Their traded family

3. Wolf

Hope's P.O.V

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, turning a corner to hide from my parents, who by now knew it'd been me who made that noise. Thankfully, the rest of the house was covered in other scents both wolf and food as everyone had been preparing for the party, so as they were in a hurry to find me, they didn't bother being careful with scents and walked straight past the floor I was on.

Once I was sure they were out of earshot, I slumped against the wall, covering my sobs by pressing a hand to my mouth. Tears streamed down my face as my mind forced me to imagine my mother, who'd been younger than me by the time I was born, violently forced and-

No. No, no, no, no.

If I thought any more, my head might explode.

My biological mom never met her mate. She never got to, to-

I shook my head again, releasing my mouth as I let the trapped sobs out, hugging my knees as I buried my head between them.

I'd killed my biological mother and I hadn't even known it. My parents, whom I'd always thought were truthful with me, honest, at the very least like I was with them, had known that I had the blood of a rapist in my veins, had known that they could adopt any other pup, and yet they didn't.

Why? Why not let me rot in some orphanage?

I knew that technically I'd just been born in the wrong circumstances, that there was no way I could've done anything to help my bio mom or stop the bastard whose legacy I carried, but I couldn't help the horrible thoughts in my head from spiraling.

No matter how many mental exercises I performed, taught to me by my Uncle Knox, I couldn't quite remember how to do them right.

Did my aunt look at me and see her sister's murderer? Did she lay awake at night and think of-

"Hope?" Beyla. Beyla was here, watching me fall apart. Somehow, she'd know what I was hiding. She'd know my shame, she'd know! "Hey, what's wrong, Hope? Do you need me to get Uncle Shawn and Auntie Paisley?" I quickly shook my head.

"Please, please don't!" I panted. I still couldn't breathe. I couldn't feel my hands or my legs and everything was blurry because of the tears that were still very much pouring down my face.

"I won't, it's alright, it's just me." I nodded, letting her pull me into a hug as I buried my head into her shoulder and she stroked my hair. It had been pulled away from my face with a beautiful butterfly clip, but that had fallen somewhere, apparently, as wet strands of a color somewhere between strawberry blonde and red stuck to my cheeks.

Beyla stroked my arms and head for a couple of moments, helping me calm down until I eventually jumped to my feet, startling her.

"What happened?" She asked, but I ignored her, looking for the nearest bathroom as she ran after me. "Hello? Hope? Where are you going?" I shook my head as I barged into the bathroom, immediately going for the sink as I dabbed wet cloths along my face. My makeup was somewhat visible still, and that would have to be enough until I could shift into my wolf.

My cousin Beyla, although not really my cousin but one I'd always considered as such, shut the sink off, placing her hands on her hips as she awaited an answer to at least one of her many questions. Usually, I'd laugh at how much she resembled her mother, Aunt Sofia, although not her biological mother but the one who raised her nonetheless, yet I wanted to do anything but laugh at the moment.

More like curl up under my blanket and cry until I forgot who I was and what I resembled to my aunt Dali and my parents.

"I think I had a panic attack," I offered. I'd seen my aunt have them but I'd personally never experienced one, so I could be wrong.

"Yeah, I could see that," she mumbled as she rolled her eyes, "why though? Did you find your mate? Did something happen?" At the mention of a mate, of a future I took from my bio mom who deserved it more than I do, I gripped the sink, fighting off a new wave of tears. "You did, didn't you?" Beyla gasped. I shook my head.

"No, I haven't yet. I don't want to talk about it, not tonight, please?" Beyla hugged me again, nodding against my shoulder.

She was taller than me, and while I had a more muscular frame, perhaps from all the training I liked to do, she was tiny and well-filled out for her age. Where's my hair was wavy and untameable, hers was brunette and straight, much longer than mine, too. Her eyes were blue, the exact blue her father had, while mine were a soft brown that I must've taken from my birth mother as they're the same as my aunt's.

"You'll tell me when you're ready, okay?" I nodded as she released me, fixing my hair and makeup to the best of her abilities.

"Beyla?" I murmured as we exited the bathroom, hurrying to cut the cake before I had to shift. We only had thirty minutes until then, and as much as it hurt, as much anger as I bared, I didn't want to be alone through my first shift.

I needed my family.

"Yeah?" She stopped walking to look at me, quickly realizing we were in a hurry and making her way over.

"Don't tell anyone about this?" She nodded. "I want to come back to Silver Claws with you."

"What? Why?"

"Just because," I whispered.

"Is that another one of the things you won't tell me until later?" My nod of confirmation was the only thing she received before we were outside, my smile plastered on perfectly as if nothing had ever happened, Beyla's less so, coming out more like a grimace that her dad sent her a strange look for.

"Come on, Hope, we were looking for you, your cake's waiting!" I gulped at the sight of my family, of my mom who hadn't wanted me to know her secret, a secret that was never hers to begin with, of my aunt, as I stood next to them.

"I was actually looking for you and Dad too," I laughed, "we must've bumped into each other and didn't notice." Mom shared a quick look with Dad before hugging my waist and pulling me to the front of the table and into the center of attention before the large strawberry cake my aunt Dali and Liv had baked for me.

