Frankie caught up with her just before she could reach the Dance Hall parking lot. They could both hear the loud music playing inside, and hopefully, that muffled the shriek Nella released as he knocked his head into her back to shove her into a tree. She cried and twisted around to face the mighty wolf as he stood before her. She shook and tears ran down her face. Later she would be grateful that her mascara was water and tear-proof, though she still looked like a quivering mess.
“P-please don’t hurt m-” The wolf whined like a sad dog and sat back on his haunches. He shook his head at her and yipped at her. “…” Nella pressed her palms to the tree behind her for support as she stared into the blue eyes of the werewolf. Frankie’s eyes. They were larger now than in his human form, but there was no doubting they were his. When she didn’t scream again and simply continued to pant and stare at him, Frankie slowly shuffled towards her on his belly. He yipped again waited for her to do or say something.
Inside her mind, Nella was screaming and torn between if she should run, smack his nose now it was in arms’ reach and then run, or if the previous options would result in losing her hand and her life for her trouble. Slowly Frankie sat upright and leaned forward to nudge her cheek with his wet nose. Then he licked at her nose. His breath beat onto her face and the smell of Almonds was stronger now than ever. The scent made her bring to the surface something he’d said to her back in the house before she fled for her life.
“From the moment I saw and smelt you I knew you were mine. You smell like me. Almonds, though, you have a sweet lavender signature to your pheromones too. Very pretty.”
Nella’s breathing was starting to even out and she no longer felt like she was going to pass out from fear. The wolf, Frankie, shuffled even closer and poked her cheek with his wet snout.
“S-stop it.” She stammered and pressed herself back against the tree. He barked and didn’t try to nuzzle her again. Annoyingly she got another one of those waves of itchiness and her hand was already at her neck scratching before she could think it through. Frankie nodded to this action and barked again. “…wait…” Nella took her hand back and stared at it briefly, before looking at him with alarm. “I’ve been feeling weird all day. Is that-” He nodded his furry head and she paled. “…you’re Frankie…” Another nod. “…and you’re a werewolf…which makes me…a…” Frankie stood on all fours and tentatively opened his jaws. He slowly leaned towards her stomach and used his tongue to gather the hem of her jumper into his mouth. “I’m a werewolf? That’s actually a thing? Not just in the movies and books but a real life we-what are you doing?”
He gathered enough of her jumper in his mouth to start tugging her back towards her house. The car was there and if he had any hope of shifting back and driving them to the primary shifting sight they had to go now. He was already breaking the black alert rules being in his wolf form out in the open like this. Especially with the Dance hall being only a few yards and a parking lot away. If Ruby came outside for any reason right now, she’d see her daughter being cornered by a massive brown wolf and freak out. Frankie tugged at her jumper and made her stumble a step in the right direction. “Wait, just, stop.” She tried to resist him but there was no resisting the jaws of an adult werewolf. Nella even put her hands on his head between his ears and fisted at his thick brown fur. She felt the warmth of him and the smell of almonds was even stronger. He kept yanking at her jumper until she gave up and sulkily came to heel. She whimpered, scratching at her neck and scalp, her wrists and stomach as she glared down at him. “I can’t believe you did this. You pretended to be a really nice guy and underneath it all, you’re a real-life monster? And I’m one too? That’s not fair.” She sobbed and dabbed the hem of her jumper under her eyes to absorb her tears. “I don’t want to be a monster.” She cried. “I just want to be a girl.” Frankie whined and his ears lowered with sadness. She cried the whole way back to the car. Thankfully Frankie was able to shift back and she watched in horror at the display. He was panting and braced his hands on the car as he caught his breath to look at her.
“I was born this way. I didn’t intentionally get your mother pregnant. She was on the pill and we were both drunk. She said it herself, that she was sick the next day and she brought the pill up. I didn’t do this to you Nella. It just happened.” She sobbed and held her elbows. “That being said? I don’t regret it. I wish I’d have known so I could have been in your life. I would have raised you here amongst your own kind and I would have prepared you for tonight.”
“What do you mean ‘my own kind’?” She stared at him through her tears and Frankie sighed. He pulled on his boxers and trousers and forewent the rest of his clothes. He walked around the car to tentatively reach out for her shoulders.
“I have a lot to tell you Nella, I do. And I’m going to tell you everything. Right now I need you to get in the car with me so I can get you to a safe place to shift. The first time isn’t easy, but the whole pack will be there to support you. I will be with you the whole time.”
“…but…but I don’t want to turn into a wolf.” She whimpered and begged him not to do this to her. To stop this from happening to her. “I want to be a girl.”
“And you are a girl Nella.” He pulled her into his chest and held her fiercely. “A beautiful werewolf girl. Safe with her pack. Safe with her father.” He dared to kiss her forehead and then pulled back. His eyes were hot and lit up as he looked at his distraught pup. “I wish I had known you all your life. I wish I had been able to raise you so you were prepared and excited for tonight. But that isn’t the hand fate gave us.”
“Fate sucks ass.” She whined and he laughed.
