A Reject She-Wolf

Addy

I scrutinize my body in the mirror after snapping the photos, then slowly reenter the room to hand Drake his phone. He flips through the images, a string of expletives tumbling from his lips. I raise an eyebrow at him, and he quickly clamps his mouth shut, his cheeks flushing a soft pink.

The doctor takes a look at the pictures, then turns his gaze to me. “Who did this to you, Addy?”

“Macie,” I whisper.

He grunts, then moves to the table, patting it with his hand. “Come, sit down so I can examine you.”

I make my way to the table, his hand guiding mine as I climb onto it. His fingers lightly brush my eye, causing me to wince. He lifts my shirt, and a low growl emanates from behind him.

He turns his head. “Drake, do you need to step out while I examine her?”

The growling ceases instantly. “Sorry, doc. It slipped out before I could stop it.”

He chuckles softly. “I gather she means something to your wolf. You’ll need to learn to control this in the future.”

“I know,” Drake agrees, his gaze never leaving us. “It’s still new since she just came of age today. My wolf will learn to accept it when the pack doctor has to touch her.”

His hands gently probe my injuries. “Addy, why hasn’t your wolf healed this? It should be almost gone by now.”

I look down at my hands, clasped together in my lap. “She hasn’t shown herself in over two years. The last time was when my parents were yelling at me for something I didn’t do. She came forward to protect me from them before I pushed her back. I scolded her for over an hour; she’s been in a slumber, refusing to come out.”

He turns his back to me. “Drake, she needs to awaken her wolf. I think a long run would do her good right now. These injuries will heal after that.”

He stands and walks towards me. “I think that’s a great idea. My wolf, Diego, wondered why he couldn’t contact her.”

I remain still. “I don’t know if she’ll come out or not.”

I feel her stirring in my mind. I want to; he’s our mate, her silent voice finally speaks.

Drake disappears into the dressing room I was in earlier. The sound of bones snapping makes me cringe. I’ve always said I hate that sound, even though it doesn’t hurt. His massive, solid black wolf emerges, those ice-blue eyes that always pierce through me scanning the room before locking onto mine. I’ve always loved that about him, the way he’d glance my way but never act on the small flutter it caused in my chest. The wolf approaches me, nudging my leg with his nose.

“He’s ready for you to shift, Addy. This needs to be done to help your body heal quicker.” Mark looks at me from his computer, where he’s typing.

I nod slowly, then walk into the other room to remove my dress. I lay it next to his neatly folded clothes on the bench, my fingers brushing over his shirt. It’s silk—he must not have changed into his uniform yet. A small smile tugs at my lips, and before I can stop her, my wolf surges forward, my bones shifting and changing. After a few seconds, she stands, looking in the mirror, shaking her fur.

Finally. There have been so many times I wanted to shift but didn’t, she smiles back at us in the mirror.

I roll my eyes. That’s because you were sulking when I upset you.

She growls. I was trying to protect you from those low-life parents. You pissed me off, yelling at me for doing what I was supposed to do when you were in trouble.

I shake my head. I didn’t want them to kick us out for disobedience.

She rolls her eyes, turning her body. You know Myra would have let you move in with her. All this running away you did today could have been avoided, she walks out of the room, letting everyone get a good look at her. The doctor drops his pen when he sees us.

“Holy shit! Addy, why didn’t we know your wolf looked like this?” His eyes roam over my coat.

She lifts her lips in a snarl. A pressure builds in my mind, making my eyes squeeze shut for a moment before a voice drifts into my consciousness.

“You’re a mystic wolf?” Diego, Drake’s wolf, stares at us with wide blue eyes.

She plops down on the floor. “Yes. What’s wrong with that?”

His wolf slowly circles us, sniffing our fur and rubbing his head against her. “You don’t realize how rare that type of wolf is, do you?”

She snorts at him. “Of course I do. The last one documented was over three hundred years ago. The moon goddess made another one for Addy. She knew her life would be hell with her parents, and I was the strength she needed to overcome the bad times. She did block me out for years after I tried to attack her parents when they belittled her too many times.”

He looks into her golden eyes, which have changed from my original color. “She refused to let you out?”

She growls at him. “No, I never tried unless her life was in danger. I was about to come out in the locker room before you showed up. She was hurting so badly from those girls; I wanted to rip them apart.”

He chuckles as Mark slowly approaches with his hand outstretched towards us. She lets out a low growl, making him pull his hand back. “He won’t hurt you. What’s your wolf’s name, by the way?” Diego speaks softly.

She turns her head back to him. “Mystic. Our name is always after the breed. There’s never more than one in existence at a time, and I’m reincarnated from the last one that lived.”

He looks up at Mark, who must be communicating with him, as he slowly reaches out again. “Mystic, I won’t hurt you. I just want to check the wounds to make sure she’s healing properly.”

She remains seated as his hands part the fur to examine the healing skin. He nods his approval, then moves to the front to examine her face, his thumb brushing below her eye. She jerks away, letting out a low growl. Boy, she’s feisty. I’d forgotten how much attitude she can have when someone messes with her.

“Take her on a quick run. She’s healing nicely. Diego, there’s one thing you need to know before the two of you leave.” The black wolf looks up at him as he speaks. “She has a power that others covet.”

He picks up a book, flipping it open to a marked page. “I’ve heard about this type of wolf but never encountered one until now. As she grows stronger with age and finds her mate, this power will grow.”

Diego barks at him. “I’m getting to that, Alpha. She has a healing power that can alleviate the pain of others. It takes a toll on her—she won’t heal quickly unless she shifts into her wolf form—but the person she touches will be healed in seconds. I know you’ve heard of Lunar wolves; she’s a descendant of that lineage but with different powers. She has more than they do; she can also remove a mating mark from anyone she chooses or heal someone on the brink of death.

That will almost kill her if she tries it, as she’ll take on their injuries or whatever illness they have. You must be very careful with this power; if not, she’ll die when someone pushes her too far to heal another.”

Mystic rolls her eyes, but Diego looks at us with sadness. He nods slowly as his body turns towards the door. His eyes glaze over as he speaks to him while the doctor follows us out, opening the back door. He takes off through the forest, howling at the trees as we follow. I watch through her eyes as we zip through the woods, running at his flank.

Mystic? Did you know about all of that? my voice trembles.

She sighs. Yes, I did. The moon goddess told me to keep it quiet until you were ready to hear all that. Little did I know that the pack doctor had researched our lineage.

Are we safe here? Should we go into hiding before others find out about us? I shrink back into her mind.

She scoffs. No, he’ll protect you, and so will I. From now on, you’ll never be hurt again by anyone. Nothing will hold me back again if those girls or anyone else attacks you. I’ve watched you suffer for far too many years.

With her words echoing in my ears, I shut my eyes, understanding that my existence is about to shift in ways I can’t even begin to fathom. I’m about to become the Luna of our pack, a role that will make me a target due to this newfound gift. My life, it seems, has taken another massive, spiraling plunge into chaos. But this time, I’m not alone. I have someone who will stand by my side, ready to defend us with his life if necessary.