Caleb stepped into the dark room and eyed his surroundings.
He knew she was playing a game; she enjoyed testing her skills against him. He
closed his eyes and waited for her to make a move. A sudden breeze behind him
caused him to turn in that direction, clever.
Giving it one moment more he waited to feel her again.
Before she had the chance to jump out at him, he scooped her into his arms to her dismay. “Really?” she cried and pulled away dejectedly.
“One of these days you’ll learn you aren’t faster than me!”
he kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear, “Happy Birthday Princess, I have
something for you.” Pulling his hand from behind his back he frowned noticing
the emptiness of it.
“It wouldn’t happen to be this would it?” she asked inhaling
the scent of the flower she’d snatched without his noticing. “I guess today is
the day YOU realize I am faster than you!”
“That’s what you were doing behind me!” He smiled at her and
rubbed a hand across her cheek that she instinctively leaned into.
“So today I thought…” a knock on the door cut off her
sentence and she dropped to the bed with a sigh.
She waited until he spoke with Alex about today’s events and knew it signaled the end of their time together as he had to move on to his pack duties. After her transition he would become an official Alpha and he’d have even less time to spend with her. For the most part she believed he used a lot of his ‘duties’ as an excuse to not see her sometimes.
On days she was lucky to find him alone he always seemed too
busy to do much other than listen about her day. She suspected much of it had
to do with the kiss they’d shared a few years earlier but never questioned her
Alpha when he simply told her no. “Don’t pout Princess, you know it only makes
me want to leave everything behind and run away with you.”
“It’s my birthday and I’ll pout if I want to.”
“Well I promise to make it up to you tonight.” He smiled at
her, gave her one last kiss on the cheek and started for the door.
“Here,” Charlie sighed dropping a stack of papers in front
of him.
“What’s this?”
“This would be progress reports about the area. Malena and
Daniel found nothing of significance on the western quadrant. Michael and Brad
report the eastern clear and the others have the same to say about the north
and south over the last two weeks.”
He glanced up at his Beta and grinned at the frustration in
his voice. “So what you think I’m being paranoid? That I should forget about
scouting and patrolling just because we’ve had a clear territory for a few
weeks? I just want to be sure everything goes as planned for tonight’s events;
nothing can stop my coronation or Kaya’s transition ceremony.”
“What I think is you’re super stressed out and need to
relax. Do you really think Kaya wants to see you like this?”
“What Kaya wants is to feel protected and what I want is to provide that for her.” Noticing Joey standing at the door, he decided to split the difference and do a little patrolling AND relaxing. “Come on, we can take the Pup for a run; show him the ropes.”
Kaya watched from her bedroom window as her future mate and
two members of the pack rushed off towards the south end of the property.
Casually she headed downstairs and found many others playing card games or pool
in the den.
“Ah Madam Luna,” Alex smiled through his curled mustache and
crooked teeth. “How are you feeling today?”
“Fine; maybe a little nervous about tonight but I think it’s
an excited kind of nervous.”
“The Alpha has been looking forward to this night for 13
years Little Luna, as have the rest of us. I’m sure he has everything planned
out perfectly.”
She sighed and nodded watching her future pack mates go
about their normal hustle and bustle. Everything seemed so benign. One would
think it was just a regular day and not the day she became their official pack
Luna or a full blooded wolf as the rest were. More nervous tension crawled
through her veins as she realized her position would demand that she control
and order the ones she had come to call ‘friend’.
Would they listen? Would she be too harsh? Would they laugh
behind her back or all fall in line? Suddenly she needed some air; the
temperature in the room had increased severely and she found herself stifled.
“I think I’m gonna go for a small walk in the woods. Clear my head,” she
announced and started for the door.
“Excellent, I shall join you.”
“No that won’t be necessary Alex I really just want some
moments of reflection about tonight if you don’t mind. I won’t be long.”
“But Luna I’m…”
“That’s an order Alex.” She asserted herself and watched him
cower back towards the group with a smile. It felt good using that tone and
that directive with one of her future subordinates. Plus it got her what she
wanted. Maybe she was cut out for it after all.
Kaya walked to the edge of the property and inhaled a deep
breath. The honeysuckle was especially ripe in the air and made the cool fall afternoon seem that much chillier. She started towards the path near the edge of
the garden, looked around for Alex and smiled realizing he followed her
instructions and allowed her time to herself. Quickly she started down the
path, taking the bends casually as her fingers slipped over the ends of the
silky flowers that cluttered the garden at the forest’s edge.
