A New Era

Family

April’s POV

I awoke in a cold sweat, yet again. It has been twelve years since that night, but the dream has been coming more and more lately. The night that changed everything for me and my future. As I found out later, we had been closer to the Crestmoon pack's boundary than my father had realized. The werewolves were the ones who attacked the rogues, saving me from certain death. I had lost my entire family, only to gain another. The Beta, Aaron, and his wife, Elara, decided to adopt me even though they had four boys of their own and I was a panther shifter, not a wolf. They became my new parents, and their boys became my new brothers—a family I never thought I would have again.

Things here hadn't been a walk in the park, especially since I was a panther being raised with werewolves. The Alpha and Beta families made sure I was comfortable and had everything I needed to grow strong. Still, some of the wolves thought I should have been sent to the panther territory, about five to six hours away. It turned out my father was a close friend of the Crestmoon leaders, which explained why we were so close to their lands that night. The Alpha, however, wasn't having it. "She will always have a place here, no matter what. Is that understood?" he had said, his voice leaving no room for argument. His unwavering support was the only reason I was able to stay.

I checked my phone for the time—5 a.m. I may get up and prepare for training, maybe even have a cup of coffee before starting. Getting up and heading into the bathroom, I took a brisk shower and dressed. In the kitchen, I started the coffee machine, preparing enough for everyone. As it brewed, I thought about my upcoming birthday. I would be turning eighteen and shifting for the first time. I was wondering if it would be like the wolves' transformations. I'd been told that their first shift hurt like hell, and I'm not a fan of pain. The beep of the machine finishing brought me out of my thoughts. Making my cup, I quickly grabbed more mugs as I smelled my brothers and dad heading to the kitchen. "Oww, thank you, thank you, little pea," they seemed to all say at the same time.

"No problem," I said, giggling. I knew that coffee was my father's favorite meal of the day. He had it all day long, even after being told to slow it down. Stating that "We all die of something, may as well go out enjoying it." Moving to the counter and having a seat beside Jack, the oldest of my brothers. He would become the new beta when their dad retired. The twins, Liam and Lincoln, came in next. They were both head warriors within the pack, their movements sharp and their senses always on high alert. Last to stumble in was Mich, who hadn't yet discovered his role in the pack other than as a class-A prankster. These men would do anything to protect me, and they had done everything to ensure I could defend myself, training me as a wolf, a pack member, and a little sister.

Everyone drank in silence, but it didn't last as Liam decided it was time to get to the training field. "Alright, let's get the show on the road." We all groaned but headed out, our mugs abandoned on the counter. The air outside was crisp, the sky a bruised purple just before dawn. We jogged along a well-worn dirt path that led us to the training grounds—a wide, open clearing at the edge of the forest. The field was dotted with old stumps for target practice, wooden dummies for sparring, and a high wall for climbing. As my family began to warm up, I felt a familiar mix of anticipation and dread. My training had been relentless, a constant push to make me as strong as a wolf, to overcome my panther's natural stealth with their brute strength. But with my birthday and first shift so close, every movement felt charged with a new kind of pressure. As the rest of the pack members came in for training, Lincoln told me I would be working with him today. I wish I could say I was surprised, but honestly, I wasn't. It seemed that I was either working with one of my brothers or my father almost every other day. But with my first shift coming up, they wanted me to work even closer to them. Liam then announced that we should start our ten-mile run, and we were off.

Once we had completed our run and had some water, we separated and started sparring. Lincoln and I moved closer to the tree line as he wanted me to use my agility along with my strength today. Getting into our fighting stances, Lincoln charged me. Jumping back, I sprang off the side of a tree, twisting backward, and hit him square in the face. I landed just behind him. Before he could regain his balance, I used his leg to climb up his back, locking my legs around his neck and beginning to squeeze. He quickly tapped out. Once he was back on his feet, he charged at me again. This time, I used my speed, dodging him and grabbing his arm. I used his momentum to flip him onto his back and then chopped his neck, causing him to lose his breath and cough. I offered him a hand up. "Did I hurt you?" I asked, concerned that I might have used too much force. But Lincoln shook me off. "If it didn't hurt, I'd be distraught with you," he said, a smile on his face. We then headed back to the bench area so he could rest a bit.

After training, everyone headed to the packhouse for a big breakfast, a much-needed shower, and then off to their jobs. For me, it was off to go shopping with my mother, Elara, and the Luna, Mary. The Luna had decided it would be a great idea to hold a mating ball the day after my birthday. It was a full moon, which meant the mating pull would be stronger. Even though she told everyone it was because of my birthday, I secretly believed it was because neither my brothers nor the future Alpha had found their mates. I'd take the blame for it, of course; the guys would be livid if they knew it was for them. The thought made me inwardly giggle.

We made our way through the boutiques in town, a blur of colorful fabrics and shimmering gowns. My mother and Luna Mary eagerly pulled dresses from the racks, none of which seemed to fit my unique, muscular build. My wolf-trained body, built for combat and endurance, didn't exactly conform to the delicate cuts of these dresses. Still, I tried on every single one they handed me, hoping to appease them. Soon enough, even they realized none of the dresses seemed to work. I decided to look around, and as I walked toward the back of the store, my panther spoke up. "Look to the left. Champagne-colored," it said in my mind, a low growl of approval. I glanced over and saw the most beautiful spaghetti-strapped dress. It would hug my curves in all the right places, and a tasteful split on the right side would show off my toned legs. I also noticed a pair of champagne-colored strappy heels nearby that would complement my legs perfectly.

"Well, what do you think, Sky? Can we make this look good?" my mother asked, her voice filled with a mix of genuine surprise and a glint of hope. Luna Mary nodded in agreement, her eyes scanning the dress with a critical yet approving gaze. I quickly grabbed the dress and the heels and went to the dressing room to try them on. I came out a few minutes later, and their jaws dropped. It wasn't the traditional dress they had in mind, but it fit me perfectly, flowing around me with every step. The split showed off my toned legs, and the spaghetti straps highlighted my shoulders. The champagne color, so soft and elegant, was a perfect contrast to the strength in my frame.

"It's perfect," Luna Mary said, her eyes shining with tears. "You look beautiful." As I stood there, taking in the shocked and happy expressions, I looked at the heels again and sent a question to my inner panther. "Sky, do you think we can pull these heels off? I hope she doesn't allow me to fall on my butt."

"We were built for balance and stealth, not for falling," my inner panther, Sky, replied with a hint of a purr. "Trust me. We'll be just fine."

With our shopping done, we headed back to the packhouse. It was already dinner time by the time we arrived, so I put my bags in my dad's office and headed to the dining hall to join everyone else. My brothers were curious about the dress, but I just gave them a mischievous smile. "It's a surprise," I told them with wide eyes, enjoying the way their curiosity was piqued.

Once dinner was done, I grabbed my bags from Dad's office and headed to my room to hang up my dress. I was utterly exhausted from the long day of training and then the shopping trip, so I decided to head to bed early. I took one last look at the dress, hanging perfectly in my closet, before sinking into my bed and falling asleep almost instantly.