~ 1 ~
I feel my whole body aching, my legs starting to give out, and my lungs burning. I am running up the mountain, on my usual trail, at full speed until I reach the top. I could shift to make it easier on myself, but no, I push myself. I refuse to take the easy way out. Based on the stream I just passed, I have about a quarter mile to go. The last half mile is always the hardest.
Up here, the air is thinner, the earth steeper. Each breath tastes like pine needles and raw wind. My running sneakers dig into the damp soil, slipping every few steps, but I don’t stop. I never stop. My heartbeat thunders in my ears, matching the echo of my past.
I am the only one in my pack who trains my human side. My Alpha, Simon, doesn’t believe in it. His main focus is on our wolf. He thinks that’s where our strength lies. And maybe he’s right. But I can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to me, more to us, than just fur and fangs under the moon.
Yes, our human side is already stronger than any average human, but I believe it can be even stronger. So, I run. I run until the fire in my muscles drowns out the questions in my mind until the ache silences the memories.
Since the age of twelve, when I tried to run away from home, I have been running. Back then, I didn’t know why it felt so right, why the forest seemed to open for me, why the wind seemed to whisper secrets I couldn’t yet understand.
I smile bitterly as the memory surfaces.
Flashback
“Dad, but all my friends are going!” I remember the fight vividly, like a door that never closed.
My father, John, stood in the doorway of our kitchen, framed by the soft yellow light above the stove. He was calm and patient, like always, but I could see the steel in his eyes. The Beta’s steel.
“I don’t mind you going to the party with your friends, Ivy, but you’re not staying the night. I’ll pick you up from Olivia’s by ten-thirty.”
Ten-thirty. It felt like a prison sentence when you’re twelve and think the world will end if you don’t belong. My chest tightened, and he didn’t trust me. Or maybe he didn’t trust the world.
My voice trembled as my eyes filled with hot tears. The bitterness in my mouth tasted like betrayal.
I ran upstairs, my footsteps heavy on the wooden steps. When I slammed my bedroom door, the walls rattled, dust falling from the shelves. I stood there, fists clenched, trembling all over. Rage built inside me like a wildfire, burning hotter than my skin could contain.
In the corner of my eye, my reflection flickered in the mirror. For a heartbeat, the ends of my white-blonde hair glowed. It vanished when I blinked.
In werewolves, our eyes glow when we get mad, so I didn’t think twice about it. There have been many cases where parents report their kids’ eyes glowing when they get angry, even before they get their wolf. My dad is an ex-beta, so I have stronger genes.
I passed the mirror and flung the window open. The fresh air was invented, and the smell of the forest was calling my name. I took a deep breath, and I felt instantly a calming feeling . The moon watched, silent and indifferent. I didn’t even think, I raised the screen on my window, and I climbed up on the ledge, looked down at the dark yard two stories below, and jumped.
It should have hurt. I should have made a huge thump. But I didn’t. I landed perfectly on my feet. It was like I was flying in slow motion, like a bird landing.
I stood there, heart racing, eyes darting back to the window. How had I done that? I didn’t know. I didn’t care. I only knew I had to go, away from Dad and his rule.
Beyond the fence, the mountain rose like a shadow, its familiar trails calling to me. I felt something shift deep inside, an energy, wild and oddly familiar, flooding my veins like liquid starlight.
I stood there for a second, looking at my body. I needed to hide my scent. Again, I felt a huge surge of power flowing through my veins, my mind clear of my desire.
Hide my scent.
Our backyard faces the mountain. I quickly found a trail and started running at full speed. Two hours of running at my max took a toll on my body. When I got to the top, my body gave out on me, and I almost passed out from exhaustion. I found a beautiful open area where I could see our town from above. Our pack is in a gorgeous valley surrounded by mountains. I sat down on the grass next to a huge rock and watched the nature around me.
This is when I missed my mom. Even though I never knew her, I had a great image of what she would be like. She died giving birth to me. My dad said she was human. He met her when he went on vacation to Miami with our ex-Alpha, Gregory. They wanted to see the beach, enjoy the warm weather, and, yes, visit the clubs. My dad was turning 35 and had never found his mate. He first thought my mom was his mate because of the strong attraction he felt for her, but it was missing all the usual mate signs, like tingling when they touched and the mate scent, which should be present even with a human.
