Chapter 2 Irritation

Tonight is a New Moon. One of the few nights that I could roam freely in the forest. I laid my stomach flat on the thick branch of a tree that I was on and yawned lazily. I looked up at the sky and purred while admiring the moon. 

Wolves run when the moon is full because it helps their visual when they embark at night. But during the new moon, when the planet faces away from the sun, they hide because it limits their visuals. 

As for me, who has a nocturnal spirit animal, it wasn’t a problem. I could see everything.

I fiddled with the ring I discovered on the ground a while ago and started nibbling on it. When I transform into a panther, one of my habits is to be drawn to shiny objects.

The cold night began to blow and bristle my whiskers. The gesture tickled the sides of my nose, and I began to scratch it with a massive black paw. As I gazed up, my eyes caught sight of the barrier surrounding our town. A barrier that protected and locked up every kid in the pack for years.

That’s right. This was no ordinary town. This town is a habitat of a pack of werewolves, particularly the Strigon Pack. 

I’m not a werewolf, that’s for sure.

I’m some sort of mythical creature that would potentially destroy this pack one day. The black cat of the prophecy of this town for countless generations has become folklore.

I know that if anyone discovers my true identity I would be killed instantly. But as much as I wanted to leave, I couldn’t. There is a common rule in every pack that no one should leave until they are at least 18 and get the Alpha’s permission. I heard that the reason behind this is because there used to be an old tradition in which the moon goddess of every pack would often choose a random girl to become the next luna. But that never happened for centuries now that it was even considered a myth.

The other reason is that there are night predators that we call ‘Nightwalkers’ trying to get into our borders. I heard that they are strange creatures that love to eat shifters like us.

If you ask me, it was just a bunch of bull crap to justify why they were locking up underaged kids.

I only have a year until I turn 18, which means that I will be free soon. My mother and I have endured living here for so long. We have both kept my secret and took all the constant bullying and dirty looks that the people would throw in our way.

Not shifting is considered dishonorable in any pack because it just indicates that our blood is not pure. That we have an ancestor who chose to live among humans, tainting our potential to morph.

Considering the secret that I have to protect to stay alive, I was labeled as one of the impure breeds in this town.

I closed my eyes and enjoyed the fresh, cold breeze of the chilly night.

Seven more months, Lunaris. I reminded myself. Seven more months until I turn 18 and finally eligible to leave. 

Surely the Alpha will have no problem with casting aside a non-shifter like my mom and I. To them, our family must be shameful in their eyes. Losing us would mean nothing to the pack.

A rustle on the ground broke my peaceful train of thoughts. On instinct, I hunched back while balancing myself on my paws. My eyes roamed the area around me, mainly to where I first heard the sound. A few feet to where I was, a wolf appeared, walking cautiously with every step along with the bushes.

All of my animal instinct was telling me to flee, but I chose to stay put with the wolf nearby. My vision was stronger than any wolf, but they are far superior in terms of hearing.

If I attempt now, I might make a noise no matter how small it is; he would definitely hear it.

To slow my heartbeat, I carefully evened out my breathing. I'm not sure how sensitive their hearing is, but I wouldn't test it just because I felt frightened.

The wolf appeared to be quite preoccupied. I noted how it was continually rubbing its paws on the ground. It threw several stones on the dirt and proceeded to sniff around. I was terrified he would smell me for a few seconds, but when I felt the weight of the pendant around my neck that covered my scent, I began to relax.

The longer I watched him, the more I concluded he was looking for something. The wolf's quest continued, and I waited patiently until he managed to go past me. When I couldn't see him anymore, I took advantage of the chance to leap from the tree where I was hidden and land carefully on my feet. Then, I slipped the ring that I was playing with onto my tail before I made my retreat.

What a mess. What is a wolf even doing here when it’s the new moon? 

His peers probably dared him to do this. If that’s the case, then I really should be heading back in case there are others nearby.

Mother might be worried, and I might not be able to go out for a few months, but it was just a small sacrifice if I wanted to be alive for my 18th birthday.  

I lowered myself to the ground and continued to crawl while being cautious of my surroundings. If his friends are here, I couldn’t risk running into them. A sharp whine echoing through the forest made me halt and turn back. Come to think of it, doesn’t that area lead to one of the cliffs? 

I waited a while, craning my neck from side to side, waiting for the others to arrive. If I could hear him from this distance, then surely other werewolves would have. But why is no one is coming?

Nonetheless, it is none of my business. I am not a wolf, nor am I really a part of the pack. I can’t be seen by them anyway. Wolves are strong and a proud species, so I shouldn’t involve myself with them.

