"DO YOU KNOW what this is?” Arthur asked, dropping a flower on Jake's desk. I scooted my chair over and stretched my neck to see the flower properly. It was a strange one. I didn’t recognize it. It was yellow with a little greenish hue at the tips of each petals. 

Jake’s face was blank. Other boys from our class gathered around too. 

“It’s not yet Valentine’s day, Arthur... and we’re not gay. Take away your flower.” Mart, the class jester, yelled. 

We all burst out laughing, Arthur’s face turned red as he grabbed the flower and shook it in our faces. “Have any of you seen this before?” 

Our joy mellowed as we saw how angry he was. 

“It’s a morteaux flower, fools.” He continued, his voice was high. 

Morteaux, I had heard of the flower somewhere... Morteaux!!

I was the first to grasp it. “B-but it doesn’t grow in our territory” I said, stammering a little bit.

Arthur’s face changed from anger to triumph now that we were taking him a lot more serious. 

“it doesn’t grow around us.” He said. “I went to pluck it.” 

“You w-went outside our t-territory?” Mart asked in a small voice. 

“Yes.” Arthur was beaming now. He propped his hands on his chest and said, “I will give it to Imelda on Valentine’s day.” 

Imelda was his high school sweetheart.

“You’re really brave, you know.” Zach, a tiny boy said from behind me.

“I know. I’m easily the bravest wolf here, right now.” 

There were murmurs of agreement all round. I casted a furtive glance at Jake, who had been quiet all along. I knew what he was thinking. This was a challenge. 

As the Alpha’s son and future Alpha, he must be seen as the bravest and from the determined look of his face and locked jaws, I knew he had already decided what to do and he would beg me to go with him and I can’t refuse him. He might get hurt. 

“THE ALPHA, YOUR father, would have your ass served on a plate if he knew you stepped out of our territory.” 

That was my last line at trying to make Jake change his mind, and apparently, it was not working. 

“Come on Jason, you’re not getting scared now, are you?” 

I knew he was pulling my leg but I still ran after him. We were approaching the end of out territory and the voice of Dad’s warning from 7 years ago rang clear in my head like it was just yesterday.

I should under no circumstances, shift. Although I was curious as to what type of cat I was, I had asked him in my head a few times to tell me what it was but he was also in the dark like me. Then Dad had looked in my eyes and said, “Do not come out unless it is a life or death situation.” His eyes turned bright gold. It was years later that I figured out that he was talking to my cat. 

I didn’t know why he was so much against my shifting, even if I was alone. 

We reached the little stream that bordered the western side of the pack’s territory. Jake heaved a triumphant sigh and beckoned me closer. I went up to his side and gripped his upper arm. 

“Tell me again, why are we doing this?” I asked him.

“Ha!” He exclaimed “The more I think of it, the more afraid I get.” 

“Then come on, let’s go back. You don’t have to prove yourself to anybody.”

“I’ve stopped thinking even before we entered this woods, Jason. I know I have to prove myself.” 

I groaned at my cousins stubbornness. We had no idea what lived in the Outlands bordering our territory. We might die. Scratch that, We would die. 

“Prove yourself to who? As what?” I asked angrily, slapping away a twig that was stuck in my hair.

“Do I really have to answer that?” He turned and looked at me slyly before crossing the border. 

“I sure hope you know what you’re doing.” 

“Of course I do. Trust me. I took a good whiff of scent from the flower this afternoon. I’ll sniff it out in a jiffy.” He took of his clothes and handed it to me. 

I collected the clothes, turned away and closed my eyes as the sound of bones cracking and his groans reverberated in the cold night air. 

Then I felt a cold nose nudge my mid thigh. I turned to look at him. His wolf was beautiful. Silver furred with streaks of black on his limbs and hackles. He trotted forward, sniffing the ground. I ran after him. I glanced back, hoping for my sake that I’ll know the way back in case anything happens. I could only hope that the flower bed was not so far off. 

I stumbled in the pale blue light of the moon into a thick shrub.

“Shit" I cursed. “Aren’t we almost there yet?” 

A sound came from the wolf, I grunted in reply and bustled forward. Jake jumped easily over a high shrub but I had to force my way through it, thorns pricked my arms and stuck to my clothes and hair. The moon was overhead now. It was almost full and as if deciding that this was the perfect moment, it broke out from behind a cloud and my gaze settled on a group of rocks ahead. Nestling in a crevice between two rocks sat the flower we’ve been looking for. 

At last.  

I ignored the low growled of Jake by my side and rushed forward. I plucked a stem and put it in my bag.

“Can we head home now?” I muttered under my breath.

“I don’t think so.” A voice sounded behind me. 4 dark silhouette figures stepped out and surrounded us. From the white skin and bloodshot eyes I could tell that they were Vampires. I hadn’t even noticed their extended fangs just yet. 

Vampires. Just what we needed. Argh!