by Sarah Louise
“Thank you,” I quietly said. Gretta nodded and kept cooking. Acknowledging her help could possibly get her in trouble, so we left it at that. I made my way up the stairs to the head of staff office to get my marching orders for the day. I opened the door to see Matteo, our one snake shifter, at his desk working on the finances for the pack. Matteo, though not considered prey, was not at the top of the pecking order. He had a cushy office, a decent house, but he still worked for the Alpha.
“Good morning Matteo, what can I do for our esteemed Alpha today?”
“Aylin if it were anyone other than me, they might actually believe that sentence,” he sighed.
“Sorry, the nerves about tonight seem to have removed some of my filter.”
“Well you best put it back, Alpha has requested you clean his private suite today. No exceptions, though I did try to get you out of it. Stay on your guard.”
“Thanks for the warning Matteo. I’ll see you tonight, yeah?”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he smiled. I left the office and headed to the supply closet to fill up my cart with all the cleaning supplies. We had a set up as comprehensive as any hotel. Alpha James had this weird thing about his house being deep cleaned every day. Just one more facet of his deep-seated need for control hidden within his toxic masculinity. I started up the stairs; his suite was all the way on the third floor so I had about 60 stairs to drag my cart up. It had to be done quietly lest I wake his family, the betas, or other predators living down the halls. I made it to the second floor landing before someone noticed me. Unfortunately for me it was Melanie, resident mean girl and the Alpha’s daughter.
“Well, well, look who it is, Daddy’s newest whore, off to go ‘clean’ I see.” I kept my head down and said nothing even though I was fuming inside. I was no virgin, that was for sure; but I sure as hell wasn’t a whore either. Especially not her fathers. I knew talking back would only antagonize her and make my punishment all the worse, but it was hard to bite my tongue.
“Nothing to say? Hmm? You’re so pathetic, after our Full Moon ceremony tonight, when everyone knows how weak you are, I will make sure you are given over to the predators to be used as a pleasure whore. Hopefully they will abuse you until you break.” I stayed silent, not moving, not looking. Eventually realizing she wasn’t going to get a response from me she huffed and pushed my cart over as she continued to flounce down the stairs. I gave a sigh of relief once she was out of ear shot, that could have been much worse indeed. Melanie couldn’t stand the attention her father gave me, no matter how perverted and creepy it was, simply because it took attention away from her and she had a princess complex if I had ever seen one! I picked up all of my supplies that had tipped over when Melanie pushed the cart over as quickly as I could. I knew this was going to make me late cleaning which would run a higher chance of running into Alpha James, something I very much wanted to avoid at all costs. After another 15 minutes I finally made it up the stairs and over to the Alpha suite. I started out cleaning the Alpha females’ rooms, they were unoccupied so the majority of it was just dusting and making sure everything stayed in order. James had never mated any of the mothers of his children thus far we had never had a true Alpha female. Though I think if Melanie had her way, after she transformed tonight for the first time at the ceremony, she would attempt to take over that position since her father didn’t seem to be in any rush to properly mate any of the females in our pack. There would me three of us shifting for the first time tonight: Melanie, the girl she scarred back in high school, Cassandra, and me. I wondered if they felt the same uneasiness and heaviness in their bodies that I did. I would never ask them, though I still wondered.
Chapter 3
I finished the Alpha Females’ suite and then prepared myself to enter James’s suite next; I hoped I could listen carefully enough and work around him, avoiding him completely. I put my ear to the door and heard nothing but silence. If he was still asleep I would have heard him snoring, silence most likely meant he was working in his office. Feeling secure in the knowledge his bedroom was empty I went ahead in. Not even two seconds after I’d gotten the cart in the room and shut the door did James make himself known.
“It took you long enough to make your way here, were you trying to avoid me Aylin?”
I stiffened at his words, endeavoring to stay as still as possible and kept my eyes down in submission.
