Breaking Traditions- the Shifter and the Mage

by Madilynn Dale

  As I stand from the bed, I stretch once again, reaching out wide with my arm. Shaking my arms following seems to help me loosen up even more. I can't believe how sore I am this morning.

  I move quickly across the room to grab my stuff for the shower and sprint down the hall. This has become my morning routine to beat everyone to the shower. It tends to give me a few more minutes to just relax in hot water. I enter the bathroom and grab a clean towel from the cabinet. I toss the towel over the curtain rod to use when the shower is done. I then turn the water on and watch as the spray hits the white bottom of the old porcelain tub. It makes a soothing sound that reminds me of the rain, and I continue to watch as the steam begins to rise from the now warm water.

  Jumping in, I feel the tension in my shoulders relax. It feels nice. I take a few minutes to just soak up some of the heat before grabbing my vanilla and honey scented bath products. I scrub my body and wash my hair. I follow it with a deep conditioner that I leave in for a few minutes before rinsing. I grab my towel as I turn the water off and dry in the shower's lingering heat. I feel more awake, but I would rather not freeze my tail off by opening up the curtain.

  Gathering the courage to step out, I finish dressing and head back to my room. When I open the bathroom door, I smell coffee. I listen and hear it brewing in the kitchen and realize someone else is up.

  I walk down the hall to the room, and I see Alex is starting to join the waking world. I throw my stuff toward the closet and pounce on him. I giggle as I land on the bed next to him and wrap my arms around him.

  "Well, good morning to you too. What is with all the excitement this morning?" He says, following it with a kiss to my lips.

  "Mhm, well, I have a plan for us today. We are going to go hiking in the woods. I want to let my wolf out and ground myself." I say, playfully nuzzling his ear.

  "If you want to do that, you better leave my ear alone. You know what happens if you nuzzle too much." He says, shrugging his shoulder in an attempt to move away from me.

  "Yeah, you are right. I don't want to waste any time either. So, hop up and get ready. I will be in the kitchen waiting."

  "But it is still super early!" He wines, throwing his head back on the pillow.

  "Yes, but the early bird gets the worm, and I have a lot of tension and stress to release, so let's get a move on!" I say, poking at his stomach.

  "Pushy much? This is the first day I have had to sleep in and be a bum for some time. Fine, I am going. Maybe you should skip the coffee this morning?" He rolls to the side and pushes into sitting at the edge of the bed.

  "Nah, I can't go without it nowadays. I will meet you down the hall." I say, jumping up and heading toward the door. I pause, though, and slide into a pair of sneakers. I grab our hiking bags and gear as well. While he is dressing for the day, I might as well prep them and have them ready to go. I look over at him as he stretches at the edge of the bed, and he lifts an eyebrow at me.

  "Don't rush me. I am not awake yet." He says, standing to grab his toiletries.

  I just laugh and leave the room. My mind refocuses on the smell of coffee as I move down the hall toward the kitchen. I am not surprised to see Stevie seated at the table with a cup of java reading a book. She is always an early riser and typically starts the coffee for everyone.

  I convinced everyone to invest in an industrial-sized coffee pot after I moved in since we all seem to hit it pretty hard. Instead of making five pots of coffee a morning, now we have a pot large enough only to need two. It is a blessing.

  "Good morning!" I chirp as I enter the room and set the bags on the table. I then turn to make a beeline for the coffee.

  "Morning! You going somewhere today?" Stevie asks.

  "Yeah, I am making Alex go out and hike with me today. I need to let my wolf out to roam for a bit. You are more than welcome to join if you would like." I say, grabbing a mug and filling it almost to the top. I leave just enough space for the creamer, though. I can't drink it black; I am not a fan of the bitter taste that much.

  "Oh, really? That sounds fun. I don't know, though, and I am not much of a hiker." Stevie responds.

  "Well, you and anyone else that is interested are more than welcome to just hang out at the picnic area close by if you don't want to hike. I was planning on making sandwiches with us."

