First Shift

by Alexis Davie

  “It’s me,” Zane grinned when she reached for her bag. “Just so you have my number too.”

  She nodded and they sat quietly for a moment. It was suddenly a little awkward and Cleo realized it was because Zane still wasn’t sure she really wanted him to leave. It wasn’t so much that she wanted him to leave, she just wanted to have a moment to center herself.

  “Go,” she smiled.

  “What are you going to do?” he asked.

  “I’m going to sit here a little longer and then head home. Assuming you don’t mind me borrowing your thinking cave?” she said with a grin.

  “Not at all,” Zane laughed. He got to his feet and bent down to kiss Cleo. “And if you change your mind about the party, or you want to go somewhere else just the two of us, you have my number now.”

  Cleo nodded, already knowing she wouldn’t call him to sneak off with her tonight. If they never spoke again, she could still think back on tonight fondly. They had made each other no promises before she had given him her virginity and she was okay with that. But if she called him and he blew her off, that would just tarnish her memories of the evening.

  Zane started to walk away, calling back over his shoulder that he would call her. She waved and nodded and he kept walking. She watched him until he was out of sight. He kept throwing glances back at her, and at one point, she almost got up and ran to catch up with him, but she needed this moment alone.

  Once Zane was out of sight, Cleo turned her focus out onto the moonlit water. The sea was calm, gently lapping at the shore, and Cleo felt completely at peace with herself and with the world as she watched it with a contented smile on her face.

  She shifted slightly in the sand, trying to take the pressure off her now tender center. She liked the tender feeling, though. It reminded her of what she had done. This had never been the way Cleo had pictured herself losing her virginity.

  In her mind, it had always happened with someone she was in a committed relationship with, someone she thought was the one. It had been in a bed surrounded by candles, romantic. Now Cleo realized that there was nothing more romantic than doing it on the sand beside the moonlit ocean.

  And so what if Zane wasn’t the one? She was glad they had done this, even if it would only be once. She felt different now. Liberated and confident. She felt like for once, she had taken control of her life and done something that felt right in the moment without overthinking it and making it into a big deal.

  Maybe I’m growing up, she thought to herself. And maybe, just maybe, I am finally ready to embrace who I really am and become a real wolf shifter. In that moment, Cleo felt powerful enough to know that she could embrace her animal side and not become a clone or a slave to her animal desires.

  8

  Zane sat looking at his cell phone. He had been sitting there looking at it for the last ten minutes. He so badly wanted to call Cleo, but he was afraid that she wouldn’t take his call, or perhaps worse, she would take his call and give him the ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ speech. What if she had just been caught up in the moment last night and then once Zane had left, she remembered that she was far too good for him?

  Zane shook his head. He couldn’t just not call her. At least if he called her and she turned him down, he would know where he stood. He tried to remember the last time he had felt this nervous at the thought of calling a girl and he realized he never had. And suddenly, it hit him why. He had never felt this way about any other girl before. He had never felt this certainty deep down inside of him that a girl was meant to be his. If a different girl had blown him off, he would have just shrugged and moved on. But Cleo was different. He didn’t want to move on.

  When he had taken her virginity last night, he had claimed her as his own. But now he was starting to think that she had claimed his heart as hers. His wolf stirred inside of him, confirming his theory. His wolf recognized Cleo as his true mate.

  Although that should, in theory, have made Zane more nervous, somehow it eased his discomfort. Now that he had an explanation for why he felt so nervous about this, it didn’t seem as scary. And besides, his wolf’s instincts were always spot on, and if his wolf thought Cleo was meant to be his, then she was. It really was that simple.

  He scrolled through his contacts until he found Cleo’s name and number. He hit call before he had a chance to change his mind. Cleo answered his call quickly.

  “Hi, it’s Zane,” he said, pleased that his voice sounded normal, not giving away the turmoil he had felt about making this call.

  “Hi, how’s things?” Cleo said.

  It wasn’t so much her words Zane registered as it was her voice. She sounded surprised to hear from him, and Zane thought that maybe she, too, had been a little nervous about this. That maybe she had thought he wouldn’t call. That maybe, just maybe, she felt the same way about him as he did about her.

  “Good,” Zane replied. “I was wondering if you were free tonight?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. I’d have to check my schedule,” Cleo replied.

  “Okay,” Zane said. “So you’ll let me know?”

  Cleo laughed down the phone. It sounded so close that Zane imagined he could feel the warmth of her breath tickling his ear.

  “I’m joking, Zane. In case you’ve forgotten, I hardly have a hip and happening social life,” Cleo said, her voice tinged with amusement.

  Zane felt himself relax. He hadn’t even realized how tense he had become when Cleo had said she might have other plans.

  “Are you making this hard on purpose?” Zane laughed.

  “Yup,” Cleo said.

  Zane could picture the teasing smile on her face, the way she would be looking down at her feet, biting her bottom lip, and then how she would look up at him, her cheeks flushed.

  “My parents are out tonight and I thought maybe you’d like to come over,” he said. “We can watch a movie, or do whatever you want.”

  “I’d like that,” Cleo said. He could still picture her smiling, but it was a different smile now. A shy smile. “What time?”

