A LUNA'S SHADOWS (RE-WRITE IN PROGRESS)

(Adira)

Slowly, I turned to face him. A brown sable wolf, three times my size, bright golden eyes glaring down at me. Flanked by three other wolves behind him. Shit. But hey at least it wasn’t Vlad. The sable wolf shifted without warning, changing into a man stinking of alpha rank. In my few short days with Vlad, I had grown to not trust those in power. Anyone could become power-hungry and the wolves of today were desperate for it. He smiled a cheesy green. His golden pupils glimmered with flames.

“You ok?” He questioned, with raised eyebrows.

I probably looked a complete mess with all the dried blood and snow soaked fur.

I nodded.

“Do you need any help? little shadow wolf?” He asked softly.

Something about his voice called me in, like a siren singing to her next victim. His scent drifted over my nose, filling my mind with wonder and excitement. A rare mix I had never felt, but somehow left me needing more like a drug.

I shook my head. No, no more Alphas.

“Typical, probably part of Vlad’s skinned pack.” A girl snorted behind him.

The mere mention of his name sent a shiver through my body. I growled.

“Let’s just get home.” The man in front of me sighed.

I turned away, ready to get out of this cursed area.

“Are you sure you don’t need somewhere?” His voice called behind me.

I shook my head. The wolf in me wanted to turn back to him. A feeling of regret twisted inside me. But rationally, I thought the feeling was insane. He was nothing but a stranger, one I never even cared to know his name and now? That small, basic moment and spurred something inside me. My heart raced, my mind couldn’t shake his eyes. I couldn’t shake the feeling of needing to be lost in them. I felt insane. Running now, I bolted to the only person I could think of that would at least somewhat feel normal. Shifting and quietly stepping up the wooden steps to his door. I shivered in the snowy wind. Knocking on his door, I heard his footsteps stumble closer. Laughing quietly, knowing he would have been snoring his head off just moments ago. The wooden door swung open and revealed a bedhead of golden locks and his favourite pyjamas. I smiled, his face filled with shock and relief.

“Adira?” He said.

“Can I come in?” I whispered.

“You look like hell!” He said, pulling me into his arms.

Warmth, comforting heartbeat. Normal.

“Here, sit down.” He said, sitting me on his small sofa.

“Thank you,” I said with relief.

“What happened?” he asked.

“Well,” I sighed. “My parents and I are wolves.” I said and held my breath.

“Is that where you all went? I checked your house when you didn’t answer your phone.” He said, wrapping an arm around me.

“So you’re not surprised?” I questioned.

“I love you. Nothing changes it. I am just so glad you’re alive!” He said and kissed me on the forehead.

“So, you’re not even mildly hating me?” I asked.

“Not a chance.” He whispered, squeezing me.

“Well, if I told you I have a looney Alpha after me as well... What would you say?” I whispered.

“That he won’t touch you.” He said.

So, sweet. So, innocent. So, human.

“You couldn’t win against an alpha.” I smirk.

“Seriously Adira? I was raised to fight in a ring.” He winked,

I laughed.

“You’re everything to me.” I smiled.

We huddled together with a simple baby blue throw blanket over us. A small electric heater warming the room slowly. The dark blue blackout curtains covered the clear sliding doors. The buzz from the slow black and white movie on TV, Elijah’s watch going off, his one-am-alarm.

“I will just skip my shift today.” He breathed.

“Elijah…” I mumbled sleepily,

“I can’t leave you, not now. What if you weren’t here when I got home?” He mumbled.

“What if the officials come looking?” I mumbled.

“We go down together.” He whispered.

A few seconds after that I was asleep, exhausted from the past few days. Sleep was filled with dreams, both dark and bright. The hungry eyes of the Alpha Vlad, and the vibrant eyes of the Alpha at the alley. I should have known it would have been a short-lived moment. Pounding on the door woke me up. Deep voices argue amongst each other just a short distance from the door. I stared at the coffee table in the small apartment. A small fake cactus sat happily on the clear top. I shook Elijah awake and pointed to the door. He heard the voices and the pounding.

“On the order of the government, Elijah Valgrove opened the door.” He yelled.

I pulled Elijah up; we slipped out the sliding door and looked down at the ground. A few small trimmed bushes. I knew I could make it; I looked at Elijah. Could a human? He jumped off without a word and crashed into the bush below. Panicking, I followed him hoping he wasn’t hurt. Pulling Elijah from the broken bush and dusting the leaves and fine snow from his shoulders.

“Are you okay?” I whispered quickly.

“Fine.” He winced.

I looked down at his leg, a large bloody spot staining into his pyjamas. Wrapping an arm around his shoulders as he leaned into me. We jogged away from the apartments. Alarms were sounding, sending the complex into lockdown. We pushed on toward the city park, Alpine Park, the largest park on this side of the city. The forest backed up into the reserve, and I hoped it would be the last place they would check. But my luck would be useless at this kind of strategy and we both die. We reach a park bench and I wipe the snow away, barely feeling the cold with the adrenaline pumping. I sit Elijah down and think. My heart races and the panic invades my brain, my anxiety believes we are both dead.

“Hey, we will get out of this!” Elijah puts a chilly hand on my arm.

“I can’t let you die, I will die before that happens.” I growled.

“You should have told me you were a wolf.” He sighed.

“It wouldn’t have changed anything, they could have killed you for harbouring me.” I said.

“Adira, I would have been buying a few minutes with the girl I love. I think it would be well worth it.” He said.

“You won’t die…” I growled.

We heard the trucks squeal to a stop before we saw them. But then the boots hit the fine layer of snow and crunched toward us. I scooped my arm around Elijah and headed toward the trees. The only idea I had left. I pushed him against a thick pine and then ran to the next one. My heartbeat so furiously in my chest was hurting. My breathing became shallow with panic as they walked up the tree lines. I heard them yell at Elijah; I heard his body hit the ground. So I leapt and shifted as I did so. Landing on top of one and knocking the gun from his hands before he could flick the safety off. He groaned underneath me. My teeth dug into his throat and tasted his blood. My black fur is damp with the man’s blood. I heard the click of a gun behind me and jumped at the man; the bullet clipped my thigh. A growl rumbled through me as I wrapped my jaws into his neck and felt him become lifeless. Elijah pulled himself up and leaned against the pine tree.

“Nice one.” Elijah whispered.

Until I heard the shot, and I felt it burn into my chest. At first, the area was numb, but I turned to face them and then it hit me. Nothing but a whimper leaves my face as the pain of yet another bullet entering my body waves over me. This one forced me to fall, and I felt Elijah’s hands on my face. Stroking it, only small whimpers leave me. Everything grows dark as I give into the lulling darkness, the icy darkness that takes my pain and pulls me from the living world.