Two Halves of a Whole

Chapter 7

Lugos was holding Sattira’s head above the water in the tub. He felt so guilty for using his Alpha aura on her even if it was necessary. Mates were a blessing to be cherished. He could already feel his wolf was angry with the situation.

Mate is our equal, we don’t force her to submit to our will. He could sense that though his wolf shared his thoughts on the matter he understood that it was the only way to save her.

It was a calculated risk as his mate could hold a grudge against him for using his aura against her. But it was better to risk her wrath than to lose her to the pain from not being able to complete her shift. If he waited too long she would be too exhausted to shift even under the full force of his aura. A wolf too exhausted to complete the shift would eventually get stuck in the middle of their bones breaking and without the assistance of their skeletal system their body could be crushed by the weight of gravity pressing down on them.

It was the reason most first shifts were attended by a ranked wolf who could use their aura to assist with the shift if it took too long. It was just unfortunate that Sattira didn’t know she was a wolf or his father could have been there to use his aura instead and it would have been over much sooner. His wolf would never have allowed him to use his aura if he didn’t perceive it to be life or death so his poor mate had suffered for so long.

She finally lifted her head and looked him in the eye. He could see the recognition flash across her eyes as her wolf finally realized he was her mate. He let the water out of the tub. Once the water finished draining she laid her head in his lap and as he run his fingers through her thick mahogany red hair, enjoying how the sparks had intensified since she had shifted.

“I know you still have questions but you need to rest. I will help you shift back once you have regained some strength and I will answer whatever questions I can,” he promised her as she allowed her brilliant emerald eyes to close. They were such a rare color for a wolf.

He waited until he was sure she was asleep before carrying her back to the bed. He returned to his room and cleaned the blood off his freshly healed chest. After changing into clean dry shorts he went back to Sattira’s room and crawled onto the bed staying above the covers.

He linked his Father to let him know about Sattira’s shift and then explained that it had taken a lot out of him. His Father told him to get some rest and they could speak later.

As he sat running his fingers through his sleeping mate’s fur he linked the rest of the pack to let them know he was not to be bothered. Sattira’s friends would not enter the room until they were given permission. They would have been aware of his aura and felt it when she shifted so they would understand how tired she was even if they didn’t understand why he waited so long. At least they would not question him on it. His rank would prevent it as long as she lived through it, which she had. Thank the goddess for that.

Lugos wasn’t sure when he fell asleep but he woke up to movement next to him. He opened his eyes to see Sattira, still in wolf form, watching him.

“You must be hungry.” Lugos knew the answer she would give if she could talk. All wolves had an increase in appetite before and after their first shift. The more alpha blood a wolf had the bigger the appetite. She was watching him expectantly and he suspected he knew what she was waiting for.

“To get back to your human form you just need to close your eyes and visualize your human form. Your body knows what to do, you just have to trust it.” He watched as she did as he had told her to do.

After she closed her eyes her transformation back to human was almost instant. It was actually a shock as it took most first time shifters a couple of attempts.

She just nodded her head then looked at him expectantly, holding the blanket up to cover her nakedness then he figured it out and walked to the sitting area closing the double doors behind him. He was sitting in one of the plush chairs in front of the fireplace waiting when she finally emerged dressed in shorts and a tank top.

“Where are Nina and Kim?” She was looking around at everything as if seeing the world for the first time. Her voice was soft and barely above a whisper. Apparently she was still getting use to her now heightened senses.

“They have just gotten back from a run. They said they would meet us in the kitchen,” he told her.

“Oh, they must have been on the phone with you when I tried calling them,” she said. He couldn’t help but chuckle at how innocent she still was when it came to being a wolf.

“What? Did I miss something?” A look of confusion crossed her face.

“They probably didn’t answer your call because they would not be able to in wolf form,” he said.

“Then how did you talk to them,” she interrupted before he could explain.

“Werewolves in the same pack or family can use their wolf to mind link,” he told her as if it explained everything.

“Pack like a pack of dogs? And what do you mean wolf? Did you,” she paused as she tried to remember the word he had used, “shift?”

“Ok, so werewolves tend to live in their own area. It’s sort of like there own towns. They call it a pack. Most people are born into the pack through their parents but some pledge allegiance to the Alpha of the pack to become a member if they want to move to an area controlled by a different pack,” he tried to explain to her.

“There is more than one pack? And what’s an alpha?” Everything was so new she kept interrupting him with new questions.

