For as long as I can remember I have had the same nightmare every time I fall to sleep. Every morning I wake up tangled in my bed sheets and drenched in sweat with a lingering feeling that I had forgotten something really important. The worst part of all of this is knowing that my nightmare isn’t a nightmare at all but a memory.
The nightmare always starts with my mom reading me a bedtime story while my dad is watching us from the doorway. I can’t be much older than four years old at this time in my life and my parents look at me with so much love. That was how my life used to be, loved and adored by both of my parents.
The story that my mom is telling is almost over. The characters are past their struggles and only moments away from their happy endings. All of a sudden my mom stops reading. She was in the middle of a sentence, the story can’t be over. I am about to say something when I hear the noises coming from outside.
My mom and dad look at each other for a moment before springing into action. My dad pulled a backpack out of my closet and started stuffing my clothes and belongings into it frantically. My mom pulled me out of bed and started to help me get dressed.
I could tell from her movements and her breathing that she was panicking. She is usually so calm and her panic is frightening me. I start to cry. My mom didn’t have time to worry about my tears, she continued to dress me without making any attempt to comfort me.
Moments later she was holding me in her arms while we were running down the corridors towards the small secondary staircase at the back of the building. My dad was slightly ahead of us. He was on high alert. His head was moving around constantly as he tried to predict anything that could be a threat. When his beta Christian ran around the corner towards us he reacted purely on instinct.
My dad grabbed Christian and threw him sideways. Pinning Christian with his back against the wall so that my dad's left arm was across Christian’s throat before any of us knew what was happening. Christian’s wife Kerry inhaled sharply and hid her son behind her.
“I am sorry.” My dad said.
He let go of Christian and looked around nervously. When he was sure that we were safe, at least for a few moments he turned his attention back to Christian.
“What is happening?” My dad asked.
“Some of our pack have joined forces with the Thorne and Grove packs to attack us. Our fighters are trying to hold them back but at this point it is just a matter of time till they break through.” Christian said.
“We need to get out of here.” My mom said. She was trying to calm me down by stroking my hair but her anxiety was evident in her voice.
“Everyone, follow me.” My dad said. He was using his alpha tone to make him sound confident and cover for the fact that he was just as worried as the rest of us.
We started moving again. Through the last corridor and down the stairs This took us to a small utility area next to the kitchen. My dad left us huddled together in this room so he could check if the coast was clear. He was back moments later and I knew it was bad news before he even opened his mouth.
“Looks like they predicted we might come out this way. There are about ten of them out there. They are waiting for us just beyond the tree line.” He said.
“Is there any way we can get past them without being seen?” Kerry asked.
“No. They have the entrance covered.” My dad replied. He looked truly worried for the first time.
“Not all of us can but if we created a distraction some of us could get out unseen.” My mom said, everyone turned their attention towards her.
“If we go out and draw their attention Christian and Kerry can sneak the children out while they are distracted.” My mom continued.
“It is risky but it might work.” Christian said.
“There is a cottage that we own about fifty kilometres away from our territory. Do you know the one I mean?” My dad asked.
“Yes.” Christian replied.
“I want you to head there. We will meet you there in a few days once we can be sure that nobody is following us.” My dad said.
Everyone agreed to the plan. My parents gave me a hug and then started heading towards the back door. I was silently sobbing as I watched them walking away. I was scared and all I wanted was for things to go back to normal again.
I wasn’t tall enough to see what was happening through the utility room window but I could hear it. At first I heard my parents shouting for them to stay away from their daughter. Then there was more shouting that I couldn’t quite make out and eventually growling and whimpering.
I wanted to know my parents were ok. I tried to get away so I could go to them but Christian stopped me. He picked me up with one hand and held me to his chest as we made our escape. We moved quickly but silently through the house into the dinning room. Christian looked out of the window, once he was happy that it was safe he hopped out closely followed by Kerry who was holding their son.
