by Karen Ruth
Prologue
Running in the freezing pitch-black woods at night, fear rose up deep inside me. Feeling of terror striking me to the point of pain. Dread washed over my slim body. Something was definitely wrong. A twig snapped behind me. The mist and fog too dense for my blue eyes to see. I began to run, run faster than I ever ran before. My white sparkly fur clinging to my slender body. All I could hear was the blood rushing in my ears. My breath panting faster and faster as my heart rate climaxed. My long claws dug into the soft forest flooring, the mud sticking to my paws turning them black in appearance.
All of a sudden, a wolf jumped out in front of me. Quickly, I turned around to try and run the way I came. Another wolf emerged from the shadows. All I could make out were the golden eyes. It was then that I noticed I was trapped. About five wolves from what I could make out were circling me, laughing at me. The alpha male growled,
“Where do you think you’re going, Nina? There isn’t anywhere you can go, you’re mine now.”
He came towards me with his white pointed fangs everything went dark.
Chapter 1
Waking with a start, I jumped out of bed. My heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to explode out of my chest. With all the terror I felt, I was losing hold of myself. My blue eyes beginning to sparkle, the way they do when I “change.”
“Get yourself together,” I said. “You can’t let mom and Catherine see you like this.”
Somehow my mom and my sister are both normal human beings, but I ended up like this, a werewolf. The only possible way I can figure out how this happened is if my father was one as well. I never knew my dad, he died when I was very young. Since my mom is human there is no possible way I got it from her so I must have gotten the genes from my dad, or else that’s how I’m taking it. I’m pretty new at this whole werewolf thing being that the first time I changed was just this past year.
I ended up with this curse that has affected my whole life. I can’t be normal anymore. Both my mom and sister don’t even know that I am a werewolf. They think that I’m just a troubled eighteen-year-old who hangs out with the wrong crowd. This crowd being my pack of werewolves, well per se they aren’t “my” pack. I’m pretty much the omega in the group. I’ve got the lowest ranking amongst them all. Pretty sure it’s because I’m female, just saying. I’m always the last in everything. When we go hunting, I’m the last to feed, even if I make the kill myself. Kind of bogus if you ask me. When there’s a pack meeting I’m not even allowed to speak. It’s alright though, I’ve grown used to it. The alpha of our pack, Seth, pretty much taught me everything I know about who I am. He took me in when I needed someone the most. He saved me from wanting to take my own life. For this, I owe him, even if it means not being appreciated for anything I do.
According to Seth, female werewolves are worthless in our society. Packs are ashamed to have us with them. That’s why you don’t see many around. Thankfully, I was lucky enough to find a pack who will at least look at me like I’m worth something to the group, however small that may be. I like to believe we even have a small friendship built.
“Nina!” My mom yelled from below causing me to jump out of my skin.
“Yes?” I responded.
I waited, no response.
“Seriously?” I thought to myself, hating that my mom never answers after she calls my name.
After a few minutes of eerie silence, I got dressed into my leather pants and jacket and walked down the stairs to the kitchen. Since my father passed away, my mom has always had trouble living. She never remarried or found anyone else to love. My mother and father were inseparable, or so I hear from the townsfolk. My mother suffers from a broken heart and has never been fully the same since the incident that resulted in his death.
The size of our house is extremely small. Having only one true bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom. My mom and sister share the bedroom while I sleep in the attic. Yeah, not very sanitary, but I can’t share a room, not with the condition I have. I can’t risk exposure and endangering their lives. My poor mother tries her best to support our family, but ever since dad, she hasn’t been herself. With her mental condition, she can’t work. She makes our clothes for us being that we can’t afford to pay for any. We even have to grow our own food with our small farm big enough to support only ourselves and make a small income to survive off of. It’s tearing her apart, I know it is. She’s trying so hard, but she’s just sinking further and further into despair.
Our kitchen is minuscule with one oven, a microwave, a sink, and some oak wooden counters. The walls are filled with ugly floral decorations I wish I could tear off. A ceiling fan spins in circles on the roof spreading dust amongst the air. On a positive note, at least it cools us off. Being that it was the middle of June in Minnesota, the weather can get insanely hot. Unfortunately, with the lack of income, we can’t afford air conditioning so we resort to one ceiling fan in the kitchen. It makes due and gets the work done. Besides, I’m always hot anyway from the whole inner wolf scenario.
Standing at the counter, my mother was hand washing the dishes. A stack of plates, silver wear, and pans was sprung amongst the counter. Thinking back to yesterday, I remembered that it was my job to wash those in which I was supposed to complete before today. “
Oops,” I thought, and began to slowly creep away from her.
My mother then spotted me and said.
“Nina Anne Day! I told you to do these dishes last night! Explain yourself! What were you doing that was so important?
“I’m sorry mother, I forgot, it won’t happen again.”
“Yeah right,” she boomed.
Her face showing just how furious she was. For a small human, she could look quite terrifying if she wanted to. Personally, I would rather take on one of the pack members than my own mother right now.
“That’s what you said last time. Again, I ask, what were you doing?” She stared at me menacingly.
