Dark Moon

ChapterSeven

In school, Inara had learned who the jovial male was in math class. His name was Isaac. He and another guy would sit next to each other, and she learned from him that Isaac was the son of a Sigma council member. She hadn't heard of Sigmas and quickly discovered who and what they were. Inara wasn't sure she'd have a chance with him, but her wolf wouldn't settle whenever he was around.

Sigmas were of the same ranking as Alphas. They were advisors to the Alpha, but they did not advise like Betas. Most of the time, Sigmas were left alone. They did not take orders from the Alpha, but they did not order the Alpha around. It was a prestigious ranking, and they were considered special wolves. She learned that Sigmas didn't even take orders from the high werewolf council that all packs were governed by. Only some packs had Sigmas, so Inara just learned about them now. This was what made Wind Runner special; they had Sigmas.

Inara still wanted to get to know Isaac, and fate put him in her path. She learned he took her bus the day after she saw him for the first time. This gave her a more significant opportunity to get to know him over the school year; she did little things to get his attention to see how he would respond. She saw at one point that he had a sketchbook, so she made it a point the next day to have hers out and doodled. He brought his guitar one day, and she came close to watch him play at the end of class as they waited for the bell to ring.

At first, she just sat near where he sat. A few seats away on the opposite of the bus. One day, she noticed him broken and sad and learned that a girl he was dating cheated on him with someone. This upset her, but a part of her was glad to know he ended it with that person. Later in the year, he started to date another girl named Josaline. The same that Bruno had been flirting with.

By the time Inara and Brandon were dating, Isaac and Inara were sitting by each other in math class and sitting with one another on the bus. They were becoming fast friends. They would flirt back and forth, but Inara always thought it was just her flirting with Isaac.

Inara wasn't sure if Brandon was her one, but she still wanted to be with him, and they would spend whatever time they could outside of school. They'd go to hockey games together, and when the weather got better, they went out for a long hunt over spring break. It was the first time she shifted in front of him. She got the same reaction from him as her family did on her birthday: Awe.

Inara's wolf, Alexis, was a large white wolf with a bright, intimidating blue stare. Black-tipped ears and tail. Flecks of grey along her hackles. She was taller than male wolves, which her stepmom pointed out. Inara didn't know what this meant, if anything.

After their first hunt, Brandon and her had s*x for the first time. It wasn't Inara's, but it was the first time with complete consent. Brandon was awkward as it was his first time, but after that time, most of the time when they were together, she was on top. With Brandon, she had her first orgasm. Corbin had nothing on him, and she would never want to return to him.

The events with Brandon would often make her ask Isaac about his experiences. To Inara's horror, she learned that Issac's first time was him being blind drug and a girl taking advantage of him. Isaac, wanting to ease Inara's worry, would tell her funny stories about being drunk. Still, Inara felt terrible that he was just blind drunk. She learned he'd never had a release after fellatio, and Inara joked that if they were ever single, she'd get him off in under ten minutes. They'd laugh about it.

One random day, Cory called her to have her call Isaac. Inara, not thinking about it, said she didn't have his number, and Cory seemed to know that and gave her Isaac's number. She felt awkward about it but did precisely as Cory asked. She hadn't realized it was a weird ploy for Isaac to get her number; not sure why Isaac couldn't have just asked her for it, but it was how it happened.

At school, Inara spent a lot of time in a sculpting class. She thrived in it, and soon, her parents' house was filled with bowls, vases, and other animal figurines that she made from clay. Her teacher told her parents at one point to have her start building her portfolio for college. He was sure she could make it into art college with no problem. Inara was flattered but wondered if her joy for the craft would be extinguished under timelines and demands.

Soon, summer came, and Inara was thrilled to spend so much time with Brandon. They went to a large hiking and hunting park between their respective packs, and as they hung out at the pavilion, Brandon decided to end their relationship. Inara wasn't entirely blindsided as something felt off about the day, but she was still furious and snarled at him in such a way that Brandon submitted to her. She was surprised by his reaction, but she was too angry to acknowledge his response. "I'm done with this!" She added, and Brandon's wolf came out, appease licking her hands. Inara's wolf snarled back at him, causing him to flash his belly.

Inara left Brandon there for his friends to pick up.

Upon finding out, Rosaline spent almost every waking moment with Inara to bring her spirits up. They went on a double date with her boyfriend's friend, but Inara and he didn't connect. She was okay with it. Inara was just pleased to hang out with Rosaline for the summer. After another attempt from another friend, Inara told them they were leaving it in the hands of the Moon Goddess. Rosaline was sure the Moon Goddess only had mates for some, and even so, she told Inara one should play the field and not settle so quickly.

Inara didn't understand her philosophy, but she let her know Rosaline could do what she wanted, but Inara would wait on the Moon Goddess from now on.

Through letting the Moon Goddess lead the way, Inara found a great part-time job at the pack house doing paperwork and taking messages for the Alpha. Her dad and stepmom got her a very nice used Saturn SC2. Inara thought it was the best car in the world with its moonroof, suicide door on the passenger side, and beautiful red color. She was feeling great now that she stopped worrying and chasing males.

At the start of the school year, Inara was proud to drive herself to school, and she was surprised that her status was elevated with her working at the pack house helping with the Alpha. Inara cared about how others saw her, but ranking wasn't necessarily her concern. She just didn't want to be seen as something she wasn't. Inara still hung with those she became friends with within her first year of Wind Runner school. Now a senior, she would have more time on her hands, and she decided to fill it with art classes and some science classes. Inara loved astronomy.

Coming home from school on the first Friday, she beat the bus as usual, but this time, she was leaving the house to grab the book bag that she forgot to grab in her haste to get to the bathroom. She looked up and saw Isaac waving at her from the window. Her wolf perked up, but she was still convinced she and a Sigma were not meant to be.