“There are packs spread out across the world.” He was glad that at least she wasn’t freaking out as he continued to explain some of what she wanted to know. “The alpha is the pack’s male leader. His wife, and usually female counterpart, is called the Luna. The beta couple are his second in command, kind of like a general or an advisor. Then there is the gamma couple who are next in command. And the last but one of the most important ranks is delta. Delta’s only report to the Luna and are like super bodyguards that are picked by the goddess Selene, herself.”

“I will never remember all of this,” she sighs in defeat. “And who is Selene? Do you really get to meet her? How do you know who she picked?”

“It’s ok, I doubt anyone will give you any real trouble about rank,” he tells her. He is about to explain Selene when he hears her stomach grumbling. “Maybe we should get some food into your stomach first.”

They head towards the kitchen. “Selene is the moon goddess and creator of all werewolves.” He continued to explain as they walk. “When a young alpha meets his mate, who will become the next pack Luna, she will feel a pull to a warrior that makes her feel safe as if he is an older brother even though they are not related by blood. This warrior will also feel the need to protect her as he would his mate but won’t feel sexually drawn to her.”

He could see the it all over her face before she asked so he wasn’t surprised by her next question. “What do you mean by mate?”

“A mate is a werewolf’s other half. The gift from the moon goddess to share our life. It is the most important thing to our wolf because they are only given one. And mates are made only for each other to perfectly complete our life.” He stops and and turns to look at her as he says the last. They are just outside the kitchen.

“How do you know for sure when you have found your mate?” She sounds nervous as she whispers her question so softly that if it wasn’t for his enhanced hearing he would have missed it.

“When you meet your mate the first thing you notice is that they smell like the best thing you have ever smelled. Then your wolf will cry for its mate within your mind when your eyes meet,” he said, staring deep into her eyes. “And when you touch,” he runs his fingers ever so gently down arm until he entwined her fingers gently with his, “you feel sparks along your skin.” His voice trailed off softly. Her breath hitched as the sparks seemed to explode sending pleasure through her everywhere he touched.

“You feel it too,” she breathed, amazed by this new realization. All this time she had thought it was something wrong with her.

His gaze moved to her lips and he swallowed hard. His Adam’s apple momentarily catching her attention. Her mouth suddenly felt too dry so she licked her lips. Ever so slowly, as if any sudden movement would cause her to bolt, he leaned closer until their lips were almost touching.

“I knew the moment I met you,” he breathed against her. His lips felt soft as they brushed against hers so gently were it not for the sparks that followed she would have thought she imagined it.

“Oh,” she breathed. All her questions forgotten as she felt herself drowning in the stormy blue gray depths of his eyes. She felt herself stretching up to kiss him back with a passion she had never felt before. Her hands moved to rest on his chest as if they had a mind of their own as she felt his fingers in her hair as his tongue parted her lips, deepening the kiss.

Suddenly the kitchen door opened and she pushed him away, shocked by her own actions.

“Sorry, we were just coming to see what was taking so long,” Nina said as the two girls stared at the scene they had walked in to.

“You must be starving,” Lugos said, his voice sounded somehow deeper as they finally reached the kitchen.

She could only nod in answer as she didn’t trust her voice to not betray her.

The counter was covered in more food than Sattira had expected. There was chicken, steak, venison, lamb, and even a bear roast all prepared in different ways with potato, corn, peas, spinach, yams, green beans, steamed rice, brussel spouts, and beets. She grabbed a dish and loaded it with what she wanted as Lugos handed her a slice of fresh baked bread with the butter he had spread on it just beginning to melt.

As they ate Lugos explained how the mind link worked. He tried to answer other questions as well but Sattira was still distracted thinking about the their first kiss. She wondered what would happen now that both of them knew they were mates. She had a lot of questions but she felt hesitant to ask in front of the rest of their friends.

When the girls almost caught them kissing he had been as quick to pull away as she was. She needed to ask Nina and Kim about mates. She knew humans could lie about their feelings to get what they wanted. She wasn’t sure she had anything Lugos would want bad enough that he would lie to her. Besides, everything he had told her so far had fit what she felt. But it never hurt to double check with the girls since they were raised knowing this stuff. Unlike her.

For the first time since she had found out she was adopted she wondered what it would have been like if she had been raised by her birth parents. If what Lugos had told her was true she probably had a pack out there somewhere she belonged to. They must have known about her though, right? So why did no one ever search for her?