Solstice Ball

5 Years Earlier

Someone had started a rumor that Catrina likes one of her human classmates, she doesn't even know the boy's name or who started the rumor. But the human boy sought her out at lunch one day to tell her, "I would never be with one of your kind." He said loud enough to silence the entire cafeteria. "Your kind disgusts me!" Then he spit at her shoes. There was a short-silent pause before one human girls started laughing then half the cafeteria, the human half, joined her.

She couldn't stand listening to everyone laugh at her so Cat left the table, left the cafeteria. Wanted to leave the school but she would get in serious trouble for that.

The rest of the school day is a blur. Cat tried to keep her head down and just get through classes but everywhere she went someone would laugh or point and whisper. At one point some of the older boys from the pack stopped her in the hallway to tell her "It's okay to like the humans but they're not going to reciprocate." And, "better to get it out of your system now before you present." But she didn't want to hear anything anyone had to say. Just wants to go home and cry.

The shuttle ride back to the territory wasn't much better. Kira, Cat's best friend, sat next to her complaining about her older brother and his friends. Cat  knows she's just trying to distract her, and appreciates her for that, but she wishes Kira would let her wallow in silence.

"Don't listen to anyone." Kira said as she squeezed Cat in a tight hug. Kira is Alpha Alexander's youngest child and only daughter. The two have been best friends since childhood, Cat's father is second in command in Alpha Alexander's inner circle. "I'll see you tomorrow okay!" Kira releases her before yelling "love ya'" over her shoulder.

With a deep sigh Cat drags her feet home, knowing as soon as she walks through the front door her father will ask how school was. He means well but she doesn't have it in her to lie.

Sure enough. "How was school Kitty Cat" he calls as Cat kicks her shoes off in the front mud room. She doesn't answer him, just stomps up the stairs and throws herself onto her bed.

Realistically she knows crying over something a stupid boy said is ridiculous, but he said it in front of half the school. And he spat at her, so she can't help as the sobs leave her.

"Kitty Cat." Cat's father quietly calls with a knock on the open door. She doesn't move or say anything but continues to sob. He quietly makes his way over and sits on the edge of the bed. "Kitty Cat what happened?" No words, just indiscernible sobs. "Oh baby," he runs a soothing hand down her back. "Just let it out." He has always been the more understanding of parents, being the omega of the couple. Better at coping with feelings. "Take as long as you need." He keeps running that soothing hand up and down her back, and listens as she cries into the pillow beneath her.

Cat awakes with a jolt, not realizing she fell asleep. It's dark outside and she's had a blanket thrown over her. Still laying face down she rolls over to get a look at the alarm clock on the bedside table. It says 01:26 am. Then her stomach gives a loud groan. She slept through dinner.

Cat stands and stretches still in her school clothes, and heads downstairs to the kitchen. One of her parents left a plate of dinner, spaghetti, in the refrigerator for her. As quietly as she can, trying not to wake the whole house, Cat heats the food in the microwave but doesn't allow it to get past 1 second and beep. Then eats quickly and set the dishes in the sink.

Cat wanders to the living room to look out the large patio windows. She doesn't expect to see anything except darkness. The night is surprisingly bright with a full moon high in the sky.

She doesn't give it much thought and just acts on a whim. On instinct. Deciding to leave her shoes behind so her parents don't know she's gone, Cat slips out the back patio door, into the warm May night. She knows where she wants to go. Where she needs to go.

The large field where the older, presented, wolves like to roughhouse together. This time of night it's completely empty, exactly how Cat needs it. She plops herself down in the middle of the field and looks up to the moon goddess.

This isn't the first time she's sat with the mood goddess. It is the first time she's sat with her as a full moon though. Cat doesn't say anything, doesn't need to say anything. She sits and listens. Listens to the wind, the grass, the bugs. Just listens and observes.

She has no idea how long she's been sitting there. Has no idea what broke her concentration. But suddenly Cat's alert.

The first thing she notices is the air becoming foggy and obscuring the goddess and stars. Then she hears a crack in the distance. A crack like a large piece of wood breaking in two. Then she notices the smell. It's not fog obscuring the sky, it's smoke. There's no way anyone would be awake having a fire at this hour.

Instinct takes over and Cats running home. Running through the field. Running through the trees surrounding the field. But something stops her in her tracks. She drops low to the ground. Someone else is in the woods with her. Someone else is running. It sounds like a wolf, sounds like they're running on all fours. Then the smell hits her. The smell of rancid meat mixes with smoke and has Cat choking down her gags.

As quickly and the sound of paws hitting the ground comes, it's fading into the distance. She waits until she can't hear them anymore before Cat picks herself up and continues home.

She can see the bright blaze of fire over the roofs as soon as she gets out from under the cover of trees. The stench of smoke getting stronger. She has to get home. Cat rounds the last few houses before hers. The last few houses before she sees the blaze. Then she hears the screaming and stops. All thought leaving her.

Screaming coming from her house. Her house that's on fire.

Her home is completely engulfed in flames. The heat radiating makes Cat throw her hands up to shield her face. But the screaming. Her family is still in there screaming, trying to get out.

She needs to get them out!

Cat's running again. Running towards the fire, towards her home, towards her family. But strong arms wrap around her middle and haul her back. And Cat is screaming, "NO!" The arms, she doesn't know who they belong to but they're pulling her away. "NO!" Away from her family. "I. Need. To. Help. Them." She's struggling. Clawing at the arms to get free. "PLEASE!" They're pulling her farther and farther away. "Please..." Her house engulfed in flames is blocked from view as the arms drag her around the corner of the neighboring houses.

The owner of the arms is saying something to Cat but she can't hear. Between the ringing in her ears and her own roars of protest she can't hear anything. She chokes on a scream but her coughs turn into panicky breaths.

Kicking. Scratching. Fighting. Hyperventilating. Fading in and out of awareness. She's in a house. She's on a couch. She's in a new set of arms. Two people are talking but Cat can't hear.

Can't see.

Just blackness.