The jet is just about to land when we notice green lights in the form of a net with strange patterns covering a mass majority of the sky above the Craine Moonbeam land.
"Hmm? Is this a witch's magical barrier?" Dad says looking out of the window.
"Looks that way. Something must have happened for them to team up with witches."
"Must have." Sam chimes in. "It wasn't here last time."
"Hmph! Fucking hunters get new gear every time we turn around."
"Mmn…"
A small hole opens in front of the jet just then and lets us through. Alpha Maxus and his pack greet us in the large clearing next to the beautiful falls cascading down the mountainside.
"Welcome! It's so good to see you again Raphael, Xavier, Sam!"
My dad and Maxus embrace in a bear hug patting each other's backs while laughing. I bow to Luna Celine before being grabbed up into his embrace after he let go of my dad. Man! This person's grip is no joke! I think I hear something crack!
We get settled into our usual guest rooms inside the massive rustic mansion. I would be lying if I said that I didn't love it here. This place really makes Chase jump and howl with delight.
Sitting next to Alpha Maxus at the welcoming dinner, dad pretends to whisper about the barrier in the sky.
"Since when have you been on friendly terms with witches?"
"Since we were attacked from the skies by those blasted hunters!"
"Hmm…so that is what happened?"
"Yes. They've taken to using helicopters with silver missiles and firing rounds. Fucking bastards! It took us months to repair the roofs of some of the homes and that's not the worst of it! Those missiles took out half of our warriors!" He shakes his head. "It will be a long time before we are able to rebuild our team of warriors."
Dad rubs his chin lost in thought.
I sit across from them listening. Betas Sam and Charles are having a similar conversation. I look over at them when the witches are mentioned.
"It was a long debate about whether we should seek their assistance or not. We have never bothered them and they have never bothered us. As you know, we have that mutual agreement with them worldwide. We brought the matter up to the Council and let them know what that battle was like. So, they talked to the Head of the Witches Council and after that, we were sent a few Elder Witches that cast the barrier spell."
"...And it's proven effective?"
"Very. Those jackasses tried to attack us again after reveling in the destruction that they brought down upon us the last time without giving us enough time to recuperate. But when that first copter hit the barrier and exploded, they retreated instantly."
"Hahhahaa…"
"Excuse me, Beta Charles." I say, "What if they try to counter this obstacle by obtaining a powerful witch of their own?"
"Hmph! I would like to see them try!" Alpha Maxus booms across from me.
I smirk slightly, meeting his gaze.
"What Maxus means is…?" Dad rests his elbow on the table and his fist on the side of his head lifting his cup of wine in the other hand to take a sip.
"We have a concrete treaty and alliance with the Witches Council thanks to the Alpha Council's hard work dealing with them on our behalf. Knowing that they keep gaining new technology to target us, it's beneficial for every pack out there to have the witches working their magic for our protection."
"Mmn…I bet it was Joseph and Skylar's doing." I say nodding my head.
"I expect a few witches to pay a visit to your pack soon." Charles says.
"Ah, they might have to wait—"
"No, dad. With the Coming of Age Ceremonies that will take place during the full moon, we need the barriers now more than ever. If I know these hunters they will try everything to attack us or even the smaller packs like this taking advantage of our weakness."
"Ah, you're right, you're right. Our pups will need that extra protection as well as those that will be mating that night."
"So, what I suggest, Dad is that we have them set up a temporary barrier around both packs as a whole and once the transition is complete they can set up a permanent one to cover our land in its entirety."
Dad nods his head in agreement. "Mmn…"
"Both packs?" Alpha Maxus strokes his thick brown beard.
"Ah, yes!"
Sam pulls out a small round envelope with silver writing on it and hands it to the nearest maidservant.
She takes it to Alpha Maxus.
"A wedding?"
"You and Dean Grayson are getting married?!" Luna Celine practically squeals, snatching the invitation from his hands.
I nod with a wide grin on my face. Dad chuckles.
"I knew it when we attended your birthday party! You might've fooled others but I saw those side glances you were giving him! Hahahaha..!" The smile on her face is one of amusement and excitement.
I finish my t-bone steak and crisp fresh green beans feeling the tingle in my skin. Chase hasn't stopped his jumping around making me itch to take a run.
After dinner, the two of them sit in Alpha Maxus' cigar room chatting up a storm about anything while the two head Betas join me on a night excursion.
The pleasant air filling my lungs, grass breaking underneath my paws sends a type of thrill through me. I love this mountain air!
I didn't congratulate you on your mating and marriage!
Don't worry! You can do it plenty at the wedding! Hahahhaa….!
We run through the trees, jumping over the overgrown trunks, taking in the glorious scents of oak and night dew. We stop just underneath the falls and I decide to go for a swim. The coolness of these waters is my favorite. I shift in the midst of swimming around with the cool water easing the pain.
Ah! I love these waters the best! - Chase breathes. He's happy now that we've run through the mountainous forests like he wanted to do since our arrival.
"Hey! Don't pull another all-nighter, Alpha Xavier!" Charles shouts from the river bank.
He and Sam had shifted back in and are on display in all of their glory. Sam dips his feet into the water and just sits there watching the falls. Charles dives into the river and swims around. He pops up under the falls letting the large drops of water wash over him.
"Ahhh…I never tire of this. I love my home."
"Same here. We have nice falls too, but they only feel like this in the winter." I say.
The two of us swim back to the bank and shift into our wolves to return to the packhouse.
Wrapping myself inside the warm fur of black bears is something that I enjoy doing back home in the winter too. How I love that season. The fur is almost as soft as Chase's. I can't wait to feel Waylon's fur. I've never seen him in his wolf form.
