Forest Pack Community Book One

chapter 13

Felicia nodded. So, she applied what her class taught her. It wasn’t like she wasn’t paying attention. It was a control issue, like they said. She took a steady breath, looked in the mirror, and allowed Azella to have control. Azella, excited that Felicia was trusting her in a way she hadn’t before, came forward more than she meant to, and she started to shift. Ben and Lissa noticed and knew that once started, there was no way to stop. Felicia screamed, and so they talked her through.

“Felicia, it’s ok! We are here. We will help you. Ben, get three of my towels. Felicia, keep listening to my voice, keep letting go. Give control over. Trust Azella. She is not doing this to hurt you. I know it hurts like hell the first time. But I promise it will get easier. Plus, remember, NO ONE CAN hear you. So, scream all you want. Let it come, sweetheart. That’s it. You got this. Remember, you are a badass! So, my sweet little badass, you got this,” Lissa continued to cheer her on.

Felicia relaxed as Lissa told her. Trusted Azella amid the cracking bones, tearing clothes, and shifting bones into several positions. Once the shift was done, she looked down through her wolf’s eyes and saw white paws. She looked up into the mirror and saw a white wolf. With piercing blue eyes. Whereas hers were green. Azella had bright blue eyes. Felicia tried to look at all of herself but couldn’t turn well. She looked at Lissa. Lissa, reading her mind, stated, "That's one way to unleash your wolf. Look at your color. You’re all white."

Ben came running in with only two towels, saying, “I could only find two. I’ll have to go to my bathroom to get…” He stopped when he saw the wolf in the office. “She’s white! And she has the sharpest blue eyes. Sorry, dear, I’m just stunned.”

“Don’t worry, Ben, I’m right there with you. We should get Mick and Joy; I think they should see her wolf first. Even though I coached her…Azella, Felicia, what do you think?” After a moment, Azella’s head nodded. Then she lay down. Lissa said, “Come over here so we can clean up the mess. Ben, give me the towels, and you go get Joy and Mick now.” Ben left through the secret door so that they didn’t have to unlock or unsound proof the room.

‘Mick, bring Joy to my office and get here fast.’ Then Ben cut off the link and stepped out into the hall and waited, pacing back and forth. Mick and Joy ran down the hall to see Ben pacing. When they got to him, Mick said worriedly, “Ben, what’s the matter?”

Joy jumped in, saying, “Is it Felicia? Is she okay??” Mick just looked at his mate in confusion.

Ben first asked, “When is Felicia’s birthday?”

“July first,” Joy responded. “Why?”

“Of course! That’s why she did.” Ben said. “Follow me; today is July first, correct?”

“Well, yeah…” Mick confirmed…then it dawned on them, and they looked at each other. Today was Felicia’s sixteenth birthday, even though the party wasn’t for another 31 days. As he led them to the secret door and through, he mind-linked Lissa, ‘Babe, it’s Felicia’s birthday.’ Lissa mentally facepalmed. No wonder she shifted.

Ben turned to Mick and Joy before totally going through the door. “Prepare yourselves; you’re in for a bit of a shock, and I’m going to say we didn’t plan this, and neither did Felicia. Let’s say she totally trusts Azella now.” And with that, they walked through the still open door. Azella turned her head at the sounds coming in. When all three were in. Joy and Mick just stood there slack jawed in surprise.

“Um, wow.” That was all Mick could say. Who then got elbowed by Joy.

Joy, however, walked up to her niece. Bent down and got on her knees, scratched Azella behind the ears and said, “You are beautiful, Azella! I love your eyes! They are the prettiest blue I’ve ever seen. Are you totally white?” Azella then rolled onto her back to show Joy her tummy. Joy laughed and scratched her tummy, which got her a wag out of it. “You are so soft too! Mick, come here; stop standing there like a codfish.”

Mick came over and kneeled next to his wife. “It’s nice to meet you, Azella.” He also scratched her tummy. “Seems she likes belly scratches.” He laughed. Azella huffed at him, and he put his hands up in surrender. “Sorry.”

Joy said, “Azella dear, can we have Felicia back? We need to make sure she’s ok. I’m sure she’s probably freaking out. As this was her first shift looking at the spot, she left behind.” Azella whimpered. “It’s okay, you’ll be able to shift again. Maybe we can all shift as a family and go for a run. Ok?” Standing there a moment, Azella seemed as if she were speaking to Felicia.

‘Okay, girl, they want you to come back.’

‘How I didn’t? even know I was going to shift in the first place!’

‘They’ll explain more, but first let me say happy birthday! Now I’m going to let you have control as you did me. I’ll shrink back, and you’ll come forward. Shifting is all about trust.’

Joy saw the green eyes in Azella’s face and said, “All men face the wall. Lissa, do you have something Felicia can put on? I’ll help her through this shift.”

“Yes, I’ll be right back.”

“Okay, Felicia, trust your wolf just like you did before, except instead of letting her forward, let her sink backwards and come forward yourself. It’s like switching places. Now I’m going to warn you, you will be naked, but Uncle Ben and Uncle Mick aren’t looking, and Aunt Lissa has gone to get you something to wear.” As the shift continued, her bones started to crack again, and Felicia started screaming as it still hurt and she wasn’t used to it yet. But once she had shifted back into human form. Felicia was on her hands and knees, naked just like her aunt said. “Good job sweetheart. I am so proud of you! Your wolf is so beautiful!”

The first thing Felicia said was, “What the hell! I was just trying to bring her forward like you did with Aliza. Not totally shift! That was supposed to be the next thing we talked about!”

“What on earth do you mean sweety?” Joy asked confused. So, Felicia sat down with her knees drawn up and said, “I came to Aunt Lissa cause I couldn’t bring my wolf forward like everyone else in class. And Goldie and Niomi thought I’d be cool if our first shift would be all together. Then Uncle Ben said I was a bad ass cause I’d been through more than most kids. Don’t worry Aunt Lissa already yelled at him, that was funny. But then I yelled at the mirror that I was a bad ass cause it stuck in my mind I guess, and that I had no control then, but I did now. That I totally trusted my wolf Azella. That was ok. Then everyone cheered including Azella, who I guess got a little excited and not only came forward but started to shift. Aunt Lissa continued to cheer me on and talk me through it, if it weren’t for her I wouldn’t have known what to do.”

Joy then said as Lissa came in with a fluffy robe, “Well, dear, once you start your first shift, you can’t stop. Later, when you have more control, you can fight the shift, but sometimes you’ll still shift depending on how much your wolf’s intent is. The reason you shifted today is that today is July first. Happy sweet sixteen, my love. Boys, you can turn around; she is at least covered. Though I will have to go and get you something to wear. Ben, I want to celebrate her sixteenth birthday. Felicia, it’s up to you if you want us to announce that you’ve shifted. A totally white wolf is to be celebrated, dear. This does not mean you need to shift in front of everyone. No one expects that and has never asked you to, but we do celebrate it. Think about it. I will go get your prettiest dress. You might want to tell your friends before we announce it if you choose that. You can talk to them while you wait and get their take on it. Okay?”

“Okay. Thank you, Aunt Joy,” Felicia smiled