The Lost Luna

Chapter 1

The moon was full, not a cloud in the sky. I ran through the wet forest, I could feel it coming, my skin was crawling. I just needed to keep running, make it further into the forest before it was too late. My bare feet crushing the leaves under them as I ran as fast as I could, willing myself to hold of for just a little longer. I gritted my teeth, as I pushed myself harder, jumping over a rotten tree that had broken off and fallen months ago, my feet landed with a hard thump. I couldn't hold off any longer, I hit the ground on my hands and knees, throwing my head back as my eyes changed to a golden brown, my canines forcing there way through my gums. I dug my nails into the ground, hunching my back as my bones broke and realigned, fur covering my skin, as the last of my transition took over me. I gave a loud howl up to the moon, before my beast took off into the night.

It had gotten easier the last few shifts. There wasn't as much pain, I didn't lose myself to the beast, and my memories with the shift. Instead, I got to see through my wolves' eyes, got to feel everything she felt. I was no longer missing everything that happened when she took over. I got to feel the ground beneath my paws, the wind in my fur. Everything was brighter, my senses so heightened I could hear everything around me, from the animals scurrying through the leaves, to the deer miles away near the stream. It was amazing.

My wolf took off towards the stream, her stomach growling in anticipation to the fresh kill that would be hers. As she got closer, she crept along the ground until she spotted it through the bushes. She took her time with it, watching its movements, sensing the world around it for any other predators that may have been stalking it as well, but there was only her and her meal. She licked her lips before soaring through the air, landing on the deer's back and sinking her teeth into its neck, shredding its jugular. The warm blood filled her mouth as the deer hit the ground. She made the kill quick, ripping its jugular out and watching as the life left its eyes. She thanked the moon goddess for this meal, it was a fat one. She wouldn't need to hunt again tonight, there would plenty here to leave her full and satisfied until tomorrow. I watched through her eyes as she tore into its stomach, going for its liver, her favorite part of any kill besides the heart. She swallowed it whole before tearing into its ribs, devouring its heart before licking the blood dripping from her snout. Looking up to the sky she gave a loud howl before finishing her meal, leaving nothing inside. She wasn't one to waste a good kill. The moon goddess provided, and the life gave to her in order to sustain her body she would forever be grateful for, which meant leaving nothing to waste.

I didn't relish in the kill like she did. It wasn't as filling for me as it was to her, instead I felt bad for the animal whose life had to end in order to feed my beast. I understood that it was a part of life, and apart of me, but it wasn't something that I enjoyed like I did other parts. I loved how free I felt when I shifted, being with my wolf and feeling everything she felt, the freedom was my favorite part. The freedom is what made me not want to shift back into my human form, but I knew if I did that, I would lose myself in my beast. I would become more beast than human, and it would be hard for me to shift back. So instead, I would enjoy all the moments I had with her.

It was getting close to daylight, which meant it was time to start heading back to the house. She ran through the forest, dodging trees and jumping over broken limbs before coming up to the edge of the yard. Still hidden behind the bushes, I felt the shift come over me. My bones snapping and rearranging, the fur receding and my skin taking its place. I felt the sting of my canines going back into my gums, and my paws turning into hands. I stood up, grabbing my clothes from the bag behind the tree, throwing them on I walked across my back yard and into the warmth of my house.

Oddly enough, I wasn't tired. My body didn't ache, muscles didn't burn. It was refreshing, another thing that had changed over time. My body was finally adjusting to the shift. I was becoming one with my wolf. Sighing, I locked the door behind me and headed towards the fridge. Grabbing a bottle of orange juice, I headed up to my room.

"So, what are we going to do today?" I said to myself in the mirror. I haven't done much these days. After watching my family be massacred by a pack of rogues, I pretty much kept to myself. I ran from my old pack, and never looked back. It was hell going through my first shift on my own and every time after that, but I didn't have a choice. My father and mother, the alpha and luna of my old pack, was gone along with everyone I ever loved. I didn't know if anyone survived the attack, hadn't looked back to find out. I just ran, like my parents told me to do, only I didn't run to the neighboring pack like they said, instead I ran until I couldn't run anymore and ended up in this small town out in the boonies. My parents left me more than enough money in a private account, so I could take care of myself for a while without having to worry about anything. There was this nagging part inside of me, telling me that they knew what was coming, that's why they had a plan. But if they knew something was coming then why hadn't they tried to get help from the other packs so we could fight back. Something wasn't adding up, but I would never know the truth about what happened or why. Sighing to myself I turned away from my reflection and walked into the closet to grab some clothes.

Settling on a pair of black leggings and my Aaron Lewis hoodie, I grabbed my black combat boots from the corner and got dressed. My hair was as usual a mess, well a mess to me anyways, it was running down my back in thick gold curls. The only way to manage it was to pull it up, but I didn't feel like messing with it today, so I just let it go. Looking in the mirror, I could see my mom looking back at me through my eyes. It was the only thing I had gotten from her and my father, the beautiful crystal blue eyes that made me miss them more every time I looked in the mirror. I wouldn't let myself cry today, not again, instead I put on some mascara and lip-gloss before heading out the door.