The Opal Wolf

Chapter Five

**Erins POV**

"O-okay." She said as I cut the line. Echo was our code word we made up when we came to college. One uses that and the other drops what they're doing to get to the other. She has only ever used it one time before and that was after her parents died, a really bad anxiety attack throwing her into a bad spiral. Rushing out of the college, my mind is in a spin as to what is wrong. My Wolf Trey and I were both extremely protective of our girl, have been since we met her eight years ago. I quickly hide behind a tree, strip out of my clothes and let Trey take over. Shifting, I pinch my stuff with my teeth and take off, all four paws pounding on the soft floor of the forest. Usually, this is cathartic to me, but panic runs through my veins, pushing me faster to the edge of the forest behind Selene's apartment. Trey quickly gives me back control and dressing at lighting speed, I rush around to the front of the building and bang on the door, announcing my arrival. Hearing the soft pat pat of her feet, I don't pick up the swish of her guide stick and my brow furrows in confusion. She has only been here a week, she usually takes a month to memorize a place. The confusion is answered when she answers and her once grey-white eyes are now a deep honey-gold.

She is a WOLF?! I gasp.

So it would seem. Trey agrees. The question is how?

I think we are about to find out.

"H-hi." She stammers, eyes wide with worry and confusion. "You better come in."

She steps to the side, walking straight to her couch to sit down. I shut the door behind me, triple checking that it was locked tight and go to sit next to my best friend. She looks so much smaller today, shrinking in on herself. What ever happened, her fear is thick in the air of the apartment. I steel my self, ready to listen to what has got her so spooked.

"S-so..." she begins. "I uh.... Im.."

"A wolf." I blurt out. Her head snapped my way, eyes wide.

"How...?"

"I could smell it." I state. "Also your eyes are now a gold color, which means your wolf is right at the surface. Also, you walking around, sight clear as day means that the werewolf gene you now have healed what caused you to be born blind."

"I smell?!" She shouts, smelling herself. Oh this girl is something else.

"Not how you think," I chuckle. "All wolves smell like nature, like pine trees. You used to smell like jasmine and now you smell like Pine trees. That was what I meant by being able to smell it." My. girl let out an audible sigh of relief at not stinking.

"So bestie, if you are ready, I would love for you to tell me what happened to you." Fear swirls in her eyes but she takes a few deep breaths and begins. As she recounts the attempted assault on her, tears streaming down her cheeks, my blood boils. Rage over the person who did this to my best friend has Trey growling and crawling in my head. He is out for blood and he wants to kill this bastard that dare even look at Selene in a less than favorable manner. As she describes the smell he had, my blood freezes over. Rouges this close to the territory are never a good thing. Drew had to know about this and fast.

Alpha, we have a situation. I chime in through the mind link

What's going on, Erin? My Alphas deep voice rings in my head

Do you remember that girl I never shut up about?

Yes of course. Selene right?

Yes, sir. I confirm. She was attacked by a rouge yesterday. She is fine, but she was turned as a result of the attack. Drew, rouges this close can only mean one thing.

Yes. He glowers. They are the reason so many human women are going missing. Bring her into the safety of the pack. Being freshly turned, she is 24 hours away from shifting for the first time. She will need our help..... and our protection.

Yes, sir. I cut the link and turn back to Selene, met with a quizzical look on her face. F**k, she must have asked me a question and I didn't hear.

"Sorry love, what did you say?" I question, hoping she isn't to hurt I didn't hear her.

"I was telling you about what Esme called the stranger." She quips. "Were you ignoring me?" She questions, rage lacing her voice.

"No no, not at all." I quickly counter. "I was mind linking my Alpha. He's like my boss and he had to know about the Rouge. His territory is about a fifteen minute drive from here, so those runts are a little too close for comfort." Hopefully Selene wasn't too mad at me for checking out.

"Mind link?" She questions. "What the hell is a mind link?"

"Well, you know how you can talk to your wolf?" I ask, hoping I was right in assuming Esme is her wolf and that they have already established a connection. She nods, confirming what I was hoping. "Well its like that, but it is with the whole pack. Think of it as text messages, but they appear in our mind and you hear the persons tone of voice."

"Oh wow!" She perks up. "So.... what did your Alpha say about the rouge?"

This is where it is going to get challenging. Selene wasn't really good with abrupt change and Drew wanting her to come to the pack could cause her to start hyperventilating. Hopefully she took this news in stride, because Drew wasn't lying when he said she would be safer with the pack. A wolfs first shift is always challenging and they're at their weakest during this transition. Not to mention how unpredictable a freshly turned wolf can be. They have a tendency to fly off the handle, feeling every emotion a human does ten times more intensely. No time like the present right?

"Well." I begin. "He is worried about it and he is pretty sure that whoever it is, they're behind all the women going missing. Why is the question though, because rouges hate humans, they see them as a snack.... literally. He, uh, also wants you to come to the territory... for your safety...." I pause, waiting for her to flip.

"W-why? I don't even know him!" She beings to wring her hands nervously.

"Well, I won't lie to you. Shifting for the first time can be very dangerous. You are very vulnerable and cannot defend your self until you complete the change. It is also quite painful, but the pack has medicines to help with the pain. The longest I've seen was a half an hour. If that wolf didn't have the protection of his pack, he would have surely died."

"Who was it?" She looks up at me, her eyes big as saucers.

"Me." I clarify. "So do you understand why now we need to leave?" This will be hard for her but it will definitely help in the long run.

"Yes." She whispers. Standing, she takes closes her eyes and takes a deep breath in. Turning, she looks right in my eyes, determination swimming in the depths of her soul. She was a sight to behold.

"Alright, lets go meet your Alpha."