by T. L Smith
caused him.
Acknowledging the havoc this was causing on Levi's emotions, she tried to reassure him and remind him of his new surroundings. "Don't forget that you're not alone anymore," she said as she reached out to touch his arm. "If you choose to run with us, Adam will be there. He's dealt with unpredictable wolves before and he IS strong enough to keep control of the situation." She hesitated before her next statement knowing that what she was going to suggest came with risks.
"I was thinking . . . " she said, wavering in her decision to offer her help, "What is it Sophie?" said Levi as he turned to her with eagerness and hope. "Well, I was thinking that maybe we could use the time between now and the run to sort of, . . . well, practice in strengthening your control," she said with the sound of a question in her voice. "Is that even possible???" Levi asked, intrigued with her suggestion of help, and the promise of spending more time with her.
Smiling, she sat taller as she put her other hand on his arm and scooted closer saying, "Well, SURE it is! It's all about relaxing your control just enough to allow the change on one part of your body, then pulling it back before anything else changes!" Levi was now leaning towards her, interested in hearing more. "As you get stronger with letting it out and pulling it back, then you start changing multiple parts. For example, first you just let one of your hands change. Once you've mastered that, you do both hands. As you gain more control, you change more parts until, POOF, you're able to change to your wolf and back again at YOUR will! Easy peasy!"
Sophie was smiling broadly and seeming to bounce in her seat, filled with belief that this could be possible. Her enthusiasm was contagious and he felt himself grow more hopeful, but he also felt his courage grow with the sharing of her confidence.
Levi had been dreaming of the day that he could live a normal life again but had given up hope as the beast within him had strengthened and had taken total control. Now, a flicker of belief in a better day came to life. "When do you think we could start practicing?" he asked, daring to let optimism take hold.
"Why don't we go see Adam and get his take on things as well as his suggestions on how best to proceed! Then, depending on what he says, why don't we start this evening!? No time like the present, right? Besides, the new moon will be here all too soon so there's no time to waste!" said Sophie as she popped back up on her feet. She reached down and grabbed Levi's hands to help him up. She knew the last thing he needed was 'help up', but the mental connection she felt with Levi could strengthen with a physical one as well. Besides, the attraction she was feeling for him, which actually started the moment she saw him, was driving her to establish a physical connection. She bubbled inside with the possibilities of their link as she led him away to begin, what she hoped would be a very successful endeavor - in ALL things!
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
Luke and Julie continued talking about the past long into the evening hours. The longer they talked, with Julie staring deeply into Luke's eyes, the more details from the past came out. As the gruesome details started coming out, Julie started withdrawing, becoming hesitant to continue. Knowing that her transformation was approaching, and knowing her own wolf was waiting to come out, Luke would use the alpha power to force a calm into her that would ultimately give her the courage to continue. With the final memory of being thrown into the bush, badly injured, her connection with the past finally snapped into place. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she sat next to Luke, pale from the horror of that night and trembling with the violent memories she'd suppressed for so long.
"Julie, honey, look at me," Luke said when she'd turned away from him, struggling to come to terms with her past. Reaching for her, his fingers gently turned her chin towards him so he could see how she was doing. "Are you gonna be ok?" he gently asked her. He could see that her mind must've been running a mile a minute with all the details she'd had to absorb in such a short time. He hated having to do this so intensely, but had she transformed under the new moon without this knowledge, it would have been disastrous. As clarity seemed to take shape, her trembling subsided a bit.
"Wow, I just never dreamed anything like that was possible in a small town like Oakville, ya know?" she said with a slight tremor in her voice. "I understand now why I would've blocked all of that out for so long. It's horrific to remember, even though I'm sure now that my dreams must've been my body's way of preparing me for it."
Luke nodded, all while holding both of her small trembling hands in his own large ones. Occasionally he'd reach up to tuck some loose strand back behind her ear. He loved being able to gaze into her eyes and knew, for now, it was imperative that he maintain a connection. He offered her strength, courage and support through this connection and it was the only way he'd be able to reach her at this moment. Having the ability to connect mentally was a definite asset when dealing with situations such as this.
Julie was staggered by all she'd remembered. To know that her family had died so horribly was beyond heartbreaking and she was amazed by her own survival. The slight reprieve from it all was that it renewed her memories of her family; details that had slowly faded over the years. She actually smiled a bit at the remembrance of her brother and the close relationship they'd had. She loved remembering her mother's kindness and tendency to do so much for the family; and her heart swelled with pride when remembering her fathers courage on that night. She could see their traits within her own self and she knew she had the strength to deal with it all, and ultimately make them all proud of her.
