FUR AND FANG SANCTUARY

Rose Pov

Heart pounding, I stood in the starry clearing. The pack circled me, their darkly shining eyes I had never felt this alone.

"Rose," Alpha Magnus's loud voice sliced over the evening. "Step forward."

I inhaled shakily and turned to find the circle's center. My eyes looked for my partner, Kyle. He wouldn't gaze at me when I saw him.

"You know why you're here," Magnus said. I nodded, attempting to keep a calm voice. I do."

"Tell everyone why. I turned to study the faces I had known all my life. my friends and family. Now they all fixed me as though I were a stranger.

"I refused to hunt humans," I responded, speaking more forcefully than I felt. "I wouldn't kill anyone."

Whispers started to fill the surrounding space. I picked up terms like "weak" and "traitor" being used. Magnus silently held up a hand. "For generations our ways have kept us strong. Our right, our legacy is the hunt.

"But we need not kill anymore," I said. "We are able to live differently right now. Master." "You dare question our ways?" Magnus snarled.

I kept my ground. Someone has to do. It is not right. "Not right?" cried out a voice. "We are what we are!" I gave my head a shake. "We represent more than just that. We are free to choose to be better." At last Kyle moved forward, hope sprang in my chest. Certainly, he would back me up. He replied quietly, reaching for my hand, "Rose."

His touch set off memories of all our stolen moments. Midnight rushes across the woodland, passionate kisses under starry heavens, murmured vows of eternity.

"Kyle," I muttered back. " please."

His gaze softened for a minute. I thought back to the day we met and how he made me chuckle during a packed pack meeting. It was fun. I considered leisurely afternoons beside the river, wrapped in his arms, organizing our future together.

But Kyle's face grew tough then. He turned to Magnus after dropping my hand. Alpha comes first in the pack. Usually." My heart fell apart. "Kyle, no," I said in a gasp. You cannot mean that.

He would not look at me. " apologies, Rose. But this is really who we are." Tears pierced my eyes. "Thus that's it. All we exchanged, all our preparations they mean nothing?"

Kyle's jaw tightened. "The pack is all that exists. You are aware of that. huh, "I thought I meant everything to you." A flutter of agony passed across his cheeks, but he straightened himself. "You made your choice." Magnus cleared his throat. "The pack has decided, Rose. You're no longer one of us." The words strike me like a gut reversal punch. "You're sending me out? Just like that?"

"You have left us without option," Magnus said. "Your ideology expose us all to danger." I turned frantically about. "Does anyone else find this to be unacceptable?"

Silence answered my call to pitch. Not even my parents would look at me. "Fine," I answered with trembling voice. "If this is what the pack wants, then I want not to be part of it anymore." Turning to go, Kyle grabbed my arm. "Rose, slow down." Don't do this. Hope blazed once more for a split second. I said, "Come with me," softly. " We could start over, just us you and I."

Conflict burned in his eyes. I considered he might agree for a moment. He shook his head at that. "I'm unable. My spot is here. And mine isn't, I said regretfully. "Goodbye, Kyle". Tears distorting my view, I turned away and fled into the trees. I heard Kyle say my name behind me, but I turned away.

I sprinted till my legs gave out, tumbling into a little clearing. The moon gleamed down, unconcerned about my suffering. Now what was I meant to do? Where could I possibly go?

I lay there gathering my breath, as a twig broke close. I stopped and listened very carefully "Who's There?" I cried out, flinging to my feet. My mouth fell as someone emerged from the darkness. "You huh"? I cried. " What are you doing here? Stella, Kyle's sister, answered. She cast a pityful but determined glance at me.

"I couldn't let you go alone," she declared. "What the pack done; it's not right." I looked at her incredulously. You are risking everything by being here.

Stella shucked. " Maybe it's time someone did." More forms started to show out of the trees before I could answer. My heart dropped as I saw them pack army headed by Kyle himself. " What's going on?" I insisted, dread tumbling into my voice.

Kyle advanced further, his face a mask of suffering. "My apologies. Still, we cannot let you go."

"What?" I asked, backing backward. You've made it abundantly evident I'm not wanted. "It's not that simple," Kyle said. "You know far much more than the pack deserves. You running to expose us to people puts us at risk.

What I was hearing. "You are going to make me stay? Keep me captive?"

Kyle stammered at what I said. "We'll work something out." But right now you have to return with us." Looking at Stella in need of reassurance, she appeared exactly as stunned as I did.

"No," I answered forcefully. "I never want to go back. You cannot keep me. Kyle's eyes blazed with resentment. "Don't complicate this more than it has to be, Rose." I sensed the change approaching; my wolf surfaced. "Stay back," I said.

Still, they kept progressing. I decided in the next split second. I moved into my wolf form and let the transition follow me, fur growing across my body. Shouts and gasps started all around me. I ran into the trees racing between two armies to my benefit.

Kyle's roar behind me called the others to pursue. I knew these forests better than anyone, though, and I started ahead. My mind sped as I ran. Gone was all I had known. One night, my house, my family, my future with Kyle all collapsed. But right now I couldn't fix on that. I had to keep on, figure out how to survive on my own.

As I pushed myself faster than I had ever ran, the sound of pursuit vanished. Though I knew I couldn't stop, I didn't know where I was headed. I halted at last, exhausted and aching, as the first glimmer of dawn emerged from the woods. Curling up under some fallen logs, I discovered a secret place and turned back to be human.

Tears came freely now as the whole weight of what had happened sank in. Alone, banished, I hunted among my own people. How had everything gone so fast? But a weird peace descended over me as I laid there. I was really free, first in my life. No pack rules, no expectations, no one guiding me toward behavior or identity.

That was terrible. It was thrilling, though as well. One idea kept coming back to me as sleep overtook me this is not the end. This is only starting point. I had no idea, though, that fate had far more ideas for me than I could ever imagine.