Suddenly I Knew

Chapter Eight.

Before she could respond, the two enormous wolves decided it was a good idea to charge at me. Melody, instinctively, reacted the way anyone would in such a situation. As the wolves closed in, she began to growl—low and threatening.

Upon hearing her growl, the wolves froze, tilting their heads to the side with their ears flopping before sitting down obediently like puppies. They waited for Melody to make the first move. It was an amusing sight. When Melody saw they weren’t going to do anything else, she cautiously approached them. She sniffed them as she neared, sensing they were waiting for her approval. Once she was satisfied, she grinned at them in her unique she-wolf way. To their surprise, she suddenly dashed toward the forest, letting out a howl that could probably be heard by everyone. The wolves around her immediately chased after her, hot on her heels. When she reached the edge of the forest, one of the twins tackled her to the ground. We still had to figure out which twin it was.

“Melody, do you know how we can tell them apart?”

“Yes. Orion has a white spot under his left eye, and Hades has one under his right,” she pointed out, and I noticed it instantly. Handy to know! With that trick in mind, I realized it was Hades who had tackled us. When we finally stopped rolling on the ground—with me pinned beneath him—he licked our snout. The gesture made Melody purr like a cat.

“I thought only cats purred,” I teased with a wicked grin.

"Try controlling yourself and then talk," she shot back.

“So far, you're the only one having trouble keeping control,” I retorted.

"That's because I’m a virgin, and I can wait. You? Just wait until you get a taste—you’ll be worse than me,” she replied smugly. When Hades finished marking our faces with his affection, he stood up and sprinted back toward the others. As soon as we rejoined the group, we were tackled again.

“I’m going to need a shower after this,” I thought to myself.

“We’re setting ground rules for the tackling—no way am I risking bruises.” Orion was now on top of me, doing the same as his brother. When he was done, he shifted back effortlessly. His ease in shifting made me a little jealous. He had a lot of practice. But that’s when I realized something: the wolf standing there was no longer a wolf—it was a very naked Caleb. When Caleb shifted, it seemed to signal everyone else to follow. The only problem? I had no idea how to shift back. Once they were all human again, Logan went inside and returned with shorts for the boys, and tank tops and shorts for Musa and Rose. Meanwhile, I was still stuck in my wolf form, hoping someone would explain how to shift back. It didn’t take long for them to realize my predicament. Damien cautiously stepped forward, his hands raised to show Melody he wasn’t a threat. He came so close that his chest almost brushed against me. “You are the most gorgeous she-wolf I’ve ever seen,” he said softly, awe in his voice.

“Damien, can you grab a mirror so she can see herself? Oh, and some clothes. I don’t want anyone else seeing our mate naked,” Caleb said firmly.

“Got it. Logan, help me with the mirror. Musa, Rose—can you pick something for her to wear from her closet?” Damien’s tone was commanding, leaving no room for argument. Everyone seemed eager to have something to do. When they returned, Logan and Damien carried a large mirror—the one usually hung in the hallway—and set it down in front of me. What I saw stunned me. I stared at my reflection, struggling to believe what I was seeing.

“This can’t be me,” I thought.

“Yes, it’s you. You’re a special she-wolf,” Melody reassured me. My fur wasn’t something I’d call normal. It was a silvery-blue hue that gleamed with a light blue tint under the moonlight. It was mesmerizing. But the most striking feature was my eyes. They were still my usual icy blue, but combined with my silver fur, they were hauntingly beautiful. When I finally turned away from my reflection, my gaze landed on Caleb. When he saw I was done, he glanced at Rose and Musa, signaling them to bring me my clothes. As Rose approached, a sudden realization hit me: my so-called best friend had been hiding things from me. When she came closer, Melody reacted, offended, and snarled at Rose. Rose looked hurt, and Logan quickly moved to her side, growling protectively at Melody. This, in turn, caused Caleb and Damien to growl at Logan. The situation was quickly spiraling out of control. The only calm one in the group was Musa, who finally broke the tension.

“Okay, let’s have her shift back first, and maybe then she can explain what’s going on. Luna, if you want to shift back, you need to focus on your human form.”

“Who’s this Luna?” I asked Melody, confused.

“That’s you,” Melody explained. “Caleb and Damien are the Alphas. They’re the leaders of the pack, and as their mate, you’re their equal. That makes you are the Luna, their partner in leading the pack.”

“Wait... Alphas? As in two bosses? That’s... kind of hot. Even your virgin brain can’t deny that,” Melody added teasingly. Focusing on my human form, I started the process of shifting back. It wasn’t easy. My bones contorted and shrank, returning to their usual size. It hurt—badly. I could only hope that, with time and practice, it would stop being so painful. When I finally finished shifting, Musa stepped forward with the clothes she and Rose had picked out for me. I quickly dressed and made my way inside, eager to escape the cold and get some answers. Once I reached the living room, I sat on the couch.

“So, you’re werewolves?” I asked, not directing the question at anyone in particular.

“Yes, yes we are,” Musa answered calmly.

“And I’m a werewolf too,” I stated.

“It seems so,” Damien confirmed. Then the realization hit me hard.

“Okay, first things first,” I began. “This mate bond thing isn’t going to change anything between us. Let that be crystal clear.”

“You can’t expect that from us,” Caleb replied.

“And why is that? You probably only like me because of this so-called mate bond. Before that, you didn’t even notice me,” I snapped, my anger flaring. “Don’t you know me at all? Caleb, you call me spitfire for a reason. You should have figured this out by now—it’s who I am.”

“You can’t expect anything from me,” I continued, “because if you wanted me for me, you would’ve acted on it before. But you didn’t. So unless you can prove it’s not just the mate bond—unless one of you wants me for who I am—I’m not interested. When you're ready to prove it, we’ll talk.” With that, I turned my attention to my next “victim”—Rose. She seemed to sense what was coming.

“Before you yell, kill, or punch me, know that I wasn’t allowed to tell you,” she said quickly.

“Oh? And who, pray tell, forbade you?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Your biological father,” she answered, and that made me laugh—loudly, maniacally.

“My sperm donor told you not to tell me?”

“Yes,” she replied.

“When?” I asked, my voice turning dangerous.

“When I was trained to be your guardian,” she admitted.

“And how long ago was that?” I asked in a low, threatening voice.

“When you moved here. He told me to make friends with you, to protect you if needed. Then he used an Alpha command to make sure I couldn’t tell you until you turned 18,” she confessed. A surge of cold fury washed over me. “So you pretended to be my friend? You let me cry over that man, comforting me every time I asked myself what I’d done to make him leave. You lied to me.

Well, Gamma,” I spat, emphasizing her title instead of her name, “you failed at your task.” I saw the pain on Rose’s face when I addressed her by her title instead of her name.

“You can all sleep here because we have school later today. I won’t kick you out. But for now, do not speak to me. I need time to think. Musa, you’re allowed to talk to me, because you didn’t hide anything from me. Thank you for that.”

“Gamma, you know where the guest bedrooms are. Show our so-called friends and mates to their rooms. Goodnight, everyone.” With that, I walked upstairs, eager to find some much-needed rest. As I entered my bedroom, I felt a strange sensation, as if someone were watching me. But that was impossible. My mom wasn’t home, and I hoped Caleb, Damien, Musa, Rose, and Logan weren’t foolish enough to follow me. I glanced around the room but saw no one.