My nightmare always ends with Christian carrying me into the forest and me straining to catch sight of my parents. Hoping desperately than none of the whimpering I can hear is coming from them. The worst part is I will never really know the answer. It is almost fourteen years later so by now it is safe to assume that my parents died that night. It still hurts not to have any closure over the events of that night.
We waited at that cottage for ten years. Christian and Kerry worked in the human town nearby and I attended school with their son Ryker but eventually this life became too lonely for us. Being the only werewolves and having to keep part of ourselves a secret from everyone around us was stressful and isolating. We started searching for a pack that we could join but as it turns out this was a task that was easier said than done.
Without a pack we were technically lone wolves but most pack wolves don’t see any difference between lone wolves and rogues. This made most packs unwilling to even talk to us as there isn’t a pack in the world that would accept a rogue into their pack. We tried all of the packs within a hundred kilometres of the cottage but none of them would give us a chance so we had to start looking further afield.
Eventually we found a pack. The alpha of this pack had recently taken over a neighbouring pack. There had been some kind of disagreement and the other alpha had challenged him. After the other alpha lost the fight he had to give up his pack and land. Unfortunately this meant that our new alpha’s pack doubled in size overnight and the losing alpha was now a rogue carrying a grudge. As a result they wanted to boost their defences.
As Christian was a strong fighter they agreed to let us join the pack as long as Christian agreed to provide training for the pack. He also helped them to bolster their defences using the techniques my parents taught him.
We have moved on with our lives now but I still have so many questions about my past that I know I will never have answers to. I don’t know why they were attacking us. I know it was something to do with my mothers wolf and that when I turn eighteen in a few days time I will find out if I have the same trait.
I don’t know what that trait is but I am scared. I want more than anything to be a normal werewolf. That way I can do all the things that the other werewolves my age do like finding my mate and going to college.
I opened my eyes. The room was still dark so I knew it must still be early. I picked up my phone from the bedside table and looked at the screen, it was 5am. There was still two hours before I needed to set off for school. I tried to close my eyes but the memories from my dream were still too painful. There was no way that I was going to be able to get back to sleep again. I may as well get up. I reluctantly sat up in bed. I spent a few minutes mindlessly scrolling through social media before finally dragging myself out of bed. I took a quick shower and got changed into some black skinny jeans with a studded belt, a black band t-shirt and my leather jacket. As you have probably guessed I am a bit of a rock chick. I spent a lot of time and effort trying to hide anything that might make me stand out when I first moved to this pack. Dressing and acting like the popular kids in the fruitless hope that they would accept me. I was so desperate to fit in and make friends that I almost for
It only took me a couple of minutes to apply my make-up but I wasn’t brave enough to go back downstairs right away. I waited upstairs until I heard Ryker say goodbye to his parents and leave. I waited a couple of extra minutes before setting off for school myself. Maybe avoiding him wasn’t the best way of dealing with our feelings for one another but right now I didn’t know what else to do.Every time we found ourselves alone in the same room together we ended up being drawn to each other in pretty much the same way. Part of me wondered if this was just a crush or something more. Maybe the way we felt meant that we were destined to be together.That would be the best case scenario for me. If I end up with the same trait that my mom had then it would put me and anyone around me in danger. That would include my mate, just look at wha
The rest of the morning passed by uneventfully, if you ask me a little too much so. At some points I thought I might slip into a coma if I got any more bored, I was hoping for drama just to break up the day a little. Don’t get me wrong, I love to learn but the problem is with the way school is set up. Most of the subjects are incredibly boring and those that aren’t get the life sucked out of them by covering the material so slowly. I wish they would just let me take the exams rather than having to attend all these boring lessons. The lunch bell rang and all my classmates promptly bundled up their belongings and rushed out of the classroom. I wasn’t in as much of a rush. I took the time to neatly pack my bag before following them cautiously, using all my senses to make sure that Felix or any of his followers weren’t nearby. I couldn't hear them and I couldn’t smell them but knew they couldn’t be too far away. I had memorised their schedule. I knew that their last thesson was only a
