I spent most of the next day in my room, trying to skip breakfast until Knives brought it down and forced me to eat. Lord and Misha both tried to talk to me a couple times after that and learned I was awake, and at the moment I was tempted to just run into the woods and find a hole to curl up in. It wasn’t until it was starting to get late into the evening, the light from under my door growing red, that I went upstairs, wanting to eat at least a small dinner before the full moon.

  Seven midnights were left after tonight, and it was a strange feeling as I walked through the manor.

  My birthday was Friday, the last day I’d have before a duel where I’d likely die, and it was almost a year now since I’d killed Alpha. I wondered on some level how purposeful that was, and I could only assume it was fully intended as much as it felt poetic. For all the effort that had been put into this, giving me the chance to go out on my birthday felt surprisingly right.

  It was a strange feeling, and if Alpha wouldn’t already have made my birthday hard to celebrate this year the threat on my life made it impossible. I was actually glad no one seemed to overly remember or push me about the idea, and thought I might have been able to get by without anyone trying to celebrate anything not knowing my fate.

  Most of the Covenant were sitting in the living room eating, or getting the last little bit of work in on a project. Misha thankfully was not there, a break from a potential planning session, and Lord was dead asleep on the kitchen table, snoring softly. Andrew and Tara cuddled on the couch, and I had no doubt they’d be staying there most of the night, and Knives and Basil were playing a game of cards on the floor. Samuel and his pack were absent as always, probably having gone somewhere with better accommodations.

  I ignored almost everyone, going to the fridge to just find the first chunk of raw meat I could eat. That was, until I opened it up to reveal a plate of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans on a plate, with a card in the center that read Cannibal.

  “I make dinners for the full moon, it gives me something I feel like I can do before them, without worrying about leaving a project half-finished in the garage,” Knives called out from the living room, looking through the doorless frames and hall to me, “you were skulking so I figured I wasn’t going to bother you. Andrew insisted on making you a plate though.”

  “Speaking of me,” Andrew said, rising to his feet with Tara and walking over to me even as I took the plate and walked to the microwave, “you got any plans tomorrow night?”

  “Not unless anyone kills anyone,” I admitted, trying to be funny and still frowning as I put the food in and turned to the two werewolves. Maybe was a bit wrong to make that joke when they didn’t know how close to the truth it was, “you have something in mind?”

  “We’re going to cook dinner,” the man chuckled, stepping up to slap me on the shoulder. “I’m heading out tomorrow morning after I get a post-moon nap in, going to pick up a couple ingredients and some other things. I’m going to teach you how to cook something on your own.”

  “What are we making?” I asked hesitantly, frowning as I looked down at the man in confusion. He’d already told me his cooking left something to be desired, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about learning from him.

  “Well, it’s going to be a surprise,” Andrew stressed, not helping my anxiety over the answer even as he smiled almost triumphantly, “I’m also thinking it’s a movie night though. We’re going to have the house to ourselves, so we can just throw a few movies on the living room and cook. I need to know if you have any preference for genre, because the one rule is no horror, Misha told me about your movie night.”

  “I like horror though,” I said, still confused by the whole affair.

  Tara interrupted next, giggling as she asked me, “how about a horror comedy?”

  “Sure, that works,” I muttered, frowning as I tried to come up with some sort of idea, “can I…can I request a couple things? If we’re doing multiple movies.”

  “Someone probably has it or it’s on something to stream,” Tara said, smirking as she folded her arms in front of her, “what were you thinking?”

  “I…I got recommended a couple things,” I said, rubbing my forehead as I tried to think of how to explain this without admitting a cat told me about them, “Mean Girls and Ten Things About You? Someone recommended I should watch them.”

  Mean Girls is literally my favorite movie, Mary, Lord said from his spot, making me wonder when he woke up, I will be there to watch it with you. I know all the random trivia and the lyrics to the entire musical, this is going to be fun.

