Rejected by the Alpha, Chosen by the Wolf King

Amelia had always known there was something wrong with the full moon. Most people looked forward to it. They posted pictures of it, made wishes beneath it, and admired the way its silver light turned the night beautiful. But Amelia had spent most of her life dreading it. Whenever the moon became full, she dreamed. Not ordinary dreams. She dreamed of a forest she had never seen, filled with trees so tall their branches blocked out the stars. She dreamed of wolves running through the darkness, their paws striking the earth in perfect rhythm. She dreamed of a woman crying as she ran, clutching a baby tightly against her chest. And every time, just before Amelia woke, the woman would turn around. Their eyes would meet. Then the woman would whisper the same words. Hide from the moon until the moon calls you home. Amelia woke with a sharp breath. Her bedroom was dark except for the pale moonlight spilling through the curtains. Her heart pounded against her ribs, and for several seconds, she couldn't move. The dream had felt different this time. More real. She slowly raised her hand to her shoulder. The crescent-shaped birthmark beneath her collarbone was warm. Amelia froze. It had never been warm before. A soft knock sounded on her bedroom door. "Amelia?" her mother's voice called. "Are you awake?" Amelia quickly pulled the blanket over her shoulder. "Yes." The door opened, and her mother stepped inside. Sarah looked tired. She had looked tired for weeks, although Amelia had never understood why. "You're still awake," Amelia said. "I could say the same about you." Sarah forced a smile and sat on the edge of the bed. Her eyes briefly moved toward the window, toward the full moon. Amelia noticed. Her mother always did that. Always watched the moon as if she expected something terrible to come from it. "Bad dream?" Sarah asked quietly. Amelia hesitated. She had learned years ago that talking about the dreams made her mother uncomfortable. Whenever Amelia mentioned wolves, forests, or the strange woman, Sarah would change the subject. "Just the usual," Amelia finally said. The smile disappeared from Sarah's face. "Amelia..." "What?" Sarah reached for her hand but stopped before touching it. For a moment, Amelia thought her mother was going to tell her something important. Something she had been hiding for years. But then Sarah stood. "Nothing. Go back to sleep." "Mom." Sarah paused at the door. "Why do you hate the full moon?" Her mother's shoulders stiffened. "I don't." "You do." Sarah turned around slowly. Amelia pushed herself upright. "You never let me go into the woods at night. You hate it whenever I mention wolves. And every full moon, you act like we're waiting for a storm." "Because there are dangerous things in this world, Amelia." "What kind of things?" Sarah stared at her for so long that Amelia's skin prickled. Then she whispered, "Things you don't remember." Before Amelia could ask what that meant, her mother left the room. Amelia didn't sleep again. She lay awake until dawn, listening. At first, there was nothing except the wind. Then, sometime after midnight, she heard it. A howl. Low. Long. And impossibly close. Amelia sat up. Another howl answered. Then another. Her bedroom suddenly felt too small. She climbed out of bed and crossed to the window. Her family's house stood at the edge of a quiet town, surrounded by a wide stretch of forest. Amelia had lived there for as long as she could remember. Tonight, the trees seemed darker than usual. She pressed her palm against the glass. Something moved between the trees. Amelia leaned closer. Nothing. Then two golden eyes appeared in the darkness. She stumbled backward. Her breath caught. The eyes vanished. For several minutes, Amelia stood completely still. Finally, she laughed nervously. "I'm imagining things." But when she looked down at her shoulder, the crescent-shaped mark was glowing. The next morning was Amelia's twenty-first birthday. Her father made pancakes. Her mother pretended everything was normal. And Amelia tried not to think about the wolf outside her window. "Make a wish," her father said as he placed a small cake in front of her. Amelia smiled weakly. "I haven't even blown out the candles yet." "You've had twenty-one years to prepare." Sarah gave him a warning look. "What?" he asked innocently. Amelia looked between them. "Okay. What's going on?" "Nothing," they both said. At exactly the same time. Amelia narrowed her eyes. "You're both terrible liars." Her father laughed, but Sarah didn't. That was when Amelia noticed something strange. A packed bag sat beside the front door. Her father's bag. "Are we going somewhere?" Amelia asked. Silence. Her mother looked at her father. Her father sighed. "After breakfast." "After breakfast what?" "After breakfast," Sarah said firmly. Amelia hated secrets. Especially when everyone around her seemed determined to keep them. The rest of the morning passed slowly. Sarah watched every window. Her father checked his phone repeatedly. And Amelia's uneasiness continued to grow. By afternoon, dark clouds had gathered over the forest. Then the lights went out. Amelia jumped. Her father stood immediately. "Get your coat." "What?" "Now." "What's happening?" Sarah grabbed Amelia's hand. Her fingers were trembling. "Mom, you're hurting me.". "Please." Something in her mother's voice silenced Amelia. Amelia pulled on her coat, and her father picked up the packed bag. Then a deafening crash came from outside. The front door shook. Amelia screamed. Another crash. The sound of claws scraped against wood. Her father moved in front of them. "Upstairs," he said. "No!" Sarah shouted. A deep growl came from the other side of the door. Amelia stopped breathing. Her father looked at her. For the first time in her life, Amelia saw genuine terror in his eyes. "They found you." Amelia stared at him. "Who found me?" The door exploded inward. And the wolves came through.