Those harsh words repeated in her head like a mantra, as she paced back and forth in the woods outside the pack. It was already growing dark. All this while, her mother only saw her as the vermin the rest of the pack called her.
All the pretense. The love and care, was every bit of it fake. She was heartbroken, her wolf enraged, growing even angrier by the second. The full moon hung high in the night sky, its silvery light spilling like liquid over the trees, illuminating the forest in a ghostly glow.
She could already feel it in her veins, every fiber and muscle of her body reacting. She gasped as her bones cracked, and she shifted, ripping through her clothes.
Landing on all four, she raised her snout towards the sky, a loud howl erupting from her chest. She picked up sprinting, the air brushing against her spotless white fur as she cut past the trees.
For the first time, she felt like a true werewolf, her senses more enhanced than they had ever been during the past full moons. That night, she and her wolf were one, minds completely intertwined.
*****
In a completely silent room, shrouded in darkness, Ian lay on the bed, shirtless, the moonlight shining on his face from the opened blinds. His eyes remained closed, face pale, devoid of any colour, yet looking utterly calm in his deep sleep.
The next moment, his eyes snapped open, pupils bright red. He sat up, bringing his legs down as he cracked his neck left and right, before standing up.
Striding over to the wardrobe, he took out a black long sleeve shirt and put on his shoes, glancing at the full moon outside the window for a moment before leaving the gloomy room.
His shoes clicked softly as he made his way down the stairs. He could hear his brothers' voices from the dining room, but he had no intention of stopping to see them.
"You're awake," a voice said from behind him just when he reached the main door.
Ian paused, then spun around to face Ayria.
"Yes," he replied simply, wishing not to drag out a conversation with her.
"Weren't you supposed to be asleep for at least a week?" she asked, brows creasing as she observed his pale face.
"Did you force yourself awake?" she asked again, surprise flickering across her face.
"I've had sufficient rest," Ian said, his face remaining stoic.
"The werewolf... Camelia, she was here to see you yesterday. And I also..." Ayria paused, as if contemplating her next words carefully.
"You seem to be drawn to the girl, so I asked her to offer you her blood."
A brief silence fell between them, but Ian's expression did not shift even a little.
"I appreciate your concern, but that wasn't necessary at all."
"Ian, we need you at your strongest," Ayria said, hoping he would reconsider.
"Do you think I'm weak? Do I look weak to you?" he asked, stepping closer, the colour slowly returning to his skin.
"Yes, you do," Ayria replied, standing her ground.
At this rate, Ian was sure she would not drop the matter.
He sighed, hearing his brothers' voices grow quiet. He knew they would step out from the dining room at any minute.
"We will discuss this later," Ian said, trying to cut the conversation off.
He turned, opened the door, and left in a rush, leaving Ayria standing there with a small frown on her face as she stared at his retreating back.
Shortly after Ian left, Lucas and Thomas came out from the dining room.
"Where do you think he's going to?" Lucas asked as he came to stand by his wife's side.
"To seek that girl out, if I'm not wrong," Ayria said. "His behavior of late has been concerning. Do you think he has already fallen in love with her?"
"No way in hell," Thomas snickered, finding the assumption amusing. "This isn't the first time he's been like this. Have you forgotten that year he found himself a new pretty obsession?"
Lucas glanced Thomas's way with a raised brow.
"Funny you'd say that, but I don't remember him breaking every bone in your body because of his last obsession, as you call it," Lucas said, as Thomas's face broke into a frown.
"That notwithstanding," he continued, "keep an eye on him tonight. It's a full moon and I don't want him getting into any unnecessary trouble."
He turned to his wife, carrying her in his arms and heading towards the stairs without waiting for Thomas's response.
Thomas was not pleased with being left with the task of babysitting his brother, but then again, he could not disobey an order from his older brother.
"Left with the babysitting job again," he clicked his tongue in irritation. "This night better be interesting," he muttered, walking out the still opened door.
After leaving the house, Ian quickly found his way to Camelia's place. He sensed a single heartbeat, her mother's. He had little hope of finding her here, but still came to check.
He turned around to leave, deciding to exit the pack grounds, but then he paused.
"Why are you following me?" he asked, gaze trained on a nearby tree.
Having been caught, Thomas stepped out from behind the tree.
"Just making sure you don't do anything rash and end up angering some wolves. The full moon and all," he said, gesturing towards the sky.
Ian stared at Thomas silently for a moment, contemplating his words, before resuming his strides.
"I'm going for a quick hunt. Try to keep up," he said.
"A hunt?" Thomas said as he jogged over to his brother's side. "Are we hunting werewolves?" he asked, his eyes shining with excitement.
Ian did not respond. Instead, he picked up his pace, and Thomas did the same, their figures passing like a blur through the trees.
They went as far away from the pack as possible, reaching neutral grounds where they knew no wolf would venture.
From above a tall tree branch where Ian stood shirtless, perched like a bird, his sharp crimson eyes watched his prey below.
The deer ate the fresh grasses the woods provided with complete oblivion to the danger stalking it from above.
In a clean move, Ian jumped down from the tree, tackling the deer to the ground, his fangs sinking into its neck as he hungrily sucked its blood.
The animal thrashed, struggling to free itself till its movements stilled, its clear eyes going vacant.
The grasses rustled as Thomas approached, coming to stand close as he watched his brother feed with a hint of disgust in his eyes.
After draining the animal, snuffing out its life, Ian rose, his mouth covered with blood. He inhaled deeply, feeling some of his strength return.
He glanced at Thomas, who still had that disgusted look.
"It doesn't taste as bad as you think it does. In fact," he licked his lips, "it leaves a sweet aftertaste," he added, the edges of his bloody lips stretching into a grin.
"I could never," Thomas said.
"Suit yourself. I'm going to wash up," Ian said, striding away.
He could hear the sound of water flowing nearby; a creek was close. As he got closer, he heard a heartbeat too.
He immediately slowed his movements. He caught sight of a dead animal, half eaten, causing him to frown.
"A werewolf," he muttered.
He thought he had gotten far enough from the pack territory. What was a wolf doing out here this far? He wanted to turn back, but something caught his eye.
White fur like clear snow on a field, shining brightly under the moon. A white wolf bent by the small creek, drinking water.
Ian hid behind a tree, watching with wonder. The wolf did not seem to have caught his scent yet.
He had never seen or heard of a pure white werewolf before, leaving him in utter awe at the sight. But the next second, the wolf raised its head, staring straight in his direction.
Still in her wolf form after her second hunt, Camelia stopped by a small flowing creek to quench her thirst. As she drank, neck bent, she suddenly caught a sweet scent from the air when the wind shifted.
It was all her favourite scents combined together, honey and jasmine. She raised her head towards the direction the scent was coming from and
immediately locked eyes with someone hidden in the trees.
"Mate," her wolf cried, stirring with excitement, warmth flooding her chest.