Moon Child (Complete!)

Chapter 1: The Shift

Mate, That word, that one word that floated and followed me where ever I went. It was like a ghost whispering in the back of my mind. I knew that after my first shift; my parents would make me find my mate. I don't want a mate, but with the constant pressure of being the Alpha's daughter. It was my duty to find a mate, and pass along the bloodline.

Today, November 21, marks my 17th birthday. This is the day I will shift for the first time.  I could already feel my wolf sifting constantly unsettled by tonight's upcoming full moon. 

I currently sat in class not paying attention to what history lesson we were being taught. All I could think of is the responsibilities that will rest on my shoulders once I shifted. Find a mate pass on the bloodline.

My blonde white hair was up in a messy bun, loose strands framed my face. My grey eyes were darker then usual. I felt my wolf move inside of me trying to claw its way out. I had feared that I may shift early. So that morning I had asked my parents if I could skip school today in case I shifted early. My parents however were dead certain I was going to shift like everyone else on their 17th birthday. When the moon is at it's peak. It sure as hell didn't feel like my wolf is going to wait until then.

"Hey, Lainey" Cole whispered from beside me. I turned my head to look at him. His head was nearly shaved off. which was a new look from his longer hair. Our sleepy town of New Haven was smothered between two mountain ranges. It provided the perfect protection from having too many humans around.  

"What?"

"Are you ready for tonight?" he smirked teasingly.

"I was born ready"

"That's the Lainey I know!" He whispered excitedly. Cole and I have been friends since we were little. We have always played together. Since he is one year older then I am he shifted before me. Hes been around so much my father counted him as a son. He appointed him messenger In the pack. A very important role only given to the most trusted.
Cole's mate, Kira is the packs healer. basically when he shifted, he saw her and that was it, he found his mate.

I just hope that when I shift tonight I don't find my mate. I don't want to belong to someone. I'm not a piece of meat. The bell rang signaling the end of school. I stood up and gathered my books in my arms.

Outside, the sun was shinning brighter then ever in the blue sky. Big fluffy clouds were visible. I remember when I was eight. I used to lay out in my backyard and try to make out shapes in those clouds. That seemed  years ago. I would no longer be that little girl.

High school students all crowded the parking lot. The popular girls were with the jocks, leaning against their expensive cars. I looked over at the woods surrounding the school. I always took the trail through the woods by the school. The trail takes me on a short cut straight to my house.

Cole had disappeared into the woods probably doing daily round checks on our borders. We do round checks to make sure no other packs or rogue wolves cross our territory.

 I started in the direction of the woods.

Trees formed all around me, in-closing me. In the woods I felt infinite because nobody could get to me I could do what I wanted; It was like a new world. A sudden sharp pain went through my torso area. I doubled up groaning in pain. I felt my wolf shift inside me uncontrollably. This time, sharp pains went through my entire body. The pain was so powerful it forced me down to my knees. Twigs, and rocks dug into my palms; dirt getting underneath my fingernails.

No this isn't possible. I'm not supposed to shift till tonight. Everyone who shifts for the first time always shifts at night I thought angrily. I gritted my teeth as another wave of pain hit me full force. I could feel my wolf digging her way to the surface shifting, changing, fighting her way out. A scream tore itself out of my throat. The pain was unbearable; It's like I keep getting stabbed over and over again. My fingers coiled in the dirt. Then suddenly, it was over the pain stopped, and I was on all fours.

Everything was so different. I have four legs instead of two. I looked down and saw that my legs and paws were white.

This is different..... I thought to myself normally the colors for shifter wolves are earthly colors like rusty, brown, black, and grey. No shifter's wolf had white fur not for hundreds of years. I tentatively took a step forward trying out the whole wolf, four legs thing. Surprisingly it came natural. I kept taking step after step, and next thing I knew I'm running full speed through the woods.

 The soft under brush made good footing for my paws. I had to swerve around the occasional log. I threw my head back and howled in enjoyment. In this moment running in full speed, and being something other then human. Made me  feel free from the weight and responsibility's that came when I was human. Suddenly like an echo, answering back to me. Two wolf howls filled the air answering my howl.

To my right and left two wolves appeared. The one on my right, was brown with black running down its back. The one on my left was light black, kind of like a dark smokey grey. An image flashed across my mind. The image was of Cole smiling. That's when I knew the grey wolf to my left is Cole.  I tried to send an emotion through to Cole, about the pain of the shift. I think it worked because the wolf on my right let out a small whimper.

I stopped running when we hit an open clearing. Cole and the brown wolf circled me; their body language showed curiosity. The clearing seemed to be a old meadow. But now there is only dead brown grass. From the harsh cold of fall.

Soon other wolves appeared from the woods. My parents were the first to show up in their wolf forms. My father being the alpha male, and my mother being the luna of the pack. Made them the largest wolves in our pack. The rest of the pack, started to go into the woods. They returned about a minute later as humans.

" Lainey, hun, listen to me very carefully." My mother advised. Now shifted back to her human form. Her black hair was a tangled mess going just below her shoulders. Her grey eyes looked into my own. "Imagine yourself as human very vividly in your mind."

I imagined myself in human form, my blonde white hair and grey eyes, my face and body shape. Then like magic I was myself again in the same cloths I wore before I shifted. Out of nowhere, I felt a rush of panic sweep through me.

"What happened? I wasn't supposed to shift till tonight like everyone else!."

That's when I noticed that the pack members were surrounding me in a circle. Their mouths were a gap like they saw something out of the ordinary.

"What are you all staring at me for?" I demanded looking around at the pack. I saw my mom standing next to Cole. I searched the circle for my dad but he was nowhere to be seen. Whispers broke out among the circle.

"Did you see her color!?."

"Yes, It was like the myth of the Moon Child!." Another pack member whispered aghast to the other.

"Her wolf was as white as snow, not a speck of any color."

"Could she be a Moon Child?."

"Ridiculous, It's just a myth, There's no such thing." Protested one of our warriors, Lincoln.

The whispers turned into total chaos. Now they were practically shouting their opinion, and trying to make sense of the situation. Pushing to get a better look at me. And  trying to touch me.

"Enough!" Commanded my fathers voice, as he stepped into the circle next to me. Being the alpha his voice made the pack cringe and everything was suddenly quiet.

"Lainey's transformation so soon was not expected." He paused looking around at the pack members. "her coat color is most unexpected, I want it to be kept secret from other packs including our ally packs." he said sternly. The pack members mumbled a quiet agreement. They couldn't say much against the alpha's words.

With that he dismissed the pack. We watched them change into their wolf forms. They kept sneaking glaces at me. But my father gave them a dark look making them run off into the darkness of the woods. 

"What's going on?" I demanded turning towards my parents.

 "Whats a Moon child?" I continued, my father may be the Alpha, but hes just my father to me. 

 Mother and Father looked at me with scared eyes. 

"It means something big is coming, and you're the only one who can stop it."