LUNA : The Wolf in Disguise Novel – Four years ago “You have to be careful, Mia. How many times do I have to remind you to hide your wolf?” My mother dragged me towards god knows where. She kept glancing behind her back as if she was making sure that no one was watching us, “You can’t trust anyone. They all will want to take you and your powers to themselves.” There we go again. When I discovered my powers at first, I thought it was kind of cool to have the ability to do what I can do but recently, I have started to hate my powers as it has become an obstacle to me. It was the reason why I couldn’t enjoy mere things like a normal teenage girl. “Where are we going now?” I asked, tired of her rules.”I am not going anywhere, Mom. I am so sick of hiding. Why can’t I let my wolf out like my friends?” I snatched my hand away from her grasp when she kept dragging me without saying anything. We were now in the deepest part of the forest. I have never been here before as I was not allowed to be here.
My mother glared down at me, “Because you are special” She said, “You can’t show them” She added, her eyes softening a little, “You think I like any part of this? I want you to have a normal life too, sweetie. ” I shook my head, “You say all of that, and yet you make me live a fake life.” I could feel my anger bubbling up to my throat. It took everything in me to not lash out at her. Why am I being like this? My mother’s eyes started to tear up, and it made me instantly regret my choice of words, “I am sorry-” She shook her head before I could finish, “No, you have every right to be frustrated. I will too if I were you, ” She sniffed, “I think I may have found a way for you to have a better chance at being normal. ” She exhaled. I perked up at that, “Really?” She smiled but it didn’t quite reach her eyes, “Yes but there is a small price that you have to pay.” She put her palm against my cheek, “So let’s go. I want you to meet a trusted friend of mine. She will tell you what you have to do. ” I let out a breath, “Fine. But I am only doing this because you said I can be normal, ” I said begrudgingly and grabbed her hand again, “What? Let’s go, ” I grumbled when she stood there still. My mother nodded at me before dragging me through the forest. We kept walking for a few more minutes until we came across a small hut in the middle of nowhere, “There it is” She said, “Your father must be waiting for us” She informed me as we reached the hut. I eyed our surroundings warily before looking at my mother again.
She knocked on the wooden door and waited for someone to answer it. I counted until ten in my head and nudged her, “Seems like no one is here,” I said. Just then, the door opened to reveal a beautiful woman. I looked at her in daze, admiring her beauty and aspiring to be like one day. She had straight hair that fell past her hips and her body might be every girls dream, “Hello there, luna” She said, greeting my mother before looking down at me, “Ah, this must be Mia” “Hi,” I said boldly, not liking the way she was addressing me. It sounded like she was referring to a baby. The woman smirked, “I can feel the power rolling off her,” She said, looking up at my mother again and opening the door wider so we could pass through. “It used to be minimal, almost unnoticeable at first, but it has started to become more distinct lately. Can you help us with it?” I heard my father’s voice say from the inside of the hut. I spotted him standing next to man who had his head buried in a thick book.
As if he could sense my eyes on him, he snapped his head up to look at me. I gasped when our eyes met. His eyes. His irises we so light that it almost looked like he has none. “There is a way to hide her aura temporarily,” He said after eyeing me for a moment, “It could last for up to five or six years if she is lucky.” He went on. Again, with the hiding. “I don’t want to hide anything!” I nearly growled. “Mia!” My mother glowered at me, “I apologize for her behaviour, Adam. Lately, she has become so sensitive, ” She added, sending a glare my way before looking at the man again. Adam smiled at her, “I remember how I was when I was fourteen. It is perfectly normal, Luna” He said, “As I was saying, there is a way but I am afraid she is the one who gets to decide if we can proceed with it or not” He added. “She is too young to decide, Adam,” my father said. “It is her wolf that we are going to withhold.She has a say, Alpha,” Adam said, “She can’t shift into her wolf for five or six years. It is a big deal for her” My parents exchanged a glance while I stared at the man in front of me in bewilderment.
My throat went dry, “I-I can’t shift?” Adam nodded at me, “For five or six years only. You will be able to take care of yourself when you’re older, right?” He smiled at me encouragingly, “It is for the best, Mia. You can get to live your teenage years without worrying. You won’t be discovered until you’re eighteen or nineteen. ” “But – But I love phasing into my wolf. I love running around in her form. It is too much of a high price to pay. I can’t – ” “Sweetie,” my father called, “Do you trust us? Do you think we will make any decisions that could harm you?” He asked, and I shook my head at him, “It is the only way to make sure no one finds out that you’re the white wolf, Mia, ” He explained to me slowly. I could feel my eyes getting teared up, “You heard him, right? It is only temporary. You will reunite with your wolf soon. This is actually to keep her safe, Mia. She can only be safe if she is left hidden.” I looked at my mother, a sudden sense of helplessness washing over me.
