The six friends sat in the living room in Lydia’s cottage, playing a board game, while Sadie read one of Arla’s werewolf textbooks for the five hundredth time. She let out a long, dramatic sigh, causing the rest of them to look in her direction, noticing the wistful look on her face.
“Uh, are you ok, Sadie?” asked Sebastian, a little warily.
“What? Oh, yeah, sorry,” she replied. “I just get caught up in the romance every time I read about werewolf mates.”
“Is it different from the way witches choose partners?” questioned Sebastian. He’d never really taken much interest in Arla’s background before.
“Oh, yes! Very different,” replied Sadie, eager to share her knowledge. “Werewolves don’t get to choose their mates.”
“What?”
Arla tossed and turned all night long, alternating between tears and rage over Victor’s betrayal, sadness at how much she was going to miss her friends and her life at the coven, and excitement to be returning to the pack she considered home. All of her emotions battled with each other for supremacy, leaving her exhausted and emotionally drained come morning. She was up and out of bed before Sadie had even begun to stir, finding a note under the door from Elder Laurel asking to meet her in her office. “The potion is much more complex than it appeared at first glance last night,” said Elder Laurel. “I am fairly certain I know who crafted it, and if I wasn’t so disgusted with him, I would be exceptionally complimentary of his ability.” “What kind of potion is it
The walk to the car was a lot less scary than the one she’d taken three years prior. Being able to light the way with magic certainly helped. “You going to tell me what’s wrong?” asked Drew with a nudge to her arm after their initial chatter had died down. “I can tell it’s more than just feeling sad about leaving.” She wondered how he always knew when there was something wrong. “Victor...” was all she got out before her voice cracked and she began to blubber. “You’ll still be able to see lover boy,” he replied. He knew that as much as Lorenzo hated the idea of her being with him - hell, Drew hated the idea just as much - neither of them would stop her from living her life. “I don’t want to,” she replied, wiping her eyes
Despite her late night, Arla woke early as the first streaks of sunlight made their way through the curtains. She lay there stretching her arms and legs out, her brain unfogging from sleep, before she sat bolt upright as she remembered meeting her wolf. “Woah, settle down girl, you’re going to give yourself whiplash,” teased Maeve. “Oh my Goddess, Maeve! I was worried I’d fallen asleep and you were just a dream.” “Oh no, I’m here to stay,” replied Maeve, smiling. “Happy Birthday, again.” “Thank you. I’m so glad to have you Maeve.” “You’ll never be alone again, Arla.” Hearing her words, Arla felt a peace envelop her. For the first time in a long while, she had someone whose m
Arla reached the training hall in the nick of time and took her place on the mats just as the head warriors made their way to the centre of the room. The training hall was a huge indoor space across the road from the packhouse. At the far end there was a gym with weight stations and exercise equipment, next to that was an indoor basketball court, and at the opposite end, where Arla was now standing, was a large open area where the floor was covered with soft black gym mats. The first half of the training session would take place in human form inside the hall, and the second half would be conducted in wolf form in the large training yard outside. Arla spotted Chloe on the opposite side of the room, and both girls had to stifle a squeal of happiness as the gruff-looking warriors began speaking. Arla had
Arla showered, dressed and was packing her bag for school when a knock sounded at the door. She opened it and squealed with delight, throwing herself into Felix’s arms. “Felix!” she shouted. “I missed you too,” he replied, chuckling and returning the hug. “You have no idea how much I missed you, Felix,” said Arla softly, not willing to let him go. “I think I have a fair idea,” he responded, bending his neck to kiss her forehead. She closed her eyes and melted into his comforting touch. It felt so right being back home with all her favourite people. If only Sadie could be here too, she thought, missing her already. It had
Arla’s face lit up with a smile so wide it hurt her cheeks, and she followed after Alpha Lorenzo quickly. They entered the tree line and walked for around fifteen minutes until they came to a small, secluded clearing. “This is where I shifted for the first time,” said Lorenzo, looking around with fondness. “I still come here when I need to think sometimes.” He wandered over to a tree and checked a hole in the trunk where he kept spare clothes, making sure there was something suitable for Arla to wear when she shifted back to human form afterwards. “Can you ask Maeve if she’s ready to give it a try?” he asked. “I’m ready. I’ll take good care of you, Arla,” replied Maeve. “She’s good to go,” Arla informed him, sudden
This is why she wanted to shift with me, thought Lorenzo. Werewolf law dictated that white wolves be protected. They were the rarest of wolves and each had unique abilities. A white wolf strengthened their entire pack and, as a result, they were both revered and hunted. There would always be those who let greed consume them and push them to break the law to take a white wolf for their own gain. “She is stunning,” said Marcel. “And she’s mine.” “She’s not yours yet,” replied Lorenzo with a troubled sigh, worry beginning to take hold. “But she’s definitely stunning.” Maeve stood tall and proud, tentatively stretching out her limbs and shaking out her pure white coat. The size of most wolves was in direct proportion to the
The following morning, Arla made her way downstairs to the Alpha’s office. She had never been in his office before, it had always been off limits. She couldn’t resist running her hands across the marble-topped wooden desk. It was stunning. “You like the desk?” he asked, noticing her fingers caressing it. “It’s absolutely gorgeous,” she replied, sitting down across from him, crossing her legs. A knock at the open door sounded, and Drew stood in the doorway holding a cup of coffee and a croissant. “Little lady, good morning,” he nodded his head at Arla before turning his attention to Lorenzo. “Shall I come back later?” “No, stay. Arla is involved in this discussion. Close the door please,” he asked, motioning Drew to