"How short do you want it?" Alexandra hummed.

Shrugging her shoulders, Adeline aimed a lungful of air at some hair that had fell over her right eye; instead of moving over to the side, the hair just floated up in the air before falling back in the same place.

Placing her finger to the back of Adeline's neck, her mother asked gently, "How about here?"

"No. Shorter."

"Adeline. . . It's already short-"

"No," she interjected. "I want it shorter. It's easier to take of when it's short."

Adeline knew that her mother wanted to argue with her. Alexandra had a thing about short hair, she always said that only boys had short hair, and would say, 'Adeline, you have such beautiful hair, you shouldn't cut it.' Adeline's remarkable response was always the same.

"It's easier to take care of."

"I want it above my shoulders," Adeline said. "Please."

"That short?!" Alexandra asked in bewilderment and shock. Adeline let out another breath, watching the cluster of hair glide up in the air before settling back in front of her eye. How light they were . . . so easily moved. So easily cuttable. Adeline knew that if her mother wouldn't cut her hair that short, then later tonight, or even tomorrow, she would find a pair of scissors and do it herself. A part of Adeline resisted the thought of cutting her hair that short because in the wolf world, short hair on a female was taboo. The cutting of female head hair was frowned upon, and even forbidden in some packs. Hair was a sacred thing between soul-mates and even pack. It was important because hair generated scent, and, especially to the approval of males, it helped hide their female's vulnerable necks. As ridiculous as that sounded, it was their primal, beast's side making itself known. They were part wolf after all.

"No. I'm sorry Adeline, but I will not cut your hair that short." Adeline was sure her mother was shaking her head in disapproval. "No . . . just no."

"Mother-" Adeline started, but stopped as Alexandra slapped the back of her neck in a, do not say another word if you want to eat dinner tonight, kind of way.

"Don't 'mother' me," she snarled. "You are no pup anymore, so stop acting like one. I am your Luna, blood be damned, and you will start treating me as such." She gripped Adeline's neck roughly, her nails digging into the soft flesh. Adeline submitted immediately; tilting her head to the side, baring her neck. Even with Alpha blood flowing through her veins, Adeline was still inferior to her parents, and she would be until they either passed on the title to her, or died. There were others ways to gain the title, like challenging the Alpha Pair to a fight, earning the title if the Alpha Pair didn't have any heirs, or, in very rare instances, slaughtering them in an effort to gain territory.

"Are you done?" Her mother's voice was stern, firm, even cold. The order washed over Adeline like a blanket of ice so cold it burned.This was Alexandra's Alpha tone, no wolf in their right mind could resist the pull to follow the demand. Adeline was in her right mind sometimes, but when her beast was in the driver's seat, all that could control her was Wolfsbane.

"Yes, Luna." She said, keeping her neck bared in submission. It didn't matter if they were pack members or were mother and daughter, an Alpha trumps all other relationships.

Releasing her neck, Alexandra stepped back, turned to the table besides them, and started to put away the scissors, hair brush and hair spray. Rubbing the back of her neck, Adeline stood up and began to make her way to the door when she was stopped by a hand on her forearm.

"We're having a Pack Dinner tonight. I want you to come," Alexandra said, her eyes glowing faintly.

Adeline's lips fell into a tense line as her heart began to do the tango in her chest, "I- I'm not sure if that's a good idea."

"You haven't had any... problems lately, so you should be fine." If only it was that simple, Adeline thought as her mother released her arm.

"I can hear the Pack Members in my mind," Alexandra laughed. It sounded forced. "Some of them think you fell of of the face of the Earth." Turning to leave, Adeline was stopped again as her mother grabbed her arm. Instead of the fierce look Alexandra usually sported, this time, all Adeline could see was heartbreak and worry. "Everyone worries about you Adeline, they miss you. Your father misses you," Tears welled up in the Luna's dark eyes as she looked into Adeline's pale ones. "I miss you."

????