“No, Alpha”
“Good girl. You know I heard your argument with Melanie, she is an uppity bitch but will make a good mate to solidify bonds with other packs. What I didn’t hear was you deny wanting to get into my bed, as my pleasure slave.”
I remained silent and made no moved, a cold sweat broke out across my skin. James walked closer to me, trailing a finger down the column of my neck and dipping further against my breast. All of the sudden the door bust open, Matteo storming in.
“Matteo, damn it! Don’t you knock!”
“Apologies Alpha, I’d assume you’d want to know that the visiting Silver Moon pack just arrived and their Alphas are awaiting your greeting.”
“Fuck, ok, thank you Matteo, I’m coming with you,” he shot me a disgusting lust filled gaze. “Tonight Aylin, be prepared.” He turned on his heel and headed out the door, Matteo gave me a sympathetic glance and followed our Alpha out the door. As soon as they left I rushed to the bathroom and threw up all of my breakfast. I would kill myself before I allowed the Alpha to rape me, hell that was already plan B if I couldn’t escape. I knew, no matter what, I would need to leave tonight after my shift, I wouldn’t be safe otherwise. If I stayed James would turn me into his whore until I birthed him some pups and then he would turn me over for his men to use. I’d spend the rest of my life an unwilling prostitute. It wasn’t a pretty picture, and it was one I refused to allow to come to fruition. Selene as my witness, I would escape or die trying.
I rushed through the remainder of my cleaning, doing a half assed job. It wouldn’t matter because as of tonight I’d be long gone. As soon as I finished, I grabbed my stuff and ran at full speed back to the cabin. I could only imagine how wild I looked to dad coming into the house like the hounds of hell were on my heels.
“Tonight?” he asked as he looked up at me from his recliner.
“Tonight,” I responded. His eyes filled with tears as he nodded.
“I figured as much. Everything is ready.” I ran to him giving him a hug.
“You joining me?” I asked.
“Can’t. Someone’s gotta help those worse off and show others the same path you’ll follow.”
What only a few souls knew was that Duke smuggled some of the shifters desperate enough to escape out of the pack. We had a trap door that led into tunnels under the house following an old Underground Railroad path. Duke wouldn’t leave knowing there were more people he could possibly help avoid the fate of his sister, a fate that awaited me if I stayed. The most known but never talked about fact around the pack was that Melanie’s mother was Duke’s sister. Alpha James took a liking to her, stole her, raped her until she was pregnant, and then beat her until she was dead for daring to birth him yet another girl. James had only whelped girls, five of them so far. He’d always been desperate for a son though, someone to take over the pack for him. It was that desperation that drove all the females to be so wary of him. If he found someone even remotely interesting their life might as well be over. There had been attempts before to challenge him for Alpha, but James always found out before an official challenge could be issued and had them captured and killed before anything could be done. There had also once been talk of going to the Supreme Pack which was the ruling pack of all shifters, but again James found out before anything could be done, the massacre that followed was so bloody that it scared those left to never try again. I understood though why they didn’t push back anymore, most of the families in our pack, even the predators, had been beaten down until they were broken. I wondered what the Silver Moon pack would think of ours, how big of
a show James would put on to make it seem like we were more prosperous than reality. The Silver Moon pack was one of the strongest and wealthiest packs close to ours. Their alpha was supposed to have been descended from one of Selene’s children, an original shifter. His name was Anakin Felis, a cougar shifter, and if everything went to James’ plan, Melanie’s future mate. He was hoping by inviting them and their alpha to the Full Moon Ceremony tonight that their alpha would be intrigued enough with his daughter to want to forge an alliance between the two packs through a mating. It was what James had done with all four of his elder daughters.
All these thoughts flowed through my mind as I settled into my bed to try and rest before the ceremony tonight. I didn’t know how I was going to get through tonight and what it would hold for the rest of my life; but I knew after the moon hit its zenith, nothing would ever be the same. Right before I fell asleep I flashed back to the dream I had the night before. The Goddess wearing my mother’s face telling me to trust my mates and everything would work out the way it was meant to.
