Winter Moon [Complete]

Ash took my hand and led me back into my cabin after everyone else had gone. The girl shut the door behind us and made herself at home on my couch.

"My name is Juniper by the way." She announced before I could ask. "I live a couple of houses down from you."

I put on my best smile and nodded my head. I didn't feel like engaging in small talk after what just happened. Someone didn't want me here. At this point, I was feeling the need to relieve my stress, but there was no way that was happening with two wolf snouts in my house. I curled up under my blanket, hugging my knees and resting my chin against them.

"Soooo...."  Ash began. "Who's cheerios did you piss in?" I shrugged my shoulders. I'd been here less than two days, I literally knew like five people. There was no one I could think of that I had pissed off this bad. "Well, no one is getting in here to bother you tonight."

"Your name is Elly right?"

"Yeah."

"Why did you come here? If you don't mind my asking."

"Juda and Max both invited me, I-" I cleared my throat before continuing. "I wasn't d-doing well at home."

"I see. You are welcome to come and hang out with me whenever. It gets a little lonely out here."

"Yeah?" I raised my head to study her. She was pretty, she had short choppy blond hair and light blue eyes. Her height didn't compare to most of the other wolves, she was short, like me.

"Yeah, other than you I'm the only other full-blood human teenager in the pack."

"Really?" My hopes rose a little. There was no way Juniper was out to get me, she was just like me.

"Her mother brought her with from a previous marriage when she was younger, after marrying one of our pack members." Juniper looked at her and smiled not missing a beat she agreed. "Her step-father won't let her choose to turn until she's eighteen."

"Wait, you can turn into a werewolf?"

"Oh yes," Juniper answered. "but it's dangerous. Most who join the pack as humans won't choose to change because they could die. That's part of the reason our pack is being targeted. The other packs don't generally mix the species, but if they do, it's an automatic bite. You change..... or you die."

"Do you want to?"

"I do."

"She's not mated though. The chances for her death are higher." Ash looked between us.

"Will you? Once your mating is official?" Ash asked me narrowing her eyes.

"What?"

"Your mating with Max." Juniper clarified for me.

"Uhm..." I tried tucking my hair behind my ears but it was too short and it popped back out. "I'm not mated with him. I mean I like him and all but-"

"So you've rejected him!?" Juniper asked, her eyes nearly popping out of her head.

"What? No?" I shook my head. I didn't have the faintest clue as to what she was asking.

"I don't think they're a mated pair Juniper. If I'm right..." Ash sighed. " I think Max was confusing his feelings for Elly with the onset of his turning. This means she's free to reject him without any backlash."

"What's a mated pair?" I ask fiddling with the blanket. Juniper stood up and walked to my bed sitting down beside me and taking my hand. Ash took this as a cue to take a seat where Juniper was.

"It's like soul mates." Ash yawned. "Ment to be... forever and eternity, in every lifetime."

"Wow" was all I could muster. I thought for a moment before asking Ash if she had a mate. She smiled at this.

"I don't yet. I'm also not eighteen yet."

"Okay?"

"Well," Juniper began. "when you turn eighteen your bonds strengthen. If you're meant to be a mated pair with someone it generally happens after that birthday. That doesn't mean you can't have a mate in general though. Mated pairs are rare, so most of us go on with our lives and just be with whomever."

"I see."

"You seem tired. Do you want to call it a night?" Juniper asked me. I had so many questions. I wasn't sure I wanted to go to bed yet but an enormous yawn overtook me.

"I guess. I don't know how much sleep I'll be getting after....."

"You'll be fine," Ash reassured me. "Juniper and I won't let anything or anyone in here. I Promise."

I got up and went to change while the girls figured out their sleeping arrangements. The bathroom floor was cold against my bare feet sending shivers through my body. An idea poked its way into my brain, coaxing me to comply. I poked my head out and announced that I was going to take a bath.  I got absent-minded nods and proceeded with my plan.

The running water was loud to my ears, and since I was only dealing with Ashs' senses I was pretty confident I could pull this off. I reached into the top drawer of the counter and pulled out one of the razors I had brought with me. After I had undressed and dipped myself into the water I unsheathed it. I'd never done this while taking a bath before.

I made the first cut and dipped my leg into the water not wanting Ash to smell it. The water made the cut sting a little bringing me out of my numbness. The blood tinged the water a light pink color. I made three more cuts before I started to feel any better. A sudden knocking at the door threw me into a panic.

"I'm almost d-done!" I hollered as I pulled the plug from the drain.

"Are you okay? Did you cut yourself on something?"

"N-no... Yes. I n-nicked myself sh-shaving."

"Alright, we're going to bed then. Goodnight."

My heart was pounding, she caught me. I climbed out of the tub and dried off. Four cuts was too many, I shouldn't have done that much. The blood started to bead up, so I quickly got a wad of tissue and put pressure on it to make it stop. I squeezed my eyes shut and slid to the floor. My wet hair stuck to my face as the silent tears began their escape.