The Long Run

The moon stared down at me as if mocking me, knowing that it would soon be the week of the blue moon, the week for The Run.

I hated it, dreaded it. I didn't want to run through a forest of wolves, the females dodging males as they run for their freedom. I wanted a chance to fall in love, to go on dates, not be traped by a male and taken forcefully. I wanted my life to be mine.

"Grace?" I snap out of my thoughts of self pitty and turn to look at all the wolves in the room, realizing that the Alpha was directing his statement to me.

"Sorry, I dozed off." It wasn't a lie since snores from other wolves echoed the quiet room in this long meeting that the Alpha, the Beta - my father- and the Theta called forth for the mateless wolves in the pack.

"As I was saying, either you wolves go willingly to the run or we will force a shift on you and cage you till its time for you to get mated in The Run." His eyes stayed glued to mine and I growled, standing to stare the Alpha down and bringing my arm down, slamming my fist into the table and splintering it in half.

"Who do you think you are playing with our lives like some puppet master. We may be werewolves but we still have humanity in us. We should be able to fall in love!" I shout out, my body shaking with the pent up rage as I glared at the three in the front, my father wincing from my outburst and giving me a look I have gotten used to over the years, his hard eyes looking at my own with a challenge. I knew that I was in for a form of beating if I managed to go home tonight.

"Grace Harvest sit down." The Alpha yells at me with a command in his voice, the room quiet as we glare at each other and I disobey him and the power he emanated towards me and only me.