She wiped the corners of her eyes and gave me an encouraging nod, “You have to decide now, Mia.” I pressed my lips into a thin line and shook my head, “I can’t when you put me at this ultimatum.” The beautiful woman cleared her throat, “Mia, I know you are confused and feel helpless. You know that you’re special, and now everyone else is starting to notice it, too. ” “This world isn’t filled just filled with pure souls like you, dear. It is a cruel world. Everyone is greedy here. If one comes to know about your existence, they might snatch you away from your family. ” She paused when I gasped in terror, “And take your powers to themselves. ” “You can prevent that from happening but only by hiding your wolf.” She sighed, “I know it is too much to lose, but you will get back your wolf before you know it.” I listened to her quietly, weighing my options and reluctantly nodding my head, “I will surely get back my wolf, right?” I asked, looking into the beautiful woman’s eyes. She nodded at me, “I give you my word. She will return to you. ” I averted my gaze to my parents and found them looking at me with concern etched on their faces, “Okay. I will agree to it. I will let you take her away from me temporarily.”
I nodded, looking at her and Adam again, “I will suck it up for a while.” “Good girl,” Adam smiled, “May your sacrifice not be in vain,” He said, looking at my father, “It can be done today if you’re ready.” My father gave a firm nod, “Let’s not hesitate anymore. The sooner, the better” Adam looked at the beautiful woman, “Maya, make preparations.” Maya nodded at Adam, “I will,” She said before strutting away from there. Adam smiled at me, “You will not feel any pain during the ritual but when you feel your wolf being stripped away from you” He paused, “You might experience an inconsolable grief” He warned me, “I will give you time to bid farewell to your wolf. You can phase for the last time and run around while I make the arrangements. ” “Thank you,” I said gratefully. I looked at my parents and waited for their permission. “You may go. Just make sure to stay within one kilometres radius, ” my father said, “Do not cut off the mindlink, ” He commanded in his Alpha tone.
I nodded at him mutely before stepping out of the hut. I can hear them talking amongst themselves in hushed voices, but I didn’t pay any heed. I wanted to spend time with my wolf as much as I could before parting ways with her. I hid behind a tree and stripped off my clothes before phasing into my wolf. I felt the familiar rush of energy coursing through me, a sensation that I have grown to love. Something that I was going to miss for the next five or six years as well. I let out an agonising howl into the air before kicking my paws under me, running at a speed of lightning. I pushed myself to go at the speed that I had never run before, experiencing the rush of air for one final time before giving it up for the next few years to come. I went to the nearby stream and looked down at my reflection. A pure white wolf stared back at me with blue eyes. If only I wasn’t the white wolf, I might get to keep my wolf with me… I could feel my wolf’s distress, and I was sure she could feel mine too. I took a deep breath and let out another howl into the air, looking up at the moon. I am going to miss this feeling. I felt pressure in my mind, and instantly, I knew it was my father. I let him through and shivered in my wolf form when I heard his Alpha voice ring in my mind. “Come back,” He said. Before I knew it, my legs were already making their way back to the hut.
I couldn’t go against an Alpha’s command even if I wanted to. I found myself standing in front of that hut again. I sighed, “Can we at least take a picture of my wolf?” I asked via the mindlink. “The whole purpose of this ritual is to hide any evidence of your wolf, Mia.” I heard my mother’s voice in my head, “Yet you want to create one. No” I slumped my shoulders in defeat and went to phase into my human form again. I got dressed behind the tree and stepped into the hut again. My parents, along with Adam and Maya, were waiting for me. “So this is it, huh?” I asked, taking in the setup. There was a chair in the middle of the hut, and a ring was drawn around it. There was a table and a few glass bottles were arranged on it. “Yeah, come,” Adam said, gesturing me to sit in the chair. I looked at him unsurely yet went to sit in that chair. I sighed and looked at all of their faces at once. “Relax. Don’t be afraid. You’re the White Wolf, ” my father said when I clenched my fists into tight balls. “Not for long,” I mumbled under my breath. “Wait!” All of us looked at my mother at once. I felt a slight hope starting in my heart as I watched her. Maybe she had a change of heart and decided to call this off- “What about her mate? Will he be able to find her?” She asked.