She loved being out in the territory, enjoying nature; it
had to be her favorite past time. Once she transitioned, she knew her first
activity as a wolf would be to blaze through the valleys and mountains she
forever walked as a human and show Mother Nature what she was truly made of.
She stopped suddenly hearing something or someone behind her
and turned in the direction. “Alex if that’s you I’m gonna kick your ass! This
isn’t ‘privacy’ when you’re lurking!” she called over her shoulder. Hearing no
response Kaya moved on until she could hear the waterfall near Mate’s Mountain;
her favorite spot and one that Caleb had shown her when he first toured her
around their territory.
It was a beautiful place for picnics and the seclusion of the area made for a nice spot for couples to raunch on occasion. She remembered the first time she caught one of them up on the hills; doggy style and grunting like animals. She was 16 at the time but still the act wasn’t “new” to her. She’d learned about all the nasty things men did to their mates from Malena, one of her best friends.
She remembered how much she blushed after returning home. Caleb had called her out on it and she giggled as she recalled the events she’d witnessed. She also noticed how aroused he’d become when she told him it was something she REALLY wanted to try with him when he’d have her. Stopping just on one of the rocks, Kaya felt a small jostle within her gut and clutched at the spot. It was an unusual feeling and left a burning sensation in the pit of her belly before finally easing off and disappearing. “Must have been lunch,” she spoke to herself and hurried towards the falls.
Finally making it to the peak she smiled and inhaled another
breath of fresh air. Feeling that same funny sensation return Kaya lurched
forward and grabbed a tree just on the edge of the cliff before rocketing head
first down the bay. She screamed; this time the sensation was deeper and seemed
to escalate up her chest and rest just around her heart. Her hand covered the
beating organ as tears welled up in the bottoms of her eyes and she struggled
to stay up on land. Bits of rock and dirt shook loose and fell softly down the
embankment. Finally getting a firm grip on the base of the tree, she pulled
herself up and rested against the trunk.
Her breathing grew shallow as the pain seemed to disappear
only to return worse than before. “This can’t be happening now!” she cried in pain as her
chest caved in on itself and the bones of her rib cage broke and extended.
Another gut busting scream ripped from her throat and she moved closer towards
the path she’d travelled to get here. “Help...” she meekly whispered as her
throat muscles clenched and began shutting close; breathing became even harder.
Kaya rolled to her back and peered at the sky. The pack had
mentioned the pain of the first shift but she never imagined it would be like
this. The trees rustled overhead as the wind howled around her. Kaya shut her
eyes and tried thinking about Caleb hoping he had some way of finding her even
though they hadn’t made things official. She was transitioning and in the middle
of nowhere and could not even stand to get back to the manor.
Kaya rolled over once more and moved against the tree, she
heard that same movement from behind her and looked over her shoulder. A man
dressed in a dark green camo jacket and pants was slowly approaching. “Help...”
she tried again to speak only to be met with the same scratchy sound.
“Don’t you worry, that’s exactly why I’m here.” His voice
was unpleasant and rough and Kaya sensed he was anything but friendly.
Caleb returned to the house; his thick black fur rustled in
the wind and he grinned over his shoulder at Joey as the two raced one another.
You’ll never beat me if your only focus
is to beat me. You have to know you’re better and just let the wind guide you
Pup! He dug in deeper and his claws scraped across the pavement at the back
porch as he shifted and jumped at Joey.
“Maybe next time.” Smiling in victory Caleb grabbed his pants from the table
and tossed them on. The patrols found nothing unusual and it cleared up a few
extra minutes that he was very happy to spend with his future mate. With
another flower in hand Caleb rushed the stairs towards the master bedroom three
at a time entering the room with a smile.
Not seeing Kaya he sighed thinking she was playing another game. This time though he was ready. He didn’t know how she was able to take the rose so quickly earlier but the grip he had on this one ensured she’d not beat him again. After making it to the center of the room without his mate jumping at him, his smile was replaced with a scowl and he sniffed to check for her. “Kaya?”
Angrily Caleb rushed from the room towards the social den.
Pulling Alex by the shoulder just before he made his shot he was met with a
harsh greeting. “Hey what the fuck I almost had...Alpha!” Alex quickly realized
who he was speaking to and dropped respectfully to one knee.
