Well Guarded Secret

Mia

The pain was getting worst. Every morning she woke up sweating and gasping for air despite the blast of centralized air-conditioning units in her suite of rooms. 

Then there was the sound of her voice in her head. Hers. It had to be. Though accented. She knew. But how could she sound rich and sultry, deeper, and rasper? Unused. MJ was scared out of her wits.

She was changing and she didn't know why. At the gym, she had torn numerous punching bags during training. Her new strength was disconcerting more so when she knocked out men three times her size during one of her sparring sessions. Her father and cousins were proud. She was not impressed; she was deadly afraid. What if she accidentally hurt someone? What if she hurt her only best friend Toni with her newfound strength?

Her sense of smell became acute, so was her hearing. She could smell fear, hate, jealousy, and lust but also happiness and excitement. She could hear a person whispering from afar, hear hearts thudding, and accurately guessed their emotions. MJ was becoming something more.

-What is happening to me?-

'You are becoming me.' 

"What the fuck!" Shrieking, she bolted out of her queen-size bed. "Who are you?" Her eyes fearfully scanned her room.

'I am you, human.'

"I am going crazy. Fuck! Crazier. Yes. Crazier." She hummed and began to pace. Her hand gripping her long dark brown locks.

'Not crazy, silly. I am your wolf.' The voice in her head answered cheerfully.

"It's me. Not her." She was uttering gibberish. Damn!

'Will you stop it. You are making me, ourselves dizzy.'

"If I don't answer. You will go away." MJ connected her smartphone to her JBL and blasted a rock song. On repeat.

'I will not go away because I am you. You are stubborn.'

"Please. Go away." God. She didn't want to end up in an asylum. She wanted an exciting career, fall in love, have kids, and travel the world.

'I will not go away. I am a part of you. We can do our dreams with our mate. He is waiting for us.'

Now, her conscience had spoken in sentences. Articulate, too.

'Okay. If you just let me explain, and if you still want me to go away after, I will.'

"Well, I can't really stop you, can I?" Her unsteady voice was loud for her sensitive ears.

'You have inhuman abilities. Wanna know why?'

"Please do the honors and scare me out of my wits."

'Haha. Sarcasm does become you. I should know. I am you.'

"Are you going to tell me or not?" She snapped. The fuck she was having a conversation with herself.

'Oh, shush. I will. Just shut up and listen.' MJ closed her eyes in pain. She had no choice but to go back to her bed. She will drown in aspirin later. 'You have been reading the lycan book. I know you are intrigued. What if I tell you it is all real?'

"Then you are a loony. I am a loony." She murmured.

'I am sad you think that way. You should believe me. I should have met you, my human at 16 years old but mother made us drink those suppressants. Why? Does she not love me? I am her pup, too.'

The pain she felt in her heart was more unbearable than in her head. "What do you mean?" She whispered. Did her parents lie to her? Were they lying to her all this time?

'Mom and dad. They kept me hidden. Why? I am a part of you, I am your wolf. We love each other. Our mate will love us, too.'

"I am not dreaming am I?"

'No. I need to be out. Help me. Please, my human.'

Guilt. The emotion flashed through her mind and her brain continued to process it until she let her guard down. "Yes." She grunted her permission through gritted teeth. Whatever was happening to her, she couldn't fight it anymore.

The torture began. She writhed on her bed. Sobbed and thrashed some more. A guttural growl left her lips before she screamed like there's no tomorrow. Screamed because of the torturous pain coming on waves. From the inside, her muscles and sinew were twisting, her bones cracking, she cried helplessly as her body realigned, her face contorted while her skull felt like bursting from within.

She can hear footsteps in the hallway, shouting and cursing then she knew no more.

It was black everywhere, making her succumb. Surrendering to the inevitable.

***

Mia Jane had always loved the moon, the stars twinkling, diamonds in the dark sky, so calming and serene. She had made a point to schedule a midnight picnic every once in a week. Antonia was influenced to share the calming experienced, too. One night, they even fell asleep in the mansion's secluded backyard with the precious jewels guarding them.

Tonight though, her heavy lids blinking open, something was different. She felt different. She could see way beyond the darkness. Her hearing was so acute, she could hear the night creatures scurrying beyond the cassias and orange trees, smell their fear and make out their body temperature through her sharp gaze. Only when they were far away, she became aware of where she was.

Startled, she scanned the grassy area where she was lying.

She was on her side, her body aching like she had been tossed around. She groaned, her voice came out on a whine. What the... Then she looked down and almost fainted again in shock. Hyperventilating, she sobbed, only it came out the same. She was whining like a freaking dog and she looked like it, too. Her body was covered in deep brown fur, and her limbs were of canines. A tail. She watched herself wagged the hairy appendage. A fucking tail! 

'Please wake me, up. Please.'

'Kiddo.'

MJ looked around her and gasped. She was surrounded by four wolves, the first two were smaller than the other two, but they still towered over her. She suddenly recognized the voice.

'Dad.' her voice was gone, replaced by a soft growl.

'Don't be afraid, princess. We are here to help. I am sorry. It was not supposed to happen too soon.'

She whined. Afraid. Where was the voice coming from?

'Baby, my darling. Look at me. Don't be afraid.' Of her own volition, her startled gaze went to the smallest wolf, its fur just like hers, with its eyes the same shade as hers.