Chapter 4
I woke up with a gasp as Duke shook me awake.
“Aylin, its time. Come on now, time for you to get ready and put on a show.”
“I’m up, I’m up,” I grumbled. Duke gave me a wan smile before he headed out of room as I swung my legs over the side of my bed and sat up with a groan. My whole body ached with the changes it was about to endure. I looked out my window, moon rise had just begun, and I had a few hours left until it reached its peak, but the ceremony itself would start soon so I had better start hoofing it so I made it on time. I walked over to my closet to pull out my ceremony dress. In a streak of ironic justice, I had chosen to wear the same ceremonial dress that Duke’s sister had worn to her ceremony. I had altered it some, so it wouldn’t be immediately recognizable to James, but I wanted a tangible reminder of why I wouldn’t submit no matter the threat. The dress was a high necked maxi dress made out of chiffon and tulle, cinched at the waist with a braided rope of fabric. The changes I had made to the dress were removing the sleeves and adding a slit in the chiffon, under the tulle for ease of movement. The dress was a beautiful sea foam green and it brought out the paleness of my skin in contrast with my black hair and brown eyes. I quickly dressed, I didn’t bother with makeup, leaving my hair unbound, my only adornment, a flower crown of juniper berries and wildflowers. I left my feet barefoot as well, knowing soon I would be changing forms, so they would just get in the way. Though I did have my boots stashed in my getaway bag for when I would run tonight. I walked out of the bedroom, Duke waited for me by the door.
“Ah, I see you’re wearing Jennie’s dress. She would love that, though it’s probably gonna piss your cousin off if she sees you wearing it.”
“You know as well as I, Melanie has never had an interest in learning a thing about her mother. Nor would she ever claim any kind of kinship with me, or you. I wish that was the case, I know how much you want that last connection to your sister.”
“Me too pumpkin, me too. But we both know that her daddy would never let that happen. Growing up with him, like him, drowned out any of the good my sister may have put in her. Maybe that will change if she mates outside of the pack, but I won’t give up hope on her totally. I owe that to Jennie”
“You’re too good for us all Dad. You deserve so much more than this out of life.”
“It ain’t about want Aylin, you and I both know that. If wants were wishes and shooting stars, we’d have a meteor shower every night. Don’t you worry about me none, I found my purpose helping others escape the same fate as Jennie. It isn’t ideal, but it brings me peace and I know the Goddess will look favorably upon me when I pass into the spirit realm.”
“What am I going to do without you Duke?” I ran into his arms, hugging him fiercely.
“You’ll be just fine darling, I’ve trained you to be able to survive anything, and no matter where you’ll end up you will be able to adapt and thrive. That has always been your strength Aylin. Now let us get our butts up to the big house and get this ceremony over with so you can start the rest of your life.”
“Alright Dad, just never doubt how much I love you and how grateful I am for everything you’ve ever done for me.”
“I know baby girl, I know.”
We quickly made our way up to the big house using Duke’s four wheeler. We parked at the back of the lot, prepared for me to make a quick getaway. We have had this plan set for the last three years, having practiced the various stages of it, all of it except the actual leaving from the ceremony once I had gone through the change. Though we had a plan and I somewhat knew what to expect, there was always a chance for things to go wrong. For example, I had no idea what to expect from the Silver Moon Pack, they were an anomaly we had no way to plan for, or to know if they would be a hindrance when I escaped. We walked up to the big house; Matteo was waiting for us at the main door.
“Cutting it close here dove, aren’t you? Duke you best head around back with the others, I’ll take over and get Aylin with the others.” Duke nodded and went around towards the back where the rest of the pack would wait for us. Matteo led me into a sitting room where Melanie and Cassandra also sat waiting for the ceremony to begin. Melanie was dressed in this horrendous cupcake of a pink dress covered in crystals. Cassandra was a much more subdued olive toga style dress. Both stared at me as I came into the room. Cassandra had her hair down, half of it covering the permanent scarring Melanie had left on her face. They were on opposite sides of the room, understandably.
