Shifted

Fight or Flight

Mom

I woke before the rest of the house to try and sneak out. I should have known that Eric would be waiting for me in the woods. His wolf, Jax was lying under one of the large pine trees, lifting his head when he heard me approach. I shifted happy to let Kai be out and back in the Alaskan woods. I stretched and rolled on the ground taking in the scents. “You don’t have to do this you know?” Jax mind linked Kai. “I know. But I want to. It won’t be the same for me or Elsie if I don’t and you know it.” Kai went and sat next to Jax. He was her complete opposite. She was white as snow and he was dark as coal. Her eyes were bright green and his were a dark shade of brown. She was large for a female wolf, but Jax was massive in comparison. “It feels good to be like this with you again,”Kai said. Jax let out a huff. Their relationship had been rocky since she left. When they were cubs they were inseparable and loved one another fiercely. That love dimmed as they grew apart, but Elsie helped bring some of it back. Jax stood and headed deeper into the woods. Kai growled low, “You aren’t coming with me. I have to do this alone. Elsie will need someone to be there when she goes to school. Don’t let them forget who she is or what she will become. I have to do this or all of this will be for nothing.” Jax moved behind a large pine tree where they had extra clothes stored. He shifted and Eric pulled on some clothes. Kai waited. “Be careful,” Eric said as he headed towards the house.

I ran all the way to the spot of the counselors. It had been years since I ran through these woods and I enjoyed every moment of it. Feeling the earth beneath my paws, the brisk air burning my lungs, and the thumping of my heart in my chest. I knew the importance of this day and what was about to happen, but right now at that moment I was happy. I got to the stream and decided to take a drink and stretch. I looked around and even though I wasn’t linked to them I could hear them approach. I headed back to the circle where the council met and found the large pine tree that had clothes. I shifted and dressed and went and sat in the center of the circle. I waited, knowing they would come.

Eventually, wolves started to show and circle me like I was prey for the kill. This was part of it. Controlling Kai showing that I was still worthy of our pack and that I would be able to earn my place once again. There was a fine line to this ritual that teetered on the line of acceptance and death. If I wasn’t accepted, then I would more than likely die. This is what Eric had warned me of. Yes, it was true that he or my father could make it so that we were part of the pack again, but without doing this, taking part, and earning my place, we would never truly be accepted. They would never accept Elsie. That is why I had to do this.

More wolves started to showup and I began to think that maybe it wasn’t the best idea to come alone. No one would interfere on my behalf if things got out of hand and, from the looks of it, people are still holding a grudge that I left. I steadied my nerves knowing that they could sense my feelings even if we weren’t linked. All I had to do was wait until someone made the first move. I was still unsure if they would attack me in wolf or human form. Part of me wished it was in wolf form because being an alpha’s daughter had its perks when it came to a fight.

After several tense moments, they all stopped in unison. I turned to look at them to see who would step forward. As I turned, no one moved. As I made it back around, a wolf emerged from the pack with a brindled coat and blue eyes. I smiled. The growl let me know that she was not as happy to see me as I was to see her. Okay then, wolf it was. I shifted and as soon as my white paws hit the dirt it started. They didn’t all charge me at once. No, this would be long and calculated. Two more wolves stepped forward and the three began to circle me. I let Kai take over and, being the alpha that she is, she lunged. Taking out the smaller wolf with a swipe of her paw while turning and taking out a second wolf. Two more joined just as quickly as two wolves fell. Kai watched as two men tried to back her into the third but she held her ground and slashed out with her claws. She connected with one of the wolves and he fell on his back. Another wolf jumped on Kai’s back and she let out a growl in frustration. She threw her weight back and landed on top of the wolf, knocking him from her back. She got up bearing her teeth and slashing her claws wherever she could make contact.

Elsie

As we exited the little town and headed into thicker woods, I began to worry that I truly had make a mistake by getting into this truck. I looked sideways at the man driving and he still had a smile on his face. I looked at the door and it was locked, but I could easily open the door and jump out, but I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t survive the fall. He came to my defense earlier, so that had to mean something, right? I finally couldn’t handle it and spoke, “you are taking me to my mom, right?” He nodded, “but she won’t be happy to see you.” “You don’t know anything about my mom,” I huffed as I crossed my arms. He laughed again.

Mom

More and more wolves jumped into the mix. Sweat coated my fur and the smell of blood filled the air. I continued to let Kai take over and encouraged her to keep going. “We are doing this for Elsie, for us, for our family.” I told her. Kai seemed to understand and charged at a male that was out for blood. Kai moved swiftly and dodged his attack. She rolled and growled and swiped at his belly. Another wolf tried to pin her to the ground but she easily flipped the wolf on its back and pinned her to the ground. By the rules, the wolf was out. They couldn’t re-enter the fight. Kai looked around and they still had quite a few wolves to face and wasn’t sure they were going to be able to keep this up much longer.

