I opened my eyes, once again being comforted by the warm feeling of the sun on my back - the way it had felt when I visited the Moon Goddess, "Ruby! Get off your lazy ass!"I looked around, wondering who had called me, since I didn't recognize the voice, "Who's there?"Suddenly, a figure materialized out of thin air, a sassy smirk on its face and its arms folded over its chest. It was a she-wolf, or at least that's what she looked like. She had red hair that wrapped around her head in an intricate braid and hung at her waist. Her eyes were grey - the color my eyes changed to when I was a wolf - that were taking me in, looking me up and down. She was about as tall as me, something pretty rare, but with the heels she had on, she had to be a good two to three inches taller. After neither of us spoke, she gave me a sly grin and asked, "Are you going to ask who I am? Rude, if I might add.""S-sorry," I said, mesmerized by her voice. Earlier it sounded odd and unfamiliar, but now it sounde

I collapsed onto my bed, rolling to the side, and wishing I could melt into the mattress. The time blinked into view on the clock, reading, '2:00.' It was hard to believe that only two hours ago Brandy was safe. I didn't have stitches, and I'd never seen Grey cry before. My whole body ached and I still had all day before the race, so I decided that I'd take a nap.But each time I closed my eyes, I couldn't feel more awake. I tossed and turned, but not one bit of my previous drowsiness coursed through my body. I stuffed myself under the plush blankets, hoping they'd swallow me up into sleep, but of course that didn't work. So finally, I sat up, frustrated, and pushed myself to my feet.Grabbing my keys and throwing on a sweatshirt, I stomped out of my room, not actually sure of where I was going. For the third time that day, I marched down the maze-like passageways, ignoring the insolent jeers and quips from the passing wolves. I forced my face into a mask of expressionlessness, carefu

The drive to the animal shelter was silent, tension-filled, and uncomfortable. Axel sat at the driving wheel because we were driving his car: a bright red Subaru Impreza. Broddi took the passenger seat, crossing his arms like a spoiled child who didn't get his way. I took the back seats, staring out the window and trying to avoid all eye contact. The only noise passing between the three of us was awkward coughs and unintentional sniffles. I almost cried out in relief when I saw the shelter come into view.It was a small little place, only ten to fifteen parking spaces in the parking lot. The paint on the walls was peeling and the window that looked into the shelter was tinted grey as if it hadn't been washed in awhile. Still, the pure joy on Axel's face made up for the shambles of the shop.Axel hopped out of the car and slammed the door shut, quickly shooing Broddi and I out after him. Broddi grumbled impatiently, but I made sure the look on my face was as joyful as Axel's - even if

With all the time I spent thinking, I didn't notice Ryder turn away from me and continue to lead me down the dark, gloomy path. "What's wrong?" I asked him, not thinking before I spoke with such disappointment."We have to keep going," Ryder said, his voice a lot more gruff than it had been before.The rest of the way to wherever Ryder was taking me was uncomfortably silent, but I didn't notice because of how caught up in my own thoughts I was. Did I blow it? Was that my chance? Was that it?I barely noticed when Ryder stopped in front of me and I ran into his back, the weight of me not affecting his stance or posture at all. A muffled, 'sorry,' escaped my mouth, but Ryder turned to me and took both my hands in his, blocking my view of the clearing completely."Close your eyes," he ordered, though he didn't use his Alpha voice. Still, I obeyed his commands as Ryder took me deeper into the clearing. I heard the sound of rushing water nearby and I guessed there was a stream or moving wa

When I got back to my room and opened the door, I nearly had a heart attack when Milo came racing across the room to me, purring and wrapping his scrappy body around my legs. I chuckled at my own forgetfulness and reached down, stroking that cat as he purred gently. Not long after, I gave Milo new food and new water and began to get ready for the movie marathon day. On this day, every wolf from all the packs came and gathered in one clearing. We all packed our way in and brought blankets to sit on. All day, the Alphas and some of the Betas and Lunas played their favorite movies on a gigantic projector screen while half of the werewolves watched and the other half made out in the woods. I always assumed I'd be watching the movie… but maybe not.I got dressed quickly into the pajamas I planned for this event - a pair of black and white striped shorts and a matching white shirt with a black collar and sleeves. I threw my hair up into a messy bun and pulled on a pair of fuzzy socks and N