  “Around eight?”

  “Sounds good. Text me your address and I’ll see you then.”

  Zane said his goodbyes and ended the call, feeling like the luckiest guy in the world.

  * * *

  Zane had decided to pull out all of the stops for Cleo coming over. It felt like a second date, but he was treating it as a first date, as it was their first official date. He had prepared a three-course meal, cooked from scratch, and after the meal, he had taken Cleo to the living room where they had watched a movie and finished off a bottle of wine. Zane had barely tasted the meal, barely saw any of the movie. All of his attention had been focused on Cleo.

  She was wearing another dress, a short, black one that fanned out slightly from her waist. She wore black flats and a silver necklace that matched her earrings. Her hair was loose around her face and she looked stunning. But it wasn’t that which held Zane’s attention on Cleo.

  She looked different somehow, like she was more confident. Her skinned glowed, her hair shone, and when she laughed, she did so unashamedly, her full body shaking. Radiant, Zane had realized early on in the evening. That was the word for what Cleo was.

  When they talked, Cleo no longer seemed shy. She was confident, forthcoming with her words, like she finally wanted someone to hear what she had to say.

  The more they talked, and the more Zane drank in Cleo, the harder he could feel himself falling for her. His wolf was a raging force inside of him, urging him to claim Cleo as his mate. He ignored his wolf. It was far too soon to start talking about forever, and the last thing Zane wanted to do was push Cleo too hard and scare her away. Although he thought this new, confident Cleo wouldn’t be scared of anything.

  “Shit, Zane, look at the time,” Cleo exclaimed, pulling Zane out of his head. “It’s almost one o’clock.”

  “So? Do you turn back into a pumpkin at one o’clock or something?” Zane grinned.

  Cleo gave a soft
laugh and shook her head.

  “What time will your parents be home? Your father will go ballistic if he thinks you’re on a date with the freak.”

  “Don’t call yourself that,” Zane said, a little more forcefully then he had intended to. “You’re not a freak, Cleo.”

  “Whatever,” she shrugged. “Your father thinks I am, and he won’t be happy to see me here.”

  “I don’t care what he thinks, Cleo,” Zane said. He smiled at her. “And besides, they are away for the night. They won’t be back until at least lunchtime tomorrow.”

  “Well, that is good news,” Cleo smiled. “So I guess I should text my mom and tell her I’ve decided to stay over.”

  “And she’ll be okay with that?” Zane asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “Sure,” Cleo shrugged. “Considering she thinks I’m with Rose.”

  She pulled her cell phone out as she said it. Zane shook his head and laughed softly. He waited for Cleo to send the text, and then he gently took her cell phone out of her hand and placed it on the coffee table. He looked deep into Cleo’s eyes and then he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

  As their lips met, Zane’s body tingled, his wolf stirred, and his cock became instantly hard. He knew he was in trouble here. He was falling for Cleo in a way he had never imagined was possible.

  Their kiss was passionate, both of them hungry for each other. Their lips moved in sync, their bodies pressing closer to each other. Cleo’s hands moved into Zane’s hair, tugging on it. He moaned as the tugging sensation spread through his body, making him want Cleo even more.

  She moved her hands away, and then they were on Zane’s shoulders. She pushed him backwards, away from her, but as he moved, she came with him, never breaking their kiss. She pushed him back until his back was against the couch and then she straddled him, grinding herself against his cock as his hands pushed beneath her dress and roamed up her back.

  His cock screamed for Cleo, and she didn’t disappoint. She was already opening his jeans and he lifted his ass so she could tug them down. Her hand grabbed his cock, moving quickly up and down, bringing Zane to the edge of orgasm almost instantly. Her touch was confident now, like she knew exactly what she was doing. Zane thought maybe she did. Maybe she always had and she just needed to try it once to see that for herself.

  Cleo pulled her mouth away from his and tugged her dress over her head. Zane followed her lead, tugging his shirt off and throwing it to the ground with Cleo’s dress. She lifted herself for a second, long enough for Zane to slip his jeans and boxer shorts off.

  Zane reached out to remove Cleo’s panties. He felt a shockwave go through him when he realized she wasn’t wearing any. He swallowed hard as Cleo grinned down at him.

  She didn’t waste any more time. She took his cock in her fist again, but this time, she didn’t work him. Instead, she lifted herself higher and slipped his cock beneath herself. She lowered herself and Zane felt her slit opening, gripping his cock, pulling him inside of her tight center.

  He moaned and laid his head back against the couch as Cleo put her hands on his shoulders and began to move up and down, making his erection sing. She moved on him slowly, teasing him, each up and down movement running across the full length of his shaft. He could hardly breathe, hardly think.

  Cleo reached down with one hand and took one of his. She grinned at him as she pressed his fingers against her clit. He didn’t need any more encouragement than that. His fingers began to work her, massaging her as she moved on him. Her breathing changed, becoming ragged, and Zane felt more pleasure assault him. He loved that he could make Cleo’s body respond to his touch so quickly.

  He upped the pressure on her clit, and as she came, she moaned his name in a way that made his heart slam in his chest. She came hard, shuddering against him. He moved his fingers away, running his hands up and down her back. His hips moved in time with hers, and he put his hands on her hips, moving her up and down faster.

