Legend Has It Book I ~{COMPLETE}~

Chapter 9 Preparations/Showtime

GENEVIEVE

I slowly brushed my long hair, lightened by the sun into a sort of strawberry blonde color that I suddenly realized complimented my greenish eyes. I braided it to keep it out of my face. I half smiled, thinking I looked a bit Scottish now. I was wearing all black: a form fitting, v-neck tee to show off my C cup breasts. This allowed me to hide two little pocket knives in between my boobs perfectly. I opted for cargo pants that hugged my ass and hips but gave me pocket space for more weapons. I was literally dressed to kill and suddenly felt more confidence than I had ever had in my entire life.

I was letting my instincts guide me. I could continue to hide, but as a werewolf, the Mate Bond would cause me to do things I didn’t plan on doing. All the romance novels I had read and legends I had heard made that clear. Tonight would change me forever, even if all that happened was my first shift.

I’d eavesdropped on, but never met another werewolf and something told me tonight would change that. Beltane was an attraction for all creatures.

Josephine had pulled from thin air a vintage style telegram from Juanita’s cousin Jack that read, “The saints. Triple Goddess.”

“The saints?” Josephine frowned. Something tugged in my brain but it took me a while to grasp it. I had heard of the Triple Goddess but it pertained more to human pagan folklore and I had been diving into werewolves.

My wolf perked up when Josephine read the message. Lady didn’t react to many things and said even less. I still sensed her guidance though I questioned her intentions. I knew she was very more intent on finding our mate. Sometimes it was hard to know where my feelings ended and hers began.

“Mary, Catherine, Francis and I were named after saints,” I murmured after a few moments.

{~>*•**•*<~}

GENEVIEVE

Josephine and I decided to leave the shield up over the little house we’d rented on the edge of Salisbury, the town nearest Stonehenge. If we had visitors, we’d find them rather than them finding us. We didn’t want any possible enemies to stumble upon us and we might need a place to escape to.

It was a bit weird being part of the decision making. This was essentially becoming my show and one decision I made was to leave my scent in random places for potential friends to find. Sophia would pick up on it in a heartbeat if she came. I felt she would. I’m sure her mate would be with her. But since this was my transition from child to full blown werewolf, would they make themselves known? Werefolk were generally tolerant of others, but didn’t exactly encourage inter species mingling.

I’d never actually gotten to meet Jack. I wondered if he’d come, too, but something told me I wouldn’t meet him. If he was anything like Juanita, he would feel a responsibility to his orphans. I wasn’t one.

I felt anticipation trickle in my veins as I thought about shifting. According to all the books I read, it wasn’t something that could be taught. The First Shift was said to be instinctual and couldn’t be forced, either.

I was proud of an idea I had to design a stretchable fanny pack from spandex that I could stash a change of clothes in. I had no idea how big I would be in wolf form, but the material should stretch with the changes in my body. I planned to shift naked except for my pack.

My wolf would likely want to run and depending on potential visitors, I might not be able to return to Josephine or my clothes as planned. We were doing our best to blend in and my actual shift would probably be done hundreds of yards away from the stones themselves and any eyes that shouldn’t see. I had a clearing picked out.

The sun was setting and I left my scent in one last place before putting my shield back in place, the way Josephine had taught me. Besides my ability to crush a windpipe and puncture a lung with my bare hands, Shielding was the only atypical talent we knew I had. I had a rudimentary knowledge of how to use a wide variety of possible powers I might possess and could mix a few potions, but until the full shield Josephine placed on me as an infant was removed and my shift was complete, we could only speculate.

I didn’t have time to speculate. It was showtime.

The full moon began to peak over the eastern horizon as the western sun sunk in a fabulous show of pink and purple clouds. The view was breathtaking and I made sure to take deep breaths as I turned East in all my glory to face the Moon in all HER glory.

PHOENIX POV

I caught the scent of a shewolf as we neared the earthly town outside of where Stonehenge stood. There was no specific trail, and that perplexed the hell out of me.

“Shewolf,” I announced to Conrad, whose sense of smell wasn’t quite as good as mine. He sniffed the air.

“I don’t smell one.”

“It’s random. Just one scent and it jumps around.” Odd. Werewolves generally traveled in a small pack just like we were.

Besides Conrad, there was his mate, Kelli, my Gamma Daniel, and my younger brother, Phillip. A lone shewolf could be a rogue or bait. I was suspecting bait, since the scent trail was broken.

My wolf stirred and was keenly interested, though I was yet unsure if it was s*x or a fight or both he was interested in.

I picked up the scent again, fainter and farther away.

“Alert the other three,” I ordered Conrad. “I’m going to circle around to where I first caught the scent.”

::I still don’t smell a shewolf:: Conrad mindlinked me five minutes later. ::We’ve covered 100 square feet and can’t smell her::

I stopped dead in my tracks. This could mean a third option. ::Mate::::Mate:: My wolf and I said at the same time.

If she was bait or rogue, the other three would have caught at least a faint whiff. Sometimes, a Mate’s scent was several times stronger than any other scent meaning the others would have to be much closer to her to catch her scent. Conrad smelled Kelli before anyone else, for example.

I felt my wolf try to gain control. This confirmed it. My mate had been here.

Fuck. This was both good, and bad.

::Alpha… there’s something else…::

I started to sprint back to the group.

::What is it?:: I caught the scent as soon as I turned back down the street I’d left them on before he answered.

::Werecats::

I wasn’t as concerned about the felines as I was the lone shewolf.

::Mate!:: Isaac howled.

I couldn’t describe her scent except to say it reminded me of love and sunshine. Oh, Goddess, don’t turn me into a lovesick puppy.

I realized the moon was rising and was bright. Like, really bright. My wolf pushed again for more control but I pushed him back.

Something was about to happen. I took off in a sprint.