  "When you put it like that, I guess I could handle that. Plus, it would be super awesome to see you in your wolf form. I have seen Alex's owl, but to see someone actually shift! Okay, I'm in, let me see if anyone else wants to go. I will be back."

  She sets her cup down and jumps from her seat. I laugh as she sprints down the hall to begin beating on doors. She seriously enjoys doing that way too much. I laugh even harder as everyone starts to file out and head toward me, well mostly toward the coffee pot. Stevie just follows suit bouncing on the balls of her feet with a gigantic smile across her face.

  "Morning, guys!" I say cheerfully as they all mumble back. I give them time to get their coffee and sip on it for a bit. It also allows enough time for Alex to finish down the hall, and he joins us. He lifts an eyebrow in question at me as he too grabs some coffee.

  "So, I wanted to invite you all to go out hiking with us today. There is a picnic area that you can hang out at if you don't want to hike, but Stevie thought it would be cool to see me shift. I didn't want you guys to feel left out, you know, and it would also be a great refresher for us all to get out in nature." I say, smiling as I finish.

  "I love the idea, but I have to work this afternoon. Maybe I can see it another time?" Lainee says.

  "I do too," Eddie says.

  "Well, I am free, and I want to do it. I may drag you out on the trail Stevie. Exercise will be good for you." Derick says with a smirk directed at Stevie. She just rolls her eyes in response and flips him the bird.

  "I like this idea; it will be fun guys. I hate that you two can't go, though." Alex says, gesturing toward Eddie and Lainee.

  "You all will still have fun, though. Don't worry about us. Go and relax!" Lainee responds.

  "Okay, so there will be four of us. I am going to start making sandwiches for everyone and getting water bottles ready. Stevie, do you and Derick want to grab your bags and prep for the hike?"

  "Ugh, sure, I didn't know we needed to take things," Stevie says.

  "I got you, babe, let's go I will show you what we need," Derick says and grabs Stevie by the hand. I smile and watch as they make their way down the hall. Their love is beautiful.

  "Well, since we aren't going," Eddie speaks up, "I am taking my coffee back to my room and possibly going back to sleep."

  "Ditto," Lainee pipes.

  "We will see you guys tonight then," Alex says as they leave the room.

  He moves over to help me in the kitchen. We make more than enough sandwiches and pack extra bottles of water. We lay the stuff for Derick and Stevie out on the table for them to pack when they return. I then double-check the first aid kit but laugh as I realize I am going with three mages who all have the skills and knowledge to perform healing spells. I still pack the equipment out of habit, though. It never hurts to be over-prepared.

  When Derick returns with a confused looking Stevie, I show them their waters and food. They slide it into their packs, and we all make our way out to my car.

  "So, where exactly are you taking us?" Alex says as he slides into the passenger seat. We put all the bags in the trunk to leave enough space to feel comfortable in the car.

  "Well, I was thinking a trip back out to Lake Moon would be the easiest. Plus, they have some easy trails, so Stevie, you could handle them." I look over my shoulder at her.

  "Okay, that sounds ideal. Are you sure I can handle them?" She asks.

  Derick pats her on her leg. "You can babe. My family spent a lot of time camping around there when I was younger."

  "Yeah, they aren't bad. Good terrain with easy footing." Alex says.

  I turn my focus back around to the road, and we head out. We stop and pull thro
ugh a drive-through to grab some breakfast that we eat on the short drive out. It is best to be fueled before the hike anyway, well in my case run. I will go through those calories like crazy during my shift.

  Reaching the park, I pull into a parking spot near the picnic area. We all hop out and grab both Derick and Stevie's bags from the trunk. After a minute of discussion, we pick one of the easier trails that goes around toward the back of the lake called "Racoon’s Roundabout."

  We make our way into the trees, and Stevie asks, "so are you going to shift now? I am excited about this."

  "Yes, I like to do it in the trees, though. It gives me more a sense of privacy." I say, stepping away from them a bit.

  Stevie keeps her eyes on me but startles a little when Alex shifts beside her. It elicits a laugh from Derick. She refocuses on me, and I give her a reassuring smile before allowing my wolf to surface.

