Chapter 25 - Threat Begins/First Shift Part 2

*Lucas* Today has been really productive. I have gotten caught up on paperwork and have been putting the finishing touches on the plans for when Natalie finally shifts. Dom has been telling me that they should be shifting soon, but he could not tell me how soon. I am nervous that she might not want to complete the mating process with me. I hope she believes that I love her for who she is on the inside. Not because her wolf is the Midnight Queen. Natalie: Hey Lucas? Do you have the finishing touches done on the plan for when I get ready to shift? Me: Yeah, I just got them done. Why babe? Natalie: Midnight just told me that we will be shifting tonight. Me: Okay, I will get the guys in here and let them know. Have you by chance decided about the other thing? Natalie: Yeah, I have decided. Green light. Before I could respond back to her, she put up her block. This is something that higher-up wolves (such as Alphas, Lunas, Betas, and Gammas) know how to do. Me: Dom, did she mean a green light for completing the mating process with her? Dom: Yes, that is what she meant. Now get the guys in here so we can get the show on the road. We have to make sure Natalie and Midnight are safe for when they shift. Dom is right, I do not have the time right now to "celebrate". I have to make sure they are safe while they shift. Only after they shift can I let myself get happy. Me: Kaden, get Nathan and Oliver and come to my office. Natalie will be shifting tonight. Kaden: Oh man, alright. I thought there would have been more time. I will grab the guys and we will be right there. Since I already have the plan finalized, all I have to do is relay it to the guys and they will make sure everything is going perfectly while I help Natalie shift. I know it is going to be more painful for her than an ordinary wolf due to her shifting later. But I know she will get through it, especially since Midnight will try to make it as quick and least painful as possible. About 10 minutes after I stopped mind-linking Kaden, him and the other guys walked into my office. Each one has an excited but serious expression. They know it is time to get down to business. "Alright, guys, one of you close the door and let's get started." I stated seriously. "I got the door." Oliver said as he was walking over to it. "Okay, so here is what I have planned out. On the northern border and western border, we are going to double the patrol guards and warriors will also be stationed there. The eastern border is fine on the number of patrol guards since it is the border with the mountain, I just want to send some warriors that way just in case. Now, the southern border is going to have triple patrol guards and warriors. I want it this way since most of our enemies are located in that direction." I told them while pointing at the territory map I have laid out on my desk. "That sounds good. Where do you want us though?" Nathan asks. "You three are going to be with Natalie and I. Natalie also wants Becca there." I informed them. This should not come as a surprise since they can see how close Natalie and Becca are with each other. They have been this way ever since Natalie started training. Plus, Becca is the only other one who knows about Natalie's powers and who she will be after she shifts. It has always had me thinking that maybe there is more going on to this than what we realize. "Honestly, we already figured that one Lucas." Oliver said with a laugh. "Those two are almost insufferable. The only time I really see them apart is when Natalie is with you or Becca is out doing patrols." "It has made me think about something though," I stated, which got all three of them looking at me with curiosity. So, I continue, "What if Becca and her wolf Starlight are Natalie and Midnight's protector?" The guys just star"d at me for a minute before Nathan finally said, "That would actually explain a lot, to be honest." "Maybe we should bring Becca in and ask Starlight. She could give us the answer we are looking for, and then we will not have to keep guessing." Kaden stated intelligently. "Oliver, mind-link Becca and ask her to come to my office." I told Oliver. "Yes, Alpha." He said before his eyes started to glaze over. "While he is doing that, I want you two to get some warriors to block off the gazebo area as well as the forest around it. That is where we will have Natalie's shift. She also said that is where her connection to the forest is the strongest. That way if there is any danger coming our way, she will get a much clearer response." I informed Kaden and Nathan. "Man, I almost forgot Natalie is able to communicate with the forest." Kaden said before his eyes started to glaze over. "Becca said she will be here in 15 minutes or less. She is coming from patrol on the eastern border." Oliver said walking back over to where the guys and I were sitting. "Yeah, that is one of the reasons why she likes the gazebo so much. That and she said that it puts off a tranquil atmosphere." I responded to Kaden. "Okay, we will just hang until she gets here Oliver." About 15 minutes later there was a knock at my office door. "Come on in Becca." I said "You wanted to see me Alpha?" She asks while closing the door. "I was wondering if Starlight could answer a question for me? I asked. In no time Becca's eyes changed from their normal ice blue to black, meaning Starlight has come forward. "You have a question Alpha?" Starlight asks in a warrior's voice. "I was wanting to know if you are Natalie and Midnight's protector? We cannot help but notice how close you two are, and the fact that whenever you two leave the packhouse together you are always on guard." I asked directly. "Becca and I are indeed their protector. We have waited for a couple years for Natalie to come to the pack. We must make sure nothing happens when they shift tonight. After their shift, they will know that I am their protector. It will be like a natural instinct that tells them this. If Natalie needs confirmation she can come to me and ask." Starlight states adamantly. *Unknown* We are about three and a half hours out of the Blood Moon Pack, and I am going over the last of the kidnapping plan with my Beta Rodriguez. "Make sure you and the Gamma get everyone away from the Midnight Queen while she is in mid-shift, and I will grab her. If anyone is captured do not give any information away otherwise your families are going to receive a slow and painful death. I will not fail like my ancestors." I commanded angrily. "Yes, Alpha." Rodriguez said. I have to make sure I do not fail. Too many times my ancestors have failed. The only thing going for my family is that no one has ever recorded when the Midnight Queen had been reincarnated. So there is no information on who was responsible for almost getting her every time. The only reason why I was able to get any information on her now is due to the fact that it is very rare for there to be "late bloomers" when it comes to shifting. So when there is a "late bloomer" every pack will know it at a certain point. Apart from her, there was only one other, and it was a male. Hence, when she was moved out of the River Rock Pack I made sure to have someone track where she was going. Now I just have to wait a little longer, and I will finally have my Midnight Queen. *Natalie* All day Midnight has been getting more and more energized. I had literally just gotten done eating my dinner when she told me that I needed to get outside. It was a good thing Lucas and the gang were at the table next to me. Once I told them what Midnight said, they immediately followed me out to the gazebo. On the way there Kaden and Nathan were mind-linking with the patrol guards and warriors letting them know to be on high alert. Midnight: Natalie get ready for a lot of pain. The shift is getting ready to start. However, I did not even have time to respond before the first bone started to shift. When they say that shifting for the first time is painful, they are not lying. Enduring so much pain, I do not know how much time has passed before I hear the forest. Forest: My Lady, you have incoming enemies. They will be at the borders in 20 minutes. It takes me a minute before I am able to mind-link Lucas to let him know. Me: Lucas, the forest says incoming in 20 minutes. Lucas: Okay, I will let the pack know. You are almost there babe. Remember to embrace the pain, and allow Midnight to take control. Midnight: I know this is painful Natalie. I can speed up the shift more, but the pain will intensify. Me: Do it Midnight, we have incoming enemies. I do not want to be separated from Lucas or the pack. Midnight: Okay, brace yourself, Natalie. Speeding up the shift is going to allow us to be fully shifted before the enemy gets here. Just remember we will not have a lot of time to get our bearings, so until we do we need to stay with Lucas and the gang. Me: Okay, let's do this Midnight. Right after I told her this, the pain was out of this world. It felt like my body was being torn apart in so many different directions, and then forcibly being put back together. Then, what seemed like an eternity later, the pain stopped.