The Bloodrain Wolf

I woke to the smell of freshly cooked bacon. I rolled over and grabbed my cell. Squinting at it through one eye as I fought my morning grogginess.

The screen flashed: 6:04 AM.

I let out an exasperated sigh as I threw my arm over my eyes, praying my parents would let me sleep in.

It was Saturday for goddess sake?! Why are they always up so early?

I rolled away from my door and snuggled further under my covers. I heard my door click open and footsteps begin to slowly pad away.

Yay! Maybe they’re letting me sleep in?

I let out a soft grunt as I felt a hard thud hit my back. I spun around as my older brother began to double over laughing.

I picked up the object, a heavy ass feather down pillow, and chucked it back at him. He easily brushed it away.

”Henry! What the hell?“ I screamed.

”Sorry Lani, I couldn’t help it! You know I’m moving to the pack house in a few days now that I‘m 21. I’m gonna miss tormenting my little sis,“ he chided with a shit eating grin.

Pig headed, butt face, good for nothin….I began to curse him through our private mind link. Rising up, ready to fight and defend my pride.

”Leilani! Henry! Breakfast,” mom called out.

”And quit fighting,“ dad added in.

How did they always know? Henry and I even started usung our own private link to get away with curisng one another out.

Henry bolted from my room still smiling as he raced down the stairs two at a time. I rolled my eyes and padded across the hall to the bathroom to relieve my morning bladder.

I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Beauty rest must not exit for me because I looked awful.

I had dark bags under my bright blue eyes. My wavy dark brown hair thrown into a messy bun for sleep, strands protruding everywhere. It had been getting darker with age and was almost black now.

My fair skin looked somewhat dried out from the summer heat.

My favorite coffee themed pajamas were faded and worn, but still clung to my curves nicely. Thats why they were my favorite.

I was short for a female wolf only 5’3. My brother received all the height our family genes had to offer in utero.

Bastard.

He was about 6’2 and made me feel like a dwarf.

I reached up and gently placed my hands over my ample breasts. I suppose the gene pool did bless me with other assets….

I had a D cup chest and a round peach shaped bottom. Definitely all compliments of mom’s side of the family.

Thanks mom.

”Okay Lani, time to put on our big girl underwear, and move along.” I quickly splashed cold water on my face. Combed out my hair. Then continued with the task at hand.

****

After I was done with my business, I descended the stairs into the main floor of our home. I turned right into our large dining room.

Taking up my usual seat beside Henry, I made sure to bump him hard with my shoulder on the way down.

He laughed as he stabbed some scrambled eggs with his fork and shoved them into his mouth.

”So, son, when do you plan to move into the pack house,” Dad asked as he sipped his morning coffee across from us. Mom, seated beside him, perked her eyebrows up as she chewed her toast, also eager for an answer.

”Probably the Friday after my birthday. I don’t plan on packing till after I’ve completed the bond with Rex and let him have his fun,” Henry replied before gulping down the last of his orange juice.

Henry was turning 21 in just a couple of days. That meant he would be of age to move into the pack house and start looking for his mate.

Henry was handsome, I guess, as far as male wolves go. His tall stature and athletic build making him a desirable male among the shewolves. They usually fell all over him in public. Stroking his already massive ego.

He had bright blue eyes like mine, a square jaw, an olive complexion, and wavy blonde hair that he kept cut above his ears. As much as we fought, I felt a pang of sadness at the thought of my brother leaving. Henry was only about 12 months older than me.

Everyone always thought we were fraternal twins.

I turned 20 next week and should get my sigil. The excitement of that was flooding out any lingering sadness about Henry’s pending move.

I mean, he wasn‘t really moving far anyway. The pack house was like a huge co-ed college dorm on the other side of town. With the exception of the top floor, which was reserved for visiting dignitaries and Alphas.

”Sounds like a good plan,” Dad remarked.

They continued chatting idly about the move as I zoned out. Imagining where my sigil would appear on my body, the color of it, and my pending journey into the enchanted forest.

Mom had an elegant sigil that appeared on her right wrist and wound up to her mid forearm. Appearing lilac in color, with thin feminine designs that looked like vines.

Dad had a very masculine looking sigil on his right shoulder blade. It was a dark deep forest green. It was about the size of a softball, and was round like on as well. It appeared almost tribal in design.

Henry’s was on the left side of his neck. A bright blue, almost cyan, color glowing from it. It was teardrop shaped and looked almost like a crest of some kind. I stared up at it and had to resist the urge to reach out and touch it.

