THE CHOSEN WHITE WOLF

4.Making Home

"Wake up, Cat."

I heard someone's voice, followed by a gentle shake. My whole body jolted as I sat up too quickly and bumped my head against the person leaning over me.

"Ugh," I groaned, rubbing my forehead, while the other person grunted in pain.

Blinking, I looked around, and everything from the night before came rushing back. I wasn't at home anymore. I wasn't in my pack. A strange sadness washed over me, but it was quickly replaced by nerves. Today, I will meet my new pack.

"I'm sorry," I muttered, realizing I had head-butted Ethan, who was now rubbing his nose and swearing under his breath.

"Don't worry about it. I should've known better than to wake you like that, especially after what you've been through," he said with a small smile.

"Are we there?" I asked, shuffling in my seat to look out the window.

"Five more minutes, and we'll be on pack grounds," he replied

~~~~~

"Welcome to the Black Stone Pack, Catherine," Ethan announced a few minutes later, his voice full of excitement.

His grin was wide, boyish even, and it was hard not to return it.

"Thank you for having me," I whispered, my nerves slipping through.

"Trust me, they'll love you," he reassured me, placing his hand over mine briefly before returning it to the steering wheel.

I nodded, clutching my hands together in my lap as the car rolled into the driveway of a two-storey house. It wasn't the kind of mansion I expected from a pack house—those were usually massive, four-storey structures—but it looked warm, inviting, lived-in.

"The Alpha and Luna are waiting for us inside," Ethan said. He cut the ignition, stepped out, and hurried to open my door. He took my hand gently. "Come on."

My stomach churned as I followed him.

The moment the front door opened, I heard voices inside—laughter, chatter, maybe five or six people. That felt manageable. Better than facing an entire pack at once.

"We're here," Ethan announced.

Before I could process the room, a squeal split the air, and suddenly I was wrapped in the arms of a petite girl about my age. Her embrace nearly knocked the breath from me. She was striking—brown hair, warm eyes, the kind of beauty you'd expect to see on a magazine cover.

"Let the girl breathe, Jane," a motherly voice called out.

The girl—Jane—pulled back but kept her hands on my arms, studying me closely.

"I'm Jane, mate of Chase," she introduced herself with a bright smile.

"He has a mate?" My eyes widened.

Jane tilted her head. "Didn't he tell you?"

"No," I admitted. "But I suppose you're the 'surprise' he mentioned."

"Maybe." She beamed. "I'm so happy you're here."

"Me too," I replied softly, offering her a small smile.

"Come on, let me introduce you to everyone else." She tugged me across the room toward an older couple who watched us with gentle eyes.

"This is Alpha Michael—or Alpha Black, as we call him. And this is our Luna, Elizabeth, but we all call her Luna Liz," Jane explained.

The Alpha looked strict at first glance, tall and broad with a commanding presence, but his eyes held something fatherly that put me a little at ease. The Luna radiated warmth, her smile genuine and bright.