Little One

A girl was running through the woods in tattered and torn clothing of blue pants and a white t-shirt. Her blue and black sneakers crunched against the dead leaves on the ground as she ran, the fall air threatening to chill her to the bone. However, she was running for her life and therefore her body heat was keeping her from getting too cold. The girl jumped over a fallen log before stopping to catch her breath, her long black hair cascading around her face. She looked up at the moon with haunted but bright emerald eyes. She was so close to the edge of her pack's territory. So close. She had to keep running. "C'mon, Amara," she told herself. "Run, just like Dad told you to." Amara began to run once more after catching her breath, and that's when she heard them. Wolves. They had caught her scent and she cursed herself for stopping, though it had only been for a moment. Being one of the fastest children in Amara's pack gave her an advantage, but it wasn't enough to keep the enemy from tracking her down. But she had to keep going and running towards the territory edge was her only chance. She'd heard stories about the neighboring pack, about how they were notorious for torturing and killing outsiders but Amara didn't have a choice. She couldn't stay here to be slaughtered by the enemy that had invaded her pack's land. Amara stopped in her tracks at the river's bank and looked behind her. Blood curdling howls made her shiver and she turned back to the river. It was flowing heavily and the current was strong but she was a fantastic swimmer. Without hesitation, Amara jumped into the water. The end of her pack's territory, the Pale Moon Pack, was just on the other side of the river. Amara swam with all her might, though the water was frigid but she didn't care. She had to make it across. When she got to the middle of the river she heard splashing behind her. They were here. She didn't dare look back. "Go, Amara, go!" she urged herself. Amara picked up the pace of her freestyle swimming. The splashing and growling was growing closer and closer. When she got to the bank, she quickly stood up and ran. She'd made it across, but would they follow her into the Red Blood Pack's territory? As she ran, Amara dared a glance behind her. She wasn't being followed, or so she hoped. Still, she continued to run as fast as she could. She couldn't risk stopping, not now. After what felt like hours of running, she finally stopped and leaned against a tree trunk, breathing heavily and shaking. The adrenaline of her escape began to wear off and her mind was now able to focus on what had happened. Amara burst into tears as the images of the pack house and surrounding houses were burned to the ground and enemy wolves slaughtering her friends, her family members and parents. It was too much for her to bear. In all the chaos, her father had told her to run and not look back. Amara wondered if anyone from her pack had survived the onslaught. More than likely not. She collapsed to her knees and sobbed, lowering her head. How could this happen? Who attacked her pack, and why? The cold began to seep into her body and Amara shivered while wrapping her arms around her form. She sat against the tree and rocked back and forth to try and calm herself. She started singing an old lullaby her mother had taught her, tears rolling down her cheeks. She needed to calm down. As her voice echoed through the darkness with the moon lighting the area, Amara heard a twig snap. She gasped and got up, looking around to try and pinpoint where the sound came from. Another twig snapped and was followed by a growl. It was coming from behind the tree. Amara slowly turned to peek around the tree. A pair of bright yellow eyes met her gaze and they belonged to a rather large gray and white wolf. "Oh no..." Amara turned to run but stopped dead and gasped when she saw two more wolves in her way. One was brown and gray, the other chestnut colored. Their eyes were also bright yellow. Amara blinked and backed into the tree before looking up. She could climb the tree and stay up there, but for how long? Her flight instinct took hold and she immediately started climbing, gasping for air as she got higher. Once Amara felt she was high enough, she looked down at the wolves. They circled around the tree for awhile until the larger one started changing into a man. Amara looked away from the man's nakedness and felt her cheeks go red. No matter how natural it was, she still had a hard time seeing werewolves buck ass naked. "Who are you?" the man asked gently. When she didn't answer, the man sighed heavily. "Are you with the Pale Moon Pack?" Amara shivered and rubbed down her arms to try and stay warm. She