Dark Moon

ChapterTwo

Over that school year, she felt herself connecting more with her wolf. She never talked about it with her father. First of all, did he even know about wolves? Her mother and he were never married. Inara only knew that their relationship ended when she was around three. It was a very rough breakup. She remembers it as her father, John, attacked her mother, trying to keep her from leaving, but her mother overpowered him despite John being a considerable man. He was nearly seven feet tall and muscled. John had gray eyes and thick black hair, which he kept well-trimmed and combed back. John dressed smartly and always kept things in order.

On the other hand, Inara's mom was nearly the opposite. Nothing was predictable for her. Irene would be dressed nicely when picking Inara up from John. Make-up done, hair teased, and done in the current early 90s trend. However, unlike John, this was only when going out. The only time Inara witnessed John looking disheveled or unkept was in the early hours before he started his day.

Inara preferred living with her father. She enjoyed seeing her mother and spending time with her (when she was around to spend time with her). With her mother, she was allowed to be wild and was rarely scolded. Inara ran around to her heart's content. The young wolf (as she now accepted herself) enjoyed the woods and would spend hours exploring them. She felt at home in the wilderness. But it wasn't new knowledge as Inara had always loved the woods as early as six years of age. Inara always watched the wildlife and enjoyed the sound of the wind rustling through the tops of the trees and the scent of the bark and dirt.

Inara had started to look forward to her mother picking her up. Before, it was just more of a routine trip. Inara would hang out primarily with Rosaline as the other girls did other things as they had much more on their plate during the school year. Probably extracurriculars, Inara thought.

She and Rosaline explored the nearby lake most of the time, watching the fish, catching frogs, and once tried catching a duckling. It was a fun fall, and as winter set in, Inara noticed a slight difference in Rosaline and her relationship. Rosaline had gotten into cheerleading and talked a lot about that and school dynamics that Inara could not relate to. It was what she considered pack dynamics that Inara had no experience or complete understanding of. Irene seemed to notice Inara's feelings, and it was roughly around then that she started pressing John for Inara to live with her.

John wasn't sure, but he could not deny that he noticed a change in Inara and knew it was beyond his capabilities and understanding. He could no longer guide Inara, and he knew that the shaping of her future was in the hands of Irene's family and pack. After Inara's sixth grade let out, John took Inara out to dinner that day. On their drive home, John started the conversation.

"'Nara. I know you're changing. You're going through something I cannot help you through."

Inara looked at him with uncertainty. Does he know?

"You're going to live with your mother. She and her family and the pack can guide you through it all." He continued.

Inara felt her stomach go into her throat as he looked at him with eyes as wide as saucers. "...you know!?"

It was as if John didn't hear her as he continued, "I had hoped you were without a wolf. But I cannot deny it anymore. I see the changes after your mom pointed them out."

Inara was confused. What changes? She only noticed her wolf a few years back, and there was no shifting? What was he talking about? Inara knew it wasn't until 16 that most went through the shifting phase, then usually 18 was when you could find your mate. However, some found them not long after their first shift. What could have happened at 12? After thinking it over and coming up with nothing, she looked up at her dad and pressed for more. "What are you talking about? What visible changes?"

"You're having feral dreams."

"Huh?"

They came to a red light, and he looked down at his lap with a heavy sigh, "Your mother told me usually a year or so before your first shift, your wolf mainly controls your actions at night like it is feeling your body out. You growl in your sleep, and sometimes you howl."

Inara felt a surge of embarrassment come through her as her face and ears went red. "So, I sleep like a dog having a nightmare.." she blurted out.

Her dad let out a chuckle, "I guess so."

That week, Inara began to pack her things, and she felt immense fear overtaking her. She didn't want to live with her mother. Something in her gut didn't like this new arrangement. 'We need to be with a pack.' her wolf spoke, catching Inara off guard. Inara knew she was right to a degree. Everything she heard this summer told her the importance of being within a pack. Wolves could go feral and take over someone entirely. If that happens, it is hard to return from and sometimes impossible. A pack would kill a feral who could not become civilized.

Inara didn't want to turn feral, and hearing her father call her dreams feral was scary. What if she turned feral one night and never came back?

She shook her head at the thought and continued packing her clothes.

That summer, things were different than she had been prepared for. She was welcomed into the pack with a ceremony. One that opened her to more experiences with her wolf. Through her wolf, she could sense her mother in new ways and even other wolves. It was like a link that bound them all together. A sensation words may not be able to convey fully. It brought a sense of belonging and security she had not known before.

This time, when she roamed the pack lands and the outer border, she could feel the dynamics going on beneath the actions and words within the group. There was a pecking order trying to be established. Then, when they interacted with boys, she felt more happening. It was both exciting and overwhelming to take in. They all knew there were mates for them, but the desire to flirt and interact was overwhelming. Rosaline was a lot more forward than they all were, though. She would get in boys' laps and entice them. Inara was more reserved and shy, and at one point, she was called a prude by one of the boys.

At first, Inara didn't know what that meant, but she soon figured it out. When the boy first called her that, she said, "No, I'm not." But after learning the meaning, perhaps she was a little. However, she didn't think it was a bad thing as he painted it to be.

As midsummer came, there was one boy Inara saw hanging around more and more. Rosaline started to taunt Inara about it, saying the boy wanted her. Inara learned his name was Corbin. He was okay looking. He had a large nose and perhaps a Greek-like jawline, but Inara didn't call him unattractive because he was probably someone's type, just not hers. His hair was dark, and he had hazel eyes. Corbin was taller than her, but whether he was tall for his age, she wasn't sure.

One night, as they all hung around a campfire, Rosaline insisted that Inara go out with him. Inara didn't want to, but Rosaline said to give him a chance. Inara felt perhaps she wasn't being fair. She looked over to Corbin, who remained silent as she and Rosaline went back and forth.

"Okay," Inara said, defeated.

Corbin and Rosaline seemed happy about it. It was odd to Inara, as she didn't understand why the youth around the pack were so flippant with pairing up. Didn't they have mates that would be surfacing when they turned 18? Maybe Inara had old-fashioned values from her father, who raised her around Catholic beliefs. But didn't wolves mate for life? Why play around with romance?