The Wolf Keeper

Chapter 1 Mina

The only thing in life that is a given, is death. From the moment we are born, we live to die. I know, morbid. However, after the life of training to be a wolf keeper, there isn’t much else to look forward to when you discover you have an actual wolf in you.

Now this is where you are asking, what is this girl talking about? And yes, when you haven’t been part of this world, and know nothing of it, that is a great question. So let me start my story with the day I was born.

I was born to the alpha and his luna. My parents have always been amazing leaders. The pack has always told stories of how Father fought for Mother’s birthright from Grandfather, and won. Mother was the first born child, and only her mate could fight for the right of the pack. Together they have lead the pack to the higher ranks of our hidden world. By no means are we the top, but no one really messes with us, not even the king’s army.

Well as any alpha and luna, they brought a big family to the pack; I have 4 older brothers and am the only girl. The five of us are so close, but they are overprotective of me. Why? Well I was born with ocean blue eyes, which look like sapphires. This means, I should never be able to connect to my wolf, if I even have one. You see, wolves are born with either versions of brown eyes, or dark green eyes. There has never been a blue eye wolf.

This means I am marked as a wolf keeper, which basically is human born to a wolf pack that will monitor the humans for the wolves. There are policeman and like, there are business leaders, park rangers, school teachers, and of course, there is some in social services, just in case a wolf is born to a human.

Now here is the problem, at sixteen, wolves take on their first shift. As a wolf keeper, I shouldn’t be able to shift. So the night of my sixteen birthday, as I go for my evening run, I shouldn’t have had anything to worry about. But at midnight, when no other than a full moon ruled the sky, my bones started to snap, causing me to fall to the ground, and scream in pain. My skin was on fire, my bones moving to form a wolf.

When the pain had passed, I had to take deep breathes, until I could stand on my own. I didn’t have anyone with me to show me what to do, and my wolf had yet to speak to me. Slowly I walked to a nearby brook, and looked into the water. My fur was white, pure white, and my eyes were now violet. How I wish I could ask my wolf, hear her voice telling me what to do. White wolves were not as rare as human seem to think. Each pack has at least two, my mother was one, and also our healer. What was rare about me was I was the color of snow, and had violet eyes.

I tried to remember how to shift back to human, I closed my eyes, and begged my body to return my brown hair, my blue eyes, and my pale skin that was strong. I begged for one lone spot on the left side of my nose, I begged for my five foot six inch height back. I begged my body to return to me. Then the snap happened again, only this time, it didn’t hurt. I had to rotate my neck because it had become stiff and now needed popped.

I laid on my back for what seemed like a lifetime, before I realized I was naked. I looked around, there was always a tree with a hole in it. Our pack always had clothes in safe spots so this wouldn’t be an issue.

It wasn’t far off, once I changed, I just sat at the base of the tree. I couldn’t deny my wolf, but I also couldn’t reveal her. My family would have to disown me, then put me to death. After some time I noticed I was looking up at the moon, the beauty full moon that watched over me as I shifted for the first time. That choose my wolf for me. “Why?” Not really sure who I was speaking to.

Maybe because you refused to hear me when you were young enough to save us. I looked around, before I realized my wolf spoke to me. Her voice was soft, sweet, but also filled with a power I had never came across before. Mina, you are special, and I will not let you die. If you will accept me this time.

“This time?” Why I kept speaking out loud, I didn’t get, but I did.

When you were young, I tried to reach out to you sooner than any wolf normally would to try and protect you sooner, but you were scared. You feared you’d die.

“I will accept.” I stood up, and started to head home. “What do I call you?”

Avye.

It has been five years since Avye had woken up in full, and still no one knew of her. My twenty first birthday had arrived and I would be attending a ball to test if I had a mate in the wolf world before being sent to the human world. The thing about knowing if you will have a mate or not, is there will be a pull to the pack member that your mate is a part of. Most of the people that go are the alpha’s children, as we resent the pack. Along with all the wolf keepers of that age group, normally around fifty or less.

I had my golden brown hair pulled into a low elegant bun on the left side of my head. I only wore light make-up, just eye liner and mascara. As a child of an alpha, I had a glow of beauty that normally pack members didn’t have. By no means do I believe I am beautiful, just that I don’t need make-up. My dress was a soft blue dress, one that helped my pale skin to glow. And my shoes were flats because I hated heels.

My mother was excited that this year our pack was hosting the ball, it gave her a reason to finally use the over sized ball room we had in the main pack house. Of course she kept it elegant and simple, very much like the way she carried everything around the pack. When I walked into the room, she looked over with her face glowing with pride. I’m sure she was praying I had a mate and wouldn’t have to enter the human world.

“Mother Luna.” I smiled at her, all my features came from her, other than my lone spot on the left side of my nose. That came from father. All my brother have it also. It joking that it’s the mark of the Blue Opal Pack head family. My nephew from Paul also has it, as well as my niece from Joe. They were the alpha and beta in-training, who found their mates at some meeting of leaders and their replacements. Never seen them so happy or ready to take over their jobs.

“Mina, why must you call me that?” her head shook with a joy, as she study me. She was making sure not a hair was out of place, that I was a vision of her work. When she noted that I was as she wanted me to be, her face light up in a grin. “My last baby has grown up so much.” I nodded, smiling at her.

I looked around the room, “Thank you for the purples, blues and pinks. It looks like a sunset.” My favorite time of day, when I would be going for my run, and Avye would get a chance to be let out. She hated being trapped by the rules of the packs, but she kept us safe and a live. Mother smiled at her, beaming in so much pride that I never wanted to see changed. But the ball, that would be my last night with my family, for tomorrow I would be sent to either the pack that held my mate, or the human world.