wasn't going to answer his question. He was a stranger, after all. "I'm not supposed to talk to strangers!" Amara stated loudly. The man chuckled and put his hands on his hips. "My name is Gabriel. I am the Alpha of the Red Blood Pack." Amara's blood ran cold. This was the leader of the Red Blood Pack, the ones who mercilessly tortured and killed anyone who came on their land without permission. She whimpered and climbed up higher. "I introduced myself. Now we're not strangers, yes?" Gabriel pointed out. "I won't fall for that!" Amara shouted. "Knowing your name doesn't mean I know you!" Gabriel barked with laughter. "Clever little pup, aren't you..." He turned to the other two wolves. "Shift." The other two wolves shifted and Amara studied them. One was blonde while the other had brown hair. Amara looked down at Gabriel and saw he had graying blonde hair and sapphire eyes. "This is my Beta, Leo," Gabriel said, pointing to the brunette. "To my right is my son, Benjamin." Benjamin looked up at Amara with a smile. "Hi there," he said, waving at her. Amara thought he couldn't be older than fourteen, maybe fifteen. "...What do you want?" Amara asked Gabriel. "Well," he said, walking closer to the tree. "You've trespassed on our land and I was wondering why a pup would do that." Amara sniffed and looked away. "...I...I don't want to tell you." "Why not?" "Because...they..." suddenly the girl began to sob. "They're all gone!" "Who's gone?" Gabriel asked curiously. "My pack. The Pale Moon Pack. We were attacked." Gabriel looked taken aback by this, as was Leo and Benjamin. "Who attacked your pack?" "I don't know," Amara cried, rubbing her eyes. "My dad told me to run and not look back." Gabriel turned to Leo. "Go back to the pack house. Grab some warriors so they can go investigate." "Yes, Alpha," Leo said before changing back into a wolf and bounding off. Gabriel looked back up at the girl. "Are you hurt?" "No," Amara replied, shivering. "Are you worried that we will hurt you?" "...Yes." Gabriel chuckled slightly. "What makes you think we would hurt you?" "I've heard stories about your pack!" Amara spat. "You hurt and kill anyone who crosses onto your land!" Gabriel and Benjamin looked at each other with frowns before the alpha looked up at Amara. "I'm afraid you've been misinformed, Little One." "That sounds like something a bad guy would say!" Gabriel barked with laughter and smiled. "What can we do to prove we won't hurt you?" "...Could I have a blanket?" she asked. "I'm freezing." Gabriel nodded and glanced at Benjamin. "Go get her a blanket." Benjamin groaned, shifted into his wolf and ran off. Gabriel looked up at Amara with a broad smile. "Can you at least tell me your name, Little One?" he asked her. "...Amara," she muttered. "Amara, huh? That's a beautiful name." Amara blushed and looked away. "Thank you." "How old are you, Amara?" "I'm twelve." "Twelve, huh? You have a whole year until you get your wolf." "Actually, my birthday is next week." "Ah, I see. Well, that'll be something, won't it..." Amara blinked at the man and c****d her head to one side. "You're not what I expected. As the alpha of this pack, I mean." "What were you expecting? A big, scary monster?" "...I don't know," Amara answered with a shrug. Gabriel crossed his arms and shrugged. "You had to cross the river to get here, didn't you?" "Yes." "No wonder you're cold, kid." Benjamin came back with a thick woolen blanket in his mouth. He shifted into his human form and tossed the blanket up to Amara. She caught it and wrapped herself up in it, instantly feeling the warmth of the wool hit her. "Can you tell us anything about what happened?" Amara bit her lip with apprehension. "I was sleeping...and my mom came and woke me up. She told me to get dressed quickly so I did. Then she said I had to go to the forest. Then..." Amara's tears formed once more and she covered her face. "A wolf came through the window and killed her!" Amara could still see the images in her head, the memory of bright red eyes burned into her mind forever. She would never forget her mother's cries or the snarling of the enemy wolf. "Then what happened?" Benjamin asked. Amara shook her head violently. "Please don't make me say anymore," she cried. "Ah, kid," the alpha said. "I'm so sorry you went through all that." Amara shuddered and closed her eyes tightly. "I'm so tired..." "I bet. Were you chased at all?" Benjamin inquired. "Yes." "How'd you outrun them?" "I'm a fast runner." Gabriel laughed and rubbed his face. "You'd have to be. Did you run the whole way here?" "Uh huh." "Impressive." Amara smiled down at the man, even though she was still tearing up. They stayed silent for a while, Amara not feeling