The Lone Wolf

Can't or Won't

   "What's wrong with her?"  Dora pipes up, untactful as always. "Is she mute, or something?"

    "Shh, child. There's nothing wrong with her, can't you see that she's just frightened"? Luna hushes Dora while pulling her in a light embrace.

    They are now gathered in the common area of the main pack house, with the black-haired stranger covered with only a blanket standing in the middle of the "party". She had refused any clothes Luna tried to offer her with a growl and a show of teeth. Even in her human form she was still acting as a wolf. From head to toe her body was covered in various bruises, small wounds scars and one in particular immense scar on her left arm that Dora didn't seem to be able to pull her eyes from. Girl was not dirty per se, but she wasn't clean either. Her feet were covered in dirt all the way up to her knees, hands blackened and rough, nails short and looked like more often they were shortened by teeth than nail clippers. Hair slightly tangled, but relevantly maintained considering everything else. Black as a raven’s feather. Under the light it even had a bluish glow, like a halo over her head. A stark contrast to her white as sheet skin. Small framed, slightly too skinny and surprisingly, compared to the magnificent size of her wolf- tiny. 5'1, 5'2 at most, but she stood as tall as her height would allow it. Shoulders squared, head held high and a challenging look in her eyes. She looked to be in her mid to late teens, probably around seventeen, but that young face held eyes that simply couldn't belong to someone so young. Eyes that seem to hold back oceans of hurt and despair.

    Kane was still pacing in the far end of the room where a few others were gathered by the door. He didn't want to scare his mate even worse than he had already did. As soon as he shifted back to his human form, he ran right up to her, but she just flew out of his way hiding behind Luna. She only seemed to trust women and Kane knew that the last thing he wanted now was to give her a reason to reject him. Even the thought of it left him numb and terrified. He didn't want to know what an actual rejection would feel like. He felt her eyes on him but dreaded so see the look on her beautiful face. "What was she thinking right now? Does she hate us? Is she afraid of us? Rejection, rejection, rejection..."  he could hear his wolf repeat in despair in his psyche, as a broken record, again and again and again.

    Strangers eyes studied Kane in his endless march back and forth. His height felt towering even from across the room which wasn't surprising as he stood 6'4 feet tall. Sandy blonde hair carelessly raked back by his long, lean fingers. A couple loose strands clinging to his forehead. His light, amber brown eyes that when light caught them at just the right angle looked like two teaspoons of honey. His wide shoulders slumped in his desperate need to look less threatening.

    "Child, can you tell us who you are?" Luna says softly, calling the girls eyes to meet hers once again. A low guttural growl was all she received in response.

    Luna, even though soft featured, wasn't someone to be disregard lightly. Her tall, slim body was far from fragile and her eyes, though as warm as summers evening, held a certain degree of authority without even her trying. 

   "Can you not speak, dear?" she spoke once again.

    "Can't or won't?"  Dora murmurs under her nose, not willing to earn another scolding from Luna.

    "I-s-a." the girl utters, barely audible as she lifts her hand and puts it to her chest. Her voice hoarse and uneven as if she was just getting over a nasty cold.

    "There you go, sweetheart. That wasn't so hard now, was it?" Luna grins happy with her conquest. "I am Luna Alice," she says as she mimics Isa's gesture, "this is my daughter, Dora and that wind-up-toy over there is my son, Kane." she glances over to him as she says his name and sees him standing stiff as a log. She could swear she could hear a quite whimper coming from his direction at the mention of his name and that makes her smile even wider.

    "Luna Alice... Daughter Dora... Son Kane" Isa repeats after, pointing her finger over from one face to another.

    Isa's eyes meet Kane's and in that moment they both feel a surge of electricity. A strange type of energy that courses all the way through the flesh and settles somewhere deep in the bone. Everyone in the room could feel it streaming over them as if the force of two stars had just collided in front of them. For better or for worse, this meeting was fated to happen and now nothing could stop the wheels that were set in motion that night in the seemingly unending storm.