Luna Chelsy

I am startled back to consciousness when the guard shouts, "Settle down and queue!" I quickly look around as a grey bus approaches the foyer of my soon-to-be third and previous home. Along with the other "graduates," as they like to call us, I'm moving to the Clear Creek pack to begin my new life. Until they find employment in one of the Tri-River packs, puppies without living or consenting relatives are brought to the Tri-River Transition Centre (TRTC). Among us werewolves, pack life is very prevalent. There are real werewolves—or shifters, as we like to call ourselves—outside of myth and fiction. In the safety of our sparsely inhabited communities that are remote from human civilizations, we are able to live normally, or at least somewhat normally. On a little patch of neutral territory in the middle of the Tri-River alliance's three packs, Clear Creek, Cedar Falls, and Red Rapids, is TRTC, our equivalent of a group home. A puff of warm, stale breath flutters past my ear before I hear the voice that makes my skin crawl. We'll miss you around here, Chelsy. Liam says hastily, "You're welcome to stay with me any time." Yuck. Yes, that pass will be difficult. I spit without even trying to hide my disgust. Liam, a 27-year-old unmarried man, was a predator to the neighbourhood girls. I'm not sure who employed this i***t as a guard. We are tied to our partners by the Moon Goddess. They are your other half and soul mate. Both the wolf and human aspects of them are drawn to one another as the connection develops. You can start to sense mate bonds once you turn 19. The decision to accept or reject your mate is yours. Why anyone would reject a built-in closest friend that will cherish them and stick by their side is beyond me. But that was prior to my mother's passing. I once had a fantasy about finding my soul partner. Because the Moon Goddess hasn't exactly been kind to me over the previous few years, I don't think it would be beneficial to hold onto that dream. It's possible that I won't find my soul mate because I don't have luck on my side. Even if you can mark anyone and avoid the fated mate tie, the bonds you form will never be as strong. The tie may be broken by a subsequent mark or rejection, in which case your shifter's recovery will be slowed. Liam has been trying to convince me to let him mark me for the past month and the week I turn 19. As he becomes agitated, his eyes suddenly change colour from a bright blue to a wolf-like black and then back to a crystal blue. His hand leaps out and goes for my wrist as another guard cries, "Grab your bags and get to your bus," and opens the door lock. We do not wish to interfere with the Alpha. I avoid Liam's approach and head towards the entrance as an idea comes to me. I slip past the others as they file out the door, fasten the straps on my backpack, and go before Liam can put a sleazy finger on me. I speed past the bus and head straight for the trees. The distant tree line represented my independence. I haven't thought that far ahead, but I'll find out how to get across the border. I can't take the chance of switching to my wolf and losing my belongings as this run was entirely mine. I want to get out of here. There was never my actual home. Home...I try to remember what it was like to feel at home, like you belonged, and like you were in your own space. Somewhere, you are needed. My lungs hurt as I exert more force with my legs, and the cool breeze smashes against my skin. My wolf provides me the strength I require as we move closer to the forest boundary. "Just a little further, and the trees can hide me," I tell myself. WATCH OUT FOR BOUNDARIES. Over my mental connection, a male voice grumbles, "WE'VE GOT A RUNNER. Currently, all patrols are headed in this way. I was so focused on the mind link that I didn't hear the low growl from the brush in front of me, or the sudden emergence of a huge, dark wolf in my way. I yell, "pk OFF, Liam," over my shoulder and turn away from him. I continue to look over my shoulder as his wolf lunges towards me. I can see the excitement in his eyes as an unanticipated pain develops in my shin. As I tripped and skidded through the mud, I yelled in terror. Black spots dance over my eyes as I look around to see who knocked me down. You've got to be kidding me, you f*****g i***t! which stump? And you want to kill me with a stupid, decrepit, half-rotten stump when animals practically encircle me? Liam approaches after watching the entire hour of comedy I just delivered. He snickers as he shifts back, breaking and rearranging his bones. I remove bits of bark from my blood-red shin. There is now no way for me to go away. Liam is close by and the adrenaline is waning, allowing the agony to fully express itself. Informed patrols have also been. Oh, please. You nasty, naughty little wolf, Liam yells. He shakes his head and slips on a pair of basketball shorts. stolen from the patrol basket. Shifters frequently strip off, but I wasn't interested in seeing more of Liam's physique. As Mr. Ethan approached, Liam grabbed my wrist and helped me stand up. Gods, how did a tree, when I tried to put weight on it, make me feel such pain? Isabel, I thought we had moved on from this. "You're lucky to find a spot in a pack with such a loving Alpha," he continues, shaking his head. "I don't feel lucky," I mutter. Mr. Ethan strokes his temples gently and groans, trying to determine what to do next. He looks at me with eyes that are both sorrowful and angry. He says, taking a breath, "I know you haven't had it easy, but you are so strong. Clear Creek will be where you live. You can begin a brand-new, fulfilling life there."