LETO

Chapter 1: Ash

Panicked screams and the sounds of rapid foot steps wake me. My heavy eyes open and I survey my immediate surroundings searching for the danger. I am in my room. The walls are adorned with posters of my favorite bands, photos of friends and family, awards and my favorite paintings. My attention is drawn to the window, the moonlight seeping through my sheer curtains but, something is off. There is a wave of orange glow overtaking the moonlight. I pull back my blanket and make my way to the window. As I draw back the curtains, the sounds of growls feel the air. I can see many woman and children running, they look so scared. My mother burst through my bedroom causing the door to travel half the distance of my room and crash to the ground. I can hear the metal hinges bounce on the hardwood floors. In her apparent haste, my mother, the Luna, still manages to look elegant. She moves with lightning speed and grace across my room, scooping me into her arms and jumping from my now smashed second story window. As we are jumping from the window, I see the silhouette of a wolf running into my room.

His paws move with force, his nails digging into the hardwood floors. He reaches the window just as my mother jumps. He releases a howl, that sounds like a devastating heart break. I can't help but feel a pull to him. I look up into his waiting eyes. They are a striking bright ruby red, full of silent promise. Landing on her feet, she starts to move, running though the crowd as she avoids the wolf's who seem to be attacking my fellow pack members. There is complete chaos around us, buildings are on fire and there are so many pack members laying on the ground, lifeless. I can see the forrest in the distance. My father, the Alpha of Autumn Ash Pack always told me to never leave our territory. It wasn't safe, he said. I gasp as we near the edge of our territory. "Mom, are we leaving?" I ask, feeling a sense of unease. But she doesn't respond as she stops suddenly just before the forrest begins. "Mom?" I ask again. I feel her body tense, I let out a small whimper as she releases her Alpha female aura. She takes a few slow steps back, never taking her eyes off the forrest before us. I don't have my wolf yet, I can't see the threat ahead like mom does. We moon shifters get our wolf along with their abilities at age sixteen, while full maturity is reached at eighteen.

Mom sets me on my feet and takes a protective stance infront of me. Mom shifts into her fearsome wolf, Kai. Kai lets out a ferocious growl, a clear warning to the unknown intruders. I've never seen Kai so scary looking. It must be her natural instinct to protect her pup, me. Kai has dark silver fur, with flakes of white. While normal wolf's are usually three to four feet Tall depending on their rank in the pack. My mother being a Luna was easily five feet. I watched nervously as Kai scanned the forrest possibly searching for a weak link in the enemy's line. The line of enemy wolfs slowly exited the cover of the forrest and advanced into the open field of our land towards Kai. There were four wolfs evenly spaced in a line, crouched in a hunting position. A Luna would dye to protect her pup and pack. There was no fear from Kai nor my mother, as they are one. Kai took a step towards the advancing threat. I quickly grabbed her tail, a silent plea to stay with me.