The Journey To Become The Perfect Werewolf

by Olive P. Farley

  Chapter 70

  I woke to the beep-beep-beep of a hospital monitor. It took me a moment to figure out where I was. Then my memory came flooding back and panic took over. I shot up, looking around wildly. The room was empty except for the standard hospital room furniture. I tried to talk but it came out as a croak. It felt like one of those nightmares where you're trying to scream and can't get a sound to come out. I was getting more and more panicked by the second.

  To my relief, Gabriel came rushing in.

  “It's okay. You're okay.” He said, sensing my distress.

  “The baby?” I choked out. I wasn't worried about myself. The baby was what mattered.

  “She's fine. Everything is okay.” He said. I nodded, relief flooding my system. Suddenly I was too tired to try and speak. I closed my eyes and quickly dozed back off. I had no idea how long I slept. When I woke again, Gabriel was sitting next to me.

  “How are you feeling?” He asked.

  “Thirsty.” I answered. Gabriel poured me a cup of water in the pink plastic hospital cup. I drank it slowly, sputtering on my first sip.

  “Gabriel, I'm sorry…” I started, but Gabriel cut me off.

  “Shhhhh. No, I'm sorry. If you hadn't stepped in, that thing would have killed all the wolves in the diner. That wasn't a normal rogue, Carrie. We don't know what it was, but it was a lot stronger than a normal rogue.” He finished.

  “Do we know why they are attacking like this?” I asked.

  “We think we do. The elders believe it's a power grab. If the rogues can take a pack, they could have their own pack to rule over. But someone is coordinating the attacks. They are testing packs, looking for a weak spot.” He finished.

  “Can they do that?” I asked. Gabriel shrugged.

  “I don't know. But I don't really want to find out.” He said. I nodded in agreement.

  “I feel really weak.” I admitted, changing the subject.

  “You lost a lot of blood. The wolf you fought nicked an artery.” He said. “That puncture would have killed a human.” He said gravely.

  “I am sorry again.” I said.

  “You didn't have a choice, Carrie. I am just grateful that you and Meredith are okay.” He said, taking my hand.

  I stayed in the hospital another night, recovering. Being a wolf worked in my favor as my body healed quickly. Gabriel took me home and insisted I rest for a few more days. Finally, 3 days later, I was allowed out of bed.

  “Can we get dinner at the diner tonight?” Gabriel asked me that afternoon.

  “Sure! Doing something normal sounds great.” My wounds were almost entirely healed at this point. Gabriel had spent the last few days serving me breakfast in bed. I had been barely allowed to leave the bed at all and not in the way I enjoyed. I was thankful he had relented at last. Another day stuck in the bed and I may have gone crazy.

  I passed the time working on wedding plans. We had decided to marry in the early spring and planned on an outdoor wedding. We were keeping the ceremony small. Just our parents and a few friends. I had set up a date in two weeks to go dress shopping with Lacey and made an appointment with a baker to do a tasting. I had stayed as busy as I could from bed.

  Getting dinner had now become an exciting concept. I got a shower and dried my hair. Applied some light makeup and chose a cute outfit. When we walked outside to get into the car. I exhaled the crisp air deeply. The sun was going down and it was getting colder. We got into the car and drove to the village. When we got close to the diner, Gabriel surprised me. He passed it.

  “What's going on?” I asked.

  “I have a surprise for you. Well, not just me.” He said, winking at me. I was curious about the surprise but somewhat disappointed. I was hungry and had been fantasizing about a juicy burger.

  We pulled up to the training grounds and I looked at Gabriel in surprise again. He just smiled and got out of the car. He opened.my door and helped me out. I smoothed down my top, making sure the slight swell of my tummy was covered. We walked into the training grounds and my breath caught in my throat. The entire pack seemed to be here. What was happening?

  Gabriel smiled and took my hand. The pack parted, making a path down the center. Jon was at the center and again, I wondered why we were here. We finally made our way to Jon and he smiled before starting to speak.

  “Today we are all gathered together as a pack. Our Beta, Gabriel, has found his mate. In a few short months they will add another wolf to our pack. More than that, this wolf has shown she is one of us, risking her own life to protect our most vulnerable members. Today, we thank her and accept her as one of us.” Jon spoke loudly so the entire pack could hear. His words swirled around inside my head. Suddenly, my mind connected the dots. This was the ceremony Gabriel had described to me so long ago. They were here to accept me into the pack!

  Chapter 71

  Gabriel and I stood around the edge of the circle formed around Jon. Gabriel gave me a little nudge and I walked to Jon while Gabriel, and the rest of the pack, went down on their knees. I stopped for a second, feeling self conscious. I hated being the center of attention but Aeliana pushed me on.

  “This is our pack. You are the beta female. Time to get past this childish dislike.” She said.

  “Ok, Mom.” I said sarcastically to Aeliana. I was sure she would roll her eyes if she could. I finally arrived at the center of the circle. Jon smiled at me and winked before starting to speak again.

  “Carrie, do you accept this pack as your pack? Accept your position of Beta as well as me as your Alpha?” Jon said loudly.

  “I do.” I said loudly and clearly to my surprise.

  “Will you care for this pack? Defend it from threats? Risk your life, if needed?” He recited.

  “I will.” I vowed.

