The Wolf Within Me

Normal Day

Allana

School was pretty uneventful and, thankfully, went by pretty fast. Graduation was soon approaching and I was starting to feel guilty about my choice to leave my friends and family here to study abroad. The pit in my stomach grew with each passing day and I couldn't shake the feeling I was leaving more than just them here. When the final bell rang, I rushed to meet with Lauren and Claire since we hadn't gone shopping for our graduation dresses yet and I wanted to visit a small boutique that had recently opened on Main St. I didn't have to look up from my locker to know Lauren was heading my way. I could hear her giggling from a mile away.

Lauren has always been the bubbly and over-friendly one in our group and we loved her for that. Lauren was short, had beautiful long light brown hair and green eyes. They reminded me of the emeralds we see in jewelry store commercials. The freckles on her nose and cheeks stood out against her fair skin.

"Do you know what color you want your dress to be yet?" she asked Claire, who rolled her eyes.

Claire was the fiery one. Growing up, she was always picked on for her auburn hair and wearing braces, but she never let that bring her down. Claire was tall, and when she adhered a pixie cut she looked even taller. Her skin was a beautiful tan all the other girls envied all year round. They were both equally beautiful, each in their own way.

"I don't even know if I'll be wearing a dress. I'm leaning more towards a pantsuit." she answered.

Just as I was about to look up, I heard a loud thump and Lauren fell on the ground next to me. One of the shewolves that went to school with us had shifted and was about to pounce on top of Lauren. I knew Lauren had issues with this girl but I never imagined she'd attack Lauren in the middle of the hallway over another boy. Lauren had been asked to prom a few weeks back by a potential love interest but declined due to the boy being involved with the shewolf clique. Luckily, the principal showed up before she had the chance to hurt Lauren.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!"

the principal yelled as Tabatha, the shewolf, shifted back. The hallway went silent as Tabatha walked past us and into the principal's office. A few minutes went by, and we saw Alpha Henry bust through the doors and into the principal's office as well. After the war, wolves and humans made an agreement that allowed wolves the same access to schools, hospitals, and any official buildings in the city, so it wasn't uncommon for wolves to go to our school or even work the same as we did. But any problems or threats caused by a wolf would be dealt with by the Alpha.

I was helping Lauren stand when the scent of cedarwood and rain hit me like a ton of bricks. I wasn't sure where the smell was coming from but it was overpowering and addicting. Something inside of me came alive, something I had never felt before. Then I saw him. He was perfect. I had seen him many times and I had never noticed him like today. I felt a sudden and inexplicable pull towards this man I had never exchanged more than a dozen words with. The thoughts that once raced through my head suddenly vanished and all I could think about was him. I couldn't understand what was happening when I suddenly heard someone yell MATE. I got up to look around and couldn't find where this voice was coming from. As I looked at the familiar faces surrounding me I realized I had never heard this voice before and the more I searched in the crowd the quieter it got. Maybe someone found their mate and wanted to keep it a secret? I brushed off the thought and went back to helping Lauren who was already up on her feet and talking about dress shopping again.

"So... the boutique? Do you think they'll have pantsuits?" Claire asked.

"Guess we'll find out when we get there." I replied, motioning towards the door. We left school and started heading towards Main St and I could see Alpha Henry's car still in the parking lot when I decided to stop by the library before heading home to do some research on the mate bond. Maybe I'll find some books I haven't checked out yet and understand this a bit better.

We arrived at the boutique and Lauren quickly found a few dress options while Claire talked to the store manager about other options. I found a cute orange and teal dress I really liked and, lucky for me, it was my size. While the girls tried on their infinite options and complained about not being sure it looked right, I was stuck between a knee-length baby pink and white strapless dress and the orange and teal mid-thigh satin dress. I quickly snapped a picture and texted it to my mom so she could help me choose, to which she quickly replied:

"They both look great with your skin tone, but the teal one really makes your honey eyes stand out. I'd choose that one. Will you be home for dinner?"

I had completely forgotten about dinner and would have to rush to the library if I was going to make it in time for my mom's amazing roasted chicken dinner. I quickly paid for my dress and told the girls I was in a rush and would call them later tonight and left. When I got to the library, I was informed new books had arrived on the subject I was interested in and I'd be able to check them out today. I grabbed four different books, checked them out and rushed home. I could smell the chicken all the way from the driveway and it smelled delicious.