Wishing Upon A Wolf

Chapter 4: My First Shift

"Why so soon?" the dreaded question and he asked it. Lazarus being my best friend means I tell him everything, well, almost everything.

He obviously hears the rumors and knows that everyone references me as the forgotten child, but he has never actually witnessed how much truth is behind those rumors. Anytime he or the beta family is around, my parents and siblings love to pretend we are this one big happy doting family, which is not a complete lie. Just take me out of that family, then it would be the complete truth.

I hate that I know he is going to feel guilty, but might as well tell him the truth since in less than twenty four hours I won't be around to deal with it anymore.

"I can't be around my family anymore Laz," I take a deep breath 'You can do this Aria, he needs to know the truth' Rosina adds as words of encouragement.

"The rumors are true about me being the forgotten child, and it has been that way for as long as I can remember. It has always been all about Nessa, even Tiberius, but never me. I have learned to live with it, but I need to leave and get away at least until I finish Law school, and it is time for me to take over the pack." I finally told him and, based off the look of guilt and pain on his face, I really wish I had come up with a lie instead.

"Aria, I wish you would've told me this a long time ago, but I understand why you need to go. Can I drive you to the airport tomorrow?" he responds in a defeated tone. "I would love that, you're the only one I really care about leaving, so it only makes sense that you are the only one to see me off." I say with a smile, even though smiling is the last thing I feel like doing.

He smiles back, "I will let you finish packing and I will see you for ice cream after your shift. Just link me when you're ready. Good luck tonight munchkin, I am sure your wolf will be just as gorgeous as you." Then he gives me a hug and walks out.

Wait a minute... Did he just call me gorgeous? No, that can't be right. 'Believe it sister, he absolutely did, and he called me gorgeous too' Rosina says as she puffs out her chest with pride. My wolf definitely has a personality. I think to myself and laugh.

After I was finally done packing, I still had an hour until I needed to go into the woods for my first shift, so I decided now was the time to write my goodbye note to my family.

Once I finish, I place it in an envelope and write 'Rodriguez Family' on the front and place it in the center of my desk. Knowing one of the omegas who clean my room will find it tomorrow after I have left.

'It is time Aria' Rosina says, and with that I head into the woods alone for one of the most important moments of my life.

As I am standing under the full moon, I begin to feel different, and then the most excruciating pain I have endured begins to flow throughout my entire body. Before I know it, the pain is gone and my eyesight has changed and enhanced beyond anything I have ever experienced.

Rosina has taken over and as she walks towards the stream, so I can see what she looks like, I start to feel nervous. I feel as if there is someone watching us but when we glance around there is no one there. We shake off the thought, and she continues until she has made it to the edge of the stream, 'You ready human?' she asks 'As ready as I will ever be', I tell her.

My wolf is by far the most beautiful wolf I have ever seen. Rosina is white all around except for her paws. They are the most beautiful shade of blue matching her eyes. They are such a pristine blue. I have never seen anything like it before.

'It is because we are special. We have a higher purpose and when the time is right you will know what that purpose is.' Rosina cryptically tells me. Ugh, there she goes again leaving me in suspense. 'I am not going to even try to question you because I feel like that road would lead me nowhere.' I tell her and all I got in return was a smile.

Once we finish talking Rosina takes off running through the woods, embracing the feel of the wind through her fur and feeling the dirt beneath her paws. She continues running for about an hour before she returns to the stream for a drink and shifts back to give me control.

I walked over to the backpack I had brought with a change of clothes since my other ones got shredded during my shift and began to put them on. When I was done, I started braiding my hair off to the side when I noticed my hair now had blue highlights, hmm weird I thought. But what the hell might as well embrace it.

While walking back I decided to mind link Lazarus to meet me at his car, so I did not have to go back inside. 'Hey, meet me at your car I am ready for that ice cream!' I screamed through the mind link, 'Who is making who deaf now huh?' he links back, and I laugh, I am really going to miss that boy.

I get to his car before him, so when he walks up he rolls his eyes at me when he sees that I am sitting on the hood, something he hates. I immediately jump off laughing and get in the passenger seat and stick my tongue out at him as he turns to look at me with his best attempt at an annoyed face. Yeah, he can never really be annoyed with me. It's a gift.

He drives into town to the local ice cream shop where we constantly frequent. If there is anything I am a sucker for and can't say no to, it is definitely without a doubt ice cream!

After he parks, we walk in and see the owner, Mr. Lindor, he is in his seventies, but doesn't look a day over 45. He greets us with a big smile and a wave as he is helping other customers.

"Why don't you go get us a table, you want the usual?" Lazarus asks me, "You got it and duh do you really even have to ask" I shake my head laughing and walked to our designated table that has always been reserved for us, as if he didn't already know that.

He returns with our upside-down ice cream cones in a cup with 3 scoops of chocolate brownie goodness topped with white chocolate drizzle. I am going to miss this, not just the ice cream, but these moments with my best friend, my go to person, my confidant.

"So, do you think you will meet your mate tomorrow?" I finally got the courage to ask, but I don't dare look him in the eye.

"I guess, but I know who I am hoping for it to be. I just hope that I'm right because if I'm not, I don't know what I will do." He replies in a gentle voice that I have only ever heard him use with me, not even with his own mother. Can that mean something? Goddess only knows that I've wished to be his mate.