Chapter 1

A little girl, no more than six years old, reached for the dirt-stained curtains as it separated her little bedroom from the living room. Her E/C eyes looked for the two adults she called her parents. Her small voice echoed across the room as he called, "Mom? Dad?"

The light of the fireplace was low, and the flames dying. It barely lit up the patchwork couch that sat across from it.

The two adults looked at the child who had called their names. The woman smiled kindly at the child, beckoning her closer with a single motion. "Come here, Y/N."

The child obeyed and climbed into the woman's lap.

"Something wrong, sweetie?" The woman asked.

"Can't sleep." Y/N muttered into the woman's shoulder. Her tiny arms reached around her mother's neck in a hug.

"Why don't we go for a little walk." Said Father. With a grunt he got to his feet and moved to the door, awaiting the arrival of his daughter.

"Go on." Mother encouraged, she pushed Y/N lightly off her lap and towards the awaiting man.

"Okay." Y/N said as she jumped down from the couch and moved towards her father.

The man placed a warm cloak around her shoulders, the brown wool covered her white nightgown. "There we go. Now you're ready."

Y/N beamed at her father's words and followed the man out the door. Both walked at a relaxed pace, even when she got distracted by the movement of bushes in her perpetual vision.

She looked at her father who was distracted by talking to a night guard. Y/N saw her chance and slipped way, a decision she would soon regret.

The bushes still swayed from some kind of interference as there was no wind that night. As she got closer, her childness curiosity took over. Hazel eyes stared back at her, blinking slowly in observation.

"Hello there," encouraged Y/N, "come on. You can do it."

The animal's eyes disappeared as it retreated into the bush.

"Oh, no. Come back."

Without a second thought, Y/N ran after the animal, leaving her father still conversing with the guard.

She ran through the forest that surrounded her village, following the tail of some animal. The tail was fluffy and a dusty brown colour.

"Wait up!" She yelled at the animal. Hope crept up as the animal slowed down at her call. But before she could catch up, she stumbled and fell onto the dirt covered floor. She lifted her head to see the last of the animal's tail disappear into the foliage, sad at the loss of the animal. "No..."

A tear slipped from her grasp and fell to the forest floor. As she pulled herself up to a seated position realization dawned on her. She broke the one rule her parents had given her. It rang through her mind on repeat.

Never enter the forest after dark. Never enter the forest after dark. Never enter the forest after dark!

Now her tears fell without halt, she had disappointed her parents and she knew. Y/N looked around, hoping—praying—she would remember her way home. But every tree looked the same everywhere she looked.

"Hello?" She called into the night. "Father?"

Nothing answered her call, only the sounds of a forest at night were heard. But a single howl pierced through that eerily silence. It was closer than she expected.

Y/N was run over a second later. Now she had the taste of dirt on her tongue. She opened her mouth to speak, but didn't get the chance to. A heavy object pinned her to the floor on her stomach.

She twisted her neck to see what had landed on her back. Her eyes widened at the massive wolf on her back. Its coat a dusty brown and the hazel eyes that stared back without fear.

Y/N swallowed her saliva in fear. Her eyes darted to the fangs that were on display in his maw. They came closer and closer to her shoulder, scratching the surface of her skin.

She started to struggle underneath the beast, but a single warning growl halted her movement. Her life seemed to flash before her eyes as thoughts of death raced through her mind.

The fangs that scratched her skin broke it and blood welled up from the wound. She froze from the pain that flared underneath her skin. Fire and ice clashed in her veins. She was both hot and cold, her mind didn't know what to do with this pain and it shut her down. Her conscious faded and vision turned black, fainting on the spot as the wolf still kept his fangs inside her shoulder.

***

I awoke with a gasp in my bed, breathing uneven. I placed my hand on my chest to try and calm my racing heart. "You're fine," I whispered to myself, "that was fifteen years ago. You're still alive. The guards and Father found you in time and treated the wound."