like she should talk anymore. She didn't know if this werewolf could be trusted. He tried to get her to answer more questions but she refused. Suddenly she heard some rustling and she cringed, but then she relaxed when Leo came in from the distance. He changed into a human and walked up to Gabriel. "Gabriel," he said. The alpha turned to him. "What's the report?" Leo eyed Amara who was listening closely. "The entire pack...they were all wiped out by rogues." "No!" Amara sobbed, covering her mouth and crying. "Everyone?" Gabriel asked incredulously. "Everyone. Even the pups." Amara cried more into her hands. Her parents...her whole pack was dead. She couldn't believe it. "Amara, I'm so sorry..." Gabriel said with sadness in his voice. "W-What am I g-gonna do?" Amara sobbed. Where could she possibly go? She was now packless. A rogue. That was the last thing she wanted to be. "Amara," Gabriel called out gently. "Come down here." "B-But I'm a rogue now. You hurt rogues." "We don't hurt kids, Amara. Now come down, we won't hurt you." Amara sniffled and looked at the alpha. He seemed to be sincere, but could she trust him? Should she trust any member of the Red Blood Pack? "...You promise?" she asked meekly. "I cross my heart, hope to die, stick a silver needle in my eye," Gabriel responded. "O-Okay..." Amara dropped the blanket and slowly made her way down. She dropped to the ground and flinched with her eyes closed, waiting for them to attack her. Kill her. Grab her and throw her in the dungeon. But it never came. She opened one eye and saw all three males eyeing her curiously. "You...you really meant it?" she asked. "Of course," Gabriel replied. "No one is gonna hurt you." Amara sniffled and grabbed the blanket, throwing it around herself. What was she going to do now? Her whole body was shaking, her clothes were all wet and her pack was dead. Amara eyed them with her green eyes, not expecting what happened next. "C'mon, Little One. We'll get you some food, some dry clothes and a place to sleep," Gabriel offered with a warm smile, holding out his hand. Amara, still shivering, cautiously made her way to the alpha. She took his hand hesitantly. His hand was so warm compared to how cold she was. "My goddess, you're freezing, Little One," he said before kneeling down and tightening the blanket around her. "There we go. Now, come with us." Amara nodded and took Gabriel's hand again. The group started walking through the forest and she looked down at her shoes. They were squeaking from being wet. "What are we going to do with her, Gabriel?" Leo inquired. "Let's not worry about that now, Leo. Let's just get her inside and warmed up." After a while they came across a huge clearing and Amara gasped in awe of what she was seeing. Just ahead was a huge house. A mansion, in fact. It had a black roof, brown and cream colored walls and there was a garden surrounding the house. "Who lives here?" she asked Gabriel, looking up at him. "I live here with Benjamin, my daughter Janine and my Luna Sonya." "Wow. It's so big!" Gabriel laughed and looked down at the girl. "You know, Janine is only a little older than you. I'm sure she has some clothes you can use for now." Amara looked up at the tall, muscular man. "You think so?" "Of course." They rounded the house to the front and Amara looked around, finding other houses close by. There was another big house near the mansion and she assumed that was the pack house. "Leo, I want you to go to the pack house and call a meeting. Inform everyone about what has occurred tonight." "Yes, Alpha." "Hmm, but go get dressed first," Gabriel smirked. Leo laughed with a nod and went running toward one of the houses. Amara, Gabriel and Benjamin entered the big mansion and Amara couldn't believe her eyes. This place was so much bigger, so much grander than her house back in the Pale Moon territory. Twin wooden staircases led up to the second floor from the foyer. The floor was all hardwood and there was an oriental rug that was in the middle of the floor. "Benjamin, go wake up Janine. Have her bring some pajamas down for Amara," Gabriel said. Benjamin rolled his eyes and went running towards the stairs. Amara was led into a side room where Gabriel had his own clothes resting on a red sitting chair. He grabbed his underwear and jeans, sliding them on. Amara blushed once more and looked away. She noticed there was a fireplace in the room but it wasn't lit. Once Gabriel was dressed, he went over to the fireplace and proceeded to get a fire going. "Come here, Little One," he said once the fire was lit. Amara did what she was told and Gabriel motioned for her to sit in front of the fire. She did and brought her knees up to her chest, holding