Instinct

Her life was good and calm. She worked for her father, who was the Beta of their pack. Her uncle Skylar was their Alpha. But he never sired any children with his mate, Lauren. Her older brother, Jay, was to be their alpha when the day came that Skylar couldn’t fulfill his duties. Though that time was far away in Skylar’s opinion.

Being the next in line for the Alpha position was something her brother took very seriously. It was possibly the only thing Jay took seriously. He was a practical joker to his sister, a protector to their pack, and a leader to his warriors. He had dirty blonde hair and blue eyes, like most members of her family.

No one had ever been able to pin him in the arena, proving his strength. He was going to make a wonderful Alpha; of that Eve was certain. Her own future was what alluded her. It was expected for her to mate early, so as to secure relations with other packs. That hadn't happened. Jay had found his mate, Faye, his second year. This Calling would be the third one Eve attended; yet she felt no real hope.

After all, it was Jay and Faye that would lead the way for the GraySky pack. They were considered to be the second largest pack on the range. First, and most well-known, was the StarLight pack. They were powerful and well respected, though they had a slightly smaller warrior force than their lesser. Next on the totem pole was the SilverCrest pack, followed by the NorthWood pack, and so on.

Walking through town seemed different as the sun rose over the mountain’s peak. The air was crisp and cool as usual, but a feeling arose in Eve’s stomach that she couldn’t put a name to. It was almost like nerves... Though her life was relatively devoid of any unusual strain. Jay was busy training the pups like always. Skylar and Lauren were watching over everyone as usual, observing the training grounds. Her parents were at home waiting for her.

Eve passed the café and walked aimlessly around the block. She needed a break; today was the day of speeches. She knew the ones that were to follow. When she returned home, her father would lecture her on the importance of her mating and what it meant to the pack.

Next her mother would give her a monologue about listening to the wind that carried the Call and trying to race into it. Eve believed her mother’s words of wisdom when she heard such things, yet she couldn’t quite imagine what she could mean. While lost in thought, Eve caught a whiff of her best friend. She too was pacing the block.

“Ellie!” Eve called out to her friend, who spun around to meet her gaze.

“Oh, Evie. What am I going to do?” She whined.

“I need more information, Ells.” She raised an eyebrow at her friend, while their linking arms and continuing to stroll.

“They’re making me go this year. My parents said I laid out last year because of the fever but now I have to go.” She spoke desperately, like she was overwhelmed.

“You knew last year when you refused to go, that this would be the year.” Eve looked at her friend’s face and saw the annoyed panic that swept over her. “Look, it’s not that bad. You’re only twenty-two. If you’re not ready to be mated, you won’t be.”

“I just want more time. With my pack and my parents.” Sadness seeped into her voice with a slight crack.

“I know you do.” Eve responded, nudging Ellie with her hip playfully. “But love... That could be a whole new adventure, right?”

“Is that what you think?” Her brows furrowed with curiosity. “Do you want to be mated this year?”

“I think it would be an adventure.” Was her only response. The truth was, she was unsure of what she wanted. Though, like most, she was uncomfortable with the idea of change.

As they looped around the other side of the block, they approached Eve’s house. Ellie looked at her friend with a slightly reassuring glance, before hugging her and turning back down the street. Eve spun to face the large, brick home she grew up in and slowly climbed the steps to the porch.

She dreaded her father’s speeches. They made her feel like a school child in need of guidance. Still, she opened the door and smiled out of habit as her parents came to greet her.

Just moments after entering, Eve found herself seated in front of her pacing father. He was looking at her seriously. She politely nodded as he grumbled about the same old things she had heard last year and the year before.

“You're the one who chooses. You must ask the moon goddess to provide your mate. She will hear a prayer from the soul.” Ben stopped walking momentarily to look at his daughter. She was poised calmly, as she would be after making the Calling a routine.

“Listen, honey, the land we all share on the range is being reconfigured. We have the opportunity to grow our community. You need to find your mate; we could use an alliance to strengthen our position.” His tone was soft while his words remained serious and political.

“I understand, Father.” Eve said the line just as she had been taught to say it. Once the words left her mouth, his eyes creased with concern.

“I want you to be happy. To be complete. It’s important to your future, not just the pack. The only way to find happiness is by finding your other half.” His words were softer than his daughter was used to. Yet before she could respond, he headed back upstairs toward his office.

“He loves you honey. He wants you to be happy.” Becca chimed in as she stepped into her daughter’s line of sight. “You’ll do wonderfully, like the years before. Who knows, maybe the goddess will bless you with your mate this year. I do have a feeling.” A smile crept onto her lips.

“Maybe.” Eve forced a smile. “But you say that every year.”

