The Mysteries That Follow You

Chapter 28

Marie is awake before the sun is up. She is mulling over the idea of getting more sleep but she is too excited to stay in bed. Her body is on hyper drive but she isn't ready to get up yet. She decides to grab her phone and look at her messages with Kaden. It's been three days since his last text and she is beginning to worry. As if he could tell she was thinking about him, he messaged her.

Kaden: Happy Birthday Marie!!

Kaden: I would prefer to call or say it in person but I can't yet. I will be back in contact tomorrow.

Kaden: I hope you have a great day 💚

Marie: Thank you Kaden

Marie: I hope we can hang out when you get back 💜

Marie puts her phone down and her smile grows. There is a faint tug in her heart. It feels like there is something she needs to find but it's not clear what. She puts the thought aside because there is a soft knock on her door and it slowly opens. Kiana and Oscar walk in and Kiana is holding a cupcake with a lit candle in it. They softly sing Happy Birthday when they notice Marie is awake.

"Make a wish sweetheart" Kiana brings the cupcake up to Marie's face. Marie closes her eyes and blows out the candle after she makes a secret wish. Oscar claps his hands and Kiana joins after placing the cupcake on the nightstand.

"Are you ready for your shift?" Oscar asks Marie.

"Yes. I just want to get ready for the day first." Marie rubs the eye crust out of her eyes and gets out of bed. She does her normal morning routine. She returns to her now empty room and changes into a robe. She heads downstairs and out the back. Kiana is waiting in the clearing where she spars with Oscar. The two walk into the woods. Kiana and Marie have discussed the moment many times before her birthday.

Once they are deeper into the forest, Kiana asks, "Are you ready?" Marie nods her head. "Okay, I will talk you through the process and help you in any way I can."

"Thank you for doing this with me." Marie hugs Kiana and mentally prepares. Something is scratching the back of her mind, trying to surface. Marie thinks it is time. She looks at Kiana and says, "I'm ready."

Kiana takes Marie's hands in her own. "I want you to visualize yourself as a wolf. Visualize the fur, the claws, the sharp teeth, and you with four legs instead of two. Your body will do the rest." Marie nods her head, absorbing everything Kiana says. Now go behind that tree. When you are done shifting, I will be right here."

Marie walks behind a large tree and takes off her robe. She will have to get used to being naked in the woods at some point. Right now she focuses her attention on trying to shift. With a deep breath, she begins thinking about her body morphing into a wolf. She crouches to the ground as fur rapidly grows on her body. Her hands and feet morph into paws with sharp claws. Her head is the last thing to change and the bone-cracking and body-morphing process is complete. The process was a bit painful but she suspects if she didn't train it could have been much worse. She walks back to where Kiana is standing and nudges her hand with her nose. Kiana pats Marie on her head and rubs behind her ear. Marie's tail wags in delight, something else she'll have to get used to. Having paws and a tail is quite strange.

"Would you like to go for a run together?" Marie does her best impression of a nod, her tail wagging intensifies. Kiana laughs, then walks behind another tree, and returns in her wolf form. She has a light brown coat and is slightly bigger than an average wolf. Kiana nudges Marie with her snout and takes off. Marie takes a minute to get used to running on all fours but when she gets the hang of it she sprints past Kiana. They race each other and play fight until Kiana takes them back to the clearing. She shifts back to her human form and puts her clothes on. She walks to Marie who is still in her wolf form.

"That was fun but it is time for you to be alone with your wolf." Kiana turns and walks back to the house. The scratch at the back of Marie's mind returns as she watches Kiana walk away. Now that Marie is alone and no longer distracted the scratch intensifies and Marie gets antsy. She takes off running with no direction in mind. She finds herself near the pond she and Kiana passed earlier on their run. She walks up to it and takes a drink of water. Her long tongue causes the water to splash all over her snout and eyes. After being amused by the wonders of her wolf form she more carefully drinks. When she is done she looks down at her reflection in the water. The first thing Marie notices is her nose and then her bright orange-red fur. She moves her focus on her eyes which are now a milky grey. Something in her brain sparks like a flash of light.