She could feel the beast, even now as the wolfsbane pulsed in her bloodstream. The monster was lurking, observing . . . waiting for the perfect time to make its presence known. A dark, sinister growl filled Adeline's ears as she brushed out her hair. The sound wasn't very loud, and only she could hear it, but it was chilling nonetheless. Soon, she knew, the beast would find a weakness in the supply of poison, and slip through the cracks. The beast was like a tsunami; all it needed to do was find leverage, then all would crash and burn; damn the consequences.

Tucking her dark hair behind her ear, Adeline picked up a tube of mascara in the make-up bag her mother had left her. Just as quickly as she picked it up, she let it drop through her fingers and back into the bag.

"Ughh!" Adeline groaned as she sat down on the toilet seat heavily. Why did she have to go to the dinner? What was different now? There had been plenty of other Pack events that she had missed, and plenty of Pack Dinners that she was a no-show. No one had ever questioned her absence, and now, three years of no involvement, they suddenly cared?

"Bull," Adeline growled. "Probably my mother trying to show everyone that I'm not a monster." It was true, Adeline's mother was a perfectionist. Her life, Adeline's, and everyone's else's had to look and seem perfect to the foreign eye. Even though Alexandra was the Luna of the Southern Pack, she was naturally born a Western, and the West Pack was well-known for their perfect everything.

"Are you almost ready Pum- . . . Adeline?" She heard her father's deep voice say through the door. Adeline's eyes darkened as the nickname stirred something deep inside of her chest, sorrow? Anger? Maybe even, dare she think this, joy? Shaking her head, Adeline's face twisted into a sneer; she didn't deserve joy. She didn't deserve happiness or good things. Good things shouldn't come to those who almost kill; and most certainly, monsters don't warrant nicknames. Only the good and innocent get nicknames, and she was positive that she wasn't any of those things.

"Almost!" Adeline responded. Hurrying to apply her natural makeup, she looked in the mirror. The dark bags under her eyes were a little less noticeable, and her pale skin looked a little more alive. Adeline thought as looked fine, but anxiety whispered in her ear as it danced on her stomach.

Yours eyes are dull. Anxiety's voice taunted. I can still see the bags under them. You look like crap, everyone will see that. Your hair's a mess, and the cover-up didn't cover up everything.

Shaking her head with squeezed shut eyes, Adeline braced herself on the counter. Don't listen to it, she told herself, but it was impossible. How do you ignore your own conscious?

They won't see you as a pretty little girl. They will see you as a monster. You don't fool anyone, Anxiety cackled. The Beast rumbled in agreement.

"Adeline? Are you okay?" Her father asked, the door knob started to turn and jiggle in his effort to enter the room.

Hurrying to the door, Adeline unlocked and opened it. Her father stood on the other side of the doorway, his pale blue eyes, the same eyes Adeline had, glowing faintly as he crossed his arms across his broad chest.

"Are you done yet?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "The dinner is in a few minutes and I still need to give you your dosage."

Nodding, Adeline walked past her father and towards the staircase that led down to the dining room. Her hands were clammy, her stomach was twisting in nervousness, but she just brushed that off as nerves. Adeline was so busy focusing on her nervousness, that she didn't feel the faint headache forming just behind her eyes.

????

Everyone watched her with cautious eyes. They may be wolves and the top predator, but they could sense the unstableness in Adeline.

Someone could easily mistaken it for nervousness and even excitement, but that could be the farthest from the truth; Adeline was a ticking time bomb. All she needed was a spark, then everything else would disappear in a haze of death and red. All she needed was that little push, that little ignition. A chance.

"I am so glad . . . that you made it." A female subordinate said, keeping her head down in submission. Adeline might not be an Alpha, or even of mating age, but she still demanded submission. She was the future Alpha after all... and her parents were right besides her. No one would ever disrespect Adeline to her face and her parents', not if they wanted to keep their pack place and freedom. If someone did disrespect Adeline openly, then they ran the chance of being stripped of their pack status, and made an Omega. Omegas were the lowest of the low, and unlike common beliefs, you couldn't be born into it. An Omega title isn't something anyone should be proud of, you were the lowest of the low, and it was a punishment meant to be humiliating.

"Thank you." Adeline responded back in a clipped voice. She didn't want to be here. She didn't want to be surrounded by the wolves she grew up with, and know that if the beast took over, than they would be her victims. To the monster, the other wolves were nothing more than flesh to sink its claws into. They weren't friends, fathers, mothers, daughters, sons, or mates . . . to the beast, they were prey.

