Alpha

Untitled Part 1

Alpha

Chapter 1

She ran. Her heavy coat billowed around her night clothes. It was far too cold for her to survive out here, but she had to get away. The snow burned her feet.

"Cedar." It was not a loud call, but she heard it. She shuddered to hear that voice croon her name. She began to run even faster. Her legs were a blur beneath her. She rocketed toward the relative safety of the forest when wham. Something large and hard slammed into the top of her back. She let out a whuf of breath and fell over. She flipped around just in time to see an aging man walking toward her. He smelled foul. Winded though she was, she could almost feel the horrible reek of him. She crawled backwards, knowing once she was behind the trees she would be safe from him.

"Darling." The man cooed, "darling, is that any way to treat your father?"

"Get away from me." Her voice was a growl. The man smiled.

"You'll catch your death out here, pet. Come now, let's go back home." Home. Cedar almost snorted. The decaying hut that she had lived in with the man for the past sixteen years was not home. It was hell. He did terrible things in there. Treated her like a lab rat. Killed her sister. Destroyed her mother. No, that was not home. She inched backwards. Once she was in the woods, he would not follow. The man took a step forward.

"I have some medicine for you to try. I promise it will only be a quick nip, my lamb. You'll hardly feel it at all." This time, Cedar did snort aloud. He was probably giving her hemlock or some such venom. Ever since she have become it, the moon beast, he had been testing things on her. Because along with the beastly form and advanced senses, Cedar had picked up a resistance to such poisons. But that didn't mean that these toxins caused her any less pain or hurt any less. By the man didn't care. He just wanted a practically unkillable test subject.

"Come, my sweet." The man reached out a hand

"I'm not going anywhere with you, Grey." Cedar snarled at him. Grey shook his head.

"I remember when you used to call me papa." Cedar wrinkled her nose in disgust. Suddenly, Cedar's body jolted. Her bones cracked and rearranged themselves. White hot pain ran through her body

No! Cedar pleaded in her head,not here. Not so close to the village. Anyone could see. But her body was already becoming bulky and sprouting silver fur. Her face broke forward into a snout. Then, the pain stopped and she no longer wore her human skin. Cedar shifted once, still uncomfortable in her new body. She was grateful that her forepaws still resembled hands. It gave her something of her own body to hold on to. The cold no longer bothered her. Grey had watched her shift in fascination. Now she rose up on her hind legs. As a girl she was small and lithe, but as this animal, this beast, she was a behemoth. She towered over Grey. Her lips curled into a snarl. Grey looked calm but took a few steps back. Tensely, she dropped on to all fours and sniffed at her ripped clothing. It didn't matter, she thought. She could steal more. Slowly, she backed into the he woods, he eyes never leaving Grey.

"You'll come back to me one day, turtle dove." He called. She flicked an ear disdainfully. With one final parting growl, she turned tail and ran into the forest, running long and hard, not knowing or caring where she was going as long as it wasn't anywhere near Grey. After a while, thirst forced her to stop for water. She found a half frozen stream and drank from it. The water was chilly, and came from the mountains. The mountains. Now that was a thought. If she could cross over them, then she would be safe from scared and angry villagers as well as Grey. Besides, she had heard speak of other monsters in these woods, others like her, and Cedar had a sinking feeling that they would not take kindly to a trespasser.

In a piece of ice, Cedar caught sight of her reflection. Her silver fur was not at all reminiscent of her long raven locks that she had as a human. But her blue eyes were the same.

Suddenly, a twig snapped behind her. She whipped around to face the sound. Her lips peeled back, revealing a cruel set of glistening teeth. A boy stumbled out of a bush. He was tall, with floppy brown hair and odd pupil-less blue eyes.

"I know your there." The boy whispered. "I can smell you. I don't mean you any harm." Cedar liked that rich, musical tone of his voice. She stepped closer against her better judgement. The boy smiled and lifted his hand. Cedar pressed her nose against it. The boy's head was tilted slightly to the right of her.

He must be blind.

"I'm Zion." Said the boy. Cedar snuffled at his shirt, right at his stomach. He smelled human, but there was something else. Cedar didn't know whether to be afraid or excited. She stared into the sightless eyes of another like her.