Switched Back

Matt POV

-17 YEARS LATER-

Finally, sitting on Marvel’s shoulder, I placed my palms on the windowsill, curious about what was going on with everyone.

Uncle Stan and Aunt Miracle had come to my parents’ house to meet with both grandparents.

“Do you see anything? Or at least hear anything? My shoulders hurt, you fat mutt!”

I glared at Marvel, who was a constant pain in my ass.

“They’ll have their wolves soon. It’s best to teach them now before anything happens,” I overheard Grandma Gold saying.

Their names are so similar that I simply nicknamed them to make things easier for myself. Their parents hated that they’d been given such identical names, with only one letter different.

I looked back to see who else was going to speak. Everyone was there: Aunt Silvia, Grandpa Milo, Grandma Silver, Grandpa Max, and the cute girl from the mansion near the human village.

Her father had taken control, and she moved here with him two years ago. Ever since I met her, I haven’t been able to stop being around her for some reason.

As I watched my entire family discuss something, I was on the verge of learning what they were talking about when I heard my brother shout, “Stop spying, Matt!”

Marvel turned too quickly, and I nearly tumbled down while he fell backward.

Lying on the floor, I yelled, “Do you have a death wish, Maddox!”

He spread his hands out near each ear, wiggling them up and down while sticking his tongue out.

When I got hold of him, that little twerp would be smelling my armpits.

“Boys, get in here!”

I heard my father yell, and I muttered, “Ah, nuts.”

Marvel was groaning in pain from the tumble he’d taken. It was unfortunate because Marvel was a hefty guy, and I was as thin as a French fry.

As I got up, I noticed Maddox and Marc running inside the Gold Pack house; they’d already left before I even found them.

Helping Marvel up, I noticed his hair did what it always had since he was ten: it changed color from blonde to silver. I swear, this strange stuff isn’t for me, but I get it. When I’m really upset, my hair turns gold instead of black.

Whatever it is about our hair, it’s weird. Even my mom tries to calm me down when I’m upset.

Mom rarely gets to spend time with me, thanks to Dad’s refusal to leave her alone.

Aunt Miracle and Aunt Silvia are more cautious now that they have three sons and are expecting a fourth.

My cousin Marvel and my niece Sunny are complete opposites. Marvel is loud and outgoing, while Sunny is introverted and keeps everything to herself.

Aunt Silvia met her mate in a visiting pack, an older Beta who’d recently lost his fated mate. It turned out she was his second-chance mate.

They’re happy with their twin daughters, Laila and Lizzy. Those two are odd; they always dress the same, act the same, and even talk in unison.

When they’re around, it feels like a scene out of The Addams Family, and it creeps everyone out.

Walking into the Gold Pack’s living room, I saw everyone either seated or standing, and I looked around for my mom, who was pacing.

Did she go into labor already?

“Matt, we need you to be in the middle with Marvel,” Grandma Gold ordered, so I walked over there but not before asking, “Mom, are you ready to push already?”

When I asked, she let out a snarl, and Dad mumbled something quietly.

“Two hours ago, son, this one was being a daredevil,” Dad muttered. I had to stifle my laughter.

He suddenly stopped talking as Mom’s hair changed from black to gold, her eyes turned gold, and her fangs appeared.

“This is it, Calvin Powers! You’re done! Or I’ll reject your fat ass!”

Mom threatened Dad, and if memory serves me, she isn’t joking. The last time she said this was while babysitting the twins.

It’s not that Mom dislikes kids. She has three boys—four if you count Dad when he acts like a child. Even I admit he can be a handful.

That was when I was three, and Mom never took back her words. Dad never dared to ask again.

“I’m sorry, baby. I’ll get fixed like your dad did.”

When Dad said that, I couldn’t hold back, and neither could Marvel. We both looked at Grandpa, who was now glaring at Dad.

Grandma Silver tried hard not to laugh at Dad’s clever remark.

They probably shouldn’t have had puppies at their age, but they did have one son, Uncle Miles, who is younger than me, which is embarrassing for all of us.

And yeah, I’m not the only one—Grandma Gold had her son, Uncle Mace, the year after Marvel and I were born.

Standing in front of Marvel, I watched both our uncles walk in to stand by our grandparents.

“Baby, if it helps, I’ll switch with you when you’re crowning. How does that sound?”

Marvel and I exchanged strange looks after hearing that.

“Grandma, what does Uncle Calvin mean by ‘switch with Aunt Marcela in childbirth’?”

Those remarks made both grandparents smile, and Grandma Gold went to take Mom to the hospital.

A short while later, she returned, and Dad dashed to Mom’s side.

Aunt Miracle joined Marvel, and Grandma Silver joined her.

Aunt Miracle’s hair changed, and I saw Dad stepping in again.

Uncle Stan smiled warmly and crossed his arms, asking, “Is he enjoying the delivery back there?” We all looked at him, puzzled.

Dad paused and said to him, “The fool thinks I was kidding. But now, we’ll see if he’ll really get fixed this time. I’m done having pups; it’s his turn to enjoy the misery of childbirth.”

Everything Dad said sounded more like Mom than himself.

“What’s going on, Uncle? You sound like Auntie,” my cousin Sunny asked him.

After a while, Mom stepped in, holding a baby girl wrapped in pink. The sun had set, and it was now night.

Mom looked exhausted as she walked beside Dad. Since werewolves heal quickly, it only took a few hours.

“Mom, how did you get here so quickly? Is that our sister?” Marc asked, dashing toward Mom.

Before Marc could reach her, something strange happened.

Mom slit her hand with her claw, and Dad did the same. When they touched their open wounds, a bright yellow and brown energy connected them.

After a moment, they opened their eyes, now golden.

Marc hugged Mom, and she handed our newborn sister to Dad.

Dad sat with my brothers while Mom stood next to me, wearing a black dress, with Grandma Gold beside her.

After a few minutes, Uncle Stan shouted, “It’s eleven fifty-nine—ready?”

Grandma Gold spoke, and Marvel and I exchanged glances, unsure what to say.

“Both of your birthdays are tomorrow, and exactly at midnight, you’ll learn why our family is known as the Gold and Silver wolves.”

Hearing this made me nervous. In an instant, I felt my insides cracking, and I fell to the floor. Mom lifted my hand, and I felt a sharp sting.

Marvel went through the same, and two souls of two wolves appeared around us—one silver and one gold.

I closed my eyes, feeling my body crack one last time.

When I opened my eyes, a silver wolf stood in front of me, and Mom was by my side, smiling proudly.

“Look through your wolf’s eyes, Matt. Bite your paw and step down, then Marvel, you do the same.”

We both did as Mom instructed, and the second we did, it felt like being dragged underwater.

I opened my eyes to see a gold wolf standing before me.

“This can’t be happening, cousin.”

I heard Marvel link me. How the hell did we get SWITCHED?