  His wolf responded to the primal lust he felt. He felt his eyes changing, felt fur springing up along his back, but he kept his wolf down, pushing back the changes as Cleo leaned forward and rubbed her lips lightly across his. His skin tingled, shivers running through him as Cleo worked her magic on him.

  She continued to move, and he kept a tight grip on her hips, moving her faster. His eyes were drawn to her breasts as they bounced around with her movement. A sheen of sweat covered Cleo’s chest and made her skin look almost iridescent.

  She had never looked more beautiful than she did in that moment, with her head thrown back, powerful and feminine. Zane felt himself starting to go over the edge as pleasure raced through his body. He wanted to hold himself back, to make this last longer, but he couldn’t. He had lost complete control, giving himself over to Cleo, and when he came, he came hard.

  His full body felt the orgasm, each muscle tightening, each nerve screaming with pleasure. He tried to breathe, but he couldn’t, and although his lungs burned, he had never felt more alive than he did in that moment.

  His orgasm lasted longer than any he’d ever had before, continuous waves of heat and ecstasy moving through his body as Cleo came again, her body tightening around his erection. He felt her nails digging into his shoulders as his skin tingled and his body convulsed.

  Finally, it was over, his muscles relaxing, his lungs working again. He sucked in a desperate breath and then he was panting, his arms wrapped around Cleo, who collapsed against him, her head resting on his shoulder as she tried to get herself back under control.

  He felt his cock slip out of Cleo and he felt as though he was missing a part of himself, but he knew that wasn’t entirely true. He had found a new part of himself, and she was still here, still in his arms.

  He kissed her and then he stood up and carried her to his bedroom. There was so much he wanted to say to her, but in that moment, he was unable to form words. His mind was still floating away somewhere, his body exhausted.

  By the time Zane came back to himself fully, Cleo was already asleep in his arms. He closed his eyes, knowing it wouldn’t be long before he drifted off himself. He fell asleep almost as soon as his eyes closed, a satisfied smile on his lips as he held Cleo tightly, never wanting to let her go.

  9

  Almost three weeks had passed since that first night in the cave, and Cleo and Zane had barely spent a night apart since it had happened. Of course, they hadn’t spent full nights together as often as Cleo would have liked, because they had to wait for one set of their parents to go out of town overnight. Neither of them had told their parents they were together yet, but Cleo had told Annie, which made the overnight stays at her place a little easier. Annie usually stayed over at her boyfriend’s place, or she would make herself scarce some other way.

  Annie had been the first person to comment on Cleo’s appearance. She had told Cleo she looked radiant, that her skin was glowing. Cleo had at first put it down to that flush of excitement everyone got with a new relationship. But it hadn’t stopped there.

  Somehow, Cleo had become popular. Everyone wanted to be around her. She hated it. She wanted to remain in her little bubble with Rose and now Zane, just like she always had, and eventually the stream of cheerleaders calling her inviting her to parties, lunches, and on shopping trips had started to dry up, but Cleo knew in her heart she would only have to say the word and it would all start up again.

  Strangers as well as people she had gone to high school with, people who had never spoken to her in the years she had been in school with them, now stopped her on the street to compliment her hair, her nails, her skin.

  She knew in herself she was changing. She saw the changes when she looked in the mirror. Her hair really was thicker and shinier. Her skin really was clearer. But that wasn’t all that had changed. She had changed on the inside too. Although she still preferred the company of her close friends and Zane, she no longer shied away from social interaction because she was scared of being rejected.

  S
he was confident now, bubbly and always laughing and joking around. She felt empowered, like she had finally emerged from her caterpillar phase and become the butterfly she had always been meant to be.

  She had spent the last two and a half weeks crediting all of this to Zane, like he was making her strong and confident. It had taken her up until this moment to realize it wasn’t true. Zane was amazing and Cleo knew she was falling for him in a way she had never thought possible. But these changes, they were coming from her. She was the one who was embracing her femininity, embracing who she was, and who she had always been beneath the surface. Being with Zane had just given her the confidence to let this side of herself show.

  Cleo checked her calendar for the third time that day, already knowing what it would show but needing to see it there in black and white anyway. Tonight was a full moon, and for the first time, Cleo was going to change into a wolf.

  Now that she had become this confident, strong woman, she knew she could control the beast within her. She knew she could be who she had always been meant to be without turning into another clone, without the pack mentality getting to her and forcing her to blindly follow orders. She would be a part of the pack, truly a part of it for the first time, and yet, in some ways, she would be a lone wolf, choosing the path that was meant for her, even if that meant going against the wishes of the pack alpha. That was a promise she had made to herself when she had first started to consider doing this. She was ready to embrace the wolf inside of her, but she wasn’t ready to give up herself fully in the process.

  If that made her stand out as different to everyone else, she could live with that. She had been living with it her whole life, and now that she was stronger, it wouldn’t bother her at all. Maybe she could even become a rebel leader of sorts, talking to younger teenagers and letting them know it was okay to be afraid, that it was okay to want more than to be another follower.