I must have tried on a dozen dresses before I finally found the perfect one.
It was an off the shoulder, knee length chiffon gown. The skirt was flowy with several layers and I had an urge to twirl in it as soon as I put it on. It is an exact match to my eyes, while the under layers are different shades of blue that were visible when I twirled for my mom.
The sleeves and neckline were made of the most beautiful, delicate lace I had ever seen. Thankfully the sleeves were short, I wouldn't have chosen the dress if they came down to my wrists.
I woke up the next day with butterflies in my stomach.
'I get to meet my wolf today!'
I could hardly stand the excitement. I jumped out of bed and ran to my closet, needing to go for a run, this energy can't stay pent up all day.
Quickly changing into some athletic shorts and my green sports bra, I threw on my black sneakers and made a break for the training grounds.
I was jogging to the track when I spotted Erik running at full speed. He was breathtakingly magnificent.
His toned legs carried him with ease, his body was glistening with sweat. He wasn't wearing a shirt and I could see every outline of his massive defined muscles.
I start biting my lip as desire started to pool in my body. I wasn't expecting to run into him this early in the morning. The sun was barely coming up, most wolves were still sound asleep in the pack house.
Usually I come out for an early morning run, but lately I have backed off of that as part of my attempt at not training as hard.
As he rounded the last turn on the track approaching the finish line, he spotted me. He halted as soon as our eyes connected. He was panting heavily, the rise and fall of his chest made the butterflies from earlier reappear.
Clearly he is just as surprised as I am that we're crossing paths this early. Before I realize what I'm doing I start walking towards him.
My eyes never look away from his piercing orbs. I see him steel his shoulders as he starts walking to meet me half way.
We stop just a few feet away from each other. I get a whiff of his scent and I'm nearly knocked backwards. He has never smelt this inviting before.
Yesterday he smelled like most of the other unmated males, a musky amber scent. What made his distinctive was the scent of rainfall.
Today he smells just like redwood, with a fiery blend of spices. The rainfall has changed too, it's the exact scent of the woods after a powerful storm. My mouth waters and I have to fight even harder to control my arousal.
"Whoa...", I gasp and take a step back.
"Enya, what is it?", his brow is lifted in concern as he speaks.
Once again I am floored, his voice is different too. I have always thought Erik's voice was calming and smooth, but when he spoke just now I swear his voice felt like velvet. It slid across my skin sending exquisite tingles down my spine.
My thoughts drift to what it would feel like to hear him speak from between my legs.
'Wait, what?!' I internally shake my head, 'Get a grip girl...' My wolf senses seem to already be coming in. But how is that possible? 'I haven't shifted yet...'
"E? Are you alright?", Erik steps forward. The concern on his face has reached his handsome eyes, but I can't bring myself to answer him.
The most incredible sensation took over my hearing.
Turning towards the woods that surround the training grounds, I'm lost to the resonance that reaches my ears. I can hear a fawn grazing 60 meters away, her heartbeat is steady; I can sense her alertness.
The next notes that find me are of bluejays; a mother is feeding her babies, their cries bring tears of joy to my eyes.
I knew that gaining my wolf would heighten my senses, but I had no idea it would be like this. I can hear and feel all of the wildlife that resides in our woods. It's astonishing.
A tear falls down my cheek slowly. Before I know it Erik is by my side turning me to him.
"Enya! You're freaking me out, say something damn it!", he shakes me gently bringing me back to reality.
"Erik...is it always like this? I mean, is this what wolf hearing is like?", my voice comes out as a whisper.
"Oh shit...what do you hear?", he gently cups my face and wipes the tear away. He sounds calm but I can feel the uneasiness in his words.
I tell him how far away I can hear the fawn and the birds, his eyes get slightly rounder the more I describe.
I tilt my head at the expression on his face, "What is it? Is it not normal that I can hear all of that?"
He shakes his head when he replies, "No. Well I mean, yes, it's normal to be able to sense the animals, but I've never been able to know the exact location of the sounds. You said the deer is 60 meters northeast, and the birds are 20 meters west of the deer. I've never heard of a wolf being able to know the gender of a deer they heard. Or that a bird is a bluejay...", he words trail off.