"Mmm….I miss you little pup."
I doze off and dream of him in my arms.
*
School bores me. Everything that they teach us is just like what my parents have taught me since I could shift.
Our packs' library is extensive in the knowledge of our species, witches, humans, vampires, and faes. We even have books on the dragons. Not too much is known of them though. But from what I've gathered, after millennia of existing, they have increased their power to the point that they are now able to shift into human form to blend in. It's awesome! I wish to meet one someday.
Right now Mrs. Crow is going over the Mermaids' history. Wait…mermaid?
A lot of heads start turning and gasps ring throughout the class.
"They're real?"
"There's no way they really exist!"
She clears her throat and continues.
"Many of us think that they began from the Mother Smarah, but in fact, their origins say that Zala
was the first of their kind and gave birth to Smarah and Thero."
"Wait, are you serious teach?" Jayden raised his hand to say.
"Yes, you wouldn't notice them. Not right away, as they have been able to shift into human form for centuries."
"Does that mean that…we've seen them?" The whole room gasps again.
"Yes, they come to some of our major events and mingle with the crowd."
"Really." I've been listening intently the whole time but this really caught my interest.
"Hmm..uhmm…they speak mostly with the Nymphs, pixies, and sprites but they are there nonetheless."
"How do we spot them?" Someone says.
"Well….they are the same height as the Nymphs. They have rounded pointy ears like the pixies, I guess you could spot by the way that they dress."
"How so?" I say.
"They like green and gold…Oh! That's right!" She smiles as something seems to have graced her memories. "Like the other faes they have an insignia that is embedded on their clothing in jewelry. I learned that it's the symbol of Smarah and Thero."
She turns to the whiteboard and draws the symbol. Once she is finished, my eyes widen. I've seen it! Not just once, but a few times.
"As a reference, it's depicted in a text that I hear is in the library of the Midnight Silver Pack."
A lot of 'wows' and 'whoas' spread around. To think, mermaids exist…and they have existed for thousands of years. Well, maybe I shouldn't be so surprised, if dragons exist why wouldn't they?
Hey, should we see if we can invite them to our wedding? - I ask Chase.
I'm guessing they would show without an invite.
Thinking about it, Chase is right. From what Mrs. Crow says, they seem to just pop up on their own at any given event should they feel so inclined to attend. I smirk at the thought. They are just like those other faes. But they always make parties fun!
*
The night of the full moon is upon us. We are rounding up all of the children in the clearing closest to the forest path. The Lunas are circling around talking with families and their little ones preparing them for the shift. Luna Chris is very good with them. He has been able to calm their nerves.
I walk over to Dean and whisper in his ear. "Your papa is good at this."
I notice him shiver from the closeness and my breath caressing his ear.
"Yea, if it wasn't for him…and Skylar…I would've been a wreck that first time."
"Mmn…"
"It's almost time!" My dad shouts above the noise.
Everything becomes still. The sounds of bones breaking, contorting, and relocating into their new positions break the silence. The three Elder witches that came to put up the temporary barrier have stayed around and are observing the change. The shock in their eyes shows that this is the first time in their long lives that they've ever seen a Coming of Age Ceremony.
Dean shifts and walks around the pups, his attention is on the group of Omegas that gathered together instantly from their pack to ours. These Omegas, just like most of our warriors have a close bond so when the two packs gathered tonight they naturally fell into the mix. Dean nudges some of the omega pups to give them added courage to walk on four legs. The yowls and cries were left to a minimum thanks to the two Lunas.
I shift and join Dean walking around the little omega in the front and give him a push. He dashes off into the thick trees and soon the other little pups follow him. Dean and I bring up the rear of the group of omegas. We can hear the others following behind us. Their cute little howls make a permanent smile appear on my snout. I look over at Dean and see his blue eyes glistening in the moon's rays, the clear beauty of his white fur being kissed by the wind. He is beautiful.
The pups and their families retreat for the night. The witches say their goodbyes as we move to the mating part of the ceremony. The full moon triggers those that are mated to mate like crazy through the night.
"Dean."
He turns from talking to his parents and glances at me.
"May I borrow my mate for the night?"
Alpha Dylan clears his throat. "Well…when the two of you create the mate bond is up to you. But the marriage will still be the traditional mating ritual."
I nod and smile. "We will wait to form the bond. I only wish to be close to him tonight."
"Okay. There is no harm in that. He is your mate after all." Luna Chris says with a big grin on his face. He puts his arm around his husband's arm and leads him away.
Dean turns to me. His face flushed.
"Um…"
"Hmm?"
He shuffles his feet and clasps his hands behind his back.
I grab his wrist and drag him deep into the forest.
"I want to see your wolf again. Show it to me."
He smiles and looks to the side. He peels off his clothing piece by piece. His pale skin glimmers under the moonlight. When he shifts again it's as though it's in slow motion. I take everything in, removing all of my clothing, I begin my shift.
I trot over to him and press my snout on his, running my face along his face. I nuzzle his neck taking in his glorious scent of maple and agarwood. His fur is indeed as soft as I imagined. I rub my head along his side hearing him growl contently. I growl in response. He sets off in a run. I chase after him. Running alongside my mate is a different feeling. I feel invigorated, more alive!
I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him.
We both jump into the river. I swim a little to the middle of the river and shift into my human form. Dean and Waylon tread along the water in front of me. I reach out to caress his fur. His blue eyes look up at me as he shifts back. I wrap my arms around him and bring him close to my chest.
His heart is beating so fast but the beat of my heart also fills my ears.
In this moment, this time together is all that matters to me.