Where Wolves Wander I Open I
Pearson had always hated the shift. The day of the full moon he could feel it pull at him. This tugging in his chest that he could ignore for the most part, but was always present at the back of his mind. The closer it got to dark, the worse the tugging became, until it was a prickling feeling all over his body, as if the fur of his wolf form was threatening to push its way out. Eventually he would transform, whether he liked it or not, and his search for a mate would begin.
When he first transformed, his mother and father had locked them in the basement of their estate. He had scratched and whined at the walls for hours before finally turning back the next day. His brothers had been able to run wherever they pleased, mating with a few omegas even but Finn had never been allowed out of that blasted basement.
However, those days were behind him. Ever since he had come to the castle Finn had been able to be, more or less, himself. When the full moon came he would have been able to transform and, perhaps, seek a mate. But the shame that his parents had beaten into him since the very day he was born still haunted him, and every moon he went to the fields for his shifting.
The Lunar Festival was no different. Instead of joining in on the activities and staying to witness the opening ceremony, Finn simply went into the woods. Here, at least, not many wolves would join him. And if they did, he could simply scurry away. If it were an alpha it may be a problem however. Finn couldn’t resist the scent of an alpha, he knew that, so he tried his best to listen for any sounds of approach. Maybe he could hear them before he smelled them.
At the moment, Finn was enjoying his time alone. His quarters in the west wing of the castle sometimes felt cramped, though he would never complain openly. In the light of the moon his fur shone a dirty blond that mixed with the dark brown of his normal hair color. He was slightly bigger than a fox, though Finn believed he was much faster, at least, in his experience. Silently he wanders, ears always pricked, and paws always ready for the approach of someone else.
It’s the snap of a branch that alerts him first, it’s not far off, but it’s too close for comfort. There’s a pause, one where his body goes still and he ceases to breath for a few moments. He’s stuck between the notion of staying and running, heart pounding in his chest. It’s another heartbeat later before he makes his decision.
He takes off, as fast as he possibly can, legs moving quicker than sight as he bounds into a clearing.
Had he… had he lost them? Was there anyone there to begin with?
He takes a deep inhale. Even in his wolf form his eyes widen and his hackles raise.