Elsie

I noticed that Beta Jackson was preoccupied with something. We weren’t talking but he seemed to be having a deep thought or conversation with himself. “How much longer?” I asked. He turned and looked at me, “we will be there in about two minutes but you need to understand something.” He paused as he looked back at the road. “Your mom is doing something that needs to be done. If she didn’t want you to know there is a reason for it and you shouldn’t interfere.” I could feel my pulse rise and anger heat my cheeks. “If my mom is doing something because of me that will cause her to get hurt, I will do whatever I can to stop it.” I seethed. He shook his head but I couldn’t help but notice a small smile creased his lips. We turned a corner in a densely-forested area and I saw them. A massive number of wolves are circling a white wolf.

I opened the door and beta slammed on the brakes. I was running before he could say anything. All I cared about was getting my mom out of that ring with all those wolves. “MOM!” I screamed as I ran. I could see that her beautiful white fur was stained red with blood. Some of the wolves noticed me and seemed unsure what to do. I paid them no attention and ran right into the middle of the circle just as a massive wolf sliced his paw towards my mom. I felt the sting and then the pain as I hit the ground and then everything went black.

Mom

Finally, everyone must be close to done. I can sense wolves relaxing and only a few fighters remained. One of which was a large male I didn’t recognize. I easily took out the two females and just as we were about to engage, Kai screamed in my head, “Elsie!” I didn’t see her and I couldn’t afford to take my eyes off of him. Maybe if I turned he would follow and I could scan the crowd. She’s supposed to be in school. Why is she here? Suddenly, Elsie is in front of me and Kai tries to shove her under us, but just as we do, the male swipes, hitting Elsie with his massive claw.

Kai roars so loudly that the trees shake. All the wolves bow and the fighting instantly stops. This was the alpha’s daughter and she was not to be messed with.

Elsie

I wake in a warm bed with the scent of my mom surrounding me. I tried to open my eyes but can’t. I feel her soft hands brushing my hair out of my face as she whispers, “it’s okay honey. You’re okay.” I try to remember what happened but my brain is so foggy. I tried to open my eyes again and this time I am able to open them just enough to barely see my mom staring at me. “She’s waking up.” I felt the bed dip knowing my dad had just sat down. He rubs my leg gently. “What happened?” I whispered. I shut my eyes because it’s too hard to keep them open. “What matters is that you are safe and will be okay,” mom said as she placed a kiss on my forehead.

I wake up to people talking and as I open my eyes I realize I’m in my bedroom. How did I get here? Why are there people in my room? I try to sit up and pain shoots through my side. I winced and lay back down. Mom is instantly at my side and helps me sit up and hands me some medicine and some water. Dad stands beside her and smiles. “I’m glad to see you awake.”

I look around and notice that Beta Jackson, Ashlynn, and another person are all here. Ashlynn came to my side and handed me a beautiful bouquet of flowers. “Thank you,” I whispered. I took another drink of water. My throat was so dry. Beta Jackson came towards me, “I’m glad you are okay. What you did was brave but also could have gotten you killed.” He turned and faced my mom and dad, “If I had known she was going to do that I would have refused to bring her. I’m sorry.” He bowed his head and my mom stood and took his hands. “Jack, it’s okay.”

“What happened,” I asked. Dad spoke, “Well, we are guessing that you saw that your mom was hurt and fighting and you decided that you were going to do something about it. You ran and jumped into the middle of an initiation ring and tried to defend your mom against a full grown male wolf.” Ashlynn let out a laugh, “She really doesn’t know anything, does she?” Mom came and sat down on the bed beside me, “No she doesn’t and it’s my fault. I thought that keeping this from you would be the best thing, but I guess I was wrong about that too. So from here on out we are going to tell you everything we can.” I smiled. Then the thought hit me, “Oh my gosh, mom are you okay? Kai was bloody and you were hurt.” This time mom looked at me with pride in her eyes. “Elsie, you ran into a pack of wolves to try and save me. You could have gotten killed because I didn’t share everything with you. Yes, I am fine. They wouldn’t have killed me unless things got out of hand. Shifters are quick healers and we can regenerate faster than most species. My cuts and scrapes were healed before we got you to the hospital. It’s you we are worried about. How do you feel?”

