Serenity Age: 18
My friends and I sat on the cliff, watching the sunset. The orange-red hues light up the night sky. When I looked at the sunset, I felt at peace. There was something about it that was soothing.We lay gazing at the night sky. “Has your wolf spoken to you yet, Smurf?” Corey spoke, breaking the tranquility.“No, my parents believe that I'm a late bloomer, and she might come on my birthday.” I let out a deep sigh.It has been nerve-racking knowing all my friends can converse with their wolves, and I haven't heard from mine.“I guess we get to meet her tomorrow at the Grand Celebration. Your mom throws the best parties. Our graduation party was epic. She didn't hold back any punches.” Camila's bubbly self giggles.“Yeah, I'd rather she be late than not at all. I'm a freak as it is."“You are not a freak; you are special! Stop doubting yourself. Now, please make me an animal. It's finally dark enough for me to see them.” Camila responded.I shook my head at her demand and shut my eyes. I channeled the heat in my body to my palms and summoned my fire magic. I imagined my first creature and snapped my fingers, returning my gaze to the sky to see a red dolphin jumping through ripples. They watch the fiery show as it comes to mind. Sitting up abruptly, I heard a noise in the distance. It almost sounded like a gasp.“What's wrong?” Camila mumbled.“I heard somebody.” Looking around at the tree line and listening for breathing.The guys stood up and checked behind the nearby trees.“Serenity, turn your eyes back to gray, just in case,” Camila directed.Following her suggestion, I immediately regained control. I would hate for a pack member to discover my well-hidden secret. The stories I have heard about The Elders were not pleasant."Maybe it was an animal. I don't hear or see anything.” Corey called back to us.The guys laid back on the ground, talking amongst themselves. Camila and I played connect the dots with stars until we nodded off.The sound of the birds chirping woke me up from my peaceful slumber. Stretching my limbs and cracking my back, I sat up to see that my friends were nowhere to be found. Checking the tents, they were huddled together, speaking quietly.“What are y'all doing?” I snuck up behind them.They screamed at the same time, "Get out; your present is not ready.” Camila shoved me out of the tent.In my tent, I packed our necessities to travel back home for my party. I wished last night would never end. I had a bad feeling that tonight was going to go badly. There is still no sign of my wolf. Once the tent was all packed up, my friends stood outside, holding an orange box.“Happy Birthday!” They shout in unison.I took the box out of their hands and shook it lightly. Opening up a lid to find a scrapbook. It had our memories from the past 4 years. On the cover were us in our cap and gown on graduation, with the caption “Friends til the End." My eyes were welled with tears of joy. This was the most thoughtful gift.“Thank you, guys,” grabbed them in a group hug.“Wolf or no wolf, you will always be our friend. Don't forget, we are going to the same university this fall.” Camila kissed me on the cheek.“Even as Gamma, I will never turn my back on you. I love you, Smurf.” Corey kissed the top of my head.Their words of encouragement brightened my day.At home, getting ready for my party, I selected a glittery gold tube top with flare pants to match. I did a sleek ponytail with a braid down to the middle of my back and added a few faux lashes. I look stunning.“Happy Birthday, baby girl, you really outdid yourself today. You look amazing.” My mom gave me a small box, and inside was a car key. Running to the front door, my dad was polishing up my new car.“Go pick up your friends, meet us at the party, and be on time. You are not too old to be punished.” My dad laughed while closing the car door.I rounded up all my friends and drove to the city. They were chatting nonstop and singing to the music. The venue was in the heart of the city, on neutral territory. My mom had invited so many pack members and hoped for me to find my mate tonight.The party was amazing; my mom had a live band playing at the venue she rented out for the evening, and the food was catered by Embermoon Steakhouse.Just before midnight, we returned to Shadow Pack. Alpha Kevin and Beta Rich were waiting for me at the training ground to witness my first shift under the moonlight.I strip down to my strapless bra and boy shorts, waiting for the clock to strike midnight. In my peripheral vision, I see my friends sneaking into the training ground and giving me a thumbs-up.The clock struck midnight, and nothing transpired. Glancing at the clock once again and still nothing. Shuffling from foot to foot and twiddling my fingers. A layer of sweat formed on my face when Alpha Kevin got out of his seat and headed my way. The closer he got, the clearer I saw a scowl on his face. He was beyond pissed off.