  “Pretty sure you mean Ten Things I Hate About You, and I have both of those, they were my sister’s favorites,” Tara said smirking, no surprise to her, “I didn't take you for that sort of movie fan, but I’m impressed.”

  “Look, just a recommendation,” I sighed, thinking for a brief moment before I asked Tara, “where’s everyone else going?”

  “Everyone has something going on,” Tara said noncommittally, raising her hand to brush off my question as she explained, “I did want to ask you a favor though, if you didn’t mind.”

  Well, this was probably going to be a bad idea, but I nodded as I asked, “what do you need?”

  “My niece is in town next week,” Tara said, making me immediately think this was going to be a bad idea, “Andrew and I are taking her to the County Fair on Friday, just to celebrate a bit and have fun together. I was wondering if you’d like to come with us. She’s old enough that we don't need an extra set of eyes, but it might be nice to have some more friends there and I think you’ll get along.”

  Let’s see, a place full of half-ones, flashing lights, thousands of sounds, cooking meat, and a lot of vulnerable people grouped together. That was, on top of asking me to help keep an eye on a presumably child during all of that, probably going to be several hours of work.

  Yeah no I couldn’t see how any point of that plan could go wrong.

  Even then I couldn’t have done it if I wanted to, I was supposed to duel Friday night at the latest, no fucking later than that midnight. If I did go with them I’d need to leave immediately after, and I doubted they wanted me dampening the mood. They deserved better than me being there.

  “I can’t make it,” I said, frowning as I turned my back to them, pretending I was watching my food, “I don’t think I’m going to be able to go to anything then.”

  “Are you sneaking off somewhere else?” Andrew asked, laughing at the thought, “you never mentioned anything next week.”

  “Vergil invited me to a party Monday, but that’s it” I half-lied, folding my arms over my chest as I furrowed my brow, “Fridays just weird for me, I think I might have something come up.”

  “Well, if you don’t I’d like you there,” Tara told me, frowning as she seemed to be trying to think about something, “if you need anything during the Full Moon let me know, I’m not forced into the wolf during them for some reason. Didn’t fucking get anything badass for my strengths, but I got that.”

  “Actually, there’s something,” I said, frowning as I suddenly hesitated. I’d thought about it last night, Misha’s hands in my hair, but it was still hard to ask. “Not tonight, but um…Can you…you know, do my hair? I need to look good for this party Monday, and I just want to-”

  Tara turned me to face her, cupping my cheeks as we met eyes and she stared me down. I paused all courses of actions, looking at her in confusion, and she told me in an almost reverential tone, “I will work magic you didn't know existed. Come by my room tomorrow. Early morning, got it?”

  “Got it,” I said hesitantly, wide-eyed as Tara let go of my cheeks and walked off with a hum. I watched her leave, and gave a small chuckle as I observed, “she seems intense.”

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “She gets like that about hair,” Andrew admitted, chuckling at the thought, “remember, dinner tomorrow, Cannibal.”

  “Dinner tomorrow, Andy,” I agreed, getting a strange look from the man.

  “Don’t call me Andy,” he warned.

  “Don’t call me Cannibal,” I countered a little angrier than intended, ready to fight the man when my phone rang. I frowned, not sure who could be calling until I looked down and saw that same unknown number on the screen Alpha’s dad had used. He had only called me a few times while I was passed out, and only to explain the duel, what the fuck did he want? “I need to take this.”

  I walked outside, answering the phone as I walked out the door with Lord on my tail, and it wasn’t even to my ear before the man told me, “you’re in danger tonight, Bloodhound.”

  “Way to start a conversation,” I said, leaning against the railing, “is it because my time’s half up to schedule the duel and you’re cutting it short?”

