Rise of the Immortal

Chapter 16: First Transformation

The morning sun streamed through the windows of the pack house as I made my way to the dining hall, still processing everything Dr. Crane had revealed the day before. Immortal. My parents alive. Marcus's grand plans for werewolf domination. It all felt surreal, like someone else's life rather than my own reality.

But what struck me most as I entered the bustling dining hall was how naturally the Red Moon pack members greeted me. Not as a rescued prisoner or even as Kale's mate, but as their Luna.

"Good morning, Luna Talia," called out James, one of the younger warriors, as he passed with a tray of food. The title still sent a small thrill through me, but it was becoming more familiar each day.

Sarah approached with a warm smile, carrying two steaming cups of coffee. "I thought you might need this," she said, handing me one. "Yesterday was a lot to process."

"That's an understatement," I replied, accepting the coffee gratefully. Through the mate bond, I could feel Kale's approach before I saw him entering the hall, his presence immediately making me feel more centered.

"How did you sleep?" he asked, pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead as he joined us.

"Better than expected," I admitted. "Ruby was restless, though." It had become easier to refer to my wolf by the name that had whispered through my dreams, even though we hadn't formally met yet.

Sarah's eyebrows rose with interest. "Your wolf has a name?"

"She's been trying to tell me for days now," I said. "Ruby. I can feel her growing stronger, especially since..." I gestured vaguely, not wanting to discuss the mate bond's completion in front of others.

Kale's hand found mine, his thumb tracing gentle circles on my palm. "Maybe it's time," he said quietly. "Time for you to meet her properly."

The thought both excited and terrified me. I'd spent so many years with my wolf suppressed, locked away in the depths of my consciousness. What if I couldn't shift? What if Ruby rejected me after all this time?

"I'd like that," I said, surprising myself with how much I meant it.

"After breakfast," Kale decided. "We'll go into the woods, away from distractions."

As we ate, pack members continued to stop by our table, not with formal requests or concerns, but with genuine warmth and acceptance. Beta Thomas updated me on the patrol schedules, asking if I had any preferences for the routes. Commander Hayes mentioned that several of the younger wolves had asked if I might be interested in helping with their training. Even the kitchen staff sought my input on meal planning for the coming week.

It was overwhelming in the best possible way. For the first time in my life, I felt like I truly belonged somewhere.

"They really see me as their Luna," I murmured to Kale as we finished eating.

"You are their Luna," he replied firmly. "You've been their Luna since the moment you accepted our bond. They can feel your strength, your compassion. You inspire them, Talia."

After breakfast, we made our way into the forest that bordered Red Moon territory. The woods were ancient and peaceful, with towering pines that filtered the sunlight into dancing patterns on the forest floor. Kale led me to a secluded clearing where wildflowers bloomed in riot of colors.

"This is where I first shifted," he told me, settling onto a fallen log. "My father brought me here when I was thirteen."

"Were you nervous?" I asked, sitting beside him.

"Terrified," he admitted with a laugh. "I was convinced I wouldn't be able to do it, that I'd be the first Alpha in our bloodline who couldn't shift."

The honesty in his voice helped ease some of my own anxiety. "What if I can't do it? What if too much damage was done?"

Kale turned to face me fully, his golden eyes serious. "Then we'll figure it out together. But Talia, I can feel your wolf through our bond. She's there, and she's strong. You just need to trust her."

I closed my eyes, reaching inward to that warm presence I'd been feeling more and more frequently. Ruby. She was there, just beneath the surface of my consciousness, waiting.

"How do I begin?" I asked.

"Feel the shift," Kale said softly. "Don't think about it, just feel it. Let Ruby guide you."

I took a deep breath and let my awareness sink deeper into myself. At first, there was only the familiar sensation of my human form—heartbeat, breathing, the solid weight of my body on the log. But then, gradually, I felt something else. A stirring, like waking up from a long sleep.

Talia.

The voice in my mind was clear and distinctly feminine, with a warmth that made my chest tight with emotion.

Ruby?

Yes, little one. I've been waiting so long to properly meet you.

