Page 3 of Crystal Luna

Velora used to be part of the celebrations. Her parents had always loved taking her to the riverside where the pack came together. Now, she spent that night as she did every other—by herself. Her mind was still swirling and restless, so she raided the pantry and sat down in the living room, intending to settle in with a movie to distract herself.

Though the longer the night went on, the more anxious she became. Once she was unable to sit any longer, Velora stood up and walked out the back doors onto the patio, hoping the fresh air would settle her mind. She took a deep breath and looked up to the neon moon that was peeking through the clouds.

It came on suddenly and without warning. Her skin felt as if it was being shredded to pieces. Her sternum cracked. Her legs caved in and her skull exploded. Despite the pain she pried her eyes open, determined to find the source. Her lungs emptied in a scream.

Her arms deformed as her skin turned to fur. Her thighs grew thicker, ripping the clothes from her body. Her eyes finally adjusted to the dim light and were able to see much clearer. She heard cheers in the far north and the floor began to move. Only, it wasn’t the floor moving—it was her. She was growing, the ground getting farther away by the second.

As the pain slowly faded, her mind cleared but something was different. She no longer felt alone, like someone was watching her. She looked around and found nothing but broken furniture. There was no one else but her. Then she looked down and flinched as reality struck. Her feet had turned into paws. She whipped her head around, catching sight of the black tail twitching behind her.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm her erratic heartbeat. The surrounding smells overwhelmed her and made her head spin. But before she could panic, a calm soothing soul pushed against her from within.

Her wolf was calming her.

She took another moment to take it all in before her heart stuttered. This meant she was free. She no longer had to stay here. Her wolf gave her the freedom of leaving everything behind.

And since no one had come to check on her or welcome her wolf, no one knew. She turned to walk to her room, but bumped into the doorway that was now too small for her. She let out a frustrated grunt that tickled in her throat and made her tail twitch. This would take a while to get used to, but anything was better than the torture she’d been subjected to.

She tried to remember what her father had told her about his shifts and how he’d learned to return to his human form.

“I try to see myself in the mirror and the form I'd like to become. Once I have the picture in my mind, I try to feel myself as the person I see in front of me. I feel my feet and wiggle my toes, before I stretch my legs and pop my fingers. With practice and patience, it now only takes me seconds to shift.”

She closed her eyes and pictured herself in the mirror that her father had hung up for her when she’d turned ten. It had a large wooden frame that he’d stained a dark, gorgeous colour that matched her bedroom. She pictured her human self and looked down at her naked feet, wiggling her toes in the dirt. She watched as her reflection slowly picked up her knees and extended her legs. Then she stretched her stiff arms and reached her fingers up to her face.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself on the back porch butt naked and surrounded by broken furniture. She couldn’t help but smile as the thought of running away manifested into her heart and soul. Her legs moved of their own volition, taking her to her room. She had no time to think or plan. All she knew was that she had to leave.

She grabbed a bag and threw in the few articles of clothing she owned along with her sketchbook. As she looked around her room, deeming nothing else worthy of taking with her, it was depressing to say the least. Still naked, she made her way upstairs where she filled a second backpack with food before she walked over to the office. There, she found some cash that she split up into the two bags just in case she lost either and an old compass.

Velora left the house again, relieved though there was an undertone of fear. She did as her father had told her and pictured her wolf in the mirror. The shift was slow and painful, but nothing compared to the first one. She remembered how the young wolves used to talk about it. Each shift would become easier as both wolf and man—or woman in her case—got used to their companion.

Still a little wobbly, she tried to find her balance before bending down and picking up the two bags with her muzzle. Between not wanting to rip the fabric and being too gentle, she dropped the bags a few times before she could figure out her own strength.

She turned and stared into the woods to the south of the village. Suddenly, she felt daunted by her hasted plans. As she took a deep breath and reevaluated her situation, her wolf’s soul leaned calmly against hers as if to reassure her.

Velora knew this would be her only chance. She knew that the chaos she’d created would raise questions—she wouldn’t be able to hide her wolf. She had no way of knowing how others would react.

She moved south, taking slow steps on shaky legs, but her heart beat excitedly in her chest. This was the beginning of something new, though she had no idea what “new” would look like. She’d heard about rogues living off the grid, wandering and exploring the world. Deep down, she knew she was being a little naïve, but anything would be better than the Crystal Pack even if that meant she would roam the woods as a rogue wolf for the rest of her life.

Surprisingly, she didn’t encounter anyone even as she crossed the territory border hours later. She’d only left the territory twice before—both times with her father. Her wolf’s legs moved swiftly as the summer sun rose to her east. Though Swiftport was the closest human city, she wanted to aim for the mountains. She wanted to experience the long summers to the south.

Her first objective though was to pass the Blackview Channel. With each mile that passed between her and the Crystal territory, her plans formed more clearly. The easiest way to cross the channel was to use the highway bridge by Swiftport. She’d thought about swimming across but that would chance exposure—it was too busy.

Technically, Lankesther was closer in terms of distance, but with the channel and sea separating the city and the territory, Swiftport was much faster to reach. That was where the Crystal Wolves earned most of their money outside of investment. Velora hadn’t paid much attention to the pack’s finances until she’d moved in with Alpha Theodore. He was also very good with the stock market which provided very good money for his pack. A lot of men did seasonal work during the summer, but the harsh winters were always spent together.

As the hours passed her stomach started to growl, and she was confronted with the first obstacle. She’d brought food with her, but that wouldn’t last her long. As she slowed down, her wolf’s soul gently nudged her and urged her to take a deep breath. She inhaled, taking in her surroundings. Her mouth started to water over a smell she couldn’t quite identify. Her head automatically turned towards the direction it came from and her paws moved without a second thought.

Slowly, it dawned on her that she had just started her first hunt.

Swiftport was loud, busy, and overwhelming. Once she’d reached the outskirts of the city, she returned to her human form and bought a bus ticket to the other side of town. She’d found a bus route that would take her into the mountains but it didn’t leave for three days. She’d decided to find a cheap motel and hide there for the time being. She attempted to go out to buy a few supplies, but quickly retreated back to the safety of her room. The noises and crowds of the city were too much for her to handle. She regretted buying the bus tickets, terrified to be stuck in a metal box with so many people and no way out.

She sighed and rubbed her temples, looking back at her reflection. With deep breaths she reminded herself that she needed to take that bus to cross the Black View Channel as quickly as she could. The bus would take her to a hiking trail that she could follow deep into the mountains until she could shift again.

She needed to do this, needed to get out of Swiftport so the Crystal Wolves wouldn’t find her.

Turning to the bed, she quickly repacked her bags and tied her shoes. Then, she walked out into the muddy air of the city and towards the bus station.

Chapter Three

Heath