Kaliko (Children of the Moon 2)

Secret

Bo

"Morning, sunshine!", a chirpy voice sounded off, pulling me out of the restless sleep.
I blinked a few times, trying to dispel the last remnants of my dream, but as soon as I did that, a desperate urge to just shut my eyes again and get back to it overwhelmed me.
Because even my dreams, as inventive as they were, were better than the cruel reality that I have found myself in.

"Come on, now! I know that you are awake little wolf, so be a good boy and get up.", the voice said again, making me grit my teeth as I tried to suppress the desire to leap up from the wet, stone floor and rip her throat out.
But, seeing as I was still a pup, and hence, unable to shift at will, trying to attack a grown witch would be foolish and even a thirteen-year-old like myself knew better than to try.

So, I did as she asked, pulling myself off the floor slowly, as every bone in my body howled in pain making me feel as if I was burning up from the inside.
Which, very well, could be the truth after everything they have done to me since the day I was taken away.

It took me much longer than it was probably normal to simply get up, a fact that proved correct if the noises of frustration coming from the other occupant of the room were anything to go by, but I somehow managed to do so in spite of the pain zipping through my body with every move that I made.

"Finally!", the witch exclaimed, as I turned to the now-familiar sight of her standing there next to a big stone table with her pouch full of evil clutched in her hands.
The sight used to make me shiver in fear, it used to make me shout and curse, or pray for salvation, for my parents to come and rescue me; but now, the only thing I felt was resigned.

It has been so long since I was taken, so long that I wasn't even sure if I was still even thirteen, so long that I barely remembered what the sunlight looked like and how it felt to have morning breeze caress your skin, and as each day spent in excruciating pain went by and no one came to save me, I finally came to the realization that no one ever will.

"That's a good pup.", the witch cooed at me in a falsely affectionate tone making me sick to my stomach, as she strapped my wrists and ankles to the table
I ignored her to the best of my ability, closed my eyes and prayed to the goddess to just take me already as painful fire spread through my veins yet again.

*

"Hey! You need to wake up!"
"Alpha! Wake up, Alpha!"
"Bo!"

My eyes flew open and immediately the sense of being watched came over me. Before I had the time to realize what I was doing, I suddenly found my self straddling the intruder with a silver knife pressed tightly under their throat.

The only thing that could be heard in the silence of my dark tent was the sound of my harsh breathing as I struggled to focus on the person beneath me.

"Bo?", a soft voice said barely above a whisper, "Bo, it's alright. It was just a dream, you're safe. It was just a dream."
Wide, dark eyes were staring into mine, and my hand soon slackened and fell to the side as I realized that it was the last person I wanted to see in that particular moment.

I jumped to my feet, as shame steadily washed over me for having him witness something so intimate, something I never would have chosen to show to another living being.

"Are you okay?", he asked, after a few silent moments, during which I had managed to collect myself enough to think more clearly, even as remnants of my dream still played at the edges of my mind.
But as soon as I heard his voice, the calm deserted me as hot tendrils of anger spread through my chest with him as a shiny beacon at the core of it.

"Get the fuck out!", I roared, whirling around to face him, as my nails elongated into claws, and my teeth sharpened, piercing my lips with their sharp edges. I didn't even have to look into a mirror to know that my eyes had changed color, as everything around me became sharper and I could actually see the little ant crawling over the ground at the other side of the tent.

My breathing became harsh; a low, almost like a growling sound escaping my chest, and I knew that I needed to calm down, unless I kill him, which, as much as he was a pain in my ass was not something I wished, but even knowing that I was unable to get a grip on my control back.
And, the worse thing about all of this, was that he now knew that I was different, and a small, vicious part of me wanted to tear into him, silence him before he had a chance to speak of it to anyone else.

And still, he stood there, not having moved an inch, his face blank and his posture relaxed as if nothing in the world bothered him as if he didn't just witness a partial transformation, something that shouldn't be possible, except for his eyes, his eyes that were glued to mine, something akin to understanding shining in them.

And yet, when he finally spoke, his voice was cold and disinterested,  as much of a mask as his face was.
"Get a grip.", he said, his lips pulling into a sneer, "You are an Alpha, aren't you? So start acting like it and calm down, before someone sees you."

With those words, he was out of the tent, so quickly that I didn't even realize it until I was standing there and staring at the empty space he had been occupying.
I blinked a few times and took a big breath, my eyes falling to my hands with their claws that were slowly starting to retract as well as my teeth until the only thing that spoke of what has just happened was the metallic taste of blood in my mouth and the enormous ball of terror trying to claw its way out my throat as the realization that someone has found out my secret washed over me.

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A/N:
Happy New Year, darlings!
Hope you've had wonderful holidays, and got lots and lots of presents. ☺️

Here is another chapter for you, which I hope you'll like.

Also, I just want to say that my heart goes to anyone living or knowing someone in Australia. What is happening right now is horrible; so many animals killed, homes destroyed and lives were torn apart...
I would like to urge anyone who has the means and resources to help, donate anything and everything they can do to ease at least a bit of their suffering.

Thanks!
Love ya,
Tikka ❤️