Without a Wolf

3

The hours passed by as I kept my senses on high alert, not daring to make a sound. My butt had gone numb long ago and my legs began to cramp, but still, I sat. My mind wondered about what the possibilities would be if I was found. I knew nothing of this Alpha, nothing of his pack.

Most packs were filled with great wolves. They were full of families and children, and with great leaders who work hard for their pack. The Aurora Pack was one of them. It was a village of love. My father had been the Alpha, and my mother the Luna.

They were kind people, and kind wolves. Although they commanded respect, they earned that respect instead of taking it. They used love instead of fear, loyalty instead of dictatorship. Not all packs are the same, and not all Alphas are the same.

Stories of cruel Alphas had reached our pack many times from the mouths of wolves who begged for asylum with our pack. Sometimes, the stories came from the descriptions of our warriors who had witnessed it first hand.

My mother had always feared that the mates of her daughters would be one of these Alphas, but our father had always calmed her fears. He had complete trust in the Moon Goddess, believing that she would not pair the good and evil as one.

His trust was misguided. His trust was betrayed. He trusted that the Moon Goddess would allow his daughters to live long enough to find their mates. They didn't, because of one horrible night in mid-July. I was the oldest when it happened, I was only seventeen. Capella was sixteen, Nova was fourteen, and Astra was twelve.

Now, they are all dead. I was the only member of my pack to survive.

I watched through the window as the sun began to set, preparing my body to move the minute the darkness took the sky. I didn't often think of my sisters anymore, the pain was too much. I had been drowned by my grief for so long, that when my head finally broke the surface, I never looked back.

I know I hadn't dealt with my loss the correct way, only pushing it down as far as it would go. I always felt the grief looming under the surface, just far enough down that it couldn't wrap its slimy arms around my neck, pulling me down into the depths once more.

There were a few moments left until the night over took the day, I pulled out my phone and dialed the number to the only cab service in the town, expecting that they would take at least ten minutes to arrive. I ordered one to the corner of my cross street, knowing well enough to not order it to the Main Street that the cafe was located on.

I pulled on my black hoodie, bunching the drawstrings so that it framed my face and hid my long, dark brown hair. I watched the clock as the minutes ticked by. When I had two minutes left, I stood up on shaking legs, taking deep breaths as I tried to steady myself. I was trying to calm myself for the mission I knew I had no choice but to complete.

I took the key to my apartment off my key ring, dropping it on the ground in front of the door. I felt guilty again as I thought of my landlord, old Mrs. Fin, knowing she was dependent on the small amount of money I paid her to live here.

I took the bottle of perfume from the side pocket in my bag, yanking the lid off it and pouring it onto my wrists, and onto my neck. I didn't stop until there was no more liquid in the bottle. My eyes started to water with the strong, flowery smell, and I hoped this would be enough to mask my natural scent.

I took a last glance around my home, against my intentions I had become quite attached to it. I turned, opening the door and walking out, knowing I would never set foot in this town again. Even if everything went according to my plan and I managed to slip away without being seen, I still wouldn't be able to return. He would never stop looking for me, and they'll watch this place like a hawk watches its prey.