The First Wolf's Moon, Savannah Turberville [top 100 novels of all time txt] 📗

to realize that the woods that filled me with such sincerity and warmth this morning was long gone now. The forest I walk through now is one that fills me with lonliness and chills me to the bone. I couldn't figure out why all of a sudden I felt like this. I don't have any feelings for him, do I? I asked myself . I then started to remember all my encounters with other guys and compared them to all the times I've spent with Nathan. None of them gave me the feelings that Nathan did. Thinking about it all began to give me a headache. So I just stopped thinking and lost myself in the melody of 'Les Miserables- Own My Own' . All of a sudden I found myself feeling as if I was 'Poupine from the movie. A girl who was madly in love with one of her friends and ended up dying for him. Sad but beautiful and extremely depressing to compare myself too.  I stopped abruptly. I don't know why, just something told me to stop.

"April." A familiar voice said. I turned my head looking to my right and then left wondering who was the one who said my name. "April." The voice said again. I spun, losing my balance and falling onto my back.

"Whose there?" I asked. My fear rising. I wasn't usually scared but hearing my name and seeing no one around me had me on edge.

"April, don't be afraid." I rolled my eyes. Really, I thought as I stood up.

"Okay, whoever you are, come out. You don't want me to be afraid? Okay fine I'll be pissed instead. Now come out." I said clenching my fist. A chuckle sounded behind me. When I turned I lost my breath. "Dad?" It's been a year since I heard his voice. Maybe that's why I didn't recognize his voice. I haven't heard it in so long.

"Yes, Angel, it's me." He said smiling. At first he was nothing but a outline of himself but as I began to focus on him. He began to become solid. Dad outstretched his hand toward me.

"Why are you here?" I asked. I wasn't able to ask anything else but that. If I am asleep don't wake me up from this beautiful dream, I thought taking a step toward him. I looked him up and down finally taking him all in. His grease stained pants and bright neon orange shirt. His Crocadile-Don-Dee hat and the way his dark brown hair curled under it. His dark brown eyes danced with life and happiness. His boots crunched on fallen leaves as he stepped closer. He looked the same as he did the day he was killed, minus the bullet holes. A tear slowly ran down my cheek as I once again gazed upon my father in all his glory.

"I got your letter." The melody of his voice still made me feel like a child.

"What le-" I froze. The letter I burned. "Your here to help me shift." Dad nodded.

"It seems some high spirits think that it is necessary for me to be here during your first shift. They said something about the moon could consume your soul before your able to fully change."

"Huh?"

"I have no idea. I'm just here under orders." He smiled looking me in my eyes. "And I've missed you, April." That was it. That was all I could take before I ran and crashed into him. He was so solid. So real that when I ran into him, he almost lost his footing.

"I've missed you too, Daddy." I said as tears began to stream down my face.

"I know honey, I know. Your letters were filled with so much sadness. It became harder and harder to read them." Dad said as he tightened his hold on me and patted my head. I didn't know how long we stayed like that. All I know is the feeling of my father's arms around me. Holding me. Protecting me from all the evil in the world. He was the only person who made me feel safe. Well, him and..... Nathan.

"Dad." I paused breaking the silence of the darkening woods. 

"Hmmm?" 

"Do you know someone named Nathan Blake?"

"Your guardian? Yeah, why?"

"No reason."

"April." I could hear my father's scrutiny in his voice. I sighed.

"How did you know your were in love with Mom?" I asked trying to change the subject. It worked.

"Easy, my wolf told me."

"Not following you." Dad chuckled.

"Well, I I don't know per se if it was my wolf or not. All I know is when I saw your mother for the first time something drew to me to her. It was like something was pushing and pulling me towards her, and when I first touched her hand it was like I was struck by lightning. A warmth began to spread throughout my whole body starting from my chest. " He paused. I turned to see his eyes glazed over as if he was in a far away place. "That's how I knew that she was my mate." I smiled. Dad sounded like a teenage boy talking about his first love. He may of been twenty to thirty years older then me but he described exactly how I felt toward Nathan. Dad cleared his throat. "Why do you ask?"

"Because that's how I feel toward Nathan but I'm scared." I said snuggling up closer to my Dad.

"Why?"

"Because I'm scared this is nothing but a dream and he may disappear if I get closer to him."

"That will never happen. But that is not the real reason your scared. So, why don't you tell me the real reason your afraid." I sighed.

