A Wild Ride

Chapter 5

It must have been a few minutes of me just sitting there with a blank expression before anyone spoke again. I couldn’t tell. I was in shock, or at least feeling like it.

“Zephyr…are you okay there?”, Derek asked making me laugh, more hysterically than genuinely.

“I just saw fur, fangs, and claws sprout from your brother and just learned that things I thought only existed in movies and on bookshelves exist. No, I’m not really okay right now”. Okay so maybe I was being overly sarcastic but can you blame me? Until today, werewolves only were something I hoped were real but never thought it’d be true.

“Well I did say you could ask us anything”. Derek said interrupting my thought. Shaking off the initial shock, I did have questions and I needed answers.

“Okay so for starters, I’m not dreaming right? I really just saw your brother….”

“Shift. Well partially anyways”, Michael responded.

“Right. Shift. So I guess this isn’t a dream then”, I said pinching my temple from the slight headache. This realization opened up a myriad of other opportunities.

“So werewolves exist”, I said more rhetorically but they nodded anyway.

“Do other things exist? Like vampires and other…were things I guess? What about witches and fae?”

“Vampies haven’t been around for centuries. Our kind were at war with them for many years, but came to peace. Then they disappeared decades later. We assumed they’re dead or in hiding”, Derek started.

“And most of the fae died off with the rise of the industrial revolution. Cold iron is if you didn’t know, is like poison to them”, Michael picked up. “And as for witches, most packs have one to assist in magic from cleaning up…messes to protection/healing. Most are real nice people, all girls for the most part”. He wanted to tell Zephyr as much as possible still feeling bad for scaring his mate earlier.

Zephyr listened and digested all this new information. It was Derek who spoke next next. “Wolves are the dominant shifters in this world, but there are a few shifters of other species like felines, simians, among others but they are extremely rare and not really like us”.

“What do you mean?”, I asked.

“Werewolves are shifters but…it’s hard to explain. Their shifting is different. They MUST be born with it. Wolves can either be born or turned”, Derek explained. I nodded in understanding.

“What about that ‘mate’ talk before?”, I asked. The twins exchanged a look and another unspoken moment passed between them and Michael spoke up.

“When a wolf finds their mate, it’s like finding the other part of their soul. They can no longer live without that person. It physically pains them to be away. It doesn’t matter the gender; finding a mate is very special and when you do, you cherish them.” If I looked dumbstruck before, I can’t imagine how I must’ve looked now. Me. The shy, introvert loser freshmen is mate to…wait a minute.

Seeming to read my thoughts, Derek spoke up. “And with twin wolves which are rare, it’s not unusual for them to have the same mate”, he said looking to his brother who nodded in agreement.

“Wolves are very protective of their mates too. We’re willing to die to keep you safe and do anything to ensure it”, Michael said sternly.