Thecolor suddenly fell from Alexa’s face and I placed a reassuring hand on hershoulder.
“Yes,Anna, you may come. You might need to catch Alexa if she faints.”
Welaughed.
Weall stood in Anna’s backyard, stark naked.
Alexahad her arms covering her breasts, legs crossed.
“Allright,” I began, “first things first. We are always naked and it’s not a bigdeal. I have seen everyone in this pack naked and they have seen me. So youwill just need to get over it. We either look at the ground while shifting orat their face. Got it?”
Alexalaughed and dropped her arms, looking at my face.
“Gotit.”
Next,I described how to shift. It came easier to me than others because of the giftI shared with Kai.
“So,when you are ready, just take in a deep breath and let your wolf out.”
Ihad also explained that because she was a changed wolf, when she shifted, herpower would manifest as well. Either right away or sometime soon.
Alexaswallowed. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her fingers shiftedfirst. I could hear the bones cracking. Red hot pain shot through our packbond.
“Ow,”she said.
Iwinced. “Yeah, first time is the worst.”
Thenher arms, torso, and legs shifted. She dropped on all fours, panting, untillastly her face turned into a beautiful wolf. She was grey with a uniquepattern of white spots. Her belly lurched and I knew what was coming. Akash hadwarned me that most wolves threw up after their first shift.
Afterthrowing up, she looked up at me. I shifted instantly and met her eyes.
‘Wecan all talk while in wolf form,’I told her.
Shegave me a wolfish grin.‘Cool.’
‘Youfeel okay?’I asked.
Shenodded.
Annashifted beside us and nudged my shoulder.‘Tag, you’re it!’She took offrunning. I decided to be nice and took off after her at half of my fastestspeed. I turned back and saw that Alexa was hot on my trail. I let out a yipand Alexa returned it with a big wolf howl. Anna howled back.
Iled the girls to a small path that went to our house. I had promised Emma that Iwouldn’t look at the back yard she was decorating, so we went around the front.A bunch of electrical DJ equipment had been unloaded and lay on the front porch.Kai assured me everyone involved with wedding set up was a wolf or apart of thesupernatural community, so I wasn’t worried about being spotted by humans. Aswe neared the equipment and made our way to the front door, Alexa’s pawsstarted glowing blue.
‘Whatthe?’She looked at me scared. TheDJ equipment suddenly boomed to life! It was deafening. I whined. Alexa’s pawsstopped glowing and the noise stopped.
Annalooked at the speakers and approached me.‘It’s not plugged in.’
Inodded. I could see that.
Alexawas shaking and whining.
‘It’sokay,’I told her.‘It’s yourgift, just calm down.’
‘Tryto control it.’Anna indicatedthe speakers and turntables.
Alexa closed her eyes and steadied herbreathing. Her paws glowed and the music
blaredout again.
