Chapter One
I could feel my lungs burning and the fire running through my body was exhilarating. The full moon had been calling to me from the moment I was old enough to understand the compulsion. There was no ignoring the call of the wild and how it would seem to whisper my name in the wind.
I was born during a tragedy, in a storm, where I stood in a puddle of my parent’s blood. Being in therapy was something my new adopted parents had insisted on. They didn’t need to know how that one moment had shaped my life. I was only three years old at the time and I could vividly recall every single detail down to the smell of the blood in the air. I saw them lying lifeless with vacant eyes staring up at me. I didn’t cry but I was unresponsive when they found me, completely in this catatonic state.
My therapist was a good listener and she encouraged me to uncover my past. There was a wall inside me, cracking with the pressure but it had remained intact. Something was telling me there was a good reason why my memory was blocked. It was the main catalyst for my studies to revolve around psychology in university. I was in my last year and I was ready to put up my private shingle to pay off my considerable tuition in the thousands.
I was always timid around strangers, never one to make a good first impression. It wasn’t like I was afraid of my shadow but it seemed pointless to make any lasting connections. The night was my friend and when people were nestled tight in their beds, I was running, with adrenaline racing through my veins during the hunt. There was an inner voice, something teaching me through dreams how to become the predator and not the prey. I was nobody’s victim and could become the worst nightmare of those weaker species.
I jumped over the fallen tree, landing quietly with my body relaxed and calm despite the inclement weather. The wind had picked up and the rain was falling, obscuring my vision. Adapting to the environment was something I was good at. My reflexes were honed into a razor’s edge. I refrained from getting into fights at school, resorting to diplomacy with words instead of actions, unless absolutely necessary.
Being out in nature stripped me down to the bare essence and being naked felt perfectly natural to me. The curves of my body, at 5’4” and 125 pounds, with breasts quite large for my frame, didn’t hinder me. They did bring about certain unwanted attention, however. I knew all about sex but none of those little boys were going to touch me. I gave off this aura to keep them at an arm’s length. I had no interest in fending off their advances during my formative years.
I stopped and breathed deeply, taking a slow breath in through my nose and out through my mouth, with a count of six between each one. My studies in yoga and meditation gave me a clear mind. It was very hard for anybody to get under my skin when I normally chose to turn the other cheek. It was only when innocent victims were being hassled that I would intervene on their behalf. A good right cross could back down the strongest man.
I strung the bow with one of my homemade arrows finding my target and shooting with efficiency to hear that whistle of appreciation in the air. It was a double-edged sword. Killing came naturally to me but I was reluctant to share this piece of crucial information with my parents. Hunting made me feel alive, no longer feeling like somebody looking in from the outside.
I quietly observed the rabbit struggling for its last breath. It was always a guilty thrill to see the life drain from its eyes. I was not some dainty flower in desperate need of a man to complete me. Being a student of human nature gave me an insight nobody else had. I understood the intricacies of the human mind and how to perceive a threat even when they were smiling.
It had been a long night and the moon overwhelmed me until I was exhausted, barely able to lift a finger.
There was a sensation of somebody watching me but there was nobody there to the naked eye. This was a weekly occurrence and I couldn’t seem to escape it. I could be sleeping soundly, comfortable in my bed, when I would bolt straight up with my whole body covered in a sheen of sweat from my neck all the way down to my toes.
I lie there now, looking at the stars and staring at the moon. Astronomy was my pastime and I learned all about the Greek gods in school. It was an interesting subject and I went above and beyond to learn more. It led me to supernatural superstitions and those things that went bump in the night. For some reason, I was particularly interested in learning more about werewolves. They were truly fascinating creatures with folklore spanning back centuries.
This was my time to enjoy the serenity and solitude of nature. The real world was noisy and complicated. My senses were highly attuned to everything around me including the slightest noise of a branch snapping. The cool breeze tickled my skin and I was starting to get my second wind. The warm rain ran over my body and I turned my head skyward to feel it come down on my face.
The first time I went exploring behind my house was met with a full course press of people looking for me. The search party found me safe and sound not the least bit concerned for my safety. The animals kept their distance and only ventured closer when I became more comfortable in my skin.
My platinum blond hair was cut short and people mistook me for being a lesbian. I didn’t correct them and felt it was shortsighted of them to label me. I usually put my head down trying to stay off their radar. My grades could’ve been better but I really didn’t apply myself, knowing deep down there was something waiting for me in the distance.
I made my way back to the old farmhouse on the outskirts of town. The animals were put to bed and I was the first in the morning to do my chores at the crack of dawn. My window was open and I easily shimmied up the drainpipe with the balance of an alley cat. My parents were no longer concerned and they couldn’t stop me from awakening in the middle of the night.
The room was tastefully decorated with pictures of wildlife instead of teenage idols. I was on my hands and knees. I made it back to me and pulled the sheets over my head to drown out the rest of the world. I barely had my eyes closed when it happened again.
“Alyssa, It’s time you learn the truth. You must have known there was something different about you. The age of maturity comes when you turn 21 in two days. A decision is going to have to be made but don’t be fooled by those pretending to be your friends. I will be your guide and that little voice of persuasion on your shoulder. I’ve been watching and waiting for this day. Don’t try to find me. I will find you when the time is right.” I listened and tried to determine where the voice was coming from but it became obvious it was in my head.
This one was Callan. The other two were Wesley and Crosby.
I was afraid I was losing my mind, with those voices talking to me when I least expected it. They were almost familiar and I was no longer questioning my sanity. I knew the voices were real and not some imaginary manifestation of my pain.
My mother and father would stop talking when I entered a room. They looked at me in fear for their lives but I could never understand why. I didn’t consider myself a threat but there was something they knew which had caused this emotional distance between us. It could’ve been how I didn’t seem to socialize and retreated to my bedroom with my nose in a book.
