Chapter 4

Aurora

"Our second performance is going to be from the WolfDen pack. Let us welcome them to the stage." The announcer announces, and we step forward.

I am glad that I am not standing beside Stella's throne. It's Sadie, and I am on her side, but it isn't making me any less nervous.

The melody starts, filled with loud, raw, intense beats. I stomp my feet at the heavy percussion before swinging my arms in a circular motion, followed by my feet.

I have practised these moves so many times that they have become muscle memory at this point. I spin and bend down on my knees in squats, moving my torso around on the beats, filling the crowd with enthusiasm with our cool moves.

We raise our arms like they are weapons, slashing the air with our imaginary claws. Weston and Axel also shake their cape and growl when we perform a little stunt. I can feel everyone's eyes following our every move, but the trio's stare beats them all.

I can feel them following my every move. It is making me more nervous by every passing second. I can't focus, but I can't seem to make any mistakes as well.

Next, it's time to circle Stella's throne and sit down on one of our knees, requesting her to take the stage and show her beautiful moves, but before we can start moving into a circle, Weston turns around, which wasn't what he was supposed to do.

I grow worried when he shakes his whole body aggressively and locks his eyes on me. My heart slams against my chest, and I freeze when my sixth sense picks up the signs in his body.

He isn't performing right now... he is staring at me as if he wants to hurt me. I can sense the change in his aura. I glance at Jade, but she is busy dancing.

I look at Sadie next, but she is also too busy performing. Can no one notice the change in his demeanour? Can no one sense the change in his body language?

Then suddenly, Axel starts stalking in the front, showing off his moves, and both Jade and Sadie also distance themselves from me, creating an open space around me.

Before I can understand what is happening, Weston launches towards me. Terror seizes my whole body as I see him coming towards me with his fangs on display, and I stop moving.

No way... he won't really hurt me, will he? I shut my eyes, and a voice crashes into the front of my head, alarming me.

'Shift', The voice growls, and I feel my bones snap and clothes rip. A large wolf stands in place of my human self. My paws are a rust colour, and I feel my eyes glow with another being, and I know who it is.

It's my wolf.

I throw my head back and howl, baring my fangs at Weston, who has his claw hanging in the air, ready to strike my face, but it bites empty air when I duck and slam my body into his from the side.

My strength causes him to fall on the stage sideways. I widen my legs and growl at him, challenging him to stand and come for me again. He accepts it and runs towards me. I evade his aggressive attack again, sliding my paw to the side.

It takes him by surprise, and he skids on the stage, giving me ample chance to pounce at him. I growl and subdue him to the floor by pressing my weight onto his back.

His paws slip, and he falls onto the shiny surface of the stage. I sit on top of him and press his head onto the stage, earning loud cheers and laughs from the crowd.

I threaten to claw his muzzle when he tries to raise his face, ending our scuffle with my complete victory, unaware of the reactions of those around me.

I stand up after Weston admits defeat and proceeds to take his place beside Axel, but Stella stands up from her throne and strides to the front instead.

Her hands clenched tightly by her sides as she bows down, marking the end of our performance.

But she didn't even perform, and then I see her cutting glare on me. Her eyes are glowing with vehement poison, and she is watching me with gritted teeth.

Oh no. What did I do?

I took her spotlight, and...fuck. My heart drops to the pit of my stomach. I shifted and showed my wolf. She always believed that I would be wolfless since I was adopted by the Alpha, or if I even had a wolf, it would be scrawny and weak, a sorry excuse, but my wolf is shiny, powerful and large.

It also flawlessly moved according to how I have trained myself in secret for seven whole years.

Shiver runs down my spine when she straightens up and joins the rest of the girls, all the while glaring at me as the announcer climbs up on the stage again.

I am scared. I don't know what she will do now. I was confident about leaving the pack because I was going to keep my wolf a secret, but I failed.

The shift came sooner because of the danger, and now I can never hide it. Everyone saw it, and especially... the predatory trio.

I gasp inwardly when I find their eyes still on me. Were they watching me the entire time?

'Yes, dear. They were.' The voice in my head says softly, and my eyes widen.

'My wolf! I was right about you forcing the shift earlier. I talk to her in my head, finding it a little hard to adjust, but I know I will.

'Yes, I did because we were only an hour away from your eighteenth birthday, and now it's time. You are finally eighteen, Aurora. Congratulations.' She speaks in that soft, gentle tone again, congratulating me on my birthday.

That's right, it was my eighteenth birthday tonight, and I was looking forward to it because I couldn't wait to see my wolf, even though I didn't expect it to happen in this way.

It is definitely bad news for me, but I am also happy. I love her, and I love that I was able to defeat that prick Weston, but what made him attack me like that?

It wasn't part of the performance at all. Just as I am thinking hard on it, drowning out the announcer's voices, a sweet, delicious scent starts bothering my nose.

I raise my head a little and sniff the air. It's making my wolf howl with happiness. Just what is it? It's growing stronger with each passing second, and now it's not just one, but two more.

I can smell three different scents, and they are all mouthwateringly delicious. My eyes grow hazy, going back to the trio by itself, and stopping there as if it belongs there.

I can't look away. No, I don't want to. My heart starts beating wildly in my chest, bringing me to a discovery that I don't think I would like.

'MATE.' My wolf confirms my suspicion, and I growl loudly, silencing everyone and everything, huffing as I watch my mates, already looking at me.