6: The rituals

 *Cathwolf*

 “Time to de-rope”. The alpha exclaims with grandiosity, letting his own rope fall, making me avoid my eyes. I have never seen a naked man in real life, not a grown man, only my younger brothers when little.

But then everyone drops their ropes... as a human I would have definitely blushed seeing all those naked bodies… but I realise fast that as a wolf I don't really care, human nudity means very little to a wolf.

 Around me everyone starts changing and to my big surprise the wolves bow to me, which really confuses me. Is this part of the ritual ?

 Then I look down, seeing my paws for the first time…they are shining white. I am not a boring grey or brown wolf... I am white… I am special.

That does not however explain why they are bowing to me… I mean it still seems a bit much. But then the moonlight hits my fur and it shines in rainbow colours… like the inside of an oyster… no... shit it can’t be... I am the opal queen.

 The Alpha comes over, he is a great black wolf and he stops in front of me. I instantly lower my head, showing submission to my leader.

 I don't remember much of the next couple of hours. I run through the forest with my pack, getting used to my new body. 

 We are chasing each other, catching some deer. I am not even finding it weird eating raw meat. It is like someone else has taken me over, but it is still me, just a different me.

 In the end we return to the clearing and I almost collapse, totally exhausted with all that has happened and I feel my body change back into human form.

 Someone from the pack gently lifts me and carries me to the altar, laying me down there. I am too tired to even care that I am naked, my brain is still buzzing with my wolf essence and I feel almost drugged.

 Then I feel someone taking my arms and lifting them over my head, pinning them down, making fear grip me through the haze and I struggle as much as I have the energy for.

 “Relax sweetie... it’s for your own best. It is time for the ritual sniffing and hopefully the taking”. A female voice whispers next to my ear. “We all had to endure this”.

 “The… what ? Sniffing ? Taking ?” I am confused and slightly scared. Everything seems to melt together.

 She giggles softly. “The un-mated men will step up to you in their true form and sniff your womanhood to see if they are your mate... if not they will turn human, thank you and reject you... if he is here he will instantly claim his right and take you”.

 I am not liking this to be honest… none of it...This is not what I had expected it to be like. I have dreamt of romance and passions… this sounds like none of those things but I have no choice and no energy to fight.

 “First one is the Alpha, he is the only mated man allowed to partake”. The woman whispers. 

 I know of course that alphas sometimes have more mates, both true mates and sometimes chosen mates too, as their genes are the most important ones to spread.

 It is not physically unpleasant, just embarrassing and weird, as the giant wolf steps up, puts its muzzle near to me and breathes in deeply, a huf of breath then fanning over my exposed intimates.

 Then the alpha’s human form appears in the moonlight and he gives me a small bow. “Thank you my dear… unfortunately I have to reject you… at least for now”.

 I have to just lay here and wait while they step up to me one at a time to sniff at me, turn human and tell me they reject me... suddenly I am not really hoping for my mate to be here, because to be taken does not seem pleasant at all… not here, not like this.

 “I don’t want to, mom”. I hear Alaric say.

 “You have to my son, it’s our way”. She answers. “You are not siblings by blood”.

 I feel my heart pounding, and not in a good way… in a way that makes me feel queasy. I totally feel my brother right now… I love him, but the idea of us being mated… I would not know how to handle that.

 Closing my eyes I wait for it to be over and I have to admit that I am very much relieved when I hear his voice, telling me that he rejects me. I just have to swallow the embarrassment that my adopted brother now knows what I smell like.

 Finally the woman lets go of my hands, which means no man wants to claim me as his mate... he isn’t here, my other half. I am not sure if I should be sad or relieved. I mean I want to find him, But I prefer it to happen differently.

 I am exhausted so I just lay there. I hear voices... talking in hushed tones... I only catch a few words, like ‘great value’... ‘power’ and ‘auktion’. 

 Soon I slip off to sleep, unable to keep my eyes open.