  “A few members of my pack do not like me waiting for you to answer my request, especially now that you’ve killed one of their mates and I leave your life in your hands. I’m a man of fairness,” the man explained, sounding genuinely worried in a way that surprised me. “Three of them broke off yesterday, and I believe they are coming after you tonight. Most traitors aren’t as good at fighting in wolf form, and they think of you as civilized. You should run or fortify, I don’t know which would be better in your present condition.”

  I paused, my heart racing, and I snapped at Lord to come back toward me as he went to walk towards the woods. The cat looked at me confused, and bounded back to jump on the railing near me. Three wolves were too many for me to fight on my own, I’d never survive, not stuck in wolf form as I was about to be very soon.

  Then again they would be stuck too, and they were expecting a tamed mutt.

  “Why are you helping me?” I snapped into the receiver, more than a little angry about everything now as I felt my blood boiling and the wolf ready for the fight.

  “Because we can’t have a duel if you are killed like a screaming deer,” the man said, as if that explained everything. His tone suddenly turned dark and he snapped, “don’t think this changes anything.”

  He hung up, and I stood there for a long moment, trying to think of what I could have done. I could stay inside, there’d be plenty of werewolves to discourage an attack, but there was no telling how that’d go. I could run, but there was no telling if I’d get more than a few feet out of the woods before I was pulled back.

  I was craving blood.

  It was a horrible idea, but I wanted to fight, I needed it, and I wasn’t feeling like dragging others into danger. It was better to strike on my own, and hope beyond hope I could get this done.

  “Lord,” I said, walking to the door as I opened it for him, “whatever you do, stay inside tonight.”

  I was going to, y’all are naked all night on full moons, he said, seeming confused as he looked up to me, what’s wrong?

  “Some werewolves are trying to kill me,” I answered, slamming the door shut in his face.

  The cat was yelling after me, asking what I meant, and I ignored him as I stripped my clothes off. I tossed them all in a pile on the porch, and naked walked down into the front lawn of the Covenant watching as the sun set behind the horizon. It was dark in the lawn for a long while, and I heard Lord yelling for me from a window even as I waited for the moon to rise, a silver thread on the horizon.

  Almost instantly my body started to call on its change, bones cracking and muscles burning as I fell to all fours and felt my body shift. Now would have been a good time to attack me, but no one did and I instead pushed the transformation along as fast as I could. Fur grew, a tail extended, a muzzle formed and the body changed shape into something more. When it finished, I was in the form of a large black wolf, and felt too solid.

  The full moon forced the change to wolf as the new moon forced us to be human, and in both cases I was left feeling horrible. It was like there was no human form for me at the moment, like my body was stuck as it was for eternity. I barely slept on full moons, as uncomfortable as it was to be so solid, and so I reveled in the wolf as I charged into the woods.

  I ran, dashing through bushes and trees, moving through the woods like I was hunting even as I kept my senses open. No one would get the drop on me, and tonight I would demonstrate how a true werewolf hunted. Sweet soaps and soft beds did not mean I was a domesticated mutt that could be put down.

  Forms crashed behind me, large and fearsome, and I half-ignored them as I dashed faster and focused on familiar paths. They couldn’t see me, I couldn’t smell them well enough for that to be true, but they could hear me and follow my trail. That would be the trap that would get them killed in the end.

  I veered off my path, as I reached a rocky section, hiding in the woods as I kept my body low and silent. The wolves ran right past me, not properly hunting nor able to detect me in their rage, and I would have laughed if I could. It was only two wolves though, and I knew how it worked to hunt a werewolf, so I laid low.

  Several seconds later a third wolf came up behind them, meant to stop someone circling around and to attack any ambushes. He was ready to run right past me as well, and I didn’t allow it as I lunged forward, biting for his neck.

  The werewolf let out a pained whimper, lovely blood stained my lips, and my eyes widened as I tore the flesh clean to not let a bark or howl follow. His pack did not even notice his disappearance, and we tumbled in the grass as I felt his blood flood me. A strong fighter, he was still nothing against me as I felt the flowing blood weaken his muscles and I continued tearing at his neck. He tried to bark, howl, even whimper for his friends who had slowed to hunt me, and could do none of it as I tasted his vocal cords.

