The light tingle brushing over my skin, made me shiver. I wasn't cold,
quite the contrary, as I swiped a bead of sweat that lingered on my
forehead. Wiping my eyes, I felt disoriented from sleep. The sun was
just setting over the hill, and when I reached out to feel for
Satchel, he wasn't there.
"Satchel?"
"I'm here."
I sighed in relief, when the silhouette of his bodymaterialized out
from thewindow seat. I spent so many nights thinking about this very
day. He sat with his back toward me, with his eyes ever longing over
at the forest. Stretching, I sat upon my elbows, frowning. I don't
even remembering falling asleep, and by the looks of the left side of
the bed, I realized Satchel hadn't even gone to bed yet. Just judging
from thestraight sheets on his side of the bed.
"You okay?" I croaked, rubbing sleep out of my eyes. I squinted into
the dark, as his head moved up and down.
"Yeah, I couldn't sleep." He sounded almost mechanical, like
someonehad stolen his body, and made to talk on cue. Almost robotic.
"I feel weird, like something's crawling under my skin. It doesn't
hurt, just feels strange."
"It's the moon magic. It's calling to your wolf."
"It is?"
Sitting up, I padded over to him, hugging him from behind, and almost
yelped at the burning sensation his skin had given me. Now, I noticed
he was glistening with sweat, and his eyes glowed green, glued to the
pine trees. Black strands of hair stuck to his face and neck, and I
could almost swear something was crawling under his skin.
I stepped back. "Satchel, you're burning up."
"The effect of the Full Moon," is all he said. Come to think of it, I
felt just how he looked. But his symptoms must have been ten times
worst, buthe sat there as if it didn't bother him. That's when Iknew
what had startled me awake. The Full Moon.The Change. We were going to
change into a wolf, and have all senses die with it.
Finally, he turned around, and met my worried stare. "Look, we have an
hour tops. We have to go, before we destroy every thing in this room.
We can't afford to replace anything."
"What do you mean, we've changed before. We never destroy things."
"This is different to all those other times we change. Like I told
you, the moon is at her peak, and the minute she summons our wolf, she
controls it. We don't." I still had a hard time wrapping my head
around this news.
"But I'd know who you are once I change, right?"
The silence that followed seemed deafening, and I watched his jaw
tense around the edges. I didn't like this one bit. Now, I started to
fear for my life.
"Satchel, I'd remember you, right?"
The slow shake of his head confirmed my earlier fear. He wouldn't
recognize me in wolf form, and I wouldn't recognize him either.
He scrubbed a hand down his face, as if he were ridding any visible
emotions, and pinned mewith a sorrowful glare. "I'll take my place in
the moon circle, surrounded by the pack, and wait until they recognize
me as their Alpha."
"How do you know they would accept you?"
"They'll try to kill me."
Before I could open my mouth to protest, he continued. "By doing so,
they'll be testing my strength, and endurance.If our moon mother
accepts me as Alpha, she'll send me her blessing."
"How?"
"By keeping me alive."
I felt that invisible tingle crawling through my skinagain, and I
couldn't helpbut shiver. The reality of it too much to bear, but I'd
trained myself to act nonchalant, though it was a losing battle. I
couldn't stop thinking about the part where I wouldn't remember him.
Satchel's broad hands snapped me out of my reverie, as he lightly
pulled me down on his lap. The heat of his body instantly warming me,
as he gently tugged at my chin, forcing me to look at him. His green
eyes were like glow worms in the night, blinking in the darkness. His
rough voicegave me butterflies, as his breath stirred my otherwise
sticky hair thathad dampened from my own sweat.
"You know, you look good when your hair is all wild from sleep." His
mouth twitched into a wry smile, and I raised my eyebrows, my
curiosity getting the better of me.
"What?" I urged him to spill.
He just shook his head. "It's just that, everyday I try to find just
one flaw, anything that convinces me you're less than perfect, but I
come up empty."
I could feel a hot paint of embarrassment spread across my cheeks at
his husky tenor, and silently hoped he couldn't detect it in the dark.
I'd been having the same thoughts, wondering how someone as big and
beautiful was, would be interested in someone like me.
"I have plenty of flaws, Satchel," I said, surprised I'd even found my voice.
"Could've fooled me," he crooned, bending down, and pulling me into a
kiss. Devouring any senseof rationality on my part. I sank into a
puddle of mush, as he burrowed deeper into the cavern ofmy mouth,
tilting my head back to go deeper. My thoughts lost in his powerful
embrace, dominating not just my heart, but my soul and ever fiber of
my being. Not only claiming me as his wolf mate, but his human lover,
and I pulledhim closer for more of him. The sound of a bonesnapping,
brought us outof our state, knocking a little sense in me as a cold
whip of air sliced between us at the loss of contact. Satchel
groaned,as he doubled over whenI witnessed his arm snap backward, and
reshape itself in less than seconds.My eyes widened, and I was on my
feet as fast as I could. It was happening, and I panicked.