Taking another thing after her mom, Liv loved baking as much as she did, while Ruby usually ended up playing with the ingredients and never got anything done.

"Make a wish, pumpkin!" Dad urged as he prepared the candles, the whole pack waiting as I closed my eyes.

"I want to know the truth," I wished inwardly, all while smiling on the outside.

"Sooo, what did you wish for?" Noah prodded as I leaned in closer, as if I would whisper my wish in his ear, then shushed my family as I stuffed a finger in the side of the cake and covered his nose with it. "Hey!" He whined, Beyla sticking her tongue out at him.

"Payback!" She grinned, high-fiving me.

If those two were ever left in a room unattended, only one would walk out, of that I had no doubt.

My family cheered and snickered along with the rest of the pack as an Omega came to grab the cake so it could be cut and brought back out.

My family and friends all sat around a large table as we waited, wolves scattering to find seats for themselves before they had to eat standing.

Only a few minutes later, a couple of Omegas began walking over to our table, serving the Alpha and Luna as customs were, then offered me my own piece.

Twenty minutes until midnight.

"Thank you," I mumbled to the female who served me my piece, my mouth drooling over the chocolate and strawberries while my throat began to close in panic. Sweat gathered at my back and forehead as I thought of the pain I'd been told I'd go through, and even though I'd tried to prepare, my aunt did not let out any detail of how excruciating it was as she'd had her shift closer than any of the wolves I talked to.

"Hope? You okay, pumpkin?" Mom squeezed my hand.

"Nervous," I admitted, hating how my voice shook. I was a werewolf and receiving my other half after sixteen years without her was supposed to be a joyous experience, not one that made me want to throw up.

"That's perfectly normal," Dad reminded me, "there's not one wolf that doesn't slightly fear their first shift. Just remember that after the pain is over is when life really begins." Mom smiled at him, seeming lost in her memories.

So, with the encouragement of my family and the company of cake, I tried to push the panic, the thoughts, and everything that didn't belong at a birthday party away, and although I didn't succeed entirely, it was only when I began to feel pain that it all returned ten times worse.

"Mom," I whimpered. I should be embarrassed about it as a Gamma couple's daughter, I should've been able to act cool and prepared even if I wasn't because wolves were strong and that's what I've always strived to be. I also definitely shouldn't have been whimpering to my mom, who had kept huge secrets from me and probably had more that I'd someday randomly overhear, but at that moment, as I watched my pack members surround me with excitement and adoration on their faces, ready to meet the newest wolf amongst them, I knew I had nothing to be ashamed about.

I couldn't bother to be, anyway.

"Stay calm, pumpkin! You know what to do, we're right here!" Mom took me by the elbow and helped me out of my chair as the first of my bones began to break. I slumped to the ground, feeling the grass beneath my knees and fingertips as searing pain exploded in my right arm first, the limb hanging at an unnatural angle.

My dad stood in front of me, cupping my cheeks as he took deep breaths, making me mimic him. It was only easy when bones were ripping left and right, though, because as soon as the others began to follow, no amount of concentration helped, and neither did any breathing techniques.

Fear gripped my chest and refused to let go as I screamed so hard I could barely inhale. What if I got stuck? What if I couldn't do it? What if it was always this painful?

"Hope!" My father raised his voice to get my attention, my head snapping upright as it'd lolled to the side. "Focus! You can do this, but you need air. Focus on breathing, not screaming, okay?" I nodded, or at least I think I did, as I forced myself to take a large gulp of air before the next wave of agony hit.

After hours, fine, five minutes or so, I was no closer to shifting than I had been and the pain was no closer to going away. I was getting too tired, and I knew, I just knew that if I hadn't heard my parents' fight things would've been different. My panic attack and sobbing had exhausted too much of the energy I should've preserved and I was running empty of it.

My head dropped and I couldn't even catch myself as the rest of my body did, too. My spine was starting to bend and change shape, which meant the worst part was starting, and yet my throat had run so dry and raw that I could no longer make a sound other than whimper and cry.

"Just a little more, Hope!" My mom encouraged. I slowly, too slowly for it to be normal, lifted my head to see Aunt Sofia holding her pups as Uncle Zane stood behind them protectively, to see Ru and Liv whisper amongst themselves as the latter looked unaffected by what was happening and her sister bounced on her heels like she would faint at any moment, while their mom hid her face in uncle's jacket but peeked at me every couple of seconds.

A jolt of pain so sharp hit my lower back that I couldn't help but drop my head, worrying my bottom lip between my teeth.

It'll all be over soon. At least I prayed it would be.

My back bowed as my spine finished shifting, my nails breaking off as they were replaced by claws, and finally, fur sprouted along my body, and then it was quiet.

It was finally over.

I slumped forward as I let myself take deep breaths, watching as my parents, followed by my aunts and uncles, all shifted into their wolves, my mom and dad coming to lick my wolf's face encouragingly.

With their support and the absence of agony, I got on shaky legs, on all fours for the first time, and found it all worth it as my father's voice rang in my mind.

Life started after the pain was over.

A/N

Hi, Treasures! Make sure you join my F-a-c-e-b-o-o-k group Teddy's Treasures for extra content and discussions! Hope shifted, and there may or may not be a hint of what blood she has in her veins in the next chapter ;)