I can see his thoughts are whirling in his head.
"How do I control it? I can't seem to shut it off.", I ask.
Erik steps closer to me, "You have to focus your senses on one thing. Concentrate on it and force the rest to quiet down."
"Such as?", I inquire further.
"Your heartbeat for example.", he states.
For some reason my instincts take over and I understand what he means. Instead of my own heartbeat, I concentrate to find his.
Closing my eyes I search for the thump of his heart.
At first it's hard to find his over the entire pack. I can hear the house stirring. My ears pick up the sound of the kitchen coming alive, pans being put out to start frying bacon and eggs.
The coffee is being freshly ground up. I focus my ears to turn down the volume from the pack house.
Each sound slowly fades and I'm finally able to hear Erik's heart clearly. The sweet beating of his heart steadies me, I feel my body relaxing as I keep focus on him.
I open my eyes and capture his, he is waiting for me to speak, "I'm ok now. It worked...thank you."
His heart quickens as I hold his gaze. I never noticed before the chrystal tone in his irises has reflects of mint green. The hues swirl together beautifully creating an oasis that takes my breath away.
'How have I never noticed that before?'
He breaks the connection and casts his eyes down.
Erik smiles tightly and says, "Good, I'm glad I could help."
Returning his smile I reply, "Yeah, me too. Uh...listen, I was just going to have a run before I got the day started so...I should probably get to it..."
"Oh, of course, yeah, you should get to it. I'm just gonna hit the showers and...", he swallows before continuing, "um...go help our moms get the party ready."
I nod my head and make my way to the start of the track. I keep my focus on his heart until he reaches the pack house.
Once inside I shift my attention to my own. I take a few deep breaths before taking my stance. Again I focus on my heart, I can feel the blood pumping in my veins. Breathe in...breathe out. Again. Breathe in...breathe out.
My feet propel me down the track, speed increasing with each step I take. I barely register that I have crossed the finish line twice in less than 3 minutes.
I run for what feels like 30 minutes, but when Jemma and Kate come searching for me I realize the sun is much higher than it should be.
"Hey birthday girl! What are you doing still running out here? Aren't you tired yet?", Jemma greets me with a warm smile.
"Actually, no. I feel amazing! I woke up with all of this energy, I needed a quick run to burn it off.", I say between my breaths.
Jemma looks confused for a second and Kate says, "Wait, didn't you wake up at like 6 this morning?"
"Yeah, why?", I ask.
Kate's mouth drops open, "E, it's almost 8. Have you been out here this whole time? Running?"
"For 2 HOURS?!", Jemma adds. Their faces clearly display shock.
I look back up at the sun, they're right I have been running for 2 hours. I swear it was only 30 minutes, 40 at most.
The longest I've ever run was an hour, and I felt that whole hour. Kate can see the apprehension in my eyes, I can't make sense of how I lost track of time like this.
"I swear guys, it only felt like 30 minutes. I don't understand...", I can't bring myself to say the rest of my thoughts. It's just too troubling.
"Well maybe it's just first shift jitters.", Jem shrugs before finishing, "You've been waiting your whole life for today. Of course you're anxious. I know I will be."
I can hear the doubt of her words as she says them. None of us have ever heard of a wolf losing time like I just did. I choose to believe her though and shake off this feeling of unease.
"Yeah, you're probably right. I'm just anxious about shifting in front of the whole pack tonight.", it has to be that right?
Jemma pulls me in for a tight hug. She stands to my left and throws her arm around my shoulders. Kate goes to my right and puts her arm around my waist. I take both of them by the waist and pull them close for a quick hug. The three of us head back to the pack house.
"Alright, well, Aunt Becca and mom sent us to find you. They said you need to start getting ready.", Jem says as we reach the back entrance steps.
I freeze on the last step, "What? The party doesn't start until 7 tonight. That's what? 11 hours from now? How could it possibly take that long to get ready?!"