“She’s woofless." Alpha Kevin roared. His aura poured into the entire arena, bringing all of us to our knees. “Have Serenity tested at the pack hospital for the wolf gene?” He commanded.“She’s not a wolf.” Debbie's snobby voice came from behind the bleachers, holding her phone. Sending daggers my way, I know what she has to say wasn't good. When she handed Alpha Kevin her phone, my heart stopped. I knew it was her last night in the woods.Alpha Kevin held the phone, strolling through the screen. “Send her to the dungeon instead.” He commanded Beta Rich.My stomach dropped at his orders.Serenity The flickering light illuminated the dark cell. The walls had brown cobwebs and dust bunnies laid over the floor. I was probably the first prisoner since the Dark Ages. I thought to myself. I curled up on the cold concrete floor, still wearing my undergarments. Alpha Kevin sat across, glaring. His arms were folded over his broad chest, and he was tapping his foot. His aura was suffocating.“Why were your eyes gold and not black? Have you been practicing witchcraft?” He barked.I glanced at him, “They were contact lenses. No, I haven't been practicing witchcraft. Debbie is always causing trouble, and yet once again, I'm in trouble for something she made up," I huffed. “This is not about Debbie; this is about you having gold eyes, Serenity.” He retorted."Well, Alpha, I just told you why my eyes were gold. If you don't believe me, then have my parents bring them to you. This pack has been biased towards me since I can remember."“Enough with the attitude. We have treated you
SerenityIt took us a while to settle in; city life was busy. My parents found a house in the heart of City, near the university. Living in a pack was different from living as a human. As werewolves we didn't have to worry about paying bills. Now, we had bills to pay, worry about food to eat, and being discovered. I decided to get a part-time job to help pay for college and any other expenses I may have.I was stocking new shoes, when a familiar voice graced my ears. "Serenity." Camila's bubbly self engulfed me in a hug.“I thought you weren't coming down until this weekend for orientation.” I hugged her back.“Nope, my parents allowed me to move in with you this week. I was tired of being away from you. Corey got promoted yesterday to Gamma. He also found his mate, and it wasn't Debbie. Thank you, Moon Goddess!” She exclaims.“What time do you clock out? I'm hungry.”“In 30 minutes. Go to the house; dinner is normally ready by now.” I hugged her goodbye and finished stocking the shel
SerenityAfter our fun adventure, we came home and crashed. The following morning was a gloomy and rainy day. I completed my weekly chores and lounged around on my bed reading The Supreme Shapeshifters.The way the book describes werewolves as horrible beasts. I cannot say the book is incorrect; most of it is spot-on. Always fighting over status, killing innocent people, having high egos, and being possessive. The Moon Goddess Selene gifts werewolves with a mate, no matter the species; yet, they are forbidden from mating with supernatural beings. Werewolves are forced to reject their mate or are commanded by the Alpha to cease communication.Skimming the chapters, I found a section that pertains to me. It is rare for a werewolf to be woofless; nonetheless, you still have the capabilities of a werewolf except for fast healing capabilities. Some werewolves mate with humans, and they cannot shapeshift. It is ultimately rare that werewolves mate with other supernatural beings. If that ha
