Silver Scars

Memories

Four years ago.

"Lenny! Let's go! We're going to be the last ones there", my dad yells up the stairs.
"Commminnggg! Getting a bit impatient in your old age, huh,Dad?", I said with a smirk.
"Len. You are the reason I'm aging poorly" he says, dead-pan.

My parents and I are heading to the annual pack bbq. The Clear Waters Pack is not very large..maybe 200? members. So we were closer than most packs. Every year, on our way there, I always think how it was at the first pack bbq (22 years ago) that my parents met. Apparently, the leading members were trying to think of ways to promote community and my mom (daughter of the alpha at the time) suggested a bbq. So at the first one, being the alpha's daughter, she was out shaking hands, saying hello and she bumped into a new pack member. My dad. He had transferred packs after getting a college scholarship at the school nearby. Love at first...sniff? Ya know, werewolves.

I used to hope that would be me one day. Bump into my mate at the pack bbq. Jeeze, that's a major cringe now. At 21, it's not looking good. Most meet their mate at 16, get to know one another and then start settling down at 18, 19... But hey, who needs a man?

As we near the pack house, we all feel that something is off...first, there's no one in sight and second, it's just quiet. Too quiet.

"Len. Marie. Stay here" my dad commands.

He disappears into the pack house. After a few eerie minutes. He returns. Beckoning us towards the open training field behind the pack house. As we approach , there's a group of men..maybe 10 of them..wearing all dark clothes. Our alpha, my uncle, seems to be in a tense conversation with one of the men.

"This is outrageous. It's a barbaric tradition. No one has done this for decades!" my uncle yells at the man.

The man, unbothered, responds curtly, "you don't have a choice. It's in the pack code. If an alpha calls for it, all packs have no choice but to respond with a volunteer."

"Volunteer?! More like a sacrifice!" our Beta, Steven, snarls.

"Like I said, no choice. Alpha Xavier made the call. You have 3 days. Then the volunteer must report to the Elders' Estate" the strange man says coldly.

The men then turn and get back into their vehicles without another word.

I look over the rest of the pack who stands behind my uncle and Steven but at a distance. They all look uneasy.

"Eric! What in the world was that about?!" my mom whisper-screams at her brother.
"Alpha Xavier has called for the Blood Moon Rite" he replies, with color draining from his face.
"What. No. He can't. It's been...over 50 years since the last one" my mother says anxiously.
"We have 3 days to pick a girl or he'll come and choose one himself."

"Listen up everyone!" my uncle addresses the pack, "I need all unmated, 16-25 year old females and their parents. Everyone else please head to the pack house for the bbq."
"Steven, go with everyone else. Smiles on please. Don't panic anyone" my uncle says to his second.

Out of the 200 or so members of our pack, the 16-25 year old female population is about...20. Most being 16-19 years old.

Lucky day for me, huh? 16-25? Check. Female? Check. Unmated? Double check.

Now addressing those of us left, "Alpha Xavier has called for a Blood Moon Rite."

The parents all gasp. Looks of shock, fear, horror spread across their faces.

"What is that?" A teen, Jessica, I think, asks.

"It's not good. An alpha who has reached 30 without finding his mate can call on all American packs to 'volunteer' 1 female each. Each woman is then put on a stage, basically, and cut with a silver knife. Over and over and over until only one is standing. Some die from this. Most are just severely wounded. It used to be a great challenge. Women would line up to be Luna. But that was centuries ago. Over the years it just became about survival. But I thought it was done..." his voice trails off.

I took a good look at the women beside me. 20 of us. About half were 16-19. The other 10 weren't the strongest looking bunch. My best friend, Becca, was here too. The sweetest girl. Her sister, Bailee, too. She just turned 16.

I keep looking at their faces. Could they take this? And if none of us volunteer, then they'll come and take one.

"I'll do it. I volunteer." I said. Loud and clear.
 
"WHAT. No. Lenora. No." My dad shouted at me.
My mom just burst into sobs, my dad pulling her in close.

The other women and their families looked relieved. They couldn't look at me or my parents. Knowing they couldn't hide their secret happiness.

My uncle grabs me. Hugs me tightly. "As soon as they told me. I knew. I knew you would volunteer" he quietly says to me, "you are the strongest of them."

He squeezes me again. And then I walk away. I didn't think I was stronger than any of them. I didn't think because I had alpha blood or warrior blood that I was better. I certainly didn't want to become some lonely, bitter asshole's Luna.

But when I looked around at the girls I had grown up with, I just couldn't let one of them go for me. I could not. I would not.

I volunteered to die. Or at least come close to it.