  Within seconds I am on all four and staring at Stevie as she pales slightly, saying, "Holy shit, wow. Your wolf is massive!"

  I give her a wolfish smile and take off at a run down the trail. I hear her voice over my shoulder, mixed with Derick's laughter. "I hope you don't expect us to keep up. There is no way in hell I can move that fast!"

  I internally laugh and feel the same warmth of laughter seeping through the bond from Alex.

  "You know we are probably going to have to meet up with them at the picnic area later. Especially if we hunt, there is no way they can keep up with us, and I can feel your energy levels are high. You are going to be running for a bit, right?" Alex communicates to me.

  "Yeah, I have been antsy. It feels good to be loose. If I wander too far, don't panic. Okay. I will find my way back to you."

  "No doubt there, love. We are connected. Okay, well, happy hunting and running." His owl screeches as it soars even higher into the air. It stops my wolf in her tracks, and we feel his love for us through the bond.

  After he soars off a reasonable distance, I begin to hunt. I pick up various smells by moving along through a group of trees that are denser than the surrounding areas. I find the scents of deer, rabbits, raccoons, and also another wolf. This scent gives me pause because it is familiar but at the same time not.

  Reminding myself to stay alert, I pick out that the rabbit's scent is freshest and begin to stalk it. As I move further into the trees, I can hear something moving ahead of me in the brush. It has to be the rabbit! I am so excited about how fast I found it that I tune everything else out. I focus on the smell of the rabbit and continue to move forward.

  Soon, I see the small grey creature sniffing around the base of a tall oak tree. I can tell it hasn't noticed me, so I continue to creep closer. Just as I am about to pounce on my prey, a loud screech fills the air. I don't even have a moment to react before I am slammed from the side by an attacker. The impact has me flying sideways into a tree. I roughly with a loud crack. A few branches fall to the ground, and I stand on my feet, trying to shake myself out of the pain coursing through my body.

  In seconds, the pain has dulled, and I round on my attacker with my hackles raised and teeth bared. The scent registers as I breathe in, and I realize who has caused this trouble. It's Theo. I snarl and snap at him, unable to hold my wolf back as I see a flash of white in the corner of my eye. Alex has landed on a nearby tree branch.

  "What do you want, Theo?" I ask, continuing to snarl and snap at him. I try to be reasonable, but I am already in attack mode.

  "Payback," Is all I hear before he is on me.

  I am lost in a fight that I never thought I would experience. My wolf is fighting someone we once loved. I viciously defend myself against him and feel like I am doing a good job at it. We bite, claw, and rip at each other's flesh with a vengeance. Within minutes I surprisingly have him pinned beneath me.

  I feel his body shudder with rage as I force him to submit. He fights it, but I have a firm hold on his neck with my teeth. I add a bit more pressure, digging my teeth in more, and he stills. Blood drips from the holes my teeth have caused into my muzzle, and he wines. My mind faintly registers the injuries I have and continues to focus on Theo.

  "Don't make me hurt you more than I already have. Shift, and I will shift as well. You will not be harmed any more than you already are if you do." I say without loosening my hold.

  "No, you embarrassed my family's name by not accepting me as your mate and further embarrassed yours! I will have my revenge for my family's honor." He snarls through our telepathic communication.

  "I think you underestimate us, Theo. Also, I doubt what you say is true. Times have changed. This isn't the olden days." Alex says.

  "Can you force him to shift?" I ask, and he cocks his head to the side, looking at me with his big owl eyes.

  "Yes, but it will probably be painful." Alex returns his head to neutral and focuses his attention on Theo.

  "Don't you dare!" Theo yells telepathically, and his words seem to bounce off the inside of my skull. It causes me to loosen my grip on him.

  He takes advantage of my distraction and pulls out of my mouth, tearing flesh from his neck in the process but doesn't make it but two feet before he is human and sprawled on the ground bleeding out.

  I shift and say aloud, "Alex, you better heal him too, so he doesn't bleed to death. Stupid idiot."