“Do I?” Her mother responded calmly. “Then I suppose eventually I’ll be right.”

“So you say.” Eve murmured, pushing away that strange stomach feeling again.

“Just remember, when you feel the wind pulling you... Run, don’t walk.” She gave her old speech again.

“Run into the wind.” Eve responded the only way she could think of.

“You’ve been trained for this, Eve. You can do this.” Her words of reassurance only peaked Eve’s already tightening nerves.

“And if I can’t?” Her voice was small but her mother’s wolven ears definitely heard her, so she followed up her remark. “What if he’s just not looking for me? Or if he’s dead?”

“You would know if your mate was dead, you would feel a pain so deep that it threatened to engulf your soul. I’ve seen it myself.” She turned toward her daughter’s concerned features. “And of course he’s looking for you! He needs you, as you do him.”

“Okay, Mom.” She forced another fake smile. “But until then, I’m finishing my book.”

“Always reading...” She muttered as her daughter bounded up the stairs and closed herself in her room.

Eve threw herself on her bed and thought again about her parents’ individual advice. Her father had been soft with her, which was unusual for him. She could feel what he felt through the mindlink of their pack. The reverberation of his emotions still echoed within her mind. She exhaled and decided that her father may be right. Eve finding her mate would strengthen their pack.

She had been raised and prepared for it. Yet, she felt unsure about it. How was she to go about calling out with her heart or pleading for the goddess to complete her soul? She tried a simple prayer; she stood in the middle of her room and straightened her arms at her sides. She simply asked in her mind for her mate.

It was time. As a matter of fact, she was two years late. A few moments later, a knock fell on her door. She knew who it was before he entered the room. He walked in without waiting for her response.

“Evie?” Jay said watching her drop her arms and face him.

“What’s up?” She pasted a smile back to her lips.

“Your fake smile is less convincing than it used to be.” He nonchalantly strolled in and sat at her desk.

“And your enormous ass may break my chair.” She retorted, which brought a broad smile to his face.

“Don’t be jealous, pup. Soon, you’ll have a mate to take out all of that aggression out on.” He smirked.

“Soon...” She scoffed. “If he were looking for me, he would have found me before now. I don’t even need a mate; I don’t care if he shows up or not.”

“That's a lie.” He said seriously. “You do care. There's a mindlink, you know? We can all feel the nerves. Just as I felt the concern from Father.”

“Maybe I'm just nervous for when he doesn’t show.” Eve grumbled.

“He’ll show, pup. Mom says she has a feeling.” He grinned at his sister before standing.

“She always says that.” Eve responded.

“So? That just means she’s already more right than she was last year.” He called out over his shoulder as he exited into the hallway.

“Whatever.” She grumbled while closing her door and returning to her position on the bed.

She exhaled again and felt her wolf in her mind. The she-beast was impatient and antsy to run.

Let us out! She seemed to be screaming in Eve’s mind.

I will. It’s not time yet. Eve responded, which she usually tried not to do.

Her wolf was wild; she could help her or try to control her at any moment. She was taught as a pup to suppress the wolf during the day, but she was too mentally exhausted at the moment. As the Calling approached this year, her wolf had been growing impatient and was entering her mind more often.

Do we think he’s going to come for us? Did we mean it when we said he didn’t want us? The voice that was so often wild, seemed insecure. A rare trait for a wolf.

I don’t know. I don’t even know what I want. Eve responded again and felt herself yielding a little of her power to her wolf.

Yes, we do! We can lie to our pack, our family, but we can’t lie to US. We are one. And we feel empty! All the time! The she-wolf was frustrated.

Our life is good. Calm, simple. If we find him, we have to go to his pack. We would leave ours behind. Before she knew it, Eve was being honest with her wolf. It almost felt like the animal was her own inner-self.

We want to, we know it. We’re supposed to. It’s what happens. We grew up. So let’s have our own life. Make our own pack! Her voice was nearly pleading for acceptance.

If he calls, we will go. We will run into the wind just as Mother says. If not, I don’t know if I can do this to us again. Her honesty shocked even herself.

So, we finally admit we want him. We hope he calls for us this time, it’s good to know the other half does too. Her tone was calmer, more at ease.

I told you; we don’t know what we want. Referring to her own thoughts and decisions as “we” felt odd, but she could feel the importance of acceptance to her wolf.

We went over this once already. Yes, we do. Without further thought Eve sat up to the sound of a soft knock on her door.

“Come in, Mother.” She responded quickly, feeling her wolf get more excited.

“The festival is beginning. It’s time to get ready.” She smiled handing her daughter a dress box.

“What’s this for?” Eve asked with a half-smile.

“It’s for the festival. As much as I love your style, maybe jeans and boots aren’t... Right for this occasion.” She chose her words carefully while keeping her smile tight.

