like a lifetime.

         Why did her mother hate her so much? What did she ever do so wrong? What was her purpose for brutally beating her while she was home? What happened to her father and why does Kyia never speak of him?

         Runa thought back to the only time she had asked Kyia about him. She had been about twelve, Kyia was sitting in her chase lounge holding the same picture as she stared out the window. Runa had looked over her shoulder and pointed at the handsome man in the gold frame.

         "Is that my father?" A twelve year old Runa asked.

         Kyia did not respond.

         "What happened to my father?" Then Kyia snapped.

         She had swung her arm around, holding the picture and the corner sliced Runa's face.

         "Do not ever speak of your father again! I will not hear of it!" Kyia then stormed out of the room, leaving Runa to take care of her own wound and clean up the blood that spilled all over the floor.

         She still bares the scar on the left side of her face. No one knows why the nasty wound would not heal. A jagged line started at her ear and crossed her face at an angle, traveling up her face, across the bridge of her nose and coming to a rest at the start of her right eyebrow.

         Becky opened the door before Runa could knock, bringing her mind back to the present. She had quickly pulled Runa into a tight embrace before Runa could even form a fake smile.

         "You always look so upset after leaving your mother's." She said, pulling away from her to look into Runa's gray eyes.

         "Because I'm always disappointed." Runa replied honestly.

         "Well then, let's go for a run. That always cheers you up." Becky said while taking Runa's bag and setting it near the side table behind the door then stepped outside with Runa.

         She drags Runa towards the tree line, then begins to run as she sees Runa shedding her jacket. They were both running at top speed then jumped through the air to land fully shifted and darted through the forest. Becky's wolf was a chestnut brown color with yellow eyes and about the size of an average timber wolf. Runa's wolf, however, was much larger. She was the biggest wolf in the pack including the alpha. Her fur was golden red, same as her eyes. Her canines extended slightly further out of her muzzle. She truly was the more fierce looking wolf in the pack, but she dared not to challenge anyone, perfectly content being almost invisible to those in a higher position. As long as she posed no threat towards them or their position they left her alone.

         "I'm always blown away when I see your wolf." Becky says through the mind link.

         "Why?" Runa replied with a wolfish grin.

         "You're an omega, like me, but you are so much bigger! Your wolf should be ranked as an alpha." Becky explains in awe.

         "Yeah well I don't know. I don't have any trace of alpha blood in my heritage, not that I know of anyway. Maybe the moon goddess has a sense of humor." Runa muttered before she darted off in pursuit of a twitchy rabbit that scurried by.

         "You know what tonight is?" Becky asked when she was finally able to catch up to Runa while she had stopped to enjoy her kill.

         "No, what?" Runa lifts her head up and perks her ears towards Becky with blood covering her snout.

         "It's a blood moon! It only comes to pass every thirteen years or so. Do you want to stay out and see it?" She asked, excitedly, jumping and wagging her tail around in the air.

         "I don't know." Runa replied, shoving her muzzle back into the meat of the rabbit.

         "Oh come on, it'll be fun! The moon will be out soon anyway. So what's another two or three hours? It's not like we have anything better to do." Becky plopped herself down in front of Runa and laid her head down on her paws, bored.

         "Well what do you want to do until the moon rises then?" Runa said with a sigh, lifting her head again, making Becky lift her head and twitch her own ears towards her friend's words.

         "I don't know. Run the border I guess." Becky replied with a wolfish grin as she let her tongue hang out the side of her mouth, panting.

         "Do you want some of this rabbit?" Runa asked, nodding towards the half eaten specimen laying between her paws.

         Becky looked at the bloodied fur with disgust.

         "No thanks. I prefer squirrels, you know that." Runa laughed through their mind link and continued eating.

         "Figured I'd offer anyway." She said, finishing off the rabbit and standing.

         "Want to go to the stream?"  Becky asked, getting to her feet as well.

         Runa grinned and lowered her head and spread her paws out in front of her with her tail wagging in the air wildly.

         "Race ya!" She said before taking off, leaving Becky behind her.

         "No fair! You got a head start! There's no way I can catch up!" Becky yelled back as she took off after her.

         They jumped over fallen trees and large boulders. Kicking up dried leaves as they ran, leaving a trail of mosquitoes to fly around wondering what disturbed them. Crickets never missed a beat as they continued to chirp along with the frogs croaking chorus. When they reached the stream they dove right in. The cold water was refreshing and swift with the extra rainfall. They jumped and splashed each other, laughing. Becky noticed the moon beginning to raise behind the tree line and got out of the stream to shake out her fur.

         "The moon is starting to rise!" Runa got out of the stream and shook the water from her fur as well before following Becky to the nearby clearing to watch the moon find its place among the stars.

         "Wow! That is amazing! It looks just like blood is covering the surface of the moon." Becky said, staring up at the red orb.

         Runa looked up at the crimson moon against the black sky and her entire body became tense. She could not move a muscle despite how hard she tried to turn away. Her gaze was glued to the moon and her body began to shake as if it were her first time shifting again. Her eyes felt like they were on fire and her throat became as dry as the Sonoran desert and her canines started to throb. What the hell was happening?

         "Runa, isn't it beautiful!" Becky said before turning her gaze towards her friend.

         "Runa? Are you alright?" She took a step towards her.

         "I can't move!" Runa said, beginning to panic.

         "What? Stop fooling around! Of course you can move. Why wouldn't you?"

         "I'm not joking! Help me!"

         "Runa, stop it! You're starting to scare me!" Becky screamed back and took a step away from her.

         "I'm serious! I can't move!" Runa screamed again as her wolf was taken over by pain and she crumbled under the red hue of the moon before her vision failed her and everything went black.