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

(Adira)

The air felt wrong, nothing felt right. Goosebumps covered my body. But still, I ran. Is this the humans’ trap? Will they place me in one of their communities? Will they strap a collar on my neck? The humans, torturously made dog collars for us, are linked to a stone. Some rumours go back to my ancestors being the ones who buried the stone. It weakened us and killed others. Slowly walking the old shipyard, looking for the address I am given. The wind howls around me, every bone tells me to turn around. Run. Regardless, I pressed onward. This is my family, my annoying brother. They had to be set free, and I was dead set on making that happen.

Standing outside an old warehouse, the rain-spattered onto my jacket. No sign of anyone here, either. Shivering in the icy rain, listening for the slightest sound. A stone echoed on the old warehouse roof. Did I stumble backward, right into a wall? In the shock, a hand spins me to face them. Staring up at three men, two look almost exactly alike, both wearing white sleeveless shirts and faded jeans. They cut dark wavy hair short of their shoulders. Their eyes had some sort of an uneasy glimmer in them. Turning my attention to the third, a bald man with a flannelette shirt and a face that had kissed his youth already.

“Adira Stone.” The older man held his hand out.

“Yes?” I said hesitantly.

“It’s your uncle!” He grinned.

“Sorry, I didn’t recognise you,” I said.

“You look like your father, dark hair and eyes! Wow!” He exclaimed.

“He told me you are dead?” I questioned.

“He had to, I just joined a rebel pack.” Jay shrugged.

“So how do I know it’s you?” I asked.

“See this tattoo, it should be from your childhood.” He held out an arm with a strange vine tattoo.

I stared at it, looking over the markings. Just as I was about to run. The memory came to me. Dad knocked on the door anxiously. Mum kept her hands on our shoulders and continuously glanced around. A man who looked similar to my father opened the door with a huge grin. He pulled us into the musty apartment.

“It’s about time you visited!” He exclaimed.

“You know it’s difficult, Jay, we have to protect the kids.” Dad murmured.

The memory faded, but I remembered what Jay had told me. How to find the mark, the mark that would tell it is the real jay. In one minute, the mark jumped right out at me.

“How did you get my number?” I questioned.

“Questions later, Adira.” Jay said.

“What do you-- “I mumbled sleepily.

“Sleep now, niece.” Jay whispered in a sombre tone.

Struggling, fighting the urge to shut my eyes. Completely confused about why this is happening and fearing for my life. Is he working for the government? Am I going to join my family? Am I going to die? Why would my uncle do this? The wolf inside me is fighting the drug and raging, wanting to take their heads off. That fight-or-flight mode, but we are losing regardless. Darkness is sweeping over us, a mind-numbing drug is pumping in my blood. My free will is in the hands of my uncle and his rebel pack. Not the birthday I had planned, and suddenly I regretted leaving Elijah’s cosy apartment. They might not have found me there, maybe my parents hadn’t been captured. Maybe they are looking for me, I had to find out. When I woke, I would run.

Waking up is proving to be difficult. Every so often I would open my eyes in a dark, musty smelling room. A bed spring is digging into the middle of my back and I can barely move. Zip-ties looped around my ankles and wrists to the metal frame of the bed. A small candle flickered to the left of me and danced with every breath I took. My stomach rumbled, and it also swirled with the world as it spun around me. Sweat drenched me. Reality is questionable when you’re looped in your memories. Sometimes it is my mother screaming at me to wake up, other times it is Xavier telling me they’re dead. Shaking my head, as if to clear it from the drug. My head is finally clearer, my strength is returning. Yanking my arms from the zip-ties so hard they snapped. I pulled myself from the old mattress. My goal is to get to the door. The doorknob rattled. I desperately looked for a window. None. My heart sank in a fluttering panic as the door swung open.

“So this is?” A deep voice said from the doorway.

“My niece.” I recognized Jay’s voice

“Tell me why you brought her again?” The voice snaps.

“My family’s history, the power she could have..” Jay whispered.

“Repeat to me.” The deep voice hissed.

“The Spirit gene runs in the oldest child in my family.” Jay said.

“She’s a twin!” The voice spat.

“But she is the firstborn,” Jay argued.

“I don’t care. Just prep her, let’s wake up this spirit gene.” The voice hissed.

“Alpha, she could be useful either way.” Jay whispered.

“If she doesn’t have it, you both die.” The man growled.

Uncle Jay and the stranger walked in and flicked the light on. I struggled to see blinking as my eyes adjusted. When they finally did, I locked eyes with the man. Instantly, my entire body is chilled. Complete evil. Then he smiled, his golden eyes danced with vibrant flames, His body tensed with excitement like a dog with a new toy only this time? I was the toy. He pulled a sharp-looking needle from his pocket and jabbed it into my neck. He scooped me up and threw me over his shoulder as if I were nothing. I fought, but my movements were pathetically weak. I prayed I would die quick. The excitement in his eyes made me sick to my stomach.

“Let’s wake you up…” he whispered.