Page 39 of Violet Moon
The feast was nothing short of magnificent.Even for Clyde, this was above and beyond normal expectations.Sera wasn’t sure if there was some historic werewolf holiday she’d forgotten about or if he was celebrating the arrival of a new Alpha, but whatever the cause, everything was perfect.
Sera tried to focus on stuffing herself full before the moon hung high in the sky, but her attention was constantly drawn to the new Alpha.Jason’s once-scrawny frame had filled out since she last saw him and he had a wild look in his eyes that made her feel unsettled.
Jason ate like he was starving, his eyes locked on Parisa the entire meal.It made the hairs on the back of Sera’s neck stand up.She did her best to ignore him and focused on the way her pack and Clyde’s fit together.The room was filled with loud laughter and conversation.If Parisa could sit beside her and chat with Clyde and his Beta as though Jason wasn’t staring holes into her skin, then Sera could, too.
Besides, there was too much to look forward to.Sera tingled with anticipation.Her hands were jittery with nerves.The full strength of the wolf was near.She drummed her fingers on the table and she tapped her toes on the hardwood floors beneath her feet.It didn’t help that Parisa was seated next to her at a table so filled with werewolves that they kept bumping elbows and Parisa’s knee kept touching hers.Sera did her best to keep up with the conversation, but she was overheating for more reasons than just the approaching full moon.
Parisa kept shooting her glances and Sera couldn’t tell if she was being scolded for shaking too much and not hiding her excitement or if Parisa was amused and just as ready as Sera to be let out into the night.
As the sun set, Clyde sent his pack in one direction while he and Gabriel brought Parisa’s pack to the other end of their land.There were no stables in which to strip down.Tradition dictated that the human side invited the wolf to emerge in the fresh air, surrounded by nature.Facing the forest, the pack rid themselves of clothing and took their last human breath before power surged through their veins and reshaped them.
Parisa took off running and Sera followed, the rest of the pack right behind her.She darted between trees and dashed over the fallen leaves and dirt, her paws scarcely touching the ground.Her pack yipped and panted as they kept up, racing one another and tackling their closest friends before catching back up with the rest.Sera pounded her feet into the ground in an effort to stay with her Alpha.
As a human she preferred to be around Parisa.As a wolf she was compelled to be at her side.
Parisa radiated strength, speed, and power.Sera rose to the unspoken challenge, coming up beside Parisa and brushing their sides together as she attempted to overtake her.Parisa growled, bared her teeth, and effortlessly increased her speed.
Behind them the pack kept up, but the further they descended into the depths of the forest, the less Sera could hear anything but the sound of their paws on the ground, their panting breaths, and the little yips and growls that slipped out from their mouths.
Parisa came to a sudden stop in Sera’s path.Sera skidded as she tried to slow herself but she still bumped into her Alpha, eliciting a rumbling but playful growl from the other wolf.Parisa nuzzled into Sera’s neck, nipping at the exposed fur there.She backed away and Sera dipped her head in deference before she bounded over and did the same, bumping their sides together and burying her muzzle in thick brown fur.
Her Alpha leapt back and reared up on her hind legs, teeth bared but no malice behind them.She jumped forward and came down with a front leg stretched across Sera’s spine.Sera whipped her head around and nipped at Parisa’s fur.
Their pack caught up with them.Some of them panted for breath while others played, trying to tackle each other.Wolves played and werewolves did, too.Size and a dash of humanity did nothing to change the fact that bonding was essential for survival and, for many of them, much easier to do when they were wrapped in fur and not all their human insecurities.Under the full moon, friendships deepened and connections between wolves grew stronger.For an Alpha and Beta, the full moon was a chance to strengthen their bond and remember how in sync they could be when removed from human pressures.