A sigil was a very personal thing for a wolf. Touching it was almost sensual and very intimate in nature.

It was like a permanent tattoo that appeared on your 20th birthday. It could appear in a variety of colors and on any place on your body. A matching one would be present on your wolf pup, leaving no doubt who you were to be bound to.

The appearance of the sigil meant that the goddess had blessed you and had let your wolf pup be born. The wolf host (aka us) would have to make the journey into the enchanted forest and find their pup.

This journey builds the bond with your wolf, teaches you solidarity and strength, and hardens your will as a wolf.

Born was a loose term, I suppose. The pups weren‘t birthed naturally by a female wolf. The goddess herself leaves them for us to find In the heart of the forest.

Since no one had ever seen the goddess leave the pups on Earth, everyone had their own theories or stories about how they came to be. I always pictured them appearing in the forset out of the foliage like an old school cabbage patch doll.

I chuckled to myself at that. Imagining a small wolf popping out of a cabbage.

”What‘s so funny shortie?” Henry asked.

I rolled my eyes at the nickname. He’d been calling me that since he shot up in height at 12.

”Nothing bird brain,” I replied as I bit harshly into my almost cold toast.

Henry stood with a grin, taking his plate, and our father’s, to the sink. These wolf men always ate fast and furiously.

Mom and I enjoyed our few moments of alone time at the table then. Dad too engrossed in the comics section of the paper.

”Lani, where do you think your sigil will appear“ my Mom asked in her melodic voice.

”I’m not sure, but I’m hoping to have a beautiful and feminine one like yours,” I replied with a bright smile. My mom blushed slightly.

”I’m sure you will,“ she smiled as she sipped down her coffee.

Mom was a very beautiful shewolf.

Dad was one lucky bastard.

Rumor has it, that even the Alpha fawned over her beauty back in the day.

Mom had shoulder length sandy blonde hair, hazel green eyes, fair skin, a D or maybe even DD sized chest, slightly tall frame at 5’9, and an overall curvy physique.

She was also lean and toned. Her defined muscles just visible under her thin house coat as she moved to drink her coffee. Muscles she had forged after years of being one of the top warriors in our clan. Training day after day to be our female Gamma. The acting guard to our current Luna.

I suppose dad wasn’t terrible to look at either. He was taller than Henry. About 6’3.

His black hair starting to show gray throughout. Salt and pepper style I believe the humans called it.

He has bright blue eyes, a square jaw, and tanned olive skin. His build was also very muscular and broad. He looked huge next to most of our clan. Resembling, what the human’s called, NFL players. Dad enjoyed watching their games on occasion.

Dad was the 3rd strongest warrior in our pack. The Gamma, and acting guard, to the current Alpha and Beta of the Bloodrain Forest Pack.

Our pack was strong and consisted of over three-thousand wolves. One of the biggest packs on the West coast.

Our Alpha, Dmitri Blackwood, and Luna, Odessa Blackwood, were kind and caring wolves. They took good care of us and our pack.

They had two sons, but never produced any daughters. My brother had been training his whole live to be the next Gamma to their oldest son, our future Alpha.

Since the Blackwoods never had a daughter, I would have to wait for the new Alpha heir to find his mate, our future Luna. I would then get my chance to shine as her Gamma guard.

I hope she’s kind and just. I thought as I finished off my breakfast.

****

I stood and cleared the remaining dishes from the table. Raking food remnants into the trash, and dunking them into the sudsy water of the sink. Henry was washing up the dishes. He gave me a fake look of irritation as I dropped in the plates.

I turned and perched myself on the small island behind him.

”So, where’s Rex this morning?”

”He’s out hunting for his breakfast. He‘s anxious to meet his mate at the pack house.” My brother replied as he stacked the last of the dishes on the dish dryer.

I may barely tolerate my bother, but his wolf Rex was my favorite. The gray and white wolf was a bright light in our house.

He loved me too and could tell we were siblings. He often licked my face when I was sad and cuddled with me when I was cold.

”Are you ready to complete the bond with Rex on Monday,” I asked my brother sadly.

“Actually I am. I know a lot of people say it’s sad at first, but I‘m excited. I know we will bond and I’m ready for our powers to combine. Selene really did bless me with a great wolf,” Henry answered.

Once we get our sigil on our 20th birthday and obtain our pup, we spend the next year bonding with them. Raising them and caring for them. Similar to how humans would raise a pet dog. But it was even stronger than that.

Your pup was linked to you on every level. They could speak to you through thoughts, feel your emotions, and you theirs.

