Moon Under Concrete

Kai's paws hit the pavement, the jarring contrast to the soft earth beneath them a constant reminder of his exile from his pack. The city, a behemoth of steel and glass, scraped the sky with its teeth, swallowing the starlight he craved. Every honking horn, every siren's wail, was a discordant note in the symphony of nature he once knew. He was a wolf in a concrete cage, a hunter stripped of his forest.

He missed the rustling leaves, the scent of damp earth, the comforting howl of the wind through the pines. Here, the wind carried the metallic tang of exhaust and the acrid bite of cigarette smoke. His enhanced senses, once a boon in the wilderness, felt like a curse in this sensory overload

He'd left his pack, driven by the suffocating rules, and the unspoken expectations. They saw him as an outsider, a pup with too much curiosity and not enough obedience. Yet, here, amongst the humans, he was an anomaly, a walking secret. With the passing days, he was becoming a great danger to them.

He found refuge in a rundown apartment building, its peeling paint and flickering lights mirroring his brokenness. The air, thick with the scent of cooking spices and car exhaust, was a daily assault on his senses. Sleep came in stolen moments, interrupted by the city's restless hum.

His first encounter with human society was a brutal lesson. Hunger gnawed at him, a primal urge that clawed at his control. He found himself drawn to a dimly lit alleyway, the scent of discarded meat-heavy in the air. A stray cat, eyes wide with fear, was his target. But before he could act, a human voice boomed, "Leave it alone!"

He froze, shame burning through him. The woman, her face etched with concern, offered him a sandwich instead. It tasted bland, yet held the unexpected warmth of human kindness. He learned to navigate the city's hidden corners, scavenging for scraps, careful not to leave a trace.

His days were spent in a haze of solitude. He found solace in the park, a sliver of green amidst the concrete jungle. He watched children play, their unbridled laughter a balm to his loneliness. He longed to join them, to feel the sun on his fur, but his secret was a chain that bound him.

Kai's heart hammered a frantic tattoo against his ribs as a little girl's scream ripped through the night air. He had been drawn by the panicked scent of her fear, adrenaline erasing the ache in his muscles from hours of scavenging. He found her cornered in an alley, two hulking figures closing in, their predatory grins sending a primal growl churning in his throat.

Without hesitation, he shifted. Claws extended, fur bristled, he was a whirlwind of fangs and fury, driving the attackers back with snarls that echoed off the brick walls. The girl, frozen in terror, could only watch as the alley became a blur of motion, the metallic tang of blood mingling with the damp night air.

When the attackers fled, whimpering apologies swallowed by the darkness, Kai collapsed, panting, his human form returning in a wash of dizziness. The girl, still wide-eyed with shock, approached him cautiously. He winced as she reached out, then stopped, her gaze dropping to the blood smeared on his torn shirt.

"You're..." she stammered, her voice barely a whisper. "You're…a werewolf?"

Shame and fear coiled in his gut. He'd always been careful, blending into the shadows, keeping his secret buried deep. Now, exposed under the cold gaze of the moon, he felt vulnerable, stripped bare.

But instead of the scream he imagined, a gasp of awe escaped her lips. Her eyes, wide with wonder, held no fear, only fascination. "It's...amazing," she breathed, her voice barely a whisper.

Before he could react, she knelt beside him, gently touching his arm. "Thank you," she said, her voice sincere. "You saved me."

Relief washed over him, warm and unexpected. He expected judgment, fear, rejection, but all he saw was gratitude, a spark of connection in her eyes.

"Can you keep a secret little girl?" Kai returned to his human form instantly.

"Yes, i can. My mom told me i am an excellent secret keeper."

"Then keep one more secret for me." He knelt in front of her.

"What is it?"

"All of this is not real."

"Ok." Kai turned his back when a voice came after him "My secret's safe with you," A shout came from the back.