A New Me

Ruby and Malak had a wonderful ceremony. Our Cousin Ryan actually found his mate here and she turned out to be my friend Markie! Ruby and Malak are staying in Red Rivers pack as they will be Alpha and Luna.

[ If you want to see more of Ruby and Malak's ceremony or are curious about Ryan and Markie's relationship try reading Markie. It's a short story only 7 chapters if you want a quick read.]

It's a Saturday so Alpha Aaron is gone to spend time with Alpha Lilly. Ti and I just kinda hang out on our days off.

"So now that everyone is off with their mates how about we go on a run... singles only. Not that my brother would come anyway. To focused on your sister." Ti says. He's a little bitter, one because Malak is ignoring us and two because Malak found his mate and Ti still hasn't.

"Sure man let's go!" I say and we take off. In the woods we strip and shift.

It is an amazingly beautiful day! Perfect for a run.

Ti is fast but I can out run him. It's abnormal since he is an Alpha but I've never been normal. We run about twenty miles straight out south of the pack house before we stop.

"You alright man?" I link to Ti

"Yea... it's just... I'm 20 now apart from you everyone I know has a mate and now I've lost my brother." He responds.

"Dude come on! You didn't lose Malak your packs boarder each other. You could see him every day!" I try to comfort him.

"I guess... but I still don't have a mate." He grumbles through the link.

"And your dad was what 28? And your mom 23? My dad was 29! Maybe she is still in high school! You don't want to be a weirdo going after teenagers! Be patient she's out there. When the time is right you'll find her." He needs to calm down he has all his life to find her!

"Yea... bit I don't want to have to wait until I'm 30." He moans.

"Me either but once we find our mates it will be worth it!" I link.

"I know... enough with the mushy stuff we are running to forget all that!" Ti takes off full speed and I follow.

We ran for hours. Honestly I'm not sure we're even in Midnight Moon territory any more but Ti keeps running.

"Dude Stop!" I link jumping in front of him. "Shift now." He rolls his eyes at me but complies. I shift and toss him some shorts I'd put in my pack.

"What Alic!" He yells storming up to me.

"We should go back." I tell him.

"I don't want to! I don't want to see all those stupid happy people! You're the only friend I have left! You're my brother! Can't you just stay with me? One day Alic. I just need one day where I'm not bombarded with reminders of how much of a failure I am! I'm supposed to be Alpha and I suck at that! My family leaves me alone! And I still don't have someone to love me! Give me this Alic...Please." Ti rants.

Wow... I didn't realize how broken my friend is. I mean I know he wants his mate. I know he's mad at Malak. But I never thought he believed he was a bad Alpha... I mean he's been stoked about that from grade school. And his parents didn't leave him they are just in Red Rivers a few hours away.

"Sorry man..." I don't know what to say to him. He sits down in the field where we stopped running his hands through his hair. I sit beside him keeping quiet for a moment. "You're gonna be a great Alpha." Ti gives a sarcastic chuckle.

"Yea right." He says not looking at me.

"You're parents aren't leaving you they are just spending time together. You have your dad all week." I try again.

"I guess." Is his simple reply.

"Malak loves you he's just distracted right now." I know he misses his twin.

"For two weeks?"

"He loves you... it will all calm down soon." I'm trying to comfort him but failing. We sit in silence for a while before Ti breaks it.

"Thanks Alic... I think we should head home." He mumbles standing up.

As we are about to shift a scent catches my nose. It reeks and is all around us.

"Rouges." Ti whispers looking around. A second later the small field we are in is filled with fur.

"How did this many rouges organize?" I ask him.

"Shift now questions later!" He yells. We both shift as they approach. Good thing we have been training because last year we both took nearly two minutes to shift now it takes slightly less than one.

We just got into our wolf forms when the first wave hit.

"Its like they can't feel pain!" I link Ti as a snap the neck of my third wolf. They just keep coming! They don't even flinch when you claw at them or bite them. The only way to stop them is in death.

"I know it's like they are possessed!" He links back.

We are completely surround. I can't see a way out. I'm about to die.

"Ahhhhhh!" I hear a scream of pain.

When I look in its direction I see Ti. He is back in human form.

"What happened to your wolf?" I link. This is not good no way he can last as a human.

"Something hit me and my wolf pulled back! Help me Alic!" He screams.

I charge to him as two wolves bite into his flesh. I tear one off of him and am sprayed with his blood. No Ti! Hold on man! He isn't healing at all as I dislodge the second wolf I see his eyes close.

"Grrrrraarrrrrr!"

Anger drives me as I dig into the next rouge. And the next. And the next. I feel something hit me. It's just like Ti said I feel my wolf retreating into my mind.

"No!" I growl with all the force I have and something snaps. I feel my wolf return full force. The sudden shift within me causes me to black out.

.

...

.....

....

...

.....

Where?

...

.......

What happened?

.......

........

Where am I?

...........

..........

What the? Where the? How in the? What's going on?

I sit up straight and try to take in my surroundings.

I am in the woods.

Not my woods.

Familiar but not home.

I am surrounded by trees. I can't hear any traffic so I'm out pretty far. Birds chirp. I hear a deer eating. The sun is bright. Much to bright. Every sound feels like a base drum in my ears. It feels like when I first shifted. Everything is clearer... brighter... louder. I lay back on the dirt and close my eyes. I need to focus... tune out the extra noise... where am I?

I hear... I hear... people! What are they saying.

"Why did you bring me out here Gabe?" A woman asks.

"Its beautiful babe! I mean you've lived in California your whole life and never checked out the National forest?" A man responds.

"I'm more of a beach girl." She complains. I tune them out.

California! It would have taken me days of non stop running to get here!... I need to find Uncle Rhy!

My Uncle's pack is out this way so he is my closest help... I just need to get out of the forest.

I shift into my wolf to make travel faster at least until I run out of trees.

Now I know why this place looks familiar. This must be the forest we went to to shift when Ruby and I would visit for the summer.

After about an hour I stop to take a drink from a stream.

Woh! I feel taller... weird. I ignore that thought as I close my eyes and bend down to drink. When I open my eyes I jump splashing the water sending ripples in every direction. I calm down and look into the water again.

Who is this wolf? My coat is grey. The mark of a true Beta... But the wolf looking back at me from the water is dark brown and gargantuan. He could take down anyone. I sware he is even bigger than Alpha Aaron who is the biggest wolf in the world!

I take my paw and tap the water. The brown wolf does the same. I move from side to side and he follows. He is me... what happened to me?

▪︎¤▪︎¤▪︎¤▪︎¤▪︎¤▪︎¤▪︎¤▪︎¤▪︎¤▪︎¤▪︎¤▪︎¤

Author here!

So I have a question. Some people were upset with Ti's death. RIP Ti but you had to die to further the story. I didn't think he was a highly loved character so I'm gonna ask. Who's your favorite?

Alic

Ti

Malak

Ruby

Beta Clay

Alpha Aaron

Other?

If you've read the other stories that go along with this one you can pick them too. (My favorite hasn't been born yet in this book.) Let me know!