16. Chapter 16
I’m a WHAT?!
It’s all too much and I start laughing with the boys.
At this point, Hutch is on the ground, tears rolling down his red face at how hard he is laughing.
Skylar is shaking his head and waving his hands in front of him as if begging them to stop.
CJ and Erik are both a bit more composed, but Erik is staring at me and CJ has his hands over his eyes as if he is embarrassed by their antics.
August looks exasperated and Charles is having a very hard time keeping a straight face.
Abby is just as red in the face as Hutch and even Mandy has given up her fake fainting spell to laugh with us.
James is cutting into the chocolate cake and serving up plates to everyone, but he is chuckling at each person he stops by.
“I swear, you two ladies are worse than the kids.” August grumbles, but he is smiling so he doesn’t really seem that upset.
We’ve all calmed down now as we settle around the table to eat.
The cake is amazing. Moist and delicate, yet not too sweet.
I don’t think I’ll ever be able to eat another cake again.
I’ve been ruined for all others with just a bite of this one.
Charles turns a bit red when I compliment the cake with enthusiasm and Mandy and CJ smile proudly at him.
Erik is silently shoving his third piece of cake into his mouth as Skylar watches incredulously from beside him.
“Erik, don’t make yourself sick. I promise I’ll save you some for tomorrow.” My words are soft, but he apparently still hears me because he smiles up at me and takes his last bite.
“Don’t worry, Red. I’m about to work it all off.
I will take you up on sharing a piece tomorrow though.
” He winks and stands up to take his plate to the sink.
The other guys stand to follow and each of them stops and kisses Mandy and Abby’s cheeks on the way past. “We have to head to the beach, got some stuff to take care of before the run tonight. Good luck on your shift, Red. We’ll see you tomorrow. ”
With a wave, they head out the door. Everyone left turns to look at me and my stomach drops.
It's time to shift. I’m not sure I’m ready.
Sure, I want to meet my wolf, but I'm so nervous about what will change when I do. Is it going to hurt? What if I can’t shift?
What if I do shift, but I can’t shift back?
Will I manifest immediately or will it take time for them to confirm I’m a Beta?
Will they shift as well? What if they do and our wolves don’t get along?
So many questions, yet none of them really matter.
I have to do this, there are no other options.
And Abby said if I try to fight the shift, then my wolf will force it and it can get dangerous that way.
“Okay, Little Wolf. Are you ready to meet your other half?” Charles is standing by my chair now, one hand on my shoulder.
“I’m scared.”
He bends down, squatting beside me so he can look into my eyes. “It’s okay to be scared. This is big and something completely new. But we will be with you the whole time.”
Nodding, I swallow hard and take a deep breath. I’m going to shift for the first time, and it is going to be okay. I’ll have all of them there with me and they won't let anything happen. This is all going to be fine. I give myself a mental shove and scoot back my chair to stand up.
Charles smiles and he takes my hand, leading me out of the glass sliding door that opens to the fenced in backyard.
There is a big pool right outside the glass door and a large shed-like building in the back corner of the yard.
In the middle of the grassy field is a beautiful fire pit.
There are swings attached to a huge hexagon shaped structure and soft outdoor cushion seats closest to the large ring of red bricks that make up the center of the space.
Fairy lights twinkle around the top of the open air structure and wrap around each supporting pole.
It looks magical in the bright moon light.
As pretty as the yard is, it's hard to focus on anything other than the insistent tugging feeling in my chest. Again, I can feel something moving inside of me and it feels like hundreds of tiny bugs are moving under my skin. My nerves send shocks of electricity down my back that are almost painful.
Charles looks back at me and whatever he sees has him speeding up to catch the others I can see walking into the Shed.
The closer we get to it, the more I realize it isn’t a shed but a barn.
The double doors in the front of it are wide open and I can see Mandy, Abby, August, and James stripping down.
I know that Charles warned me this would happen, but my face still turns red as I look up at the ceiling to avoid seeing anything I shouldn’t.
“Okay, Little Wolf, here’s what's going to happen. Everyone else is going to shift first so you can watch. I’ll stay human until your wolf is out and you manifest. It shouldn’t take long for your manifestation to be clear, five minutes top.
Once you and your wolf are settled, I’ll shift as well and we can all go for a little run around the yard. Do you have any questions?”
I shake my head and watch as August, then James shifts. Their wolves are so beautiful. They are both large silver creatures, but August has dark brown paws and James has no other colors on him. I’m almost convinced he’ll shimmer like a dime in the moonlight.
Abby goes next. Her wolf isn’t anywhere near the same size as the others.
They are nothing but lean muscles and they stand almost as tall as me.
Her wolf is a brown and cream spotted color and she only comes up to the other wolves shoulders.
She is jumping around and nipping their ears and it’s so cute to see.
Mandy is last, and she is tiny compared to the other wolves.
Her snow white body only goes to James’s chest she rubs her body against James and August’s sides and nips playfully at Abby, who immediately lays down and rolls onto her back.
