Fated Mates

Chapter 4- The Shift

It's the day of the full moon, and my nerves are on high alert. My lack of sleep didn't help to improve my mood either, the constant replay of my kiss with Gage going through my mind like a record last night. I didn't see Gage again yesterday, nor did I see much of my father, and I assumed it was business at the pack house going over increased security measures. I brushed my teeth and let my wavy hair fall naturally and changed into an oversized t shirt and leggings. I went downstairs and called out for my mom, not really expecting a response back. Usually, she has already gone off to the clubhouse to help Luna Aeralia prep food for the bar-b-que, and today was no exception. Quiet as usual. I grabbed an apple to eat for breakfast and plopped onto the couch. I laid back against the arm of the couch and stared up at the ceiling fan, watching it slowly circle round as the small switch chain clinked against its center. I laid there eating away my apple thinking about tonight. It was the full moon, and I may or may not be shifting tonight. Each outcome is a terrifying thought. If I shift, I meet my wolf, and I hope she's bad ass I smiled to myself. I will finally have that "wholesome" feeling Luna Aeralia talks about. If I don't shift, then it's another waiting game. What if I never shift? What if I have no wolf? I'm already a late shifter... I shook the thought from my head. I'm going to shift. I feel it. I will meet my wolf and I will become whole.
I heard a creak of the floor behind me and sat up quickly, looking over the couch to see no one standing in the kitchen. "Mom?" I was answered with silence. I stood up and went round the couch into the kitchen and looked toward the hall that led to my parents' room. Nothing. I returned into the living room and looked toward the stairs. Nothing. I was about to plop myself back onto the couch before banging came from the front door like thunder that made my heart thump in my chest. I opened the front door in full defense mode, ready to swing, only to find Theo standing there looking at me confused.
"Theo," I said, surprised
"Ummm yeah crazy apple lady, you gonna eat that or just decided you want to throw it at me?" she laughed. I stared at my hand, realizing I still had the apple in it and had it held up in defense. I dropped my arm down and opened the door further, inviting her in "sorry I had heard something in the house, and then you knocked and...anyway, what's up?" Theo came in and headed straight into the kitchen, making herself right at home, grabbing a soda from the fridge. "Nothing just doing my social duties being a good friend and shit making sure you're good" she closed the fridge popped open the soda and started drinking it as she walked over to the couch and sat down. I sat down at the other end of the sofa. "I'm good. I just feel a little tired."
"I bet," and she grinned ear to ear. I gave her a confused look "whats that supposed to mean?" I laughed. "After a kiss like that? Oof, I'd be exhausted, too." She winked at me. "Oh my goddess, you didn't- aaahhh." I covered my face with my hands and could feel my cheeks burning. I peeked through my hands in shame. "Don't judge me," I pleaded. "I don't," she laughed. "Can't say I'm surprised, nor can I blame you... he's hot." she shrugged before gulping down more soda. My jaw dropped in disbelief, and I picked up the couch pillow and threw it at her playfully. "THEO!" she stifled a laugh, trying not to spit out her soda mid swallow as she blocked the pillow. "What? haha, I'm a tracker, but I'm not blind." We grinned at each other, and a slight quiet settled between us before I looked at her "he asked If i would consider being chosen mates" the words came out before I even knew what I was saying. Theo looked at me. "I know." My face puzzled. "How?" Theo shrugged."I see the way he looks at you. ...it makes sense, " she shrugged.
"The only question is..." she placed her soda down on the coffee table before continuing."What are you going to do?" she looked at me genuinely. "I dont know," I answered honestly. She nodded her head understandingly before standing up. "Come on, let's go round up our wolves before we grub out." she smirked at me, holding her hand out to pull me up.
We rounded up David, who brought Luke along, a tall, blonde haired, quiet guy who is part of the new recruits training for warriors. Gage seemed to be MIA, and David told us he was at the pack house and would meet up with us later. We headed toward the clubhouse where pack members were already starting to gather. Conan was standing near the entrance doors with his mate Leah. "Hey, pups," He said, smirking, and David skipped no beat. "Sup old man, you gonna be able to keep up tonight?" he started air jabbing toward Conan, who rolled his eyes at him. "Hey guys!" Leah chirped up, smiling. Conan's mate is perfect for him. She has a bubbly personality and is always smiling and happy to be....well, anywhere. They have 2 sons together, Liam, who is 3, and Caiden, who is 5. The eldest is the spitting image of Conan with his blonde hair and brown eyes, and the youngest favors Leah more with brown hair and blue eyes. 
More pack members started to arrive at the pack doctor, more of the recruits, omegas, each wolf with their mate in tow if they had one.
