Born of Two

The Others

Chapter 13

The others

Rosalynn’s POV

“Are you ready?”

I stood with my arms crossed and stared at the beautiful man in front of me. “No! It’s not like I have ever shifted into another animal before.”

“I know, but this is why we practice. The more practice, the easier it will become. No more feeling like your body is being ripped apart and put back together again.”

“OK, I get that, but where do I even start? The last time I had no control, she just broke free.”

“Follow that instinct, babe. Just let your body take over.”

I looked at him and then looked at Chase and Jo standing on the side of the training field. As Chase put it earlier, they were there for the spectacle of it all. I raised my hands, questioning everything that Lochlyn was saying. It just didn’t make sense. They separated a little, and I watched how they shifted so naturally. It was in one blink. At first, they were human. Next, they were these beautiful wolves. I was in awe of how they did it.

“Is there anything you can do to help me?”

“Yes, there is. It is like a cheat code, and I hate doing it to people who are learning because you don’t choose to do it, so you don’t learn.”

“Ok, well, seeing as I have no clue what I am doing, maybe start with it, and then we go from there.”

“Ok, just don’t be mad at me, and don’t let your wolf try to kill me.”

“OK I-“

“SHIFT!”

My body was thrust to the ground, and I felt my limbs break and skin tear. I could hear my wolf growling in my head as that command forced her to wake up from her slumber.

She. Was. Pissed.

My Wolf pushed forward and protectively pushed me to the back of my mind before she set her eyes on Lochlyn. He was toast. We started digging our front paw into the ground when a smirk stretched across his ridiculous face, and another game entered our collective mind. We started running to tackle and maybe only slightly hurt him. He knew what was about to happen and took off running in the opposite direction of us. He seamlessly launched himself over a fallen tree and smoothly changed to his wolf. I felt Jo and Chase come up next to me, and we chased our Alpha. Chase nipped at Jojo's tail and took off running by Lochlyn. We ran through the forest, dodging trees and bramble bushes. We would stop and catch our breaths a few times before taking off again in our game of cat and mouse. However much agility the cats showed, the two pesky mice in front were much faster than us.

As we were running, something pulled on my mind as I slowed down. Jo ran ahead, not realizing I was no longer with her. I looked over in the direction my wolf was telling me to go. There was nothing but trees, but our instinct and natural curiosity pulled us forward. I could feel my wolf start to slow as we came to a clearing. It looked like something out of a storybook. A waterfall that was about 14 feet tall filled a small pool with crystal clear water. Clearly, the cold air hadn’t affected it yet, giving me a chance to see its beauty. The water below was clear as a sheet of glass, and I could see small fish and organisms on the bottom getting ready for winter. My wolf dipped her paw in ever so slightly to see what the water would do and if it was too cold to play in. Indeed, it was too cold as she immediately withdrew her paw and shook out the shiver it gave us. However, the moment our paw made contact with the water, the waterfall stood still. The fish stopped moving as if time had frozen. We backed away from the water. I had seen things like this in movies, and it was never good. We probably just messed up some ancient pool of water. The water started to rise as the wind around us blew, pulling us away from the edge and closer to a clearing of flowers and beams of sunshine. The wind whipped rapidly around as the tree began to move.

At first, I thought it was the wind, but the more I stared and studied their movements, the more I convinced myself the trees were moving on their own. My breath quickly picked up as I realized the water was joining with the wind to create some kind of cyclone, and the trees turned and began to bow their leafy crowns towards me. My wolf instantly started to prance and jump around in the wind, but when the trees bowed, she stopped, centered herself in the middle, and bowed to the trees in return. What magical forest did we stumble into? We lifted our eyes we saw three wolves appear. The largest golden one had its front paws dancing in concern, and the others were circling the spot, trying to find an entrance that they could pull me out. My wolf started to howl, and the trees lifted back to the sky. The water separated from the wind and returned to the pool it came from. The waterfall also resumed its motion. The wind spent more time whipping around me and through the trees before leaving above the treetops. Just as it came into the quiet, it left only a sense of peace behind. There were only some falling leaves to mark it had been there. My wolf smiled and wagged her tail.