Over the course of the year, the pup would grow four times faster than any normal dog. By the time you reach your 21st birthday it’s time to bind yourself with your wolf through the bonding ceremony.

These ceremonies are usually held as intimate family affairs/gatherings. Sometimes high ranking officials would attend them as a political move.

I had never gotten to witness one myself. I’ve heard they were beautiful though. A magical and once in a lifetime experience. The whole night described by many as if the moon goddess herself stepped into your home.

“I’m happy for you bro. Even though you’re no catch, Rex is a good wolf.”

Henry chuckled and tossed my hair.

“Sis, you know he Is an extension of me? If you like him, that would mean…..”

I gasped, “no, I could never.” I responded sarcastically. Turning my face away in feigned hurt.

As much as we mess around, I did love my brother dearly. I would die for him if needed. He had always been a good role model and took good care of me. But I wouldn’t ever say that out loud to his arrogant butt.

I heard small scratching at the back door. Henry turned toward the mud room and flung open the door. Rex strode in, chest puffed, as he presented a dead bird at my feet.

”Ewww Rex. You weirdo.“

I chuckled grabbing a napkin and removing the dead bird from the floor. Tossing it back out the back door.

Rex let out a small whine. Pinning his ears back against his head as he watched. “As much as ladies appreciate gifts, most prefer jewelry or maybe cash.” I said as I patted his head.

He perked up at my touch and ran to lay down in the main living room at Mom’s feet.

Henry and I followed him in. Perching ourselves in our favorite seats. Mine beside Rex on the floor. Henry beside Dad in one of the matching recliners.

Henry patted his lap and Rex huffed, but obeyed and moved to lay at his feet. Mom began to untangle my hair with her hands and braid it into a french braid for me.

”Son, do you think you’ll have a mate story as great as your mother’s and mine?”

He smiled a wide grin at mom who giggled and blushed.

Henry replied, “hopefully better! Yours is so embarrassing.”

”And gross,” I added.

Henry and I shared a joint chill as we recalled the story we’d been forced to listen to over a hundred times.

Dad opened our family mind link and began to tell the story.….Again.…So make that 101 times…

*****

I had moved into the pack house at 21. I often kept to myself, trained, worked, and waited patiently for my little mate. I was reaching 23 when your mom finally came of age and was moving in.

The day she moved into the house, I was in the shower. I was sulking. Really depressed from the constant loneliness and solidarity of being unmated.

Then I smelled her. My mate. My eyes snapped open. She smelled like the best thing on Earth. Freshly baked blueberry muffins and rain. I bolted from the shower, barely remembering to grab my towel as I ran through the pack house. Sniffing out your mom.

I finally found her room. Threw open the door, our eyes met, the shine circling and flashing in her eyes and mine. “Mate.” We said simultaneously. I reached for her, dropping my towel. Her sister, your Aunt Jen, came walking out of the bathroom at that time. She had been helping your mother move her stuff, and busted out laughing at the scene.

Your mom had growled at her and turned around blushing so I could cover myself.

”Um….mm…mate, please cover yourself. This is my sister Jennifer. And my name is Anya. Anya Holland.”

Jen chuckled, unfazed by my state of undress. “Hey Coppertone, it’s nice to meet my sister’s mate. Let‘s make one thing clear though. If you so much as make my little sis cry, I’ll claw your eyes out. Got it?”

I guess she called me Coppertone from my complexion after spending so much time in the sun…I fumbled for my towel As the embarrassment set in.

”Uh…Yeah su..ure. My name is Evander Lancaster. I am Gamma of the Bloodrain Forest Pack. May I have a moment with my mate, Jennifer?”

Jen smirked at your mom, gave her a small salute, and strolled out.

After that, “Your father and I spent the evening talking and getting to know each other.” My mom interrupted

”Oh we did much more than that! I was just getting to the fun part,“ dad claimed with a wink. Mom blushed and chunked a throw pillow at him.

”Gross.”Henry and I voiced.

They both chuckled.

Mom and Dad had a healthy relationship as many mated wolves did. Honestly, I was happy for them. They showed us what true love should look like.

I wanted that one day. Hopefully….

*****

We had all left to get dressed for the day. Returning to the living room to enjoy the rest of our day off together.

We sat in comfortable silence as a family.

Henry and I playing on our phones, Mom watching a Lifetime show on TV, and Dad reading a sports magazine.

A small knock sounded on the door.

”Who could that be?“ Mom asked aloud.