"What do I do?"
"You can't…do anything,"he wheezed, as his body shuddered. He flopped
tothe floor, as I watched hisface knit into an agonizing grimace.
Seconds later, and unwarranted yelp escaped my lips, as my neck craned
backward, snapping a vertebrae and then back again.
"Willy!" I fell down face first on the floor, and started retching,
but nothing came up.
"We have to get in the woods."
"What about the guys in there? What if they find us?"
"Have no choice," he choked. A sharp yelp came from the next roomover,
and the sound of Derryn screaming brought me to awareness. It must be
happening to her too. But I didn't have the energy to run to her aid,
and neither did Satchel.
We lay there for several minutes, waiting for something to happen.
After a little while, I managed to find my voice again.
"It's happening, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"How long…how long do we have?"
"Half an hour tops."
"And what happens to 'us'?"
He shifted his head to theright, and managed a smile. "An Alpha is not
an Alpha without his mate."
"I thought you said you won't recognize me? All human thought out the
window and all that."
"True. But I'll know you by scent."
"I'm not sure if I know you by scent."
"You will." Somehow his confidence in that thought alone made me
somewhat comforted, but I was still nervous. The fact that I wouldn't
recognize him in Wolf form, made me feel like I'd just learned that I
wasdifferent all over again.
Satchel sat down beside me, taking my hand in his lap. He'd been
rubbing his left arm, massaging the part where just minutes ago had
snapped out of place. "Look, I know you're just processing all of
this, and it's all new to you. But it's just a ceremony that every
Alpha has to go through, and so far, there hasn't been any casualties.
Just the stories of my grandfather, and my father's are proof alone.
There's always a happy outcome."
"It feels kinda the opposite right now."
I sat up, and we were both facing each other on the floor. His right
knee up, and his left leg sprawled out next to me. While I curled up
with both my knees in front ofme, as he pulled me closer.
"There's this story, my father use to always tell me when I was
younger. He always told me 'in wolf lore, when a wolf recognizes a
female wolf as his mate, he'll bare his neck to her, granting her free
will of his most vulnerable spot'." I snapped my head up in interest,
as he continued his story. The low hum of his murmurs sounded
mesmerizing under the dim moonlight. "In order for the female to do
the same, she'll bare her neck, allowing the male wolf to nip the spot
lightly without breaking skin. The male gets to hover over the female
longer, as he marks her with his scent, to warn off every other
animal, that you're taken."
"But how would you know that I'm your mate?" I breathed, feeling like
I hadn't done so in the few minutes I'd been in Satchel's arms.
He smiled, shaking his head. "When you trust me enough to bare your
neck to me." He arched his head back, tapping the spot on the
underside right of his jaw where his pulse should be. "Right here," he
said, taking my hand as I felt the soft hum of his pulse, throbbing
under my fingers. He kissed the inside of my wrist, and held it to his
heart. "And here." The steady beat of his heart picked up as I touched
the vulnerable spot as he told his story. "My father said, 'if a wolf
is willing to bear his two most vulnerable spots to a female wolf,
then he's either stupid, or in love."
I laughed, and he chuckled along with me.
Satchel scoffed as if another faraway memoryflitted through his mind.
"He said, 'That's when I was stupid enough to fallfor your mother,
'cause she ripped my heart out, and hung it out to dry'." He chuckled
again, shaking his head. "At the time, I thought he meant literally. I
was all big eyed, until he laughed, because obviously he hadhis heart
intact, but apparently my mom turned him down before they started
dating, and bruised his ego, but he never gave up, and eventually she
came around."
I smiled, picturing a young Aretha in her prime teenage glory, andwhat
it would've looked like for her to find a mate. "Sounds romantic."
"Yeah." He sighed. I couldtell it hurt for him to conjure up those memories.
Another tremor tore through my skin, and I flinched. We both had our
eyes on the moon, and she was nearing her full peak.
"Our moon mother is near, we better make tracks, before the moon hits
her fullest."
We gathered a few things into a duffel, telling Derryn to meet us down
stairs after packingsome clean clothes, and afew stuff incase we came
into trouble on the way. Icouldn't for the life of meput any clothes
on, it wastoo hot, so I decided to stay in my shorts, and tanktop I'd
slept in, meanwhile Satchel wore just a pair of slacks with his
suspenders on, leaving his chest bare. I could tell he would've
preferred going without the slacks, but for Derryn's sake, and his
modesty, he kept them.
"And what if I don't?"
"Let's hope it doesn't come down to that." He lifted my hand, and
placed a warm kiss over my fingers. "You ready?"
"No."
"Willy, everything's goingto be fine. Just trust your instincts, and
remember my scent."
He brushed a kiss over my nose, and pulled me toward the window. "Come
on, Derryn's waiting, and we have no time to stall. The moon is nigh,
and she won't be happy if we miss our own ceremony."
