Avenge

CIANA

After four long hours of shopping and twenty bags filled to the brim, we finally decided to take a break and grab some food.

“What are you in the mood for, Jackson?” I asked him, my stomach growling at the thought of a meal.

“It’s mall time. We have to get pizza, honey. If I wanted something fancier, we would have gone to a restaurant,” he said with a hint of lecture in his voice.

“Pizza it is,” I replied, not minding since I absolutely love a good slice.

Jackson went to pick up our order while I found a table.

He joined me a few minutes later, balancing two slices of supreme for himself and two slices piled high with pepperonis, cheese, mushrooms, and onions for me.

As soon as I took a bite of the hot, cheesy goodness, pleasure radiated through my body.

“Oh my gosh. I freaking love pizza,” I moaned between bites.

“Girl, I think your future mate might be jealous,” Jackson teased with a laugh.

“Hey, no one comes between me and my food. No one,” I said seriously while gesturing toward my half-eaten slice.

He laughed. “So, excited about meeting any of these potential mates?”

“Maybe. Dad thinks I’ll end up with an alpha, but I just want someone who cares for me like my parents care for each other, you know?”

“A fairytale fit for a princess,” he mused with a grin on his face.

I stuck my tongue out at him and took another bite.

***

We finished our shopping, picked up a few of our favorite films and snacks for tonight’s movie marathon, and headed back to the house. As we opened the front door, a bouquet of balloons greeted us, and my parents and several pack members jumped out.

“Surprise!” they shouted in unison.

I looked around, a happily surprised expression on my face, as my parents stepped forward holding a cake, eighteen lit candles planted in the top.

“Happy birthday, darling!” my mother said happily.

“Go on! Make a wish!” my father said.

I smiled, leaning forward and closing my eyes. I took a deep breath and opened my eyes, blowing out all eighteen candles. Everyone cheered. I turned to Jackson.

“Did you know about this?” I asked.

“Of course,” he said, a wide grin on his face. “Why do you think I wanted to go to the mall so bad? It was the only way to get you out of the house, and your father said we could spend whatever we wanted.”

“Within reason,” my father added sternly.

“Come on,” my mother shouted. “Let’s have some cake!”

***

Jackson and I were about to start another movie when I felt my wolf stirring inside me. It was a strange sensation, but a quick glance at the window showed the moon high in the sky.

Unlike most werewolves who could communicate with their inner wolf, mine had yet to make contact with me. My parents told me it was rare, but it did happen. They said not to worry, though, that the Goddess had a reason for everything.

“I think my wolf is waking,” I whispered to Jackson.

His eyes widened. “Like you’re going to shift?”

I nodded.

“Quick! Let’s head out to the treehouse. The first shift is always painful.”

We snuck out of the house to our old treehouse near the edge of our territory. The anticipation bubbled within me as I prepared to shift into my wolf form.

“What do I do?” I asked Jackson, who was a few months older and already able to shift on command.

“Close your eyes and listen for your wolf. She’ll tell you what to do.”

I nodded and closed my eyes. It took a minute, but a soothing voice called to me.

“I am Aella, your wolf.”

I started to shift, waves of pain coursing through me as my bones cracked and reformed, fur sprouting from my skin and my nose elongating into a snout. When I opened my eyes, Jackson was staring at me, his mouth hanging open.

“Whoa! Your eyes! I’ve never seen eyes like that!”

I cocked my head, padding over to the wall where a plastic-framed mirror was hung. I peered into it. A midnight-black wolf with a pair of glowing red eyes stared back at me.

“Whoa!” I repeated through our link. “~Why are my eyes like that?~”

“I am the Blood Wolf,” Aella said.

We turned in the mirror, wagging our tail and looking back at Jackson. I felt Aella start to pull back and shifted back to my human form, knowing I could now call on her whenever I needed.

“What the fuck!” Jackson shouted. “Your ha-hair,” he stuttered. “It’s not blonde anymore.”

Confused, I looked back at the mirror. My hair was the same length, but the change in color caused me to gasp.

It wasn’t its signature pale-blonde color anymore. Instead, it was jet black with two bold, fiery-red stripes at the front. I turned back to Jackson.

“Do you think my parents will notice?” I winced.