Transformation

"Leah!" I called, gently knocking on the door. "Open up."

I could only imagine what Leah was feeling right now. Our first change was terrifying and painful. I hated that she was alone when the change had begun.

"Thi..." Leah’s garbled voice came through the door as a loud howl sounded.

Cursing I grabbed the door knob and began trying to turn it. I needed to get in there before she completed the change.Sometimes, rarely, we would go mad and forget ourselves during the first change. This didn’t always happen, but it could, and if it were to happen to Leah, I needed to be there to stop her.

"Leah, let me in!" I called, realizing that Leah’s door was locked. "LEAH!"

The sound of glass breaking sounded from within the room, followed by cold air blasting from underneath.

"FUCK, LEAH!"

Turning I began to run down the stairs, jumping the last five and racing out of the house.

Looking around, I spotted Leah shivering and standing by the street. Her face had already begun to extend and hair was sprouting up along her cheeks and arms.

"Leah..." I said, moving cautiously towards her. "I’m here."

Reaching out, I attempted to touch Leah’s arm only to stop as she let a snarl escape, lifting an arm and swiping at me with her razor sharp claws.

"Back away." She garbled, baring her extended canines. "GET BACK!"

"I won’t." I snapped, continuing to move forward. "It’s going to be okay."

Maybe right now, it didn’t seem to her that things would be okay, but they would. We just needed to get through this milestone and then things would get easier.

"Thi..." Leah whimpered.

"I’m here." I repeated, giving a slight smile.

Leah’s head moved in a slight nod before jerking up as a howl ripped through her. With wide eyes, I watched as Leah’s lean frame began to contort and extend.

Rushing forward, I wrapped my arms around her, ignoring her claws while they dug into my skin from shock and fear.

"Just try to stay calm." I murmured, burying my face in Leah’s now hair-covered chest. "It will be oikay."

As I spoke, the words, flashes of my first change rushed through my mind. Unlike Leah, I had been alone since it was shortly after our parents died that the change happened. I could easily remember the fear and pain that I experienced throughout the whole ordeal.

"It’s okay." I murmured again, hating myself for almost not being here for it.

Since being rejected by Ashton, I truly had been selfish, staying out super late and sleeping around with random men. I had honestly been the worst sister to Leah, Theo, and Chloe. It was sad that it took Leah going through such a huge event for me to even realize this.

"I promise I’ll change." I whispered, though Leah wouldn’t understand why I was saying this. "I promise."

The next morning, I woke to the sound of my cell phone ringing. I didn't know how late I had slept in, but it still felt like it wasn't long enough. 

Once Leah's change was complete, I remained with her, helping her learn about her new form and the rules of our pack. Up until then, I hadn't involved my siblings in the inner workings of the pack. I didn't want them to be worried, and I wanted them to have a normal childhood. 

It was only when Leah changed back to her normal self and I managed to soothe her to sleep that I laid down and tried to get some shut-eye of my own.

Reaching out, I grabbed the phone and looked at the caller ID.

"Haidan?" I mumbled, quickly hitting accept and putting the phone to my ear. "What's up?"

"Thia?" Haidan's bright voice called from the other end of the line. "Did I wake you?"

"No, not at all." I yawned, sitting up and running a hand along your face. "I was awake."

"Were you really?" Haidan giggled, irking my nerves. "Maybe I should..."

"No, seriously, it's fine." I sighed. "What's up, why'd you call?"

If Haidan was calling, then it was something important and I didn't want to be left wondering.

"Would it be okay for you to come to pack headquarters?" She sighed, piquing my curiosity. "I've got something to discuss with you."

"With me?" I repeated, confused. What could possibly be going on?

"It isn't anything big, but I kind of need you to do me a favor." Haidan continued, clearly not wanting me to panic. "After all, I kind of can't go out."

Now it was my turn to chuckle. Of course, Haidan couldn't really do much of anything right now except paperwork.

"Let me take a shower and get dressed, then I'll head your way."

"Sure, sure, no rush." Haidan laughed. "I'll see you soon."

Nodding like she could see me, I hung up and got out of bed, giving a big stretch. I needed to quickly do what I needed to and get to pack headquarters. I didn't want to admit it, but curiosity was already getting to me. What in the world could Haidan possibly want with me?

Once I was finished showering and changed, I headed downstairs to find Leah sitting at the computer playing an RPG game. Her headset was set on her ears and her eyes were damn near bulging from the attention she was paying to the screen. Though I didn't want to disturb her, I needed to let her know that I was heading out and would be back soon.

Moving forward, I reached out and gently placed my hand on Leah's shoulder, drawing her attention towards me.

"What do you want?" Leah huffed, pulling down her headphones. "I'm kind of in the middle of an important raid."

"Sorry to disturb. " I smirked, placing my hands on my hips. "Haidan called for me, so I'm heading out for a bit." I explained. "I need you to keep an eye on Theo and Chloe while I'm gone."

"Seriously?" Leah huffed in annoyance. "I just said..."

"I won't be long." I said, cutting her off. "Now get back to your game."

Turning I headed out of the house and began making my way towards the pack house. It was only a few blocks from where I lived, so there was no reason for me to drive. Not to mention, it was such a beautiful day out.

Getting lost in my thoughts, I made my way to my destination. However, the closer I got to the packhouse, the more an unsettling feeling began to rush through me. I didn't know what was going on or what could cause it. At least, I didn't, until I arrived and found myself staring straight into the golden eyes of the one person I hoped to never see again.