“Hello, Rosie.”

“Woah, what is this? Can we communicate both ways now?”

“Yes. We can. Thank you for excepting me and my friends.”

“Your friends?”

“Yes, my friends. All around you are my friends, and we are connected to the earth. What comes from the earth is a part of us.”

“Wait, what?”

“It will all make sense in time. I don’t have much time before your mate interrupts us. I will leave you with my name.”

“I have so many questions.”

“I know, but we can’t know those answers yet. Adira is my name, and I will be here for you when you need me.”

“Thank you, Adira.”

Quickly my wolf nodded and moved to the back of my mind letting me shift into my human form again. I was sweaty and cold very quickly and realized how naked I was. Adira was nice enough to bring me back curled up in a ball, so Lochlyn didn’t see anything he wasn’t supposed to. I felt a cold, wet nose poke me on my back. It wasn’t Chase’s or Lochlyn’s wolf; it was a large black wolf with blonde streaks on her fur. She looked like she had rolled in bleach with her hair. Jo’s wolf, her dark brown eyes sparkled in the light. She turned in a circle and laid next to me, shielding my body from the boys while keeping me warm.

I closed my eyes to focus and tried to shift back, but the moment I wanted to do it on my own, Adira met me with resistance. She was tired and needed to rest after running and shifting. I tried again, and she let me know that we wouldn’t shift again. I let out a frustrated grunt and curled into Jojo’s side for her comfort and warmth. Jo’s eyes looked side as I looked into them. I leaned my head to look closer into them.

“Ok, I have missed you too, friend. So let's play twenty questions.”

Her tail began to wag quickly. I knew she loved this game. More if she was drinking, but we couldn’t do that.

“Ok, nod once for yes and shake your head for no,” I said as I leaned further into her fur.

“Will I be able to communicate with you in wolf form?”

She nods her head quickly. Ok cool.

“Will I be a lot stronger when I am better at this?”

Another nod.

“Is s*x better as a werewolf?”

Nothing. Her eyes closed, and she nodded slowly.

“Is it disgusting to think about your best friend and brother bumpin’ uglies?”

She nodded and growled while she rubbed my body with her nose.

“I know, I know. I belong to you.” I let out a giggle. “Can you tell your brother that?”

For the first time, she shook her head. She wouldn’t say anything.

“Ok, you want a secret?”

Nod.

“You want to know what that wind was.”

Two nods.

“My wolf told me her name!!” I let out a squeal.

Her tail wagged, and she nudged me with her nose.

“Her name is Adira. I think that is a beautiful name.”

Another nod.

“She said that what happened with the wind and the trees was me accepting her friends. She says we are connected to the earth, and the earth comes from us. I have no idea what that means.”

Jojo was still for a long time, and then she nodded to the woods. I saw Chase's wolf prance up with a bag in his mouth. When he was within a few feet of us, he tossed over the bag, and it opened slightly to reveal some clothing items for just Jojo and me.

“Where are your clothes, Chase?” I hollered from behind Jo as I reached for the bag carefully. I didn’t hear an answer until I was fully clothed and Jo could finally shift back into her human self.

“Lochy wants Chase to stay in his wolf form, so I can get you out if we run into any trouble.” When Jo said that, Chase let out a defeated snort at his wife and turned around so we could finish getting dressed.

“Ok, seriously!” I pulled my hair back into its signature wavy high ponytail. “When will I be able to get this whole linking thing?”

“Relax, girlie! You will get it in the ceremony in a couple of weeks.”

Chase started moving his paws up and down, signaling we needed to move faster and get out of the forest. He didn’t like the whole display the forest put on for me.