“Where’s Ky?” he demanded ignoring the man’s gesture.
“Uh she...uh she asked me for some privacy. She went for a
walk but she should be back soon.”
Caleb growled and snatched Alex up by his neck. “I don’t think you heard me correctly. WHERE IS KY?”
“A-A-Alpha I-I-I d-d-don’t know. She begged me and a-a-as
her s-s-subordinate I gave her what she ordered!”
“There must be a failure in communication somewhere. I’m
Alpha correct?” Alex nodded and buried his eyes to the floor. “And you’re
Kaya's bodyguard correct?” Again he nodded but his eyes never met Caleb’s.
“Then explain to me why YOU are not with HER!?”
Without waiting on an answer Caleb threw Alex against the
wall hard enough to crack the plaster. Angry couldn’t begin to describe the
rage welling inside his chest. His wolf was mean, enraged and ready to rip
everyone standing in the room to shreds for letting his mate leave unattended.
“Don’t just stand around with your tails between your legs, FIND HER!”
Immediately the room cleared as the pack shifted and headed off in different directions through the dark forest. Caleb called for Joey and Charlie; they’d search the North end. One of them had better bring her back before dusk’s end if they intended to live to the next full moon. “I want every inch of the property searc...” his words were cut short as a deep yell broke through the thick underbrush just off the north end of the territory. His head jerked in the direction of the sound and his gut wrenched at the realization. “KAYA!” shifting quickly he and the others rushed towards the sounds of the screams as quickly as their wolves could carry them.
Another scream sounded off and echoed off the pines, rustling in the wind as Caleb’s chest tightened. She was shifting! She was shifting before night fall and was lost somewhere in the woods. Harder his legs pumped to try and get to her before the end of her transition. Charlie immediately sensed danger and beckoned for his brother who’d already noticed the newly set traps and rig lines running through the path and along the trees. They had just scoured this area; that only meant hunters were here and possibly closing in on his mate as well. His paws pounded through the dirt kicking up clumps of dry mud and leaves, crunching over twigs and barreling over fallen logs and rocks. He had to get to her before those screams became a beacon to her location for their mortal enemy.
Motioning to Charlie to flank left and Joey to take right the wolves were going to corner anyone in the area and hopefully take them by surprise. “Please...” Kaya begged. Her body was ripped, torn and broken. Every bone in her body seemed out of place and the pain was nearly too much to handle. She leaned against the tree as the man loaded and cocked the double barrel shotgun and aimed it for her head.
“It’ll be over soon. I reckon ya have about five more
minutes afore that creature shoots outta yer skin. Then it’ll all be over. I’da
never known it had I not seed for mahself. But just as shore as I’m standin’
here I know youse one of them monsters what done kilt my son.”
He spit a mouthful of chew off to the side and licked at the
spittle that had drawn a line down his lip and smiled at her. He wanted her to
go through the pain of the change before taking her life. The man had first
learned of their kind three years earlier while on a hunting expedition with
his son. Believing they were doing the town a favor and getting rid of the
wolves that inhabited the woods above Shadowvale, they’d stumbled onto so much
more than either had bargained for. It was his son who’d come upon Kaya in the
woods the day she and Caleb ventured past Mate’s Mountain.
The hunter had separated from the group and found her
sitting on a rock. He tried to save her not knowing she was one of them. The
elder man escaped with his life that day but his son wasn’t so lucky. Since
then hunting had become his pastime and his home was decorated with his kills. Newbloods
that had gone missing became his victims unbeknownst to Caleb and the others. Beautiful
white furs, black furs and even red lined his wall accenting the many wolves
he’d laid to waste.
“Please...I did nothing wrong. Please help me,” Kaya begged
as another bone broke and warped to suit her new form. She screamed again and
the hunter raised his gun once more as he saw patches of her gorgeous brown fur
break through the skin of her back. She'd be another rarity and another
beautiful prize for his collection.
He counted down readying himself for the kill. In any moment
she’d be a full grown wolf and try taking him out; he wasn't going to give her
that chance. “Ten, nine, eight, seven...” his count continued. Kaya closed her
eyes and waited for the inevitable. She hadn’t even lived and soon her life
would end.
The trees rustled just off to the hunters’ right but he
didn't flinch. His hunting party should be by pretty soon and he assumed it was
one of them coming to watch him create another head mount for his den. “Bobby
come and see this ‘un! She’s mighty purty. I ‘spect her wolf is just as nice!”
