The day began like any other. I was now the acting Beta - the position having become vacant just before I was born - and part of my duties was to patrol the woods around the packhouse. We lived in a thickly forested area, and it was the perfect training ground. But it also presented a lot of dangers - rogues and rival packs could often be found lurking in some of the deeper parts of the woods. Hence the patrols.
Thankfully no one was brave enough to try any tricks today, and I was feeling quite relieved as I returned to the packhouse. Things had finally quieted down in the wake of Dad's ultimatum to the Whitewaters, and for the last five years, an uneasy truce had been in place. Even so, we never let our guard down. They were beyond devious, and this peace had us all on edge. We knew reckoning would come sooner rather than later, and while we weren't keen on the idea, we all felt it was better to get it over with.
As I reached the packhouse, however, all unpleasant thoughts were driven out of my head when I heard joyous cries, and as I shifted, my eyebrows went up. That must be Doreah, I thought, and sure enough, when I entered the packhouse, there she was, having shifted for the first time. Her wolf was mostly white, with speckles of black and grey, and an adorable grey mask around her eyes, complete with black paws and a patch of black on the tip of her tail. 'Now that is one hell of a sight,' my wolf commented, and I nodded.
Dad and Dorothy were standing in the center of the main room, smiling with tears in their eyes. "There's my other favourite daughter," Dad said, and I smiled as I joined him and Dorothy in a group hug, before gently ruffling Doreah's ears. "How're you feeling, squirt?" I asked, and she yipped happily, tail wagging in pure delight. I had to laugh at how adorable she sounded.
But there was a more serious tone to the festivities, and I shifted back to my wolf. Every time a pack member shifted for the first time, the Alpha or Beta had to challenge them, to see how well they'd respond to attack. It wasn't a dreadfully formal process, but it was a good way to test a new wolf's reflexes, and to see how good a fighter they'd be in a tight spot. Losing a test didn't mean expulsion, of course; it just meant that the new wolf would have to train to get themselves up to snuff.
Doreah looked ready, though, which was a good sign, and when Dad gave the signal, she came at me in a white and grey blur. The fight was soon over, but I was the one on my back, with one of Doreah's paws on my throat, and she looked inordinately pleased with herself. I could only stare up at her in shock. How the hell did she manage to overcome me? I wondered, but I was nevertheless very pleased with her display. She'd proven herself a capable fighter (and a dirty one too!) and we shared a hug once we'd shifted back. "You're going to be a great Beta," I said proudly.
"Duh," Doreah said, with all the ten-year-old sass she could muster. "No one's gonna be able to beat me."
I grinned, remembering how cocky I'd been at her age. "Well, you still gotta train, short stuff," I cautioned, getting to my feet and helping her up, noting tall she already was. In a few years, she'd be taller than me - and I was actually taller than average. "You're bloody good already, but you've still got a few years of training ahead of you before you can match it with the best."
"Awwww," Doreah complained. "Do I have to?"
"Yup," I said firmly, putting a bit of Beta sternness in my voice. "I was the same at your age, and I got my butt handed to me more times than I could count before I realised I still had a long way to go. I'm only as good as I am because I trained a lot, and I know it's still going to take me some time before I can reach a level where Dad feels comfortable retiring me and putting me in charge as Alpha."
Doreah frowned thoughtfully. "You're pretty good already," she pointed out. "I mean, you almost had me for a moment. Till I tripped you."
I rolled my eyes and gave her an affectionate noogie. "Alright, that's enough," I teased. "You're not the Beta yet so quit sassing me."
Our good-natured squabble was interrupted by a loud knocking, and Dad frowned. "We're not expecting anyone else, are we?"
"Not that I know of," Dorothy said, also frowning. "Steph, did you invite anyone over?"
I shook my head. "No," I said. A first shifting was generally reserved to the new wolf's pack, with other packs invited by the Alpha, or Beta, once the celebrations had concluded. We hadn't even started, so it made no sense. "Only one way to find out," I said, as I went to the door. The moment I opened it, though, I felt my wolf's hackles go up.
Standing outside the door were some black and grey wolves, with fierce golden eyes. And they all looked extremely pissed. 200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjB81J7C6dR