"Hey, Adeline!" A voice said from across the table. Swivelling her head toward the voice, she saw familiar black eyes lit up in excitement and mischief. Clyde. The pack Beta.

Giving him a small, pained smile, she turned back to her plate of sad looking spaghetti. Twirling her fork through the half heated-up mound of noodles, she lifted it to my mouth, but dropped in back on the plate just as quickly. This is disgusting, Adeline thought with a grimace. She had tried to eat it, but the tomato sauce was sour, the chunks of onions almost made her gag, and the noodles were bland and undercooked. Who the hell had cooked this?! Whoever cooked this should be forced to eat it, all of it, then charged with attempted manslaughter! The noodles and sauce were down right deadly.

"Luna," A male mused, his voice tight. He was sounded rather sick, "The spaghetti is delicious!"

Crap...

"Thank you, Aaron." Alexandra chirped. "At least someone likes it." That was accompanied by a sharp elbow jab into Adeline's ribcage, then her father's.

"How do you like your's, Clyde?" Alexandra asked.

"It tastes wonderful, Luna," Clyde reassured, but then a sly smile spread across his face. "Compared to your other dishes, this is phenomenal. Seriously, you could shut up that Chef Ramsay dude."

Alexandra let out a strange snort like sound as tense chuckles traveled around the table. It was as if everyone was nervous to laugh around Adeline, nervous to show emotion. Never show a predator emotions, it feeds them. It makes them wild; and to them, Adeline was the deadly, out of control monster that was lurking in the shadows, waiting and watching. The monster that would prey on weak wolves; no one could be alone with her, because after all, she did attack an innocent she-wolf. Her friend to be exact. Wolves who attack Pack Members and those who are weaker them themselves, couldn't be trusted. Adeline couldn't be trusted. Not now, not tomorrow, not ever. She was the monster that mothers told their pups to never be alone with, to never trust. She wasn't Adeline Manson, future Alpha of the Southern Pack; she was Adeline Mason . . . a monster.

'Surprise!' A gravely voice boomed in Adeline's mind. 'Do you really think Wolfsbane could suppress me forever? I hope not, because I don't want to disappoint you. I am getting stronger! You time is coming to an end, and then you'll be too weak to hold me back! Everyone will be too weak! Everything will be red! Everyone will bow to my creator!"

With that, Adeline folded in on herself as pain, unlike anything she had ever felt behind, exploded in her head. She could faintly hear the shouts of panic as everyone saw grey, coarse fur sprout over her flesh. Popping and cracking filled the room as Adeline's bones rearranged themselves into that of a wolf's.

"NO!" Adeline screamed as she tried to force the beast to back down, but she was already too weak. The Beast was stronger than her in every aspect; mind, body, soul, and determination. The Beast was determined to take control, it was determined to watch everything crash and burn. Nothing could stop it, no one had the power to control its rages.

"STOP! Please stop!" Adeline sobbed as all of her clothes were shredded around her. A large, half-wolf half-woman stood over the mound of clothing. Instead of a fully formed wolf, Adeline was in mid-shift. Shaking her large wolf head side to side, Adeline's muzzle opened in a pained snarl. The beast staggered to the side as Adeline grabbed her head, pulling at her ears as the Beast inside her roared for control. Towering seven feet in the air, Adeline was now taller than most wolves, but she was no wolf, not at the moment. She was half wolf, half woman, but the human side was losing.

"Adeline!" She heard her mother scream. "Adeline, look at me!"

Adeline's elongated face turned to look at her mother, who was on the other side of the table. The Luna's face was set in determination, but also fear. Fear for her daughter, but also for the others trapped in the room. Adeline was blocking the only door, the only exit.

"Adeline, honey! Look at me, fight her! Fight your wolf!" Waving her hands in the air frantically, Alexandra tried to keep her daughter's attention on her, but the Beast had already completely taken over. Adeline wasn't in the driver's seat.

????

Alexandra cursed as the now fully formed wolf settled down on its massive paws.