herself by her shins. She rested her chin on her knee and stared into the flames. The heat felt really good. "Thank you, sir," Amara whispered. Gabriel sat down next to Amara. "You're welcome. But you can just call me Gabriel." "Okay." They stayed silent for a few minutes before Gabriel cleared his throat. "Did you have any siblings?" "No. I'm an only...I was an only child." "What position did your father hold in the pack?" "He was the-" "Dad, why did I need to...oh..." Amara turned around to see a blonde girl, about Amara's age, holding some clothes. "Janine, this is Amara. Amara, this is my daughter Janine," Gabriel said as he got up. He grabbed the clothes from Janine and set them on the chair. "Now, we're gonna give you some privacy so you can change, okay?" Amara nodded and watched Janine and Gabriel leave the room. Once the door was shut, she got up and quickly wiggled out of her wet sneakers and clothes. She grasped the dry clothes, noticing they were Wonder Woman pajamas. She shrugged and slipped on the pants, then she got the long sleeved shirt on and buttoned the shirt up. Amara heard voices outside the door and she crept to it to listen in. "...whole pack was killed, Sonya," she heard Gabriel say. "What was I supposed to do? Leave her to fend for herself?" "No, of course not," a woman's voice said. "That poor girl. Is she alright?" "I don't know. She saw her mother get killed. Amara heard a gasp. "What an awful thing to see." "I know. Do you think you could fix her something to eat? The kid ran nonstop from her territory to ours so she's gotta be famished." "Of course. I'll be back with something." Amara bit her lip with a frown. She walked back to her clothes and began folding them up. "Amara? Are you decent?" Gabriel asked through the door. "Yes," she replied. The door creaked open and Gabriel poked his head in. "The Luna is gonna make you something to eat." Amara nodded and looked around for a place to put her clothes. "Thank you, si- I mean Gabriel." Gabriel walked in and looked at her wet clothes. "I can wash and dry those for you." Amara nodded and handed him the clothes. "Be right back, Little One." Gabriel left the room again and Amara sighed before sitting in front of the fire and wrapping the blanket around her body. She felt a lot warmer now. Amara leaned back, grabbed her sneakers and set them on the ledge in front of the fire. She needed them to be dry by tomorrow. Oh, but what was she going to do? She couldn't go back home. Everyone was dead and gone. Amara hated the idea of being a rogue. She sniffled, brought her knees up and began crying silently as she held her legs. The door creaked open again and she wiped her eyes thoroughly before turning around. It was a woman with violet colored eyes and long, straight blonde hair. She was holding a plate and a glass of milk. "Hello, Amara. My name is Sonya. I'm the Luna of this pack," she said with a smile. "I brought you some food." Amara nodded and quickly grabbed the sandwich off the plate. She devoured it almost immediately. It was peanut butter and jelly. She then grabbed the milk and drank it all in record time. She hadn't realized until then how hungry she was. "Wow. You must've been hungry," Sonya said in awe. "Uh huh," Amara said, looking up at Sonya. "Thank you for the food." "You're welcome." Sonya grabbed the plate and glass, set it down on a side table and focused back on Amara. "Now, you're twelve, right?" "Yes." "Janine, my daughter, just turned thirteen a few months ago." Amara said nothing and looked down at her feet. "I'll be thirteen next week." "Oh, that's wonderful." Amara continued to stare at her bare feet. "What am I gonna do, Luna?" she asked, tears overflowing her eyes again. "I don't want to be a rogue." It was at that moment when Gabriel walked in. "Hey, did you eat?" "Uh huh," Amara said with a nod. "Good. Now, how's about we get you to a nice, warm bed, huh?" Amara sniffled and wiped her nose. "Okay." The two adults led Amara out of the room and towards the stairs. Amara kept her head down, thinking about what was going to happen to her now that she was packless. It made her shudder and cry more. She was directed to a huge guest room with a double sized bed in a blue themed room. Amara looked around, temporarily forgetting her woes. The room was so big. She went to the bed and crawled in. Gabriel tucked her in with a grin. "Gabriel, I don't want to be a rogue. What am I going to do?" she sobbed. The thought of roaming the wilderness alone terrified Amara to her core. Gabriel's face dropped. "Don't you worry about that now, Little One. We'll discuss it in the morning, okay?" Amara nodded and wiped her tears away. She rolled over on her side and