The Lost Shifter Princess (Book 1)

KAYLA'S POV

“Kayla Louise Callahan! Get your ass down here, like the rest of you orphans who just turned eighteen this week!” I normally stand at 5'11", pretty tall even for a 'null', and my red hair currently fell to my waist, my green eyes vibrant with the hatred I felt. I had to be careful with more intense feelings, or my eyes would glow, a clear indicator of a were, or shifter in my case.

"That is so not happening..." I mumbled as I swiftly turned into my mouse form, knowing that since I was ‘null’, I wouldn’t be just an ‘omega’, but the pack slave. I’d had to hide my true animal form since I’d first turned at three, or so Katie, my inner animal, told me. If I didn’t, I might have been treated worse as a freak, since I shifted way early and wasn’t a werewolf at all; that was the only part they had right.

Let me start at the beginning, or as I was told anyway. I was found by the Alpha at the time, Ryan Black. I’d apparently been found as an infant and was immediately taken to the orphanage of his pack to be raised by their omegas. Basically, they were treated like crap because they either were born to omegas or were made omegas when they’d aged out of the orphanage at 18. They could rank up with the warriors, but it was doubtful they’d be considered better than a very good warrior. Most werewolves first shifted at twelve, though future Alphas shifted younger, some as young as 8 or 9.

Not me, however... I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t a shifter, not a werewolf. Katie tells me that we shifted at three instead; she says it’s normal for a shifter. The huge difference is that shifters can shift into any animal they want, as long as they’ve seen them in pictures or with their own two eyes. So far, I’ve shifted into a mouse and a cat... though I suspect I could shift into others if I were given the chance or learned how.

Like most werewolves, we can talk to our inner animal and can only mind link with the pack, the Alpha, or their family. Since I’d hidden what I was for so long, I couldn’t very well tell the Alpha of Blacksedge, my current ‘pack’, that I could mind link him. Katie warned me that if I revealed that I was a shifter, I would be treated worse or hunted down because of my ability.

I also had no idea why I had a crown-shaped birthmark or tattoo on my shoulder, since I couldn’t trust anyone with what I knew about the truth about me or my background. Yes, I might be able to shift into a wolf, too, but that’s just boring to me since I theoretically can shift into anything.

As orphans, we were required to work as maids, cooks, and personal ‘assistants’, better known as pack mules. I loved cooking and baking, but not the beatings for making a minor mistake. Putting too much cayenne in dinner, 'forgetting' to separate the reds from the whites, and turning the pack slut’s clothes all pink? Get a beating. Talk back to the current Alpha, Clarke? Then all hell breaks loose. No food for a week, a beating, whipping, and thrown in the cells when you’re a teenager. When you’re younger, it’s just a beating and being thrown in the cells, along with no food for a few days.

I’d grown tired of it long ago, but we were carefully watched, and I didn’t care for becoming rogue, not until I was ready anyway. Katie also healed me pretty quickly, even faster than those godawful werewolves. I’d had to hide that I’d healed already so many times, it wasn’t funny. The only reason I was saved from a beating after dinner tonight was the ‘ceremony’ where we’d all be named omega-ranked wolves that was supposed to happen shortly.

Anyways, back to the present. When I shift, any bags or clothes shift with me but remain hidden in my fur somehow. I’m not sure how or why, but they do. The clothes I was wearing were still on me, and I had others in my backpack. I didn’t have any personal items other than a locket with pictures of what I presume to be my biological parents, which can only be removed by me. It’s the only reason I still have it now. I darted into the mouse hole I’d found ages ago and had saved it to memory in case I ever needed to escape. I’d explored long ago inside the walls and had found the exit, and traveled it many times, so I wouldn’t forget it.

I was soon outside, and if I were human at the moment, I would have smiled before shifting into my cat form. I could choose the color, and since the pack wouldn’t question a cat running from the pack grounds, I ran.

I did hear some shouts after I’d left my room, but I ignored them and kept going, knowing that if somehow I was caught, I’d receive yet another beating.

‘Katie? How long do you think we can run for before either being too tired or running out of forest? Also, do you know if I could shift into a fox so that I don't look out of place?’

~Normally, I can run for quite a while, but since we would have just shifted twice in a row, it’s going to be less, naturally. I recommend finding an abandoned fox den or maybe a tree to climb to sleep it off once we’re off the territory. Especially in fox form, it'll be easier; they won't question a fox in a foxhole.~

’We can’t shift back in case the pack decides to go off territory to find their ‘lost’ null… they know me too well in human form, and they’d also notice my scent’s changed. At least as an animal, they wouldn’t be looking for me.’

I only found out our pack’s border by the patrol roaming nearby. I’d had to time it right so I could shift, reject the pack, and leave. “I, Kayla Louise Callahan, reject Blacksedge Pack as my pack as well as the authority of Alpha Clarke Black over my animal and me.”

I was not about to take any chances that I could be held back by any sort of pack or Alpha links as I left their territory, but I did have one or two friends who didn’t care what I was.

I didn’t care anymore at this point; most of the shit pack only showed me pain, hate, and bullying all my life due to me being null, even the omegas.

I scurried up the tree soon after, hoping that by keeping to the trees I could stay out of sight, but then I ran into one of the groups of Alpha Clarke's men. "What the hell? Is that a cat?! What the hell is a cat doing up a tree?!"

'Katie... remind me how to shift into another form? We'll have to wait until after we get out of their sight, though.'

~You have to think about the form you want to take... size, shape, any details you know, like fur, color, and all. Or see one that you'd wish to switch to.~

"Man, that cat was fast in those trees! I can't see it anywhere!" "Yeah, me either!" was all I heard after what felt like hours.

I spied a fox darting across the forest floor, and pictured myself like it, but bigger. I could feel the change take place and looked down at myself, grinning. ~Thanks, Katie!~

The following day, I ran another couple of miles before I heard growling; when I looked down, I could tell they were werewolves by their size. Could they sense I was a shifter, or were they picking up on my being a fox? I wasn’t sure if I was on another pack’s territory or if I’d just stumbled onto my first group of rogues. Our pack wasn’t exactly forthcoming with this kind of information since I wasn’t high enough in the hierarchy to be able to know where pack territory ended and where neutral territory started.

They did have red eyes and smelled like trash, so probably. I thought as I continued to run amongst the trees.

Kayla's cat form, though she can be smaller when needed (just ignore the second tail):