Dissapointment washed over me, and I looked away. Of all the things she should be worried about – “She might not recognize him as we are severing her bond with her wolf but her mate will recognize her instantly” Maya said, “Let’s just hope she gets back her wolf before she meets her mate” “Do you have any other questions before we proceed?” “No, go on,” my father said, giving my mother a sharp look. I sucked in a breath and squeezed my eyes, shut. Till we meet again, my dearest wolf. I heard Adam say something in language that I couldn’t understand. I opened my eyes when I felt something warm around me and found myself in a ring of fire. Immediately, I panicked. I looked at my parents and found them watching me with worried expressions as well. “It’s okay. We are here with you. Just relax. Close your eyes if you’re afraid, ” my mother said. I nodded at her and squeezed my eyes shut, wanting to get over with it. Adam continued to chant something in a foreign language. It went on for a few minutes before Adam asked me to open my eyes again. The fire around me had died down, and I looked up at Adam anxiously. “Is it done?” I asked. He took a glass from the table and extended it towards me, “Almost. Drink this, ” He said, “Until the last drop,” He added when I accepted the glass into my hands.
I looked down at the clear liquid suspiciously. “It won’t taste nasty. It’s just plain water. ” I nodded at Adam and drank from the glass to the last drop as Adam had instructed. It was actually a tasteless liquid, as Adam had said. I looked up at him, giving the glass back. “You will go to sleep now, and when you wake up, your wolf won’t be with you,” He said. My eyelids started to get heavy as he spoke. I barely registered the words he said as I was fighting back the sleepy feeling. I was on the verge of completely passing out when I felt my father’s arms around me, pulling me to his chest. “Long live the White Wolf,” I heard him murmur into my ear, “Long live my sweet Mia” “Mia, can you lighten up for a second” My mother sighed, “You’re going to end up with fine lines on your face at such a young age if don’t quit scowling all the time” She shook her head at me disapprovingly. That only made my scowl deepen, “Try losing your wolf once, and you will know why I am like this all the time,” I muttered under my breath, glowering at her sharply. I knew she would’ve heard me. She is a werewolf, after all. We all have heightened senses. My mother made a face at that, “It’s only temporary, sweetheart.
You will get back your wolf before you know it. ” She tried to make me feel better, “It is just to protect you from -” I shook my head at her, “It has only been three days since losing my wolf, but it feels like an eternity for me, mom. You wouldn’t understand. It’s like a huge part of me is missing. ” I tried to explain, “I don’t feel like myself anymore. ” I can hear my voice cracking as I talked. I took a deep breath to stop myself from bursting into tears. I will do that when I am alone. The last three days have been nothing but purgatory for me. I couldn’t feel my wolf at all. It is as if someone had ripped my heart into pieces, and it has been glued back together, but one major piece was missing. That’s how it felt for me. I spent the nights crying in my room and questioning everything in my mind to the moon goddess. Why did I have to be the white wolf that everyone is crazy about? “Mia,” I heard my father’s voice in the hallway, snapping me out from my internal monologue, “Mia, come here! I have something for you. ” I heard him call out for me urgently. I threw my legs off the couch begrudgingly and walked towards that direction. My parents tried everything to make me feel better, but none of it worked.
I am sure my father was calling me now to cheer me up in any way that he can, but I am not sure if that would help now. “Mia, faster!” He called out again, “Come on, run to me, will you?!” I stomped my foot against the ground out of anger, “Not a wolf here, remember? I am the slowest in the pack now, ” I grumbled, but I quickened up my pace. I was kind of interested to know why he was calling me there. Once I turned up in the hallway, I saw my father holding a small gift bag in his hands. “What’s this about?” I asked him, eyeing the bag warily. “If you think a teddy bear is going to make me smile, then I am sorry to burst your bubble. It will not.” “You haven’t even seen what I brought you yet, Mia,” my father said, his eyes crinkling, “I am sure that you will love this one.” I narrowed my eyes at him and then at the bag he was holding, “What is that?” I asked. “See for yourself,” He said, extending the bag towards me. I let out a sigh and made my way towards him to take the bag from him. My father gave it to me and watched me carefully as I took out a small teal box from it, “Ah, you think I am old enough for jewellery now?” I asked, putting the bag away. He didn’t answer me, so I carefully undid the clasp of the box and pulled it open.
