Apprentice to the Alpha 

Seven: Flecks of Black

---Marie---

Shifting has been by far the most painful thing I've ever done. Everyone says it gets faster and less painful over time because your body gets used to it, and I really hope that's true because this is seriously brutal. Honestly I'm starting to wonder if deciding against shifting and living as basically a human for the rest of my life wouldn't be so bad.

’That's it, I can't do this. I'm sorry Jaime, you deserve better than me.’ I thought.

‘You can do it, girl! There's a tree over there calling my name that I absolutely have to get a closer look of.’ She tells me.

Frustrated, I thought, ’Easy for you to say. Can you even feel this pain? My body is on fire! This hurts more than when I broke my leg as a kid and that s**t sucked.’

’You're almost there! Your bones are lengthening right now, which causes a lot of soreness, but soon they'll shift into place. Once they do, you'll feel a huge sense of relief. After that, it's just the fur growing which feels itchy but not too painful. And yes, I feel it too. But it's worth it, I promise! Just breathe. The more anxious you are, the more your body fights the shift and the longer it takes.’

’Wait a minute, anxiety makes this worse!? But that's my main personality trait!’ I began to really panic at this point.

’No it is not! We share memories, remember? I know there is more to you than that.’ Oh yeah, she can hear all my thoughts. This is going to be weird to get used to. ’Take a deep breath, you can do this.

Breathe in- 1, 2, 3, 4,

Hold the Breath- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,

Now Breathe out- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

Keep doing that until you make it through the shift. You are strong and powerful. There is way more to you than anxiety, I absolutely promise.’

Okay, the Moon Goddess paired me with literally the perfect wolf for me. How is she so patient and nurturing? She's right, I can do this. I do another round of deep breathing and finally feel my bones and joints clicking into place. Oh that feels so much better. Ow! Wait, is this the fur growing? But Jaime said it wouldn't hurt? And it's itchy!

’I said not too painful, not painless. Besides, this doesn't feel as bad as the bones growing and moving around, right?’ She asks

’Ugh, get out of my head! You're super sweet but you're way too... well, chipper.’ I thought, frustrated.

’It's my head too, you know!’ She's right, but it is kind of awkward not to have privacy in my own thoughts. Maybe I can learn how to filter the thoughts I want to share with her and the ones I want to keep to myself. I’ll have to ask my parents.

Finally, the feeling that made me want to tear my skin off stopped. I had done it!

Eve ran over to me. "You did it! and you're gorgeous!! Plus, it only took you two minutes. It took my cousin Nate almost three minutes his first time and he's the future Alpha!"

Yeah, well, he is a very strange man. He's 22 and still hasn't found his mate yet. Not that meeting your mate in your 20’s or even 30’s was weird, but what was weird was how little he seemed to care about any of it. A lot of sons of Alphas take over at 18, but Nate said wanted to go to college first. Something about learning what he would need to know to take care of the pack? He decided to get a business and psychology double major because he said those two things would be what was most helpful in running a pack. He was in his last semester of school now, and Alpha Armstrong was definitely looking forward to passing the torch in a few months.

I looked at Eve to respond, but remembered that I couldn't communicate verbally in wolf form and she was too young to mind-link. Oh well.

’Told you that you could do it. Now I'm going to check out that tree. Plus, I think I smell a pond nearby and maybe I can see my reflection in the water! I want to know what I look like!’ Jaime chirped in my head.

So we took off. I have no idea what was so interesting about the tree, but after sniffing it for a minute, Jaime seemed satisfied and ran in the direction she thought she smelled a pond in.

We found the pond and... Oh this spot is beautiful. I'm definitely going to have to show this to Evie, it might turn out to be our new favorite spot. Jaime slowed to a walk, steeling herself to look at our reflection.

Now it was my turn to cheer her on. ’Sweet girl, keep walking. I know you're nervous, but I bet we're beautiful. Evelyn said so and she's not in the habit of lying to me.’Jaime ran the last couple steps to the water and held our breath as we looked in.

Eve was right, Jaime was a magnificent wolf. We were snowy white except for our paws, which were black. Our eyes were a deep sapphire blue with flecks of black. And, I was one the bigger wolves that I'd seen.

Okay, maybe the Moon Goddess really did love me. She gave me a caring wolf that was strong and beautiful. It's possible that Evelyn was right and I had a mate that was just as perfect. I couldn't wait to meet her. It was a shame that the rogue attack ruined my party because maybe my mate was there and now I'll never know.

Jaime spent the next hour running at top speed around the pack's forest and I was really starting to feel winded. ’Slow down, girl! I know you're excited but my body isn't cut out for this much cardio!’

’No, you're wrong. We have beta blood. That's why I'm such a big wolf!’ Wait, what? No, I'm just the daughter of the pack doctor! ’I can sense the blood in our veins. I had my suspicions in your form, but now that we're in mine, I know for sure.’

I was shocked. ’Okay, well I guess being descended from ranked wolves doesn't sound that crazy, I'm sure everyone has at least one ranked member in their family tree somewhere. Guessing your senses can’t tell you who the ranked wolf was?’

’No. I can sense our potential, but I'm not sure where it came from.’She answered.

‘That's okay, I'll talk to my parents and maybe we can trace our lineage together. Now I'm super curious.’ I told her.

Finally, Jaime relented that even though we had powerful blood, my avoidance of exercise was hindering our current abilities. We headed back to Evelyn who was scrolling on her phone, half asleep. I walked behind a tree and shifted back. Luckily, the shift back was a much shorter and more comfortable experience. But, once I was in my human form, I couldn't move. I guess my wolf form has more stamina. Evelyn began whining about how I was changing too slowly and she wanted to go, but I was exhausted.

Oh well, best friend duties waited for no one, I guess. I stuffed my screaming legs into my pants and reprimanded pre-wolf Marie for not thinking of wearing a dress instead. Finally, I stepped out from behind the tree I was changing behind so I could go home and sleep. Man, I'm exhausted.

---Evelyn---

Once it turned to midnight, Marie got to talk to her wolf, Jaime. Soon after that, she shifted and Jaime ran wild around the forest for a while before shifting back and collapsing into a pile.

"Get changed so we can head back to your house. Hurry up, I'm tired." I mumbled, stifling a yawn.

"But I'm exhausted! Jaime has way more energy than my body can keep up with!" Marie protested.

"You've got this, Kim Possible. I believe in you." I said while staring at the night sky

"Who the hell is Kim Possible?" She finally emerged from behind a tree.

"This cartoon from the early 2000s, my mom showed me once," I answered.

"Girl. That show is as old as I am."

"Fine! Excuse me for giving you nicknames, I was under the impression that most people thought that was a sign of affection!" I laughed as we began the trek back to Marie's house.

My phone begins frantically buzzing and I check it to see who would be calling me at past 1 in the morning. Wait, my dad? "Why aren't you asleep? it's about 3 hours past your bedtime, young man." I say into the phone with a fake stern tone.

"Now isn't the time, it's Nate. He's hurt and Doctor Carter doesn't think he'll make it through the night.”

I fall to my knees. My cousin Nate was very smart and had kind of a stuffy personality, but despite that, we had always been close. He babysat me growing up and spent way more of his time than he probably had to spare trying to explain the world to me over the years. "No. Please say it was someone else. Please, dad."

"You might want to get down here to say goodbye, he's still awake for now but who knows how long that will be" He answers.

I look to Marie like I was expecting her to fix it or something. She helps me up and together we make our way to the pack hospital to say goodbye to the closest thing to a brother I'd ever known.