002 - A Gamma's Kiss

CARLOS.

Tonight is a full moon.

I knew Shaila would be shifting tonight. I haven’t seen her for weeks. The last time I saw her was when I teased her about her new haircut and she got pissed off.

A few weeks ago, she arrived at the training grounds with short hair to bring something for her brother. She didn’t look bad - in fact, she looked sexier and older. But I missed her long hair. I missed the innocence in her face that I was used to.

I was kind of surprised by my reaction. I thought I preferred older women, but when she showed up looking older than her age, I flipped out. 

I teased her and told her I would hunt down the person who cut her hair because she looked terrible. I couldn’t forget the disappointment on her face before she left without saying a word.

And I never saw her again, until tonight.

She showed up with long hair. I was baffled for a moment. How could she have gotten it back so quickly? Well, fucking hair extensions. 

She didn’t say a word to me for the rest of the night and just listened to my instructions about shifting.

And then I sensed her anxiety when everyone started taking off their clothes. She didn't want to be naked. I saw her approach Andrea, timidly, and using my werewolf hearing, I listened to their conversation.

"Are you not taking off your t-shirt, Miss Andrea?" Shaila started by asking her.

Andrea shook her head. "No. That's why I have a loose shirt on me. I'm not yet comfortable being naked in front of this many."

"Me too. But I was so worried the whole day that I forgot to think about what I would wear before shifting. My shirt is too short and too tight. But I don't want to be naked..."

"Maybe you can mindlink someone from your home to bring you a shirt?" 

"But I live too far from here..."

"Wait, I think I can..." Andrea was not able to finish her words because I had already approached them. 

I took off my shirt, which was a bit bigger and looser than the usual shirts I would wear, and handed it to Shaila. 

"Take this. It'll be enough to cover you." My voice came out serious. I had no idea if she would decline because I knew she was still angry at me.

I watched as her eyes locked with mine before she raised her hand to grab the shirt from me. She mouthed her thanks and moved behind the tree to change into my shirt.

I couldn’t help the smile from twitching on my lips. For exactly this reason, I put on a loose shirt, which I rarely do since I am more comfortable with a tight-fitting shirt. I was thinking of her when she shifted tonight. 

Although I didn’t fancy Shaila at all, I wasn’t comfortable seeing her naked with too many males around her. She’s still a kid to me. And I was just protecting her.

And I was glad she didn’t complain when I offered my shirt to her and immediately changed into it. She actually looked fucking good in my clothes.

I pushed any ideas away from my mind as I focused on doing my job. Shaila was too young for me. And she’s not my type. Again, she’s still a kid to me. And I was just protecting her.

The night went on as usual, and the male pups were already starting to feel the signs of shifting. And then Shaila. Andrea, on the other hand, was still not feeling anything. But it was nothing unusual. Based on experience, females were shifting later than males.

But as much as I tried not to pay too much attention to Shaila, my eyes were betraying me. I couldn’t keep my gaze away from her for more than a few minutes.

I saw when her body started to tremble as she fell down to her knees. I was itching to catch her, but I restrained myself from moving, but my eyes didn’t leave hers the moment she crumbled to the ground and started sobbing softly.

Cold sweat was forming on my body. I had no explanation for what I was feeling, except Shaila looked vulnerable and I was just too concerned she would pass out before she could shift. That was it. That was the only logical explanation.

I saw Gabriel had moved from his spot and was heading for Shaila. He was doing what he was supposed to do, helping out the pup as they shift. 

It was too late when I realized my own feet had moved on their own accord and blocked Gabriel, telling him to check the others and that I would be the one to assist Shaila.

His forehead creased, but he didn’t say anything and just moved on to the male pups. I couldn’t blame him. For the last three years, as the pack Gamma and responsible for pups shifting every full moon, I have never consoled or helped anyone personally during this process. That was the job for the warriors I took with me. I just looked and observed - so this was something new for me.

Shaila kept whimpering, and I just found myself dropping to my knees in front of her. Her eyes were begging for me to take away the pain, and I wished I could. My hand was raised to her back and I began to rub it gently. But I didn’t think it was helping.

"I think I’m going to die." She said, her voice breaking as her fingers dug into the soil beneath her.

"You’re not. You can make it, okay? Take a deep breath." I told her in a calm voice, as I took a deep breath as well, making her follow my lead.

She was trying to do what I told her, but tears kept streaming down her face, and it was making my wolf, Hugo, restless.

"It’s so bad to die this way, right?" Her face flinched as she coiled on her stomach, and I had no fucking idea what to do next.

"Stop thinking about dying. You’re not going to die, because I will still take you to that ice cream parlor you’ve been asking me to take you for years."