'We are..'Alexis whispered, and Inara felt her heart go into her throat instantly.

Inara opened the passenger seat and sat down, trying to compose herself from that feeling and those words. It didn't take but a moment. She grabbed her backpack and shut the door.

" 'Nara!" She heard a voice that made her wolf stir.

She turned and saw Isaac coming down the road, waving a hand. His hair was straight now, but everything else was the same, if not hotter. She smiled and quickly joked, "What happened to your muffin top hair!?"

"Oh...that," he laughed," apparently, my hair just decided not to be curly anymore. Sometimes, the males in my family lose the curl in their hair within their teen years. Don't know why, just is."

"...okay.." she said, perplexed. Deciding to fill the sudden awkward silence, she asked, "I'm about to finish some homework; want to hang out after?"

"Sure!" He said, his eyes brightened.

ISAAC POV

Coming into the classroom, he felt a stir from his wolf, but he didn't pinpoint what caused the reaction. Brushing it off, he went to see his friend Matt, happy to have a friend in math class. Over time, he pinpointed it to a 5'4 tall, long brown curly-haired girl with rich brown eyes. She had tan skin, ample breasts, and curvy hips that were alluring to him, and he would look at her off and on in class. She was unique to him. Matt soon became a source of information on her, and he quickly learned she was new from another pack. Her name was Inara.

Through observation, he learned she was an artist, intelligent, witty, and had a great sense of humor. He loved to make her laugh and smile. She had a great smile. He even liked to watch her as she learned in class. Something about the way she looked in that moment was adorable to him. His wolf agreed.

The only thing he and his wolf didn't like was that she was with another. But he was dating too, so he couldn't say anything. He'd flirt with Inara, and Inara back to him. Sometimes, she'd bring up her boyfriend, and he'd feel a little jealous, but not as jealous as his wolf was. On a few occasions, he wouldn't respond to her, only because he was fighting to keep his wolf from growling. It was sad when summer came, and though he hoped to see her during the summer, she was rarely around when he rode his bike past.

His wolf finally became more connected with him, being more upfront, and through the change in connection, his hair decided to change. It was something his father warned him about. Sigmas were almost always curly-haired people; the males would go through a change when their wolves were fully connected. Sigmas don't go through force changes like regular werewolves. They have a connection with the wolf within that makes them special. They're not ruled over by a hierarchy like others. No wolf can command them, but they don't have the desire to rule over others. They can and have in times of crisis, but overall, they stay to themselves.

His dad was pleased and proud to see that Isaac had finally got through the usual change. Not all Signmas had Sigma offspring, especially if not mated to a Sigma like he had been. Isaac's mother was a beta of the pack. He was proud to have a son he could teach the responsibilities and abilities that Sigmas had, along with their history.

Isaac had been looking forward to the school year. He missed Inara's friendship. When he didn't see Inara on the school bus, he was disappointed, and he was further disappointed when none of their classes lined up. He had kept looking for her when the bus passed her house but hadn't spotted her.

Finally, he saw her and instantly felt his wolf stir and call out the words he never thought would come so early, 'Mate.' He could not pass the opportunity, and swiftly, he opened the window and called and waved to her. He didn't think she heard him, but luckily, she happened to look up and saw his movement. His heart fluttered, and he anxiously waited until his stop, which was just the next one.

Isaac wasted no time and made his way to her house, finding her still in the driveway. 'Mate,' his wolf, Voodoo, called. He could feel the joy bursting from him mixing with his own. When she turned to his call, he could see her look right at his hair, and instantly, she made a joke. He tried to explain it, as he missed the curls, too.

He was happy to hear her suggest they hang out; he wasn't sure what to say. It was too early for them to mate, and he was sure she didn't have the call like he had just now. Isaac was 17, so it wasn't entirely too early, but 18 and later was usually when the wolves feel or recognize a mate. He was sure that was usual for Sigmas, too. Perhaps he will talk to his dad about it; for now, Voodoo just wanted to mark and cover his scent all over Inara. Of course, he kept himself under control and did not do that. But leaving her side was going to be a lot harder.

Back to the original POV

Inara looked at him awkwardly as she made her way inside; for some reason, she thought he would exchange numbers and then return after she finished her homework. Even her wolf thought that was stupid of her. Her wolf did not want Isaac to go anywhere. Inara tried to act normally as she opened her backpack and got out her homework. Isaac sat next to her, and she began to work on homework while he watched her.

"You're cute when you're thinking," he said. Inara felt her cheeks go super red, and she smiled sheepishly.

"Thank you..." she replied.

"You are cute, though." He said, sensing that she didn't believe it.

Once her homework was complete, Inara and Isaac walked through the pack-owned woodlands. Inara learned that Isaac and Josaline were no longer together, and she told him that she and Brandon were done. The rest of the weekend was like that, and when Sunday night came, it was like they didn't want to part. Inara and Isaac sat on the lawn across from one another, holding hands, just enjoying each other in silence.

Inara could sense that Isaac wanted to bring something up, and she probed.

"I don't know.." his words laced with apprehension.

Inara smirked, almost thinking she knew where this was going, but a big part of her was in disbelief that he would want to be here with her. Alexis, on the other hand, knew he was her mate. It was like a dream she never thought would happen was happening, though. "Take your time, sleep on it.." Inara said finally, not wanting to rush things.

Inara struggled to fall asleep that night. She had a mate. He knew she was not left a virgin for him. A part of her bothered and hurt her that she was not pure for him. He was a Sigma. She didn't know what all that meant, but she knew he was surely of a prestigious rank. Sigmas didn't answer to anyone.

The door to her room creaked open, and she looked up to see a shadow looming in the doorway. Everything went dark, suddenly.