Under A Blue Moon | #ONC2022

Chapter 4

The air was cool, raising goosebumps along my exposed skin. We had gathered around Lake Isla where we had honoured our dead every blue moon for the last century. Except this year we were joined by the pack we had considered our enemies for most of the century. 

The lake was five minutes out from the house and everywhere you looked a wolf was standing in their human form. The heads of both packs stood just off the wooden deck. A few meters separated us.

I scanned the people that had come and were it not for the fact that I knew everyone in my pack, you wouldn't be able to separate the two packs. Everyone was wearing loose-fitting clothes that would be easy to remove to shift. The Belmont men all wore unbuttoned shirts with pants that hung on their hips. It was difficult not to ogle their defined bodies, but I reminded myself that they were Belmont's and arseholes.

Addie's arm brushed against mine a silent command to pay attention. Standing before everyone was the Alpha's of the Belmont pack – Alpha Dane and his wife Alpha Mary. They were talking about something. Behind them stood my parents – Alpha Thomas and Alpha Helen.

It was a little hypocritical of Addie to tell me to pay attention when she was sneaking glances at Ryker whenever she could. An action that wasn't lost on Sammy who was standing next to her. Based on the tenseness of his body he was getting annoyed with it.

Like me, Sammy didn't like the idea of Addie marrying Ryker. Unlike me, he was able to keep his temper in check.

"I want to thank you all for joining us this night and want to extend a warm welcome to the members of the Belmont pack here with us," my dad's voice boomed. "As Alpha Dane mentioned, tonight is a special night for both packs as we celebrate the union of Ryker Belmont and Addison Parsons. A union we all hope will remain strong through the times." A few cheers and whoops sounded throughout.

I tuned out the rest of the speech having heard it a million times. Tonight, was the remembrance for the thousands of wolves that died a thousand years ago on the first night of the blue moon cycle. A genocide that wiped out hundreds of packs and is the reason why there aren't that many packs around the world despite the slowly increasing population. In fact, most believe that the only reason we gain more power and strength on this night is the dead's revenge for what happened to them and to ensure it never happened again.

Once the speech was over, we were all invited to lay a rose in the water as our way of honouring them. Every pack has their own way, but this was ours. Soon the surface of the lake was freckled with roses floating under the soft blue glow of the rising moon. Most were red in colour, but some were black signifying the recent loss of a wolf. Addie had placed a black one for a close friend of hers that had died in a hunt overseas.

Once the final rose was laid silence washed over the area. Anticipation buzzed in the air as we all watched and waited for the moon to hit its peak. Waiting for the rush of power that we get only on the first night of a blue moon, making us some of the most powerful creatures on this earth.

I cast a quick glance towards the Belmonts only to find Ryker staring at my sister with a heated looked. Sensing my gaze, he turned his grey eyes to me and for a moment we stared at each other, neither breaking eye contact. Out of respect for his rank, I should have lowered my eyes, but I wanted him to know that I didn't care about his power and position.

I also couldn't deny that a part of me wanted him to feel a little insulted and maybe start something. Not that I would win. But it would make things interesting. Yet, a little voice in the back of my head reminded me that while I still didn't like his pack, he didn't seem to be a threat to Addie. In fact, she seemed to really like him, and so for that reason, and that reason alone, I turned my eyes away.

With a minute away from the moon being in position, I could feel my wolf scratching the surface. But a familiar squawk drew my attention away. Looking into the trees I caught sight of a raven with a gold cuff around his foot.

What was Nero doing here? I thought I had locked him back up in his cage. But then I remembered the terrifying dream and realised that I left without locking him back up.

His beady eyes were trained on me as he flapped his wings rapidly. My eyebrows scrunched. He squawked again and I surveyed my surroundings not seeing anything that would cause alarm.

Turning back to Nero I flashed my eyes, signalling for him to take flight, but the stubborn bird stayed put flapping his wings again.

Before I could try and decipher his warning, a rush of power coursed through me. My wolf surged to the surface the moment the moon hit its apex, demanding to be set free. It took a lot to hold it back. Around me, everyone broke out in celebration and without hesitation, people stripped and shifted into their wolf forms. Howls filled the night air.

Behind me, Addie had shifted into her timber-coloured wolf. She pranced towards Ryker's much larger black wolf and rubbed her head under his chin. It was disgusting honestly.

Looking around most had already shifted and taken off into the night. But I noticed that Logan Belmont hadn't yet. Catching my eye, he flipped me off before shifting into his large greyish-brown wolf. Rolling my eyes, I felt for my wolf. I couldn't wait to teach that smug moron a lesson.

I went to call the shift when Nero let out another squawk. I'm going to kill this bird, I thought angrily. I looked at the stupid bird and he began aggressively flapping his wings and squawking again. Taking flight only to loop back to the tree.

A wet snout pushed against my shoulder, and I met the blue eyes of a light grey wolf. My mum snapped her jaw at me, and I didn't need to hear her to know she was telling me to hurry up. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

I glanced once more at Nero planning the bird's funeral when he swooped towards the lake. He flew around in circles over the water squawking non-stop.

Confused, I slowly walked towards the edge looking over the water trying to pinpoint what he was seeing. Crouching on the soles of my feet I hovered slightly over the water. At first, all I saw was my reflection, but slowly my face seemed to hollow out and darken. I inched closer to the water.

Deja-vu hit me like a truck. I really should have recognised the similarities between this and the dream because just as the feeling hit a hand shot out from under the surface.