LUNA : The Wolf in Disguise

Four years ago "You have to be careful, Mia. How often do I have to remind you to hide your wolf?" My mother dragged me towards god knows where. She kept glancing behind her back as if she was ensuring no one was watching us, "You can't trust anyone. They all will want to take you and your powers to themselves. " There we go again. When I discovered my powers at first, I thought it was cool to have the ability to do what I can do but recently, I have started to hate my powers as it has become an obstacle to me. It was the reason why I couldn't enjoy mere things like a normal teenage girl. "Where are we going now?" I asked, tired of her rules."I am not going anywhere, Mom. I am so sick of hiding. Why can't I let my wolf out like my friends?" I snatched my hand away from her grasp when she kept dragging me without saying anything. We were now in the deepest part of the forest. I have never been here before as I was not allowed to be here. My mother glared down at me, "Because you are special" She said, "You can't show them" She added, her eyes softening a little, "You think I like any part of this? I want you to have a normal life too, sweetie. " I shook my head, "You say all of that, and yet you make me live a fake life." I could feel my anger bubbling up to my throat. It took everything in me to not lash out at her. Why am I being like this? My mother's eyes started to tear up, and it made me instantly regret my choice of words, "I am sorry -" She shook her head before I could finish, "No, you have every right to be frustrated. I would too if I were you, " She sniffed, "I think I may have found a way for you to have a better chance at being normal. " She exhaled. I perked up at that, "Really?" She smiled but it didn't quite reach her eyes, "Yes but there is a small price that you have to pay." She put her palm against my cheek, "So let's go. I want you to meet a trusted friend of mine. She will tell you what you have to do. " I let out a breath, "Fine. But I am only doing this because you said I can be normal, " I said begrudgingly and grabbed her hand again, "What? Let's go, " I grumbled when she stood there still. My mother nodded at me before dragging me through the forest. We kept walking for a few more minutes until we came across a small hut in the middle of nowhere, "There it is" She said, "Your father must be waiting for us" She informed me as we reached the hut. I eyed our surroundings warily before looking at my mother again. She knocked on the wooden door and waited for someone to answer it. I counted until ten in my head and nudged her, "Seems like no one is here," I said. Just then, the door opened to reveal a beautiful woman. I looked at her in a daze, admiring her beauty and aspiring to be like one day. She had straight hair that fell past her hips and her body might be every girl's dream, "Hello there, Luna" She said, greeting my mother before looking down at me, "Ah, this must be Mia" "Hi," I said boldly, not liking the way she was addressing me. It sounded like she was referring to a baby. The woman smirked, "I can feel the power rolling off her," She said, looking up at my mother again and opening the door wider so we could pass through. "It used to be minimal, almost unnoticeable at first, but it has started to become more distinct lately. Can you help us with it?" I heard my father's voice say from the inside of the hut. I spotted him standing next to a man who had his head buried in a thick book. As if he could sense my eyes on him, he snapped his head up to look at me. I gasped when our eyes met. His eyes...His irises we so light that it almost looked like he had none. "There is a way to hide her aura temporarily," He said after eyeing me for a moment, "It could last for up to five or six years if she is lucky." He went on. Again, with the hiding. "I don't want to hide anything!" I nearly growled. "Mia!" My mother glowered at me, "I apologize for her behavior, Adam. Lately, she has become so sensitive, " She added, sending a glare my way before looking at the man again. Adam smiled at her, "I remember how I was when I was fourteen. It is perfectly normal, Luna" He said, "As I was saying, there is a way but I am afraid she is the one who gets to decide if we can proceed with it or not" He added. "She is too young to decide, Adam," my father said. "It is her wolf that we are going to withhold. She has a say, Alpha," Adam said, "She can't shift into her wolf for five or six years. It is a big deal for her" My parents exchanged a glance while I stared at the man in front of me in bewilderment. My throat went dry, "I-I can't shift?" Adam nodded at me, "For five or six years only. You will be able to take care of yourself when you're older, right?" He smiled at me encouragingly, "It is for the best, Mia. You can get to live your teenage years without worrying. You won't be discovered until you're eighteen or nineteen. " "But - But I love phasing into my wolf. I love running around in her form. It is too much of a high price to pay. I can't - " "Sweetie," my father called, "Do you trust us? Do you think we will make any decisions that could harm you?" He asked, and I shook my head at him, "It is the only way to make sure no one finds out that you're the white wolf, Mia, " He explained to me slowly. I could feel my eyes getting teared up, "You heard him, right? It is only temporary. You will reunite with your wolf soon. This is actually to keep her safe, Mia. She can only be safe if she is left hidden. " I looked at my mother, a sudden sense of helplessness washing over me. She wiped the corners of her eyes and gave me an encouraging nod, "You have to decide now, Mia." I pressed my lips into a thin line and shook my head, "I can't when you put me on this ultimatum." The beautiful woman cleared her throat, "Mia, I know you are confused and feel helpless. You know that you're special, and now everyone else is starting to notice it, too. " "This world isn't filled just filled with pure souls like you, dear. It is a cruel world. Everyone is greedy here. If one comes to know about your existence, they might snatch you away from your family. " She paused when I gasped in terror, "And take