FranklinThe car reversed out of the driveway, “what did you think about Serenity?” “Huh, what did you say?” He turned down the music and parked the car.“I said, what did you think about Serenity?” I rubbed my hands through my hair.“Oh! She is sexy. Why? I thought you were trying to get with her, homegirl.” He stared at me.“I am trying to get with her friend. She just seems weird to me. That’s all” There was this awkward silence while we headed to the dormitories. “Naw, she's just quiet. There's nothing wrong with that. She is probably an introvert. Give her time to warm up to us.” Javonte expressed his standpoint.Maybe it was my father’s opinion about her that was screwing with my judgment. No one seemed to have a problem with her except me. If she was as horrible as my father says, why did Alpha Kevin let Camila live with her? Testing the shower temperature before entering my phone begins to ring. I already knew it was father calling by the ringtone. I decided to let it go t
SerenityWe were practically buzzing with excitement. We enter the college football stadium. We shared nervous giggles as we watched the guys warm up on the field. The stadium was much bigger than our high school stadium, but the field was the same size. Camila coerced me into making signs for Javonte and Franklin. After catching their attention, with wide smiles and hopeful eyes, we made our way to our seats. We were ready for an evening filled with cheering, laughter, and hopefulness.Throughout the game, I cheered for Javonte and waved my sign. We exchanged smiles whenever our eyes met. I even cheered Franklin on with Camila. During halftime, I was focused on reaching the restroom and I accidentally collided with a group of people from the rival school. Knocking their refreshments all over some poor guy. Our eyes lock in a momentary standoff, tension palpable in the air. The boy's expression hardens. “I am sorry for bumping into you guys turning the corner.” The girl growled at
Serenity Organizing the shoes on the rack when the bell chimed, signaling a customer. I stopped what I was doing to notice that the guy I bumped into and his entourage were in the store. My eyelids flutter, hoping I am seeing things. Nope, he is here. “Camila, go help our guest, and I'll watch the register.” “Um, how about no? They reek of privilege.” She giggled. “I'll rock, paper, and scissors you for the register.”“Fine, don't cry when you lose either.” She agreed. She held out paper, and I threw out a rock. I inhaled and exhaled before walking over to them. The girl's whining noise irritated my eardrums. Whatever she wanted, the boys refused to let her buy them. “Good afternoon. Can I help you find anything today?” I asked her, praying she didn't remember me. “No, what I want, they want; let me have.” She had a lot of aggression in her voice. She seems like she used to get her way all the time. The doorbell chimed again, and this time it was Javonte and Franklin. I left
FranklinWe went to Camila’s dorm room, where I had a surprise waiting for her. Her hands covered her mouth as we entered her room. In the middle of the table was a bouquet of long-stemmed roses. “How did you get in my room to do all of this?” She buried her face in my chest. I heard soft sobs followed by sniffling. “I paid off the rental manager, and she opened the door for me.” She wiped her tears away and patted the wet spot on my shirt. Dinner was amazing; we had roasted vegetables, lamb chops, garlic potatoes with gravy, and buttery French bread. She chatted endlessly about her goals in life and her family. We danced to the jazz music that filtered through the room. Our heartbeats were in sync. I could spend the rest of my life inhaling her pumpkin scent. The silence between us was welcoming. Since spending time with her and Serenity, my crappie life has turned around. “How long have you known Serenity?”“We grew up together in the Slasher Pack. Our parents are best friends.
Serenity Camila has been a hot mess since Franklin disappeared from campus. His roommates told us he was packing up to leave just before he disappeared. A week later, they made a school announcement that he had passed away. I held her in my arms and let her cry her heart out. She had told me how he had made her this beautiful dinner and bought her this lovely bouquet of flowers. The last time she saw him; they had spent the night cuddling in each other's arms. “Serenity, I thought he was the one for me, and now that he is gone, I will never know.” She cried even harder. My heart broke for her. Even though Franklin and I didn't exactly click, he was a decent person who brought joy to my best friend's life. I hated seeing Camila like this, crying all the time and barely functioning. Franklin always put her happiness and health above his own. I know Franklin wouldn’t want Camila moping around. I decided to host a Halloween party in hon