moon

Chapter One

I threw back my head and howled, the long, loud sound piercing through the night. I cursed myself for giving into my animal instincts and padded over to the shelter that I had constructed by hand a few years ago. It was a little lopsided, but provided warmth and shelter for me, amd that was all I needed. I shifted back into human form and pulled on my clothes, shivering as the cold mountain air hit my bare back.

The shack wasn't exactly what I would call comforting or homely, but just a desolate shelter for me to shape-shift in peace and avoid prying eyes. I brushed my hair back into a tight ponytail before flipping up my hoodie and jogging back to the pack house. I pushed the door open silently, sniffing around to check if anyone was spying on me. I shut it with a soft click and tiptoed to the lounge. The Alpha, Beta and Luna of our pack murmured quietly, discussing pack matters.

"Hi," I waved lamely, dumping my bag onto the sofa. The Alpha looked at me sharply. His hazel eyes mirrored mine, and I immediately looked down as a sign of respect. He nodded and addressed me in a soft growl.

"How is your experiment going?" he asked, staring at my backpack. I unzipped it and tossed the Beta a can.

"Be careful, there's liquid silver inside. since normal rubber gloves don't protect us from it, you'll have to put on some leather ones," I pulled my own over my bare hands and carefully opened the bottle. I tipped it into a glass and with a soft splash, it mixed with the white wine and shimmered softly, bathing the room in a heavenly glow.

"Mixing the silver with wine creates a source both light and protection against other packs because it's silver, but you have to make sure no one touches the lights. If anyone comes to our door and you mistrust them, just pull on your gloves and hand them a lamp to see if they're a werewolf. You know what will happen if they are, and if they aren't, they can't pose a threat to us unless they tell the authorities, but what high government official would believe that there's a pack of werewolves hanging around?"

The Beta picked up the glass and curiously examined its contents. He sloshed them around, watching intently as the mixture lapped at the sides of the cup. As Jared bent over to sniff the liquid, I snatched it from him and winced as a drop of silver landed on my thigh.

"Smelling it is highly dangerous and may cause you brain damage. Also, you will probably go unconcious for about three to four weeks. Not my idea of fun," I explained, setting the glass down carefully. Jared looked surprised but managed to keep calm.

"Thank you," he gravely nodded. I returned the gesture and dug out my hand phone from the pack and switched it on, the bright screen making me blink. I swiped and opened up an app that only my pack members could access. Tapping at the screen, a holographic image popped up. I gently placed the device on the table.

"This is an average-looking wolf from the Hail pack," I pointed to the wolf on the left. "The wolf in the middle is from the Seth pack and the one on the right is from ours." I noted with satisfaction that our wolf was the leanest and most muscular among the three. I glanced at the wolves seated on the over-stuffed sofa. They were listening intently, and Leah, the Luna, gazed at our wolf with a faint smile.

"Our sample wolf looks a bit like Grey, doesn't it?" she grinned patting the Alpha in question's tanned arm. In reality, I must admit that I keyed in some of Grey's traits, but only to please him. I mean, he was attractive. But sullen. But still very attractive.

Grey gestured for me to continue and I inhaled deeply.

"Even though our pack's wolf is faster and stronger than the others, they have a few advantages over us. For example, Hail's wolf is smaller and thus making easier for it to hide in nooks and crannies. Seth's has a larger and more sensitive nose and ears, allowing them to sniff us out and listen to the sounds we make as we move around. However, I have figured out a solution for this rather pressing problem," I paused, slightly breathless. "We get rogues from both other packs and we will adapt and become a stronger pack."

"That's your grand idea?" Jared asked skeptically, raising a perfectly-curved eyebro. Embarrassed, I flushed a deep red and nodded meekly.

"I'll keep on working on it," I sighed, packing up the materials. "If you will excuse me, I would like to go to bed now." Jared looked like he wanted to say something, but hesitated and turned away.

I trudged up the stairs, my backpack slung over my shoulder, joints creaking from the strain. I dumped it onto a desk chair and reclined on my bed, staring at the picture of Mike sitting on my desk. I smiled, recalling the fond memories we shared before he was shipped off to the California for some top-secret study to help protect wolves from being harmed by silver.

I traced his wide boyish grin, imagining the soft, plump lips pressing gently against mine, sending delightful tingles up my spine. I dropped him a goodnight text, knowing that he wouldn't receive it because, as he had explained just before his flight, the laboratory he would be working didn't allow him to maintain any contact with anyone other than direct family.

'Night Mike. See you in four short months♥

I sighed heavily and heaved myself underneath the warm duvet of comfort and rest, slowly getting drowsy as I fluffed my pillow. A soft knock reached my ears and I crawled out of the cocoon of blankets.

"Yeah?" I sleepily yawned, rubbing my eyes. Jared frowned at me and I stood to attention. "I'm here to apologise to you because Leah asked me to," he droned. I nodded, making a motion to close the door.

"Wait," he put his hand on the doorframe. "So I'm forgiven?" I once again nodded and firmly shut the door, collapsing onto the soft mattress drifting off into a deep sleep.

A/N:

Hope you liked it so far! Remember to vote, comment and share this story with your friends!

~Rosemary♥