The Fenrir Saga - Part I

Chapter 30

Beonnie

A couple of days later, Vidar, Jack and I were heading towards the Prospect territory. Jack and Vidar were going to inspect the area we had at our disposal for the Gathering, and I was going to shift for the first time. I was nervous and excited. It was supposed to feel a bit painful the first time, but I was not so worried about that, more about what happened after.

We turned into the parking lot, where Zac and Dhalia waited for us outside the main pack building. I jumped out of the car with Vidar and Jack in tow, and Zac introduced us to Dhalia. I felt like I already knew her but was almost a bit starstruck when actually talking to her. She was, after all, the star of my favorite rom-com. Zac, Vidar, and Jack went down to the Gathering location, and Dhalia suggested that we walk inside the forest.

We had walked for a few minutes in silence when we came to a small clearing. Dhalia sat down on a rock, and I did the same.

"So," she smiled. "You are Zac's niece?"

I nodded.

"The infamous B," she laughed. "I should thank you, though. Our alpha has ditched Ivalde, and Tristan and I are happy together."

I smiled, cheeks flushing.

"Are you with that blonde guy, Vidar?" she gave me a curious gaze.

I smiled and shrugged.

"No, not like that. He is just too.. too.. something for me."

She laughed.

"Well, I have already been mind-linked by about a dozen of our she-wolves about him. They will be happy to hear that he is still single. Though.." she warned. "..you may feel different about him in a couple of minutes."

I gulped. I had forgotten about that.

Dhalia continued to explain what I could expect when shifting and then shifted in front of me. I followed her lead, and through excruciating pain, I felt my limbs grow longer, my claws extend, and my size expand until finally... I howled.

It was magnificent. The forest around me vibrated and the details magnified in the thousands. Everything around me was buzzing with life, even the completely dead rock had small creatures creeping on the surface, and I sensed that underneath them, ecosystems thrived. I could hear birds chirping and know the distance to them, I heard rabbits jump and the smell of deer passing by. I wanted to cry. Not because I was sad, but because I was so acutely present and my senses so on fire that it was overwhelming.

Dhalia, or her wolf, Sane, motioned for me to follow. We started to run. It was easy. As if my body knew every rock, every stone, every pebble where we ran and always found them with steadiness. The speed was never frightening, the smells never faded, and I never wanted to shift back. I could just stay like this forever. Vile could come to feed me when I got tired of hunting, and all my problems, which admittedly weren't all that many, would be gone. No one spilled soda on a wolf, did they?

The forest cleared in front of us, and we stopped at a small stretch of sandy beach by a big lake. We were not that far from where the Gathering was supposed to be, and houses and tents and a big arena were erected as we spoke, and I saw Jack, Zac, and Vidar there, amongst other werewolves. But first things first.

I took a few tentative steps out into the water and looked down. The big furry face of a blonde wolf stared back at me, and once again, the emotions got the best of me. Crying was apparently not possible as a wolf, so my happy tears came out as a loud howl causing the entire building crew at the Gathering to pause for a second, trying to locate the crazy howling wolf. Good thing blushed cheeks were not possible for a wolf either.