Nella’s eyes were wide as she saw what had to be the entire town filling a massive clearing. They were all dressed in white robes and she didn’t like the way they were all smiling and looking at her.
“It’s okay.” Frankie used his hand on her shoulder to walk her towards the crowd of strangers. It got creeper when the sea of bodies parted to make a path straight through the middle. “Traditionally during the welcoming of one of our own pups, you are presented to the Pack Master. He will scent you and accept you as part of our pack.”
“S-scent me?” Nella stammered and held her elbows meekly as she was walked through the pack.
“Caleb will sniff your neck to learn your scent. He is allowed to do that because he’s the Pack Master.” Frankie paused every few steps to shake hands and accept congratulations from pack members. He was touched by how everyone was so pleased for him having found his pup. At the same time, he glanced frequently down at Nella to check she was okay. The pretty brunette looked close to tears and she smelt afraid. “It’s okay. This is part of the welcoming. Once you are declared as pack everything relaxes. When the moon approaches its peak Caleb will call out for us to all shift and he will lead us into the forest to hunt. Oh, it’s going to be great. We’ll be feral tonight so we won’t remember it, but afterwards when we shift I’ll teach you how to track down prey and how to…”
Nella was crying. She chewed her lips and kept pace with him as she shook with terror. The eyes on here were starting to glow and she heard growling and barking on all sides. Surrounded by werewolves. They all turn into massive wolves like Frankie did. “…Nella?” Frankie whispered and stroked her upper back. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re safe with me.”
She shrugged him off her and stormed on ahead just to get some space from that liar, only to stumble to a stop. Oh no, it’s that sickly mint smell again. They’d traversed the crowd to a wooden platform. On it sat two brown leather chairs and each held two people she’d already met. Caleb Johnson and Emma Carter.
“Welcome.” Caleb stood, wearing only a pair of long white cotton pants. Nella was intimidated by the expanse of muscle she could be seen beneath wiry black chest hair and silvery scars. He held his head high and smiled. He barked once and it boomed across the clearing. The pack silenced and everyone bowed their heads toward the Pack Master. Frankie came to Nella’s side and cleared his throat to her.
“Bow your head.”
“Why is he a king or something?”
“Basically.” Caleb answered with a chuckle, which made Emma roll her hazel eyes. She lifted her head and crossed one leg over the other. Her white wrap-around dress accentuated her curves and made for a stark contrast to her fiery red pixie cut. “I am Caleb Johnson. Pack Master to the Glen Valley Pack.” He held his arms out and excited barking and howling erupted all around Nella. She whined and leaned into Frankie for protection. Caleb lowered his arms and the pack fell silent once more. “It is a joyous moment when we welcome another of our young ones officially into the pack as they come into their pelt. Nella Monroe comes before us today, long lost and now found, through her father Frankie Monroe. My Second.”
Thunderous applause and cheering made Nella flinch and look around. They all seem super happy about this. So does Frankie. She looked up at her father and saw he was close to tears as he smiled. I just want to scream and hide from these monsters. If her hands weren’t still tipped with claws, she would still be tempted to run away again. “Come before me Nella and submit to me as your Pack Master.” Caleb gave her his best good guy smile and reached a hand down for her to take.
“Just take a deep breath now, let him pull you up onto the stage and sniff the left side of your neck, and then you’ll come right back to me.” Frankie nodded to her to take a breath as he pushed her shoulders towards Caleb. Oh man, he stinks. Nella’s eyes stung with the intensity of Caleb’s pheromones, but she did as she was told. She took a deep breath and shut her eyes. Frankie took hold of her wrist and placed her hand into Caleb’s.
“Up you come Nella.” Caleb chuckled. Oh crap?! Nella’s feet dangled as he lifted her up by that hand like he was a damn crane. Her socks did little to keep the cold of the platform from her feet as they came to support her once more. He’s so strong. He could b-break me like a twig and he isn’t even a massive wolf yet?! She still silently wept and stared up into Caleb’s eyes. They lit up icy blue and he growled at her. “Avert your eyes.” What? Nella blinked in confusion at him. Caleb growled more deeply and the pack were deadly quiet. “Now.”
Patter patter patter.
Emma moved quickly to stand behind Nella and wrapped her right hand across her eyes. “Em?” The pack gasped at this break in tradition. Frankie had moved to the edge of the platform and paused his hand that was reaching for Nella’s ankle to watch what the redhead did next.
“Alphas take direct eye contact as a challenge.” She ignored Caleb and whispered to the back of Nella’s head. “Quickly, tip your head this way and offer your neck.” Nella couldn’t hold her breath a moment longer. Her nose was hit hard by the eucalyptus scent of the Pack Master and she swooned, dizzy and gasping for any air that wouldn’t burn her lungs. “I’ve got you.” Emma hugged her from behind and used her hand over Nella’s eyes to coax her head over.
“Emma, she has to offer her neck to me.” Caleb chided his mate under his breath.
“Do you offer your neck to the Pack Master?” Emma spoke up for the benefit of the pack, and looked Caleb right in the eye as she did. “Say yes.” She whispered.
“Yes!” Nella whimpered loudly. She shook and gasped, so afraid she was about to pass out, when she felt something at her back. Emma started purring and her left hand stroked up and down Nella’s left bicep.
