Rite of Submission - Rite 1

64: Pay the Piper

                The sun peeked over the edge of the horizon just before we started making our way back down to the clearing. Nathan and Dmitri had been quiet the last few hours. I assumed it was because they were having a conversation the rest of us weren't meant to hear. I didn't know if I could listen in, or even if I should try. It wouldn't be fair of me to keep my own secrets but intrude on theirs.

'Anyone want to race down?' Blake found new enthusiasm as the sky changed to a bluish-pink.

'I'm game,' Lalita challenged, his cheerful attitude seemed to perk her up as well. They set off down the hillside, followed by a handful of enforcers and most of the females. The rest of us took our time.

The clearing was a sight to behold in these early morning hours. Several people in grey sweats were working their way through the influx of wolves. Some heading to their vehicles; others grabbed the piles of clothes and carried them into the locker room. There was a laundry room somewhere down there and members of the pack volunteered to clean up after each pack run on a rotating schedule. There were a few naked people making their way inside as well.

Focus on what, not how... I concentrated on having human legs and arms again; standing upright and human. I could hear the familiar buzz and a soft pop and nearly fell on my face as I found myself balancing on 2 feet instead of 4. A jet black wolf darted in front of me, helping me stay upright. 'Clothes and all?' he mused looking me over and waiting for me to stand up on my own completely.

After a few grunts and groans Nathan stood glaring at me, "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes... there's just no fucking way..." he cut himself off as if reprimanded. "Alphas," he bowed with a flourish, "I will wait for you at the car." He turned on his heels and stalked away, disappearing down the stairs at the edge of the tree line.

'How do you do that?' he asked, still staring down Nathan.

I shrugged, "How do you know that you can't do it too?" there seemed to be many things that werewolves had learned and unlearned that changed their nature. Females can shift and still have mates and children, but somewhere in history they'd been outcast and trained to believe they were destined never to find love.

With a soft groan and some cracks, he shifted. I enjoyed my new view, noticing a few others were taking in all his features as well. "Maybe next time," he shrugged. Playing to his audience, he stretched into a statuesque pose.

"Good morning ladys," I called out to two women blatantly staring, "would you like help finding somewhere else to be?" They scurried off towards the makeshift parking lot beyond the trees.

"I thought you weren't jealous type," he grinned, dropping his pose. "Normally I'd like to explore that a little more," his smile was replaced with a more serious look; "I believe there is a conversation that we need to have that can't wait." Scooping me up; making a show of it, "Let's go find a hot shower." A few males jeered as they watch him carry me across the field and down the stairs. We caught looks and knowing smiles as we made our way through the locker room to a private office that he hadn't taken me to the last time we were here.

It was a surprisingly small and sparse room. A large glassed-in shower that could fit multiple bodies in it at the same time took up a corner of the space. There was a large armoire in the adjacent corner, a leather chaise directly across from the armoire, and a wall made of mirrors. Catching our reflection just before he set me down on my own feet, I choked back a giggle. We looked like a trashy romance novel cover.

"Shower?" his jaw clenched; the muscles in his shoulders going rigid as he looked down at me.

I smiled and chewed on my lower lip as the surge of lust rippled off of him and seeped into me. "I am already dressed, and ready to head back to the house. We're waiting on you, now be a good boy and wash up so we can get to that very urgent conversation we need to have." I gave him a light smack on the ass before shooing him towards the shower and stepping aside.