FIRST SHIFT

Adrain’s POV

My name is Adrian,  the alpha of Wild Pack. I became the alpha of the Pack after my father died suddenly.  He went to bed and never woke up from his sleep.  I was just 22 years old at that time and was not ready to lead anyone, talk more of being the Alpha of one of the largest packs in the werewolf territory. 

As a child I watched my father be burdened with the pack's responsibilities and that of other smaller packs that had treaties with us. Due to this, he had little or no time for me and my mother. 

‘I can't take you to the school games, I will send someone to go with you and your mother.”

“But I want you to come with me, all my friends are going with their father.” I cried

“They are not the alpha of the pack, they don't have the responsibilities like I do. That is why they can gallivant around the pack and go to all occasions, celebrate every mediocre event” my father shouted at me “Make your son understand.” he said to my mother and walked out of the room.

I notice the sadness pass across my mother's eyes and disappear almost immediately. She looked sad often and she tried her best to act as if everything was okay by plastering a fake smile on her lips.

“Adrain.” my mother said with a kiss on my forehead. “Your father loves you so much, but he is so busy with pack duties.”

I frown at my mum “Why do you keep making excuses for him? He does not love us as much as he loves his work.” I could feel the frustration in my voice

“Don't say that, your father loves you, and remember I love you so much.” she tickled my sides making me smile even though I would rather not. All I wanted was to scream, to let out the fury within me, but I knew that my mother had sacrificed a lot for my sake and even though I was hurting and I wanted to shake her so hard to face her reality, I didn't because I don't want to hurt her as I know she loves me and Dad unfortunately. And I knew that she was also a victim of my father's absence and unavailability.

My mother and I grew closer, and with her help, my father's lack of interest in my daily activities was more bearable, even though I still yearned for his presence, I learned to adapt to the circumstances around me.

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In the werewolf world, we were all expected to have our first shift at the age of fifteen and if there is a delay, then at eighteen you were expected to have shifted. As an heir and a future alpha, I was expected to shift at fifteen, my ancestors all shifted at that age. I was scared as I had heard horrifying stories of the pains of shifting. Some have been disfigured permanently due to failure to have a complete shift from human to wolf or from wolf to human form especially during their first shift. I heard a story of someone from our pack years ago after he shifted from man to wolf form, he was unable to shift back to his human form and remained that way permanently. You can imagine my fear, and as the only son of the alpha and his heir, my fear only tripled.

I expected that my father would guide me as I have witnessed other fathers do for their children. However, my father claimed that he was too busy with work. It was always work for him. I was devastated and almost depressed, your first shift as a werewolf was a big deal, and I thought it would matter to my father. 

However, my mother took charge and stepped up where my father failed. She with the help of my father's Beta, Beta Davis, put me through all I needed to know. Beta Davis’s son and I were best friends and under their tutorage, we both overcame our fears and doubt.

On the day of my first shift which was also the full moon day, a day marked by hunting and feasting. It was a ceremony everyone looked forward to, and some minutes to midnight; all adults and everyone who had shifted gathered together at the pack’s field including those shifting for the first time.

As soon as the moon appeared, I felt as if my blood would burst out of my veins, my muscles throbbed and my veins pooped out of my skin. All parts of my body were in tremendous pain, I felt my hands begin to stretch and form a  claw, my eyes popped out and my mouth and teeth elongated and widened.  My whole body felt as if it had been reconstructed and I felt every part of me change. I felt the irresistible urge to cry out and the sound that came out of my mouth was a deep howl, the others with me, we were ten shifting for the first time also howled out loud. It was a fearful yet exciting experience. When the howling stopped I noticed we were all standing in our wolf form.

My sense of smell increased and I could make out my parents and those close to me by their unique scents, my hearing also became more enhanced and I could hear sounds from miles away., I could hear the conversation made in whispers and when I heard my father claim that he taught me all I knew, it took all my willpower not to charge at him. 

“It's time to hunt.” my father shouted into the night and everyone in the crowd started to shift into their wolf forms. The alpha, my father led us all into the forest and since some of us just shifted for the first time, we did not go too deep into the forest to avoid dangers and predators, especially wolf hunters.

We hunted and played around and I had my first kill in wolf form, a rabbit that was at the wrong place. When it was time to go back to the pack my father howled signaling for everyone to gather together, we all came to meet him and he led us back to the community field.

The old shifters shifted back to their human forms as they had mastered the act of shifting at will. Then they encouraged us the first shifters to turn back to our human form. To shift back into a  human was tricky and required total concentration and I could smell fear build up within and around me.

“Just imagine yourself shifting back to your human form. I heard my mother's voice as she mindlinked me. Your face, hands feet, and every other part of your body is taking its human form, follow your instinct and you will shift easily. I followed her instructions allowing my willpower to take over my being and thoughts and within minutes I stood in my human form.

Everyone cheered us with loud hooting and claps and I could sense their relief as there was no mishap unlike the last set where an omega boy did not get his wolf and another was left deformed from partial shifting.