The Full Moon Effect

Chapter 1: New Territory

Wolf and Woman

Some days

I am more wolf

than woman

and I am still learning

how to stop apologising

for my wild.

-Nikita Gill

**********

Pine trees lined the road asymmetrically, tall and deep-rooted. Beyond them, junipers and oaks and shrubs thickened the forest from view. The vegetation differed drastically from the cedars I was used to. Their scents rolled in through the open window and beckoned me to them. With the wind also came the smell of wild game.

"Mmm, elk," sighed Bryton. "It's been years since I've had elk."

"It's been years since you've caught anything," I said, rolling the window up.

Bryton's eyes snapped to mine. "Your memory fails you, Tara. I caught a buck only weeks ago."

"An already wounded buck," said Uncle Taylor from the passenger seat.

Aunt Clara patted her sons hand. "It was a beautiful buck."

Bryton scoffed. "I think I can catch something out here quicker than you can, Tara."

"Is that a bet I hear?"

Bryton cracked his neck. "Pull over, Uncle Andrew."

"No."

My face mimicked Bryton's at my father's refusal to commence the bet.

"But—."

"We're nearly there. You can beat Bryton once we've arrived and unpacked."

I smirked at Bryton's furrowed brows and slack jaw.

The rest of the ride to the summit, Aunt Clara nursed Bryton's pride while he stuck his nose out the window, trying to catch the scents of wild game. I stared out the window, unbothered by the game that would've undoubtedly move before we even initiated the race. Instead, I engraved the layout of the land in my mind. The land here curved more than back home, where hills were uncommon. Considering Alpha Rysons' pack lands hunkered under the mountains, this made sense. Hills were ideal for hunting; better vantage points, better angles for attacking, easier kills.

The brake lights of the car in front of us signaled and a house peaked around the bend that the car crawled toward. Young ones peered up at our cars in excitement and their parents lurked in the doorways of their houses. A man gestured to an open field behind a row of houses and Alpha Leyton parked the first car of our procession there. We pulled up beside him and on the other side of us, family after family of our pack lined their respective cars in the field.

Bryton all but shoved me out of the car and I scowled at him over my shoulder. He pulled a bagged tent out of the back of the SUV and tossed out its contents in his haste to get it built. Dad and I gathered our own bags and followed Alpha Leyton and Beta Castor to the Alpha's house.

Alpha Anders' pack had already made their camp on the field opposite our own. Drastically different scents merged. Their littles ones merged with Ryson's in play, as ours would once they settled their temporary land.

My heart beat annoyingly fast as we neared Alpha Anders' house. Three Alphas and couple handfuls of Betas would be sleeping in that house for a week, and they held my fate by the neck scruff.

Four people exited the house at our arrival upon the porch steps. I recognized the sandy-haired Alpha Anders and his mate Lericia. Years ago, they'd mourned with our pack after the death of both my mother and the Luna. Lericia appraised our group with a stoic face, but when her eyes met mine, she winked.