The four of them are softly growling and chuffing at one another, playing and having a good time.
Charles chuckles at them, then turns to me again.
“See, it's fun to let your wolf out and let go of your worries for a while. Take off your dress, I promise we aren’t looking.” I do as he says and he keeps his eyes locked firmly with mine.
The noise the other wolves were making is all silent now.
I can feel their eyes on me, but I ignore it in favor of keeping Charles's gaze.
“Very good, Little Wolf. Now close your eyes and call on your wolf. I can feel her there just under your skin. Just take a deep breath and relax your body as you ask her to come out.”
My eyes shut tight and I look into myself, trying to find the wolf inside of me.
I can feel her there, watching me. I can hear Charles still speaking to me, coaching me on what I need to do, but I tune him out.
This is my journey and I must take it alone.
I breathe steadily as I reach out for her.
She flinches back and I mentally drop my hand.
I can see us in my mind. We’re standing in a meadow of soft light green grass, purple flowers are blooming all around us and the silver moonlight is shining like a spotlight.
Going down to my knees I look at her in her beautiful electric green eyes.
“Hello. You’re so beautiful.” Her coat is the same orange red as my hair, and her paws are white as Mandy’s fur.
She is so small, like a pup, but just as sleekly muscled as James and August. I can feel the power emanating from her, but it doesn’t feel dominating like James and August. “I’m Rebecca.
I know that you must be confused, but the Gods sent you to be with me.
We are one, or at least I hope we can be. I need a friend.”
Slowly, she walks closer to me, her step light but steady. She drops her head but keeps her eyes on me the whole time. When she is a mere feet away from me, she freezes and sniffs the air.
Cinnamon and lavender surround us, mixing together so peacefully. I know that this is what I’ll smell like to other wolves when we join together. I can feel it now, how well we will fit together. She is a piece of my soul I never knew I was missing.
Tears roll softly down my face and she steps closer. Her sandpaper tongue gently wipes up the tears and she rests her forehead against mine. I weave my fingers into the soft fur at her neck and breathe in her cinnamon scent. A whisper floats across my mind and I open myself completely to her.
“Welcome home, Rebecca. I’ve been waiting for you. We are finally complete.”
The wolf presses herself against me completely and I can feel her merging with me.
Her body melts into my skin and a warmth starts to grow in my belly.
The fainter she grows in my arms, the more the spot of heat grows in my belly.
When she has faded completely, my whole body is radiating heat.
I close my eyes and smile. I feel whole again. Complete.
Opening my eyes, I’m looking up at Charles. Everything looks completely different. Most of the colors have faded to gray, but his blue eyes stand out. I can smell others around me, but I know their scents and feel comfortable with them. I don’t want to take my eyes off the Alpha in front of me.
I’m standing on my four feet and I can feel the wind rustling my fur.
I don’t have to look down at my legs to know what I look like.
I saw her in my mind as I shifted. The moonlight outside the doors is the same as it was in our meadow.
My mind wants to look at everything around me, but I know, somehow, that it is important to keep my focus on the wolf in front of me.
My belly feels warm, and I’m still craving something. A whine slips from my chest and I lay on my belly in front of Charles. My front legs cross over my nose, hiding from his dominant gaze. I respect him because he is family, but he isn’t the dominant force I want. But I do want something.
“Holy shit, this is impossible.” His words are soft, but in the silent night they ring out around us.
He sounds shocked and a bit scared and a lot awed.
That combination terrifies me, so I whine again.
Something is wrong. The other wolves are circling me, sniffing the air around me.
James and August sniff close to my neck then quickly step back, yelps of surprise fall from their chest as they circle around Charles.
At this point, even my wolf is worried about their reactions.
A steady stream of whimpers, whines, and gentle growls are slipping from my throat.
I want to ask them what is wrong, but I’m scared.
A soft body rubs against my side, then another one does the same on the other side.
Honey and Rose scent surround me as the two wolves lay against either side of me, creating a puppy pile and calming my nerves.
Charles kneels down in front of me, but his eyes are locked on Mandy.
She is softly purring beside me, Abby doing the same thing as she watches the other Alphas pace behind Charles.
Their tails are flicking in what I perceive to be agitation.
Charles breaks eye contact with Mandy and looks down at me.
I shrink back a bit at the intensity in his blue gaze.
Whatever is about to come out of his mouth isn’t good, I can feel it in my bones, taste it in the atmosphere.
“Little Wolf, I need to tell you something. It may be a shock, but you need to understand that no one here is mad or upset with you. We are all a bit shocked and happy, and maybe a bit confused, but not upset or angry in the slightest.” He pauses, quickly glancing at the others in the room.
James and August sit on their rumps behind Charles and wait, watching for my reaction.
“Rebecca, you’ve manifested. That is a wonderful thing, but it isn’t what we expected. You aren’t a Beta, you’re an Omega.”