“It does at times. But I wouldn’t have a daughter if it didn’t serve us this curveball.” He pulled open the passenger door and coaxed her to get inside. “You don’t have to worry about a thing. We’re going to go to the welcoming party now, where the whole pack will celebrate you joining us. I’ll be there the whole time. We need to hurry.” He rolled his shoulders and shut the passenger door once she was inside the sedan. His wolf was not happy at being let out and put back in the cage so soon. He grunted and rolled his shoulders as he walked around the car. Frankie sat behind the driving wheel and gave her one last look before starting the engine and driving her in the other direction to her mother.
They drove in tense silence through town for a while. The roads were empty since everyone was already in the forest waiting for them. The very young were at home and the seniors were either babysitting them or at the Dance Hall babysitting Ruby. Though, she didn’t know that. Frankie was sure she wasn’t going to talk to him until they got there, or at all, but at a redlight by the pack house she finally spoke.
“What’s going to happen when my mum gets home and I’m not there?” Nella sniffled and picked at the hem of her black pleated skirt.
“Well?” Frankie kept his tone as calm and reassuring as he could. “I’ve made it look like you’re in your bed. Grabbed you some clothes for tomorrow too.” He nodded to the plastic bag at her feet. “My plan is to try and smuggle you back into the house before she notices. Then you can get ready for school and Mr. Taylor will give you your orientation.”
“So I’m going to turn into a werewolf tonight and you expect me to go to school like a normal kid the next day?” She fixed him with a stern look.
“In Glen Valley a normal kid is a werewolf.” He chucked at the shock on her face. “Everyone in Glen Valley belongs to the same werewolf pack. Your mother is the only human here.”
“W-wait, so Mr. Taylor my homeroom teacher is a werewolf?”
“Yes.”
“And the lady at the diner?”
“Hannah? Yup.”
“And the Mayor?”
“Yes.”
“And-”
“Everyone Nella. Everyone aside from your mother is a werewolf.” Frankie drove them on when the lights turned green. “In fact since you’ve mentioned the Mayor, he’s actually the Pack Master. He is the leader of our pack.”
“The guy who bathes in mint juice?” Frankie barked with laughter, literally, and it made Nella flinch.
“Yes, that’s Caleb Johnson. Our Pack Master. He’s an Alpha werewolf which means his pheromones are really strong. That’s why you squirmed when he sat with us the other day.”
“Oh…so he always smells like that?”
“Yup.”
“How do you stand it?” He laughed again and felt his heart skip a beat as they pulled off the main road to head towards the woods. His wolf was restless to let loose in the wild, but he was also eager to get Nella settled within the pack.
“I’m a Beta wolf, which is the most common type of wolf. We don’t smell as intense as the others. I like to think we’re pretty calm on the whole, but there are exceptions to every rule.” Like Vanessa. That woman has no chill in her considering she is a Beta like me. “Mr. Taylor is an Omega wolf. Their pheromones are pretty strong but not intimidating like an Alpha’s scent. The, erm, Coconut you smelt? It wasn’t his shampoo.”
“…so that’s his smell?” Nella scratched at her thighs above her knees and shivered as her bones chilled suddenly. “Mr. Taylor smells of coconuts? And you smell of almonds?”
“I do. And you smell of almonds too, but also lavender. Every wolf’s pheromone scent is as unique as a fingerprint. You’ll get used to it.”
“…if you say so.” Nella chewed her lips and gulped as the car pulled up to a gravel parking bay. There were many cars parked here already but no sign of any people.
“You will, Nella.” He parked and turned off the engine. Frankie reached over and carefully wiped a tear from her cheek with his thumb. “I promise I will do everything I can to help you learn to love being a wolf. That, and you have been appointed a transition mentor. Mr. Taylor. You’re going to get a lot of support. If you have any questions about anything you can ask me or him, okay?” She nodded meekly and felt dread when he opened his car door.
Her eyes landed on his jacket on his seat as he got out of the car. My cell is in there. I could quickly get it back and call my mum. Her hand reached forward and she inhaled sharply at what she saw. Her lovely manicured nails were gone. In their place were dark and sharply tipped nails. A precursor to claws, she assumed. She brought the hand back for inspection and pressed the point of her middle finger into the pad of her thumb.
“Ouch.” She hissed and looked at the bead of blood forming like a dewdrop at her thumb. If any part of her mind had been doubting Frankie’s claim that she was a werewolf too and about to shift? This put that doubt to rest. “…I’m a werewolf…”
“Yes you are.” She gasped and turned to see Frankie had her door open and had watched her the entire time. “My pup.” He reached his right hand for her. Symbolically he had matching claws on his hand to hers. Nella looked at his palm, and then up to his smiling face. “Come on princess. Let’s face the moon together.”
“…since I have no choice…” She whispered sadly and put her hand in his. Frankie guided her out of the car and she released him the moment she was on her own two feet.
They walked side by side through the trees and towards the sound of a party. Laughter and music was playing and battery-powered lanterns shone like fairy lights between the trees. As they got closer Frankie smiled and reached over to hold her shoulder. Nella was just about to shrug him off and tell him not to touch her, when they stepped out into a massive clearing. Holy crap he wasn’t kidding?! All of Glen Valley must be here? There are so many people?! She subconsciously leaned into Frankie’s side and he happily embraced her to reassure her. Everyone wore long white robes and were engrossed in their own conversations…until they noticed her.
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