At least, that’s what I wanted to do, but my body doesn’t seem to want to move on its own. As I continued to hear the faint whimpers from the wolf, the heavier my chest seemed to get. 

Why should I care about them? They have done nothing but insult my mother and I for years.

But for some reason, I found myself sprinting to the place without even thinking about it and stopping by the bushes to protect myself in case he was around. My eyes widened as I examined the area. It was strange that I couldn't even find the wolf, let alone smell him.

He couldn't have fallen down the cliff yet, could he?

I padded down the uncovered region, feeling naked because I was no longer surrounded by trees. As I got closer to the edge, I heard the whimpering again, making me dig my claws in the earth in fear. That slight movement made a small sound on the ground.

‘Hello?’ Every night creature can telepathically communicate with each other. I guess that It didn’t matter whether we were wolves or cats as long as we were both shifters. And the person sending out that telepathy has a hard and deep voice that almost scared me. 

It’s a man.

‘If anyone is there, please help me. I can no longer hold on for much longer.’ The desperation in his voice put an end to all of my desire to leave. I couldn't ignore him since my conscience became too strong.

But if I help him, he might be able to see my silhouette and tell that I am no wolf.

I gulped. ‘I’ll help you, but you have to close your eyes.’ I told him. ‘I won’t help you until you do.’

‘Why…?’ There was a pause before he asked the question. I can’t blame him since my request was odd.

‘Just do it. I don’t want to be seen.’

Another long pause. ‘Alright.’ He said hesitantly.

There was no assurance that I could trust him. I only have to trust that he was desperate enough to follow my instructions if he wanted my help.

I gathered up all my remaining courage and strode towards the edge of the cliff. I glance down just enough to see the wolf barely holding onto a thick root with his jaws. I was relieved when I saw that he kept his words and closed his eyes. 

‘Keep them close while I pull you up. Don’t open them until I say so.’ I told him.

‘Why?’

‘Stop asking questions. Do you want me to help you or not?’

‘Alright. I promise.’

He promises, he says. I just hope that he is a man of his words until the end.

I bent down and craned my neck until I reached the other end of the root that he was grabbing on. ‘I’m going to pull you up after I break the branch. Never let go, alright?’

‘Understood.’

I crunched my fangs onto the root securely and broke off the end with my claw. I probably should have braced myself for his massive weight because as soon as I broke the root, I was almost dragged down with him if it weren’t for my massive claws digging into the earth. 

I pushed my upper body with my front paws and drove myself and the wolf back onto land with my rear legs. Dirt was embedded in my nails due to the effort, and it was hurting me. It was the first time I had completely utilized them to the point where I thought I might fall at any moment.

I was relieved when I saw the wolf eventually emerge from the cliff out of the corner of my eye. But, just as one of his back legs began to mount the edge, the root at the region I was biting on snapped. As the wolf began to fall, I spit the root in my mouth and buried my claws into his to keep him from slipping.

‘Don’t let go of the root!’ I immediately said when I saw that he was about to cry out in pain when my claws dug into his skin. Thankfully, he never let go, and that allowed me to grab the root once again. ‘Bear with me. You’re almost safe.’ I assured him and took another massive effort to pull him ashore.

We both collapsed on the ground after he was safely back on the ground. Panting.

‘Thank you. You saved my life.’

‘You can thank me by not opening your eyes.’ I told him. My eyes shifted to his arms where I temporarily dug my claws. It was bleeding. ‘Sorry about your arm. Does it hurt?’

‘I welcome the temporary pain compared to death. Don’t worry about it.’ He lets out a sound that resembles a laugh. ‘If I can’t see you, can I at least know your name? I would like to express my gratitude to you properly.’

‘You don’t have to.’ I told him and got up on my paws shakily. My nails hurt badly from the strain that I exerted on them. ‘You can open your eyes after 10 seconds. I’m leaving.’

‘Hold on. If I can’t see you or know your name, then you can know mine. My name is Atticus Strigon. If you change your mind and need my help, do not hesitate to come to me.’ He says.

My blood ran cold as I heard of his name. Atticus Strigon. The next Alpha in line. And I just dug my nails into his arms, which could mean an early death for me if anyone finds out. 

‘I have to go.’ I said in a panic and made a quick dash into the bushes without looking back. 

I’ve done it now. Because of my stupidity, I have crossed paths with an important figure for the future of this pack. And not only that, but I have harmed him.

The necklace can cover my scent, but I am not sure if it can cover the scent of the blood in my claws. And for mine and my mother’s sake, I just hope that he was the only wolf in the area nearby.