After they had something to eat, Lowe introduced Selena to his pack.
There were 9 of them including Lowe. Lowe was the alpha of the pack. Tim, another member, was the Beta of the pack and was in charge when Lowe was away. She properly met Jimmy, the scraggly looking boy, and Mona, who lent her the shoes.
Lowe had previously told Selena that although they were not related by blood this pack was his family. Most of them had lost their familiars due to the war or had been separated from their families.
Selena had always heard about the war from Anton and Blade but much of what she had heard was one sided or not the truth. It sounded as if hundreds from both sides had been murdered in the last 100 years.
The pack welcomed Selena. At first she felt nervous, however, having Lowe by her side helped keep her calm.
Nobody mentioned the fact that Selena was also a vampire.
Lowe watched her talking and playing with the others. He did not keep his eyes off her.
Whilst Lowe was talking to business with Tim, Selena used this opportunity to try and find out some information.
"How long have you guys been here" she asked
"I have been here most of my life. Lowe apparently found me in the forest whilst I was a child. He took me in and raised me. Tim has been here the longest. Tim and Lowe started the pack after their pack was killed." Jimmy explained.
"What happened? " Selena asked.
"One of the rival packs killed his father for crossing into territory whilst he was trying to save another werewolf from the vampires. Ever since this incident, Lowe dislikes both vampires and werewolves. He tends to keep himself distanced from both. He supports the entire family. We all pitch in to help where we can".
Selena explained that she was both vampire and werewolf, which fascinated everyone. She left out that she was the Queen as she wasn't sure she could fully trust them yet. She wondered why Lower had not told them her identity.
She left the group exhausted from the day's activities and questions and sat on the grass to collect my thoughts.
After a few minutes, Tim walked over to where she sat.
"Are you okay" he asked me.
"I am fine," she replied.
"They can be a lot at first" he chuckled "most of them are just children who get excited by a new friend"
Selena smiled.
"Actually I like it here. It is already starting to feel like home".
Tim looked at her and smiled. He was much more approachable than Lowe, she thought.
He looked over at Lowe who was staring at them. Tim began to laugh.
Before she was able to pry further, Lowe walked over. "Dinner is ready" he whispered into her ear. Causing her cheeks to flare up as she averted her gaze.
The pack all sat around the fire joking and eating.
Lowe sat next to Selena, occasionally passing her meat. Lowe had saved the most bloody meat for her.
Occasionally they would stare into each other's eyes for a few moments before resuming their conversations.
A few days had passed.
Selena had still not found her necklace.
She had not gone hunting as she was still recovering from her first transformation. She spent all of her time either with the others in the pack or with Lowe, when he was not busy.
Lowe was teaching her how to be a werewolf and explaining their history.
She had spent the last few nights in Lowe's bed and he had been sleeping next to her but nothing had happened.
Selena finally was no longer in pain so her and Lowe had arranged to go into the forest to hunt in wolf form. She had transformed into a wolf since the full moon.
She transformed into a wolf and they left their clothes behind a tree near the cabin.
Lowe sprinted off first and she followed him.
They ran chasing each other until they reached their favorite spot. The lake. She licked the fresh water. Selena thought the night looked beautiful. Their crescent moon reflecting in the lake.
She finally caught up to him and playfully jumped in excitement. He laughed.
She thought to myself that she could happily do this every night. It would be easy to stay like this and never return to the castle. She would never have to return to my troubles. She felt sad at the thought that she must one day leave this place and him.
She snuggled up to him, burying herself in his thick fur. This took him by surprise.
"Are you still hurt?" he asked worriedly.
She shook her head. He placed his nose against hers. They stared into each other's eyes.
The wind blew and she got a fresh whiff of his scent. She will miss this smell when she returns, she thought to herself.
Lowe suddenly mounted her.
He started to lick her neck which sent chills through her body. She dug her claws into the grass. Letting out a growl which seemed to send him wild.
"I must make you mine" was all she heard before he dug his teeth into the space between her neck and shoulder. She felt a mix of pleasure and pain as they became one.
Before she had gained her senses, she realised that she had dug her teeth into him. He let out a howl.
They completed the mating ritual.
She lay on the ground, panting while Lowe was licking her wound. Her feelings towards him had intensified. She knew in this moment that she loved him.
"What am I going to do?" she wondered.