  “With the exchange of vows and blood, this wolf becomes one of us. From today forward she will be a member of this pack and community. She will have the protection of the pack and the respect due to her position. Are there any here who would challenge this wolf's acceptance?” He asked. Silence. Jon waited a moment as was custom. It couldn't have been more than thirty seconds but it felt like the longest thirty seconds of my life. Finally he started to speak again and I let go of the breath I didn't even know I was holding.

  “With no challengers, I, as the Alpha of this pack, accept Carrie into the pack.” Jon took a knife that had been set on a small table I suspected was only used for ceremonies like this. It all felt very sacred. He took the knife and sliced a small cut in the palm of his hand.

  “Joined by blood, the pack stays connected. We become a single unit of many working parts. Bonded in one mind, we are one unit. To violate this oath is to violate nature.” He said. He handed me the knife.

  ”Repeat after me:

  I submit to you as Alpha of this pack.

  With the joining of our blood, I become one with the pack.

  They are my family and I will strive to strengthen and protect our pack so long as I live.”

  I repeated the vow slowly, my eyes filling with tears. With each word spoken, I felt a bond forming. There was magic in the air, a sort of hum that seemed to surround us all. As I finished the words, Jon motioned to the knife. I closed my hand around the knife and pulled it out, wincing as the blade sliced my flesh. Jon put his hand high and I clasped it, our bloody palms making contact. Jon held my hand hard and I felt the bond start to happen as our blood mingled. I felt a stabbing pain in my head and for a moment, I struggled to stand. Suddenly as it had began, the pain stopped. I was overwhelmed by feelings of love, acceptance, and even pride. I opened my eyes and looked to Jon and felt a tear slip down my cheek.

  “You are officially one of us now.” He said quietly to me, his voice filled with pride. “Welcome the newest member of the Celestial Harvest Moon Pack!” He loudly announced. The pack stood up and cheered and clapped. I could feel their love for me, for Gabriel, and for our baby. It was a feeling I could never have imagined. For the first time in my life, I
felt at home. I felt accepted. I had a place here. I was no longer the misfit girl who was picked on in school. Now I was a fighter. I would defend this pack. I would protect my friends and family. I was proud of the woman and wolf I had become. I looked at Gabriel and made eye contact. He smiled that mischievous smile of his and came up to me, kissing me enthusiastically.

  The other wolves cheered him on and I broke away, blushing.

  “I love you Gabriel.” I told him.

  “I love you too!” He replied. I looked around at all the smiling faces of the pack. I belonged here. This was my home and would be my daughters home as well. I rubbed my belly, thinking of my daughter and another vision flooded my mind. It was the beautiful woman I had seen before. Her dark, curly hair was blowing in the wind, swirling around her. Her eyes were nearly glowing blue and I realized the wind swirling around her was her own creation. I came back to the present and smiled. Our daughter would be powerful. She would be loved. She would grow up strong and knowing what and who she is. It had taken me a while to get here but I finally liked the person I was, the person I had become. I was proud of all I had overcome.

  “Now it is time for the last step of the ceremony. Let us run as a pack with our newest member!” He announced. The pack cheered and all the adults started to strip and shift. Gabriel and I did the same. Many in the pack were excited, myself included and our emotions seemed to fuel each others through the link. I felt my skin ripple and heard the crack of my bones as my wolf took my place. Jon's large black wolf let out a loud howl and we all followed his lead as we howled in unison. Then, with Jon in the lead, Gabriel and I following behind, we ran through the woods. With every step I felt the hurts from the past slip away. It was time to leave the past in the past. From now on, I would focus on what was important, my family. Gabriel and our baby was what mattered most. My family, and my pack. My home.

  Just the beginning……

  Epilogue

  Gabriel's POV

  “Jon, you're going to just have to deal with it. Don't you dare try and pull rank either! She's Carrie's best friend and I won't let you ruin our wedding day.” I told Jon. Carrie and I had talked about this a lot in the last month. The wedding was a few weeks away and she was worried Jon was going to spoil it. We both knew what an ass he could be when he set his mind to it.

  “Dammit Gabe. I don't like being around her!” Jon practically shouted.

  “Because she's your mate?” I asked snidely. Carrie and I knew Jon's secret though he refused to admit it.

  “I don't have a mate and even if I did, never her.” He declared scathingly.

  “Whatever you say, just don't be an asshole. I expect you to be my best man and not be a dick to Carrie's family.” I said.

  “Why would I be a dick to Patrick?” Jon said in a lame attempt to make a joke.

  “You know who I mean. Her human family, and Lacey too.” Jon's face contorted at the mention of Lacey's name. As if the sound of her name alone was painful and repugnant.

  “I'll be as friendly as I can to her family. Just keep the friend away. I can be civil with her but that's all I can promise.” I nodded, realizing this was probably the best he could offer. I knew that Lacey being Jon's mate was upsetting him. The whole pack could feel the tension though he hid the cause. I honestly didn't understand why he was throwing away the mate he had waited so long for. I knew he had some prejudice against humans but this was next level.

  “Jon, look, I know you waited so long for your mate and Lacey is….” Jon cut me off.

  “I don't care what she is. She isn't my mate.” He said through gritted teeth. He left without another word, leaving me shaking my head. Jon was going to make himself miserable. Denying your mate could be painful. I still didn't fully understand why he was doing this. All I knew was that being around Lacey was going to be painful for him. Even knowing that though, I was NOT going to let Jon mess up our wedding.