Dark Moon

The glow of the screen was the only thing lighting the room as she felt it for the very first time. Her body's inner spirit stirred within her consciousness like two beings stuck within one form. Well, because it was like two spirits swimming within her body. Inara knew it would happen one day, or at least she had heard about it, thinking it was some distant possibility, not her reality. Now, in the glow of a computer screen, she felt the spirit. It didn't talk to her; she merely just felt its presence. Like when you walk into a room with a stranger sitting in the corner, giving you pause. That was what Inara did, and after about five minutes of being stunned, the wolf within spoke. 'Hello, Inara.' The inner voice she heard was smooth, calm, and more mature. Given that Inara was merely ten years old, this was easy to accomplish. This moment between her and the wolf within was broken by her father's stern voice calling for her name, startling her. "Coming!" She responded quickly. She knew he had called her because her computer time was over. She deftly exited the internet and turned the computer off before coming up the stairs to the kitchen. "It's almost bedtime." Her dad said while pouring himself a sweet tea, "Go get your shower and brush your teeth." "Kay!" She replied, then rounded up the other stairs to the hall that would lead her to the full bath. The next day was uneventful, aside from the odd feeling she got during her history class. The wolf stirred and surfaced, causing her to bristle. She didn't understand, but she could feel herself getting lost in the sensation. It was delightful, so much so it caused her to be afraid. 'You're okay...it is just me...Alexis.' How was that supposed to comfort her? That was the last time she felt her wolf surface. With that, Alexis was just a thought in the back of her mind. You see, Inara didn't live within a pack. She was not a full-blooded werewolf. She was half-human. When with her father, she lived a structured human childhood. Inara only saw her mother on weekends and during the whole summer. Her mother lived in a very loosely structured pack named Still Water. It wasn't a straightforward life for a child, but the ten-year-old Inara didn't think much of it. It was her life for as long as she could remember. When, with her mother, she learned tidbits about her culture and life, Inara didn't understand the full magnitude of it all. She almost didn't believe her mother about being a part werewolf. When she would visit, Inara was mainly in solitude from others, or they would greet her and then ignore her the rest of the time. She saw no werewolves. It wasn't until Inara felt Alexis that she started to believe it, but she feared it all too, so she remained silent. That summer, after she turned 11, Inara started to make friends within the pack, to her mother's delight. While school was out, Inara managed to find five other girls to run around with. She learned from listening to them as they openly talked. Despite Inara's differences, the five she roamed with were accepting and even took in her input on general subjects. Inara even felt more connected to the girls she roamed with, more so than the humans she went to school with. Inara and Rosaline were the closest out of the five. This was most likely because Inara's mother was hanging out with Rosaline's father a lot. Rosaline lost her mother just a few years back, and from what Inara understood, Inara's mother was comforting to Rosaline's father. Inara didn't overthink it; she was just happy to have friends she could relate to and learn from. The young hybrid learned a lot that summer. She learned about pack bonds, mate bonds, and, more importantly, about her wolf. It was very eye-opening. To her, the best part was she didn't ask about any of it. They talked, and she listened and learned from what they said. When the summer ended, it was bittersweet. She didn't want it to end, but she missed her familiar bed and her safe routine. Inara's mother was low-ranked within the pack despite being the daughter of the Alphas. Irene, Inara's mother, lost her mate, and since then, she has disappointed her family. Irene's way of grieving was partying, drinking, and just 'cutting loose.' This was how Inara came into existence. The family was happy when Inara's father fought for full custody of her; it meant they wouldn't be faced with seeing Irene's shame. However, Irene wasn't about to let her only child be lost to her. Inara's parents worked out a verbal arrangement, which was how it was. Upon coming home, Inara felt the wolf within her missing the pull and desire of a pack. Oddly enough, she sensed a change in the relationship between her mom and dad. There was tension now. Unbeknownst to Inara, her mother sensed her wolf.