The Moon of the Alpha

I feel the cold forest floor beneath my feet and the branches of trees striking my body. I know I have the power to change, only I have no idea how to do it.

Every full moon, since I turned thirteen, my bones distort, and after immense pain throughout my body, I turn into a large chocolate-furred wolf.

The next morning, back in the compound, when I returned to normal, they would whip and beat me until I bled, so I never tried to transform on my own. I knew they had a camera and were watching my every move.

But now I'm free. Or I will be if they don’t catch me. The compound where I’ve been held captive is ablaze, activating emergency systems and giving me the chance to escape. I sneak carefully through what I assume is the backyard and run towards the trees.

“Change, change, change, please.” I close my eyes tightly. I don’t know how it works—does it only happen during a full moon? I imagine myself with four legs and fur, running through the forest. A warmth floods my body, and I feel the pain in my bones. “Please…”

I do it. Now it's my paws, not my feet, that touch the ground. I can feel the whole forest around me. Everything is a new sensation. I can smell, hear, and see everything with perfect clarity, despite the dark night sky. I know how many are chasing me, and I easily lose sight of them.

Although my body is weak from the meager food they gave me, I feel that my wolf is strong, as if I could run for hours without stopping. And I do, until a delicious and overwhelming scent of ginger and freshly cut wood invades my senses.

On the other side of the forest, I see a dark wolf appear, three times larger than me, the source of that wonderful smell. All I can do is run as fast as my legs will carry me in the opposite direction. It's not enough, because seconds later, I feel his enormous body pinning me down, forcing me heavily to the ground. It hurts. I'm trapped. Now I’m sure I’ll die.

•

I’m scared. I don’t know what to do, I don’t know how to fight, and the ginger-scented wolf obviously knows what he’s doing. I opt to take a submissive position and stay still. I show my respect to the beautiful dark wolf, whose eyes are strangely yellow. Is it normal to feel attracted to a wolf?

I bow and tuck my ears back. The great wolf moves away from me, transforming into the most handsome, naked man I’ve ever seen.

"Mine," he whispers.

I stand up, frightened, taking a few steps back. If I run again, there's no doubt he’ll catch me. But what should I do? My wolf whines and roars internally.

"Come on, little one," his voice hypnotizes me. "Change. I promise you’ll be safe in my lands from now on," he looks into my eyes, which are no longer a bright yellow but a deep emerald green. I whimper and turn my head to avoid facing his nakedness.

"I'm Andrew," I hear the sound of him putting on some pants. "Now you can look."

I do as he says and observe him. He’s one of the tallest men I’ve ever seen. Black hair down to his shoulders, skin almost as pale as mine, green eyes, his face angular with a small beard from weeks without shaving. His body is slim, with muscles in all the right places. My wolf wants to approach him, but I hold it back. How many men approached me with an innocent smile, promising to get me out of there, only for me to end up on a table with needles everywhere? I shake my head and take a few more steps back until a tree blocks my way. Suddenly, two more wolves appear in my line of sight. I lie down on the ground and cry for mercy.

"I’ll see you at the pack house, I’ve got this under control," I hear the man say. "She’s scared and she’s mine, Luna."

The wolves leave with his words. Luna? I’m his? I belong to no one. What does he mean by saying I’m his and Luna? My name is Aria, though in the compound they called me 72.

"I need you to change, sweetheart, let me see you. I won’t hurt you, I’ll give you food and shelter. You don’t look well, I see you have wounds on your body. You need to rest and eat."

I think about it. Yes, I want to change. I don’t like the idea of remaining a wolf in front of him. Everything feels confusing, as if the wolf's mind doesn’t let me think clearly. Or maybe it thinks too clearly. The fact is, I’m not sure how to turn back into my human form. So I do what I did before: close my eyes and focus on my arms, my legs, my hands. Within seconds, I feel myself change again.

I’m cold and feel weak. I hug my knees, realizing that I’m naked. Andrew approaches and crouches down to hand me a shirt, which I don’t know where he got from. I look into his eyes, hesitating to accept it, but what else can I do if I don’t want him to see me like this? I take the soft blue cotton fabric, which smells of ginger, and with some difficulty manage to raise my arms to put it on.

"Who did all this to you?" he asks, touching a large scar and some bruises on my leg. I pull away quickly and look at him in terror. He’s asking because he’s the one who wants to cause them and is jealous that someone else did, right? The men who came into my cell always looked at my wounds before saying they’d make them bigger.

"What’s your name?" His expression seems somewhat annoyed, so I decide to answer before angering him further and ending up being beaten.

"Aria. My name is Aria," my voice sounds rough.

"What pack do you come from, Aria?" I didn’t know what a pack was. Isn’t it a lot of animals living together? A lot of men who turn into wolves living together?

"I think I don’t come from any pack," I reply, scared.

His face reflects sadness and concern; I feel as if his green eyes could see my soul.

"What do you say we go to my house, have some tea, eat something, and talk there?" Andrew gets up from the ground and extends his hand to me.

"No," I shake my head. "I have to go," I try to stand up, ignoring his offer, but I am weak, so I lean my weight on the tree behind me.

"From what I can see, Aria, you won't last a night in the woods. If you leave my territory, other wolves will try to hunt you. And since you're here, and I've finally found you, you either come with me willingly, or reluctantly, and I'll carry you home. Either way, you're coming with me," he smiles. I like his smile.

"No, please don't lock me up again!" I plead. I like being here: the night, the leaves, the earth, the wind. I'd rather die than be locked up again. Andrew takes a step towards me and tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear. I step back.

"Beaut