As the calm from these thoughts poured over her, she raised her head, lifted her shoulders, and with conviction said, "It's ok. I can do this." Then her gaze softened as she looked at Luke, studying the emotion, strength and safety he offered all within the golden, speckled eyes of a man she was rapidly coming to care for. She didn't understand how such a connection could be made, especially so quickly, but she knew what she felt. She knew she could trust him with her safety, both body and soul, and she was grateful fate had brought him to her at such a difficult time.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
Luke watched Julie closely, seeing the look of resolve and conviction settle over her. He was amazed at her strength and courage. She was unlike any other woman he'd ever known, human or wolf. He knew that she was going to make a magnificent wolf. He also now knew that he wanted her for himself. He felt her strength and sensed that she could handle anything thrown at her. He knew that now was the time to start bringing her into his world so she was ready on the night of the new moon.
Through his connection with her he renewed his strength and reassurance of safety as he readied himself to tell her the truth of who she now was. "Honey, there's something more that we need to talk about. It's going to strike you as very strange, if not impossible, and possibly even a bit frightening." Seeing her tense and preparing to object to anything more, he rush on. " Let me assure you that you are safe, and that with the way you've handled all of this information, I believe you to be strong enough to handle what I need to tell you." "What is it?" she asked, looking a bit uncertain about wanting to hear more, yet flattered by his high opinion
of her.
Luke took a breath and continued. "The man that attacked your family was something more than a simple man." Julie spoke up saying, "What? What else is there that he could be?" Taking both of her hands back into his own, he turned towards her. "The man's name is Levi Rigland, and he's a shifter; a shape shifter." He waited for that to sink in and watched as Julie tried to process what he said.
"A Shifter? You mean like in the paranormal novels? Someone who can change into something else?" She seemed incredulous that he would actually believe something like that.
"Yes, honey, exactly like that. We don't let it be known what we are in order to keep us safe. We were hunted almost to extinction once and we've tried very hard to prevent that from happening again," he said. Then he waited.
First she just laughed and gave a smile that said "Oh you silly boy. You don't actually believe th
at do you?" Then, while seeing that he wasn't laughing, or anything but dead serious, her smile faded as she finally processed what he'd said. He'd said "WE" when referring to a race of shifters.
"Wait a minute. Just HOLD on a second. You said "we". What do you mean by "WE"? Are you saying that you're one of them too? You believe that you can change into something else?" She had rapidly fired off her questions while Luke gave her the time to process. Being finished momentarily and looking rather stunned, Luke spoke up.
"Yes, honey. That's exactly what I'm saying. I am a shifter, a wolf shifter; and you are going to be one too very soon." With that she burst out laughing.
"OH, that's RICH!" she laughed. "I don't know you at all but you sure know how to tell 'em!" She was laughing so hard that she fell over, struggling to pull in a new breath.
Luke knew there was only one way that he could deal with this. Seeing is believing, and with that thought, he began to undress so that he could shift. He needed his clothes to be intact so he wouldn't wind up naked in the park! Leaving on his briefs since it was the most disposable or unnecessary piece of clothing, he crouched to allow his body to make the changes and put him in the proper position. Hair started sliding out all over his body, fingers withdrew as claws slipped out, ribs shifted, his spine elongated and soon, there before Julie stood a dark coated, broad-chested wolf with gold eyes. Julie was so stunned, she fainted.
When she came around, she found herself in Luke's arms. She thought how pleasant it felt and how much she wanted to stay there, . . . until all of a sudden it all came back to her. With wide eyes, she jumped up off of his lap, staggering a bit and rapidly looked around, searching for the wolf she remembered. "Where is it? Where'd it go?" she whispered.
Luke just sat there patiently, waiting for her to finish. This had been quite a shock and he knew she would have to process it in her own time. He knew she would, but he hadn't expected her to faint. As her eyes had started to roll back into her head, he darted forward, rapidly shifting and managed to catch her before she could hit the ground. He'd sat down with her in his lap and wrapped his arms around her to keep her from getting chilled, and he'd waited. He knew she was fine. After the darkness had claimed her, her racing heart had slowed back to normal so he knew she would be ok.
Eventually Julie stopped searching for the wolf. She seemed speechless as her mouth opened and snapped shut several times before saying anything. Then she just stood there, silently, watching Luke while trying to process it all. This had been one CRAZY night! She struggled to make sense of it all. How could a man turn into a wolf? Sure, she'd read it in the paranormal romance novels she liked, but in real life!? As her eyes moved up to meet Luke's, she remembered the wolf's eyes - exactly what she was looking at now. "How can this be real?" she asked, struggling with her confusion and strong desire to make sense of it, yet she waited for Luke to respond.
Sighing deeply, Luke stood and moved to where she stood. At first she started to draw back, whether in fear or just needing space she didn't know. Then, looking at Luke and seeing worry cross his features, she felt a reluctance to hurt him and held her ground. "Just tell me how this is possible," she said softly. Luke held his hand out to her, asking for her trust. If she could take his hand, he knew things would be ok. She stared at it for a long time before finally sighing and putting her hand in his. "Let's walk," he said, which pleased Julie because she knew she did her best thinking while moving.