My eyes widened and a gasp left my lips when I saw a small miniature wolf necklace with my name written on it, “This is so pretty” I said, feeling the surface of the necklace with my fingertip. “I know you miss your wolf. Believe me, I feel so awful for making you go through that but I had no choice, dear” He said, taking the box from me and pulling out the necklace, “I know that this is not much but I hope this somehow make you feel a little less unhappy” He put the necklace around my neck and took a step back to look at me again, “It looks good on you,” He said, nodding his head as if he was satisfied. For some reason, I thought the pendant felt slightly warmer against my skin. It also lifted my overall mood, “It feels warm,” I said, looking up at my father. My father nodded, “Adam said it should feel like that” He informed me, “I told Adam that you are not yourself since the ritual and he said he might have something that could make you feel better. This is it. ” I couldn’t help but touch that wolf again, “Thanks, dad. It is a thoughtful gift. It may not be up to par with my real wolf, but it will make do for the next few years.” I sighed, wrapping my arms around his body. My father hugged me back and put his chin on top of my head, “Anything to make you happy, sweetie,” I heard him say. “So the princess is feeling better now” My mother sang, walking into the living area, “You know it was so hard to put a smile on her face for the past three days but you managed to do that, John.
Bravo, ” my mother clapped, grinning. I felt a light blush spreading on my face, “He genuinely tried making me happy,” I retorted. My mother’s jaw dropped, “Excuse me! I genuinely tried to make you happy as well. ” She came at me, making me giggle and run around my father in order to avoid getting tackled by her. My father laughed as my mother chased me around, “Run, Mia.” He cheered for me, making me giggle again. This is how we usually are, always laughing about something and chasing each other around the house for fun. “Alright, alright,” my mother said, pretending to look tired now, “All those running made me hungry. Why don’t we have dinner now?” She asked, hugging me and my father together, “It has been days since you ate properly, ” I nodded at her, “Yeah, that does sound good. In fact, now I think about it, I am actually starving, mom, ” I said, clutching my stomach. “Then what are we waiting for? To the dining table, ” My father grinned, ushering the both of us towards the dining area. We had dinner together like we always would. For the first time in three days, I actually felt slightly better. Good enough to have a decent conversation with my parents while we eat. “I am scared to go back to school,” I sighed, “Everyone is going to make fun of me for losing my wolf.” My parents exchanged a meaningful glance, “Nonsense. No one dares to mess with an Alpha’s daughter, right Laura?” He asked my mother.
My mother nodded her head, “Yeah, whoever does that clearly has lost their mind.” My mother agreed, “Don’t worry, darling. They won’t mess with you. You do know what to tell them if they ask you about it, right?” “That I woke up one day and couldn’t feel my wolf?” I asked, and my parents nodded in approval, “Don’t you think it’s a little bit hard to believe?” “Losing your wolf is already a hard to believe matter. I am sure the pack would be curious to know what happened, but they know their limits. They wouldn’t press you much about it, ” my mother reassured. I looked down at my almost empty plate, “I hope they won’t,” I said in a small voice, “I am not strong enough to fight back with them if they did.” I felt a hand under my chin and then my father lifted my face so he can see my eyes again, “You are the strongest girl that I have ever seen, sweetheart” He said, “Tell me, how many out there are willing to lose their wolf? You did, right? That’s because you’re brave and strong. ” “And your wolf doesn’t define who you are, baby,” my mother added, “You are strong with or without your wolf.
Never doubt yourself because your wolf is no longer with you, okay?” I attempted to smile but it didn’t look like it worked because my parent’s face creased with immense worry, “Okay, mom” I said even though I didn’t feel like it will be okay at all. “If anyone tries to make fun of you then you can always come to me-” He stopped whatever he was going to say abruptly and I saw his soft eyes glazed over, indicating someone was mindlinking him. I immediately stiffened, feeling the atmosphere become thick with tension. I watched his face carefully and I saw him look at my mother with a panicked expression, “Laura, you have to go now” He said, jumping to his feet, “Mia, go with your mother” He said before scurrying away from there. “What’s wrong, mom?” I asked, feeling something drop in the pit of my stomach. Something wasn’t right. I had a terrible feeling that something bad was going to happen and that thought alone terrified me. “Rogues.” My mother grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet, “We have to get you to a safe zone,” She said, dragging me into her room, “Please wait here. Do not go anywhere, okay?” She said when we stepped into her room. She used her heightened speed to get across her room and grabbed a bag from there, “Here. Put this on, ” She said, “I have prepared everything for you just in case if something like this happened, ” She said, making me put the bag on. “What do you mean?” I asked, confused.