"I'm scared he'll share the same fate as you. I'm scared he'll die because of me." I said staring at a tree. We sat there in silence, letting my words sink in. When I felt my Dad stiffen. Before I could ask what was wrong a sharp pain began to shot through me. "It's time." I screamed. Arching my back and rolling away from my dad. I glanced to see if he was still there but he wasn't. A new kind of pain shot through me as I looked at where he once was. He was gone again taking away from me when I really needed him. Fear began to mix with the pain at the thought that I was alone. With all of the strength I could muster I screamed from him. "Dad!Dad!!!" Soon my screams became nothing as they began to die down and the pain began to make me mute. The snapping of my bones was all that I could hear. I soon heard the sound of some one running toward me, but that soon was drowned out by my bones dislocating and relocating again.

"April." Nathan's voice called but his voice was muffled. My vision began to blur with tears until I looked up at the rolling clouds. Revealing a bright full moon slowly turning red. Just as fast as it came the pain became a after thought as I became absorbed in the beauty of the turning moon. I was hypnotized. My vision narrowing until I could see nothing but the moon.

"April, look away. If you only focus on it you'll lose your mind." My dad's voice said.

"How do you know?"

"Because the moon will make it to where you'll think your not human anymore. I know because it almost did that to me. The first change is the time where your wolf can be apart of you or it can take over and kill you. You have to be strong enough to fight the urge." I didn't want to listen to him but a part of me knew he was right. It took all my will power to close my eyes but I did and as soon as I did the pain came back ten time worse. The pain knocked the air out of my lungs. I couldn't scream. I could hear the shredding of my skin as fur took it's place. The stretching and shredding of my skin brought my voice back.

"April!" Nathan yelled. I turned to him. Looking into his emerald green eyes all I saw was worry and concern. I then heard a howling in my head and voice that whispered Mate. I didn't know who the voice belonged to but I didn't care. All I know is that Nathan was there and I had to survive this and be strong so I could be with him. Closing my mouth I made sure no more screams escaped. When I did my shift began to go in slow motion. My hands began to stretch and became long claws that looked as if with one sweep of my paw I could take down a tree.. Long grey fur exploded all over my body. My head was crushed and reshaped into a snout. My teeth became long sharp canines that ripped through anything. My ears stretched and became pointed. My legs became like hind legs of a dogs. I glanced toward the moon one last time and saw that it was completely blood red. Signaling the end of my transformation. Raising my chest and throwing my head back I let out a howl of victory over my shift. My howl was joined by many more. Abruptly I stopped and looked around. To my right I saw three massive wolves: My mom, Clara, and Seth. I knew who was which because their fur matched their hair when they were human. To my left I didn't see wolves all I saw was eyes watching me and right in front of me was a jet black wolf. I froze. His eyes were the color of emeralds. Nathan.

"You're beautiful." Nathan said. Everyone nodded in agreement. I wanted to smile but there was something I had to ask.

"Why are you all in wolf form?"

"We wanted to go with you on your first run." Clara said filled with excitement, taking a step forward. I shook my massive head.

"Thank you, but no. I need to do this by myself. I need to understand and accept it on my own. I hope you understand." Looking from one to the other they all nodded. They were disappointed but this was something I had to do alone.

"Be careful." My mom said coming toward me. She put her wolf forehead against mine and nuzzled me. Then turned and walked toward Nathan's house. One by one they left. When they were all gone I closed my eyes and let my wolf instincts take over and before I knew it I was running full speed through the woods. The trees whizzed by me , becoming nothing but a blur. Until I broke through the tree line into a meadow. The same meadow I first talked to Amanda in. The moon was the brightest here and even more hypnotizing. The red tint cast by it took up all my vision. As if I was asleep I walked to the center of the meadow. Never once taking my eyes off the sky. Lost in the moon's glory I didn't even notice that I was no longer alone.

Snap!

Turning toward the sound waiting for a attack, but no one was there. Looking closely, not even a 100 feet away was a doe and a fawn. Seeing them made my mouth water. The doe had juicy, plump sides and legs. She was the only thing I was focused on at the moment. Looking into her black eyes I waited for her to run. The hope of a chase, of running after something made my blood rush. Looking at me one last time, the doe turned and ran. The fawn not far behind her. Without hesitation I gave hot pursuit. The chase was intoxicating and well deserved. So I prolonged it the best I could until I couldn't fight the hunger growing inside of me. With one graceful leap the chase was over. The doe was dead. The taste of its blood was