The nearly full moon beckoned. Even at this hour, even though she didn’t have to Change. It pulled and pulled until it couldn’t be ignored anymore…

Ophelia Danvers stood outside in the cold, silently watching as her breath made tiny clouds of smoke which floated and danced before her. Back at the Manor, the rest of her Pack was still sleeping peacefully. Her own mate had been curled up in their nice warm bed, not even stirring as she had snuck downstairs. She envied him. At least he wasn’t burdened with the constant nightmares and sleepless nights like this one

Tiny goosebumps had begun to break out across her arms as she stood in the middle of the grounds behind her home. She could hear some birds further off, somewhere high in the trees and she shivered slightly, rubbing one arm with the other. The wind had picked up, causing her long dark hair to fall back behind her shoulders. There was still a few hours before sunrise and as she looked about the grounds, she could see a thick fog hovering over the grass, a layer of morning dew shining against its blades. A tiny sigh escaped her, but it was a happy one.

The quiet was peaceful, comforting…

Hands deep in the pockets of her thin hoodie, Ophelia released a tiny snort and rolled her eyes, walking further out onto the property in the direction of the woods. As she walked, she allowed herself to let go a little, daydreaming in her own little world. For these few short moments, it was easy to forget what she was and all the responsibilities that came with it. For these few moments, she was free…

The sky was nearly blocked from view as she entered the trees, yet she could still see the moon through the branches shining bright. Her bare feet snapped a few twigs beneath them, crunching away amidst the fallen leaves. Just one run, she told herself. Just a quick run to the lake and back, and she’d be back before anyone at the house would have noticed that she had left her room. As she moved further along, she started to shrug out of her clothes, leaving them in a pile alongside the path there. Stashing her jewelry into one sock, she ran a hand through her auburn hair, playing with its’ ends before giving her head a tiny shake and slipped around and behind a large willow tree, now completely hidden from the view of the Manor. Naked, she continued on, moving deeper into the darkness until she came to her favorite spot to Change, a clearing amongst the woods, covered in wildflowers. The sight of it always put Ophelia at ease, and even now she could slowly feel all her troubles start to drift away. She never came here with any of the others. This was her spot, and as she started to relax, she could feel chills begin to run along her body, not from the cold, but from the anticipation, from the thrill of the Change as her animal side began to take over.

Cracking her neck, she closed her eyes, swallowing hard she tried to push back the lump forming in her throat as she willed it to start. Her nose twitched as a rabbit crossed her path and she growled, hearing it scamper off quickly. The sound of its quickened heartbeat caused her to laugh. The laugh turned into a low moan at the first ripple in her bones. Biting down on the inside of her cheek, maybe a little harder than she had meant to, she tensed up her lower body, both of her hands shooting out from her sides. She watched, as fingers lengthened and started shaping into claws. She could feel her blood burning slightly as it started rushing faster and faster through her veins, her heart beating more rapidly. She begun to blink repeatedly as hot tears streamed down her cheeks, white flashing under her closing lids. All at once, her senses started to sharpen more, all the different animals in these woods, the damp grass, and trees, everything, it all filled the air around her in a thick, woodsy musk.

Ophelia’s skin started to bubble and stretch. Unable to control her balance anymore, she stumbled slightly, slamming hard against a tree as her legs started to shift into a new shape. She could feel the bark scrape against her bare skin.

“Fuu-gh-ckkk” The word shot out from her lips, unrecognizable as they stretched and pulled. The word was lost and turned into a low growl as she felt her teeth scraping together, reforming and lengthening. Her canines extended, ripping at her gums and the taste of her blood filled her mouth. It was both bitter and sweet, like her favorite dark chocolate. She almost didn’t feel her jaw extending into that of a snout and muzzle, the sound of her spine snapping distracting her momentarily, until the white hot, stabbing pain took over, causing her to fall onto all fours. Her body was on fire, her heart was hammering away so quickly now that it felt as if it may explode.

And then nothing.

Nothing but the sweet bliss of freedom…

If anyone from outside of their world had stumbled across her now, their fear wouldn’t allow them to understand what they were seeing. She was now a creature, much larger and stronger than any normal wolf one might find in these woods. Everything was much too big, unnatural. Her eyes glowed with such a fire behind them that no other animal could ever possess. She was a child of a moon, a creature of darkness....lycanthrope.

A Werewolf.

A happy yip escaped her as she stretched, taking a moment for her body to adjust to its current form before stepping a few feet forward, her paws digging into the dirt, tail slashing at the air. She felt as if she was capable of anything, even jumping up and ripping the fading moon from the sky.

The sounds coming from the direction of the lake were much more clear to her now and with a shake of her fur, she took off, jetting through the trees, appearing as nothing more than just a flash of white against the green and browns of the woods. She didn’t stop once, not even to chase after a frightened deer from her path. The wolf just wanted to run, to enjoy its freedom from its’ human shackles. It wasn’t until she reached the edge of the lake, that she finally forced herself to stop, panting hard as she collapsed beside it. As she rolled onto her side, lounging out, so that her head was just above the water, she caught sight of her reflection as she leaned in a bit. Her muzzle gently touched the water, and her tongue snaked out to lazily lap at it. The rippling water mixed with the moonlight from overhead made it look as if her shaggy white fur was almost silver. Her eyes were no longer their usual jade green but now a beautiful gold, shining bright with just the faintest hint of red around the ring of them. If she had a mouth, she would have smiled at what she saw, the pure beauty of it. She wasn’t vain or anything, but she believed that she was a very beautiful wolf.

It was so quiet here, and for a few minutes, she lost herself in the whole of it, letting go of who she was, and what responsibilities were lying in wait for her when she returned home.

To Ophelia, this was heaven, and she didn’t ever want to leave.

(STAY TUNED for more of Ophelia's Journey!)