Chapter 1 - Mackenzie
Tonight was the night I had the house to myself - no parents hovering, no rules, and no curfews. Well...that's only because they're in the cellar, wolfing out.
Yeah, it sounds insane, but it's true. My family and I are wolves. We don't bother many people, and they don't bother us. That's how it's always been.
But tonight...tonight felt different.
I was halfway through a movie when a noise outside made me pause. A sharp clang, followed by silence. I muted the TV and stepped out into the cold night air. The cellar door was wide open, the metal hinges creaking as it swung in the wind.
Rounding the corner, I spotted mum - crouched in the moonlight, her wolf form hunched over one of the chickens from the coop. Blood glistened on her muzzle.
"Get back inside!" I shouted.
She didn't move. Her yellow eyes flicked towards me, wild and unrecognising. I crouched, meeting her stare, letting my own eyes flash golden yellow. "Back inside. Now!"
Step by step, I drove her backwards. Her claws scraped against the dirt as she tried to hold her ground, but it was no use - she slipped and tumbled back into the cellar with a heavy thud.
That's when dad made his move. He'd been hiding in a dark corner, perfectly still. I didn't even notice him until a low growl rolled out from the shadows. Then he lunged, eyes glowing like embers. Instinct kicked in - I grabbed my shoe and threw it as hard as I could.
It hit him square across the snout. He yelped, stumbling backward. Before he could recover, I slammed the cellar doors shut and jammed a metal wrench through the handles.
The next morning, I woke up, got ready for school, and went to check if my parents were okay. I headed downstairs, unhooked the metal bar, and pushed open the heavy doors.
Inside, mum and dad were back in human form, sprawled among the fake bushes and trees we'd set up to make the place feel more like the outside world.
As I stepped in, they began to stir.
Dad groaned, rubbing his nose. "Kenzie, did you really have to hit me with your shoe?"
"Yeah, I did," I said, crossing my arms. "You nearly bit me. Oh, and thanks for eating my shoe."
Mum sat up, squinting at me. "Speaking of shoes - why were you still awake? We agreed on a ten o'clock bedtime on school nights."
I froze. "Uh...yeah, about that - I, um...Gonna be late. Bye!"
I bolted up the stairs before she could say another word. Reaching the front door, I stopped, staring down at my feet - then remembered. Dad had eaten my shoe.
The only spare pair I could find were the old green gumboots sitting by the door. Mud-caked, ugly, and two sizes too big. I sighed, pulled them on, and trudged out the door.
It was going to be a long day.