“You never had me dress up with you guys before...?” She looked at her mother suspiciously.

“Well, you didn’t take the stage with us last year or the year before.” Her face was pleading Eve to stay complacent, but it was to no avail.

“Uncle Skylar, Lauren, Jay, Faye, Father and you are the ones who take the stage. You’re mated, it’s why Jay was allowed up there. I have no mate. Why would I stand up with our Alpha?” She asked the question, even though she knew what the answer would be.

“It’s your third Call, my dear. In case your mate isn’t found, your father would like to cement you into the pack’s minds as one of their leaders.” Her voice was soft and calm. She didn’t want her daughter to be discouraged. “It’s a precaution. Nothing more.”

“I’ll wear it.” Eve responded simply though worry washed through the mindlink.

“Ellie is on the way to help with your hair and makeup. I’ll send her up when she arrives.” Her mother stood and stepped through the door before turning back to her child. “He’s out there dear. Just-”

“Run into the wind, if it calls me.” Eve finished her mother’s sentence.

"When it calls you.” She smiled and closed the door, leaving Eve alone holding her dress box.

She eyed the top for a moment. She was upset, but the reason behind her feelings seemed to allude her. She opened the stark white box and pulled back the wrapping tissue in her way. She revealed an elegant and vibrant heather gray dress. It was their pack colors. The smoky black at the bottom seemed to fade into the gray that lay on the bodice.

She couldn’t tell herself it wasn’t beautiful, because it was. Her self-conscious ways made her search for something to dislike as she shed her clothes and jumped into the shower for a quick moment.

She washed her hair and allowed the smell of raspberries to wash over her. She had so much weighing on her that the time seemed to pass by in a moment. Soon towel drying her hair.

She slipped the dress on and looked at herself closely. Trying to imagine what her mate would think if he did find her. Would he think her to be plain or boring? She studied the gown on her body. It hugged her hips and cupped her breasts. She looked like an adult, for what felt like the first time in her life. The subtle sparkle of her sweetheart neckline only seemed enhance her shape. She felt as if it was too much... Yet no matter how the dress looked, she knew she would feel that way.

The slit up the side seemed to reach nearly to her thigh, which she was unaccustomed to. Though, remembering the dresses her family members wore in the past years brought her some amount of comfort. Soon Ellie entered quickly, closing the door behind her. She knew she didn’t need to knock.

“Wow, Eve.” Her tone was astonished. “You look so amazing.” She approached the plug and connected her hair straightener before Eve responded quietly.

“Do I?” Her soft tone drew her friend’s eyes to her face. Revealing a look Ellie could only describe as silent panic.

“You so do.” She guided her friend to the desk. She began to brush her friend’s hair carefully, waiting for her to come out of her daze.

“Father wants me on the stage in case my mate doesn’t show again tonight. He wants me to become a leader of our pack when... If I can’t find him.” Eve let her words sink in.

“I think it’s a good thing.” Ellie finally answered while grabbing the straightener and pulling it down her companion’s long strands. “Look at it this way, if he doesn’t show you have a place here with us. An important place at that.”

“You’re right, I know. I just feel so bad about it for some reason.” She rambled.

“That’s what hope feels like, Evie. You hope you’ll find him.” A small smile reached her lips. “I’m nervous too. My father is just a Gamma, so my pairing holds less importance. I know-” Her friend interrupted her.

“It’s not less important, Ellie. It’s your life. That’s just as important as mine.” Her friend was quick to correct her.

“I mean it’s not expected of me. I can mate up anytime. Don’t let the pack weigh on you and I won’t let the thought of my mate weigh on me. Deal?” Her friend extended her pinky.

“Deal.” Eve smiled looping her pinky around Ellie’s as they both kissed their thumb.

Soon Ellie was finished primping and Eve wanted to see what she had done. Gazing back at her from her floor length mirror was a tall, sun kissed grown woman. Her straight, honey blonde hair fell just below her breasts. The black eyeliner that circled her eyes seemed to accentuate the blue that was within them, that or it was the deep blue eyeshadow that now coated her eye lids.

“Goddess level awesome, right?” Ellie chirped.

“You made me look...” She paused trying not to sound too shocked, “Beautiful.”

“I had a good canvas.” She smiled wide as they prepared to join the party outside.

“You ready, Ellie?” Eve asked as they stood, staring at the front door.

“We both are, Evie.” She smiled nervously.

“Indeed, we seem to be.” The friends held hands as they swung the door open and saw the party in the street below.

People were chatting about the Call and their hopes for their mates. Alpha Skylar nodded at Eve as she stepped onto the porch, his link was urging her to join the family on stage. And so, she did.