The shift began slowly, a tingling sensation that started in my core and spread outward. My bones began to lengthen and reshape, but instead of pain, there was only a sense of rightness, of finally becoming who I was meant to be.

Don't fight it, Ruby whispered. Let me show you who we truly are.

The transformation accelerated, and I felt my human consciousness merge with Ruby's wild instincts. My vision sharpened, colors becoming more vivid. My hearing intensified, picking up the rustling of small creatures in the underbrush, the distant call of birds, even Kale's elevated heartbeat beside me.

When the shift completed, I looked down at myself in wonder. My paws were large and perfectly white, my coat gleaming like fresh snow in the dappled sunlight. I was bigger than I'd expected, nearly the size of Kale's wolf, with a power thrumming through my muscles that felt intoxicating after years of weakness.

We are magnificent, Ruby said with satisfaction. Look at us, Talia. Look at what they tried to keep from us.

I lifted my head and caught sight of my reflection in a small stream that ran through the clearing. The wolf looking back at me was breathtaking—pure white with silver markings around her eyes and ears, and eyes that glowed with an inner light. This was what I truly was. This was the power Marcus had feared.

You're beautiful, I told Ruby, and felt her pleasure at the compliment.

We are beautiful, she corrected gently. We are one, you and I. We always have been, even when they tried to keep us apart.

A low rumble drew my attention, and I turned to see that Kale had shifted as well. His wolf was massive and dark, with golden eyes that matched his human form. He approached slowly, respectfully, and I felt Ruby's immediate interest.

Our mate, she whispered with deep satisfaction. He is worthy of us.

Kale's wolf lowered his head in a gesture of respect before nuzzling against my neck. The contact sent electricity through our bond, and I felt both our human and wolf selves responding to the connection.

We should run, Ruby suggested eagerly. We should feel our strength, our speed. We should be free.

The idea was irresistible. Together, Kale and I raced through the forest, leaping over fallen logs and weaving between trees with an agility that made my heart soar. Ruby reveled in every moment, in the feeling of muscles working perfectly, of air rushing through our fur, of the pure joy of movement.

When we finally stopped in another clearing, both of us breathing hard but exhilarated, I felt more complete than I ever had in my life.

This is who we are, Ruby said firmly. This is what they tried to steal from us. Never again, Talia. Never again will we be caged.

Never again, I agreed.

As the sun began to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink, Kale and I found ourselves drawn together in a way that transcended our human understanding. Ruby's instincts guided me as I approached him, and I felt his wolf's answering call through our bond.

What followed was primal and beautiful, a joining that was both physical and spiritual. In our wolf forms, the mate bond felt even stronger, more elemental. We moved together with perfect synchronization, our souls merging as completely as our bodies.

This is how it should be, Ruby whispered as we lay together afterward, my white fur contrasting sharply with Kale's dark coat. This is the bond the moon goddess intended.

When we finally shifted back to human form, I felt changed in ways I couldn't fully articulate. The connection with Ruby was permanent now, unbreakable. I could feel her consciousness alongside my own, no longer hidden or suppressed.

"How do you feel?" Kale asked, pulling me close as we lay on the soft grass.

"Complete," I said simply. "For the first time in my life, I feel complete."

We made our way back to the pack house as the stars began to appear, and I was struck again by how naturally the other wolves accepted my transformation. They could smell Ruby on me now, could sense the change in my presence.

"Luna," Commander Hayes approached as we entered the main hall. "If I may, there's something different about you tonight. Stronger."

"I met my wolf," I told him, and his face broke into a genuine smile.

"Ruby," he said, and I blinked in surprise.

"How did you know her name?"

"It's in your scent now," he explained. "The name your wolf carries. It's an honor to finally meet the both of you properly."

As word spread through the pack house that their Luna had successfully shifted, I found myself surrounded by well-wishers and celebration. But beneath the joy, a new determination was taking root.

I was no longer just Talia, the rescued prisoner. I was Talia, Luna of the Red Moon pack, bonded to Ruby, my immortal wolf. And I had parents to find.