Moon Child

Lion's den

The shocked wolves are soon taken out of their stupor and start to chase after me. They were fast, but I was faster. Using my small frame to my advantage I sprint through the forest dodging tree branches. I maneuverer through the trees in an attempt to distract them and gain distance from my attackers. I can hear them growling and snapping their jaws trying to seek revenge for the old man.

I sense the shift in power miles before the barrier comes into view. I don't remember the name of the pack; I just remember elders telling me stories of what laid hidden within the walls. They told horrific stories of what happened to children when they didn't listen. That the alpha was mean and stoic, known for killing his own father to gain control of the pack. That he ran the pack like a dictator, turning pack members into his personal weapons. He has destroyed countless packs without batting an eye. You cross him once and he will light your whole world on fire and stand in the ashes. Alphas from all over the world tense when they hear his name. Yet that vary same name slips my mind, almost like I didn't want to believe it was true, yet here I was heading straight to where nightmares are made.

I felt it immediately, the shift in power was almost palpable in the air. The pack boarder came into view. Blues and greens bend together and move in a fluid motion, hypnotically. The colorful barrier can only be seen by wolves. What lays hidden within the barrier is invisible to human eyes, that is how we keep our existence a secret. It is said that the barriers appeared as a gift from the moon goddess to protect us from growing human population. The closer I get to the barrier the more I start to doubt my decision to go north.

"I have been doubting this decision, but you can't change your mind now. You have to cross the border" Ophelia grumbles in my mind.

I let out a growl and sprint the last few yards, crossing over into the pack's territory. I feel the power and scent change around me. My breath is knocked out of me. I stop running my body growing weak to the change in power. Panting I try to adjust to the change, when I chance a look behind me, I notice the rogues all stopped a few feet away from the border growling at me. I lower my weak body onto the ground feeling as though someone was stepping on my chest. I have never experienced such potent power from a pack, normally I can cross a packs border without much resistance.

When I am finally able to steady my breath, I weakly trot over to a nearby tree and transform into my human form. While yes this will put me at a disadvantage when the pack boarder control arrives to retrieve me for trespassing, it will also show that I am not a threat. If it was any other pack, they would let me go after hearing my situation. I don't think this will be the same. Yet despite my brain being against the idea my gut is telling me I have done the right thing. Even Ophelia has calmed down. I sit down on the mossy ground waiting for my impending doom.

I sit listening to the growls of the pack of rogues for mere minutes before pack border patrol arrives. A few wolves make their way over to me, while the rest charge over to the pack of rogues. All the boarder patrol had to do was let out a Vicious growl and the rogues ran off with their tails between their legs. The wolf Infront of me transforms into a buff young man.

"State your business on our territory" the man says robotically. His voice forces my head down so it can be assumed that he ranks high in the pack. I think about my answer for a moment and decide my best option is to be honest.

"I was ambushed by a pack of rogues in a clearing a few miles south. I was able to kill the leader and get away, so I ran north as it was the only way to escape". I say keeping my eyes trained on the forest floor making sure the man knew I was no threat. "I apologize for trespassing, but I don't mean no harm. If you would allow it, I can leave immediately".

"I am afraid that will not be happening. Our alpha has been informed of your trespass and will be arriving in the next few minutes" the guard barks, the wolves accompanying him all spread out standing in position to receive the alpha.

The scent hits me like a ton of bricks, I don't think I have smelt something so delightful in my whole life. I take a deep inhale savoring the unique smell and my body relaxes. Ophelia perks up and demands to take control.

"No Ophelia if you take control, they might take that as a threat and kill us" I quickly bite out and push her back in my mind.

I keep taking deep breaths trying to inhale as much of the scent as possible. It doesn't smell like anything in particular more like all the best emotions wrapped into one. It calms me while also driving me wild. My hands start to twitch as the smell gets stronger. I look up and see the guards standing stoically and unaffected. Are they not smelling this? Or are they trained to not look effected by this intoxicating scent.

Watching from the corner of my eye I see a shadow of a wolf in the distance, the closer it gets the stronger the scent becomes. The power shifts again and becomes even more intense making it a struggle to breathe. I can feel Ophelia pacing in my mind trying to talk to me. I push back harder not wanting her to blow this for us. The wolf stops a few yards from us very abruptly. I chance a look up and when I do my eyes make direct eye contact with the wolf and it was like the world slowed for a moment. Everything got slower and sharper as I stared into the captivating eyes. It only took moments for me to accept that this was going to be the position I would die in. My eyes never stray from the wolfs. Okay that's a little dramatic. The wolf is the first to break our explosive eye contact, by turning around and running off. I feel as if I just lost something.

I stare after the wolf noticing that the comforting scent is also disappearing along with the mystery wolf. I am shaken out of my stupor when two guards make their way over to me. The guards each grab me by an arm and yank me off the ground. I squawk in protest as their fingers dig into my arm painfully but quickly silence myself as to not give them an excuse to kill me. The wolfs all look at each other in unspoken agreement. I am then moved to a shifted wolf and forced onto its back. The guard offers a quiet "hold on". I quickly dig my fingers into the wolfs fur just as it takes off into the direction of the wolf with the captivating eyes.