Serenity

Serenity

My body was reaching it’s limit; I was running out of stamina as well as places to go. The wolf behind me growled and bit at my ankles, literally. I knew I shouldn’t have done it. I was told not to mess with my cousin after his shift, but he just annoyed me so much! I slid under a car scrapping my arms and legs on the gravel. The large wolf too big to fit under it. I watched as he paced around the car sniffing and growling, was out of control. I gripped a sharp rock in my hand waiting, using the skills my mother taught me. He finally decided to test it. He swiped a paw under the car, claws fully extended. I rolled away from it, and he ran to the other side and tried again, this time catching my hip. I yelped, and my eyes watered at the sting. Never has he hurt me physically, but the metallic scent of blood told me that he meant it. I heard him growl louder and start ramming the side of the car now desperate to get to his prey. The smell of blood driving his instincts. I faintly heard a woman cry out, there must be people in the car. I can’t let him hurt someone else because I made him lose control. He swiped his paw once again and this time I jammed the rock as hard as I could into the top of his paw causing him to yelp. I didn’t hesitate I rolled out the other side and ran again. I was just about to make it to the house when I was yanked back by my shirt. I screamed thinking it was the wolf. My mom and dad ran out of the house, I was shaking as I was held up, an arm wrapped under mine making sure I wasn’t going anywhere. I was turned towards whoever held me. Immediately feeling his alpha authority. This man was not apart of our pack, he was massive, taller than my father and uncle. He had a military style crew cut and slight stubble. His hazel eyes burned into mine and I quickly looked away. I knew not to test a grown man.

In one hand this beast of a man held me and in the other he held my cousin by the scruff of his neck. He switched his gaze to the wolf pup in his other arm and growled a warning to be still.

“What is going on?! Let my daughter down!” My dad, the Beta, boomed walking towards us. My uncle Tom, who was our pack Alpha, was now here and demanded that his son be let down.

“Serenity what did you do?” Aunt Gracey, the Luna, asked walking up to the scene. A crowd had begun to form. I was shaking and bleeding, now feeling embarrassed. I only wanted to run to my mom, to be shielded by her. The man who held me radiated authority and it made me want to get away even more.

“Serenity what happened?” My mom asked walking closer cautiously eyeing the stranger. She has always been a cautious wolf.

“I-I was just messing with Sid, I swear. I didn’t mean anything by it.” I started crying at this point, tired, embarrassed, and my heart still pounding from the chase. The man shook Sid who turned back to his skin. He tried wiggling out of the man’s hold, not caring that he was naked. When I say this man is a beast, I mean it. Sid being 15 and shifted was now almost the size of my father and this new Alpha easily held Sid 2 feet off the ground.

“Alpha Lee, please release my boy and the girl. He’s calmed down.” Uncle Tom said. Sid looked anything put calm, he was fuming mad glaring at me. The man put me down and I ran towards my mom, holding her middle and letting her comfort me. Uncle Tom had to grab Sid and physically restrain him. I stared at this new alpha with a gathering crowd of pack mates and strangers. The festival started today. How could I be so stupid. This was not the time to be pulling pranks.

“Serenity, explain what you did to my boy.” Aunt Gracey said putting authority behind her voice. I hated that tone, it made my skin itch. My eye twitched. I was now calming down and no longer crying.

“He started it!” I defended myself. I hated being accused. I hate that they thought they could use their Alpha and Luna tone on me. It made me so mad, it was unfair, they never used it on Sid. Uncle Tom growled at me in warning. You do not disrespect the Luna.

“He kept annoying me! Calling me a baby and I pushed him. He wouldn’t stop so I slipped a little laxative in his drink before he went to meet a girl. He found out it was me and lost control. It’s not my fault!” I said. Sid had calmed down enough to stand by his mother, a pair of gym shorts had been handed to him. He was still glaring at me but now looked away in embarrassment. Some of the pack members started walking away snickering. They were used to the nonsense that happened daily. Aunt Gracey was now pulling Sid’s ear, forcing his head to bend down to her level.