“Nothing,” I retorted, not entirely truthful.
In truth, I was with my pack, but I can’t tell her that information nor especially what we were doing.
“You were with “them” again weren’t you,” she questioned me.
Her brows furrowed in anger, her blue eyes squinting. She rose her fingers in a quote around the word them. I made no response, not knowing what to say only that I didn’t want to lie to her unless absolutely necessary.
“Weren’t you?” She pushed further.
Again. I made no response.
“That’s it!” She roared.
The plate she was washing soared out of her hands, unto the floor, shattering into millions of tiny pieces. One-piece flew over to me and embedded itself in my arm. I quickly removed it before my mom could notice. Not that I cared if she noticed that she hurt me, but because I was already healed from the incident which would spark some questions. One of the benefits of being a werewolf is that we have superhuman healing. Hence why I healed almost instantaneously.
“I am so sick of your lies Nina,” she blared. “I don’t even know who you are anymore. You are a disgrace to this family. All you do is hurt us and push us away. Just go, do what you always do. All those drugs you probably take and places you rob. Just go, I don’t even want to look at you right now."
Tears began to fill her blue eyes. Pain stabbed my heart, throbbing. She couldn’t mean what she said, she just couldn’t.
“Mom,” I pleaded taking a small step towards her.
“No!” she yelled, “go!” “Get out of here!”
I then turned around and exited the front door in a hurry.
Wet tears exploded from my blue eyes. Did she really mean what she said? Am I really a disgrace to my family? I keep the
secret from them for their own protection, but it is getting ever so difficult. Day by day I have to push them further and further away. I can’t keep doing this, lying to them. I need to go talk to my pack about letting me tell them. They will understand, they have to. There is no other way.
Pulling out my cellphone, I scroll through my contacts. It’s pathetic really. Since my life has been turned upside down by this whole inner wolf thing, my social life is nonexistent. All of my contacts are solely the members of my pack. Just as I was about to call my alpha, I was grabbed from behind. My white phone dropping into the mud, splashing against my leg, as I panicked. My heightened senses kicked in. My heart began to race faster, my eyes shining letting my wolf seep through. My long claws extending in the palm of my hand. I smelt the air, and it was then that I realized I wasn’t in any real danger and began to relax.
“Rafiq really,” I said annoyed. “How many times do I have to tell you about sneaking up and grabbing me like that?”
I turned around and slapped his broad chest, fingers extended. A low laugh rumbled from deep inside him, causing my hands to vibrate.
“You should have seen the look on your face!” He said as he bent down to pick up my dropped cell phone.
“Thanks,” I said taking it from him and wiping the mud off.
Rafiq has always been my closest friend in the group. He’s the most down-to-earth one around. Although all four other group members love being who they are, Rafiq seems to be the one who wouldn’t mind being just human. He also doesn’t treat me like I’m just “there.” He actually makes me feel that I have a purpose within the group. Rafiq has light brown color hair in human form and a red color coat in wolf form. He has dark brown eyes and he’s a little under six feet tall making him one of the shorter members amongst the pack. The thing with werewolf eyes is that what you have in your human form transforms into your wolf. The only difference is that the wolf eyes glow and have a sparkle to them that the human eyes don’t possess.
“So, who were you calling?” He asked.
“Seth,” I responded. “Any idea where he’s at?”
“Yep, that’s why I’m here, he wanted me to fetch you,” Rafiq answered.
“Why?” I asked.
“He needs you to explore this new land that we found.”
"Why me?”
He looked me directly in the eyes and said “heightened sense of smell remember?”
“Oh, yeah great. You can have it if you want.”
For some reason, in my wolf form, all of my senses are heightened that above those of the others. This makes it that I have to do all the packs “dirty” work for them. Such as hearing for prey and smelling around in new territory to see if it’s safe.
“Dude!” Rafiq responded. “I’d take your mad powers if I could. Don’t joke like that!”
He flashed me a smile and gently punched my arm. “Now come on before you get us in trouble.” He said. He took my hand and began walking me to the woods.
Deep inside the woods, I stopped and asked, “where exactly are we going?”
“I’m not entirely sure, he told me to go get you and meet the pack in the middle of the woods.”
“Hmm ok,” I responded.
For a minute Rafiq stopped and looked at me. His deep brown eyes looked directly into mine his face full of concern.
“Were you ok earlier?” he asked. “When I first saw you, it looked as if you were crying.”
I looked away from him ashamed. I shouldn’t have let my emotions seep through, what was wrong with me? I have to keep my emotions at bay. I’m supposed to be tough and things like this aren’t supposed to make me upset. If Seth found out, he’d be furious and embarrass me in front of all the others. He’d think that I was pathetic and such a baby. “Maybe I am.” I thought to myself.
“Don’t worry,” Rafiq said. “I’m not going to tell the others, I just wanted to make sure you’re ok. I worry about you and I really do care about you. You don’t deserve how the rest treat you. You are far more strong and powerful than you think.”
“Thank you, Rafiq, it means a lot honestly.”
He gave me a small smile and began walking forward once more through the thick brambles.
