Living in A Pack (Book One)

Chapter Eight

Amber and Cameron won the competition. After the swim race we had about six more challenges and they won them all. In fact out of the nine challenges there was they only lost two and didn't place in only one. Now we were all sitting around having the finishing feast. Everyone was outside under the stars. The packs members who had not wanted to participate but still wanted to contribute had cooked a feast out of what was caught in the hunting and fishing contests. That's why they had been the first two. They had also left out a pile of raw prey for anyone who wanted to eat it. I was had two fish between my paws and I was crunching on one of the fish happily.

"How can you eat that?" Sasha said staring at me. I just shrugged and kept chewing. I had been in animal for, for most of the day now. It was just easier because all the challenges required you to be in your animal form. Plus it was comfortable after weeks without it.

"When are you going to change back anyway." Dylas whined. "You've been in animal form for over half the day, I want to actually talk to you, and I'm pretty sure so does everyone else." I just shrugged my shoulders, pointed to my food and continued eating.

"What do you have a crush on her or something Dylas?" Sasha teased. Dylas turned bright red.

"Pfffft dude you're blushing." Cameron laughed. Everyone started to laugh. I'm kinda glad I'm a polar bear or else I'd probably be red too right about now.

I finished my meal and sat up yawning. I looked up at the stars and thought about the stories my mother used to tell me when I was a kid. A sad pain past through my chest as I thought about how she'd never tell me those stories again. Maybe one day I could tell them to my kids.

"Let's star gaze." Amber suggested. Everyone lid down together and I shifted back and lid between Dylas and Amber. I suddenly felt the urge to tell one of the stories my mother always told me as a cub.

"Do you guys want to hear the story of how the stars came to be?" I asked quietly.

"What do you mean?" Nate asked

"Well, when I was a cub my mother would tell me stories when we were out on the ice looking up at the sky. One of the was about how the stars came to be."

"Let's hear it then" Dylas smiled turning to look at me.

I began

"Long ago, before shifters were around, a Godess walked these lands alone. She was tall, with dark skin and long hair. She was beautiful and all who saw her worshipped her. But the Godess did not want to be worshipped, she simply wanted a friend. The Godess had the ability to shift between human and any creature she wanted. So one day, when the beautiful Godess was alone in the forest she thought of a plan. The Godess began to give away her power to shift. She created a shifter from each animal she could shift into, and as she did this she began to lose the power to shift into these animals. She gave up her power because she wanted a friend and she could live without them if it meant having someone who she could love and not be worshipped by them. But the shifters saw the Godess as their creator and began to worship her as well. Saddened she told the shifters she did not want worship but wanted to be treated like the equals they were, as a friend. The shifters understood and she had many good times with them. But eventually the shifters began to get jealous of each other. A war broke out between them and they started to fight for the Goddess to love them and be their friend. Many shifters began to die. The Godess saw this and could not take it. She appeared to the shifters in the only form she kept, the dragon. The great dragon roared in anger and spit flames from her mouth. This quieted the shifters and the looked to their Godess and friend. Upon seeing the sadness on her face they ceased the fighting. The Godess told the shifters that she loved them all equally and that they were all friends. But she also said she could no longer stay with them. Her presence would eventually cause them to fight once more. She told them she should have gone long ago, but held on so she could make a friend. She smiled as she told them how thankful she was to them for being her friend. The Godess revived the dead shifter ands shifter back into a dragon. She told the shifters to live and to love and have a family of their own. She told them to make friends, have fun, and good times. She told them not to forget her and that she was always there for them, even when they didn't know she was. And finally once more she told them she loved them before she left. And with that she changed once more into the great dragon and flew up into the sky. The Godess became the first ever star, and when her friends times were up, they too became stars, joining their beloved Godess and friend in the sky. The Godess is now surrounded by the friends she always longed for and she will for all of her life as they happily watch us from their place above us." I finished the story, I had always loved that story as a kid, it was my favourite one.

"Wow" breathed Cameron.

"Do you have any others?" Asked Sasha. "that one was great."

I laughed, "I have lots, but how about we save those for another time. I'm kinda tired." I sat up and said goodnight to everyone before leaving and walking towards the house.

Once i got up to my room I put on my pjs and grabbed Moondrop. I brushed my teeth and got into bed. I tried and tried but I couldn't sleep so finally I got up. I went outside onto the balcony and shifted. Maybe just one more night under the stars. I thought to myself and fell asleep.