  He maintains his form, and I watch in amazement as Theo's wounds begin to close. They disappear to small pink blemishes on his skin.

  I maintain a fighting stance as he stands from the ground. "I will not forget this. You two will pay. I will find a way." He then turns and sprints away from us.

  "Well, that came out of nowhere," I say and turn to Alex, who is still looking at me from his tree branch.

  "I did try to warn you, but you were too focused on that rabbit. So, hunt more?" He asks, cocking his head to the side.

  "No, but I will shift back so we can find the others. I don't want him randomly attacking them because of his fury for us." I say and then return to my wolf form.

  I follow Alex's lead as we head back toward the picnic area. He has no issue flying a straight path, but I have to maneuver around various obstacles like trees, to follow. At one point, he starts to fly in circles, which I didn't realize he was doing until I had already done a lap. His laughter fills my head as I cuss him and return to moving in the direction we were headed.

  In no time, we are arriving at the picnic area to a relaxed Stevie and Derick. I laugh as Stevie's eyes light up upon spotting me and maintain my form as I trot up to her side. I sit on my rump next to her and put my head in her lap. I leave it there, encouraging her to pet me. She seems frozen at first but the caves. I stay in that position as Alex's lands on the seat beside Derick and shifts. I wag my tail and share a wolfish grin.

  I continue to stay in my wolf form, letting Stevie pet me as he relays everything that happened. I know I have dried blood in my fur, but I put that in the back of my mind for a moment, just listening to Alex talk. I am relaxed and enjoying the comforting caress of Stevie's hand as it brushes across my fur. As she eases up on her strokes, caressing my coat, I decide to head toward the water.

  The lake is close to the picnic area, and I know it will be an excellent way to wash off all my blood. I can still feel a few spots that aren't quite healed yet, so hopefully, cleansing them will help.

  I jump into the water and paddle around in circles for a few minutes. I also dunk my head in the water, hoping to break everything loose. Feeling like I no longer have blood caked to my fur, I swim to the shoreline. I step out and shake before trotting back up to the table and shifting.

  "Well, what a day! Who is hungry?" I say, heading in the direction of the car to get my bag. They laugh as I move away from them, and I return quickly with mine and Alex's bags. We spend another couple of hours just hanging out eating and chatting before we head back into town.

  As we drive, I can feel my muscles ache from the fight, but I am also filled with a euphoric type sensation because I took out an Alpha, and he didn't co
mpletely shred me during the fight. I have always assumed he would but look who the winner is. Alex helped with that, but I did a lot of the dirty work. It fills me with happiness, and I know it will give me a new burst of energy for the week. I know I am going to need that energy to make it through Thanksgiving.

  18. Alex

  My busy weekend seems to have caught up with me this morning as I drag myself out of bed to head to the bakery. I loved seeing Nat take out Theo like that. It was wicked. I wish he would just leave us alone. Being a shifter, he should know that there is nothing that will change once a mate is found. I don't know how She put up with him for so long. I know her parents had a part in it, but he is a prick.

  Speaking of her parents, I wonder how long I can keep them from putting two and two together. I know I won't be able to keep the fact that I am mated to their daughter from them for long. My mind explodes with these things as I arrive to work and begin training and helping customers.

  I am exhausted, and my mind continues to wander in every direction as time moves on, and people come and go. I move from thoughts about the weekend to Thanksgiving with my family, and then to finals. I can't stop my train of thought as it flits from one idea to the next.

  Trying again to pull myself from my thoughts, I focus on the customer in front of me. She is having trouble making up her mind about the type of pastry she wants this morning. She ordered her regular coffee but claimed the pastries don't taste like they used to. I can't help but sarcastically think, I wonder why? Is it because Nat isn't around to add her magical touch?

  Several customers have made the same remark when ordering at the register since I started training. I assume it is because Nat isn't here but maybe it is something else. Is something going on with her parents? She has been gone for longer than just a few weeks, and the customers complain that they noticed the change recently. I do my best to listen as the describe the difference, but I can't do anything about it.