  I wanted to eat him.

  I needed to resist.

  Instead I tore and bit, and let most of it fall to the ground, only indulging a little as I tore for the veins and spinal cords, a dexterity and brutalness to the attack most wolves would never think of. A howl of battle filled the air near me just as I finished killing their first member, and I looked up to the other two.

  They were crouched low, angry, and I growled back, assessing the situation before I realized the best course of action.

  Turning on my heels, I ran through the woods, starting along paths and trails as I outran both. I wasn’t going to trick them again with that, and I couldn’t get far enough ahead of them to even try, so I did the next best thing. I ran until I came to the wall of the estate where I turned and faced both of them.

  They couldn’t flank me if I kept my back to the wall, and they couldn’t win if I divided them. The first was easy, the second was going to be harder, and I stared down both as I placed my legs wide on the ground. A howl escaped my lips, one of warning, one to tell them to try their best, and I knew they would as I prepared for the fight.

  One lunged for my shoulder, and the other went for the same place in a clumsy display, and I dodged to the side of both as I bit at one’s hind leg. Blood stained my teeth, and they spun around and bit me in the same place as we tumbled on the ground. The two of us became a heap of flesh, and the bitch only pulled away as she without cause from me let out a yelp of pain.

  I jumped back, and saw her snapping at her own companion, and I let out the laugh of a wolf. These two had never fought together properly, they had no idea how to work in pairs against one. That might have given me the chance I needed, and I leapt forward to snip at one of their sides.

  My teeth stuck in their fur, and I growled as I tried pulling back with all my might, tumbling as we held onto one another. Something tore, and my neck was nipped but not ripped open as I forcibly snapped my head back, leaving a tooth with it. Blood, my own and theirs, filled my mouth, and I rolled away and onto my feet for only a moment.

  A form slammed into me, and the second werewolf pinned me with all her weight, growling as she forced me down. I turned, tried twisting my body around, and was pinned as I saw her bare her teeth and growl ready to strike.

  I closed my eyes, ready to die a werewolf's death, and bared my throat for her even as a distant voice rang out.

  No, nope, you leave her alone, Lord called out, and I perked my head up just in time to see a particularly large mass of white and black fur slam into the werewolf’s head.

  The werewolf howled, barked, and rolled off me, and Lord scratched at a head far larger than him until the werewolf slammed on her side. The cat made a howl of pain, fell limp to the ground, and what defeat we’d felt gave away to cold anger.

  I rolled to my feet, crouching low to attack as a growl rose in my throat, and my two enemies returned the gesture. This was going to get me killed, and I was about to fucking let it just on the off chance I took one of them with me.

  This was going to be a final stand I could be happy with. This had already been a good death I could be happy with, but after hurting my friend? I was going to make it a bloody death.

  We charged each other, and a mass of golden hair slammed into one of my attackers while a mass of brown attacked the other. I tilted my head in confusion for only a moment, before I recognized the two, and a smile crossed my lips even if the wolf was feeling a little disappointed. Tara and Andrew held their own in the few seconds it took me to join the fray, and seconds later three other wolves ran through the woods to join us.

  The next few minutes went by in confused fighting, blood, and when it stopped there were two more dead werewolves. I sat panting, and Tara transformed back to human shape, looking annoyed as she walked over to me, naked.

  “Okay, so, Mary,” She asked, clasping her hands in front of her, “what the fuck?”

  I ignored her, walking over to the crumpled form of Lord as I nuzzled him with my nose. He was still breathing, but seemed weak, and I whimpered until Tara walked over and knelt beside his form.

  “Fuck, who am I supposed to call for this?” she whispered, slowly reaching down and resting a hand on Lord’s side.

  I scratched at the ground, and started to slowly cut a name in the dirt as I looked up to the werewolf.