I sat thinking for a moment, “My mouth is really dry. It hurts when I try to move on my own and it feels like my side is on fire. Why is my arm in this cast thing?” “You took a claw swipe from an adult male wolf. His claws tore into your arm and side, ripping your flesh. Your throat is dry because they gave you some medicine at the hospital to help you heal. We will go tomorrow to hopefully have your stitches taken out if you’ve healed enough. The pills I gave you should kick in soon and you shouldn’t have any pain.” I looked at her in shock. “Wow, that is a lot.” They all smiled at me. Ashlynn sat down next to my bed, “You are going to have one badass scar to show off! I don’t know anyone who would have done what you did.” I turned and looked at my parents who were now talking to Beta Jackson. I looked at Ashlynn, “So, how did Emily know that my mom would be there?” Before she could answer, Beta Jackson spoke up, “I think it’s time for me and Ashlynn to head home.” “Wait, you’re her father?!” Ashlynn laughed, “duh silly! Who do you think told him about Emily?” I laid back in my bed, thankful that Ashlynn was my friend.

“Mom, why were you there in the first place? What was happening?” Dad seemed like he already knew the answer and busied himself on his phone. Mom paced back and forth in my room and my head became dizzy. “Can you please stop doing that? It’s making me dizzy.” “Sorry,” she said as she took a seat next to me. “Being part of a pack is a wonderful thing, but you have to earn your place. I was born an alpha’s daughter, so that came with some privileges, but as I grew I learned that I would have to protect my place. This meant that I had to fight for my position in various ways. However, I have alpha blood that pumps through my veins and that means something. Some will respect me just because of my blood. Others will acknowledge my blood but not obey. There is a hierarchy in a pack that must be followed. It is one of our ways. The alpha is at the top, followed by the beta, gamma, and so forth. The alpha’s family is greater than any other wolf family but not greater than him. My father could have told the pack that I was back and that I was to be respected. That would mean that you would have to be accepted and respected. But if I hadn’t done what I did, what we did, then we would never have been fully part of the pack by being respected and obeyed by pack law.” “What do you mean what we did?” I asked. Dad actually laughed. “Well honey, you showed the entire pack today that you, Elsie Whitmore, were worthy of their obedience.” “How?” “Elsie, when you ran right into that pack and tried to defend me, something shifted. Cubs are the most protected thing in a pack. Family means everything. You showed how brave and how much you meant to me by your actions. You were willing to put yourself in danger to protect others. You showed them that you had what it meant to be a wolf inside you.” Mom smiled at me as a tear slipped down her cheek. “I’m so proud of you.”

“So, what does this mean for us? Are we part of the pack?” I asked excitedly. Mom frowned, “You don’t feel it?” She looked at dad with the worry written across her face. “Feel what?” I asked. “Elsie, you should be able to feel the link to the pack. I felt it in the field instantly when they bowed and when Kai roared. It felt like a band snapped back into place. I can hear and feel the pack once again.” I shook my head no at my mom. Dad stood and placed his hand on her shoulder, “Maybe it’s all the meds she is on. Maybe once she is off of them she will be able to feel the link. Why don’t we let her get some rest?” He kissed my forehead and guided mom out of my room.

I lay awake quietly in my bed thinking of what it would mean if I was not part wolf. Just seeing the disappointment in my mom’s eyes when I said I couldn’t feel the link was awful. What would she think if I never shifted? I closed my eyes and tried to sleep.

I awoke to the cool air prickling over my skin. I opened my eyes and I was in the snowy woods surrounded by large pine trees. I lay on the ground as snow flakes landed on my fur. My white paws are stretched out before me against the cool earth. I’m warm from my fur and enjoy the quiet of the woods. I heard a sound, no someone, from not far ahead. A calmness washes over me and I stay laying down. I heard a branch snap and sat up only to feel a sharp pain in my side. I let out a whine and lay back down against the cool earth. A woodsy scent hits my nose and I drink it in. The sweet smell of cedar and the musky smell of earth mixed to create a warm sensation throughout my body. The calmness washes over me once again and then I see him. He’s staring at me and I can tell he wanted to approach. I lay my head down in offering and he came closer his smell wrapping around me. He comes to my side and lay next to me, his warmth mixing with mine. He sniffs my side and I freeze, unsure of what he will do. Slowly, he starts to lick my side with the gentlest of touch. A warm sensation flows into my body and I can feel the heat reaching out within me. He continued to lick as I lay still unsure of what to do. After a few moments, he stood and I looked into his bright blue eyes. The heat is gaining in intensity and I try and stand. I’m not sure what he did but it feels as if my skin is on fire. He must sense my panic because he comes and nuzzles into me, causing the calmness to wash over me once again. I lay back down and closed my eyes. He comes and lays beside me, wrapping me in his warmth. It isn’t until much later that I wake up and see that I am alone in the woods covered in a blanket of snow. I looked around and there was no sign of the male wolf. I stood and shook off the snow to find that my side was completely healed and I had no pain.