Her eyes held immense anguish in them, “Mia, if things get out of hand today, I want you to run away from here. There is cash and some documents in that bag along with a bank card. ” She said hurriedly that I had a hard time catching all her words, “You can survive with that. ” My throat went dry, “Mom…” I trailed, unable to form proper sentence. What in the world was going on? My mother’s eyes teared up, and her beautiful face red, “I am sorry, honey. If this is our last day together, I want you to know that your father and I loved you with all our hearts, and none of this is your fault, okay?” She said, putting a hand against my cheek. Seeing tears stream down her face made my eyes start to prlck with tears as well, “Mom, you’re scaring me,” I said, my voice cracking. She shook her head and took a deep breath, wiping her tears away with the sleeves of her top, “No, honey. There is nothing to be afraid of, okay? You will do excellent on your own. I believe in you, ” She said, pulling her hand away from my cheeks, “Let’s just pray that it doesn’t come down to that.” She grabbed my hand once again, and we ran towards the backdoor. My mother phased into her wolf once we stepped out of the house and gestured me to hop on her back. It has been so long since she carried me this way. I kind of missed it, but strangely, this time, it didn’t bring me any kind of joy.
I climbed behind her back, running my fingers over her soft fur before gripping it in my fists when she lurched forward into the forest. I held on to her for my dear life as the trees whizzed by behind us. My hair flew around my face, becoming a knot of mess. I just hoped everyone in the pack will be alright. We have a pretty good security and defense system in this pack so it is highly unlikely to win over us. But…There is still a chance for any rogue to succeed- I shook my head, pushing away all the negative thoughts. I have to remain optimistic in this kind of dire situation. My mother kept running until we came into a clearing where most of our pack members has gathered. They were all in their wolf form except for me. I recognised some of them and a sense of relief washed over me when I saw no young pups present there. But my father wasn’t there. In fact, all the male werewolf weren’t there. It dawned on me that the fight was taking place somewhere else. It was disconcerting to know they were conversing via their mind link and I wasn’t able to hear them. Suppressing my wolf had its consequences. I lost all my heightened senses and the ability to use mindlink. In other words, I am just a mere human now. I don’t know what they conversed about but my mother took off running again, leaving her pack mates behind. I glanced over my shoulder just in time to look at them going the other way, letting eerie howl to the sky.
Where they were going? Why we are not going with them? Where we were going? So many questions started to pile up in my head as I had a hard time comprehending what was going on. Maybe they have a strategy- I let out a screech when my mother came into an abrupt halt, almost throwing me to the ground. I heaved a breath and looked up to see my father approaching us in his wolf form. He went behind a tree and phased into his wolf before stepping away from there with a pair of trousers, “Mia” He said, coming over us at a light speed, pulling me down from my mother’s back and hugging me tightly, “I am going to miss you so much” My heart sank, “Dad…” I pulled away to look at him, bewildered. “Listen, sweetie. The situation in the southern border has officially gotten out of hand. You have to head north and escape from this property” He said, words flowing out from his mouth like fluid. “No” I shook my head, “I am not leaving you two behind. Let’s run away together” “I can’t leave the pack behind, Mia. I have a responsibility and I am to be held accountable for it” His eyes looked pained as he talked, “Please, you have to understand. They are here for you. You have to go now!” “They are here for me?” I asked, stupefied.
“You are the white wolf. They are here for you but thank the moon goddess, we have suppressed your wolf. They won’t be able to trace you now” His eyes glazed over towards the end of his speech, “There is no time to waste. Go now, Mia.” “But- But-” Tears started to flow freely down my cheeks. “We love you” My father said, “Please go now” When I didn’t move, my father took a deep breath, his eyes brimming with bushed tears as well, “I command you to go to the north and exit the territory, Mia” He said in his Alpha tone. “No” I whimpered weakly but my body was already obeying him. I started to sprint away from there with a heavy heart. I couldn’t believe this was happening. Once I got to a reasonable distance, I glanced behind my back to see my parents for one last time but what I saw shook me to my core. Two rouges attacked my parents from behind as they watched me.
The merciless creatures fought with my mother as my father shifted into his wolf. One of the wolf went straight to my mothers neck killing her instantly. I let out a gasp and hid behind a tree, putting a hand over my mouth. I heard my father let out a pained howl before that too gets cut short. I peeked from behind the tree to see those Rogues running away from my parents motionless figures. I wanted to run towards them but I couldn’t as my body was still obeying my father’s command. I thought losing my wolf is the worst thing that can happen to me but. This was a million times worse than that. Grief overtook me as I knew they wouldn’t make it. The Rogues wouldn’t let them. I cried silently as I ran away from there, knowing I have lost both of my parents right in front of my eyes. What made it all worst that I couldn’t even go back to look at their lifeless bodies.