The Twelfth Moon || ✔️

35. The Night Of The Wolf Moon

Lotta took me by the hand, as she dragged me out of her room and into the streets of the city. "Come on, let's go," she hurried me. We were on our way to the beach, behind the city walls, where the bonfire would be waiting. We hadn't put on shoes, since Lotta said the sand of the beach felt nicest with bare feet.

We practically skipped through the streets, and I found myself thankful for my training with Feytan. One month ago, I would not have been able to keep up with Lotta's enthusiasm. After we passed the wall, we had to slow down so I could catch my breath again. After a small while, we finally reached the beach side, and from far away I could already smell the festivities. The wood of the bonfire burning, the ashes forming at the bottom of the pile. But I could also smell sweat, a mixture of all kinds of perfumes and other scents I could not recognize. From far away we could already hear it, too. People laughing and singing, enjoying themselves. Wolves howling against the silent splashing of the ocean waves.

When we arrived at the beach, I could see a small band providing the music everyone was enjoying themselves too. Shadows danced around the fire, not aware of the world outside of their own. Their bodies followed the rhythm of the music, the rhythm of the night. Our Moon shone brightly for us tonight, and there were no clouds to mask her beauty.

Lotta's eyes sparkled with happiness as she led me down to the group. The closer we got, the more the innocence was lost. I could see it clearly now, in the light of the fire. People were dancing with each other, in ways I hadn't seen before. So close, mixing their sweat with one another. Some of them were kissing, but most of them were just moving their bodies against each other, feeling each other, feeling the music, feeling the night. I felt the blood rising to my cheeks as I noticed a girl on the right, dancing very closely in between two males, who had their hands all over her. She didn't seem to mind it, though. It even looked as if she enjoyed it. They were worshiping her, and it was clear she had the say in where the evening would lead them. There was no shame in it. For tonight, there were no rules.

In the distance, some wolves were running freely in the flooding waves of the ocean. Some of them howled, and I found it added depth to the music. I longed to join them, and I reminded myself that soon, I would be able to.

Lotta twirled me around so I faced her, and she began dancing, too. The way her body moved, all the curves she made, it looked so natural and easy. It looked so beautiful. "Let go, Sari," she said to me as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back, her short hair staying put with the motion. Our Moon's light reflected beautifully against her face, emphasizing all the right features. Even if on her worst days, Lotta could possibly look average, tonight she was mesmerizing, godly even.

I wanted to let go, but how could I? Soon, someone would smell me, and their hatred for me would ruin the entire thing. But as I waited and waited and waited for someone to recognize me, to keep their distance, nothing happened. Instead, I felt bodies brush past mine, people dancing around me as if they didn't notice me.

"It's okay, Sari," Lotta reassured me. "Tonight there's no packs, or hate. There's only us, wolves, and our Moon." She gave me an encouraging smile, and that was all I needed to follow her into the freedom of the music. I let her hands guide me at first, but soon I discovered my body found its own way to move around the rhythm. My hands went up in the air and back down again, traveling down my body. My hips were moving in ways I hadn't imagined I could do, but it felt so easy. My hair was swinging to every side, every bit of me was moving to the beat.