Sera and Parisa circled one another, both ready to pounce.Parisa curled her lip, showing her teeth in mock aggression, and Sera prepared to strike.The moment she jumped into the air, Parisa let out an excited yip, briefly falling out of her fighting stance before she sprung into action.Sera was never fast enough to catch Parisa off-guard and this was no exception.In seconds, Parisa had her pinned to the ground with a paw pressed firmly against her chest.Parisa licked the tip of Sera’s nose and jumped away, ready for another round.
She knew she could never truly win against her Alpha, but that wasn’t the point.It was enough to let the wolf run free, to let her howl, bare her teeth, and try to nip her Alpha’s thick, dark brown coat.No matter how many times she lost, there was joy in it.From the way Parisa vaulted around the area and yipped with delight, Sera knew the feeling was shared.
All around her, Sera’s closest friends, her family, her pack ran and played with the same delight she felt.Even Jo, who had a complicated relationship with their wolf, was running off into the night, limbs flailing as they looked back to check if Wilma was following.She wasn’t far behind, ripping up the ground as she tore through the forest to catch up with Jo.Edgar was off in the creek with Emmaline, splashing anyone who dared come too close.The entire pack was buzzing with energy.No one was immune from the freedom they all felt in this moment.
The night wore on and Sera’s thinking mind faded away until there was almost none of the human in her left.The last thing she remembered was a fresh kill trapped between her teeth and the pride bursting in her chest when she dropped it at the feet of her Alpha.
Sera came back to her senses in the forest, lying on her furry belly with the pack around her.Jo was on one side of her, curled up in a tight ball.Parisa was on the other, body aligned with Sera’s.One by one, humanity returned to the wolves, until the only ones still lost to the moon were the youngest members of the pack.This was often the hardest part for Edgar, Benny, and Jo.After being untamed for two days, their wolves were unwilling to return to their mostly dormant state.As they awoke, their aggressive sides came to the forefront and their wolves fought to maintain control.
With dawn blooming over the horizon and the peak of the full moon well over, the elder members of the pack encircled them.They all watched Parisa to see what to do next, following her every move.
Parisa twitched her head to the side and Sera jumped into action, pinning down Jo while Wilma and Lock got Edgar and Benny.The three younger wolves squirmed and growled as they tried to break free.Jo’s teeth were on display and they tried to lunge to bite Sera’s leg, but Sera was undaunted and Jo’s strength was no match for her own.Edgar continued to fight until Parisa helped Wilma subdue him.Gradually, all three submitted to power stronger than their own.Sera stood and let Jo go, knowing the younger wolf wasn’t going to fight her any longer.
The sun warmed the horizon and split through the trees, cracking through the thick fog that surrounded them.Dew glistened on the grass beneath their feet and the birds told them there was no time left to enjoy.Sera looked up at the canopy and savored these last few moments before she started the transformation.For the younger wolves, this happened involuntarily, but for those more in tune with the wolf, they could choose the moment they said farewell to their full moon strength until the next month.
Back at the edge of the forest, they dressed themselves in the now quite damp and crumpled clothes they’d abandoned the first night.Everyone was covered in dirt and happily exhausted.Jo looked wrung out, and they leaned on Harry as they walked back towards the Crooked Creek Pack house.
There was no big meal, no grand send-off like their arrival, but the Pitch Mountain Pack was hardly in any condition to head home right away.It was normal for Clyde to offer them some rooms to rest, showers to clean up, and plenty of cozy space in the large living areas to catch up with friends in the Crooked Creek Pack.
Sera was too tired to think much about the arrangements until she opened the door to her usual small, borrowed room to find Parisa lounging on the far edge of the bed, one arm thrown over her eyes.
She shut the door and stared at the wood as she stood in the hallway.
She always shared with Parisa.It was never an issue, but now Sera couldn’t even open the door fully, let alone lie down and rest.There would be no sleeping in that room.
She turned to walk away and spun around to find Wilma walking up behind her.
“Are you going to rest?”Wilma asked.
“Maybe.”
“I usually do, but Jo is starting a card game in the main living room and asked me to come, too.Do you want to join us?”
