One

I always despised Fridays. It was an odd feeling, knowing that most people eagerly awaited this day to spend time with their loved ones and relax for the weekend. But for me, it meant something completely different. The last Friday of the month always brought a sense of dread, as I knew what was to come. With the full moon in the sky tonight, the markets would be filled with frenzied werewolves, preparing for the Crimson rituals. The streets would be chaotic and dangerous, as these creatures reveled in their primal nature under the moon's hypnotic spell and It was not advised for anyone to be roaming the crowded places at night if they weren't a fully realized werewolf shifter, like me. I tried to quell the ache that formed in my chest at that thought yet again.

I'd been thinking about that a lot lately.

"I'm leaving now Freya, it looks like it's about to rain. Try not to stay long okay?" Morgan, a coworker at the villa where I worked called out to me.

"Uh.. I'll be done in a short while Morgan. Stay safe!" I responded and continued my work.

After several minutes, I hastily gathered my bags and the stained sheets that I had been using as my makeshift canvas all day. It was time for me to leave the villa where I worked as an assistant cleaner. This job was my safe haven, a place where I could escape the chaos of the outside world. The owner of the villa was a well-connected magistrate with ties to the Alpha and his royal family. That's why he rarely visited the villa himself. Our only responsibility was to keep the place spotless for his occasional visits. We were free to do as we pleased otherwise.

But at home, it was the complete opposite. After my mom passed away, my father had taken another woman as his partner and he suddenly cared less about me. He cared more about his wife and step daughter who never passed up the opportunity to make my life a living hell. My father always told me I was only being mistreated because I was still wolfless at my age which is not a normal thing. Since I turned 16, the year which every teenager became a full werewolf shifter, I haven't been able to transform into my wolf form. The worst thing that could happen to any werewolf was being wolfless. It felt like the essential part of your existence did not exist. There was this constant hollow deep down in my chest and sometimes I wondered if I would ever be a true werewolf. I often wondered what my animal skin would look like. Would I be white or black? Or brown? I guess I would never know.

The rain fell relentlessly as I hurried home from the villa. Icy drops stung my face and soaked through my jacket, chilling me to the bone. I cursed myself for not listening to my coworker when she had warned me to leave before the storm hit.

Now, scurrying through the empty streets, her words echoed in my mind. The road to my house was utterly deserted, windows shuttered tight against the wall. Everything was so quiet except for the drumming of the rain and the squelch of my boots in the mud.

I held my bags close to my chest and quickened my pace, my heart thudding painfully. Home wasn't far now. Just a few more blocks and I'd be safe inside, windows closed and door bolted...

A sudden rustling sounded behind me, barely audible over the downpour. I froze, my breath catching in my throat. Slowly, I forced myself to turn around and stare into the darkness.

Nothing. Just the deserted road glistening wetly in the lamplight.

"Get a grip, Freya," I muttered to myself, shaking my head. "It's just your imagination playing tricks."

But as I faced forward again to resume walking, I couldn't shake the prickling sensation on the back of my neck, the uncanny feeling of being watched. Of no longer being alone out here in the dark and the rain.

Swallowing hard, I broke into a run, my bags banging against my legs as I ran for home, praying I was just being paranoid. Praying it was all in my head. Because in this town, you never knew what might be lurking in the shadows. And you never, ever wanted to find out.

My lungs burned and my legs ached as I ran, but I didn't dare slow down. The weird feeling of being pursued only intensified with each splashing footfall. I risked a glance over my shoulder and my blood turned to ice.

Something huge and dark was bounding after me, closing the distance with terrifying speed. A scream rose in my throat but got trapped there, choked off by sheer terror. "I see you little girl" I heard an eerie whisper. The hairs on my neck tangled up in terror.

Faster, I had to run faster! But my feet tangled together and I went sprawling onto a bunch of logs, my bags flying. Winded and stunned, I rolled over with a gasp.

The beast loomed over me, its terrifying form blacking out the lamplight. A werewolf, covered in shaggy black fur. Razor-sharp teeth gleamed as its lips peeled back in a snarl. It probably knew I was wolfless and could not fight it. Oh my God..

I opened my mouth to scream again but only a strangled croak emerged. This was it. I was going to die here, torn apart by a monster, my blood mingling with the rain. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the killing blow.

But it never came. A thunderous roar shook the air and the weight of the beast vanished from my chest. My eyes flew open again to see an even larger wolf, more massive than the first, barreling into the black one in a furious tangle of fangs and claws.

They rolled across the street in a vicious blur of combat, snarling and snapping. The big newcomer seemed to have the upper hand, using its superior size to pin the black wolf down. I heard the snap of bones, a high yelp of pain. The black wolf struggled frantically, but the larger one was too strong

The larger wolf stood victorious over the smaller one who was whimpering painfully, chest heaving, his huge form dark against the stormy sky. Power rippled through every line of its body, raw and barely contained. I could feel the force of its presence pressing against my skin like a physical thing. I didn't know how I could feel his sheer strength, but it was happening. His aura all but encompassed me, forcing me to want to go closer to him.

Slowly, I pushed myself to my feet, never taking my eyes from the beast. I knew I should run, but fear and fascination stopped me in place. Some primal part of me sensed that this was no ordinary werewolf. The energy crackling around it was ancient, almost god-like in its potency.

As if drawn by my gaze, the wolf's head swiftly turned in my direction. Even through the gloom and rain, I could see its eyes - twin pools of blood red, boring into mine with laser intensity. The breath seized in my lungs. I felt stripped bare, my soul laid open and vulnerable beneath that hard stare.

Time seemed to stop, the world narrowing down to that single burning point of contact. The wolf's eyes held me in thrall, drowning me in depths of wildness and something else I couldn't name. Something almost...human.

A flash of lightning shattered the moment, jolting me back to myself. Gasping, I wrenched my eyes away from the wolf's, a scream building in my throat. I whirled and ran, not daring to look back. I raced through the empty streets, the wolf's presence searing my back long after I left it behind.

My mind whirled as I ran, trying desperately to process what I'd witnessed. The first wolf had almost killed me but somehow, impossibly, I'd been saved. The huge wolf couldn't have known me, but he had saved me. It still felt surreal.

My mind cleared as I reached the familiar premises of my house. The lights were turned on, signaling that people were inside. I sighed as trepidation washed through me. It was time to face the nightmare I called family.

****