felt Gabriel stroke her head once before she felt the bed shift. The light was turned off and the door shut. It didn't take long for Amara to fall asleep. X===================X Gabriel sighed heavily and closed his eyes before looking at Sonya. The two went downstairs back to the sitting room and they both sat by the fire in two red chairs. Gabriel rested his elbows on his knees and bowed his head. "I feel so bad for her, Gabriel," Sonya said. "So do I," he replied. "What should we do? She wouldn't survive a week on her own." Gabriel nodded. "I know." He looked at Sonya. "We obviously need to take her in." "I know. Do you think she'd agree with joining our pack?" "I hope so. We'll ask her in the morning." Gabriel stood up, walked to his Luna and kissed her softly. "I called for a meeting at the pack house. I need to go join them." Sonya smiled and pat his cheek. "Hurry back, my love." Gabriel stroked her face gently before leaving the room. X===================X Amara groaned and blinked her eyes a few times before everything came into focus. She was in a room she didn't recognize. She gasped and sat up, wondering where she was when the events of last night hit her. Amara closed her eyes to fight back the tears. She got out of bed and made it before leaving the room. She made her way down the hall to the stairs then she walked down them. She could smell food and her stomach rumbled. Amara ran down the rest of the way and followed the smell to what she assumed was the kitchen. When she opened the door, sure enough, it was the kitchen. There was floral wallpaper adorning the walls, a black refrigerator, a black island with a granite counter, black cupboards and cabinets, a steel colored sink, a black dishwasher and a black oven and stove. "Man, these people really like the color black," she thought. Quiet as a mouse, she walked through the kitchen. She made a left out of it and saw Gabriel and his family eating breakfast at their dining room table. Her eyes bugged out when she saw pancakes. Gabriel turned his head and smiled at her. "Ah, Amara. Come, have some breakfast," he said. Amara practically ran to the table and sat down. Her eyes twinkled as she grabbed an empty plate and filled it with scrambled eggs, bacon and pancakes. Once she salted her eggs and put syrup on her pancakes, she began to chow down. "Goddess, I'm so hungry," she thought. "Woa, slow down there, kid," Gabriel laughed. "You're gonna choke." Amara frowned and began to eat slower. "Sorry," she mumbled with a mouth full of food. "Oh, it's alright, dear. We know you're hungry," Sonya said. "Would you like some milk?" Amara nodded and watched Sonya pour her a glass. She grabbed it greedily and drank at least half the glass to wash down her food. She set the glass down, smacked her lips and made an "ah" sound. "That was good. Thank you," she said. Gabriel wheezed out a laugh as he dug into his own pancakes. He then cleared his throat and swallowed his food. "So, Amara..." "Mmhmm?" "Your family's position in the Pale Moon Pack. What was it?" Amara looked at him innocently. "My dad was Alpha and my mom was Luna." Gabriel's eyes went wide, then he looked at Sonya. "You said you were an only child?" he asked, glancing back at her. "Uh huh." "Well, who was supposed to take over your pack after your father?" "Me." Everyone went silent and Amara went back to eating. "A female Alpha?" Benjamin said with a laugh. "I've never heard of such a thing. Was your old man crazy?" "Benjamin!" Sonya scolded. Amara stopped eating and narrowed her green eyes at Benjamin. She stood up slowly, her chair sliding against the hardwood floor. She rested her hands on the table. "Do not insult my father again!" Amara shouted. Gabriel, Sonya and Janine blinked at Amara in shock while Benjamin smirked at her. "Why? What are you gonna do about it?" "The nerve of this guy..." Amara thought. "Benjamin," Gabriel snarled. "Amara is our guest. Treat her with respect." Benjamin rolled his eyes. "Fiiine. I'm sorry," he said in a mocking tone. Amara growled at him but she sat back down and began to pick at her food. She wasn't very hungry anymore. "May I be excused?" she asked. "I would...really like to get going." Gabriel nearly choked on his food. "Going? Going where?" "Just...wherever, I guess. I'm a rogue now. I don't fit in anywhere." Amara lowered her head to stare at her legs in shame. Tears threatened to fill her eyes but she fought them back. She just needed to accept that she was on her own now. "Amara," Sonya began. "Listen. Gabriel and I talked, and he also spoke with the whole pack last night. We want you to join the Red Blood Pack." Amara slowly lifted her gaze and looked at the two adults. "You...you