Pasy's Library

CHAPTER EIGHT
TITLE: A RELUCTANT PRESENCE

Billy's punches may have been less frequent than Julian's or Ray's, but he had certainly contributed his share of pain, whether it was by slamming me into walls or knocking books from my hands. In truth, he was just as brutal as the rest of them; I had simply failed to see it initially.

"Stop talking, Elisa. Your mouth is only going to make this worse," Billy cautioned.

"My, my, Billy, your friend Julian seems to be a fan of my mouth," I retorted.

Billy came to a sudden halt. "Seriously, Elisa, just this once, stop pushing back. Maybe if you do, they'll go easy on you."

I stopped and scrutinized him, trying to decipher his expression. What was going through his mind? Fear? Anxiety? Anger? It was a mix of emotions I couldn't quite decipher. How I wished I possessed the wolf's ability to read people right now.

"What do you know?" I inquired.

"I can't, Elisa. You have no idea what they'd do to me if I kept talking. All I can tell you is that you need to be careful." Billy resumed walking.

I quickened my pace to keep up with him. He had provided some information, albeit vague, leaving me unsure of its significance. I wondered if it even mattered. Whatever awaited me, it was likely to be unpleasant whether I spoke up or remained silent.

When we arrived at the barn, Ace Grant, Ray's father and the alpha of our pack, stood outside with a small group of other shifters. My gaze immediately found Ray, Julian, and Marion Reed, a classmate who shared my birth month. Among the attendees were Marion's parents and several other familiar faces. Even as an outcast, I knew the names of everyone in our small town.

Jenny Ortega, the high priestess, was the only person in the group who offered me a smile. She had always been civil but never kind. Of all the adults in town, she was the one who could have potentially advocated for me and challenged the alpha's decision. Yet, she never did. To make matters worse, my knowledge of moon goddess and shifter religion came solely from the books I had read. I wasn't allowed to attend other ceremonies since I wasn't considered a full wolf, although I had never protested. Most of my classmates found those gatherings boring. It was yet another reminder of how I didn't fit in.

"Why are you here?" Ace asked as he approached. "I assumed you'd have left by now."

I raised an eyebrow and turned my gaze to Ray. "So, Ray, why am I here?"

"She may be a broken wolf, but she's still a part of the pack. She needs to be present for the ceremony," Ray explained.

"She doesn't belong here," Ace retorted.

"I'd be more than happy to leave right now," I interjected.

"What if the curse breaks? What if she shifts? We should know if there's another shifter from our pack out there," Ray suggested.

Ace narrowed his eyes and studied me for a moment before turning back to his son. "Do you suspect the spell is wearing off?"

Ray shrugged. "Are we willing to risk losing a valuable wolf when our numbers are dwindling?"

That revelation caught me off guard. I knew many younger wolves chose to leave, but I had no idea they cared about it. "You don't want me here, and honestly, I've never felt any inkling of the wolf inside me. The curse is solid, and I'm nothing but an embarrassment. Just let me go."

"You seem awfully eager to leave, little one," Ace remarked.

"Well, can you blame me? Everyone here has treated me like dirt since the day I was born. Do you really think I want to stick around?"

I ignored the gasps from onlookers. I knew I was taking a risk by defying the most powerful wolf present, but I was done playing along. Besides, what more could he do to me that his son hadn't already inflicted over the past decade?

"You'll stay. If you don't shift, you'll leave and never return," Ace declared, his tone carrying a dark undertone.

"Understood, boss," I replied, dripping with sarcasm.

Ace's upper lip twitched, but he turned away from me. Perhaps he had concluded that I wasn't worth the trouble.

It was for the best, really. He didn't want me here, and I certainly didn't want to be here. Ray was living in a fantasy. I glanced in his direction, catching him looking at me. He averted his gaze quickly, pretending he hadn't been observing me.

I rolled my eyes and suppressed a frustrated sigh. Whatever game he was playing, it seemed to be working in infuriating me. Perhaps he wanted to torment me further, which meant making me endure this tedious ceremony. He probably assumed I would be overcome with emotion while watching others shift, but he had no idea how relieved I was to be escaping all of this. I yearned for nothing more than a normal, uneventful human life.

Standing on the sidelines, I waited as people engaged in small talk, intentionally avoiding the patch of grass where I stood. The sun hung low on the horizon, casting a breathtaking orange and blue palette across the sky. It was a beautiful sunset, but I was too impatient to appreciate it. Come on, moon, rise.

Finally, the sky darkened enough, and even I could feel the moon's pull. It was small, but it was there, beckoning to the wolf buried deep within me. Although I couldn't sense the wolf, I could feel the moon's presence, an unusual sensation that left me feeling a bit melancholic. Suppressing it, I pushed the feeling deep down within me. I was about to embark on my journey to become a full-fledged human. All of this would soon be behind me.

"It's time to welcome a new full wolf into our pack. Tonight, we embrace our twin soul, our wolf, and run with our new sister as she begins the bonding process," Ace announced, standing at the center of the group of shifters who had gathered around him. They gravitated toward him as he spoke about the significance of the first shift.

I wanted no part of any of it. Keeping my distance, I tuned out the eloquent speeches and applause. Instead, I focused my attention on the moon. Had the magic succeeded in setting me free from this place? In theory, it should have, even without a shift. I wouldn't know for certain until I crossed beyond pack territory.

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