I sat by the window, the fire crackling softly behind me, staring out into the night.
The full moon loomed large in the sky, its light casting an eerie glow over the village in Eldoria.
I could feel its pull, tugging at something deep within me, a part of myself I didn't quite understand.
The full moon lasts for a full week and I've always dreaded it. It reminds me that I wasn't one of them, that I was human.
During the one week full moon, father was never home, it will only be just me, Lyla and Lily.
Lily will only be out of control only once in the long week, the rest of the days she's in control of her wolf, which was one of the reasons why she was the golden child.
"Get your head out of the clouds, Aurora!" Lyla's sharp voice shattered my thoughts.
I turned to see her standing in the doorway, arms crossed over her chest.
"You've been staring out that window all evening. There's work to be done."
I bit my lip, my fingers tightening around the hem of my apron.
"I was just... thinking. It's the full moon. We should be careful."
Lily, lounging on the couch with her usual smug smile, chimed in.
"Oh, don't be such a child, Aurora. We've lived through plenty of full moons.
Besides," she added with a sly grin, "you're the one who should be worried, not us."
My stomach twisted as I frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
Lyla's eyes gleamed with something dark, a hint of malice I'd grown all too familiar with over the years.
"Let's just say some of us are better at controlling our... urges during the full moon. Others, well, they're more susceptible."
My heart skipped a beat. I knew what Lyla was hinting at—the curse that plagued certain werewolves during the full moon.
Some,like Lily, could suppress the transformation, staying human even under the moon's influence. But others, weren't as lucky.
My guess is, it has something to do with the bloodline. Because only the strong and powerful bloodlines stay sane during the week of the full moon.
"I thought wolves were all the same," I whispered, more to myself than to them. "All cursed by the same moon."
Lily's laughter was cold and mocking.
"Oh, Aurora, you really are naive. Not all werewolves are equal. I have the strength to resist the moon's pull.
You, on the other hand..." She trailed off, her gaze flicking to the window, where the moonlight filtered through the glass.
"Well, let's just say you're more vulnerable, since even though you have the Ashford blood running through your veins, you're not one of us."
A wave of fear washed over me. I'd always known there was something different about me, something weaker, something Human. But hearing it confirmed by Lyla and Lily, in their cruel, mocking tones, made it all the more hurtful.
"That's why you're sending me out tonight, isn't it?" I asked, my voice shaking. "You want to get rid of me."
Lyla didn't deny it. Instead, she smiled—a cold, cruel smile that sent shivers down my spine.
"The woodpile needs replenishing. And who better to do it than the one most at risk? If you're strong enough to survive the night, then maybe you deserve to stay."
"And if I don't?" My voice was barely a whisper.
Her smile widened. "Then you were never meant to stay in the first place."
Anger surged within me, but it was quickly smothered by fear. I knew there was no arguing with Lyla, no escaping the fate they had planned for me. All I could do was survive, like I've been doing all these years of torment.
Swallowing my fear, I grabbed my shawl and headed for the door. The night air was cold against my skin as I stepped outside, the full moon casting long shadows across the village.
I could feel Lyla and Lily's gazes on my back, but I didn't turn around. I couldn't let them see how scared I was.
The woods loomed ahead, dark and foreboding. I hesitated at the tree line, my heart pounding in my chest.
The moon's pull was stronger now, tugging at my very being, threatening to consume me.
I had to move quickly, gather the wood, and get back to the safety of the house. But even as I tried to convince myself of that, a small voice in the back of my mind whispered that there was no safety there—not with Lyla and Lily.
I ventured deeper into the woods, my footsteps crunching on the fallen leaves. The further I went, the quieter it became. The village sounds faded away, replaced by the eerie stillness of the forest.
Every snap of a twig made me jump, every rustle of leaves sent my heart racing.
I bent down to gather some branches, my hands trembling as I tried to focus on the task at hand. But I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched.
My breath caught in my throat as I heard a low growl behind me. Slowly, I turned, and my blood ran cold.
A wolf stood at the edge of the clearing, its eyes glowing in the moonlight. It was massive, far larger than any wolf I had ever seen. Its fur was dark, blending into the shadows, and its teeth gleamed in the pale light as it snarled at me.
I froze, my mind racing. I knew I should run, but my legs wouldn't move. The wolf took a step closer, its growl deepening. I could feel its eyes boring into me, sizing me up as prey.
"P-Please..." I whispered, though I knew it was useless. "Please don't..."
The wolf lunged.
I screamed and stumbled back, dropping the branches as I turned and ran. I could hear the wolf behind me, its paws pounding the ground as it gave chase.
My heart hammered in my chest, my breath coming in ragged gasps as I pushed myself to run faster, my legs burning with the effort.
But no matter how fast I ran, the wolf was faster. It was closing in on me, its snarls growing louder and more vicious. I could feel its hot breath on my neck, could sense its teeth inches from my skin.
I stumbled, my foot catching on a root, and I went crashing to the ground.
Suddenly,the wolf was on me in an instant.
something heavy slammed into my back, knocking me to the ground. It's weight pinning me down as it snarled in my face. I screamed, my hands scrambling for purchase in the dirt as I tried to push myself up.
But the weight of the creature pinned me down, its hot breath on my neck, its claws digging into my skin. I was trapped.
The wolf growled low in its throat, its eyes glowing with an unnatural light. It loomed over me, silent and menacing. It didn't speak, didn't reveal any intentions—just watched me with those glowing eyes, as if deciding my fate.
I struggled, kicking and thrashing, but it was no use. The beast was too strong. I could feel its growl vibrating through my body, and I knew this was it. This was how I would die.
But then, something strange happened. The growl faded, and the weight on my back shifted. I dared to look back, and what I saw made my blood run cold.
The creature—a massive wolf—was changing, its fur receding, its limbs contorting. Within moments, it wasn't a wolf anymore. It was a man.
He loomed over me, his wild eyes glowing faintly in the darkness, his breath ragged and uneven.
In my fright, with my eyes blurry from unshed tears, I couldn't make out his face, but I could feel his gaze on me, piercing and unrelenting.
I tried to speak, to scream, but no sound came out. My body was frozen in terror, my mind unable to process what was happening.
Then I heard the sound of the hem of my dress ripping. I tried struggling but it was futile, he was strong..... Very strong.
With my hands pinned above my head, my head facing my right shedding tears and praying that someone will come to my aid.
I've always known that I was weak, have been living in sadness.. but tonight... Tonight was true hell.
I felt him forcefully spread my legs, and I was filled with dread. With his breath hot on my neck I pleaded with him, hoping that he'll show mercy. But who was I kidding, I've never been lucky.
Then I felt that pain, that searing pain that felt like I will be torn apart. And that's when I knew to stop struggling and just wait till he was through, there was no point.
Through the blurry of the tears in my eyes, I saw him moving, up and down, fast and strong. I looked up to the full moon shinning down at me like a curse.
It was torture and felt like it will never end. With a loud grunt he finished and I just lay there motionless.
And then, just as suddenly as he had appeared, the man turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving me lying there, trembling and alone.
I forced myself to sit up, my hands shaking as I tried to steady myself. But my body felt heavy and weak, the world around me was spinning, my vision blurring. The fear, the exhaustion—it was all too much. And as the darkness closed in around me, I felt myself slipping away.
The last thing I saw before everything went black was the pale light of the moon filtering through the trees.
And then everything went black.