what?" she stammered. "We are asking you to join our pack. And we'd also like it very much if you lived with us here." Janine gasped. "Oh my god! I always wanted a sister!" Benjamin rolled his eyes with a grin. "Oh great. Now there's gonna be two of you." Amara glared at Benjamin for a brief moment before looking at the other three. "I...I don't know what to say." "You can start by saying yes," Gabriel laughed. Amara started giggling and nodded her head, the corners of her eyes crinkling. "Yes. Yes, I will join the pack." Amara couldn't believe it. She wasn't going to be a rogue after all. These people were willing to accept her into their pack and their home without hesitation. This was amazing! "Now, we'll have to do an induction ceremony for you and we should do it as soon as possible," Sonya explained. "Which means we will have to take you shopping for some clothes." "Can't we go back to my old house and get my clothes?" Amara asked with hope in her eyes. Sonya frowned and looked at Gabriel. Gabriel had a similar expression and sighed. "I hate to tell you this, Little One, but...everything was burned to the ground." Amara's smile and hope faded and her eyes began to water. "What? A-Are you sure?" "I'm afraid so. Leo told me himself." Amara shut her eyes and sniffled as tears rolled down her cheeks. "What about their bodies? They need to have funerals so their spirits can return to the Moon Goddess!" Gabriel held up a hand. "And we will do that, Amara, I promise. We just need time to prepare. Now, do you know how many pack members you had?" "A hundred twenty two pack members." Gabriel widened his eyes. "I'm surprised you knew that." "My dad was training me to take over the pack. This included knowing all my pack members." Amara looked at Gabriel, trying to bury her pain. "How many pack members does Red Blood have?" "Four hundred fifty." Amara's jaw went agape and her eyes widened. "Four hundred fifty?" "Yes, and you will make four hundred fifty one." Amara nodded and poked at her food. The events of the night before were really catching up to her. She felt a huge hole in her heart for all her dead packmates. As the Alpha's daughter, Amara felt she had to be included in helping prepare the death ceremonies. She brought this up to Gabriel and he nodded in approval. Over the next couple of days, some of the Red Blood pack members treaded into Pale Moon's territory along with Amara to build pyres for the burnings of the bodies. By day three, it was all finished. Alpha Gabriel led the ceremony and Amara was grateful. As was part of the funeral rites, Amara cut her hand and splayed blood on all the funeral pyres, including those of her parents. When the pyres were lit, Amara could smell the death and smoke. As she watched the bodies of her packmates burn, her eyes filled with bitter tears. She hated the rogues who had torn her family and pack apart. She vowed that day that if she ever found them, she would avenge the Pale Moon Pack and kill all the rogues involved. A few days later, Amara was ready for her induction ceremony. Gabriel led the initiation, of course, asking that Amara pledge her loyalty and life to the new pack. Amara accepted this condition. They sliced their palms with a ceremonial dagger and joined hands. Immediately, Amara could feel the power of the Red Blood Pack. It was intense. Howls erupted in the air as all the members felt her enter the Pack Bond. "You did well, Little One," Amara heard Gabriel say through the mind link. "Your parents would be proud." "Thank you, Alpha," Amara replied in the link. X===================X It was some days later when Amara was sleeping in her bed. She tossed and turned in her sleep, dreaming horrible things about the night her pack was killed. Red, burning eyes were chasing her and the sounds of her mother screaming echoed in her mind. Suddenly there was pain. Sharp, blinding pain. And it was everywhere. Amara woke and sat up. The pain in her body was excruciating. "What is happening to me?" she thought. She tried to get out of bed but she ended up falling to the floor. Bones crunched and joints shifted in her body. Amara then realized what was happening. She was shifting for the first time. "Gabriel? Sonya? Help!" she screamed out. Amara continued to cry and scream from the pain. The door burst open to reveal Gabriel and Sonya in their pajamas. They knelt down to Amara and frowned. "What in the Goddess' name is going on?" Benjamin asked as he walked in. "Is she having another nightmare?" "Amara is shifting," Gabriel replied. "Benjamin, go get some cool wash cloths." Amara could feel her body sweating profusely as her agonizing change continued. This was the most painful thing she'd ever