Five Years ago

Owen's P.O.V.

'Finally, I can breathe. Finally, I can live. Finally, I'm free.' That's what I thought when I took a step out of the main gate of my school after giving the last paper of my junior year. I know you are thinking that that's a normal thing everyone feels like this after the final exams, but believe me, for me it is different on so many levels. So, let's dig in my world before I say anything else.

Well, for starters I'm a werewolf. I live in a town called Lahpiaro with my family that is my parents and a younger sister. The name Lahpiaro is a combination of two Coptic words 'Lah' meaning moon and 'Piaro' meaning river. As the town is situated in the middle of the forest next to a small river. we werewolves are obsessed with the moon which gives the reason for the strange name.

The town is under the rule of the 'crimson crescent pack'. Most of the people in town are werewolves and belong to the pack. You can say the human population is around 2% and those are also in some way connected with our pack. So basically, it is a small country or more like a completely different world. We are not the only werewolves in the world there are hundreds of towns belonging to werewolf packs in the united states only. However, we do fall into the top 25 most powerful packs in the US.

Now it does not seem that bad at the first glance, right? what can be so bad about living here, in a werewolf town? Well, it's the worst. You see werewolves possess traits of wolves and wolves are not cute and cuddly creatures. Sure, they are majestic, honest, loyal, also they take care of their people but wolves they are aggressive, they are hunters and they like authority and power. Any werewolf pack works as any wolf pack there are alpha, beta, and omegas Bla bla bla. But you see Alphas are the kings and you cannot hold power if you are not ruthless when it comes to us. So, there are very strict rules and the only punishments are being exiled or death. But if you follow the rule which means obeying your superiors you are pretty much fine.

Feels suffocating now? but it is still manageable, it is not that bad. The real problem starts when the alpha's son that is the next alpha in line has been your classmate and bully since middle school. Jason Wolfe is the son of the alpha of the Crimson Crescent Pack. Gregory Wolfe the current alpha of the pack is pretty understanding for an alpha. He listens to the people and believes in kindness. But his son is the complete opposite.

Jason has been tormenting me since middle school. We were in the same class. For the first couple of years, things were as normal as they could be, I kept my distance from him and treated him like everyone else did. But in the seventh-grade things took a turn. Suddenly, I was on the hit list of Jason and his gang of monsters, Aiden Winster the future beta of the pack and son of the current beta, Emily Wither daughter of one of the close people of the Alpha and her two side chicks Lyla and Winter, Jeremy and Hose also belonging to one of the respected family in the pack.

So, the 'terrorizing Owen Westwood (me)' started. At first, it was just some insults, then they started throwing things at me and on me, like, paper balls, water, coffee, some weird slime, colors, etc. the aim was to humiliate me, and obviously, I could not utter a word against the future alpha so I took it. Then they made me their errand boy and I was always on my tip-toe, and the insults and Laboure continued till high school.

The dark age started when we went to high school. They started hitting me in my freshmen year. I was two minutes late in delivering lunch to Jason from the school canteen. And then for the first time, he punched me. I still remember that day vividly. Everyone was surprised even his gang of monsters too. But he is the future alpha this kind of behavior is expected and accepted from him, this proves his power and authority. And obviously, we went to the school in the town so everyone was werewolves belonging to the pack. Hence, no one spoke not even me. And things continued, the attacks got gradually worse. The beating hurt but what could I say. So, I kept it in. and I was planning to do so for the rest of my life. I was hurt but I did not want to lose everything I love, my family, my home, and my life.

Then six months ago in junior year when I was in the bathroom, he surrounded me with some of his so-called friends (not the gang of monsters but other friends). I was so shocked I could not utter a word and before I could comprehend what was going on he punched me in the gut and threw me on the ground. Then he and his friends started to kick me, punch me, hit me. I'm not sure how they hit me or why they hit me. My eyes were blurry, I could test my blood in my mouth, my breath was getting uneven and all I could do was wrap myself in a ball to minimize the head injury as little as possible. It was hurting, it was hurting, it was hurting so much. My vision started to fade and then I was surrounded by darkness. The next thing I know is that I woke up after 72 hours in the town hospital with 3 broken ribs, 5 fractures, and one broken leg. And it was with my werewolf super healing abilities.

It was then I told my parents about the situation and we all cried in that white hospital room for what felt like hours. It was the end for me, I could not take it anymore. 'If this is how the pack is going to be I do not want to be a part of it' that's what I thought. I was bedridden for the next week and then I stayed in my home for the next three weeks. So, I had a lot of time to think and I decided if I'm gonna be a part of this pack or not. Not in a million years. But I cannot just leave the pack, if I run away, first I would be exiled from the pack, no other pack would take me in and my pack would be after my head. What that means is the chances to survive for a month after running away is less than two percent. so that is not an option.

So, I devised a plan and asked my parents to allow me to transfer to high school in a different town, the most suitable option was Lunardel the town where my uncle Max lived with his mate who belonged to one of our allices pack 'Blood Moon Pack'. At first, my parents were reluctant but they knew the situation so they agreed. But this was not enough, I also had to get permission from the alpha, and luckily our current alpha is a good one, so when I told him that I wanted to study architecture which was my dream for a very long time and one of the best university offering courses in architecture is in the neighboring city to Lunardel, plus I also added some benefits of completing high school from Lunardel to get admission in that university he understood and agreed to let me move. It was true but not the whole truth though. It was the best day of my life.

Now I had completed my junior year and also completed the paperwork for transferring to the school. No one knows about this besides my family, alpha, and luna, as I asked them to keep it a secret, and no one is that interested to know what is going on in the life of another teen of the pack. So, it was pretty easy to hide. Finally, I'm going to move in a month. I would have moved tomorrow if I could, but even though our school year is ended we still have to attend the combat training sessions during the summer vacation. YAY! And notice the sarcastic tone.

"it's okay. It's going to be okay. Just one more month and it will end. All of it." I say to myself as I take a step out of the school building. Even though I am still in this pack, in this town I can see the light and it's not that far away. I feel the fresh breeze and take a deep breath. "Just two more months," I say to myself.

But there is one thing I'm still tense about. I'm turning sixteen tomorrow. The age when werewolves become able to find their mate. More like sniff out their mate. I'm excited to meet my mate, I too waited for this day just like everyone else, and believe me I am thrilled to meet my mate. However, the thing I wish for is that please let my mate be from another pack, not this one. Because if he or she is from this pack then I'll be stuck here for the rest of my life and that's the last thing I want. But my wolf Vlad starts to jump in the excitement at the thought of finding our mate. "I know buddy, I too can't wait to meet our mate." Lunar Goddess, please grant me this one wish only, I pray, I just want to be happy. Please let me be free, please allow me to be happy.

Author's note:

Hello everyone. Thank you for selecting this story to read. I'm really excited for this book. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. Let me know your thoughts on the story by commenting.