3
1161 Words
LAYLA
“Wake up princess, it's your day! Happy 18th birthday, love!” my mum announced as she shook my body.
“Hmm…mum, give me five more minutes please!" I whined.
“Nope, no can't do. Your dad and Ralph will be here any…”
Her words were cut short when my dad and brother walked in with a cake in their hand, both singing the ‘Happy Birthday’ song to me with my mom joining in. I smiled.
I sat up quickly in my bed as the cake with eighteen candles was placed on my lap while I grinned at them.
“Make a wish, love,” dad whispered in my ear. I closed my eyes and joined my hands together. I wished to get stronger and defeat my bullies…and also for me to get my wolf too, of course.
With my wish made, I blew out the candles. We heard a shout of my name followed by a rush of footsteps up the stairs. The door banged open to reveal Jody and Carla.
They greeted my parents before climbing on the bed. My parents excused themselves to go prepare for the shifting party.
Ralph and Jody decided to go downstairs too, leaving Carla and me alone.
“We are eighteen today!!!” screeched Carla.
“I know!” I squealed. “Who are you anxious to see?” I asked her.
“My mate and my wolf and you?”
“My wolf. I’m not sure if anybody will accept me the way I am," I said, smiling sheepishly. She hugged me.
“Eh, their loss. They don't know what they’d be missing. Come, we need to get something to wear for tonight,” she said, pulling me up from the bed.
“What's the point? It's going to be ruined when we shift.”
“Do you want to look ugly on your special day? Alison and her friends have gone shopping to look beautiful and steal the day. Why would the Alpha’s daughter not kill the show?”
“That's because I don't care about others, and two, no matter how I dress or the makeup I apply on my face, nobody will care or want to associate with me,” I told her before laying back on my bed again.
“Hell no, not on my watch!” She took a deep breath before dragging me out of the bed. I put in no effort to stop myself from falling on the ground. I landed with a thud.
“Ouch!!” I screamed out in pain.
“Good, now go get dressed,” she commanded, pointing to the bathroom.
I sluggishly walked to the bathroom still grumbling, each time getting yelled at by Carla to hurry up.
Dressed in a casual blue dress, we hurried out of the house to a boutique not too far from the packhouse. Carla took time selecting some gowns for me and when we were done with the clothes, we headed over to a salon to get our hair and nails done.
When we finally got home, it was 5pm, and I was exhausted. We have till 11pm before the ceremony begins. Curling myself into a ball, and Carla beside me, we drifted off to sleep.
THIRD-PERSON
It was 10:40pm when Carla and Layla were awoken by the Luna to get ready. They both showered together and got their makeup done quickly before putting on their identical gowns and shoes.
Completely dressed and ready, the girls headed to the field where the ceremony would begin. The elders of their pack were ready to start the ceremony and soon it began. First with prayers to the Moon Goddess, then Layla’s dad (aka the Alpha) giving his speech, and finally the celebrants walking up to the circle created by the pack members and some of the guests.
Just like always, a gap was created between Carla and Layla from the rest of the attendees; it wasn't a strange thing for them because they were all used to it.
Soon, the big wall clock in the pack hall struck midnight, and it rang out, and once the Alpha said the final rites, the sound of joyous cheers was heard from the celebrants and screams of pain from Layla and Carla.
Layla could feel the heat rushing through her body; it felt like lava running through her veins and burning her body from the inside out.
She fell to her knees as she kept screaming out in pain. The cool air of the night helped a little with the fire engulfing her entire body. She screamed once again as she tore at her gown, ripping it to pieces.
Her hands becoming mangled and her skin peeling off, the pain coming out from her torn skin was unbearable for her as she tried getting up but fell back on the ground again. She noticed the hair on her skin getting longer and her hands becoming larger. Slowly, the hairy limbs of a beast began surfacing.
Next were her eyes which began changing colors. They were turning into yellow glowing orbs of a predator, and her eyesight was enhanced by night vision. Then, bones began snapping and grinding against each other as they grew larger. Each snapping of them brought unbearable pain to her as a groan escaped her lips.
Her entire body started molding itself into a werewolf shape. Her limbs and bones repositioning themselves, and her skin tearing off., her ears stretching upward to become long and pointed, her jaw cracking as the bones began pushing forward to a snout formed.
Her jaws dislodged as it made room for a massive, deadly maw and her canines began shooting out.
Growing more teeth felt like having a deadly disease as she roared out in tears.,
And finally, she saw black fur covering all over her body. She stood up on all fours and found her wolf to be quite big, which aroused murmurs from the crowd.
Some were shocked at her wolf and others, of course, had insults of different kinds at the ready.
She perceived Carla's wolf coming closer to her taking a bow, and in excitement, Carla roared out, which made the rest of the pack members bow towards Layla.
Layla took her time walking around the people who were bowing down hoping to find her mate. When she saw none, she returned to where Carla was bowing down and raised her head to look at her parents, who were both shocked to see what she had transformed into.
Not caring to check if it was a happy shock or a disgusting surprise, she took to her heels, running through the woods and breaking every branch that was in her way,
When she got to the edge of the cliff, she stopped and howled into the night.
“Well done, Layla, you are one step ahead,” a male voice echoed in her head.
- Writer
