Midnight Moons

Transformation

POV: Hope

My mom and Tim's mom smothered me with hugs and kisses once we got into the packhouse.

"Guys, I'm okay. I'm so sorry I ran off like that. All of this is a bit much " I waved my hand around the enormous pack house foyer.

"This is where you guys live?" I asked Naoko. My eyes tried to take in the entire room with one glance.

Naoko chuckled as she thrust a thin white gown in my hands. "Yes, and no. We have a house in town. You've been there with Tim. The packhouse is where most of the higher ranking wolves live. We also have a suite here. We live in both places. It's a three-story house with living quarters for close to seventy-five wolves." Naoko explained.

"Hope, after the ceremony, I promise to give you a full tour. Right now, you need to take off your clothes and put this on." She gestured to the gown in my hands.

"Right. Sorry, Mrs. Harper." I looked around for a private place to change.

"Please call me Naoko. Wolves don't stand on ceremony with human titles. You're about to become a member of this pack. So let's keep it informal, ok?"

I nodded and glanced at my mom. She smiled and put her arms around me. "Come on baby, let's go to the Beta quarters. Your dad and I have a suite here."

I felt my eyes bugging out of my head. "This has certainly been a day full of surprises." Little did they know my faery had shown me a few secrets too. I couldn't wait to share what I learned with my parents and Tim. Oh, and the Alpha and Luna as well.

I followed my mom up to the second floor. The house was impeccably decorated. Modern furniture in mahogany and black bamboo dotted the rooms and hallways like sentries. Elegant drapes and wallpaper in teal and cream gave the room a beachy feel.

Mom and I approached a cream colored door with bamboo accents. Mom entered a code into an electronic keypad and we entered a large open suite.

"Wow! This place is awesome, Mom." I turned around in circles trying to take it all in.

"Your dad's office is here. Under normal circumstances, the Beta and family lives in the packhouse. We all decided to give you a normal life to try to throw off anyone who might come for you." Mom said.

I quickly removed my clothes and pulled the white gown over my head. I assumed that clothes would be shredded when I shifted. Although I haven't been around wolves my whole life, I had watched one of the biggest werewolf and vampire series at the movies.

"Hey, are vampires real too?" I asked my mom.

"Yes, Hope, they are real." Luna Naoko answered as she slipped into the suite. "We have an alliance with a large group about 100 miles from here."

"Mind BLOWN!" I replied, simulating my head exploding.

Naoko and Mom laughed. Then both looked at me with solemn eyes. Mom hugged me tightly. "I love you so much baby. I'm so sorry we kept you in the dark. We wanted to keep you safe." She murmured against my hair.

Naoko looked at her watch. "We need to head downstairs. It's almost midnight."

Mom released me from her bear hug and smoothed down my gown. "You look beautiful Bean." She wiped away tears as she laughed at my old nickname.

When we arrived on the training field, I lined up with the other new wolves. I saw several kids from school. There were about 25 of us. Most I had seen before, others I didn't recognize. I saw a voluptuous blonde named Erin. She smirked at me and turned to a group of giggling girls.

"Future Luna indeed." She said sarcastically.

Naoko moved to Erin's side with inhuman speed. "Say another word and I will have you banished " She smiled sweetly at the other girls. "Ladies, enjoy your shifting ceremony. Let's go Hope."

Naoko led me to the dais. The other shifters followed close behind. I glanced around, amazed at the size of the crowd. There were hundreds of people flanking the training field. The field itself was the size of a professional football field.

Rows of chairs were set up facing the dais. My dad and Alpha Harper stood in the center. My eyes found Tim, standing tall and handsome on his father's left side. He winked at me and gave me his classic grin.

Alpha Xavier moved to an ornate podium. He raised one hand and hundreds of wolves went silent.

"Brothers and sisters, we are gathered once again in our age-old tradition of welcoming new wolves into the pack. When the Moon Goddess bestowed powers upon the first wolf, she did so under the full moon. From that day until this, every werewolf is influenced by the power of the moon." Xavier's boomed over crowd.

I listened carefully to his next words, but my mind kept jumping to what would happen next. Before I knew it, I heard the school's clock tower counting down to midnight.

Suddenly a mild vibration rocked my body. Before I had time to process, pain like I've never known struck my body. I felt and heard my bones break.

"Breathe Hope." Gabrielle cooed in my head.

I fell to my knees. Where my hands used to be were now giant paws. As I watched, golden fur popped out of my skin. I stared as claws ripped through my fingernails. I have claws!

Tim and my mom walked over to me. As soon as Tim touched my back, some of the pain subsided.

"Hope, you're beautiful!" Tim whispered in my ear.

"Yes we are!" said a new voice. "I'm Topaz. I'm your wolf Hope."

A surge of power flooded my body. I turned around in circles. I have a tail! I leapt up and licked Tim in the mouth. Topaz pranced around in front of Naoko, Tim, and my mom.

"Wolves of Midnight Moons, transform! The full moon run can begin." Xavier hopped down from the dais and shifted in mid-air.

Topaz nipped Tim's wolf after he shifted.

"Mate!" Topaz howled.

I was flooded with strong feelings as my wolf playfully pranced in front of Tim's wolf. He nuzzled my fur and led me to the front of the pack.

Xavier, Naoko, my mom and dad stood before the huge wolf pack. In an instant, Xavier took off running, his massive paws pounding the ground. Tim's wolf nudged Topaz and we took off after them.

The feeling of four paws hitting the ground was the most exhilarating experience of my life. Topaz leapt in the air, bounding over rocks and shrubs. She glanced over her shoulder at Tim's wolf Malcolm. Her tongue rolled out of her mouth as she took off at top speed.

Topaz ran in a small group with Malcolm following close behind. Eventually, the others peeled off and it was just Topaz and Malcolm. He approached us and nuzzled Topaz.

Even though I wasn't in my human form, I

could sense Tim's and Malcolm's desire.

Topaz spoke in my mind. "I want mate." She nuzzled next to Malcolm. "Mate wants us too."

"No!" I told her. "Tim and I have waited for a long time. Our first time together will be as humans."

Topaz grumbled before admitting that I was right. She licked Malcolm's furry face again and sat down beside him. During this entire exchange, Malcolm calmly waited. I assumed he would abide by whatever decision was made.

"Hope, you will need to consummate your mate bond as soon as possible." Gabrielle stated. "You are a Gold Wolf. You have a faery. You control the elements. And, as I showed you earlier, you possess another mystical creature. You need your mate bond intact. Speak to the Alpha and the Beta sooner rather than later."

Malcolm was staring at me intently during my conversation with Gabrielle. He c****d his head inquisitively. Topaz nuzzled him quickly and stood to her feet. She looked towards the packhouse. Understanding, Malcolm also rose and trotted towards the training field.

As we got closer, my wolf's nose picked up the tantalizing aroma of roasted and grilled chicken, lamb chops, steak, hamburgers and dozens of mouthwatering side dishes. Suddenly I was famished.

Topaz did a couple of high flips in the air and took off towards the field. Not to be outdone, Malcolm leapt over a huge shrub and took the lead.

I chuckled, content to let him lead. We skidded to a stop just in time to hear Alpha Xavier's booming voice.

"You heard your Luna. Let's eat!"