Max zhuzhed his wavy blonde hair as best as he could with his blowdryer and hair spray. His hair never behaved on the day of a full moon. He was more easily irritated by things like his windswept hair not being how he liked it on days like today too. His skin itched wherever he wore clothing and he had to resist the urge to scratch repeatedly. He went for loose clothing today. Dark denim jeans, a long-sleeved white t-shirt and a brown cotton jacket. He wished he could stay at home, switching between pacing with frustration to moping in bed at the chemical upheaval happening in his body in preparation for tonight. Alas, he couldn’t.
I have a new student to prepare for. Poor dear. Yesterday afternoon the Pack Master and the Luna had summoned Max to Caleb’s office. Frankie Monroe was already there and sat in a chair facing the two pack leaders. Max dutifully bowed his head and offered his palms to Caleb and Emma before taking the offered seat beside Frankie.
I have my orders. Max slung a brown leather satchel over his left shoulder which contained his wallet, keys and cell. He left his beloved home and headed into town. This is new territory and I’m honoured to have been chosen.
In essence, Emma Carter was determined that Nella and Ruby would have an easier time than she did. At times it felt like the Luna was being overly judgemental of a traditional system that had served them well, but Max kept that to himself. He listened to her reasoning and had to agree, mostly, that the old way of turning werewolves was archaic and traumatic. Uncessicarily. Since Nella was already a werewolf, and Ruby would have to become one soon as well, the Luna was determined that anything they could do to ease their transition, they would.
Which is where Max came in.
“Your lecture on Omega biology 101 was the only part of my transition that had been well planned out. It was informative and I can see why you’re a teacher. You made something scary that was happening to my body seem natural and nothing to be afraid of.”
“I am honoured my Luna.”
“Good, because you’re going to be Frankie’s tag-team partner. You are now Nella’s transition mentor.”
Max walked into town and to the nearest grocery store. Everything would shut in a few hours when hormones would be running too high to maintain any semblance of normalcy, so he had to hurry. He thought long and hard about Emma’s proposal and came up with a plan. Nella was a born wolf so she wouldn’t have a sire. Normally the burden of teaching the new werewolf fell upon the parents. Everyone agreed that Nella’s situation was unique. A born wolf that thought she was human. Not to mention a late bloomer. All the other pack members her age had already shifted at least two years earlier, so she wouldn’t have anyone her age to relate to. The Luna reasoned that having a specialist in werewolf anatomy and biology, regardless of what kind of wolf the teen became, would be invaluable. Frankie didn’t like the idea.
Max filled his basket with stationary and top must-have items for a transitioning werewolf. Frankie is worried she will be an Omega. It wasn’t said out loud, but the fact he’s a Beta will mean there are things he just wouldn’t understand. If she really did react that strongly to Caleb’s presence as they described, it’s a sure bet she’s like me. Another reason to have the buddy system. That, in my experience as a teacher, there are things teenagers disclose to others they aren’t prepared to tell their parents. I bet that goes double for a father she met less than a week ago.
Max was the ideal candidate to trial this buddy system with. He taught Omega and Alpha studies as part of the biology scheme of work at GV High. Very few members of the pack had his level of subject knowledge and the experience to teach it. He was Nella’s homeroom teacher, so she would see him every day at school. They’d already met. Max agreed he was the right wolf for the job. Frankie isn’t pleased. Traditionally he would be the only one in charge of her education on pack life. It’s tough though. This assignment came straight from the Pack Master and the Luna. It’s the perfect opportunity for me. I’ve been looking for more responsibilities for a while. I thought that might be within the school, but I’m happy for it to be within the pack instead. If anything, this is better.
The Blonde placed his basket at his feet and held up two different biro pens. Both had different clickers to change the colours to red, black, blue, and green. In his left hand, he held a plain pen with a white and black casing. In the right, he held a pink one, covered in glitter, and with two pink love hearts bouncing from springs on either side of the top casing. She seems like she likes cute things. He put the pink pen in his basket and headed towards the tills. He paid quickly with little chit-chat. Neither he nor his ex-pupil Jared wanted to exchange their normal small chat as he paid today. Both were restless head of moon-up tonight.
Max returned home, stocked up his fridge, and put together his werewolf survival kit for Nella tomorrow. He texted Frankie a list of personal items he should pack from her room. Clothes for the next day, toiletries, her cell, things like that. Max had the rest covered, and so much more. I am going to be such an awesome transition mentor that this becomes an official role within the pack from now on. The Luna is right. Having a teacher oversee a newly transitioning wolf is a win-win. We have the werewolf knowledge, the experience, and the safeguarding training to identify when they are struggling.
Maxwell was also pleased to have been given Emma’s personal number. To keep her appraised with his progress. This was a pet project close to her heart and she wanted to be kept up to speed. Max could tell she wished someone had eased her transition, and that made this personal. I won’t let her down. I won’t let Nella down. Even if I end up butting heads with Frankie, I will do my job and well.
Her mother was an unknown element in all of this. The blonde was surprised to learn she wouldn’t be turned alongside her daughter, so part of his plan would be to help Nella to keep her wolf nature hidden from her mother for 2 months. A near-impossible task. Transitioning werewolves struggled to contain their baser urges and regularly went feral. I’ll just have to keep her away from her mother as much as possible in the beginning. Frankie should be onboard with spending the extra time with her.
Max grumbled with his hands on the kitchen counter. He rolled his neck and tried to push out some of the tension down his spine. His wolf was growling and pressing ever closer against the membrane of his mind. It will be moon-up soon enough. Then I can let loose. He opened his pale green eyes and they flashed once. But before then, I have more planning to do. I need to prepare a schedule for what I want to achieve with Nella and how I’ll measure the impact of each strategy I use with her. To prove I’ve been effective as her Transition Mentor. Prep now, then I’ll throw myself into the revelry of the full moon pre-party in the woods ahead of Nella’s welcoming. One thing Max was looking forward to finding out, was how Frankie managed to get Nella to the woods without A, using drugs, B, using force, or C, screwing up so badly Nella calls Ruby and they end up having to kidnap both of them and treat them as hostile initiates. It’s going to be entertaining either way.
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