'Hello dear' an unknown voice speaks to Marie in her head.

'Are you my wolf?' Marie asks.

'Yes dear, my name is Allura' the voice says back a grin in her voice.

'It is nice to meet you Allura' Marie is in aw. She had been the most excited about meeting her wolf companion.

'Yes, it is nice to finally meet you, Marie.'

'Were you here all along?' Marie asks confused.

'Yes, I was always here with you. I didn't have the power to manifest but we have been together your whole life.' Hearing that made Marie feel a sense of comfort, knowing she wasn't alone this whole time.

~

Marie spent the next few hours speaking with and getting to know Allura. She is a sassy, confident, headstrong wolf and complements Marie's soft friendly disposition. Exploring the forest in her new form only strengthens her love for it. Marie returned to the clearing after testing how fast she could in the forest near her house. She finds her robe and puts it on after shifting back. It was thankfully less painful than the initial shift. She wobbles a little getting used to two legs again. She returns home only stumbling a handful of times. She walks into the house and up the stairs. She checks her phone and sees it's almost 11. Her friends are chatting in the group chat about their plans for later today. Marie messages a similar sentiment before grabbing the clothes she picked out yesterday to take a shower. When she is done she heads to the kitchen where Kiana and Oscar sat.

"Hey, sweetheart your breakfast is in the microwave." Marie grabs the plate after warming it. She sits down and digs into the food. Running around as a wolf all morning made her hungry. Luna Ciara warned her once she shifts her appetite would increase by double. She happily devoured the hefty plate of food Kiana made. She looks up from her meal and Oscar and Kiana are smiling at her. She swallows her food and gathers the courage to ask the question that's been on her mind for days.

"Mrs. Kiana, Mr. Oscar," Their faces turn serious as they wait for her to continue. "I know we have only spent a few weeks together and I still love and miss my parents deeply. But I was wondering if, you would be okay with me calling you Mom and Dad." They stare at her blankly and Marie begins to lose her nerve. "I understand if you don't want to. I just thought it felt weird to keep calling you guys by your first names." Marie is now blabbering and only stops when Kiana gets up and hugs her.

"Yes, Marie you can definitely call us Mom and Dad," Oscar speaks up. He comes around the table and joins the hug.

"We've thought of you as our daughter since we signed the adoption papers. We will never try to replace your parents but we hoped you'd come to see us as surrogate parents." Kiana is now crying which triggers tears from Marie as well. The little family stays like that for a short while before Oscar pulls away.

"Well, since that is settled Marie finish your breakfast so your Mom and I can take you to the movies to see your friends." Marie nods her head and finishes her food with a smile. Kiana goes to the bathroom to rinse her face. When Marie is finished they hop in the car and go into town. It's a long ride from the secluded pack grounds. The trio talks about Marie's shift to pass the time.

Oscar pulls into the movie theater parking lot. Marie and her friends planned to watch a movie and eat afterward. The girls have already arrived there and are getting out of the van. "My friends are here." Marie points in the direction of the parked van.

"Okay, have fun sweetie, and call us if anything happens," Kiana says and then kisses Marie's cheek.

"We will pick you up from the Mall at 7. Here is some money to pay for you and your friend's tickets and food." Oscar hands Marie $2OO in twenty-dollar bills.

"This is too much Dad." Hearing Marie call him dad put the biggest smile on his face.

"Here is some more that's not enough." Oscar pulls more money out and hands her fifty dollars. Marie shakes her head and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

"See you later Mom and Dad" Marie shouts at them as she exits the car and runs to her friends. When she reaches them they all wish her a Happy Birthday. Before they head to the entrance Oscar honks the horn to get their attention. Kiana and Oscar greet the girls before driving off. The group walks inside and Marie pays for everyone's tickets. They sit and wait for their movie, which is set, to start in twenty minutes. Marie takes a moment to think about how much her life has changed in a short period of time. She has great friends, parents who love her, and she is a freaking werewolf. Life is full of surprises.