15 Dante 7

I watched her give a small nod of her head as she thought. She hadn't even been given the chance to accept what had happened, since she had had to face her own mother as soon as she woke up. I felt guilty that I hadn't been able to protect her better. While my wolf was just happy to have her so close, and to know that she had her own wolf.

"She still needs to take some medicine" Ravena tried arguing.

"Medicine for what?" I glared at her, wondering if she still wanted to try reversing the change.

"Contraceptive. She can get pregnant on her own. She doesn't need the medical staff or magic help."

I gaped at her, then looked at Hannalee, the image already in my head of a family, but Hannalee hadn't seemed to hear her. She was lost in her mind, communing with her wolf to the point that her eyes had already shifted. No longer just the purple with white around it, now full purple, with a large black center. She was close to shifting.

"That's up to her, but she can't make that decision right now" I growled.

Turning to Hannalee, I stood and eased her up to standing. She groaned, her body already starting to shift.

"What's wrong?" Ravena asked, smelling of anxiety.

"Nothing's wrong." I said, guiding Hannalee toward the front door. "It's alright" I whispered in her ear, practically hearing the whine of her wolf as if it were within me as well.

I opened the door and led Hannalee outside, just in time for her fall to her knees, the shift taking full control now.

"Hannalee!" Ravena called out from the door.

"STAY BACK!" I growled a warning, not fully out of anger, but more for knowing that the first shift was difficult for all bitten mates.

I could hear every move of her muscles, the changing of her body shape, the skin quickly becoming covered in amazing pale blue fur. The bones didn't snap like humans thought they did, no limbs breaking and mending, just the body changing its shape as if it were completely normal for a human.

She truly was beautiful, standing as tall as she had as a human, which was normal for wolves. I watched as she shook out her fur and stretched her limbs, taking her first, unsteady step forward.

"Oh, Hannalee..." I heard Ravena say from the doorway, but I held my tongue, not wanting to agitate my amazing mate.

She looked up at me, her large purple eyes glowing even without the light of the full moon. I stepped toward her and she gave a wolfish smile. It felt so good to see how happy she was.

I rested my hand between her shoulder blades and asked "Should we go for a run?"

She gave a huff as if to say 'naturally'.

I knew that once I was in my wolf form I would be able to understand her as if we were both talking in English, but we didn't have that ability while still in our human form.

She nuzzled against me and my wolf and I agreed on how right it all was. Then I began removing my own clothes, not wanting them to end up like the shirt she had been wearing, in shreds on the ground. I heard her whine of approval and gave a small laugh.

"What are you doing?" My mate's mother demanded.

I smiled over my shoulder at her "We're going for a run. Don't you know? Wolves love to run and hunt on the full moon."

I heard her gasp as I initiated my shift. I was a taller wolf than Hannalee, but that was only natural since I was taller than her in human form.

'I feel a little weird' I heard her voice in my mind, the way all wolves communicated in our wolf form.

'It's normal, it's only your first shift.' I reassured her.

I nuzzled at the side of her throat, my wolf in control with the need to mark her further with our scent.

She gave a small whimper that, were we human, would probably have been a moan.

"H-Hannalee?" Ravena whispered from the doorway, looking distraught.

Hannalee stepped away from me, toward her, and I gave a warning growl to the woman, hoping that she wouldn't think to harm my mate in any way. She stopped just a foot away from the woman and sat, looking like a dejected puppy that just wanted to be acknowledged. I hated seeing that but I couldn't force the woman to accept her changed daughter.

Ravena stood still, looking at my wolf mate like she was afraid. Even if the woman was in black and white for us right now, I could tell the red of her eyes was glowing. A single tear slid down her cheek as she fell to her knees. Hannalee whimpered sadly, making my heart clench.

I wished I could make this easier for her, but I couldn't do anything for her. If her mother wouldn't accept her, then it was her choice. I would love my mate no matter what.

'Give her time' I tried to comfort my mate.

She looked at me over her shoulder and I could see the sadness in her eyes, then she nodded. She started walking away from Ravena and ran off into the trees before anything more could be said.

I gave the woman one last look, letting her see my agitation, before running after my mate.