"Shifters have been around a very long time. All fantasy is based in some truth, even though a lot of the details were added to make it a better story. Magic is real, and basically all what you would call paranormal creatures are actually magical creatures. They each have their own kind of magic and each seems to serve it's own special purpose. Shifters can be many things. You've seen the wolf, but there are bears, tigers, lions and some that can change into anything they want, though there are much fewer of that kind than the rest. As I'd said earlier, we were once hunted down almost to extinction. Humans are afraid of what they don't understand. So, we have become very skilled at hiding what we are, for our own protection."
Julie listened very intently and was fascinated by what he was telling her. She decided to stop holding on to what she thought was reality and just keep an open mind about these new things as a way to save her sanity. "How have you kept your numbers up? How have you continued to exist, if you were almost extinct," she asked. This was the side of her brain that she thrived on. Research and understanding things not so easy to understand or explain.
Luke proceeded to give her the standard history lesson of the shifter. Everyone was required to know it and pass it down so that it was never forgotten. Along the way he'd personalized it with details from his own life so that it wasn't textbook regurgitation. As he spoke to her, he could tell that she was very interested in what he was saying and that gave him hope for an easier adjustment period! All while telling her about his pack, and how the hierarchy was set up within a pack, how calm was maintained when it could so easily be chaos, he held her hand, stroking his thumb over the heel of her hand and down the thumb. The longer he talked with her, the more interested and connected he felt and he couldn't help but wonder if she was what he'd been waiting for his whole life. Had he imprinted on her when he'd first seen her? He knew that each male wolf would imprint on the female he was intended to be with. It didn't always happen. At those times a connection among families, or out of necessity, would bring two together.
However, each male eagerly awaited the coming of his one true soul mate and many would search their whole lives without ever finding her. Some would never mate if that happened and they would eventually head off on their on, becoming a lone, rogue wolf who would live out his days roaming but never settling down. With the way things seemed to have changed for Luke, he couldn't help but wonder if Julie was his intended mate. But that wasn't something he would tell her at this point in time. That just might be too much! He had one more thing that he needed to tell her and he hoped that it wouldn't push her over the edge she seemed to be holding tightly to.
"Julie, I tell you this because I want you to be comfortable with both what I am as well as what happened to you in the past. Both things are what they are, they can't be changed. For those rare few humans that find out about us, it was allowed because they had the capacity to open their minds to it and to accept it for what it is. Do you think you can do that?" Luke searched her eyes for acceptance. He waited while she processed it and could decide for herself how she felt about it. It was important that he not influence her in any way in her decision to believe, or not.
"Well," she said, " it certainly isn't your run of the mill life story!" She chuckled with the absurdity of it all, or what would have been absurd if she didn't actually believe what Luke had told her. "You say there are a few humans who are allowed to find out. How can you choose who should or shouldn't find out? And for the ones who find out, once they know - they know. What's stopping them from going off the deep end and running through the streets screaming at the top of their lungs about shape shifters?" Though she lightly laughed with that, there was also an undertone of seriousness and concern that Luke noticed in her expression.
"First of all, only those who MUST know, find out; and if they can't handle it, we do have a way to, . . ." Luke paused to try to find the right words to use here without scaring her. "Well, we can . . . sort of hypnotize them into believing they never heard or saw anything. Some may call it brain washing but it's no where near as invasive as that!" With this description, Julie's eyes had widened and she'd unconsciously taken a step back to put a little distance between them, which was exactly what Luke had been afraid of.
"It's ok Julie. It's no where near as bad as it sounds. I'm sure I've just used the wrong words to make it sound worse than it is. It's not painful or even uncomfortable. It's simply a way of . . . well, i guess . . . erasing or wiping away that which they already have trouble or are uncomfortable with believing for whatever reason."
"Ok, here's the thing," said Luke, taking a deep breath and getting ready to relay the last bit of information he needed her to have so they could begin preparing for her pending transformation. Turning Julie to face him and taking both of her hands into his own while pushing a bit of calm towards her, Luke said, "When Levi attacked your family so long ago and left you injured, he'd had injuries of his own. Typically, a shifter inflicting injuries on someone isn't enough to infect them if they live. However, if he were to get injured in the attack and somehow mingle his blood with that of a human that lives, his traits are passed on to that human." Watching her carefully to see if she was understanding what he was trying to tell her, Luke paused a moment to let it sink in.
As Julie slowly processed what he was saying, he could see the different emotions running through her. She had been slightly flushed with excitement during the earlier reveal of his wolf and as he talked about shifter history. She had slightly paled when he talked about erasing knowledge of the shifter from a human and now, . . . she slowly lost all color to her face as it apparently became clear what Luke was trying to tell her. Luke could see her tremble and worried she'd lose consciousness. He headed for a bench.