I don’t remember falling asleep. When I woke, it was not my mother’s face I saw, but Alpha Simon’s. His voice cracked like a whip.
“Ivy! Wake up!”
His words struck me harder than the cold mountain air. I blinked, disoriented, the grass damp beneath my fingertips. Alpha Simon’s face was carved in moonlight and shadows, stern.
“The whole pack is looking for you. Your father is a mess.”
The shame hit me like a blow. I felt the bitterness in my mouth again. I pushed myself up, refusing the hand he offered. I didn’t want his pity. But when our eyes met, his pupils dilated. For a heartbeat, he looked at me like he’d never seen me before.
“I’m sorry, Alpha,” I whispered and immediately submitted it to him, with my chin and eyes lowered. The title tasted wrong on my tongue. “I didn’t mean to cause the pack trouble. I was just… mad.”
Simon’s stepped closer, his hand brushing under my chin. The moment his fingers touched my skin, something electric pulsed through me, like a spark catching dry kindling. I shivered, the warmth sinking deep into my bones.
He felt it too. I saw the way he pulled back, like he touched fire. His frown returned, but behind it was something else I couldn’t name. Alpha Simon must have felt it too because of his immediate recoile, and I could see the frown forming in his eyebrows.
I assumed it was because his body was so warm and mine was freezing. After all, I had been sleeping outside on a cold night. Alphas are known to share some of their power with their pack members, like the warmth he gave me just now.
“Don’t submit to me, Ivy,” he murmured. “My wolf doesn’t like it. Maybe it’s that Beta blood in your veins. If you were older and a male, you would probably be my Beta.”
I didn’t know what to say. My throat tightened at that thought.
“Let’s go,” he ordered gently. “It’s almost midnight. I’ll shift and take us down the mountain. Otherwise, we’ll be here till dawn.”
I didn’t reply. I just nodded my head, finally realizing the trouble I was in. It wasn’t even worth the sleepover that started this whole mess.
Alpha Simon looked at me and asked, "How did you hide your scent? We couldn’t find it anywhere. And how did you get out of your two-story bedroom window? There are no trees near your window to climb down. You couldn’t have jumped, it’s too high. You don’t get your wolf for another four years, right? You haven’t gotten your wolf yet?"
Now I was confused. How had I jumped out of my window? How had I hidden my scent? All I remembered was wanting to do it, and I did. It came naturally, no fear, no hesitation. The scent? I wished it, but I didn’t know it had actually happened. Wolves can’t hide their scent, no matter how hard they try.
Alpha Simon saw the confusion on my face and let it go. He walked behind a tree, took off his clothes, and tied them around his waist. When he stepped back out, his wolf was massive. His beautiful brown-and-black fur was breathtaking. He was truly a magnificent animal. Wait, did I just call Alpha Simon a magnificent animal?
His wolf came close to me, placing his snout between my shoulder and neck where a mate’s mark would be. He licked my skin. Tingling erupted, and again, that warm sensation spread through my body.
Then his wolf suddenly stepped away and shook his head. He gestured for me to climb onto his back.
He turned away, walking behind a tree. When he emerged again, fur and muscle replaced flesh and bone. His wolf was massive, the thick brown-and-black coat shimmering under the moon. He
He stepped close, pressing his snout to the crook of my neck. The warmth spread through me again, driving the cold from my veins. When he licked my skin, tingles shot down my spine, the connection electric. I felt… safe.
Then, just as quickly, his wolf stepped back, head shaking, golden eyes searching mine. He lowered himself, a silent command for me to climb onto his back. I sank my hands into his thick fur, burying my face in his warmth. As we descended the mountain, I didn’t look back. But deep inside, I knew something had shifted that night, something bigger than any childish rebellion.
I didn’t know then that this was just the beginning.
The beginning of running toward something I didn’t yet understand.
The beginning of secrets buried deeper than my scent in the forest.
The beginning of everything.
End of Flashback
