The Lost Wolf

Chapter 1

AVA’S POV

            Staring up in the cool, deep, dark blue-sky, I felt an overpowering calmness surround within me.  I always feel at peace during the night, especially when the full moon is bright and spreading upon all within its reach. 

            I have always felt safe under the night sky.  There is an air of calmness that overcomes me as I stand against the darkening moonlit sky.

            As I look past all within its reach, I glance at the forest past the pond beyond our house.  Tonight, it seems to be beckoning for me on this cool, breezy night. I have a temptation swelling within me to reach beyond our borders.  This feeling has consumed me since I was a child, but tonight the feeling is overbearing within my soul. 

As a child, I would frequently attempt to make my way there, just to be stopped by my parents before I had the opportunity to do so. Some days it would feel like they knew when I felt the urge to reach the edge and would always stop me from the temptation.

            My parents have forbidden me to enter the forest, but I feel this irresistible pull towards it tonight beyond any in which I have ever felt before.  I’m not sure why though, but the temptation to reach past our land feels unavoidable to me. 

            My parents have always warned me about the dangers of the forest, but to me it has never brought fear upon me.  I know my parents are just looking out for me, but there has always been a piece of me that feels like they are holding me back from where I belong.  There is an unknown in this forest that has always been reaching out for me.

My parents are having friends over this evening, so I am sure they won’t notice if I have disappeared just for a little while.  But I know I must be sneaky because they will never understand my reasoning for going in there.  They will most likely become enraged at my disobedience.

            Finally building the courage within me, I slowly begin to sneak my way past the pond towards the edge of the forest.

            “Hey Ava.  Your parents told me you were out here.”

            I look up startled that anyone else was out here with me.  I did not hear him approaching me nor well even hear the sound that anyone had joined me outside.

            “Oh, hi Alex.” I sigh with disappointment. We have been together since we were 13, but lately I have been feeling further apart from him and enjoying time without him around.

I do genuinely love him with all my heart, but sometimes it feels as if I am more myself when he is not around.

            Thankfully, I see my best friend Kristin walking towards us. I’m not really in the mood to deal with Alex tonight.  I feel a wave of guilt wash over me as that thought crosses my mind.

“Ava, I have to show you something.”

            “I didn’t expect to see you tonight,” I reply cheerfully as she pulls me away from Alex in the other direction. Sometimes I feel like she knows me better than myself and always seems to sense when I need or want her nearby.

            “Just tonight huh?! Seriously though, I was thinking that maybe we could take a little stroll through the forest tonight,” she responds back out of the blue. 

She has never wanted to be near the woods before, so I am thrown completely off guard by her decision tonight.  

“You looked like you had the same idea before Alex approached. It is truly a beautiful night and I know you’ve been dying to,” Kristen continues.

            “It’s almost like you can read my mind sometimes.”

            “By the way, I will never understand what you see in him.  You can do so much better than him,” she states as she glances back towards his direction. 

            “I know, I know, you were never a fan of his, but I just have this bond with him.”

            “Well I will keep my fingers crossed that you finally get the guts to finally end things with him.  You have not been YOU for too long and well I miss my Ava.”

            Luckily, Alex made his way back inside.  He and Kristin never could stand being around one another and he probably didn’t want to be near her tonight. Which to be honest, I am beyond thankful for.  He would have certainly told my parents about me going near the forest and I would not have had the opportunity to do so if he stayed.

            “Let’s go now before anyone comes outside.” I nod my head towards the forest and slowly make my way past the pond. “It is a beautiful night and the moon is shining bright so that we will be able to see well as we make our way through.

            “Yeah, for you.  You have always had great eyesight at night though.  I’m a normal person who does not see as well as you.”

            As we approach the edge of the forest, the pull becomes greater within me.  Why do I have this need to come to this forest tonight?  This makes absolutely no sense.  I slowly make my way completely into the forest, there is no turning back now.

            “Don’t move Ava, there is a wolf,” Kristin whispers in my direction. 

            I look towards where she is looking, but I don’t feel fear within me.  I strangely feel safe and this strange pull towards this wolf.  It is a beautiful shade of pure white with these entrancing blue eyes.  I have never seen such an amazing, beautiful creature before.  I find myself slowly walking towards the wolf just to be yanked back by Kristin.

            Mate my internal voice yells within my head.  What the heck…mate.  I don’t understand.

            “What the hell are you doing?!  Run…. NOW!!”

            “But he doesn’t seem like he wants to hurt us.”

            “NOW or else I will have to tell your parents about your insanity of walking towards a wolf.  They will definitely want to kill me for letting you get eaten by that wolf.”

            “Fine, let’s go.” Although my words don’t feel confident anymore.  It feels difficult to leave this wolf which makes absolutely no sense to me.