Chapter 9

• My skin felt itchy and I had to fight against the claustrophobic feeling of being trapped in the shitty trailer I grew up in. Restlessness seeped into every inch of me, making me feel like I needed to claw my way out of this place. The minutes seemed to crawl by. I’d waited so long for this day and I had a plan. I wanted out the second the moon rose high enough to break the wards that kept me prisoner here. Instead, I was faced with showing my face at the stupid First Moon Ceremony.
• I stood, my ancient bed creaking and groaning as I rose. Running my hand through my hair, I paced in the tiny space. Waiting was a hiccup, but it didn’t change my plan. I was still getting out of here as soon as I could. It just delayed me a few minutes. A few hours at most. As soon as the others shifted, I felt confident I could leave without issue.
• I’d never attended a First Moon Ceremony but I had some information about what to expect. Only those who were making the first shift or already shifted pack members were allowed to attend. The Alpha and Beta always attended, along with the new members. Their family usually came to experience the first shift with them and sometimes friends or other pack members would join. It was technically open to anyone who had shifted but from what I’d heard, it was generally a small group.