“There’s something about your voice that seems almost soothing. My past has always been a mystery. I’ve been told stories about where I came from but none of them really rang true. I know I’m different than everybody else and there’s no shortage of people telling me so. Why should I trust you and the other two when you won’t even do me the courtesy of showing your faces after all these years?” I felt this localized sensation and his voice conveyed a raw sexuality, exciting a certain part of my anatomy.
“It’s not time for me to reveal myself. There are forces at work behind the scenes which you should become aware of. Friends can’t be trusted. There’s not much more I can say until the awakening. Don’t be afraid of the unknown. You’ve already begun to put the pieces toge
ther without being aware of it. Others will see you as a threat. We will do everything in our power to keep you safe but you have all the tools in your possession to protect yourself.” It was a bunch of riddles and I felt like he was trying to tell me something without coming out and saying it.
I went to the window to feel the cold glass against my fingertips. There was more than one shadow. They seemed to be stretching across the lawn from within the trees afraid to come out into the moonlight.
There was a crack of thunder and a streak of lightning lit up the backyard like the 4th of July. The window panes shuddered in protest and there was a fleeting image of something moving. In the blink of an eye, it came through the window, shattering the glass in its wake. I fell back on the floor and scrambled back until I was up against the wall with no place to go. Shards of glass were buried in my palms and I could feel small slivers in other parts of my body.
There was darkness and a looming presence until the snarling jaws of a white wolf, similar to the depictions on my wall, was stalking me.
It somehow dawned on me the voice and the wolf was connected in some way. I reached out and ran my hand through its white fur. It was soft and there was something almost sensual about the way that I was touching him. Its tongue licked my hand and it suddenly turned into a naked man nuzzling up to my hand. I couldn’t see his face, somehow it remained distorted just out of sight.
Three more wolves in pure black came through the window. They attacked without the slightest provocation. I felt their teeth tear into my flesh and I struggled to remain conscious while I was losing a ridiculous amount of blood all over my floor. Why didn’t my parents come in when they heard the breaking glass?
The wakeup call came with the faint sound of my alarm clock going off.
I sprung to attention, sitting straight up, feeling my heart racing and my pulse pumping wildly in my wrists. The whole thing was a dream. Escaping my reality meant going into the darkest recesses of my mind, which made the forest a metaphorical obstacle standing in my way. It was always the same and the window was still intact but that didn’t explain the many little cuts in the palm of my hand.
It wasn’t sensible to listen to the voices. My therapist called it transference but I didn’t prescribe to the notion. The dreams felt more real than anything else in my life and I wasn’t about to ignore them. The voices told me they were grooming me and when I questioned what they were grooming me for they told me to be patient. There were only two days left before I turned 21. My life would begin and end at the same time, at the stroke of midnight a new chapter was going to be written.
Chapter Two
My only friend had convinced me to try a blind date. I was regretting the very idea but Shelly could be quite persuasive. She wanted her friends to be as happy as she was and didn’t mind playing cupid. I figured I would play the game and graciously end the evening with a handshake. I wasn’t much for idle chitchat and my main interests didn’t have anything to do with sports or cars.
“I’m not sure I can go through with this. I will do this on one condition and it’s non-negotiable. Call me in an hour with an emergency. We both know this isn’t going to go well and why we are pretending it is, is beyond me. I won’t hesitate to tell him what I think. Dating is a chore and I can’t stand sitting idle for too long.” I held the receiver to my ear walking down the sidewalk in a transitioning neighborhood.
I was well aware of my surroundings, including those who were peddling drugs and prostitution, but it was none of my business. Getting involved would mean spotlighting some of my unusual talents. I had already scared a few people in high school with my athletic prowess and rumors of me breaking a man’s hand weren’t entirely correct. I actually broke his arm in three places and sent him to the hospital for three months of rehabilitation.
I didn’t give him the satisfaction of worshiping his godlike status and he took exception. Touching me was the worst mistake of his life and he was never going to play football again. There was no way he was going to blame me in public but secretly he would ride by from time to time firing off a couple of rounds. His aim was atrocious and he couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn.
“Alyssa, he’s a nice guy from a good family with money to burn. He’s a bit shy and it’s going to take a bit to get him to come out of his shell. Daniel is just getting his feet wet in the financial district but he has a softer side with his art. I’ve seen some of his stuff and to say they were controversial would be an understatement,” Shelly was a thousand miles away, on loan to consult on a private project for the military and she had taken her significant other with her as an impromptu vacation.
I think she was afraid of leaving him alone to fend for himself with their kid. They pawned their little boy off on his mother. Thankfully, his mother was a saint and didn’t mind having unrestricted access to the little boy. I would stop by later in the week, when my studies didn’t have me hopping and up at all hours of the night burning the candle at both ends. It was a thankless task and my only reward was seeing my grades posted.
“I am a little curious about his art and that’s the only reason why I’m doing this. I’ve always been creative in my own way with poetry and my writing. I’ve also always been good at making friends and I could use somebody of like mind to bounce ideas off of. We could become each other’s muse without the necessity of getting naked,” I declared knowing that she was not going to let me backpedal out of it graciously.
“The only thing I ask is that you give him a chance,” She implored. I should have ignored her but the woman was looking out for my best interests even though she didn’t really know me as well as she thought she did.
I stopped and looked at myself in the reflection of a shop window with the glaring lights pinpointing my flaws. My eyes, one green and the other blue, were always a conversation starter. It wasn’t necessarily what people could see which bothered me the most, though. There was this telltale scar on the back of my neck which had been a subject of debate from the moment I was old enough to know there had to be a reason for it.