'Hurry up Dillon!' She shouted through the mate-bond. 'She has lost control! She needs the Liquid Silver!' She could feel Dillon's surprise and urgency.

'Where is it?!' He snarled.

'Our room! In the dresser, third drawer! Dammit, she's going after a Subordinate! Hurry the hell up! I need to distract her!' The Luna closed the bond shut between them as she shifted into her own wolf form. The molten grey wolf lunged over the oak table in a single leap, her brown eyes melting into a feral golden.

The Luna crashed into her daughter with enough force to smash a car, but they were werewolves, the ram merely surprised the wolf. Adeline released the Subordinate from her powerful jaws as she and her mother engaged in a life or death battle. Alexandra grabbed a hold of Adeline's neck, but the thick fur acted like a shield; her teeth couldn't get a good hold of the wolf's neck. Adeline whipped around with a frenzied growl, her jaws snapping in malice and a promise of bloodshed.

A howl ripped through Alexandra's throat as Adeline's jaw closed on her right foreleg. The sounds of snapping bones made Alexandra's head spin more than the actual pain. Diving towards her daughter's head, Alexandra sunk her teeth into her head, the metallic taste of blood flooded her mouth, but she still applied more pressure to the bite. Adeline snarled loudly before releasing her mother's leg, but Alexandra held fast, her teeth digging into the flesh behind her daughter's eyes. Alexandra was surprised that no whimpers or pained squeals passed Adeline's throat, because just applying that much pressure was hurting her jaw. The only things that left her daughter's muzzle were snarls and saliva and blood.

'Where are you?!' Alexandra demanded, opening the mate bond between her and her mate, Dillon.

'I'm here,' He whispered just as Adeline jerked suddenly, and an enraged snarl left her jaws. Alexandra's daughter thrashed as the needle holding the liquefied Silver entered her flank, but the Luna didn't let go.

A minute passed, then another, but Alexandra didn't dare release the feral wolf until it's legs gave out and the growls stopped. Releasing her jaws from Adeline's head, Alexandra stood over her paralyzed daughter, panting.

'Are you alright?' Dillon asked through the mate-bond, his rage was overwhelming and overpowering, but it wasn't at his mate, or his daughter. The Alpha was enraged because the Moon Goddess was letting this happen. She wasn't helping them in anyway, even after the hundreds of thousands of prayers he had sent to her, the countless hours he spent on his knees at her shrine, she did nothing. What a figure she was.

'No.' Alexandra answered, 'No, I am not alright. I will never be alright because I nearly sent my wolves to their death, and thought that my daughter was stable. Hell no I am not alright.'

Alexandra shifted in her human form, not caring about her lack of clothing. It was a normal part of life for wolves. Besides, why should you be embarrassed, when everyone has the same goods as you?

Dillon approached her, his jacket in his hand. Throwing the large jacket over her shoulders, he leaned down and quickly placed a kiss to her lips.

"It's time we contact the Oracle." He murmured, placing a knuckle under her chin so that she'd look him in the eyes, "Maybe Sasha can heal our daughter, or see who can."

Shaking her head, Alexandra felt tears trickle down her cheeks as she looked up into her mate's glowing eyes. "What if Adeline can't get better? What if Sasha can't heal her. What if-"

"Adeline will get better. I promise you, our pack, the world, that our Adeline will get better. I won't stop fighting for you, for her . . . until she's better." He whispered to Alexandra through their bond.

It was a promise Dillon could make. He'd die for his mate and daughter. Hell would have to freeze over before he sat back and gave up. Adeline was important, he knew, the world would need her one day. This was just one obstacle that would be followed by many more, but he knew his daughter. She was strong, and would stand up as Alpha when the time arrives, but she wouldn't stand up alone. Adeline would have a mate, a pack, wolves, and other creatures by her side. The Packs of the world would be united, and the moons would restored.

As Dillon Manson scooped up the stiff wolf in his arms, he leaned down and whispered in her pointed ear, knowing that she would hear him.

"I promise that you and your wolf will be united. I promise that you'll get better, I promise things that you'll learn in time. I promise that I'll give your your life back."

"I promise."