I woke up early as usual but today was anything but a normal Saturday. Everyone under the age of eighteen has to undergo combat and defence training. Normally I would spend all morning helping Christian training the younger pack members until it came to my age groups turn just before lunch. I didn’t need to attend today though, my birthday tomorrow meant that I was being moved to train with the adults. My first session would be on Monday after school so instead of fighting I had to spend the morning packing. We had told everyone around us that we were going on a trip for my birthday but really we were going to be spending the weekend at our old cottage. At midnight tonight I would shift for the first time and Kerry was worried about anyone from the pack catching sight of me when I changed. Kerry was more convinced than anyone that I was going to be just like my mom. I know that it caused her a lot of stress but I also knew that there was nothing I could do to make her feel better. W
I kept my headphones in for the rest of the journey. We arrived at the cottage late in the afternoon. The golden light of late afternoon was streaming through the gaps in the trees. It was beautiful, like something from a postcard. The cottage was set in the middle of the forest, miles away from the nearest town. The perfect place for someone to get away from the rest of the world. It was also the perfect place to make sure that nobody saw me change into my wolf. Christian and Ryker dropped me and Kerry off at the cottage before heading off to forage for some food at the nearest fast food outlet. I followed Kerry into the house. We walked around the house removing the dust covers from all the furniture and storing them in the cupboard under the stairs. We still came to the cottage a few times a year for weekend trips but the last time was almost six months ago. The cottage had that slightly musky smell that houses get when they are empty for a long time. Kerry went to the shed to g
Ryker slipped his arm around my waist and pulled me to my feet. He was speaking soft words of encouragement to me as he helped me to stand by myself once more. “There is nobody for miles around, we are safe.” Christian said as he emerged from the treeline fully dressed. That was quick, or did I lose time? My head felt fuzzy and I was having trouble concentrating on anything other than the painful static electric sensation on my skin. Kerry told everyone else to stay put and walked me over to the treeline. She told me to strip before she turned her back on me and started walking back towards the cottage. I did as she said, trying my best to ignore how even the feel of the fabric against my skin was causing me pain. I had just slipped off the last of my clothes when the first jolt of pure pain passed through me. It felt as though an electric current had passed through all the bones in my body simultaneously. I fell to the floor and cried out in pain. “No, she is fine. The first t
I woke up before sunrise, just like I usually do when the nightmares come. The dream was just as painful as usual but there was something different about it now. When it got to the part where we were all in the kitchen working out what to do next I heard my mother talking to me through mindlink. “There is so much that I want to tell you little one but if I don’t make it look for the box in the attic of the cottage. It is hidden in a hidden compartment inside the chimney. The key to the box is your favourite smell.” She said. This must have been the missing piece of the puzzle that my brain was trying to work out. When I woke up feeling sad but also relieved, like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Some part of me must have recognised that she was trying to tell me something. I just had to wait until my wolf was awake before I could hear her message. Maybe I should have been worried that my mind was playing tricks on me but I wasn’t. I was 100% certain that what I heard i
When I opened my eyes the light was already streaming into my room through the curtains. I can’t remember the last time I woke up feeling so refreshed and revitalised. Heck, I can’t remember the last time I woke up after the sun had come up. I glanced over at my phone on my bedside table. It may have been later than I usually wake up but I still had some time before school started. I had never bothered to set an alarm before. I could always count on my nightmares to wake me up before dawn anyway but last night there was no nightmare. If they really were gone and this wasn’t a one off freak event then I might have to start thinking about that kind of thing. I dragged myself out of bed, showered and got ready for the day ahead. Once I was dressed it became clear that I only had enough time to make myself breakfast or apply my makeup, not both. I guess I was going to have to go into school looking a mess because there is no way I could get through the day without coffee. It just wouldn’