“Took you long enough to get here,” Melanie snarked at me.
“That is a beautiful dress,” Cassandra stated. I winced as Melanie turned and looked me over good at her comment. I could see the moment recognition hit her eyes, they narrowed in anger.
“Are you actually wearing my mother’s dress?” she screeched. “How dare you!”
“Melanie, you and I both know you have never cared about your mother. Duke gave this to me for tonight.”
“That is beside the point, that was my mother’s; it belongs to me. Take it off now you insolent bitch.”
“Make me, damn it. I refuse to put up with your bullshit anymore.” I don’t know what had come over me. All my emotions were riding high and it was like I couldn’t force myself to be submissive no matter how hard I tried.
“Why you little…” She walked towards me hand outstretched with her nails sharpened like claws to rip across my face. I grabbed her hand twisting it back and I slapped her across the face. She went down with a thud.
“You will pay for that whore.” She got up and walked back to the other side of the room. I don’t think anyone had ever struck back at her before, it probably threw her off her game. Cassandra was curled into a ball in the corner of the room. I walked over to her and helped her to stand up. She was truly a prey shifter like her parents through and through, though unlike my counterparts I didn’t think that made her less of a person than us.
“Calm down Cassandra, all is well now.”
“She is going to kill you for that.”
“Probably, but better her kill me now than her father rape me later.”
“I had heard that he had turned his eye on you. I am sorry for your luck, it is one of the few times I have been grateful for these scars covering my face.”
I simply nodded, there was nothing more to say to each other. We both knew the kind of life the other would most likely lead. Matteo walked back into the room then.
“It is time ladies. Are you ready?” He asked.
“Yes, let’s get this show on the road so I can kill the upstart bitch behind me,” Melanie huffed, stomping out of the room and lining up to walk out into the backyard where the ceremony would take place. Cassandra and I each got in line behind her. One by one we walked out under the full moon, each of us having some kind of reaction as soon as the moonlight touched our skin. You could see the goose pimples break out over all of our skin. Melanie made a sharp inhale while Cassan
dra seemed to fold in on herself at the reaction. Once we were all out in the middle of the field, surrounded by our pack and the Silver Moon pack, Alpha James stepped forward.
“Greetings one and all, we have gathered here tonight to witness the Full Moon Ceremony for three of our own women, who have reached their maturity and are ready to receive the blessings of the Goddess Selene.” Everyone clapped and hooted and hollered.
“Calm down now, let me introduce the girls and we can start this thing,” James tried to joke, I had to fight the urge to roll my eyes.
“Melanie Janine, step forward.” Melanie took a couple of steps forward to her father.
“Pack, please join me in blessing my daughter! As Alpha of the Knob Creek Pack, I ask the Goddess Selene, grant you your alternate form!” With his last word James pricked his thumb on his knife and touched his bloody thumb to Melanie’s head. It was like she had been touched with a live wire, her whole body jerked as her flesh re-wove itself into her animal form. When all was said and done Melanie had transformed into a beautiful Vixen a female fox. The entire pack was quiet with shock, we had all figured she would take after her father’s coyote form, instead she was damn near a replica of Duke and her mother Jennie in their fox forms. Melanie made a distressed sound as she took in her new form, looking up at her father and alpha in fear. James was practically shaking with rage at this point. He needed Melanie to have been a predator in order to cement the alliance with the Silver Moon Pack. I dared not look around at any of the other Pack members for fear of drawing their attention to me. James walked over to Cassandra next, he repeated the ritual and predictably she transformed into a mouse just like her parents. She still carried the scars of Melanie’s high school torture even as an animal, half of the fur on her face never forming where her scars were. James finally approached me, I could see both the lecherous glint and the rage swirling about his eyes. I knew if I didn’t make a quick getaway there was a good chance I would die tonight.
