Nocturne

PROLOGUE

Running

That's all I could think of. The events that led up to this moment were still hazy. I recalled them as an outsider looking in when I tripped on a tree root.

Felix was rummaging through the kitchen fridge for leftover pizza as usual. Therese and her friends were upstairs preparing for their sleepover when they would kick us boys out of the house. All I could think of was playing Mario kart at Mason's grandpa's place till we dropped and then I heard it. The night howlers, a group of rogues the council had warned all surrounding pack about. They were drifters who used roundabout means to pillage unsuspecting packs, finding loopholes in the rogue treaty to remain untouched. They usually had what we called their "pack howling session" by five to midnight ever since they settled here three years ago. Some said they were just messing with the locals, others thought there was a hidden agenda. I always questioned it but now I believe it. It finally happened again for the first time since our adoptive father died. My skin felt as if it was on fire and the first crack resonated. What made me the unwanted three percent of our community.

A partial shifter. One who could never transform at will. No one knew why we existed but we did and I detested it. Before I could shout for Felix to help, Mark began wailing as a loud boom resounded. I knew that despite the pain I had to look for Therese and Mark to make sure they were okay. I grit my teeth and ran upstairs and there she was, lying in what I thought was a pool of her own blood. The bodies of her friends indecipherable. Felix came running upstairs, pulled me up and shoved Mark into my arms. The ten month old has stopped crying and but I couldn't register it as Felix began shouting instructions and all I could focus on was how my only sister was dead.

"Felix?" I asked in a panic "Therese isn't moving! We need to get help! Reese isn't moving!! Why can't I hear the cries of the pack? The Alpha should know somethings wrong. He can help us"

I feel he couldn't really understand me so he slapped me across my face so I could get a semblance of stability.

"Take Mark and head east" He instructed. It was common knowledge that there was nothing east of our pack "Don't stop until you can't walk anymore. Even then keep moving. You should be able to get there by nightfall three days from now. Mark won't wake up until sundown tomorrow, so get him some food immediately he does."

"Get to where? Forget all this Felix, Reese isn't moving. Don't leave her lying there."

"I'm not leaving her, I just need to make sure you get there as soon as possible and then I'll come with Therese. Just promise you can do this for me. When we meet up I'll explain it all"

Then we heard the second howling session of the night and he became more panicked.

"You'll know it when you see it. Don't forget what I've told you. When asked to identify, remember the moon will peak at first dawn"

The third howl. There was never a third howl. I was confused as ever. Crybaby Mark was dead asleep, Reese wasn't moving and Felix was being suspicious. I needed Dad now more than ever and I was breaking down.

Behind Felix an unknown stranger stood over what was left Therese's friends bodies.

"Found you" he said with a crazed look in his eyes.

"The moon will peak at first dawn! Go now, James!" Felix whispered this time around. He did something and my shift was completed before I could register it. I didn't want to leave him or Therese there with a crazy looking stranger but I couldn't stop my body from moving. That's when I began...

Running