Atlas
Valence’s POV
Tomorrow is my 16th birthday, and quite frankly, I’m restless. I will shift into my wolf, but I will also have to get a human pet.
Nervous is an understatement. Shifting is supposed to be excruciatingly painful, but once I have my wolf I will be able to look for my mate. He better be worth it. Oh who am I kidding, having a mate who dotes on you will be more than worth going through the pain of my first shift. Plus I will meet my wolf!
The latter is really what I’m dreading. Often I’m seen as odd, since I don’t beat or punish any of my parents slaves if they “inconvenience” me. How could I? The only difference between us it I will have a wolf and they won’t. We don’t turn late shifters into slaves just because their wolf is dormant, so why would we turn humans into slaves?
Being the Alphas daughter can be mentally exhausting. I can’t speak my opinions because I will be an embarrassment to my family. An apple that fell way too far from the tree. Though my parent might not say it, I know they wish I was more like them. All I can hope for is that tomorrow goes by quickly, and hopefully my parents forget that I am supposed to get my first human.
Before I can continue to dwell on my thoughts, my alarm goes off. I quickly smash the button and grudgingly get out of bed. I hadn’t even realized I was thinking all night.
I walk into the bathroom, and look at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes have slight bags under them, but they aren’t that noticeable unless you really look. I brush my hair and strip out of my clothes after I turned on the shower. As the water is heating up I look at my figure. I have an hourglass waist, but slightly thicker thighs with a small bust. I think I’m like a C, but wire bras suck so I only ever wear sports bras. No one can convince me otherwise. My hair is a dirty blonde with natural highlights, reaching my hips.
I sigh and step into the shower. My curvy body wasn’t something I was proud of. High ranking or not, I’m still young and unsure of myself, even though my parents forced me to grow up and mature faster than everyone else. While kids were playing, I grew up training. I do not recommend growing up like that.
Before I know it I walk into the kitchen to get a snack. I grab an apple and a bottle of water, and walk outside. I walk out of the pack house as I eat, and head to the woods. After eating and enjoying the serene forest surrounding me, I go for a morning jog. Being female, and the successor as alpha, I have to train twice as hard to prove a female can be alpha. The amount of disrespect and challenges I get can be overwhelming, making me always feel like maybe they’re right. I’m not even alpha and I get challenged! Using those thoughts to fuel me, I push my legs harder and faster until I finish running the hole perimeter of our land. We have a very big territory, so I took about an hour. I make my way back to the pack house but out of no where I get tackled, and I fall to the grassy ground.
“Happy birthday you bitch!” My best friend, Cherry, yells in my face. She continues to bear hug me as I gasp in a breath of air. Man, that girl practically stole the air out of my lungs when she landed on me.
“Ok ok thank you! Get off of me you dog!” I laugh as I try to push her off.
“Dog? Did you just call me a dog?! Oh you’re in for it! Jake! Get over here!” Cherry hollers.
Before I could say anything, a wolf comes barreling at me and the air gets knocked out of my lungs, again.
Jake barks and yips as I finally am able to stand. I scratch behind his ear and his tail wags so hard his whole booty shakes.
I chuckle at his antics before I hear Cherry speak again.
“So, are you excited to shift today? It’s supposed to be super painful, I’m worried for when my birthday is next.” She says with a slight smile.
“I’m a bit worried about the pain, but I get to meet my wolf and later look for my mate, so I think with that in mind I will push through.”
“I heard some people have died from shifting. But I bet you’d annoy the moon goddess so much she’d send you back. So you should be fine” Jake mindlinks me. He lets out a chuff with a wolfy grin.
“Wow, thanks a lot Jakey, I see how it is” I say with a smile and I nudge his shoulder.
By now we are back in the pack house, and slowly but surely pack members are waking up.
We continue talking until I double over in my seat and let out a groan. Great, my shift is starting now. Cherry mindlinks my mom and she comes rushing out of her room to help me.
“Oh honey, it’s ok. Breathe, it will be over soon” she says, as she rubs soothing circles on my back and leads my outside to the woods.
My body feels like it’s on fire, my bones are breaking and popping all while moving around. They are shifting. I would’ve slapped myself in the forehead for being so stupid if I didn’t feel like I was being run over by a car. Of course they are shifting, I am shifting. I wonder if my wolf will agree with me on my opinions. Will she be kind? I hear my mothers muffled voice, but I’m so lost in the pain I can’t make out her words. She is speaking right? Am I going crazy?
A grueling hour later, I am in my wolf form, and I hear her for the first time.
‘Hello, I’m Atlas, your wolf. I already know your name. It’s nice to meet you.’
I have so many questions. Can I find my mate now? Will she agree with my about slaves? Will she like me?
‘Hush Val, I can hear all of your thoughts. We are one. If we really must get a slave, then we will love and protect them just as we would our own pack.’
Oh thank goddess. As I look around, I see my paws in the dirt below me. I feel someone running their fingers in my fur. I don’t like it.
I look up, and see my mother. I nearly growl as she continues touching me. What’s wrong with me? That’s my mother!
‘You’re wolf feelings are stronger, and deep down you feel detached from your parents. This is why you shun their touch.’ My wolf tells me gently.
I never even knew that’s why I felt that way. Wow. I turn my head away from my mother and her hand drops to her lap, where she was sitting beside me. I take my first shakey steps as I get used to my body.
‘Our body. We are one. I protect you, you protect me, and together there is us. We protect each other.’ My wolf says. I hear my mother speak to me just as I get the hang of walking.
“Now that you have shifted Valence, we will be going to the slave auction this afternoon.” I growl, and my mom gives me a sympathetic look. She always knew my opinion on these matter, and she knows me much better than my father. It was he who forced me to train so young. Mom always tried to give me a childhood, but alas her efforts were swept under the rug by all the training I got. And all the abuse. I shudder at the thought.
“I know you don’t want to. But you are 16 now and this is what is expected of you.” As she gets up to leave she says, “I expect you to be on your best behavior and not cause a scene. Be ready by the afternoon”. I scowl as she walks away, leaving me with my thoughts.
‘Hey! I’m here too!’ I can almost see the pout of Atlases face as she says this. I smile and explore the woods in our new form.
Time Skip
As the afternoon comes I shift back to my human form and go to the packhouse. My clothes are destroyed from my shift and nudity isn’t a big deal around here. Luckily no one sees me because despite it being normal, I’m not comfortable showing my body to everyone. I bet my mate wouldn’t like that either.
‘Damn straight!’ Atlas exclaims. I inwardly chuckle and go take a shower.
After cleaning myself up I put on a pair of tight black jeans that fit me like a second skin. I wear a cute grey sweater on top and keep my hair loose. Not like I know what to do with it anyway.
‘Good, keep it loose so our mate can pull it when we fu-‘
‘ATLAS!’ I shout at her. Who would have thought I have a horny dog as a wolf.
I hear my father bellow my name as I walk out of my room. Great, I guess I kept them waiting.
“Valence, come and get to the car. Your mom will be out soon.” My father says in a stern tone and I continue my way towards him. I nod my head and walk out the door, getting in the car.
A wave of disgust hits me as my parents finally make it in the car and pull out of the drive way.
I’m buying a human pet.
This is my first book so please go easy on me! Constructive criticism is appreciated.
