“Thanks, mom. Love you.”
“Love you too, Aurora.”
So that was it. I was a werewolf and I wasmoving in with my Alpha that I had kissed twice, and I was lying to my mom. Isighed. Life was officially complicated.
Run
After getting off of the phone with my mom, Isat on the edge of the bed in silence for a moment until my pack sense began totingle. ‘Alpha. Alpha. Alpha.’I got up and made my way outside where Icould see the pack gathering around Kai.
“Glad to see you fully healed,” Sadiepurred at Kai. He nodded and then turned as if sensing me. Again his eyestrailed over my body and I felt exposed.
“I think it’s time we go for a run!To welcome Aurora properly; introduce all of us to her wolf. We leave in fiveminutes.” He eyed me and beckoned me towards the house.
I followed him wordlessly, trying to containmy fear. I was a werewolf and up until now it hadn’t been real. Shifting into awolf, that was real. Would it hurt? Would I hate it? What if I liked it? Onceinside, he turned to face me tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.
“Wolves need to live in packs to befully healthy and feel whole, but as far as lovers go, most of us can only hopeto be lucky enough to find our mate; to be blessed with children and a life oflove. We prepare for a life of fleeting relationships. We have distractions butthe one thing we are really waiting for is our mate.”
My heart was beating in my head. Iwasn’t expecting this. He continued. “As you can imagine, with a shortage offemale wolves, most males spend their life alone, romantically. Your arrivalhas every unmated male in the pack in a frenzy. I feel it fair to warn you thatno matter what has started between you and I, if your mate is out there among thepack…” He didn’t finish.
“And how will I recognize my mate?” Iasked him, pressing my body against his and staring into his eyes, watchingthem go yellow. His hands found their way to my hips.
“Have you seen my wolf? It’smarkings?” I nodded and lowered my eyes to his lips. I didn’t want to besomeone else’s mate. I wanted to choose for myself. “Well, my mate’s markingwill be the exact opposite of mine. Instead of a black coat with a white star,she will have a white coat with a black star. Mates were made for each other, aunion blessed by Spirit. When mates meet for the first time in wolf form, it’ssaid to be indescribable. Your mate might not even be on this continent, but Iwanted to warn you in case he is.”
“Let’s get this over with then.” I pulled outof his grasp, afraid of getting too close. One thing was certain. I wouldn’t beanyone’s mate unless I wanted to be. I don’t care whatSpiritthought. Icould feel his eyes burning into the back of my head.
The entire pack was assembled. I noticed someof the men staring at me with longing.
“The first shift is painful and it takes awhile. Since you’re achangedwolf you will have a gift. We may not knowwhat it is right away, just be patient,” Kai told me.
“How do I shift?” I felt stupid for asking.
I heard Akash chuckle behind me. "Youlet your wolf out. No pun intended. Let her bubble to the surface. Then pushwith everything you are and it just happens. I threw up my first shift, sodon’t feel bad if you do."
I laughed. “Okay, just don’t get too close tome. I might throw up on you.”
He smiled and then ran to be with hisfriends. The pack began undressing around me, including Kai, but I noticedeveryone kept their eyes on the ground. Here goes nothing, I thought, and beganpeeling off my clothes. When I was about to unclip my bra, I looked up. Kai wasstaring into my eyes. I blushed. He shifted in seconds while the rest of thepack slowly started. I heard cracking bones all around me and took a deepbreath calling to my inner wolf. ‘Pack. Run.’
Once I felt her at the surface, I pushed. Itwas like screaming with no sound. I felt the blood rush to my face. My bloodfelt like it was carbonated, and my skin felt like Jell-O. One second I wasstanding on two legs, then I felt like someone had taken a knife and filletedme in half, and then I was standing on four paws. The other wolves hadn'tfinished shifting but all eyes were on me. They went from me, to Kai, and backto me. I thought they must be staring at us because we had the same gift; thegift of shifting instantly, being super-fast… but then I heard it. ‘Mate.’
I looked up at Kai in his wolf form.A thousand images passed between us. Him as a little boy in India hangingclothes on a clothes line with his mother. Me as a little girl being rockedback and forth to sleep by my mother. Him as a young man being attacked by awolf pack, beingchanged. Me around 12 years old covering my ears as myfather screamed at my mother. Him as a young wolf fighting for dominance. Ifelt every bite. I felt his pain. Me as a teenager standing over my father inthe kitchen; a knife dripping blood in my hand. My father’s dead body on thetile next to my unconscious mother. Kai happy as an Alpha of his first pack. Mehappy when my mom and I moved into our first place. It was like a life reviewof what each other had missed up until now.
He jumped on my wolf, rolling me downthe grassy hill nipping at my neck playfully. I breathed him in. Cedar, mint,and home. ‘Mate,’I heard my wolf say. ‘You're mine,’ Kai said.My inner wolf howled.
‘I wanted it to be true from the first time Isaw you. Your markings are beautiful, white with a black star and black socks,’ he told me.
Kai was my mate. I could feel it now, therightness of it. My wolf was pleased and my human side didn’t have time toprocess it. I heard a painful howl behind me and turned to see a wolf withglaring black eyes. Sadie. My wolf recognized her. She ran off through thewoods without waiting for the pack. I felt sorry for her. Kai nipped my leg andI jumped over him and began to run. ‘Chase,’my wolf said. Kai took offafter me, grinning. The rest of the pack was at our heels. I could feel them. ‘Pack.Run.’I pushed myself faster, harder. Kai was right next to me.
‘You’re fast like me,’he said. I pushed faster delightingin the feeling of my body, then I circled around to meet up with the pack.
A small, reddish wolf with two white spots onher back pounced on me playfully, yipping. Emma. My wolf nuzzled her and then Inoticed Devon circling Kai. They seemed to be talking. Devon’s markings werethe exact opposite of Emma’s. He was stark white with two reddish spots on hisback.
‘You found your mate!’Emma’s voice said. I froze startled. ‘Thepack can communicate through the pack bond while in wolf form.’
‘Oh, cool.’I tried.
A medium-sized tawny wolf with a whitepaintbrush tail and a thin, white line along his back, came up to me. Akash, mypack sense told me. He nipped my left paw and then took off running. My wolfyipped and ran after him. ‘Chase.’
One second I was chasing him and the next Iwas slammed with a vision. Like a movie screen playing in my head. I could feelmy legs running, but I couldn’t see Akash or the forest in front of me. I sawSadie in human form, in a grove; the downtown Seattle space needle peeked outof the skyline behind her. She then changed into her wolf. She was a large,female wolf with brown and reddish markings. A wolf pack came out of theclearing and a wolf with the opposite markings to Sadie howled and sprintedtowards her. They nipped each other running in circles. Then I was shown Sadielooking at Kai. He nodded. She was saying goodbye.