My hand glided from my heart to my shoulder, feeling the rough skin that was there since that night. I knew what that scar meant, but six year old me didn't. The curse was not kind to me on the first full moon.

I looked out my barely covered window to the setting moon. It was almost full, the next night it would take control of the curse and force me to become something I had no choice in or control over.

I knew that I couldn't sleep anymore and decided to give mother a head start with breakfast.

An hour later both mother and father came from their room, awoken by the smell of breakfast.

"Good morning, Mother. Father." I greeted with a smile thrown over my shoulder, before I continued to stir the stew in the pot above the fire.

We didn't have much, but we were content with the comfort we had. I had never known riches or even anything remotely close to it. Our lord was kind and did his best to keep the village in good condition. He offered basic education for the children and further study to those who wanted it.

"Breakfast is ready." I said, and gestured to the already set table.

"Thank you, Y/N." Said Mother. She took her place at the table and waited for me to serve the meal.

It didn't take long for everyone to have a bowl of steaming stew in front of them and a piece of bread beside it. The meal started in silence before Father spoke up.

"Y/N, will you help us today on the field?"

"Sure, Father." I responded. "What needs to be done?"

"Just sow the wheat seeds in the parts that we have ploughed."

I nodded and finished my meal. "I just need to change and I will meet you out on the field." I got up from the table and moved to my little bedroom. It didn't have much, just a single bed and a drawer that held my clothes. The nightstand was log that held a candle and a book from the lord's library.

The outfit wasn't much, just a basic brown skirt that just about reached my ankles. My boots had the same colour as my skirt and laced up. The shirt was an off white, almost cream coloured, with a square neckline. The sleeveless bodice was a lovely blue, the only luxury I owned, it laced up-front with a black cord. Mother had sewn the bodice for my eighteen birthday. I mended it whenever I could.

I grabbed my cloak from a nail that was hammered in my doorway. The black wool kept me well warm in the cold weather. "See you tonight, Mother!" I called out as I followed father to the field.

The other famers were already there and hard at work, having brought their own sons and daughters to help.

Father stopped me before we reached the field. "Your mother and I spoke and decided for you it is far over your time to find a husband. Talk with the sons here, maybe you find one suited to become your spouse soon."

My mouth fell open at the topic he just dropped. "Father! I know I am far over the age to find a husband, but I am happy as I am at the moment. I will talk to them to please you, but do not expect me to offer my hand in marriage for any of them." I refused to marry to any of these boys. Sure they had a basic education given from the lord, but most of them were still too stupid find their own backside.

"You will talk with them with the task of finding a husband." Father reprimanded me sternly.

I shrunk slightly under his glare. He didn't like my refusal, I didn't dare to say I found them dumb. I could not find the courage to look him in the eyes.

"It is time you contribute to this village. The best way to repay the kindness of our lord is to marry one of the sons present here. He gave you a basic education and provides for us. You should—"

Father ranted on and on, but I didn't listen anymore. The words flew over my head. I let out a silent sigh and looked at the daughters as they prepare to sow the fields. They laughed among themselves, gossip was exchanged and some of them waived to the sons who were helping their fathers prepare the horses for ploughing the field.

I didn't care about them, or the sons who responded with waves back. I rather hide deep inside the forest, reading book after book. But sadly my father was a farmer and he needed all the help he could need, because we provide the grain needed for the village.

Father had finally finished his lecture and released me with a final warning. "You will find a husband. If not we won't allow you to borrow books from the lords library."

"I will, Father." I said with defeat. They knew I liked to read in my free time, and the punishment was the perfect one to get me to do what they liked.

Without a further complaint I joined the girls and helped them prepare for the work ahead of us.

***

I was released early with the other daughters to help mother with the preparation of dinner. I ran home, knowing Mother didn't need my help at all. She would probably heat up the stew from this morning. It gave me the idea to hide in my room for the rest of the day.

