Hierarchy

Darkness enveloped my body in a blanket of fear of the unknown.
The full moon was the only source of light in the dim, foggy road.
The place sent an energy that could mean nothing but abandon and mystery.

This is where the monsters of the night gathered to attack.

I was in danger,there was no doubt about that. My entire senses were awake, alerted to any unfamiliar movement or sight.
My hands were trembling with fear,but I tried to ignore it, attempting to gain a nonexistent confidence.

A cracking sound made my heart jump and my body was paralyzed by the sight of what was approaching me. My whole body was tingling with fright and excitement without knowing which one was overcoming the other.

There it was, the mass of dark creature coming closer. Each movement felt intimidating which was the whole point of their plan.
Terrorise to win.

The leader of the pack let out a menacing growl, signaling to his followers to attack.

This is where my instinct kicked in and I could think of only one thing: run.

And this is what I did without any hesitation. Adrenaline pumped into my veins as I dodged tree branches from above me, hard stones and thorns beneath my bare feet. My breathing accelerated, my vision became blurry and I was aware of the huge leap in the dark I was making, literally.

I felt my feet wobbling beneath me and I was sure I would eventually be unable to continue. I spotted a dark tall tree in the distance and decided to make it as my escape for the night. Wolves can't climb trees. Or so I hoped.

I held on to every branch, pushing myself upward, taking all the precautions not to fall down the pack that was already surrounding my shelter.

I sat on the highest branch that could possibly hold my weight, contemplating the mess I made with my life.

All my fears surfaced, haunting my mind, images from the past nibbling on the last pieces of sanity and hope I still had. Reality bit me hard. The pain was so unbearable I could feel all my members cracking under the pressure.
Tears threatened to escape at any time and I closed my eyes, wishing for the dark to engulf me and for death to finally take me away from this never ending nightmare.

At the end of the black hallway, I perceived a light and I ran to it with all the energy I had left.
One image, one voice, one heartbeat brought me an immense hope. Only this person could save me, hold me up from the whole I was deeply buried: myself.

I was the one who had to take matters into my own hands.

I was the one who held the power to overcome these creatures.

I was the  founder of this pack ready to attack me.

I was the leader.

Cracking noises surrounded me as I realized the wolves where falling each time they attempted to climb.
But I couldn't savor this moment any longer as my own branch broke under the pressure. I let out a cry of fear, my last one, before I fell flat on the ground, my body aching greatly.

There was no running this time. I had to lunch my attack. With no difficulty, I took the heaviest branch lying next to me and decided it would make the perfect weapon.

I raised my voice defiantly so the horrendous creatures could hear me : "Come and get me!"

As a response, the first one ran to me unraveling his set of sharp teeth that could cut me in a thousand pieces in a second.

With all my energy, I hit him straight in the stomach, sending him lying on the floor with a cry of pain.

So I did with the rest of them, hitting, kicking, bruising, until they were all lifeless corpses on the muddy ground. Only one remained. The so called leader fixed his deathly gaze on me as if he was evaluating a new plan to destroy the rebel.

He howled to encourage his soldiers to get up but they could barely move.

It was a one on one battle. I had to take back the power that belonged to me. I should retrieve the control to save myself.

He was the first one to make a move. He took me by surprise as he jumped and fell, his whole weight trapping my body under him, with only my stick holding him back from devouring me.

I fought with all I had, sending kicks and punches, unaware of the time we stayed this way fighting until we were both breathless.

Blood was staining my entire body aching with bruises and irreparable wounds. My hair cling to my forehead with sweat and dirt appeared like a second skin on my arms. The leader wasn't unharmed either and was already losing a lot of blood but refused to give up on this uncontrollable battle. Was it the taste of my blood that was driving him so insane? Was revenge so much greater than what was between us?

If so, I was determined to win even though I was weakened.
With the last hope I had, I let out an animalistic shout of fury as I pushed the leader's body off of me until he hit a nearby tree and lied on the ground.

Losing all his powers, he transformed back into his human form and I couldn't help but stare at him with melancholy.

I sat next to him, examining his handsome features as I ran my hand through his tangled dark hair and gently caressed his cheeks hoping he was going to make it.

He shivered under my touch and tried to open his deep brown eyes that used to take my breath away.
Now I feel nothing but anger, even though my heart still hurts a little, longing for him.

"Stella, I can't believe I'm saying this. You... win. Will you ever forgive me?" He said with a hoarse voice.

I knew him way too well. He was a liar, a manipulateur, avid of power and control. There was no way I could believe his sudden change of heart.

"Listen Shawn. If you weren't such a control freak, I would've forgave you for what you just did to me. You almost killed me two months after announcing how much you loved me. There's no going back now" I replied with determination.

And with that, I climbed to the nearest rock, looking up to the full moon, letting its power engulf me as I addressed my words the the wolves lying on the ground: "Beloved pack, the time has changed. It is time for a woman to take control and to restore the order that was taken away by the previous leader. The rebellion has triumphed. I will take matters into my own hands to reorganize and rebuild what was harshly destroyed. I will establish rules and equality. Your cooperation will be highly appreciated as I am your new leader"

They all looked up as if they were admiring me, a woman who was capable of overcoming a dozen males on my own with my own power and courage and determination. I saw gratitude and faith and in this moment, looking at all my surroundings, I felt as one with nature and I couldn't wish for me.

Triumphantly, I looked back to the moon and howled, declaring a new era for my pack.