The Alpha of The Blue Moon Pack

The Shifting Ceremony

"But am I not supposed to have gotten my wolf before meeting my mate? Isn't your wolf a guide to your mate?" Au questioned.

Beta Felicity smiled again and answered, "The Alpha knows what he is doing and I am sure it is for the best. You are our baby sister that is why he is most particular about you."

Au exhaled audibly and leaned away from her sister. She was not satisfied with the answer her sister had given her. She concluded that her sister was also the Alpha's subject so her sister would only support his decision rather than question it.

Every pup at the centre raised their heads and looked straight to the moon in anticipation . . . except Brawn.

He raised his head and was observing the others from the corner of his eyes. He knew that the emergence of his wolf would get him killed, so he had decided that he was not going to shift. A young lady kneeling beside him started moving her body like she was being possessed by a spirit, her bones appeared to be breaking and furs were emerging. She began to groan.

Soon everyone at the centre caught the syndrome. Groanings and cracking of bones were heard all over the centre of the compound. Brawn tried to locate his hospital brother with his eyes. He located Luke kneeling with both hands on the floor. Rex was already covered with fur. When he located Kite, Kite was twisting like a snake in a circus. One would have thought he was performing some old traditional dance in some dance group. Brawn studied the moves and kept them in mind. He had plans of reiterating it for the boys in mockery of "the most handsome of all" when everything was over. Alex was groaning loudly and his voice almost overshadowed the others'. Not long, wolves were seen howling at the centre. Werewolves seated around welcomed the emergence of any wolf with shouting. Some shifted into their wolves and howled back to the wolves howling at the centre.

After the first successful shifting into a wolf. He/she was led out of the centre as they shifted back to their human form. Herbal mixtures were administered to them by salutaries to help them regain strength and also to relieve the pain from shifting.

It was not long until Brawn was left kneeling at the centre alone. All eyes were on him. The cheering was dying quickly and murmuring was beginning to rise. The shifting ceremony was a successful one with no complications recorded but needed Brawn to seal it up by shifting. Everyone was waiting for his wolf to emerge but there was no sign of a wolf emerging from him. Everyone was wondering what could be delaying Brawn's wolf. As the murmuring grew, Brawn became uncomfortable. He began to sweat from the heat of the situation and also from the embarrassment he felt. He took a glance at the Alpha and his sweating increased. In order to feel comfortable, Brawn decided to close his eyes.

A few moments later, a heavy slap landed on his right cheek. It was the delta who gave them instructions at the start of the shifting ritual. He had been instructed by the Alpha to go and assist Brawn in bringing forth his wolf.

"Open your eyes and focus on the moon!" the delta barked.

Brawn knew it had gotten more serious. There was a delta beside him to supervise him and it was the slapping kind of delta. He wanted to massage his cheek but the stern face beside him sent a message that it would only invite more slaps. He had to obey the delta but could not risk shifting. He knew he had to do something and do it very fast. He looked up and found a star close to the moon. He placed his eyes on the star and pretended to be focusing on the moon in order to avoid further heavy slaps. His right cheek was still boiling from the slap he had received earlier. He distracted his mind with songs and funny memories of his hospital brothers.

After some time, the delta waved his hands to the Alpha signifying the absence of any sign of a wolf emerging and the murmuring became louder. Alpha Veer stood up swiftly. His face was as hard as a rock. The Beta stood up too almost immediately.

The Alpha ordered Brawn to be taken away and two sub-pack warriors carried Brawn out of the ceremony. The murmuring werewolves were silenced by the raising of the Alpha's right hand. He commanded that the rest ceremony should be carried out without Brawn and that no murmuring should be heard again.