"I'm home." I called as I closed the door behind me. The smell of spices drifted through the living room. It was a bit hot as well, Mother probably stoked the flames higher to keep the stew warm. "Father is still helping the others with the horses."

"Very well." Mother said and kept stirring the stew. "Can you set the table? Than you can retreat to your room to read your book."

"Yes, Mother." With quick steps and hurried movements I set the table. Was it the neatest job? No, but it was done.

I retreated to my room. The curtain that was my door fell closed behind me, giving the illusion of privacy. With a fluent movement I pulled my backpack from underneath my bed. Since the curse I had it, it had some basic necessities for the transformation. The only luck on the curse was that I didn't rip my clothes, but it still hurt as much as the first time I transformed. I just know about the pain and let it happen.

The bag just contained a spare set of clothes, as the dirt did transfer from fur to cloth. I didn't want to return home covered in mud and other things that could give my once a moon wild nights away. The village wasn't kind to those out of place.

I threw a quick glace out the window to access the state of the sun. It would be about two more hours before it set and the moon showed its power.

Dinner was over quicker than I expected, more along the lines that Father lectured me again about finding a husband. I just smiled and let the words run right over my head, nodding every once in a while.

I helped Mother with the dishes and returned to my room soon after, whishing both my parents a good night.

Now it was time for me to disappear into the night and return in the morning. With the backpack slung over one shoulder, I slipped out the window and avoided the villagers who prepared their houses for the night.

Because everyone had a role they played in the village, the people became easy to predict. A guard would pass and greet the hunter that closed the shutters on his house. The hunter would grumble about the extra work now that the wolves were more active this night.

I passed everyone with ease and reached the forest. Here I could relax. Now it was time to meet up with the small pack and await the full moon.

The thinning of trees signalled the clearing that would soon come. Voices filled my ears before the sight of people filled my vision.

I stepped into the clearing with a smile and greeted them. "Hello."

I got a chorus of greetings in return and dropped my bag on the stack of others.

"How you've been?" A young girl asked, she was the youngest among us, as I joined the small group.

"Doing alright, though the pins and needles are getting on my nerves." I answered as I observed the group. Three girls. We were all around the same age, though between the eldest and youngest were just two years. I fell right in the middle of the group.

"Yeah," the middle eldest girl amended, "that is the annoying part of it all."

"Not the pain of the transformation?" The young girl asked.

The eldest girl joined in. "It just hurts. It isn't annoying." She shrugged.

We had all gotten used to the pain of the transformation. There wasn't much else we could do about it.

"Who are we still waiting for?" The youngest of the group asked.

"Grandpa." Said the eldest girl. She scanned our surrounding in the hopes to find the old man.

"I'm here." An old voice rang through the clearing.

Our heads snapped to the sound and saw an old man with a grey beard and pepper and salt hair, hazel eyes, that never looked clearly at the world, observed the small group.

Grandpa walked over to our group, his movements slow and careful. He complained underneath his breath about a bad back that we all heard.

"Could you tell the story of the first werewolf, Grandpa?" The middle eldest girl asked with a hopeful expression.

"You all know the story by now, you know?" Grandpa said with astonishment that we still requested the story every time before we transformed.

"Please?" We all begged and the old man gave in.

"Fine, fine. But we make it quick."

We gathered around the man and took a seat on the moss covered floor. Our ears sharp for the story to come.

"Long ago, before time even had a name, men worshiped the gods. They treated them like higher beings, serving them with every ounce of faith. Never wavering, never relenting. In return the gods bestowed blessing upon those they favoured. Sometimes it was a healthy child, other times it was luck."

Grandpa moved among the group, his hand movements grand and full of expression.

"One man questioned the god he served. Never he saw a blessing placed upon him. His faith waivered and he cursed the god. The god was everything but happy with his subject cursing him and send his servant to deal with the man. His home was burnt down and a curse was placed on him. The servant delivered the revenge of his master and the first werewolf was born."

