Alpha's Prophesied Mate

APM 6

It was the day of the full moon, and I was no closer to finding the changing room than I was yesterday. It had been very frustrating. Also, the fact that I had not heard from Star since she fell asleep made me feel uneasy. I might not have liked her, but not having her around made me feel like I was missing a very important part of my life. It was a weird feeling.

I resumed work that day, with all my coworkers fussing over me.

“Hey Emily, I baked you a lemon pie. It might not be as terrific as the one you get me, but it should still taste good,” Sarah offered the moment I stepped through the doors. I smiled gratefully at her.

“Emily, how do you feel now?” my supervisor, Mrs Johnson, asked the moment I stepped into her office to report that I was back to work.

I couldn't help feeling a bit emotional as she placed her hand on my forehead in an attempt to gauge my temperature. It had been a long time since I had been mothered by anyone after Kira and I lost our parents in a freak accident. Tears welled up in my eyes the moment she stepped back from me.

“Oh honey, why are you crying?” she asked, coming around the table to perch beside me. “Are you okay? Do you still want to recover for one more day at home?” I shook my head quickly in response to that question. I would probably die of boredom.

“Okay then, would you mind a hug?” she stretched out her hands towards me. “I have been told I give the best hugs.” My supervisor was a chubby brown woman with a beautiful personality and was extremely great with patients. She exuded a motherly vibe to all of us.

I stepped into her arms and felt like I had come home. She wrapped her arms around me comfortingly and patted my head with one hand.

“Are you still going to the changing room?” she asked.

I lifted my head so fast that I almost got whiplash. “Excuse me?” I asked incredulously.

“Well sweetheart, the changing room, you know, where people change clothes and other things,” she explained.

I quickly remembered that we did have a changing room in the facility, and I let out a secret sigh of relief. “Oh yes, I will be on my way now.”

“All right, dear. Please see me by one pm. There is someone I want you to meet.” I nodded and stepped out of her embrace. I gave her a small smile before walking out of the room, a bit more confused than when I stepped in.

One pm came by very quickly as I immersed myself in work and tried to forget about the issues that came with the full moon and my changing body. It had been a largely smooth day apart from two incidents. The first one was when I ripped through a facemask I was holding accidentally because my nails shifted into claws. I quickly willed them back to normal before anyone could see. The other was while I was making a patient's bed, and my arms became very furry. I ran to the bathroom as the patient was just on the other side of the room and was turned away from me, luckily, at that moment.

I walked towards my supervisor’s office, already exhausted from the day I had so far. Before raising my hand to knock, I heard a “come in.” I paused for a bit as I could smell two different scents that were not in the room before. This was the first time my sense of smell had become more detailed. They smelled like the forest and freshly cut green grass.

I entered the room and was met with another lady who bore a lot of resemblance to my supervisor. They both stood as I entered the room, giving me bright smiles.

“I am sorry, I didn’t know you were in a meeting. I could come back,” I said apologetically.

She gestured for me to sit down as she told her guest to ensure the door was closed. “This is my daughter Aria. She is whom I wanted you to meet.”

I gave her a slight wave and said a quick, “Nice to meet you.”

“It’s so nice to meet you too, Emily.”

“Emily, I want you to listen to what I have to say with an open mind, please,” my supervisor started. I had no idea the direction this conversation was going, but statements like that put me on edge.

“Aria is here to help you with the change.”

“Excuse me?”

“Okay, that didn’t go so well, let me-”

“Mom, it’s okay. I can take it up from here,” Aria interrupted, turning towards me. “I am a werewolf and I know you are about to be one too.”

I looked at her and at Mrs. Johnson, my supervisor, and back at Aria. I shook my head and burst into laughter. “Is this some kind of sick joke?”

“Emily, honey, this was why I wanted you to have an open mind,” Mrs. Johnson said gently.

I turned to her. “Are you a werewolf too?”

“No. I am a witch, but I got married to one. Aria’s father is my mate.”

I shook my head again, the information onslaught becoming a bit too much for me to handle. She continued, “I had my suspicions that day you collapsed in the reception. I had only ever seen that kind of fever amongst those who were transitioning. Besides, you had a bite mark on your wrist. I was the one who healed the wound quickly, so you wouldn’t have to deal with an anti-rabies shot, among other things. I called Aria at that time to confirm my suspicions, which she did. I know today is a full moon, but what confirmed that you were transitioning for me was your reaction to the mention of a changing room.”

“Have you met your wolf?” Aria asked me.

“Well, I think so ...”

“Have you been seeing any wolf in your dreams, or has someone been talking to you in your mind?”

“Well, yes, but a part of me didn’t want to believe it. Her name is Star, but she has stopped talking to me for a while now. I think she is asleep.”

“That is quite normal, as she would need all her energy for the shift tonight.”

“So, this is really happening,” I said, looking towards Mrs. Johnson, who had been quiet for a bit.

“You are in a werewolf community?” I gestured to both of them.

She gave me a small smile, though she seemed scared of spooking me, before replying, “We actually call ourselves a pack, like a pack of wolves. But yes, I belong to the Blackstream pack.”

“Wow,” I said, slumping back, shocked into my seat.

“I know this is a lot to handle, but I am here to help you through it. Besides, I have been in the market for a best friend for a while now. Tag, you are it,” Aria said with a quirky smile.

I burst into laughter at her quirkiness. She seemed so full of life, like someone who lights up every room she enters.

“Are there any other werewolves or werewolf mates in this hospital?” I wanted to know a bit more information about the werewolf community around me.

“Well, not exactly, but John, the paramedic, is one as well. That’s all I can tell you, or I would have to kill you,” Aria said with a serious look on her face. I looked at Mrs. Johnson, who mirrored a similar look. The smile on my face disappeared.

“I am kidding!” They burst into laughter, and I joined them eventually.

“On a more serious note, we need to leave here as soon as possible. I am sure you have been having some issues keeping your wolf in check. She might have tried coming through your skin at some point,” Aria said.

“Yes, she has!” I replied, sincerely glad that I had someone to discuss this with. Even though it might be unconventional, having the burden I had been going through lifted by someone who understood came as a huge relief to me.

“That means we are at the testing phase; we need to leave right now!” Aria said, getting up to her feet in a hurry.

“Testing phase? Why are we rushing so much?” I asked.

“I will explain to you in the car. Come on.” Aria dragged my hand as she pulled me out of her mom’s office.

“Take care of her and be safe, okay?” Mrs. Johnson called out to us.

Any passerby could easily interpret that as a shopping trip tip or something less worrisome. I ran quickly to the locker room and grabbed my phone and little handbag.

Aria walked up to me sharply and whispered in my ear, “Keep your head down; your eyes have changed color, and your ears are twitching. Is there a back exit somewhere?”

I directed her to the back exit of the hospital, and we came out near the dumpsters.

“What about signing out?”

“Never mind that; my mom will take care of it.”

She pulled her car up to the back door, and I got in.

“Emily, wake up.” I was drowsy when I heard that statement and tried to place where I was. I remembered I was supposed to be making a journey with Aria when I fell asleep.

“We are here.”

“Here, where?”

“The Oasis.”