The Wolf's Bride

Prologue

Loud enthusiastic celebration could be heard throughout the clearing, night air static with pride and joy for the alpha's youngest daughter who was now at the right age to be welcomed amongst their line of active warriors.

The moon was full and Katherine is about to have her first change along with the pack's new batch of shifters ready for their first run as wolves.

Her father, proud as he was, was already in his wolf form, tail wagging like a worm on crack (or even an earthworm on salt), a gigantic, pure black, grey-eyed wolf.

The usually stoic alpha, Benjamin Browning was excited to guide them through the pack's borders, one of his three daughters was participating this year's ceremony, his youngest, who showed prodigious skill and affinity in all areas of warfare, she, unlike her mild-mannered elder sisters, was like the son he never had.

And she hasn't even shifted yet.

As soon as this day was over he was officially naming her his heir, son or not, youngest she may be, her superiority can't be denied.

Katherine jogged to where her mother was, silently giggling at her father's unusual behavior, feeling giddy herself.

"It's almost time, " The woman, graceful and gentle, serenely smiled at her daughter, "Your father is most excited."

"Yeah, he's making such a big deal of it," Katherine replied, despite her own visible eagerness.

A loud whistle sliced through the field, stopping all conversations and banter, it was the signal for the ceremony's main event,

The moon was almost at it's peak.

Katherine received a parting hug from her mother, "you're officially an adult now," Sylvia whispered, as they went separate ways.

The pack members gathered behind the group of youths, the first lap was for the newly shifted, allowing them time to get comfortable in their new bodies and abilities, while the rest could join in for the following ones.

Everybody was in high spirits, they'll never feel more in sync with the whole pack than the time when they run together, their paws touch the same soil and the wind caresses their furs in turns, gentle as feathers in blurring speeds.

They all would see, hear, smell, and feel the same thing, the euphoric feeling of being connected to their brethren.

The alpha was to run as the guide while the first timers run behind him, Katherine was to run directly behind her father as her batch mates follow her lead as the one with alpha bloodline.

The moon finally reached it's highest point, everyone watched on, waiting for the shifting process to take place.

One by one, the young began to hurl in pain, their bodies changing from human to wolf, the glimmer of moonlight reflected upon them like a blessing from the moon goddess.

Grunts and shrieks rang with evident pain as their skin adjusted to the elongated bones of their head, their limbs painfully realigning to that of a wolf's, their fangs grazed their unprepared lips yet the wounds healed themselves almost as fast as the scar was made, leaving a buzzing warmth behind.

Yet...

Katherine was still waiting for her's.

And as the moonlight gleamed, everyone's surprised eyes turned to the one left unturned, everyone froze,

She shrank from the gazes.

Eerie silence reigned for a moment as everyone tried to understand the unexpected happening.