The Awakening 2

It started as a tingle at the base of my spine and then exploded outward, racing through my veins. It happened so fast my vision went white as my body convulsed, bones cracking and reforming so fast I didn't have time to scream.

Was I shifting?

Because this wasn't like the stories I'd heard, this was nothing like the gentle first shifts that elders guided you through. This was violent, painful, like being torn apart and rebuilt in seconds.

My clothes shredded the moment my human form disappeared and then I was standing on four legs instead of two, looking down at the rogues who'd been about to kill me.

The first thing I noticed was that I was way bigger than them, I don't think they had seen a wolf of this size because they had stumbled back, their eyes wide with shock.

The second thing I noticed was my fur.

It wasn't the grey or brown I'd always expected. It was white. Pure white that seemed to glow in the moonlight filtering through the trees.

What the hell?

I didn't have time to process it, because the female rogue was recovering from her shock, her lips pulling back in a snarl. "Freak! What are you..."

She didn't get to finish. Something surged through me that made me open my muzzle and released a sound I'd never made before.

The effect was immediate as all three rogues dropped to the ground, their heads bowed, their wolves forcing them into submission. They whimpered, their bodies trembling, unable to even look at me.

I stood there, frozen in shock. What was happening? Omegas didn't do this. Omegas couldn't force submission from other wolves, that was an alpha ability.

"Please," Scarface whispered, his voice shaking. "Please, we didn't know. We didn't know what you were."

What was he talking about? What I was?

What was I?

My wolf was fully present now for the first time in months, and she felt... different like she'd always been there, just waiting for the right moment to emerge.

The rogues were still on the ground, too terrified to move. Part of me, a dark, wounded part wanted to hurt them the way they'd planned to hurt me.

But I wasn't them.

"Leave," I heard myself growl, and my wolf's voice was deeper than I'd expected. "Run along and if I ever see you again, I won't be merciful."

They didn't need to be told twice. All three of them scrambled to their feet and ran, disappearing into the forest so fast they were gone by the time I looked again.

I stood there alone, my sides heaving, trying to understand what had just happened.

Then I heard slow, sounds of applause from behind me.

I spun around, and extended my claws ready to face another threat but the woman who emerged from between the trees wasn't attacking. She was... old. Not in the way humans aged, but in the way that spoke of centuries lived. Her silver hair hung in a long braid down her back, and her eyes studied me with undisguised interest.

"A white wolf," she said, her voice carrying a hint of wonder. "I thought your kind was extinct."

I growled, not sure if she was a friend or foe.

She held up her hands above her head.

"Easy, child. I am not here to hurt you. I'm here for quite the opposite, actually. I've been watching you for weeks, waiting to see if you'd survive long enough for your true nature to emerge." She tilted her head. "You're stronger than you look. Most wolves would have given up after that rejection."

My wolf stiffened. This woman knew about Asher? How?

"Oh, I know many things," she said, as if reading my thoughts. "Including what you are, why you've been suppressed your entire life, and what's going to happen to you if you stay out here alone."

She took a step closer, and I noticed she wasn't afraid of me at all. Most wolves would have shown some sign of wariness around a white wolf, whatever that meant but this woman looked at me like I was a puzzle she was eager to solve.

"My name is Elder Mira," she continued. "I'm a Lycan, a rogue one, by choice and you, my little white wolf, are in grave danger." Her eyes softened slightly. "The good news is, you don't have to face it alone. Come with me let me teach you what you are, and how to control that power, and how to survive in a world that will either fear you or try to use you."

I wanted to refuse, wanted to tell her I didn't need anyone's help but I did. I was lost, broken, and completely clueless about what was going on.

My wolf, who'd been hostile and defensive just seconds ago, suddenly... relaxed like she recognized something in this old woman, like she knew we could trust her.

I shifted back to my human form, and immediately became aware that I was naked, my clothes in tatters around me. I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to maintain some dignity.

Mira smiled and pulled a blanket from the bag at her feet, tossing it to me. "Here. We'll get you proper clothes once we reach my sanctuary."

I wrapped the blanket around myself, then looked at her. "What am I?"

"A white wolf," she repeated. "You come from an ancient bloodline, nearly extinct, which was hunted to near-annihilation centuries ago. You're born with power that most alphas can only dream of, the ability to command other wolves, accelerated healing, and enhanced strength. You're what werewolf legends are built on."

My head was spinning. "But... I'm an omega. I'm weak. Everyone said..."

"Everyone was wrong." Mira's voice was firm. "You were never weak, Rhea. You were hidden. Your mother suppressed your wolf to protect you, and that suppression made you appear to be something you're not."

"My mother?" My voice cracked. "You knew my mother?"

"Of course. She was a white wolf too who fled her pack when they tried to force her into servitude. She went into hiding, fell in love with your father, and when you were born, she did what she thought would keep you safe. She suppressed your wolf so no one would know what you were."

Mira's expression softened with something like sympathy. "She died keeping that secret and now it's yours to bear."

Tears gathered in my eyes. I'd always known my mother died when I was young, but I'd never known why. Everyone said it was an illness, just one of those tragedies that happened sometimes.

"The rejection broke the suppression," she continued. "The trauma from severing your mate bond shattered whatever your mother put in place."

I thought about the past three months. The emptiness I felt.

"So she wasn't gone," I whispered. "She was just... waiting."

"Exactly." she nodded. "And now she's awake which means you need to learn how to control her before someone else discovers what you are and decides to either kill you or cage you."

I almost laughed. I'd spent my whole life being invisible, insignificant and now I was being told I was... what? Special? Powerful? Dangerous?

"I don't understand any of this," I admitted.

"You will." Mira extended her hand toward me. "Come with me, Rhea. Let me show you who you really are."

I stared at her hand for a long moment. This was a crossroads. I could refuse, try to make it on my own, and probably end up dead within a week or I could take a leap of faith and trust this strange woman who seemed to know more about me than I knew about myself.