Beneath the Silver Moon

On a chilly fall day, a 29-year-old Liz sat in her car outside her job and wondered why she had even agreed to take a shift on her only day off. She sighed before pulling her long red hair up into a ponytail. The office building looked as cold on the outside as it did on the inside, but bills needed to be paid. She gathered her stuff, exited her car, and proceeded inside to begin her dreaded day. Mary, the secretary, waved at her in the normal cheery demeanor you'd expect from her, but Liz just smiled and ducked into her office quickly shutting the door to shut out the chaos. She sat in her office chair and stared at the list of "to-do" stuff that her boss had left on her desk. "Great", she thought before logging into her computer and checking her email. Boring, boring, and more boring, she read through the list of emails about meetings, reports, and the occasional dinner party invites that were very clearly meant for her boss and not her. She stopped on a random email from her friend. The same friend she chose to cover the day for seeing as Evie called in for a sick day. Evie never got sick so this was a first. The email read that Evie was supposed to give a small interview to Marcus Lee, this small town's version of a celebrity. His family comes from old money but Mr. Lee has formed his status through his own contracting company that handled several contracts from construction to even small jobs like babysitting. For anything you might need a verified contract for to ensure a legit job, he'd be the person to go to. He also oversaw several charities and even the local children's center. For anyone, he'd be a dream to talk to, but Liz was dreading it. She wasn't known for getting along too well with Marcus. A bitter grudge from when she was 18 that never really got resolved with a boy who she once thought hung the moon. The boy who told her to get lost on their last day of high school despite them being best friends. The boy who broke her heart. What was she going to do???

Just when she was lost in thought her boss, Abbi knocked on her door. Abbi didn't hold off on telling Liz that her job depended on her professionalism and that Liz should fix her messy red trusses. That's when the bell to the front door opened and Miss Boss Lady looked into the glass of the door to fix her lipstick and adjust her shirt. It was obvious that Abbi had other plans for Marcus. Abbi looked over at Liz and smiled stating that as a newspaper this interview was important because who wouldn't want to have the attention of "the town's most handsome rich man" before walking off to greet the man of honor. Ironically he walked right passed her and straight to the front desk ignoring every advancement she made towards him. Mary pointed him in the direction of the interview room which gave you enough time to fix your hair, grab your notes, and proceed down the hall to the same room.

Marcus looked fit but still well-dressed. His deep brown hair framed his face perfectly. He smiled at Liz but acted as if he didn't recognize her which honestly was fine for her. The interview went by pretty quickly as it was mostly about the new charity he was presenting to help fight child abuse. He flashed Liz a toothy smile showing off his perfect teeth. After the interview, she thanked him for his time and his devotion to the community to which he responded with a surprisingly humble reply. After he left she went back to her office to type up the interview and her unbiased feedback before sending it to the editor for checking. If it checked out it would go to the writers in charge of writing up what is to be printed. Once time had passed Liz decided to pack up and head home. On her way to her car, she noticed a dark car sitting a few rows back from hers. A car she was unfamiliar with but she shook it off and headed home before something else could disrupt her rest.

When she got home the sun had just started to set. She lived a mile and a half away from Evie and considered checking on her but decided it was probably best to let her rest. Tired and worn out, she decided to take a short nap on her couch before getting food but didn't realize just how exhausted she was. Sleep took over her within minutes.

Dream sequence

Liz ran through the woods unsure of what was behind her, but wildly aware of the footsteps she heard. She knew she didn't want to die so she ran. Her wild red hair kept getting caught on every branch imaginable. Eventually, she made it to a clearing... right at the willow tree. Right underneath stood an abnormally pale Evie and a mysterious man. Evie called out to her and beckoned her to join them. The closer Liz got the better she could see Evie and the two little puncture marks on her next. She looked over at the man... his mouth stained red. She stopped and just when she did heard a noise behind her; she quickly turned around to face a pure white wolf... the wolf was beautiful but it still terrified her. That's when Evie spoke her name again. She turned to see Evie smiling at her with a fanged toothy grin. Just when she thought it was her end she felt an arm wrap around her waist and looked up to see...

A sound outside startled Liz awake. Something rustling in the leaves scattered amongst her unkept yard. She brushed it off assuming it was a small stray or maybe even a rabbit and proceeded to get up and walk to the bathroom to shower away the odd dream from her mind. After about 20 minutes she stumbled out of the bathroom and to the kitchen no longer able to avoid the growls her stomach made at her. As she fixed herself a TV dinner she heard another growl, but this time it wasn't her stomach... she quickly grabbed the closest knife and proceeded to the door which she very cautiously opened. She couldn't see much amongst the thick blanket of night, but she very faintly caught sight of a wolf at the entrance of the dark forest. It stared at her as if begging her to follow before walking into the forest. She shook with fear but couldn't keep from walking out of her house and towards the woods. As she stumbled through the forest barefooted she gripped her knife tightly. She wasn't sure what she'd find, but she wasn't about to end up like the others. People who ventured through the woods never to be seen again. That's when she heard a noise behind her. It was loud enough to scare her and send her running towards the Willow tree... similar to her dream. She ran as quickly as she could, her side hurting from the exertion. As she reached the tree though she caught her foot on a root sending her straight onto the soil in front of her at a force strong enough to knock her out for a short moment. As she came to she half expected to see a wolf staring at her ready to devour her like prey only to be surprised when a tall dark blur of a man stood over her instead. She rubbed the dirt from her eyes clearing up her vision. The man before her was none other than the man she interviewed earlier that day. Marcus touched her head gently as if making sure she wasn't bleeding or injured before cupping her cheek softly. His honey-brown eyes shined under the moonlight and holy crap was he ripped and... shirtless... very shirtless. Liz froze unable to take her eyes off his chest as he chuckled explaining that he wasn't sure she'd follow him and that he was sorry for scaring her in the woods. Wait the wolf was him? He smiled and confirmed that he was indeed the wolf as if he could hear her thoughts. Liz proceeded to ask why he was or rather how was he the wolf. How was it all possible? So Marcus explained how his family comes from old money. A lineage of shapeshifters whose spirits were tied to that of the wolf. Anyone in his family would shift as soon as they reached 18 and met their wolf. Eventually, they would find their mates. Individuals from other packs except him...

Marcus explained that his mate was not a wolf but rather a mortal. One whom he grew up with and was forced to avoid at the wish of his father who was determined to keep the bloodline pure and untainted. That's why he rebelled and started his own business. He wanted to forge his identity outside of his father's control. He explained that as he reaches 30 if he doesn't accept his mate he'll lose his way. He'd be given two choices. Either give up his wolf or give up any ties to his human form. That's when it dawned on Liz. The interview, the car in the parking lot, the dream... him coming to her. She was his mate. That's why he pushed her away when they turned 18. That's why he went out of state for school and why he told her to disappear from his life. His father made him. She asked him why he left her. Why did he hurt her when they were younger? He couldn't answer but looked down at his hands as the tears welled up in his eyes. He simply said he was afraid. Afraid of what she'd think if she found out the truth about him and his family. Afraid if he didn't push her away his father might send her away for good. This time he wasn't afraid though. Not of his father or of her finding out the truth, but rather afraid of letting her walk out of his life again. Afraid of losing the part of him he treasured.

She grabbed his hands in hers and smiled assuring him that she wasn't scared. That she has loved him since she was 16. At 29 that hasn't changed. In that moment, under the Willow tree their sleepy town considered cursed, they made a promise to start this journey together and together they sealed that promise with a kiss. A kiss that burned with passion. As the silver moon peaked above the tree their love conspired and their journey began.