Nueva wiped away the condensation on the bathroom mirror. Her eyes twinkled with excitement for the night ahead in the blurry reflection. A week of planning, preparing and setting up was done, and it was finally time to enjoy the fruit of the labour. She gently patted herself dry with a soft towel, ensuring not to mess up her already styled hair. The hairdresser had insisted on a soft Dutch front row braid and glamorous curls to enhance her facial features. She focused her makeup on her eyes, painting a strong winged eyeliner combined with a sparkling shade of silver eyeshadow to make her blue eyes pop. Nueva kept the rest of her makeup natural with only a sweep of pink across her cheeks and a dab of clear lip gloss.

The rest of the night was a blur of dancing, laughing and having fun.She stumbled out from the town hall just after midnight with her arm around her mum's shoulders. Asher and Grim were already waiting, half asleep in the car."Let's get you home and into bed" Miranda chuckled at her tipsy daughter."Woohoo, best party ever", Nueva shouted, punching the air over her head in a victorious gesture.Evie and Mira called out unsynchronised "Yeah" through the open windows of their parent's cars as they drove out from the car park."It sure was, and hopefully, you won't regret drinking all that champagne in the morning?" Miranda agreed, doing her best to get Nueva into the car seat without bumping into anything."I love champagne", Nueva hiccupped and leaned her heavy head back onto the neck rest."So, I noticed", Miranda mumbled while buckling her daughter's seatbelt."Mum, she stinks", Grim grunted from the backseat."Open the

Nueva stayed by the stream for a while; it was a surreal but enjoyable feeling wading through the chilled waters; everything felt so different under her paw pads. She watched the bubbles turn into blurry ripples as she pawed playfully at her reflection on the edge of the water. Tiny water creatures shot past like silver bullets under the surface, disturbed by her clumsy movements.The Forrest around her stood like silent observers; peering through their weathered trunks was the silvery searchlight from the lonesome moon. Nothing escaped her beams, lighting up Nueva's snow-white shiny coat like a halo in the dense darkness.With her heightened senses, she was drinking in the pine aromas in the night-forest the same way she loved the scent of wildflowers. There was something so right about her being here as if nature craved her presence. Eira sat back and let Nueva figure out things for herself, trusting in the theory behind learning by doing.She practically brayed l

They drove for about 15 minutes through the valley before any houses were visible. The closer they got to town, the more houses popped up in the lush nature. Most of them were small, modest cottages blending perfectly into their surroundings. “I can’t believe I have lived in White Creek my whole life, and I have never been here?” Nueva gasped in amazement that this piece of the landscape had entirely gone her past.Outside the car window, the filtered sunlight seemed picky when choosing its intended objects- high lighting some trees, fields and cottages, leaving others in a gloomy shade. “Not many outsiders come here without an invitation”, Alpha Gray explained. “It’s just werewolf etiquette.” “Does any of the people from my parts. Um, know you are werewolves? Nueva started to realise there was so much she didn’t know about the area in which she lived.“Some do,” he stated c

Meeting Perla. Nueva woke up alone, and for a moment, she thought that maybe what had happened last night had been a dream. The house was quiet; the only clue that Alpha Gray was awake was the faint scent of coffee.  "Mm, Coffee," she thought, tasting the magic liquid already in her mouth, and that was enough to get her out of bed. The sun peered in through the sheer curtains, promising a beautiful day. Nueva tied her bed hair into a messy bun and rummaged through the shopping bags. Finally, she settled on a pair of navy-coloured leggings and a white singlet before heading downstairs. Alpha Gray was standing in front of the coffee machine. He was wearing a pair of loose-fitting jeans, and his upper body was bare. Nueva's eyes lingered on