“I don't know what you mean by that, Alpha.”
I studied Soiya's profile as she turned her face away from me. “Oh come on. You don't have to hide it - I'm not upset! I was never upset… I just want to know if you're
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~*There wasn't much to say: There he was, there I was, there they were. My father…-* Luna, his scent was SO familiar - *...My father wasn't very nice. He was scary. But he TAUGHT me how to be scary, so I knew that he loved me.The others weren't like me and father; they were timid, weak. They were really nice to me, though, so sometimes I let them - but father didn't usually like that, so he would have to teach me how to be Strong that evening.He was really happy with how large I was growing, though. I was happy, too, that he was finally proud of me for something. He never said that, but I could tell. If he thought I was Weak we probably wouldn't fight so much.
Upon a grassy steppe and beneath the clear gray sky, there sat a small community. In fact, it could hardly still be called a 'community' at all; for all of three tiny houses now sat entirely unoccupied, save for the fourth, which hardly saw use anymore. The grassy terrain bordered along a shelf of gravel which led to sand, which led to a large reservoir of fresh water that had yet to turn fully into ice, though nearly all of the ground now lay covered in a fine sheet of snow. The small hut still housed an occupant during most nights; but save for a few candles burning in the window and by the bedside, one might never know that. Its owner was rarely at home anymore, preferring the lonely company of evergreen trees and an empty shore to the confines which had once housed so many memories, and which his body had long since outgrown. Nothing tied him to thi
The trees this morning seemed to house their own plenitude of secrets... A brisk wind ruffled my black gown, sending shards of snow adrift in a sea of white. I sat upon a solitary stump on the northern edge of camp and gazed out at the woods: what other secrets did they hold? What other specters of the past might still be out there, unbeknownst to us - haunting and gathering, waiting to make an appearance? Ever since learning about Tiefing's existence it felt like everything else was up for grabs. Most of the Pack were still asleep. It wasn't terribly early, but a sudden drop in temperature coupled with the lack of sunlight meant that fewer wolves were interested in getting an early start today. I hadn't planned on it either, but my mind was too preoccupied with upcoming decisions to get more than a few hours' rest. That likely wasn't changing any time soon; I resolved to force myself into bed at an earlier hour in the coming nights.
A great many years ago, Luna's children began to define exactly Who and What they Are. Following this spiritual awakening a tradition was born: the Wolf-willing. A fire-lit dance of moonlight and flame during which we celebrate all that we Are, and all that we wish to Be. To many this involves the taking of a mate, or the re-invigoration of a partnership past or present. It should come as no surprise then that mating is common during these celebrations - whether it be for love, for lust, or for both. To the wild beat of drums do Shifters dance and toss-about, uttering shouts of ecstasy and liberation. Other times the beat draws upon only silence: perhaps the Pack (or some of it) mourns for the loss of a loved one. All of these things are a part of the Wolf-willing, for all of them are a part of who we Are as Shifters. The 'Wolf-willing' gets its name due to the nature of the tradition: the children of Luna (the moon, the great Tr
Surry tossed her hands. "Rayla, I'm barely half his age!! I was a child when his mate passed away, we both were! And he loved her so, Rayla. He still does. They were so deeply in love that I... I felt jealous, even then." She blinked. "N-not jealous of her, I mean, obviously not that!! I just... I wanted that sort of thing for myself, you know?" I gave her a hug, feeling warm. "And now you're worried about what stepping into the firelight with him might mean, is that it?" She nodded. "I've decided what I feel for him. It took me a little while, but I figured it out: I... I want him. I want to be... his. I want him to be mine. But how can I ask such a thing of him?" I chuckled. "Probably by getting your ass up to that fire and ASKING him, Surry, how else?" She sighed angrily. "You know that's not it, Rayla. How can I ask him t
In the artificial twilight between fire's glow and shadowy night, Cillium now stood before me. His face was halfway masked by darkness, but even so, I knew exactly what was written on it: concern for my safety. I almost laughed, still bent upon my knees on the snowy ground. Always my safety. No matter anything else happening around us, Cil's first priority was always my well-being... and he hadn't even known me for half a year. Some might call that obsessiveness, but not I - not about Cillium. If that didn't make him deserving of my love, then I didn't know what would. "I'm... I'm fine, Cil. I just had a moment of dizziness; must be the fire, maybe something we burned in it." He continued to stare at me, and for some reason I could tell that he looked suddenly stricken. "So I shouldn't have thrown all that animal dung in with the logs??" I choked, horrified - but he quickly began to laugh. And after I moment, I joined him
*The fog early this morning was thick, though it had grown weaker with each minute passing the dawn. It still hung in the air like a dewy coat. I rubbed some of the moisture between my fingertips as I breathed it in, and breathed it out. As per my orders, everyone had risen early today. Many were still tired from last night... Oh, last night! Last night had been so scary, yet so exciting! Though I remember very little of it. I knew that my actions had spoken the loudest, and maybe they were all that mattered - but I do remember saying a few words. And among them, I had spoken about my father. It felt so strange to say his name in front people whom I'd never brought him up with before. In fact, I had never really mentioned him to anybody. I guess I'd always gotten the feeling that I didn't belong, that I wasn't safe. But last night, after saying his name aloud in front of other Shifters (and watching their faces turn
*CILLIUM!!!* I spun in a circle, desperately seeking the source of the explosions. No no no no NOOOO!! Several other wolves around me, both friend and enemy alike, looked shocked at the interruption. Some ceased their struggles momentarily just to listen. That didn't last long however, as one of the exiles raised his head to the sun and howled, and a few others immediately took up the call. Then their fighting renewed with vigor. I howled also, from fury – trying futilely to drown out their noise. 'May the Sun damn you, Tando; may the night fuck you all the way to HELL.' One of the nearby males decided to lunge at me. His face was split into a toothy smile… I don't remember what happened next, but I do remember that afterward, my claws were reddened with blood and I was off running again. *The bonfire, people! Get there NOW!!* I dashed through the camp, doing my best to remain low and unseen. The flame lay a