She smiled, but the pain was still flashing across her face. "That place was closed months ago."

"Damn it! I’m too late already." I forced a chuckle.

She nodded and closed her eyes as she tried to raise herself off the ground. Determination was written on her face. I wanted to help her, but I didn’t want it to come off as if I was taking advantage of her, especially since I could feel eyes on us.

"This feels like dying. I’m burning inside. I didn’t even get to hug you before I die.."

I smiled at her. My hand went up to her back again, patting and rubbing her gently. "I didn’t know you wanted to hug me."

"Oh, I do, since I was ten. But you avoided me like I was a plague. I thought..." She stopped and grimaced, "... aaaah!"

I panicked when she started screaming that the next thing I knew, my arms snaked into her waist and I pulled her body towards mine. We were both seated on the ground, and I guided her head to rest on my naked chest. My arms were wrapped around her as I rubbed her arm with my hard, calloused palm.

She was panting heavily, her hands gripping my arms tightly, and I could feel the heat radiating from her body.

This was fucking embarrassing. I was the one leading my pups for shifting, but I had no fucking idea how to help them ease their pain. A part of me regretted approaching her. Maybe it would have been better if I just let Gabriel help her out.

My wolf, Hugo, growled in my head as he disagreed with the thoughts.

My wolf was fucking confusing me as well. He was so adamant about protecting Shaila right now, which he had never done for any females around me before.

"You hugged me..." Her voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "I can die here now..."

Her words made me smile, but before I could answer her, she started to let out a painful cry. She pushed my body away from her as she crouched on all of her fours.

My eyes darted to my side as I saw Alpha Caspian looking at Shaila, his one arm coiled on Andrea’s waist as she leaned her body on him while watching Shaila with a painful expression on her face. Andrea looked like she was about to cry.

I snapped my head back to look at Shaila just in time to see her fangs elongate. A smug smirk tugged at my mouth as my chest swelled with pride.

She was shifting.

I heard her bones snap in all places as fur started to emerge from her skin while she cried in agony.

My heart was thudding loudly in my chest as I saw her shift right in front of my eyes. It wasn’t long after that, a dark, cream-colored wolf was standing in front of me, and her cries turned into howls of victory.

She shifted. Hugo told me her wolf’s name was Maya.

Beautiful name, just like she and her wolf were. 

I moved nearer and dropped to my knees in front of her wolf. My hands flew to her neck and began rubbing her soft fur while a wide smile was tugging at my mouth. "You’re fucking beautiful, Maya!"

Maya whimpered against my hold before she started licking my face. I heard the boys snickering behind me, but I wasn’t giving a damn. Hugo and I were still enjoying having her in our arms. 

"Gamma Carlos, the male pups, wanted to run already." Gabriel’s voice came from behind me. Maya stopped licking my face and moved backward, but she was still staring at me. I nodded my head at her before I stood up and faced Gabriel. 

"Run with them. Take Beta Paul too. I’ll stay behind and wait for Andrea." He nodded his head in acknowledgment before turning his back on me and walking toward Beta Paul.

As much as Hugo and I wanted to run with Maya, my job wasn’t done yet. Andrea has yet to shift.

My eyes flitted to where Maya was. She whimpered before turning around and approaching the other two wolves who had already shifted. 

I let out a deep sigh before walking my way to where Andrea was. Alpha Caspian was hugging her as her soft sobs filled the air.

"Why is she crying?" I asked the Alpha, biting my lower lip. I already had an inkling of the answer, but I wanted to find out. 

"She’s scared that she has no wolf."

"Nah! You have a wolf, Drea, otherwise, you’ll smell like a human. You’re probably just a late bloomer. An hour or two more, or maybe at dawn." 

Andrea wasn’t responding and was just holding on to the Alpha tightly.

My eyes went back to the pups, and I saw one of them nudging Maya playfully, and something rose in my chest. I couldn’t stop the scowl from forming on my face as I restrained myself from growling at the pup for touching her.

"Go and run with them." Alpha Caspian’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"I’ll wait for..."

"I can take care of her shifting. Run with them. Run with Maya." A smile twitched in his mouth as Maya’s name left his lips. 

I nodded submissively before letting out a sheepish smile of my own. "Are you sure?" My hand flew to my hair, scratching it gently. 

I heard loud paws thudding the earth behind me and knew that the others had already started running in their wolf forms.

"Yes. I can take care of Andrea. Go!" 

I smiled before turning my back to them as I leaped and shifted in mid-air, letting Hugo out. I couldn't explain the excitement brewing in my chest. All I knew was, I had never been excited on a full moon run as much as I did now.

I let out a howl and sprang forward, following the scent of the wolves ahead of me.

It was time to catch Maya and ran with her. Alone.