THE EXILED MOON

ETHAN

Whoever said sleeping alone in the wild is a good idea?I tossed and turned, trying to tune out the sounds of animals around me, seeking sleep but it came to no avail.I regretted leaving out of impulse, seeing as I wasn't in the right frame of mind to have taken things along.I had no money, clothes, or even food to eat.I had to keep walking straight, even though I'd lost track of where I was right now, yesterday, I crossed a large mountain sneaking past the barriers in search of food.Throughout my one-week self-imposed journey, I hadn't met anyone else on the route I took and many times, I thought about turning around to beg Tyler but once I remembered the humiliation and pain I faced at their hands, it strengthened my resolve to keep walking.Folding my hands beneath my head to serve as a pillow, I turned to lay on my back so I could watch the night sky.It was so calm and serene, coupled with the cool evening breeze, I didn't know when my eyes fluttered close and I descended into a dreamless sleep.I was a light sleeper, used to staying alert in case those wimps back home tried to pull one on me, so I was easily alert to noise.A light shuffling alerted her to the presence of something in those bushes, and my eyes flung wide open.I immediately rolled into a crouch, hiding behind the rock so I could peek out.My eyesight wasn't as clear as normal werewolves, so I had to creep closer to get a better look.The shadowy outline of a man in the distance.My feet were frozen to the ground and somewhere on my head, I figured if I kept still maybe he might go away.No such luck.That was when my stomach chose the perfect time to rumble in protest, reminding me that I hadn't had much to eat since I left.The rumbling sound alerted the man that I was awake and aware of him.It seemed to happen in slow motion.He jumped towards me and I turned around to run.Unfortunately, he was faster than me and he latched on to my foot sending me tumbling to the ground.There were bits of stone buried into the earth and as I went down, my chin scraped on one of them sending pain allover my body.I screamed in pain but the man was much quicker, slapping a hand over my mouth.The moment his weight fell on top of me, I knew this night be my end. He was twice my weight making it impossible to push him off, especially in this weak state.He smelled faint of garlic and pine, an unpleasant combination as he tried to force himself on top of me.I writhed underneath him, trying to dislodge his weight but it was like trying to move rock.My last resort was his hand so I sucked in all the air I needed and bit down.The man screamed like a banshee, pulling away temporarily distracted.That was all I needed, I jumped to my feet but even in his disoriented state, he was still strong.“Oh, you stupid b***h!” He growled, smacking me across the face.I staggered, my foot snagging on a rock. With quick reflexes, I righted myself and bent over to curl my fingers over the rock. I waited for him to come close enough then I slammed it over his head.His hand lashed out in a punch, making my head snap backwards in pain.This time I couldn't control my fall when I stumbled.I was wise enough to tuck my head into my chest as I rolled down, praying I didn't hit anything on my way down.A rock stopped my momentum, my back hitting it with such force, that I thought I heard my bone popping in pain.I wasn't sure if it was due to the pain but the weird sensations doubled in intensity.Through my pain, I saw my attacker walking up to me with a gash on his forehead, blood dribbling down his cheek.I didn't even have the time to be afraid because from nowhere another man slammed into him and they tumbled around, throwing punches.Another tremor seized my body, my vision going white before I came back to the present.At this point, I wasn't sure what was real or not…all I could feel was the pain.My hands were trembling so badly that I couldn't stand up.I gritted my teeth against the pain, practicing my breathing exercises to ride the pain out.It didn't work. If anything, it made it more acute.My head began to pound harder, and my stomach felt like it was being taken through the grinder.I lost my vision, and then that was when it happened.The most painful thing I never wished to experience in my life.The Change.I almost couldn't believe it but the popping and cracking sound my bones were making was a testament to what was happening.“Arghhhhhh!” I screamed, throwing my head back to yell into the clouds.The pain was indescribable, feeling hot all over.My bones popped, the bone coming clean out of my flesh.My leg lengthened, fur sprouting over my skin.In less than three seconds, the Change was completed, and where a helpless, young woman was replaced by a massive six-foot-tall brown wolf.Holy. f*****g. s**t!

ETHAN

Why did I agree to marry Trish again? I thought, slamming the door behind me as I stalked outside to get some fresh air after a particularly heavy fight with Trish.Trish and I were to be mated soon but she was already proving to be a thorn in my flesh.The glass of whiskey was held loosely in my hand, the other gripping the edge of the porch.I gulped down the entire thing, relishing its burn down my throat.But it wasn't enough, I could still hear her tiny, whining voice in my head.Adding to that, it was a full moon and I felt restless, my wolf itching to get out and roam the wild freely.It was one of those nights that you couldn't ignore the call, so I said f**k it.Leaping over the edge of the porch, I started to run away from the house, heading straight for the trees.I grabbed the hem of my shirt, lifting it over my head as I ran.I called on my wolf, breathing in deeply while I let down the mental barriers that kept my wolf at bay, giving him free rein over my mind.It took me years to practice such self-control and only I treated my wolf form as an extension of myself.In seconds, the Change was complete and I streaked so fast into the bush faster than you could blink.I was wild and free, all worries, troubles, and responsibilities faded away and I was left to enjoy the serene atmosphere, chasing around small rodents.I was content until…“Arghhh!” A sharp scream pierced the air and my senses immediately went on alert.I changed direction, heading towards where the sound came from.It was up ahead, near the stream that I found her.She smelled different, so I instantly knew that she wasn't one of us.Coupled with the fact that she was beautiful as hell.There was a man standing over her and even from here, I could smell the lust wafting from him.Judging by the state of the girl and the gash on the guys forehead, it didn't take a genius to realize this wasn't consensual.So I acted.He was so focused on the girl that he didn't see me coming as I slammed into his body.The man was weaker than I thought and it only took a couple of seconds for me to knock him out.A moan from the left reminded me that the girl was still in pain and I ran over to her.There were small cuts all over her skin and blood flowing down her leg.She whimpered, curling into a ball and I snapped out of it, realizing that I'd been staring at a naked woman.I left her there, walking a couple of feet west to where I would find spare clothes tied around a tree, and changed back into my human form.I kept clothes stashed around the estate in case the urge to Change happened anywhere.By the time I got back to her, she was almost unconscious so I bent down to cradle her soft body in my arms.“You're safe now,” I whispered, walking towards the house.