***
We headed into the woods. Satchel decided to change out of his slacks,
so that he looked like the rest of the males that had turned up on our
backyard this morning, with a pair of leather animal skin, but he
leaving his chest bare.I refused to wear anything non-cotton and
stayed in my short shorts,and a work out bra. But I had the urge to
change, because the night was warm, and I was flushed with sweat that
wasn't from exertion. Satchel was right, my wolf threatened to show
her face, and I had a feeling that I didn't have a say in the matter.
Derryn wore a pair of shorts, and a singlet, but she looked like she
was just about ready to strip.
The minute we made it tothe clearing, I witnessed at least thirty odd
strangers huddled around a large circle, where the moon lit up most of
it.
Satchel walked us up, and we threaded through the large crowd,as they
made room for us. The minute Cairo recognized us, he bowed his head.
The rest following in tow.
Satchel pulled me towardthe circle, and whisperedcomforting words in
my ear, while Derryn took a seat to the side, as she recognized
someone she knew.
A girl my age, brown skin, short straight pixie hair, and big blue
eyes. Derryn introduced her as,Yuriah, whom apparentlywas related to
them on their father's side. Her long lean build remindedme of
Derryn's sudden growth spurt, and her warm smile, a picture of
Satchel's.
"The famous Willow, it's nice to finally put a face to the name," she
said, leaning in to give me a hug. I awkwardly hugged her back.
"My cousin's lucky he found you when he did."
"He is?"
"Sure. He spoke of nothing but you, couldn'tget him to shut up."
I raised my eyebrows up at Satchel. "He has?"
"Yuriah, you haven't changed one bit, still at the mouth of gossip."
She laughed, showing a full set of dimples on her cheeks, giving
Satchel a peck on the cheek. "It's not gossip if it's true," she said,
patting him on the arms as she went to take her place amongst the
others.
Satchel had a playful grinon his face, as we took his place in the
circle. Me by his side.
"Hey, look at me."
Shoving my nerves down,I met his stare. "Remember my scent, Willy."
I nodded. "Pine, mint, and sandalwood."
He kissed me on the shoulder, inhaling a little."Tropical orchid,
sycamore, and the forest."
The tingle took over my body seconds later, and the moon light flashed
before me. In a few seconds I was a wolf, andI craned my neck back as
I joined in with the musical cadence of the howling, that seemed to
break out through the silence. Different tenors crooned into the night
skies, as we called up to our moon mother. It lasted for a while,
until I noticed I was stuck in thecircle with a strange large wolf
growling at me. I noticed half of his back limb was missing, but by
the looks of things, some kind of magic of the moon was happening, and
it grew into a paw.
Tons of jaws snapped at me, with goulash whipping about, as I pinned
my eyes on every animal. Black Wolf was huge, wondering what was
keeping me in the circle. I couldn't step overthe curved lines, and
the frustrated growl coming from the Black Wolf made me think he hated
it too.
A loud rumble came from within his chest, as he snapped his sharp jaws
at every hungry wolf gunning for him. The circle was actually
protecting us from the other wolves, whom otherwise looked like they
were out to kill our heads. More for the BlackWolf, it's almost as if
theydidn't take notice of me.
Red glowed deep within the hollows of Black Wolf's eyes, and then
oneby one, every wolf that had been previously trying to kill him,
froze intheir stance.
A howl broke out of BlackWolf, and the glowing Moon had rose higher in
the night, as an invisible light beamed on the nape of the Black
Wolf's neck. As if the Moon Mother was winking at him.
That's when the first row of wolves closer to Black Wolf knelt before
him, as another croon howled from his opened mouth.
Row by row knelt before him, lowering their muzzles in submission, as
Black Wolf continued to coo at the moon.
The low echo faded in the distance, and Black Wolf blinked, his red
eyeschanging to light green ones. Then he looked at me, and growled. I
was still standing in my stance, and by the looks on his face, he
didn't like it.
He snarled, stalking forward, and I watched each paw pound into
theEarth. He was coming toward me, and I stood there paralyzed in my
stance. The minute he stood inches from me, I noticed a glint of green
summon to the surface, and it piqued some hidden familiarity in me
that told me I knew this one.
He snarled, baring his canines, and his eyes sparked red for a few
seconds. The minute I lowered myself in submission, he pounced, and
his jaws came gunning for my throat. For some reason, I let him.
I craned my neck back, and a he dove forward, opening his muzzle wide
and burying his jaws deep within my coat.
The smell of sandalwood,mint and pine flooded my senses, and the
slight nip of his jaws as he breathed on my neck. Never quite breaking
my skin.
And for that split of a second, I knew I belonged to this Black Wolf
hovering over me, as he marked me as his mate.
--
A/N: I haven't even read over this because...yeah I'm just lazy. I
will though, when I can be bothered editing. :):) Lastchapter to go
(well more like just an epilogue) andthis should be wrapped up. xoxo
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