• “As I sit here looking up at the moon all I can think about is you. You rejected me, but at least the moon accepts me. I am Loup-Garou, child of the moon and the night. There are few of us left now, but we stick together. We are one as a pack.”
    -Azreal’s thoughts


    Azreal sat upon a hill, looking up at the almost full moon. Astrid had rejected him. She was the only girl he was actually interested in. There were few females in the pack around his age and out of the few he did not like anyone. With a sigh, he headed towards home.
    “Don’t forget, Azreal, tomorrow is the full moon and the Hunt.” his aunt greeted him when he walked through the door. He nodded to her then went upstairs. Before crawling under the covers he glanced out the window one last time.
    On the next night, Azreal stood amongst the rest of the pack in a pair of jeans, the change was easier that way. They were in the woods at the ancestral rock. Their Alpha, Torik, stood on top of the rock, he called everyone to attention.
    “Welcome, my pack, we all gather here for the Hunt and to welcome our new pack members. Blaze and his sister, Wakara, the last of the West Forest Clan, shall be welcomed warmly.” Torik announced pointing out a young man and a teenage girl. They were both around nineteen, Azreal’s age. Azreal’s eyes lingered on the girl, her waist length dark red hair shimmered, her golden eyes turning towards him curiously.
    Azreal turned his attention back to Torik when the Alpha began talking again. “Our kind is dying out and eventually it will come for us, too. You, young ones, are our last hope.” Torik stated, his eyes lingered on Azreal, who everybody expected to become the next Alpha. “For now let us……Hunt!” Torik howled, changing. Everybody took off into the forest after him, letting the change take them.
    Azreal stood on a rock, watching as the pack ran pass him. His black fur gleamed and his deep green eyes surveyed the others. He spotted Wakara and jumped down to run alongside her.
    Azreal playfully bumped into Kara using wolf language to challenge her to a race. With a wolfish grin, she accepted his challenge and took off running, her fur glistening like blood in the silver moonlight. Azreal took off after her, throwing his head back to howl. Just as they were nearing the river, Azreal tackled Kara just as she was about to jump. They both went tumbling into the surprisingly warm water.
    He was unprepared when she tackled him. Splashing water back at her with his front paws, he no longer thought of the human girl, Astrid. They spent the rest of the night playing together in the river.
    When dawn shed the first light of day, Azreal woke up on the river bank. Alone. He sat up, looking around him for Kara, when the sound of arguing drifted to him from nearby. He quietly got up and crept through the bushes. When he got close enough to see who it was, he was slightly surprised to see Blaze and Kara…..and they were arguing about him.
    “I don’t trust that mutt. You should not be running off with boys like him.” Blaze yelled, pissed.
    “Hunt is free-roam. I don’t even know him; definitely don’t like him, and nothing like that happened.” Kara growled, just as mad.
    “Look, I’m sorry, Kara, it’s just that after losing the pack, I don’t want anything to happen to you.” Blaze said softly, his anger subsiding. Suddenly his head snapped up and he looked around. “Come on out.” he shouted.
    “No need to yell, I’m right here.” Azreal said sarcastically as he straightened and walked out of the bushes.
    Blaze stepped in front of Kara with a protective attitude. “Why were you listening in on my sister and me?” he asked, coldly.
    “I do believe when I’m the subject of the conversation I have a right to know.” Azreal snarled. Blaze stepped closer.
    “An inbred mutt like you isn’t even worth the crap your mother ate for lunch and I bet your father was a cowardly, mangy mongrel.” Blaze said where Kara couldn’t hear.
    Azreal sprung at him, enraged. Next thing he knew, Torik and others were pulling Blaze and him apart. Both boys had black eyes, Blaze had a fat lip and a cut that looked like it had been made by a knife……or a claw. Azreal only had a few minor bruises and one bad one on his cheek, besides the black eye.
    “Save the fighting for when I step down.” Torik said with a hint of anger in his voice.
    “I intend to.” Blaze snarled as he pushed pass Torik and Azreal, the only ones to hear him. Torik shoved a shirt and faded jacket at Azreal, who quickly put them on.
    “You are coming with me.” the Alpha growled sternly. Azreal glanced around and saw Kara, now donning her own jacket, an angry look in her eyes as she glared at him. He followed Torik to his house.
    Following Torik into the living room, Azreal knew he was going to be questioned. Gesturing for Azreal to sit down, Torik placed himself in an armchair. “Now tell me exactly what started this fight.” Torik demanded after Azreal had made himself comfortable.
    “He said something about my parents” Azreal replied. Torik gestured for him to continue. “An inbred mutt like you isn’t even worth the crap your mother ate for lunch and I bet your father was a cowardly, mangy mongrel.” Azreal continued, reluctantly, quoting Blaze.
    Torik bit back a snarl, hoping Azreal wouldn’t notice his unexplainable anger. “You may go, just for the love of Mother Moon, try to stay out of fights and trouble.” Torik said, dismissing him with a wave of his hand.