Living a Lie

Fun, Right?

"Sage! We're going to be late!" My mother screams at me to hurry. I look at myself in the mirror one more time and run downstairs. My parents are waiting impatiently in the foyer.

"Sorry, I'm ready," I say as we head to the car. My dad climbs into the driver's seat while my mom takes the passenger seat. I settle into the seat behind my dad, excited for the festivities.

Every year our pack has a festival. There are food trucks, carnival rides, games for the kids, and places for us to sit and talk. My dad is the mayor of Lowell so it's a big deal for my family. "How's work going Sage?" My dad asks as we leave the driveway.

"It's good, well I guess as good as it can be," I reply grimly. I'm a vet technician at our local shelter. I love helping the animals but, sadly, they're hurt in the first place.

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"Sage! Over here!" Katherine screams to me, waving her hand like a kid. I run over to her and give her a big hug.

"Ah! I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!" I scream. We probably look like a bunch of weirdos to people watching, but I haven't seen Katherine in two months. Katherine has been my best friend since I was little, and that two months was the first time we've been separated. She loves helping people so she went away to Costa Rica to help them learn English. "How was it?" I ask as we sit down.

"It was amazing! The people there are the sweetest! You would love it. Anyway, what's up with you and Jake?" She asks playfully. We talk and talk until it's like she was never gone in the first place.

After a little while my whole friend group is talking, laughing, and eating. There is Katherine with curly blonde hair and blue eyes. Lynn, with brown hair, brown eyes, and dark chocolate skin. Lastly, Sasha, with pale white skin, short red hair, and brown eyes. Katherine, Lynn, and I were always called the three musketeers when we were young. Then when Sasha moved here it was Sasha and the three musketeers. That's how it was and how it still is.

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The festival has been going all day and now it's 8:00 p.m. Most people are getting ready to leave or have already. My dad has to stay until the end and my mom is with all the ladies gossiping about the pack. Which means I stay too. I'm walking over to get some fries when I see Jake. "Jake, where have you been? I've been looking everywhere!" I say while I run over to him. He looks over at me and smiles tightly.

"Just been walking around with my friends." He says slightly annoyed. I frown a bit wondering what's wrong. He signs and says, "Look I'm sorry it's just things with the Vos pack have been rough." The Vos pack is our sworn enemy. For centuries our packs have fought over land. It started when their alpha killed ours about a hundred years ago. Ever since, they have killed our people and destroyed our land.

"What happened?" I ask worried about what they would have done.

"I don't want to talk about it," He states bluntly, "I actually gotta go. See you later." He turns and walks the other way. I sometimes wonder why he chose me. Out of all the girls in Powell pack, why me?

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It's almost midnight and I am in pain. My heat started. I can't believe it happened right now, why couldn't have happened on my honeymoon? Since I am to be Luna, I have to stay pure. Which means dealing with the pain.

Sweating so bad I run into the woods. I turn into my wolf thinking that running will help me. My wolf has a black coat and bright blue eyes. I run through the trees feeling the wind on my face. It helps cool me down but not enough. I run and run until I get to a lake. I've never seen it before but it looks inviting. I go down and sit by it looking out through the forest. Little animals scurry by in a hurry, trees move with the wind, the earth is damp with rain, and everything seems perfect. Until it doesn't.

I hear something. Someone. My ears perk up, listening to what? I don't know. I get up and run.

He's fast. Whoever he is, and he's chasing me. I've always been told I'm a small wolf. Most normal wolves are about five feet when standing; I'm only four feet. Although I may be small, I'm fast. I run as fast as my feet will take me, never looking back. I don't know where I am so I just keep running.

I'm getting tired. He's getting closer and closer, but I outrun him. There's a log in my way and it's big. I jump over only to have my foot get caught in between it and a smaller log. I pull and pull but it's no use. That's when I see him. He stalks out of the trees right in front of me. He's huge. About seven feet tall and built. His fur is as black as mine but his eyes...his eyes are black. I can barely see them in the dark.

"What are you doing little girl?" He says eyeing me up and down. My tail goes in between my legs, not because I'm scared but to hide my scent.

"Leave me alone! You-" but before I can say anything else my neck is in his mouth. He pulls and my leg breaks free. A high-pitched sound comes from my snout as he sets me down. I look at my leg and see the red oozing around it. The bone sticks through my hide covering my fur with blood. I try not to yelp, but the pain is unbearable. I crawl up into myself trying to ease the pain.

"Look what you did little girl." He mocks as he circles me. He stares as though I'm his prey and he just found dinner.

He walks towards me looking like a killer. "Grrr! Grrrrr!" I growl at him, only hoping he'll stay away. He doesn't. He grabs me by the scruff of my neck picking me up like a mom would a pup. "Put me down! Put me down!" I scream at him as I bite his chest.

He drops me instantly, making me land on my leg. I whine not being able to control it. "Stop complaining little girl. You're hurt and I'm going to help." He says as though he's talking to a child. I glare up at him and bite his leg. Hard.

He grabs down on my neck, making me release him. He bites harder, breaking skin. Blood pours out. I growl and try to run away. I don't get far before he grabs me by my neck again. I fight, kick, and bite but he's bigger than me and I'm injured. He walks calmly but swiftly through the forest. I can see the blood soaking the earth. My blood. My head starts to spin and then, I see nothing but black.