Jojo and I walk back through the woods with Chase at constant attention behind us. I fell silent for a short time, thinking about what Adira had told me. “The earth and we are connected.” What could she have meant by that? I know I can summon animals, and I know that I have a gifted ability to talk with the snake named Simon, but no one knew what that was either. After a while, we cleared the forest, and I admired the town that stood before me. On my first night out, I was right that it looked like a small farming community and nothing crazy. A couple of small apartment complexes housed the single warriors, “orgy city” is what Jojo called it. Families have their homes spread out and with some land to support them. I could see kids, or pups, running through the yards and down the sidewalks. It reminded me of our sweet rural towns like North Bend and Albion. Places I visited and came to love. I noticed one house that I noticed the other day that was being built. I was able to get a few good glimpses, and it was terrific. It was everything I would love in a home just as I saw it. One side is nothing but windows and exposed brick. Chase and Jojo kept telling me it was for a new family coming into the pack, but it was a pretty extravagant house compared to the other ones I had seen. I thought maybe Chase and Jojo were pregnant and keeping it a secret until the house was finished, but I saw them drink a whole bottle of wine last night, and since getting to be friendly with Hazel, it’s not just humans who can’t consume alcohol while pregnant.

We continue walking towards the packhouse when three little kids come up to me with flowers. These three were always around. The littlest boy with Mattis, his brother Henry, and the little girl following was Iris. They seemed to be fascinated with bug Chase and me in the process. They gave me the flowers, and Chase snorted, and they quickly ran away from him.

“You know Chase, and you might be the living embodiment of the big bad wolf to them. They are afraid that you will come to blow their homes down.”

He stared at me, clearly annoyed and fascinated with my remark. I then got a gorgeous scent in my nose, and I knew my mate was close—even closer than I expected when his arms wrapped around me.

“He isn’t the big bad wolf… you are mated to the big bad wolf, darling.”

“Oh, am I now?” I say as I turn to face him. “Does the Big Bad wolf enjoy his little red riding hood so far?”

"I haven't seen the little red riding hood yet..."

"-and you won't until I have some assurances."

“OH gross, you guys are disgusting!” Jo shouted. Lochlyn flipped her the bird before placing a passionate kiss on me. My hands went to his face, and the wind blew again. Just then, Lochlyn yanked himself away and forced me behind him. Jojo and Chase both took defensive stances toward the forest.

I saw nothing for a minute, but then I saw a woman appear in the woods and she was gorgeous. Long blonde hair flowing in the wind. It was almost white. Her face was long and pointed, while her hair framed her perfect face. Deep brown eyes and darker red lips. She was a breath-taking threat.

“Who are you!?” Lochlyn bellowed as his grip tightened on me.

“Oh dear Alpha, I am not a threat but a friend, and I have come to my summoner.”

“None, we summoned anything.”

“Yes, the young lady behind your back. She is my summoner. Hello, Rosalynn.”

“Don’t speak her name.”

“I am sorry, but please, if you will allow me to explain.”

I peak out from behind Lochlyn. “Honey, let her explain.”

“Thank you, Rosalynn. I believe you met Simon the other week. He let us know you were ready for us to appear to you.”

“Simon, the snake?”

“Yes, dear. I am Molly, and I am the wind spirit. Your summon.” She whistled, and the wind around Lochlyn and I started to dance. I smiled as it whistled in Chase's ears and how he pawed at it. “See, earth-beings, I am only a threat if someone antagonizes me or threatens the love you have. That is what I am fated to protect. You were happy and at peace for the first time since being here, child. I came at that moment.” She waved her hand, and a gale wind took out one huge tree like it was nothing and then put it back into the ground.

“So you’re the wind spirit, and Rosie can summon you just like animals?” Jojo questioned her.

“Yes, but I am not all she will be able to do. However, I am here to teach you how to harness these while Simon deals with the others.”

“The others?”

“Oh yes, dear. The others.”