The Exiled Silver Wolf

"Kaelin, come on you are going to miss the cake!" Mira shouted. Her voice went through the trees. She was joking but she was also really worried. Kaelin took a breath of the cool morning air. She tried to make the strange feeling go away. This feeling had been with her since she woke up. It was making her feel weird. Everything seemed loud to her. The leaves crunching, the wind blowing even the sunlight coming through the trees. It was too much. The sunlight was too bright and the sounds were too sharp. It was like the whole forest was waiting to see what would happen, just like Kaelin was. The forest was quiet. “Coming " she muttered, brushing a few leaves out of her hair. The silver streaks caught the light. Shone, bothering her more than usual. Celebrating? Today? No thanks. Mira put her hands on her hips when Kaelin finally walked over. "You’ve been acting strange all morning. Jittery. Is it Lucian? Are you freaking out because he’s showing up?” The name hit her like a punch. Kaelin’s chest felt tight. She almost forgot how to breathe. Lucian. His golden eyes always seemed to find her across any room across any fire. They never really saw her. Not the way she wanted. She had that quiet ache for him for years and hid it so deep she sometimes forgot it was there until moments, like this. "I am fine, " she said quickly, putting on a smile that did not feel real. "I really am." Mira gave her a look that meant she did not believe her. She didn't say anything else. "Whatever it is your decision, " Mira said. The clearing was full of life like it always was when the pack got together. There were torches burning even though the sun was out. There were low growling noises and the smell of food cooking with rosemary was all around. Kaelin could feel everything that was happening. The sound of all the peoples hearts beating, the feeling of tension that nobody talked about the rules that everyone knew but pretended did not exist. The pack gatherings always had a feeling and Kaelin could feel it all around her. The smell of meat and rosemary from the pack was really strong. The pack was very important to Kaelin. Her wolf was getting anxious and wanted to run. Every sound, every look from another wolf, every change in the wind made her feel like something was off. Her wolf was telling her that something was wrong, that something was coming. Then she saw him, Lucian. Lucian was standing a little to the side, his shoulders like he always did looking at the crowd with that calm and distant look of his. His eyes caught hers, held them for a moment and her heart started beating fast; it was like it was going to jump out of her chest. Then he looked away just like he always did. Mira gave her a nudge. "Stop staring like a lovesick pup. The cake is going to melt.” Kaelin blinked hard and pulled herself to the middle of the room. Her wolf was getting really anxious now it was like there were sparks flying over her body. The elders came forward. They were holding a pretty cake that someone had clearly put a lot of work into. "Kaelin," the oldest one said, his voice was calm and steady like he was reading from a rock. "Happy twenty-first birthday. I hope you have strength and courage and wisdom on your path." Kaelin said "thanks". The word felt bad in her mouth. Then it got really quiet. Lucian stepped forward and the air felt thick like the sun was hiding behind a cloud. Every single person was staring at him. Kaelin could feel their eyes on her, like being poked with needles. “Kaelin." His voice was calm, flat and cold. It sounded like ice. "For the packs good… I won't make you my mate.” The wolves all sucked in air. Kaelin felt like she was falling. Her silver eyes got wide; she couldn't blink. “What?" The word came out barely loud. Lucian didn't move. His golden eyes stayed on hers like a mask. "Not now. Maybe never. The pack comes first always.” The humiliation hit her hard and it happened so quickly right on top of the heartbreak. Her wolf was pissed. It was growling loudly in her chest that she thought everyone around her could hear the wolf. Her claws were moving under her fingernails. She felt like screaming, she felt like jumping at him,she wanted to make him feel some of the pain that she was feeling, the heartbreak and the humiliation was all so overwhelming. She did not move. She just stood there with her teeth clenched so hard that her jaw hurt and her fists were balled up at her sides. He did not even blink. The elders moved a little closer, talking quietly. Kaelin saw that they were being careful she saw the looks they gave her. They were scared of Kaelin. For a second Kaelin's arms had a faint silver shine on them. It was like her fur was coming out but for a moment. Everything in the clearing stopped. Everyone's hair stood up. Lucian's jaw tightened up. His own wolf made a low growl deep in his throat, he did not move from where he was. Kaelin's throat felt tight. She wanted to cry. She wanted to be angry and she wanted to disappear.. Something big was starting to wake up inside of her. This thing was old. It was furious and it was hungry. It was moving under her skin. Kaelin's wolf was not just moving now it was testing the limits of her control. It was tasting the blood and the freedom and the anger at the same time and this was new to her For one second she felt dizzy. She saw herself not as the quiet girl that everybody ignored, not as the girl that Lucian kept saying no to but as a big storm of silver light and teeth and claws. Kaelin's wolf was a storm. Lucian's voice cut through the air. "Step back, " he said. She took a step back. She was shaking. The wolf inside her was really upset, its tail swishing back and forth in her mind. The voices of the pack members were like knives to her now. She could smell how scared they were. She thought to herself that she was a danger to others and this thought filled her with a mix of fear and excitement.. Even with this knowledge she still could not bring herself to walk away from Lucian. Night covered the clearing in the end. The fire went down to embers. Laughter turned into cricket sounds and wind noise. Kaelin quietly moved away. She walked through the underbrush with her senses on alert. She could hear mice moving around owls adjusting on branches and the distant beat of deer hearts. Her wolf was restless inside her. It was eager and angry. It wanted to run, hunt or fight. It did not want to stay with this pain. Then she sensed it. Eyes were on her. They did not feel like pack eyes. They did not feel like eyes. They felt old. They felt patient. They felt careful. She looked narrowly into the dark with her silver eyes. “I’m ready, " she said quietly, her voice shaking but still firm. "I’m not afraid. I won’t give in. I’ll get through this.” The shadows appeared to move to her. The wind started to blow stronger, its cold touch brushing against her skin. Whatever was watching her didn’t make a move. It was trying to see how she would react. It was sizing her up. Her wolf tensed up its claws digging into the ground, its heart beating fast in her chest matching the roar that was growing inside her. The Silver Wolf was awake. What happened next did not matter to Kaelin. She knew one thing: her twenty-first birthday was over and it was a disaster. People rejected her in public. Her mate's bond was broken.. She had this strange power that nobody saw coming. Kaelin was by herself, in the dark now. She wasn't powerless anymore. The journey of the Silver Wolf was just starting.