“Good pup.” Emma blinked and her eyes were black and gold. Caleb tensed, never knowing what might happen next when Emma unified like that in public. “I’m going to move my hand now. Keep your eyes closed. Focus on my scent if you need to.” Caleb growled, not happy that she was overstepping like this, but also knew there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. Besides, Nella seemed to be responding to her influence. She turned her head even more and inhaled Emma’s potent omega scent. The Pack Master glanced over to the pack who were waiting anxiously to see how he would react.
“What a great honour! Nella Monroe will be scented by both the Pack Master and the Luna.” Caleb declared with a charming grin. The mood of the pack improved and hushed whispers slithered from smiling faces again. He fixed Emma with an eye roll before he allowed his wolf to come closer to the surface. His eyes were icy blue, his canines sharp and his growl rumbled in his chest like an engine. He stepped up to Nella and leaned down toward her pulsing jugular. Nella tensed and whimpered when she felt the heat of his breath on her throat. Caleb closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around Nella and Emma both. He inhaled deeply and raised a brow. He had to take another deep drag of her scent to properly learn it. Her scent is weak? So close to moon up and it’s still so faint? He couldn’t even tell what kind of wolf she was. No matter. Faint or not, I know her scent now. Caleb lifted his head and without warning, yanked Nella free and span her around to look at Emma. The redhead snarled in response to the terrified yelp of the young one. “I claim Nella Monroe as part of my pack.” A roar of elation rippled across the pack. “And now the Luna will scent her.” He held Nella’s shoulders and barked at Emma. The she-wolf took her snarl off her mate and lowered her gold and black eyes to the trembling young one in his hold.
“Shhh little one. I am your Luna. Come to me.” Emma ignored the Alpha restraining the whimpering brunette and stroked her tears from her face. “You may look upon me little one. I, like you, am an Omega.” Caleb looked at her in shock. He didn’t understand how she could possibly know that. Nella’s scent was too weak? She couldn’t possibly know- “Come to me.” Emma purred and she secreted so heavily, even Caleb had to shake off the urge to obey her siren like call.
Nella fluttered her steely blues open through her tears and looked at Emma. Her eyes were haunting, but she couldn’t look away. Nella stepped out of Caleb’s hold and slumped into Emma’s arms. She swooned and Emma followed the movement to sniff at her neck. Not in one deep breath like Caleb had, but repetitive short powerful bursts. Up and down over her gland until she new the scent of her. “I, Luna of this pack, claim this young Omega and future child-bearer.”
Another roar of joy spread through the pack, and Caleb capitalised.
“Welcome our new pack sister! Nella Monroe!” Cheering and howling boomed across the forest. Everyone was hyped and returned to discussing with excitement the impending moon up and their own personal lives. Caleb nodded, pleased the pack had reacted well to the unplanned intervention from their secretly unified Luna.
The Pack Master nodded to Frankie to approach and didn’t have to wait for his second to join him on the platform. The pair of them walked over to find Emma and Nella still embracing each other. Frankie made moves to retrieve his daughter, but Caleb barred his approach with a raised arm. “Emma?” Caleb cautiously enquired who still had hold of the little brunette.
Emma was still purring and maternally fussing over Nella. Tucking her long brown hair behind her ears, dusting off her shoulders, and wiping tears from her cheeks.
“I will help you with your first shift.” Emma declared and ignored the two men watching them. “You and the other pups will remain with me during the full moon. I will watch over you. I will keep you safe.”
“T-thank you.” Nella sniffled. She had no idea why, but there was something different about this woman. She was intimidatingly beautiful, and her black and gold eyes freaked her out, but her voice seemed to seep into her mind and push away her fear. “D-did you say I’m an Omega?”
“Yes.”“Emma?” Caleb knew it wasn’t 100% Emma he was talking to, but she was still in there. He bravely walked right up to her and placed his hand on his mate’s shoulder. “It’s tradition for the parent of the wolf to spend the first full moon with their pup.”
“Traditionally the pup knows they are a werewolf and what to expect. I remember my first shift as an outsider. I will lessen the shock for Nella by easing his shift.” Frankie and Nella tensed. Caleb huffed, too vexed to pick up on the same thing the others had.
“Fine, if Frankie doesn’t mind you helping Nella shift, you can, but then she’s going with Frankie. No arguments.” Caleb commanded and expected that to be the end of it. One day he will learn better.
“I am the Luna.” Emma lifted her black and gold eyes from Nella to aim them, glowing and deadly, at her mate. Her hands reeled Nella into her chest and she held her protectively. “The young and the young bearers are mine to protect. He is staying with me.”
“…he?” Caleb squinted with confusion.
“Shit.” Frankie cleared his throat and really didn’t want to get into this in public, but he wasn’t leaving Nella with ‘them’. “My Luna, of course you care for the young ones and the child bearers, but she will be more comfortable staying with her father.”
“…she?” Emma squinted with confusion. She lowered to sniff at Nella again for confirmation. “No, Nella is-”
“I know Nella may smell a certain way to you, but I assure you, she’s a girl.” Frankie kept his voice down and begged the crazy witch wolf to drop it.
“I identify as a girl.” Nella flustered and wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole, rather than deal with this embarrassing conversation. She wriggled for freedom and looked over her shoulder to search for her father. “A very scared girl that found out less than 30 minutes ago she’s also a werewolf.” She chuckled nervously and arched her head out of Emma’s bosom to locate Frankie.
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