'Mom?' How could they communicate through their minds?

'Familiar mind-link, my child. Can I come closer?'

'I guess so.' She started to stand to meet her mother but her legs were so weak and wobbly.

'Easy there.' Her mother, Jane, warned.

'Please. Tell me what's going on, mom, dad.' The wolf drew near her cautiously, wide-eyed, trembling she could only watch it or her if she was really mom, crouched, whined then nuzzled the side of MJ's shoulder.

'You are safe, darling. Safe. We will help you shift to your human, okay?' 

'How?'

'Lucas will help us. He is one of our Alphas. Marcus is here, too.'

MJ's fearful eyes went to the two other wolves hovering nearby. One's coat in deep brown, the other with dark ash-gray fur. Power and authority emanate from them, their eyes piercing, observing. They were twice the size of her father's wolf and they looked like they could kill an ordinary human in one bite.

'Shift, Mia Jane.' Whichever of the two monstrous wolves uttered the command made her body tremble.

'Now, Mj.' The voice was a deeper animalistic one hiding from a dangerous growl.

Her wolf had no choice but to submit, whining and growling from the pain, her body sank to the grass and she began to shake. Gasping and panting she lifted her face to the moon and howled. Praying and seeking relief.

Her head hanging in exhaustion, her body sagged on the earth. Breathing heavily, she felt her transformation. Though there was pain, it was not the same intensity she felt in her bedroom.

Then she was conscious of a warm blanket covering her. She was being carried back to the house. Blinking, trying to fight her sleep, she looked up at her father. "Dad?" She called out in a shaky voice.

"I'm sorry, princess. We will talk when you wake up, okay? Your mother will stay with you in your room tonight." The plea and fear in his voice made her nod. Closing her eyes, feeling safe, his movements lulled her to sleep.

Tomorrow she will need answers. Her parents better had a rational one for keeping a big secret from her all these years.

***

MJ woke up with a start and frantically searched her room for some danger. When none presented itself, she slumped on the downy softness of her bed.

Was it all a dream? Frowning, aware someone was sleeping with her, she looked beside her. Mom. This was probably the first time she slept away from her dad, then MJ heard some snoring on the carpeted floor. Dad.

She was well guarded after the incident last evening.

Accepting the fact she was a wolf was not easy, however, it was who she truly was. She had better accept she was supernatural.

'Thank you, human. You made me happy.'

MJ smiled faintly. Aside from Toni, her one true friend, she had another one inside her. Her wolf. "What's your name?"

'I don't have a name. I am just you.'

"Oh. What do you want to eat?"

'I want to hunt, human.'

MJ wrinkled her nose imagining herself eating raw meat. "How about I request us a steak and later on, we asked help from dad or my cousins on where to hunt?" She was thinking of deers for her wolf, not the small squirrels and rabbits around the vicinity.

'Sounds good. Come on, I'm hungry.'

Grinning, built-up energy coursing through her body, she silently got up from her bed so she wouldn't disturb her parents.

Her morning routine completed, dressed in cut-off shorts, plain long sleeve mid-riff black top, and faded white Converse, she navigated the silent hallway of their family wing, glided down the grand staircase, and went to the kitchen.

Their head chef welcomed her with a huge grin. "Any special request for today, Miss?"

"Medium rare steak and mashed potatoes, please?" Her unusual preference for breakfast did not falter the man's enthusiasm.

He bobbed his head and rapped out instructions to his helpers.

Her wolf was happy with her choice, MJ went to the fridge for her favorite yogurt snack. Peach and mango. Yum.

She waited patiently at the breakfast nook, munching on cold snacks and freshly baked bagels. In a few moments, Logan and Marcus joined her. Wary of her reaction, they waited until she invited them to sit beside her.

"I am ready to have the conversation after breakfast." She murmured while her cousins were served strong coffee.

Marcus grunted while Logan smirked.  "You are braver than we gave credit for." The latter answered.

MJ snorted. "Well, I can't very well throw a tantrum over the fact I am a Werewolf. I would only be hurting myself. But there's a lot I have yet to learn. And you can make it up to me by teaching me everything. That includes how to hunt. My wolf is getting antsy."

"That can be arranged. However, there's not much game here in California. We can take a vacation if you want. Explore your new side without worrying about discovery. Humans don't know we exist anymore. We can't afford you shifting unexpectedly." Logan offered.

"I will think about it. I may take a gap year." She chewed thoughtfully. Would Toni be okay if she left her for a while? "How's Antonia, Logan?" Silence ensued after her question and her pompous cousin looked away. Her chestnut brown eyes narrowed. "You better be treating her right." She demanded.

"You are quite fond of the little human."

"She's like my sister, my only friend. So, yes I am protective of her." Her gaze turned to slits in a warning for him to tread carefully.

 He nodded in understanding. "She's coping up well," was his vague answer.

"Good. Make sure she is safe if I decide to travel out of the country." Her voice was commanding, surprising her.

"She is surrounded by pack warriors and one of my gammas is working with her on the same floor," Logan assured her. 

MJ nodded. Satisfied for a moment. Her meal arrived diverting her attention to filling her and her wolf's craving, she would need sustenance for the revelations to come.