We snagged a table near one of the large windows that overlooked the lake and started feasting. After a while, Alpha Eric, my father Beta Gene, Gamma Xavier, and Gage arrived. I wasn't terribly hungry as my gut was a knot of nerves. I felt myself begin to get irritable and went outside for fresh air. I plopped down onto the deck and let my feet hang over the water as my eyes darted at the various ripples that formed in sporatic clusters dancing along the lake before shifting to the trees in the distance on the other side of the lake. The trees swayed with the wind ever so slightly as if longing to be explored. Would I be able to explore those woods tonight in wolf form, I thought. The thought toyed with every crevice of my mind that I nearly missed the slightest movement within those trees. A dark figure lingered between the trees, and even though I could not clearly see, I could tell it was....a wolf? Confusion stretched across my face. But everyone was at the clubhouse. Who could it be?....Realization occured that the black wolf figure hadn't moved. It was staring toward my direction as I stared back at it. I felt my body turn cold, and the irritability that was so heavyily within me moments ago was now non exsistent.
"Hey, Gorgeous," Gage had sat down next to where I sat, pulling my attention toward him as I slightly gasped and whipped my head around.
He let out a soft chuckle. "You okay?" I stared at him slightly startled before turning my attention back toward the trees where... nothing. No wolf. As if it had vanished. My hand was slightly lifted, pointing in the direction where I had seen the wolf "I just seen...." Gage glanced down at my hand and looked toward the direction it was semi-pointing to. "Yeah?" He squinted his eyes almost as if to examine the trees. "Nothing....must've been nothing." I said faintly.
He turned and looked at me uncertainty on his face. "The way you jumped, it didn't seem like nothing, Raine....whats up? What did you see?" My eyes met his emerald green eyes, each speck of green reflecting against the sun casting different hues of earth. "I was sitting here looking out toward the trees and..." I paused slightly, biting my lip. "Yeah?" his head dropped lower to come to my eye level.
"I saw a wolf. Standing there between the trees, " My head nodded in the direction of the trees, and Gage face turned from curiousity to concern. His eyes glazed over.  and I knew he was mindlinking.
"What color was the wolf?' Gage said as he stood up. I could see Gamma Xavier coming up to where the deck meets the land waiting for Gage before I looked up at Gage. "It was black. What's going on?" Gage turned and ran toward Gamma Xavier just as Conan, Theo, and David appeared to catch up before they all set off towards the opposite side of the lake into the trees.
Luna Aeralia led the rest of the celebration post bar b que.  Everyone gathered at the plaza where we all prayed to the Moon Goddess in unison. Every now and then, I would stare into the brush forest that surrounded us and wondered if the wolf was still watching somewhere. Hidden in the shadowy depths in the lush earth. Alpha mindlinked the entire pack to let them know there would be an announcement at the end of the pack run tonight, and everyone is to attend and meet at the plaza. Some of the pack members stayed around the plaza center as the omegas went out to make sure clothes were placed around the forest for the run tonight in case anyone needed them. I decided to head home and not hang around, I was in no mood for socializing and felt tired all of a sudden and wanted to lay down. Mom went home with me and I laid on the couch and ended up falling asleep there my eyes coming in and out as the tv became blurry and the distant sound of my mom in the kitchen faded away.
I woke to the faint sounds of chatter. I was still in the living room but could tell from the lack of light coming through the window that it was now evening. I sat up and stretched, and my body felt as if I'd been sleeping for hours, but it couldn't have been more than 2 hours. I stood up and realized the talking was coming from the backyard. I went out the back door to find my mother and Theo talking to Luna Aeralia. "How soon will they be coming?" My mom asked Luna just as I was stepping outside. "They responded and are coming as soon as-" the patio creaked underneath my step just as I closed the door, catching the attention of them both. "Raine." My mother said as she walked closer towards them. "Who's coming?" My mother looked at Luna Aeralia, and her green eyes shifted between my mother and me before giving my mother a small nod. My mother looked at me. "Allies. They will be joining us soon to discuss the recent threat of the pack." I looked at Luna, who stayed still as stone as concern washed over her face. I had never her seen her so....serious. "Are we going into war?" I asked. The words sounded silly on my tongue. We have had minor threats in the past but nothing to the extent of us needing to call allies. The worried looks between my mother and Luna proved there was more than they were letting on. "We don't know yet, sweetie, everything is still -" and then it hit me. Like a kick to my gut. As if someone had reached into the very back of my throat and was trying to pull the very life out of me. I couldn't breathe, I tried to speak, but nothing came out. I could hear my mothers distant voice, but everything became a blur. As if time stood still.  My skin became hot, and I felt as if i was standing next to an open flame. I dropped to my knees as my legs could no longer hold me up. My skin began to sting as if my body was covered in fireants biting away at my flesh. I felt as if I was screaming at the top of my lungs, but I couldn't hear anything but the distant voices of Luna and my mother sputtering words in and out Its...Changing...Happening...Raine...okay...
I felt it in my legs first. Each bone breaks and snaps into anew. It took over the rest of my body like a plague, each limb contorting into wolf form. I felt my skin being pulled every which way as if it was being ripped off of my body. All I could think to do was to close my eyes. I squeezed them shut, hoping to be rid of the pain. My back arched, my neck twitched, I could hear bones snapping, and my heavy breathing began to sound more guttural and animalistic. It felt horrible. If this was death, I don't want it. It was torture. I felt as if the Moon Goddess reached down and tore me into pieces.....