experienced in her life. She felt like she was on fire. Janine walked in to see what was going on and gasped at the sight. It took almost an hour for her transformation to be complete as hands changed into paws, ears and teeth elongated, a tail grew and fur appeared on her body. A low, inhumane growl erupted from her throat as the pain went on, but it finally stopped and Amara stood on all fours, shaking her body of the stresses of the shift. Gabriel and his family looked at Amara with shocked faces and gasps. This confused Amara and she sniffed the air. Everything looked and smelled and sounded different. "Gabriel..." Sonya uttered. "She's..." "I know," Gabriel said. Amara tilted her head to one side before raising her head and howling loudly. She felt fantastic! However, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and blinked. She padded over to it and studied herself. All her fur was black. That was an extremely rare occurance according to her knowledge. While some werewolves considered it a blessing to have a black wolf in the pack, there were many others who considered it a curse. She looked back at the family, scared of what they thought. Would they accept her or cast her out? "We should go out for a run," a voice said inside her head. Was this her wolf? "Who are you?" Amara asked. "I'm Dakota, your wolf." Amara kept her eyes on the astonished family and whined. Clearly they were too shocked to tell her how they felt. "Dad," Benjamin said. "What do we do?" Gabriel got down to one knee and gestured for Amara to come to him. She hesitated for a moment before trotting over. "Amara, I need you to shift back," he said. Amara whimpered and groaned at that. She didn't want to shift back. She wanted to go out and play. She wanted to go out for a run. She wanted to howl at the moon for joy. "Amara, shift," Gabriel demanded in his Alpha voice. Amara c****d her head to the side. Strange. She felt no need to listen to him. Even though Alpha blood ran through her veins, she was still supposed to obey her Alpha. Gabriel stood up. He looked very confused. "Why isn't my Alpha voice working on you?" "Dad," Janine said. "What are you gonna do? What's gonna happen when the pack finds out she's a black wolf?" "Nothing," Gabriel said, standing up. "Not everyone thinks the black wolf is a curse, Janine. I certainly don't." Amara's tail wagged and she licked Gabriel's hand. This was certainly a good thing. Maybe she wouldn't be cast out after all. "But Dad, you know what the Elders say about black wolves. They can't be trusted," Benjamin said, glaring down at Amara. "They're too wild, too unpredictable." Gabriel turned to his son. "Not all the Elders say that, son. Elder Wilson and Elder Raquel think the black wolf is a gift from the Moon Goddess. We should be grateful for this." "Grateful?! What if you're wrong?! We need to cast her out!" Gabriel stood up and faced his son. "Do not tell me what we need to do, Benjamin!" Gabriel yelled angrily. "I am still your father and Alpha!" Benjamin bowed his head. "Yes, Father," he growled. "Well, I think this is so cool!" Janine blurted out. Gabriel looked at Sonya who looked worried. "Sonya? What's your opinion on the matter?" Sonya sighed and rubbed her face. "I'm worried about how people will treat her once they find out what she is. They might call for her to be cast out, or worse." Amara groaned and laid down on the floor, putting her snout between her paws. She'd just joined the pack, now they were talking about her being exiled. This wasn't good. "That won't happen, not while I'm the Alpha of this pack," Gabriel said defiantly. Amara raised her head and whined at Gabriel. She then looked at Benjamin who was still glaring down at her. What would happen to her once Benjamin was Alpha? Would he exile her? Kill her? "Benjamin, Janine, you both should get back to bed," Gabriel said. Both the children left but not before Benjamin gave Amara a death glare. Amara growled at him and got up on her paws. "I'll call for a gathering tomorrow to inform the pack of the situation. In the meantime," he smiled down at Amara, "who wants to go for a run?" Amara's ears perked up and she barked excitedly, wagging her tail vigorously. She ran past them to the stairs and rushed to the front door. While clawing at it, begging for it to be opened, Gabriel laughed and opened the door for her. "Now wait a second, Little One. We're gonna go with you," Gabriel chuckled. Sonya and Gabriel quickly got undressed before exiting the house and shifting into their wolves. Amara was surprised to see that Sonya was white with gray splotches here and there. The wolves quickly ran into the forest and Amara howled up at the moon with joy in her heart.