Instead of the victorious yell of one of his friends, the
hunter was met with the slow increasing rumble of not one but three wild wolves
as they circled around him like prey. His eyes closed on the one in the middle
standing in the bushes near his newly found prize. His raven black hair blew in
the wind as the ends stood up. His light gray eyes turned ice cold and yellow
and seemed to pierce through his stony exterior. Caleb’s broad shoulders
squared and his lips curled over his teeth. The sharp canines seemed to glisten
even under the quickly dimming light of the sun. The hunter took one step
backwards and raised his rifle to aim at the largest of the three wolves. He
cocked the hammer and slid his finger over the trigger. Just as he steadied
himself to take aim Caleb lunged forward.
A shot rang out and Caleb quickly avoided it lowering his body to collide with the man’s. His teeth closed over the hunter’s arm and the shell ricocheted off a tree near Kaya before coming to rest in the dirt just at Joey’s left paw. The man yelled and Caleb swiped at his neck, severing his vocal chords in one swing. He fell to the ground; blood quickly colored the spot beneath his toppled body painting the forest ground in red.
Crawling on his hands and knees the hunter moved towards the
gun that had fallen just a few feet away from him. If he could reach it he
could survive this. Glancing once over his shoulder he noticed the wolf seemed
to be toying with him almost smiling. Yeah, he was going to make a nice trophy
of this one.
His blood drenched fingers curled around the base of the
weapon but before he could get a good enough grip on it, he was jerked
backwards by his ankles and dragged into the awaiting mouth of the large
predator. He wanted to scream; call for his friends and pray they came in time
but it was too late. Caleb’s powerful jaw gripped his throat and in one firm
shake snapped his neck. He tossed his body over the cliff and listened as it
hit the jagged rocks below.
His gaze fell on Kaya who had taken in the events wide eyed
and panicked. Never before had he allowed her to witness his rage and never
would he allow her to see what their pack was all about but she needed him and
he promised to protect her with his dying breath. Shifting back, he started
towards her. Blood and dirt covered his hands and face as he fell to his knees
in front of her. “You’re shifting.”
“GET AWAY FROM ME!” she yelled and pushed back.
“Kaya I’m only trying to help.”
“I SAID GO!” she growled and like clockwork as the moon
reached the night sky she’d changed into a large brown wolf. Moonbeams painted
circles over her fur and made her glisten beneath their rays.
Caleb smiled and ignored her demands as he inched closer. “You look beautiful!” Kaya pounced and caught his throat between her teeth. She twisted and together they rolled over fallen leaves and grass battling one another for control.
“KY! Stop this! This isn’t you!” She rolled again until she
caught his arm in her jaw and bit down hard. He howled in pain and whipped
around freeing himself from her grasp. Instantly he tackled her to the ground
and rested his body on top of hers. “CHANGE BACK!” he demanded in a growl. She
ignored his command and snapped at his hands as he held her against the cool
earth. Caleb roared fiercely causing the other wolves in his company to kneel
from recognition. Kaya whimpered and slowly the face of his Angel began
appearing through the patches of fur.
“Caleb?” He smiled and stood above her. Taking her hand he
lifted her to her feet and brushed off loose bits of dirt and pine needles.
“Why did I...?”
“That was my fault,” Caleb acknowledged her question. “With
it being your first transition you were confused. And with me being so close
you took my emotions as your own and came at me.” He stroked his fingers over
her cheek and she wrapped her hands over his arm and rested her head in his
hand.
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to bite you.”
“Don’t worry about it. Look it’s already healing. Besides, I’ll
get even later tonight.”
“Oh yeah? So that means you’re not mad?”
“What does this tell you?” he smirked and jerked her body
against his. Leaning forward Caleb quickly captured her lips between his and
gently flicked his tongue across them. Kaya moaned and scraped her nails over his
scalp as she dug her other hand deeper into his arm balancing herself against
his chest. Caleb’s hand slid slowly across the soft flesh of her thigh and she
felt his shaft throb as it touched her body.
“You’re mine, finally,” he whispered against her neck,
tucked her into his arms and carried her back towards the path. Happily he
rolled his nose against the crook of her neck kissing her lightly along the
nape. Kaya rested her head against his shoulder listening to his heartbeat and
purred happily. His mate had transitioned without his interference and they
would very soon be bonded.
