Silver Moon Huntress

Emma

Okay, that’s a bit of an overstatement. He definitely knows I exist. He’s my best friend. My sandbox buddy.

I’ve known Caleb since I was in diapers. We grew up together, played together, then trained and fought together. He’s my patrol partner and my confidante. Although, for the past few years I’ve had a crush on him that has gotten harder to hide, so I’ve had to keep my guard up a little more.

I know he doesn’t feel the same way because he’s constantly talking about the girls he likes and complaining that they don’t like him back. What silly girls. Who could not like him? He’s basically a sculpted god, with sandy blond hair and laughing green eyes. And to top it off, he’s the Beta’s son. His mom was best friends with mine when they were growing up, and they passed that friendship on to us.

Laying on my bed thinking about Caleb was making me grumpy, and the only cure for that was a run. I changed into some shorts and a t-shirt, then grabbed my flip-flops and slid out the side door. I crossed the street to the wooded area, then ducked behind a tree to shift, leaving my clothes tucked away near the roots.

The feeling of the wind in my inky fur and the dirt beneath my paws made all my troubles disappear as I started to run the perimeter of our pack’s territory. I whisked past a few wolves who were carrying out their scheduled patrols, and heard them call out to me in greeting, but I was moving too fast to respond. I ran north, my mind set on my favorite stretch of riverbank, where I loved to paint during the fall. I was a few miles away from my destination when I heard a familiar voice in my mindlink.

“Em! Wait up!”

Shit. I should’ve known Caleb would catch my scent. I silently cursed myself for running so close to the pack house, but slowed down so he could catch up.

Caleb burst through the trees behind me, and I picked up my pace again, looking back every now and then to make sure his sandy colored wolf was still there.

“Where are you going in such a hurry?? Slow down!”

I ignored him, and we finally reached my little clearing by the water’s edge. Without shifting, I flopped down on the bank, and Caleb sat down with a huff.

“It doesn’t count as a race you know. You had a head start! I would’ve beaten you if you waited for me. I didn’t even get a warmup! He whined.”

I laughed and replied, “You know you’ve never beaten me before. Why would you think today would be any different?”

“Because Ayla finally agreed to go out with me! I’m riding that victory high.”

Damn. “Poor girl. She has no idea what she’s gotten herself into”, I replied sourly. But then I nudged him playfully with my shoulder. “Congrats man. I know you really like her. Just don’t be an i***t and you might not f**k it up!”

“Excuse me, miss, but when have I ever acted like an i***t?”, he asked, feigning offense.

“Ugh, please. We both know i***t is your default setting”, I said with a laugh, and he couldn’t help but join in.

We sat for a while and listened to the crickets chirping, then he turned to me with wide eyes.

“I totally forgot to tell you!! My dad had a meeting with the Alpha today. His son is finally coming home from the academy!”

Long ago, around the time when my great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents were alive, packs fought gruesome battles against each other for territory. A few Alphas grew tired of the constant fighting and formed an alliance, creating the biggest werewolf city in history. Somehow they brokered peace with all the Alphas and established a training academy.

Future Alphas were sent there on their eighteenth birthday and trained together until they turned twenty-five, at which point they took their place in their own packs. The idea was to create friendships and brotherhood between Alphas so they would work together better when they took control of their packs. There had been peace ever since. Pretty ingenious if you ask me.

I’d never even seen the future Alpha. I was thirteen when he left. That was back when all I cared about was school and friends.

Ada knew him though. They went to high school together, and I know she had a crush on him back then. But what girl wouldn’t have a crush on the future pack leader?