“What have I told you about waiting for you mate?” She demanded tugging his ear again. Sid whimpered and submitted to his mom’s rage. He kept saying ‘it wasn’t like that’ and ‘we didn’t do anything’. Aunt Gracey began to pull him away back towards their home. I mentally rolled my eyes, no apology to me of course.

“What happened to your hip?” My dad asked staring as Sid was pulled away. I forgot about it until he said something. My white summer shorts were now soaked red. My adrenaline wearing off causing me to feel the pulsating pain. I winced and turned my hip away from everyone’s eyes.

“Sid got me, he lost control this time. And I defended myself stabbing him with a rock on the paw.” I stated. The cuts would scar, forever reminding me what a wolf could do. Sasha ran out of the house with a first aid kit and towel. Sasha was like a big sister, guardian, god mother all in one. She was an orphan from a fire in the pack house before I was even born and my parents had taken her in as their own. She was only 6 years older than me, so we could connect really easily.

“You have been told to stop torturing my boy, Serenity.” Uncle Tom stated lifting his chin. My nostrils flared, by pack law Sid should be answering for hurting an unshifted pup, instead I was being reprimanded. I opened my mouth to stated the law when my dad stepped in front of me.

“As Beta I cannot let you allow the future Alpha to walk away unpunished, he has broken a pack law and hurt an unshifted pup. He may be your son, but the law is law.” My father squared his shoulders. Uncle Tom calculated his next move. I felt my mom tense behind me. I wouldn’t say our family has always liked each other, but I knew we loved each other and we were all family.

“Alpha, we shall discipline Serenity accordingly and make sure this never happens again. But brother, I cannot allow you to let your son’s inability to control himself harm someone else.” My mother ground out from clenched teeth. My uncle seemed to think for a second, always calculating what to do.

“I will make sure he is held responsible for breaking the law, it will be public, an example to all.” I felt my mother relax and saw my dad’s shoulders relax.

“Alpha Lee, I shall meet with you later, I must go.” Uncle Tom nodded to the Alpha still standing in front of us and walked away.

“Serenity what have we told you?” My mom scolded me pulling my ear this time. I winced and submitted to her.

“Not to mess with Sid, he’s older and I can’t challenge him.” I recited the line told me over and over. I heard a booming laugh at this. I looked over and Alpha Lee was laughing and shaking his head.

“Yeah, he is older, and bigger, but you little wolf, you out match him.” Alpha Lee said looking me in the eyes. I felt my cheeks heat up. Was I blushing? I never blush.

“Honey! Come grab the stuff!” A feminine voice yelled. I looked over and the car I had hid under, a lady was waving at Alpha Lee to come over. Like Alpha Lee she was tall, but lean and athletic, she had an air around her of being friendly, but the scars she displayed showed how fierce she was. I was in awe of this woman already. Alpha Lee gave me a smile before walking over to his mate. I noticed a nice size dent in the back-passenger door, I hope they get mad at Sid for the dent.

“Inside the house, now or I swear you’ll have no more ear.” My mom growled at me pushing towards the house with Sasha waiting. I whimpered and followed Sasha inside. Once inside Sasha had me take off my shorts in the bathroom so she could patch me up. I complained and protested at the sting of disinfectant and waited patience for her to finish, she said I was lucky I didn’t need stitches. I pouted as she called the doctor making an appointment tomorrow morning. I could hear yelling down stairs the whole time. I knew who it was. Aunt Gracey and mom always fought. When I was younger I was oblivious to it, and then as the fighting got worse when I got older they couldn’t hide it. I don’t know why they don’t like each other, dad says mom will tell me one day. After Sasha patched me up she told me to go change and that I was going to be under her supervision the rest of the week. AKA, grounded.

AUTHOR NOTE: (9/21/2020) Hello reader! I have edited this a million times, read a billion times, and made some slight changes to better adapt characters personalities. I had changed Serenity’s age probably a dozen times, but never really changed how she acts/her behavior. Hope you enjoy! Please remember to leave a review for me, I would appreciate the feedback! (9/20) Some may notice I have taken out the part where Serenity and Jaxton meet and the whole grandparent scene, it didn’t fit well.