The Full Moon Effect

Prologue

The distinct scent of pregnancy grew stronger as I raced toward the female. Wet leaves and clumpy dirt flew up from under my paws as I gained on her. I caught sight of her brown fur through the trees, her huge belly slowing her down enough for me to pounce to her left and force her to switch directions back to the border. Instead of changing directions, she simply cowered down, curling her belly up under her, and whined. I huffed, nodding to the border less than a mile away, but she whined again and her ears flattened against her head.

Pounding footsteps met my ears. He was only half a mile away, and the pregnant female still wasn't budging. Her teeth bared when I stepped too close, so I lowered myself to the ground and flattened my own ears, giving out a soft whine. I nodded to the border again and yipped and, finally understanding, she stood with me. I nudged her flank with my nose, urging her on as the footsteps neared. She picked up her pace, but shrank back into me when another wolf appeared in front of her tall and snarling.

His growls ceased when I rounded the female and he raised from his offensive stance. I approached him meekly, not meeting his eyes until my form covered the wolf behind me. He tilted his head but brushed his body against mine as he walked past us, back to the inner lands. I whined and stepped back, causing the female behind me to stumble a few steps closer to the border. His head snapped back and a low growl emitted from his jaws. He took a threatening step forward and my whine grew louder. I pawed at the female's obviously pregnant belly, her body shivering visibly, but he took another step forward and let out a bark.

I held back my own growl and glanced to the female's face. Her flattened ears betrayed her emotions, but I beckoned her to follow me anyway. My steps weighed me down with the certainty of what was about to happen as I walked back to the house, pregnant female in tow and Beta Castor sticking uncomfortably close. I growled at his nuzzles and intruding nose but it took all of my will power to not snap at him. If it had been a lower ranking male, his muzzle would already be slick with blood.

We walked back the way I originally chased the female out and then eventually crossed into land that her scent didn't mark. I'd been able to chase her out before she'd gotten too far in, but apparently it was still too far in to fly under Castor's radar. If it weren't for his proclivity to follow orders blindly, he might actually make a good mate. He huffed when I didn't return his affections but winked a large eye at me as if I was just playing hard to get.

When we neared the Alpha's house, Castor let out a loud howl so that by the time we got there, Alpha Leyton and Beta Andrew were outside waiting on the front porch. Upon seeing the three of us, Beta Andrew strolled back inside the house only to appear with two large t-shirts and a pair of shorts. He tossed them to the bottom of the porch stairs and Castor and I were quick to shift and don them. The pregnant female, on the other hand, shook where she stood, her tail between her legs.

"Shift," Alpha Leyton said, his body turned to the trespassing female.

I moved to her, my hand resting between her shoulder blades. "Alpha, she's pregnant."

"I know what she is, Tara."

I let out a breath and knelt down to the female. "It's okay," I murmured in her ear. "Shifting only hurts pups if it's too quick. Just take it slow."

She whined, but her fur began receding into skin and her human form soon crumpled to the ground as best as her large belly would allow. I shoved the large t-shirt over the woman's head as Castor began to speak.

"I found them near the border. It seems she almost escaped Tara's reach. Maybe you should increase her training if a fully pregnant female is able to outrun her, eh, Beta Andrew?"

His eyes narrowed at the snub, but father was never one to bristle quickly.

"I don't know why you bothered to bring her back, Beta. You know the punishment for trespassing on my land."