He ended his story, but I had a feeling that it was not over yet. "What happened to the god and his servant?"

Grandpa grinned and answered mysteriously. "They got the punishment they deserved."

Before I could ask to elaborate, he clapped his hands together. "The moon is upon us."

That silenced the group and we waited for the moon to shine its light into the clearing. A few stars blinked down upon us in the dark blue sky. They were our only witness to what transpired inside the woods.

The moonlight was soft on our eyes, but not on the curse that ran through our veins. I could hear the other groan in pain before I could only focus on my own searing pain.

Fire hotter than the flames of a hearth and ice colder than the winter nights surged through my body. My brain wanted to shut down, but I refused to let it happen. A groan escaped my lips as my bones started to move underneath my skin. They stretched and morphed to pull me to four paws. Fur sprouted on my skin as my clothes disappeared into nothingness, returning when the sun was on the rise.

I panted at the last of my bones settled and the growth of the fur came to halt. The moonlight was brighter now that my sight became better, the smells of the forest intruded through my sensitive nose. I heard the other rise to their feet and I followed.

We looked at the massive grey wolf across from us, our Alpha of the pack. He called the shots and we followed.

We hunt. The order thundered through my mind, not questioning it that the others received the same message.

We howled to the moon and jumped into action. The fresh sent of a group of deer that had passed through here moments before we had arrived hung in the air.

Alpha took the lead. As a wolf he didn't complain about his back or old bones and led with a frisk pace.

We followed and sniffed the air every once in a while.

This way! I called out as I caught a stronger sent of the herd. It was now my turn to lead the group for a bit more, before another would call the shots.

Alpha let us all lead every once in a while. He thought we should all learn, in case he could no longer hunt with us. His thought was that we should hunt as a pack, not as an individual.

Here! The youngest called, having spotted the herd through some bushes.

We all looked through the underbrush and saw the herd grazing peacefully. A elder stag looked over the group, keeping alert for predators.

The stag is mine. Alpha called out, taking his claim on the herd.

I was a bit disappointed that I couldn't have it. The thrill to hunt it down was exhilarating, but I had to do with another. I scanned the herd until my eyes fell on a deer that stood a bit way from the herd. It looked like she was cast out.

I claim the deer away from the herd. I called out in our hivemind, laying claim to my own pray.

The others singled out their choices and we got to work. We helped each other locate the prey, but from that point on it was your own responsibility to catch your meal.

I pulled away from the pack and sneaked closer to deer I had selected, using the underbrush to hide my presence. I licked my maw at the thought of the meal I was about to have.

We hunt now. Alpha command and jumped from his hiding place.

It was now a flurry of panicked deer and hunting wolves. Nobody was ready to give up on their pray, not in slightest. I honed in on the deer and ran after her as she fled. With a powerful thrust of my back paws, I jumped onto her back and pulled her down. My fangs sank into her neck and the iron tang of blood ran across my tongue.

The deer struggled a bit longer, before succumbing to her injury. Her glassy eyes stared into the sky without ever taking in the sight of the twinkling stars. Now she ran among them, looking down upon us.

I looked over to the group, taking score of who caught their choice and who had failed.

The youngest licked her paw in defeat. She had failed to hunt a younger stag and got bested in the fight, now licking her injury. The rest seemed to have had more luck.

Come here. I called to the youngest. I will share.

Thank you. She moved towards me and helped me carry the deer to the centre of the field. I watched the others do the same and we looked to Alpha to give the okay to eat.

We didn't spot him on the field, but we did notice we were out of the forest and on the just ploughed field. Right in the open and the torches of the village alerted us about the village. They were awake and angry.

They stormed onto the field, pitchforks, bows and arrows and other weaponry they could find were pointed at us.

I growled and stepped in front of the youngest werewolf. You will not touch them!

The pack moved closer to me and followed my hostile posture. It was now all or nothing. Live or die.