Chapter 4

Cormac

Today is a make-or-break day for me. Being a foster child, my changing ceremony differs from those of a family member. I can imagine Ryeleigh, and Raven being bombarded by family giving tips and trying to make their day perfect. For me, I am alone in a dorm to fend for myself. No one came to answer my questions. Actually, my sponsor has been missing for the last week. Even though I was taken in by the Canine Alpha, he could not be my sponsor. Next choice would normally be his Luna and mate, but she is tending to Raven’s change. My sponsor is the enforcer, Stanly, but he is too busy for a silly little pup, at least that is how it feels. Even though I am used to being the outcast, this was supposed to be a special day.

I was an unwanted son, born to a banished jackal female and an unknown rogue male. They put me into the shifter foster system after three failed homes within my mother’s old clan. When I was eight, they sent me to Texas to live in the Lyall Clan. That is where I met the Tora Clan, including my second family, best friend Bram, and Ryeleigh, the girl I have always loved. 

I look out the window to see cars pull up. Without knowing, I almost made myself late. The dorms for the Clan grounds are on the same land as the Alpha’s house. It has always been nice to have everyone close. But knowing I am ultimately alone makes me feel like a stranger in a crowd. It is time for me to head to the Alpha house and my nerves are making me sick.

The joint Alpha house is a meeting hall and sanctuary for all alphas and shifters to go for meetings and shelter. There is one in every main territory in the US including: Northwest (Washington), Northeast (Maine), Southwest (California), Southeast (Florida), North-middle (Minnesota), Mid-US (Kansas), South-Middle (Texas). Every state also has a meeting place and many other ceremonial areas. 

South-Middle Alpha house has 106 rooms, looking more like a castle built in the 1700s than a house. It rests on 600 acres, including the Berserker training facility, and houses a delegate from each animal type. Being that there is a Canine Clan and a Feline clan in the area, the delegates are the Alphas. The Bear delegate is a quiet but fierce man in his 40s. The Elk delegate is a female Stag in prime mating age. It is common for the Stag to tone down job duties when starting a family. It would be nice for my group of friends to stay together.

I feel like others think I am ungrateful for the blessed foster life I have had. I know it could have been much worse, but it is still hard knowing you have no family to treat you like a prince on this special day. Once I head to the ceremonial hall, I know the Alphas will show encouragement and happiness. Maybe I am ungrateful because it just does not feel like enough. 

My mother died when I was young, and no one knows who my father is. The speculation has always been that he was a rogue that had a one-night stand with my mother. They passed me around her clan till finally being moved to the regional foster home. Knowing that I could still be unloved and passed around to this day jolts me out of my pity party.

I am a lucky pup, with a powerful best friend and two powerful families that care about me. My best friend Bram is the Tora Alpha’s son and will be in the crowd for this ceremony. He cannot qualify for this ceremony because it is only one per family. His sister, and my first and only love, will join me on that stage.

A part of me is hoping that it is not her face I see in the flames. I would rather have no match than the impossible match of an Alpha’s daughter. I refuse to feel pity for myself and know that if we are fated, the universe will make it work. The problem I face is, even though your family does not decide on your animal or power level, it usually influences it. My mother was an omega jackal, and I will most likely be a low level canine like her. Rye and I would start at separate classes of shifter society because her family is all high-level felines, and she is assumed to be one as well.

Staying in the shadows, I watch Ryeleigh and Raven walk into the ceremonial hall. I spent plenty of time in the shadows watching that girl. She will never see me that way, but something has always told me she is mine. Her dress with the beautiful feline paws reminds me of all the reasons we can never be together.

I feel the hair on the back of my neck rise as someone joins me in the shadows. “My dad says you cannot speak for an entire hour. This could be fun trying to break you. But your actions speak louder than words.” Bram is my closest friend and the other reason his sister is off limits. Punching his shoulder, I try to distract him from what he thought he saw.

Pointing at his father, I walk out of the shadows to show my respect to the Alphas I owe my life to. Bram is right that I cannot speak, but as I get closer, the power from the Alphas overwhelms my senses. The not speaking is to honor the eternal silence of Skuld, who sacrificed her life for the shifter race. Once our animal transfers to us through the Elder fire, we will have a constant connection with Yggdrasil, the tree of life and the Norns. A part of my excitement at having an animal is that means I will never be alone again, both with my animal and my mate.

I walk in with the two most powerful Alphas after the Amory. These men and their clans treat me like family, but I am not betting on that when shit hits the fan. I will always be the orphan of a whore. Looking for my sponsor, I get what I have gotten all week, nothing. I need him, though, because he has my knife that was given to me by the Lyall Clan Alpha when I first came to the clan. Most get a knife from their family line, but not knowing mine, I could pick from the clan’s many relic knives.

I am three rows back from Ryeleigh and yet I can imagine her unique smell and I attune my senses to her. Every move she makes, I feel it in my soul. Her mother, and the clan Luna, is her sponsor. They walk on stage and soon I will join her. And not a minute too late, I see my sponsor run up to stand next to me. He barely looks at me and just shoves my knife in my hand.

Following the Paean is difficult when my eyes cannot be taken off of Ryleigh’s curvy form. Knowing she is naked under her robe is like red for a bull, I can feel my blood rising, which is why I miss the command to cut my hand. Scrambling, I cut too deep, making my palm bloody; I drop the knife when handing it back to my sponsor. Not able to focus on anything, I throw my hand in the fire. Expecting heat, I feel a warm embrace that instantly calms me. That or the image of a beautiful red wolf I see in the flames. As I knew would happen looking at Ryeleigh, I see the twin of my mate in a red wolf where Ryeleigh stood seconds ago. 

The loud screams from the elders get my attention to change back. Remorsefully, I follow the command and start the shift from bear to human. My bear. And wow, how did that happen? My bear seems agitated not to stay in his form, but he yields to me. He is strong and until I see my mark, I will not know how strong, but I have to be at least a Delta forth in line of power. That is when I see the horror on the screen. Where just minutes ago the Amory stood tall, now his broken body is draped over the rubble of a bomb attack.

Finally, the Elders speak, “We have confirmed that the shifter community has lost their Amory. Being that there has not been a replacement named for the Amory, we will be looking closely at the members of this shifting class. With many ceremonies done around the world today, it could take weeks to meet our new Amory if we even have one. Remember, if any of you notice the ability to shift to multiple animals, the ability to hear voices of clan members, or overly quick healing, please let your family clan Alpha know.” The Elder pauses and speaks with the Tora Alpha. 

The Tora Clan Alpha steps forward and says, “We will give no ranks or positions today; instead, we will wait till the next full moon, in 3 weeks, to let the Elders review the markings you received. We are sorry for the confusion; all new shifters need to report to their home clan within 24 hours for updates. Rouge, please follow the orders of the clans you are in. As of right now, we are under attack. Be safe and God’s speed.” 

Seeing the death of my Amory and shifting to a bear has rocked me. What do we do now? I jump up a turn to run off the stage when I see her. Oh crap, what am I doing? I was going to leave, but seeing Ryeleigh cracked and sobbing on the stage, I have to touch her. The bear is clawing to get out, but I need to focus and do the correct human thing, not animal.