Chapter 1
Every day at Wolf Ridge High School was a challenge for Belle. The other young wolves would snicker as she walked down the hallway, her feet barely making a sound on the tiled floor. At seventeen, she felt the weight of being different more than ever. While most children in their pack had experienced their first shift at fourteen, and even the omegas typically shifted by sixteen, Belle had been shifting since she was eight – something that should have been impressive but instead made her even more of an outcast.
"Look, it's the runt," whispered Tara, the Alpha's daughter, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Bet she can't even hold her wolf form through lunch period."
Belle kept her head down and clutched her books tighter. They didn't know that she could shift – they just assumed she was weak because she never participated in group runs. No one had ever seen her wolf form except her parents, and she intended to keep it that way.
"I heard she's barely even a wolf," another voice chimed in. "More like a chihuahua with an attitude problem."
Classes weren't much better. During physical training, she always finished last, earning eye rolls from her classmates and disappointed sighs from Coach Howler.
"Belle, you need to build your stamina if you ever hope to contribute to this pack," Coach Howler said after she collapsed during their five-mile run. "At this rate, you'll never survive a full moon hunt."
If only they knew. Her wolf, Midnight, was stirring inside her now, agitated by the criticism.
*They don't deserve to see us,* Midnight whispered in her mind. It was rare for her wolf to speak, and Belle savored the connection when it happened.
After school, while other young wolves enjoyed their freedom, Belle headed straight to the pack house. As the weakest member, she was assigned the most menial tasks. The house was unusually busy today – tomorrow would be a full moon, and energy was high among the pack members.
"Don't forget to scrub the floors properly this time," growled Luna, the pack beta, dropping a muddy jacket at Belle's feet. "And dinner better be ready by six. Everyone will be hungry before the run tomorrow."
Belle nodded silently and got to work. She spent hours cleaning the massive pack house, her small paws raw from scrubbing. The full moon pulled at her too, making her skin feel tight, but she pushed down the urge to shift. She had only shifted a handful of times since her parents died three years ago, and never around others.
Her mother's warning echoed in her mind: "Your white wolf is rare, Belle. We've never heard of a white wolf before. You must never let anyone see her – they would hate you even more." The confusion from that day still lingered. Why would a white wolf with silver speckles make others hate her? But she had obeyed, keeping Midnight hidden away.
As she moved to the kitchen, standing on a stool to reach the counter, she began preparing a feast for twenty wolves. The scent of roasting meat filled the air as she worked, her small hands moving efficiently despite her exhaustion.
"Need any help?" came a voice from the doorway.
Belle startled, nearly dropping the pot she was holding. No one ever offered to help her.
Belle froze, not turning around. The voice belonged to a stranger, but his tone carried authority that made her wolf instinctively lower its head.
"N-no thank you," she stammered, still not looking. "I can manage."
The stranger lingered for a moment longer. "If you're sure," he said finally, then left as quietly as he'd arrived.
Belle let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. There was something about that voice–something that made her heart race in a way she couldn't explain.
By the time she finished preparing dinner, the house was buzzing with excitement about tomorrow's celebration. No one spared her a glance as she slipped out the back door, her chores finally done.
Belle was exhausted from school, bullying, and chores. Belle would curl up in her tiny room at the back of the pack house. It was more of a storage closet than a bedroom, but it was her only sanctuary. The small window faced the forest, offering a perfect view of the rising moon.
She opened the window just a crack, letting the cool night air wash over her. The moonlight filtered in, and for a moment, she felt Midnight stirring restlessly beneath her skin.
*Run,* Midnight urged. *Just for a little while.*
"We can't," Belle whispered aloud. "They might see us." But the urge was strong tonight, stronger than it had been in months.
She glanced at the clock – nearly midnight. Everyone would be asleep, preparing for tomorrow's full moon festivities. Maybe, just maybe, she could risk a short shift.
The night was clear, the moon nearly full. Belle felt a pull she couldn't resist. She slipped into the forest, moving silently until she reached a clearing far from the pack lands.
Only here, where no one could see, did she dare to shift. In her human form, Belle was small and unremarkable. But in her wolf form, she was something else entirely – a pure white wolf with silver flecks in her fur that caught the moonlight like stars. Her paws, unusually large for her size, barely made a sound as she ran through the forest.
She made her way to the small lake hidden deep in the woods. Here, she could be herself. No judgments, no cruel words, no demanding tasks. Just Belle and the moon reflecting on the still water.
Unknown to her, a pair of amber eyes watched from the trees. The Alpha King stood motionless, mesmerized by the sight before him. He had arrived a day early for the celebration, known only to the pack Alpha and Luna. Unable to sleep in his guest quarters, he'd decided to explore the territory when a scent caught his attention – wildflowers after rain.
He followed it to find this ethereal creature – a white wolf with silver sparkles that glittered in the moonlight. In all his years as Alpha King, visiting countless packs across the country, he had never seen or heard of a white wolf. He stood transfixed, hardly daring to breathe lest he break the spell.
When he closed his eyes for a moment, thinking perhaps he was dreaming, the wolf was gone upon reopening them – vanished like morning mist.
Back in her tiny room at the pack house, Belle curled up on her thin mattress, unaware of the eyes that had witnessed her secret. "One day," she whispered to herself, gazing out at the moon through a small window, "I'll show them all who I really am." She didn't know how or when, but something inside her burned with determination despite her fragile exterior.