Page 111 of His Fated Luna

“I can call Ezra and Hilda back if you want them to be here for your turn. I didn’t think the assignment would take as long as this. Ezra was just supposed to go to England to scout out Tanya's…” I made a face, “…mate's pack. But, Ezra said they needed more time.” I sighed, feeling as if I carried the weight of the world on my shoulders.

“I’m sure Josie would be alright being there with me when I shift,” Rose responded. “And… you’d be there. You have to be there since you’re the pack alpha. Every wolf has to bare their neck in submission to you after their first turn.”

“You don’t.”

"Hmm?”

“The luna doesn’t….” But I stopped short. The submission of a luna's wolf to her alpha did not constitute baring her neck. It was an altogether different type of submission; one that involved mating. “Never mind.”

“Will you be there?” Rose asked, her eyes looking at me hopefully. "I'd feel better if...if you were there."

And even though I knew it was probably a bad idea, I couldn’t deny her when she looked at me like that.

I nodded, finally pulling her towards the bed. Rose averted her gaze like always when I started shrugging out of my boxers to change into my wolf.

Rose's POV

I felt the surge of heat; I felt the bending of bones and screamed as they cracked, locating and dislocating to form new angles in my body. It seemed as if I’d been doing this for hours. I fell to my knees, unable to support myself when my legs began to twist, kneecaps disjointing slowly, painfully. Never had I ever felt such extreme pain. Hot pain sliced through my body, setting every nerve on fire. I screamed as another sickening crunch made my legs twist. I was going to be sick. I couldn’t handle anymore of this excruciating pain. My mind blurred from the pain. My vision completely blanked and all I could see was darkness with white spots dancing in front of my eyes. I shouted in protest, feeling the skin on my face stretch and break.I wanted to stop. I gagged, dry heaving as my body protested profusely.

“It’s OK. You’re doing great.” Aiden's faint voice broke through the haze of pain. I screamed again as my arms crunched in on themselves, twisting to form new limbs.

I felt myself slowly losing consciousness. I was about to pass out or throw up. Maybe both. Who was I kidding? I wasn’t strong enough to get through the shift. I was nothing but a stupid weak girl who’d been stupid enough to think she would come out of this in one piece. Dizzying pain overwhelmed me. This was impossible for me to see through to the end. It wouldn’t work. I would fail.

“Keep going, keep thinking about completing the turn. Surrender to your wolf. Give into the pain, don’t fight it.”

His voice was strong, guiding me with its steady presence.

“Rose, you can do this. I’m right here. You can get through it.”

Aiden had faith in me.

With immense determination, I willed my mind to stay on task instead of blacking out.

I could do this.

Iwoulddo this.

I fought the pull to fall unconscious.

I howled when my spine bent into an unnatural curve, forcing me down onto all fours. Then gagged. My elbow cleanly split into two across it’s connecting joint, forearm bending into another unnatural angle. I screamed again and again as the other forearm followed suit. This was unbearable. And then my skin began to itch as if every single pore on my body was on fire. Fur sprouted on my arms, my back, and my face. As my nose elongated into a snout, I howled in pain again except, this time, it was the howl of a wolf, not a human.

Smells, so many different smells and sounds were around me. I could feel the dirt beneath my paws and experimentally flexed. Triumphantly I howled again. I had done it! I had shifted.

Opening my eyes, I looked up at Aiden.

The elation I initially felt receded. There was only one thing on the forefront of my mind now.

Mate, Mate. Mate.

My mind screamed the mantra at me. My wolf nearly purred in contentment. Mate was here.

I padded over to him, nuzzling his outstretched hand, licking his wrists where his scent glands were. I wanted to scent him. I wanted to make sure my saliva was all over him so no other she-wolf could stake a claim on him.

My mate. He was amazing.

“You’re beautiful.” His reverent voice caused an ache to erupt inside of me.

I nuzzled deeper into him as he crouched down to scratch behind my ears. This is where I belonged. I belonged with my mate. I was never going to leave him.