MOONLIGHT INSTINCTS

Adna distanced herself from the pack, pretending to sleep under their blaming looks, full of hate and disappointment. But in her head, she was remembering the good old days with Roo. Although those good days were gone long ago, it still made her frozen heart warm. It was 2 to 3 years ago... The small Siberian village was refreshed. Spring was coming. Yet, mellow sounds were creating a calming atmosphere. Inside a dimly lit bar, the air was warm but tense. Adna sat alone in the corner, holding a cup of Baltika beer in her small hand, having the full bottle in front of her, to kill time on purpose. She wore a long black coat, and her black pupils scanned the room, taking in every detail, matching with her long black curly hair, in full contrast with her pale skin. She looked so young that some people would mistake her for a teenager. Adna wasn’t like the others here. She looked human, but she wasn’t. None of them knew her secret—that under the full moon's light, she became something else. A WOLF. Not an ordinary one, but something bigger, deadlier. The instincts of an animal, combined with the mind of a human. She didn’t belong in this world of humans, and she knew it. Adna was avoiding trouble that night. She could not manage to get home before moonrise, so she dashed into the bar, choosing somewhere in the corner, far from the large vertical window, far from the moonlight reflection. Although it was a full moon, she had her human form under control—YET. But even then, even sitting still, she drew attention she didn’t want. The bar was mostly empty. A few old men sat at a table, muttering about their farmlands. Roo was near the back, leaning on his chair and sipping his white wine, watching her. His blue eyes followed her every move, his slender fingers dancing on the table with the gesture of a pianist. “Hey, pretty lady, that much alcohol wouldn't heal your broken heart but will hurt that little tummy. Only a true man can!” the waiter boy said as he walked past her table. His voice was low and mocking. She ignored him as if he did not even exist. The waiter frowned, annoyed that she didn’t react. He came closer. “I’m talking to you. Maybe if you had used that tight mouth well, he wouldn't treat you like s**t,” he said louder, enough for the other customers to hear. A few heads turned, curious. Adna still didn’t respond. She sipped her drink relaxingly, pretending she hadn’t heard. Roo shifted closer, his posture stiffening. He was listening now. The waiter’s face twisted in anger. He slammed his hand on her table. “You think you’re too good to answer me?” He spat in her cup when she was putting it back on the table. His tone was full of rage, his words sharp enough to cut. Adna sighed and looked up at him for the first time with her black eyes. With that thin fuzz on his face, grown just yesterday, making him look like a peach, she bit her lips not to laugh. She whispered to herself, “So that’s how today’s kids behave.” Her voice was calm, almost bored. “Leave me alone, kiddo. Or I’ll have to call your parents and show them they raised a fluffy goofball.” She smirked before shooting the last bullet: “Well, maybe not fluffy enough for a TRUE MAN???” The waiter’s face reddened. He leaned closer, his eyes narrowing. “You think you can talk to me like that? An unfuckable cunt who probably has teeth down there, as sharp as her biting tongue?” He reached out, his hand brushing her arm. It was a mistake. In one smooth motion, Adna kicked the table with the tip of her toes into his chest. The table flew into the waiter, knocking him backward. The Baltika bottle spilled on his white shirt and white apron, leaving a big yellow stain on them. He landed hard on his butt, with a BOOM sound echoing in the bar. Adna sneered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Oops. Now it looks like you wet yourself. Shouldn’t you be in your bed by now? It’s past 9 p.m.!” The room went silent. The old men at the other table stopped talking. Roo straightened, his wide pupils glinting with a dangerous light. The waiter stumbled to his feet, his face a mask of rage. “You b***h!” he shouted. Two other staff members rushed over to his side, ready to back him up. One of them, a heavyset man with a bald head, glared at Adna. “You can’t just attack our staff like that,” he said, stepping forward. Adna’s eyes narrowed. Her voice was cold. “He shouldn’t have been buzzing around ME.” The bald man clenched his fists, but before he could say anything, Roo stepped in. He walked to Adna’s side, his movements slow and deliberate. His presence was commanding, and for a moment, the tension in the room decreased a little. “Let’s not make this worse,” Roo said calmly, his voice deep and steady. “Apologize to the lady, and we’ll leave.” The waiter laughed, a cruel sound. “Apologize? To her? You must be joking. You’re just a filthy stud who will lay her down tonight, and she’s—” Adna cut him off immediately: “Does that upset you this much?? Ah, you probably are still a virgin…. DAMN! With this attitude, you probably will die a virgin, too. PATHETIC!” She let out a hectic laugh. The old men laughed with her in the back. The waiter was shaking with anger. He threw his fist at Adna. “You little w***e!” His mouth foaming with rage. Roo blushed. His demureness shattered in an instant. Before anyone could react, he lunged at the waiter, grabbing his tiny shaky fist, turning it backward, which made a loud crack sound, and threw him across the room. The waiter started crying, holding his injured hand. The other two who attacked him got pushed away by Adna, crashing into a chair, breaking it into pieces. Adna’s lips curled into a faint smile. “Seems manhood is not dead yet. I can handle it from now on.” she said. Roo didn’t answer. As the old men were sneaking out silently, they waited for them to leave before continuing the fight. Suddenly, Adna noticed something: Roo changed his place of standing with a subtle movement, avoiding the moonlight reflecting from the window… The act was minor, yet done consciously… COULD THIS BE....