Page 8 of Fated to the Rogue

Once my time was up, I raised my head and stepped out of the room. When I reached the entrance hall, everyone was already there, waiting for me. Mom and Dad were standingarm-in-arm, wearing matching green and gold outfits. Beta Warrick was right behind Malin, both of them sporting gold suits. Zachari’s family was dressed in forest green, and my friend wasn’t even trying to hide the frown on his face, clearly displeased with his formal clothes. Alex and Victor were by the door, both wearing white.

“Zephyr. You’re here.” My father’s stern voice echoed through the hall. Letting go of my mother for a brief moment, he approached me, placing both hands on my shoulders. “Are you ready, son?”

“I was born ready,” I told him confidently. Despite how hard he tried to maintain a neutral expression in public, I could see the shadow of a smile lighting up his face. He nodded and stepped away, making room for Mom.

“Oh, my sweet Zeze!” She threw her arms around me, wrapping me in a hug. As soon as she pulled away, both her hands cupped my face. “You look so handsome, my boy. You’ll make a fine Alpha.”

“Thanks, Mom.” I smiled at her.

“Alright, everyone. Now that my son’s ready, let’s head outside with our pack.” Dad commanded, taking the lead. The other wolves present lowered their heads as I walked past them, not hesitating to follow right behind me.

As soon as we left the building, we all hopped inside of the limousine parked right out front. The driver took us to our destination - the waterfall by the cliff. There, no more words were spoken. Malin smiled encouragingly at me while Zach gave me a thumbs up, and they both followed the others down the long stone stairway that led to a small beach. Taking a step near the edge, I could see all the members of Wind Howlers gathered at the narrow strip of sand, waiting for me to join them. Unlike the rest of the Elite, I wouldn’t be taking the stairs though.

Our pack owed our success to the wind. Because of our strong relation with it, it was tradition at Wind Howlers for the new Alphas to jump down the waterfall into the sea during their first shift. While they fell through the skies, it was almost as if they were flying. They put themselves at the mercy of the breeze, trusting it to guide them safely to their destination.

It was quite the fall, and though it could be fatal for humans, it was hardly dangerous for wolf shifters. Not only did we heal faster, we were also more resilient. A lot of the members would come here and jump just to feel more connected with the wind; it brought us inexplicable peace. Looking down made my heart beat faster, but I couldn’t deny I was excited to try it for the first time.

After taking a good look at the view, I glanced up at the moon. I didn’t have a clock with me to know exactly how close it was to midnight, but I could feel the animal crawling inside of me as it tried to reach the surface. It wasn’t painful; no, it was liberating. I didn’t fight the feeling, closing my eyes as I embraced my true nature. And right before I jumped, tuxedo and all, a powerful howl broke through my chest.

While I fell down, my skin started itching and burning as thick fur sprouted from it. Next, the sound of cracking bones filled the air as my whole body adapted to my new form. The pain was excruciating, but I refused to scream. I became one with the wind as it embraced me, numbing my discomfort as its chilliness soothed me. It howled a calming melody, almost as if it was letting me know I would be alright. By the time I hit the water, my transformation was complete.

There was only silence as I sank into the depths of the sea. After the quick, yet painful experience, it made me feel lighter. At first, it was weird to move with my new paws, but I soon got the hang of it. Guided by the light of the moon, I swam towards the surface and climbed to a spot where the water was moreshallow to show my wolf in all its glory. As I emerged, I waited for the crowd to cheer before my powerful wolf counterpart.

However, the celebration I was anxiously expecting never came.

4 | She

Why was nobody celebrating?

The world looked different through my animal eyes, but there was no denying the sight before me. As I glanced at the almost 200 members of my pack, gathered at the small beach with the sole purpose of praising their new Alpha, I realized they all wore shocked expressions. Dead silence filled the air, broken only by the burble of the waterfall. There was no applause, no cheering. No one dared say a word.

Why were they all staring at me in utter silence? Was my wolf so ugly it disgusted them? My heart started beating faster at the thought, and the moment I lowered my head to inspect my reflection in the dark blue sea, I stopped breathing.

The first detail I noticed were my wolf’s eyes - they were of a serene, lively golden color, intense and calming like the first light of day. Water dripped from its long, tricolor fur. Its cheeks, muzzle, and neck were bright caramel, forming a circular shape that resembled the sun. There were also warm shades of blond speckled over its coat, as well as a darker coffee color that was mainly present on the top side of its face, head, back, and tail. Its ears were rounder and shorter than most wolves’ ears.

There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with it. In fact, it was incredibly beautiful, especially if compared to the usual shades of white, black, and gray. But…

It didn’t look like me.

Wolves were supposed to be a reflection of their human-selves. Most of them would even share common features with their counterparts, like eye or hair color. Why did my wolf look nothing like me? The longer I stared at my reflection, the more questions arose in my mind.

Soon, I realized that it didn’t just look different than me - itfeltdifferent. It was almost as if I was in someone else’s body. I didn’t feel like myself. Come to think about it, I didn’t even feel like a male anymore. Wait, what the-

“We meet at last, Zephyr.” A silvery, yet powerful feminine voice echoed inside my head. “Since I already know your name, it’s only fair that I introduce myself. I’m Dawn.”

A…she-wolf? What the hell was going on?!

“I’m sure you have a lot of questions. I’ll try to answer them to the best of my knowledge if you just-”

“Get the fuck outta my head!” I screamed desperately. I couldn’t take this craziness any longer. “Give me back control!”

“If we shift back now-”

“Just do as I say!”

The she-wolf didn’t argue with me anymore. She willingly retreated to the back of my mind, forcing my human side to come forth again. Because my body hadn’t properly healed yet, the transformation took longer than the first time, and the pain was almost unbearable. I was aware that a werewolf should remain in animal form for at least half an hour after their first shift, but what choice did I have? I couldn’t keep that creature out for any longer while my people stared at her.

With my mind blurry from the pain, I wondered if it had all been a nightmare. It had to be, right? But as shreds of my clothes, torn during the transformation, slowly landed at the surface of the water around me, I knew it had all been real.

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