POV of HADETH

Dinner with Mrs. Wolvenhore was enjoyable, although it felt like it dragged on forever after she rudely cut off Juan just as he was going to kiss me.

When we were called to dinner, Holland was so upset that I had to move away that he started crying. We filled him in on our plans to meet with Myrtle the following day. This makes me realize that I have yet to inform my mother of our current predicament. However, I have a strong suspicion that Dad has already done so.

Juan and I said our goodbyes and set off for the forest clearing, where individuals undergoing the first shift would meet up with their partners to experience the transformation and then embark on their inaugural run. Since Juan and I were the top dogs in the pack and had the most valuable wolves, we got to go first on the run.

"So you ready, shorty?" questioned Juan, shoving his elbow into my stomach playfully.

“Juan, I'm not short. You can't label me a "shorty" when you're only an inch or two taller than me.” I spat back. He had been picking on me relentlessly ever since he had his growth spurt, and I eventually learned my lesson.

He laughed softly. "Sure, shorty," he said that made me roll my eyes.

The next time my hand reached out to him, he brought it to his lips and left a soft peck. Twice in the same day, this caused my cheeks to flush. I quickly moved my head away from his lingering gaze.

To get to the clearing, we followed the now-moonlit trail. When the moon came out, our shift times would change automatically.

"Holland is really jumping right now in my head, impatient to meet your wolf," I told him.

"Yep, and Luise is, too. He's delighted to see Holland.” he said as we entered the clearing.

Nearly everyone else had already arrived, and the pairs clung to one another in silence out of respect for us. Juan gave a single nod, and the conversation carried on. Their Alpha and Beta were holding hands, and several of them were staring at us curiously, not in judgment.

Soon, we would make public that we were a couple, but until then, they could only watch.

I was making the transition when I felt Holland force its way to the forefront of my consciousness and seize control. As if every one of my bones were cracking at once, I felt a searing pain surge through me. I couldn't take the agony any longer. I fell to my knees, which was followed by the sounds of the screams of everyone else shifting, feeling the same pain as me and smashing onto the earth.

While writhing on the ground in excruciating pain that prevented me from thinking straight, I looked up to see Juan still standing, his face contorted in agony and his fists clenched. Juan looked at me with concern but probably was in too much pain to pay attention to me. After what had transpired, he undoubtedly wanted to cry, too, but couldn't. The anguish in his eyes made me want to cry, but I knew better than to show my emotions in front of the group.

My skeleton jutted out like a wolf's, and I felt and heard my clothing being torn from my body. My eyes welled up with tears as I shouted at the unexpected sting and stared at Juan. He was stooping and shifting faster than I was, with fur sprouting all over him. I was knocked to my side by another swell of anguish and had to grab onto myself for dear life.

After what seemed like an eternity, my garments ripped completely, the anguish stopped, and I could feel fur developing. I felt the comforting nudge of a wolf at my tummy. I didn't need to smell him to know it was Juan's wolf; the shivers that ran down my spine at his touch were proof enough.

Luise's nuzzle rubbed across my, well, Holland's, abdomen to comfort us through the pain. When I finally felt good enough, I climbed to my feet and looked about. Due to our superior genetics, we had completed the task ahead of the others. However, we still had to wait for them to finish before running into the woods.

Soon, my gaze was drawn to Juan's wolf, Luise, who was inspecting my wolf intently. Because he was Alpha, his wolf's fur was jet black, and its eyes were bright red. His wolf was much more giant than I was and had bared his teeth at me in an apparent attempt to smile, but the effect was more comical than endearing.

Holland moved forward and made a noise while nuzzling up against Luise. Only a joyful bark reached my ears. Luise playfully demonstrated his adoration by tackling Holland to the ground and climbing atop him to lick him. After everyone else had moved out of the way and was waiting for us to begin running, we kept playing until we finally did.

In anticipation of our following action, glowing eyes of every color glare at us. At Luise's low growl, we all took off running across the jungle, leaving the others far behind.

My senses were heightened, and I felt an overwhelming sensation of joy as I ran through the woods with my lover, assuming the identity of a wolf for the first time. About 30 minutes into the run, we'd howl at the sight of the green lake to signal the conclusion.

The moonlight made my wolf's light brown, almost beige fur look even more delicate when I gazed upon my reflection in the lake. My eyes were a brilliant electric blue surrounded by a golden light. The howling started as soon as everyone was assembled; they all looked up at the moon and began to howl in unison.

We eventually saw some individuals hiding behind a tree, and we returned to the area where Juan had left us some clothes. After the initial adjustment, all the partners were overprotective and did their best to hide their partners' nakedness from outsiders.

My transformation back to human form was less painful than I had anticipated. I was unpleasantly surprised to find Juan dressed when I stood up straight. I tried to hide my disappointment by swiftly wiping away my expression, but it was already too late.

"Don't worry, you'll get to see soon," he teased before giving me a knowing wink.

Being the only one without clothes, I quickly turned around and donned what Juan had prepared. His stare was so intense it felt like it was burning my skin; it moved from my face to my arms to my legs to my "backside" and stayed there for a lot longer than I was prepared for.

His clothing, which didn't seem too huge on him, was obviously too big on me. The clothes I was wearing had my partner's aroma all over them. When I turned back and heard Juan's approving growl, I felt tingles in my stomach.

-

Even though I had assured Juan that I could go home safely, he insisted on escorting me there. However, given his Alpha blood, I imagine he takes great care to guard me. We talked about our wolves as we walked to my house, rejoicing that they had finally met and could play together. We reached my front door, and he even walked me in. He mentioned a kind partner, but the chivalrous ideal was sizzling.

“Then, Hadey, tomorrow is our last day together. Join me in my office so we can discuss this with Myrtle," he invited. I could only nod and smile in agreement.

When I held his wrist as he turned to leave, he raised an eyebrow. He opened his lips as if to say something but immediately closed them. He was looking straight into my eyes, trying to decipher my true motives, which I didn't even know myself.

I don't know why I did that. Normally, I wouldn't do something like this, but I had to.

I raised my lips to his cheeks and kissed him farewell.

“Goodbye, Juan. I'll see you tomorrow," I murmured before moving to open the door and hastily admitting myself in. The amazement on his face was everything. I was pleased with my success and eager to repeat the experience with him.

I leaned against the door like a giddy teenager on her way home from a first date, grinning ear to ear. My friend put a permanent grin on my face.