wolves¹[wyatt lykensen]

.18

ACCEPTANCE AND INITIATION

"JUST HOLD STILL!" The wolf, Erika, gave a nod to Wyatt, making the boy come sit next to me and grab my hand tightly. "It's not going to hurt that badly," she promised. "You have to get these done before the ceremony. It's part of the initiation."

"I know, I know. The needle just looked really sharp and you poked me once and—and it hurt!" I explained, glancing down to the needle the woman held once more. From what I was told, it was made out of brass since the silver would burn.

"I didn't even touch you," she deadpanned, making me sigh. "Look, I promise that this is going to be worth it in the end."

My foot tapped nervously on the ground as my eyes scanned over the tattoos the two werewolves had on their arms. Since I was becoming part of the pack, I needed pack markings. I was going to get a singular purple band around my bicep along with a geometric, star-like pattern on the inside of my forearm. In the future I was going to get more, but these were the ones I needed for now.

Wyatt tilted his head at me, waiting for me to say something. "It's not going to be that bad. Erika's been doing pack markings for years now. She's good," he assured, an innocent smile on his face as he gave my hand a squeeze. He held up his arm, pointing to some of the smaller tattoos that were there. "She did a few of mine." I looked down at them; they were clean and nicely done, making me remember that I mentioned doing this in the first place.

"Okay, yeah," I breathed out, leaning my head back against the chair I was sitting in. "Do it."

➤

"Careful. I might have werewolf healing, but it's still sore," I whimpered lowly, covering the tattoo on my bicep that Wyatt had poked.

"Awe, I'm sorry," he cooed, wrapping his arms around me and pulling my figure into his chest. He rested his chin on top of my head as he chuckled. "They turned out good, though. Just like I said they would." He traced the line around my arm gently this time, being careful not to apply a lot of pressure.

I let out a comfortable sigh at the contact, relaxing against him and looking out at the forest and the sky. Wyatt had brought me farther into the Forbidden Forest and to a cliff that he used to go to a lot, according to him. It circled around to a short waterfall that dropped down into a small quarry. The place was well-hidden due to the density of the woods that surrounded it. It also gave a good view of the sky, making it perfect for when you wanted to see the stars or the moon better.

I could feel the boy stiffen at my actions, his breathing hitching for a moment before he finally relaxed and let out a content sigh. "I missed coming out here," he admitted quietly. "Do you like it?"

I nodded. "Of course. The sky's really pretty," I grinned like a child as I said the words, causing a chuckle to leave the wolf's mouth. "I can't believe I never knew this was here. I never even really explored the forest."

"I can show you," he offered quickly, a lining of happiness in his words. I could tell he was more than pleased with himself for mentioning the idea, and I was more than willing to let Wyatt show me around the forest and teach me about it. "You'd be surprised how much stuff this place has. Like, there's one meadow a few minutes from here that has super pretty flowers. You'd probably like that, it's really colorful," he ranted, becoming a bit quieter at the end of his sentence.

I placed my hand in his, entwining our fingers together as I smiled. "As long as you're there, I'm sure I'll like wherever you take me," I assured, looking up at the boy to see a blush creep onto his cheeks. I sat up a bit more, turning to face him before placing my hand on his jaw and gently pulling him closer to me before placing a quick, soft kiss on his lips.

Wyatt leaned his forehead against mine, a smirk growing on his face. "I'm sure you would. I am pretty great." I scoffed, giving his shoulder a playful shove as he laughed and shrugged. "What? Am I wrong?"

I rolled my eyes, not responding for a moment. I gave the boy a lighthearted glare. "You're not wrong...just don't let it go to your head, wolf-boy."

➤

three days later

My eyes scanned over the pack as I stood proudly in my wolf form.

In a few moments, I would be accepted into the pack by the elders officially. It was tradition that I was in my true wolf form and I silently thanked that it was that way; it made my anxiousness less noticeable.

The fact that I was going to have to lead these wolves and be part of their pack for the rest of my life was both nerve-racking and comforting. After a while, I'd forgotten what it was like to have a pack and was overjoyed to have one again, but looking around the room at everyone, I realized that a lot of responsibility was moments away from being placed on my shoulders. It was up to me, the Great Alpha, to do what was best for the pack and lead them in the right direction. I only hoped that I wouldn't let them down.

The elder that stood beside me cleared his throat, signifying for me to turn and face him.

"Today, we are gathered here to accept Coraline Fangston as not only a member of our pack, but as the alpha." He turned to me, his eyes meeting mine. "As a member of this pack, you must vow to treat other pack members with respect and virtue. You will accept them as they will accept you. As the alpha, you must vow to lead this pack in fairness. You will rule with integrity and always try your best to bring unity and prosperity. Lastly, as the alpha, you will always have the pack's best interest at heart. Do you understand and accept this responsibility and title?"

As he finished his question, he gave me a subtle nod. Due to my form, I wasn't going to be able to respond normally, so instead, I lifted my head a bit higher and made my eyes shimmer blue, a signal I accepted the words he'd stated.

"Ranking as beta of the pack beside Coraline Fangston will be Wyatt Lykensen." At that, the aforementioned boy stepped forward from his place on the stairs and took a stand beside me.

"As beta, you will advise your alpha in times of need and you will assist in leading if asked or necessary. As beta, you will also have your pack's best interest at heart. If the need ever arise and your alpha is unable physically or mentally, you will then take the mantle of alpha and rule the pack accordingly. Do you understand and accept this responsibility and title?" The elder looked to him.

Wyatt's eyes began to shine a golden color. "I understand and accept," he confirmed, allowing his eyes to return to their natural brown hue.

The elder took a step forward and moved beside us before facing the pack.

"Then it is official. As most esteemed elder of this pack, I grant the title of beta to Wyatt Lykensen," he said, gesturing his hand to Wyatt, then to me. "And I grant the title of alpha to Coraline Fangston. Both of you, please claim your titles."

My eyes briefly flickered to Wyatt, already seeing the smile he held on his face. I turned to the pack with a newfound strength and pride radiating off of me. I tilted my head back along with my ears, letting a loud and powerful howl leave my mouth before Wyatt did the same, causing the rest of the pack to join in as a sign of acceptance.

And that made it true. With Wyatt as my beta and the acceptance of the pack, I was now the alpha.