Misfit Moons

The smell of old books and antique paper invades my senses as I huddle into the beanbag at the back of the library shelves. Im reading Pride and Prejudice for the hundredth time and dreaming of my favourite book boyfriend Mr Darcy.

‘Heads up Turtle face!’

A volleyball hurtles across the shelves of the library and whacks me in the face, sending my glasses flying down the hallway. I can’t see shit now and begin crawling on my hands and knees, feeling around on the carpet, looking for them.

A velvety baritone voice says, ‘shit, are you ok, kid?’

I’d know that voice from a mile away, and I also know that if I peek through my mass of thick brown curls, I’d be staring straight into the eyes of my crush.

He picks up my glasses, handing them back to me, and I get goosebumps when my hand grazes his long fingers.

‘Melody didn’t mean any harm.’

The blonde skank, Melody Chalmers, definitely did mean me harm. The bitch has been tormenting me since first grade. I never understood what her problem was or what I did to deserve her hatred.

We weren’t even in the same year and hung around different crowds. She was a senior and hung around all the popular people at school, whereas I was the year below her, and was an invisible, unpopular nerd.

Then there’s him, my crush, and Melody’s boyfriend. The one boy in highschool that has all the girls fawning over him. Sometimes it’s the football star, or the resident bad boy, other times it’s the one with all the money who hosts all the best parties.

At our school, it’s always been Dustin Reed, lead singer and guitarist for an indie rock band, Misfit Moons. Did I forget to mention he’s also next in line to become Alpha of the largest pack in the state, Middlemist.

I place my glasses back onto the bridge of my nose and look up, admiring his perfect physical form. Raw masculinity oozes off his tanned complexion and stubbled face. He pushes his thick brown locks away from his face and smiles at me, showing off his perfect dimpled cheeks.

Dustin drapes his arm over Melody’s shoulders and says to me, ‘later, kid.’

When I get home from school, I head upstairs to my room to get started on my homework for the evening. My mother yells from down stairs announcing that dinner will be ready in an hour.

Im in the middle of finishing a chemistry paper when I get a text from my best friend.

Adley: I heard you had a run in with queen bitch face today.

Me: argh yes! She threw a volleyball at my head, the dumb cow. You should have seen the daggers I got when Dustin spoke to me.

Adley: lucky bitch! I wish I had some classes with him. Did you actually speak to him this time?

Every time Dustin comes within a few metres of me, I freeze up and cannot string two coherent sentences together.

Me: that would be a negative captain. Im such a loser!

Adley: You are not a loser, Freya! You're unknowingly pretty.

Me: I’m knowingly an ugly, nerdy virgin 🤓

Adley: Being a virgin is nothing to be ashamed of. Quite the opposite, in fact! Guys go nuts for the innocent, pure type. I know what you need 😏

Me: Argh…no parties.

Adley: yes! Dustin’s having one at the pack house tomorrow. Let’s celebrate your 17th birthday properly this year, with lots of hot horny wolves 🐺 🍆 😈

Me: …🫣

Adley: I will pick you up at 8!

The next day, Adley picks me up from my house at 8. She stomps up to my bedroom, swings open my bedroom door and just stares at me.

‘Freya Hendrix, you are not wearing that.’

I look down at myself and shrug. I look like me. High-waisted mum jeans paired with an oversized black sweater.

‘Im comfortable Ads, there’s no use pretending to be something I’m not.’

Adley begins rummaging through my wardrobe until she spots a black spaghetti strap camisole with lace lining the bust. She throws it at me and then finds my mum’s old leather jacket.

‘Take that oversized hoodie off and put this on. That’s an order Freya!’

I frown, ‘No way, that top is practically underwear.’

Adley glares at me, and I know there’s no use fighting her on this. I try on the top and notice it exposes a small amount of skin at my waist, so I try to pull it down. As I do, the top shows off my cleavage. Im screwed.

‘Stop that!’ she says as she guides me to stand in front of the floor-length mirror.

‘You girl, look hot AF. I would kill to have your hour-glass figure. Look at your tiny waist.’

I must admit, my body has filled out a lot since last summer. My chest is no longer flat and my once straight hips have finally developed into womanly curves.

‘Im saying this as your best friend, but you need to stop hiding your light and start living!’

Adley is wearing cut off denim shorts that barely cover her ass with a red sparkly halter top. Her long blonde hair falls glamourously down her back in perfect waves. Im envious. My wild, curly brown hair looks a complete mess in comparison.

‘Ahh, Adley, what should I do about all this?’

I gesture to my cavewoman hair.

Adley grasps her chin in thought and then pushes me down on the end of my bed. She heads off into my bathroom and emerges with some products and a hair straightener.

She spends the next half an hour straightening my hair that now extends down to my butt. I run my hands through it and marvel at the silky feel. She applies a small amount of makeup and finishes with some lip balm. Finally, I put in some contacts.

The reflection staring back at me in the mirror is a sexy vision. I hardly recognise myself and it makes me smile. I look good.

Adley smirks at me, feeling proud of her efforts.

‘You are so going to hook up with someone tonight! Imagine if we find our mates?’

I blush.

Im not sure. I know how these parties work. By the end of the night, everyone is so drunk they get naked and shift, running free through the woods. Wolves are sexual creatures and aren’t ashamed of nudity or sex.

My mum always tells me it’s natural and our desires are nothing to be ashamed of. She thinks I’m strange and not in touch with my wolf enough.

As an alpha, she runs on pure power and animalistic instinct. Ive always felt like she’s ashamed of me, having such a weak beta as a daughter.

She hasn’t even seen my wolf. No one has.

I’ve only shifted once. It was when I was overwhelmed at hearing her for the first time. The pain I felt as my bones snapped and my insides rearranged themselves is something I don’t wish to repeat. Adley says it’s easier the second time, and by the third I won’t feel a thing.

My wolf, Jade, is the silent type like me. I barely hear from her most of the time, but tonight she makes an appearance, whining in my ear.

Maybe we can find our mate!

My body tenses as Jade creates an image in my mind of us submitting to a strong alpha male. I clench my legs tightly together when heat settles at my core.

‘Fuck!’ I curse

Adley looks startled and gives me a concerned frown.

‘My wolf is a horny bitch! She doesn’t speak to me at all, then, when she knows she may get some action, she won’t shut up.’

Adley starts laughing hysterically.

‘Girl, you can only deny her presence for so long. You're also a horny teenager. Her emotions are linked to yours as well, remember?’

On our way out, I tell my mother where we are going and that I will be home late.

She smiles at me. ‘Finally! My baby girl is growing up. Have fun tonight baby, enjoy…it.’

I grimace at the thought of my mum being excited about my sex life. Ever since dad died a few years ago, she’s been weirdly obsessed about making sure I have a secure future and find my mate.

‘Oh now girls, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Listen to your wolf tonight, Freya. Even if you don’t find a mate, you may find someone to pair up with when you go into heat. It will make it a lot more bearable.’

As a 17-year-old wolf, I was expected to go into heat a year ago around my 16th birthday. Im a weird anomaly. Going though a heat without a wolf to help you through it is meant to be extremely painful. Hence why a she wolf virgin at my age is virtually unheard of.

‘See ya, Mrs Hendrix. Dont wait up.’