your powers to themselves. " "You can prevent that from happening but only by hiding your wolf." She sighed, "I know it is too much to lose, but you will get back your wolf before you know it." I listened to her quietly, weighing my options and reluctantly nodding my head, "I will surely get back my wolf, right?" I asked, looking into the beautiful woman's eyes. She nodded at me, "I give you my word. She will return to you. " I averted my gaze to my parents and found them looking at me with concern etched on their faces, "Okay. I will agree to it. I will let you take her away from me temporarily. " I nodded, looking at her and Adam again, "I will suck it up for a while." "Good girl," Adam smiled, "May your sacrifice not be in vain," He said, looking at my father, "It can be done today if you're ready." My father gave a firm nod, "Let's not hesitate anymore. The sooner, the better" Adam looked at the beautiful woman, "Maya, make preparations." Maya nodded at Adam, "I will," She said before strutting away from there. Adam smiled at me, "You will not feel any pain during the ritual but when you feel your wolf being stripped away from you" He paused, "You might experience an inconsolable grief" He warned me, "I will give you time to bid farewell to your wolf. You can phase for the last time and run around while I make the arrangements. " "Thank you," I said gratefully. I looked at my parents and waited for their permission. "You may go. Just make sure to stay within a kilometre radius, " my father said, "Do not cut off the mindlink, " He commanded in his Alpha tone. I nodded at him mutely before stepping out of the hut. I could hear them talking amongst themselves in hushed voices, but I didn't pay any heed. I wanted to spend time with my wolf as much as I could before parting ways with her. I hid behind a tree and stripped off my clothes before phasing into my wolf. I felt the familiar rush of energy coursing through me, a sensation that I have grown to love. Something that I was going to miss for the next five or six years as well. I let out an agonizing howl into the air before kicking my paws under me, running at the speed of lightning. I pushed myself to go at a speed that I had never run before, experiencing the rush of air for one final time before giving it up for the next few years to come. I went to the nearby stream and looked down at my reflection. A pure white wolf stared back at me with blue eyes. If only I wasn't the white wolf, I might get to keep my wolf with me... I could feel my wolf's distress, and I was sure she could feel mine too. I took a deep breath and let out another howl into the air, looking up at the moon. I am going to miss this feeling. I felt pressure in my mind, and instantly, I knew it was my father. I let him through and shivered in my wolf form when I heard his Alpha voice ring in my mind. "Come back," He said. Before I knew it, my legs were already making their way back to the hut. I couldn't go against an Alpha's command even if I wanted to. I found myself standing in front of that hut again. I sighed, "Can we at least take a picture of my wolf?" I asked via the mindlink. "The whole purpose of this ritual is to hide any evidence of your wolf, Mia." I heard my mother's voice in my head, "Yet you want to create one. No" I slumped my shoulders in defeat and went to phase into my human form again. I got dressed behind the tree and stepped into the hut again. My parents, along with Adam and Maya, were waiting for me. "So this is it, huh?" I asked, taking in the setup. There was a chair in the middle of the hut, and a ring was drawn around it. There was a table and a few glass bottles were arranged on it. "Yeah, come," Adam said, gesturing me to sit in the chair. I looked at him unsurely yet went to sit in that chair. I sighed and looked at all of their faces at once. "Relax. Don't be afraid. You're the White Wolf, " my father said when I clenched my fists into tight balls. "Not for long," I mumbled under my breath. "Wait!" All of us looked at my mother at once. I felt a slight hope starting in my heart as I watched her. Maybe she had a change of heart and decided to call this off- "What about her mate? Will he be able to find her?" She asked. Disappointment washed over me, and I looked away. Of all the things she should be worried about - "She might not recognize him as we are severing her bond with her wolf but her mate will recognize her instantly," Maya said, "Let's just hope she gets back her wolf before she meets her mate" "Do you have any other questions before we proceed?" "No, go on," my father said, giving my mother a sharp look. I sucked in a breath and squeezed my eyes, shut. Till we meet again, my dearest wolf. I heard Adam say something in language that I couldn't understand. I opened my eyes when I felt something warm around me and found myself in a ring of fire. Immediately, I panicked. I looked at my parents and found them watching me with worried expressions as well. "It's okay. We are here with you. Just relax. Close your eyes if you're afraid, " my mother said. I nodded at her and squeezed my eyes shut, wanting to get over with it. Adam continued to chant something in a foreign language. It went on for a few minutes before Adam asked me to open my eyes again. The fire around me had died down, and I looked up at Adam anxiously. "Is it done?" I asked. He took a glass from the table and extended it towards me, "Almost. Drink this, " He said, "Until the last drop, " He added when I accepted the glass into my hands. I looked down at the clear liquid suspiciously. "It won't taste nasty. It's just plain water. " I nodded at Adam and drank from the glass to the last drop as Adam had instructed. It was actually a tasteless liquid, as Adam had said. I looked up at him, giving the glass back. "You will go to sleep now, and when you wake up, your wolf won't be with you," He said. My eyelids started to get heavy as he spoke. I barely registered the words he said as I was fighting back the sleepy feeling. I was on the verge of completely passing out when I felt my father's arms around me, pulling me to his chest. "Long live the White Wolf," I heard him murmur into my ear, "Long live my sweet Mia"