2

Aiden felt his phone vibrate. He took it out of his pocket bluntly. It was a message from Ellie.

"I'm coming. Don't be late ;)"

The Alpha smiled a little before shaking his head. Ellie had been with the pack for a year and was already fitting in perfectly as if she had been there from the start. Night was beginning to fall and Aiden was already feeling the effects of the full moon: an urge to transform and run through the woods.

He was in his room, sitting at his desk, facing a book that drove him mad about its complexity. Aiden slammed it shut and stripped completely before transforming. His bones cracked, taking the shape of a wolf's. He stretched slowly to take away the pain that was always present during the transformations, before jumping out the window and landing in his garden which bordered the forest. He frolicked happily before finding himself in the middle of a circle of small rocks.

He waited, pacing. After a few minutes, he heard footsteps approaching him. He squinted, sniffed the air, and smiled to himself. When a small wolf threw herself on him, he dodged with such ease that she uttered a grunt.

"How come I can never get you?"

Ellie was talking to him telepathically. She had this privilege since she had joined the pack. Werewolves communicated this way only in their animal form.

"It's because you make as much noise as an elephant and you smell as strong as a skunk!"

Aiden heard a laugh. Ben emerged from behind a tree, trotting towards them. He seemed tense, quite different from his usual character. His light brown fur moved to the rhythm of his muscles. Ellie looked a lot like Ben in her wolf form. She was just smaller and thinner, feminine. Aiden meanwhile was a dark night. His piercing red eyes left no doubt about his Alpha status, even though his mother officially led the pack.

When his father had died, they had come to an agreement. Aiden would finish his studies while his mother led the pack. He would become the full Alpha once he took a Luna. He thought he still had time, a few years at best. Except that because of recent events, he was going to have to choose one and quickly.

"How dare you!?"

Ellie jumped on him, but he nudged her with a light paw, sending her a little further away. She stood up and groaned. Aiden rolled his eyes.

"You're too slow, Ellie. Stop being childish. Let's stretch our legs. I have to get home early, I have homework to do."

With these words, he rushed at full speed through the forest, soon followed by his Betas. They ran for hours without feeling the slightest fatigue. Ellie tried to jump on them, but she failed miserably every time. This was followed by small fights with Ben where he always had the upper hand on her, enraging her even more.

Aiden finally stopped and waited for Ellie and Ben to come up to him. He told them he was coming home. He warned them not to go out of the forest, to watch out for possible hunters and to call him if there was any problem. Ben nodded to everything, while Ellie called him a grumpy, overprotective old grandfather. Aiden didn't take offense and went home with a smile on his face.

* *

*

Heather took a deep breath. She couldn't believe it! His parents had ordered him to "patrol the forest". As if a vampire was going to take a little night stroll in a deserted place, with no potential victims there.

The girl knew it was a diversion. She suspected them of knowing something about her sister, but they didn't want her to know. Heather hesitated for a moment to go home and tail them. She finally gave up on that idea. She had promised herself to do whatever they said. His parents were great vampire hunters, they knew what they were doing. She was not really experienced.

Oh, of course she had killed a few vampires, but only "newborns" that James had found for her. The latter had also advised him to listen to his parents. This town contained a few low-key vampires. If she wanted to eliminate some, preferably all of them, she had to follow orders.

So she found herself in this deserted forest, armed with her bow, in the middle of the night, just before her first day of school. She ducked under the trees and looked around. She saw nothing, heard no one. The forest was deserted, no sign of...

Heather crouches down, noticing footprints on the floor. They were not human footprints, but animal ones. She heard a twig snap. She got up hastily and aimed her bow at the place where she had heard the noise. The girl held her breath.

A huge brown wolf was staring at her with its bright yellow pupils. He was sizing her up, motionless. His bow was still pointed at him, the wolf noticed then. He growled slightly. Heather tightened her grip on her gun. The wolf moved into attack stance, still growling.

They stood there for a few seconds until Heather lowered her gun. He hadn't attacked him when he had had the opportunity many times. Strangely, she didn't feel in danger. The wolf looked at her, surprised and curious. He kept staring at her.

- I wouldn't shoot you. But if you feel like attacking me, I will defend myself, she proclaimed.

The wolf was still staring at her, but he sat down. Heather was surprised, this wolf was strange. His size, his eyes and his demeanor puzzled her. An explanation then made its way through his thoughts.

- Impossible, she whispered. You can't be...

The wolf stood up and took a step forward. Heather backed away, wary. But the wolf continued to advance. He came up to her and sniffed her palm. He looked up and she crouched down. He was now a good head taller than her.

- Incredible, she breathed.

She put her hand cautiously on the fur of the wolf who never took his eyes off her. He licked her arm, forcing a smile from the girl. A wolf howl echoed through the forest, startling her. The wolf looked behind him. He gave Heather one last look before disappearing the way he'd come.

The girl stood there, stunned. She couldn't believe what had happened. The ringing of her phone pulled her out of her torpor. She answered, staring at where the wolf had disappeared.

- Heather, it's me. I've been researching the vampire who might have kidnapped Paige. I was not mistaken, it is a very weak vampire. I think he works for a more powerful vampire. Look, I think you should tell your parents about this. If you don't do it, I will.

The young girl did not answer, still motionless.

- Heather? Heather are you there?

- Yes, I am here.

She heard James typing on his computer.

- Did you hear what I told you? he asked.

- Yes.

- Well, while...

"James," she cut him off.

The wolf had not returned and the forest was as calm as before.

- Yes ? Are you okay, Heather?

- I think I just met a werewolf, she whispered.