BEYOND THE LUNAR CYCLE

SELENE

“Goddess!”

I shot out of bed in a cold sweat. I looked at my phone and it was just 4:00am. An hour before my alarm was going to ring anyways, there was no use going back to sleep now.

This dream has been reoccurring, every night now. It was a wolf a huge one. The fur was pitch black and the darkest green eyes that I had ever seen. It reminded me of the forest. In the dream I just stood, unable to will my limbs to work.

It was as though I was pinned down by the intensive stare from the wolf. Like it was calling out to me. I wasn’t scared by any means, but the feeling was intense overwhelming and whenever the wolf made a move as if to come to me I woke up. My heart felt like it was beating a million beats pet second.

 I placed my hand on my chest to calm down my erratic heart beat before I pass out. I wasn’t worried about waking anyone up since I lived alone. My dad was killed in a rogue attack and then my mum was so grief laden she followed after him soon after, that was two years ago. So I’ve been living alone.

And no it’s not like I was left here to die or anything, it was my choice to live here alone rather than in the pack house.

My dad worked hard to build this place, it was his everything, my mother’s dream home which he brought to life with his own two hands, and it was something important to me, the last memories I had of my parents and I refuse to let go of it. 

Elders of the pack check up on me far more times than I’m comfortable with anyways. Plus I work with the omegas to take care of pups most of the time so I was ok, mostly.

I checked the time and it was a few minutes past five, it was time for training already. I changed into a simple tank top and running shorts and slipped my foot into my shoes.

Once I reached the door I realized that I hadn’t taken my medicine. With a sigh I went to get it. I put a few drops of the bitter concussion under my tongue and I was ready to go.

At the pace I was going I was going to be late, but it was no problem it’s not like I was allowed to do anything anyways.

This was the third forth night without the appearance of the full moon. This was a big problem. Werewolves are creatures of the moon and without the light from the moon we became weaker, and this weakness left our border open to attacks from any other creatures.

 I seemed to have it the worst apparently. My wolf was already weak on a normal basis.

The salutary said I was sick, but I didn’t feel sick, just useless. My bones were fragile and my heart was weak and as a result of that I couldn’t do much, a polite way of saying that I couldn’t do anything.

 I couldn’t run for long distances like the others, I couldn’t spar neither could I do anything that required much of an effort honestly. I was just existing, without adding much to the pack.

Right now everyone was sparring while I sat at the sidelines watching as usual. They were already done with their laps already.

 And in all honesty I didn’t have to be here but I just liked to maybe I could just live through them, you know imagine I was one of them.

 And I know it was pretty weird wishing I was out there when some people were wishing they were me, they shouldn’t.

It wasn’t nice to feel this different. To know that if the pack was ever under attack, there was nothing I could do to save anyone, scratch that, I was more of a liability.

And no matter how much I wanted to disobey the salutary and just join the others, no one would even spar with me anyways, my fragile bones and weak heart were an issue for one, and coupled with the few times I’d ended up back in the salutary quadrant after any strenuous activity was enough to make people steer clear of me.

 “Hey babes, how are ya?” 

Nova asked and took a sit beside me on the grass where I sat crisscrossed. She was sweating profusely and panting heavily evidence of her strenuous workout. She had a scar across her abdomen that was already healing.

 I heaved a sigh “You know just the usual Nova, just watching”. 

Nova was my best friend, the only person I could call my friend really and she was one hell of a witchy person and I mean that very literally.

Nova was a witch, well not in practice since practicing black magic was what got her mother burnt to the stake in the first place. Her dad was a warrior, but after losing his mate, he’d been a shell of himself, leaving Nova to pick up his pieces. So her home was a no magic zone and apart from a few minor spells, she didn’t know what hell she was doing.

“Bitch, do you know what I would do to be in your shoes right now?” She asked incredulously, “I’m sweating like a dog for one, and my muscles ache in places that shouldn’t even be possible and couple with the fact that we haven’t had a full moon in ages, these guys have zero chill” she said adding an exaggerated sigh.

 I rolled my eyes, I know Nova and she was just trying to make me feel better, to see the bright side of things. “You wouldn’t be saying that if you were treated like an egg all the time.

“Why did I have such a breakable body?” Tears of frustration clouded my vision “ugh...”

Nova engulfed me in a hug “its ok babe, I can kick your ass whenever you want me to” she sad and I chuckled “shut up”. Nova hugged me tighter and I tapped her.

“Ok that’s enough. You really stink”

“How about you?” I asked motioning to her abdomen “they really roughed you up huh?” She groaned “I had to spar Amelia today” she said and I nodded in understanding. While training was necessary for all members of our pack, Amelia was one of those who really wanted to become a warrior.

She took the training extra seriously that and the fact that she was a bitch. I was not one to swear but there was no other adjective that could properly describe Amelia North.

“Well if you’re up against her you’re going to get beaten up anyways best get it over with” I said

She gasped “fucking rude” she said placing a hand on her chest eyes and mouth wide open like I had actually hurt her. This girl was so dramatic. 

“Nova break time is over back to work!” Coleton said standing right in front of us a stern expression on his face. When did he even come over here?  He was the head of the warriors and so he was in charge of training all the wolves in this region. Coleton was strict on the field but he was a good man. One of the kindest souls that I had ever come across in my life and not just because I was fragile.

“But Coleton I am just-“

“Ten laps around the parameter”

“That’s not fucking-“

“Fifteen laps”

Nova groaned ‘Fucking hell! Alright I’m going”

“That’s what I thought”

“Can I run the laps with her I’ll keep a slow pace I swear” I said. I already knew his reply but then again I could try right? Coleton looked at me with a sad look in his eyes, I hated that look, and it was just a step away from pity.

 “You know you can’t” he said and I just nodded “right” I said and began to walk away “Selena I’m sorry I know you don’t like this but you will get hurt if you do, you know that” he said and I plastered a fake smile on my face

“I know that. I was just talking you know how I am”

 I said and he heaved a sigh “I have to go now but I’ll find you later and make sure you are ok, alright” he said and I nodded “sure bring some chocolate with you” he winked

 “you bet”.