Blood Moon Rising

Raegan Gallagher was running through the woods, the wind whistling past, as she tracked her prey. Her father was running parallel with her as they closed in on the whitetail buck. He was young and quick as he raced away from the two apex predators chasing him. Rae could feel her blood pumping as she closed in, this was her kill and the anticipation made her blood sing. One last burst of speed and she was upon the buck, taking him down to the ground. His struggles weakened as she tore into his throat, tasting the fresh blood of her first kill. Rae had been hunting with her parents ever since she had begun shifting at sixteen, but this was her first solo kill. Usually, her parents were the ones to take down such large prey but she would be eighteen soon and it was past time for her first major kill. She had been hunting rabbits and smaller prey on her own for the longest, but larger prey required a pack and her parents were just a bit overprotective. Her father always saw her as his young pup and had a hard time acknowledging that she was growing up. Rae didn't mind though. Her parents were the best and while they may have been overprotective, they had definitely not left her as some defenseless spoiled pack princess. She had been training even before her first shift. She was a superb fighter in both human and wolf form. Her father wanted her to be fully prepared for the day she would one day be alpha. Her grandfather was the current alpha and her father was his heir. Since she was her father's only child, she would one day be the alpha of the largest and most powerful pack in the states, the Blood Moon pack. She would be the first female alpha. Usually, females were the Luna and had to be the mate to the alpha to hold any type of power. Her father, though, had been training her to one day be alpha and did not care that she was not a son. In his eyes, she was just as capable and powerful as any male wolf. Her alpha blood did make her more powerful than the average wolf and usually, tradition would have her mated to another alpha to strengthen the bloodlines, but thankfully, her father did not intend to trade her off as a broodmare to pop out, little alpha pups but instead was willing to back her for the alpha position and had convinced his father of the same, her grandfather. Her magic had convinced him that she was right for the position. The Blood Moon pack was a very special pack and was once known for their spirit magic, but it had faded off long ago, centuries back. Some say spirit magic has not existed since the Supernatural War hundreds of years ago. See the witches, shifters, vampires and other supernaturals warred centuries ago and almost went extinct from nearly killing each other off. Many magics and bloodlines that had existed before the war were gone now. Thousands upon thousands of supes of all species had died before peace was made or rather enforced by an alliance of the vamps, witches and wolves. Now there was peace between the species in the supernatural world, but bias, distrust, and hatred still existed between the species. My powers, while still new, were a miracle to my people, although not many knew about them. It was just being kept in the family for now. My parents had even raised me away from the pack to hide my growing abilities. We were still part of the pack, but did not live on pack lands like most of the wolves. My mother's job was the excuse that kept us from moving back, but I knew I was the real reason we had moved away when I was around 8 and my powers started to show. Although I'm fine with not telling others, I mean, how do you explain seeing spirits? I'm the one with the power and I barely understand it. It doesn't help that no one has had these abilities in centuries and most knowledge is mostly myth now. Thankfully, I was able to block them most of the time. By the time I had my fill of my kill, the sun was beginning to set. "Come, It's getting late. We should head back so your mother doesn't worry." My father spoke to my mind. We were heading back, leisurely exploring the woods as we went when we heard the scream. My father jerked, coming to a stop. That, as well as the direction, let me know that it was my mother. Her scream was full of pain and fear and so out of place on such a tranquil night that I missed a step, causing me to stumble. My father, after his first jerk of shock, though, never faltered. He started to run, racing towards home. We both did, not knowing what could have caused my mother to scream in such a way. "Rae, you should stay back, until I know what is going on." My father said. "I don't want you to be in danger." "Dad, there is no way I'm staying back. Mom sounds hurt and you may need my help", I replied back. "Rae, we don't know what we're wondering into and your mother would never forgive me if you were hurt. I'll order you to stay if I have to." "No, I'm nearly 18, I can fight if need be." "Rae, I'm sorry for this...RAEGAN GALLAGHER, I ORDER YOU TO STAY IN THE WOODS OUT OF SIGHT UNTIL I OR YOUR MOTHER TELL YOU ITS SAFE." He spoke using his alpha voice, which was an ability of most alpha wolves. To be able to use the alpha power to make those subordinates or of lesser dominance obey you. It wasn't often needed and my father had never used it on me, but as soon as he did, I froze. Stumbling through the leaves of the forest as he sped on ahead of me. I was still able to follow, but at a slower pace and it was hard. Once I reached the edge of the forest I could physically go no further. It was weird like I had hit an invisible wall, or more apt was that I had an invisible leash that would not allow me outside of the foliage of the woods. I could hear fighting. My father as a wolf and what sounds like people. Men yelled to each other to watch for their teeth. I could make out glimpses of the house but could go no further. The sound of the fight faded away, leaving just the sound of the men talking. They were saying something about one missing. There should have been another. This made no sense. Why had my mother not let us know telepathically that something was wrong and why could I no longer sense my father or mother? We were pack and, as such could communicate as wolves at all times. Plus, my father and mother were mates, which was rare, but they had a bond that meant he should have been able to feel her pain or fear no matter how far away we were in the woods. "Keep looking boys, there should have been a young girl here too." One of the voices said all of a sudden. He was closer, which means he must be on this side of the house now. I had trouble following along before because everything was occurring on the other side of the house or inside. No, that was not good. Where was my father, or my mother, were they hurt? "We were told we had to take out the alpha heir and his kid, or no payday." The voice came again. What the alpha heir, that was my father, were these men sent after us? But why who would want to hurt me or my father? This made no sense. All of a sudden, the bonds with my father and mother, that tied us together as a pack and family, I could feel them weakening. It meant, It meant...oh god, my mom, my dad, they must be gone, dead or dying. But how, why? Who would do this? Who would want my family dead? "Rae..." I heard my father's voice, weak and distant. No, I knew what this meant. This was not his actual voice or mind speak it was the other. My power or part of my spirit abilities. It let me speak to the dead and for my father to all of a sudden be here when I had not heard him walk up meant I was hearing his spirit. "Dad... what's happening? Why?" I cried in my mind, still in wolf form. "Rae you have to leave, they're looking for you, it's too late for your mother and me but you can leave and get away. They don't know you're here." "Dad... I can't..." "Yes, baby, you can. You have to be strong. Just leave, head through the woods, follow the river into town...You have to get away. Don't go to the pack, someone has betrayed us, and you can't trust anyone." "But dad, grandpa..." "No, he would never do, but someone close to him may have, and if you go to him you may be walking straight into a trap." His voice was fading. I wasn't very good at speaking to spirits, but I knew it tired them out and my dad was so new, I didn't know how he'd been able to say as much as he had. "But dad, what do I do?" "Go to the Vampire King" "What!!! He's our enemy" I sputtered in shock. "No, we have an uneasy alliance with the vamps and while we do tend to stay away from each other, he will help you." "How? Why?" "He will help you because of your mother, he cares for her and will help you, he owes her that much...." That was the last he said as he faded away. I knew he was gone, him and my mother. Whoever had done this would pay, and I would hunt them down to the ends of the earth if I had to. But first I had to live and that meant getting away and somehow finding my way to the vamp king.