Finally, we made it to the middle of the woods. It was a long ten-mile trek to reach our destination. Having to climb over brambles and other obstacles slowed us down taking us longer to get there. “You know Nina, we should have just transformed into our wolves. We could have been there in minutes, not an hour.” Said Rafiq.
“Oh well, they can wait and learn patients. It’ll do them good.” I said.
“Right go ahead and tell them that, I want to watch and see what they say to that,” Rafiq replied rolling his eyes.
“Fine, I’ll tell them.”
“Good luck.”
For this remark, I stuck my tongue at him and he flashed me a white smile.
The woods are full of dense trees. This is where we love to go hunt and run. It protects us from the humans since nobody goes back here even during hunting season. This land is private property, so nobody trespasses. Nobody in our pack owns this land, we are told that somebody from the city owns it but we don’t stress about being caught because we have never caught any scent of him nor ran into him.
For some odd reason, this location in the woods had no trees and had short almost trimmed like grass. I gave Rafiq a puzzling look. This didn’t look right. He shook his head and raised his shoulder giving me the same puzzled expression. I spotted the rest of the pack. The four of them standing in a circle in their human form. Slowly, Rafiq and I both began to walk towards them prepared to get yelled at for the length of time it took us to get here. Our alpha, Seth, is a tall broad man standing at six feet five inches. Way taller than my small skinny five-foot-five frame. Seth has jet black hair and golden-brown skin color. His eyes are a golden yellow hue. In his wolf form, his coat is black with a mixture of silver. My own opinion is that it makes him look old, but I’d never tell him that. I don’t have a death wish even if I can be a little sarcastic at times.
Everyone in our pack ranges from the age 18, myself being the youngest, to age 24, our alpha. Rafiq is 20 years old turning 21 in July. Thorn and Donavan are both 22, and Andrew is 23. They all like to make fun of me and call me a “baby,” but I tend to ignore them. Not my fault they are all old compared to me.
Walking to the center of the group, Seth spotted me and gave me a grunt rolling his eyes.
“Finally decided to show up?” His angry tone piercing my ears like a whip. “You know there is a thing called you have four legs use them. Quit being so immature always sticking to your human form, it’s getting infuriating. Grow up already.”
Fury bubbled up inside me. I wanted to lash out at him, he wasn’t being fair. I love my wolf, but sometimes I just want to be normal. Is that so bad for a girl to ask for? I bit my tongue refraining from yelling at him. Since he’s my alpha, it’s not my place to yell at him. I could be seriously punished both verbally and physically for partaking in such an act.
The others' laughter erupted around us, circling us. It fueled my anger further. They were trying to make me transform into my wolf. I wasn’t going to let that happen and give them the satisfaction of winning. I buried my nails in the palm of my hand, lifted my head up, and walked toward them, ignoring them.
Thorn, the skinniest of all the men said,
“What’s the matter Nina, don’t like your wolf? Do you want it to leave so you can live with mommy for the rest of your life?” He said in a mocking tone that made my ears boil with hatred.
I simply replied, “Thorn, you’re a dick.” Giving him a smirk.
“Hey, they say you are what you have right?” His green eyes flashed as he pushed his long blond hair from his eyes.
“Wow,” I responded. “And you said I’m immature.”
“Ok, that’s enough!” Seth’s voice broke out silencing whatever Thorn’s big mouth was going to say next. “Nina, seriously
next time hurry up. We aren’t here to wait on you. Know your place and duty amongst the pack.”
I huffed and said “fine,” rolling my eyes.
“WHAT?!” Seth said, pissed that I talked to him like that.
“Yes sir,” I said as I curtsied.
I really hate this whole low-rank status thing. It pisses me off. I’m not just some toy to be played with.
“Now forgetting about her.” His eyes darted to me and quickly looked away. “We have a very important task to do today. Earlier we discovered some new land here and we need you to use your sense of smell to see if anyone else was on it.”
“Are you sure someone doesn’t own it already, I mean we can’t just “discover”,” I put in air quotes, “land and it’s automatically ours? You can’t just kick the people who already live here off of it.”
“Sure we can, and did I ask for your opinion Nina?” Seth said.
I raised my arms in disbelief. “Really?!” I said shaking my head.
“No, I did not,” Seth said. “Now, this is what is going to happen. We are all going to transform into our wolf counterparts and we are going to explore the land. We are going to stick together, just in case something happens. Make sure to smell every tree and listen for any signs of danger. You should all know what to do, well except for Nina.”
At this point, I just gave up and ignored him. The snickers broke out amongst the group once more.
“In case there is trouble, I want the first thing you guys do is fight. I want no hesitation whatsoever. Do you guys hear me?”
All of the pack said “Yes, sir,” except for me.
I said nothing at all. Thankfully, I don’t think they noticed. Except for Rafiq who nudged me and gave me a questioning look. I don’t believe in violence especially if it’s not necessary. It’s not that I don’t know how to fight, that I’m actually quite skilled at, contrary to what many people think. It’s that everyone deserves a fair chance. Unlike the others who enjoy and love bloodshed, I prefer to question and address my enemies first before I make any rash decisions.
