The Unknown Mate

Chapter Two

Aunt Larissa walked forward cautiously, her left hand holding the device that was recording my every movement, whilst her right hand inched towards my coat. I ducked my head, showing that she could touch me. Larissa nodded in recognition, and scratched behind my ear. I growled playfully, as when I am in wolf form the action feels heavenly. It's actually one of my weaknesses. Just only in wolf form.

"Oh Isla..." my aunt breathed, her eyes dancing with pride and joy. I knew my wolf was beautiful but I never really thought about it. I don't particularly enjoy shifting into my wolf. I choose to... not bring on the pain although clearly my aunt thought otherwise. It's not like this is her first time viewing it anyway. I know she loves my colouring though. And with painful shifting comes human-level senses of smell and hearing. I hated it. Everyone is always going on about their enhanced senses, and I'm here like 'Hey, I can see a bit better than the average human!' It gets annoying, but I've learnt to live with and adapt to the disadvantage.

Aunt Larissa stepped back slightly, and then walked in a circle around me, checking my wolf out for physical disabilities or signs, sighing as she completes her circle. "I think we're gonna need to get in an expert girly." I growled softly, pulling back my lips slightly to show my canines. Aunt Larissa's eyes widen fractionally, and she hummed quietly, beginning another circle around me. I whimpered and Larissa shook her head at me, a faint smile on her lips. She completed the circle for the second time, and came to a halt where she started. "Okay girly, shift back when you want to." I nodded, hesitant to face the pain. Taking a deep breath I mentally counted to three. I shifted from my wolf, sitting cross-legged on the light grey tiles of the room. I shivered, the coolness a shock on my bare legs. Closing my eyes I began to focus on controlling my breathing.

"Okay Isla, this is still recording," Larissa whispered, eyes staring at my bowed head. I looked up at her and glared.
"I look terri - argh!" I stopped speaking to scream, clutching at my abdomen. Leaning over, I drew my knees up so that my forehead was resting on them. I let out a groan, tightly shutting my eyes. I pinched my calves, I slapped myself. I've tried all this before. The pain always just seems to worsen.
"Breathe, girl. Just remember to breathe..." mumbled Larissa, getting on her hands and knees and crawling to me. Once she was within arm's reach she pulled me into her lap and her comforting embrace. "It's going to be okay," she whispered into my hair, gently rocking me back and forth.

Tears rolled down my already puffy cheeks. Distantly I heard Larissa whisper for me to think happy thoughts. Happy thoughts, happy thoughts. I was extremely tired and sore, and concentrating on such a simple task seemed slightly daunting. "Um. Happy. Happy. Demi. My dress for tomorrow." As I quietly moaned from the pain I felt Larissa kiss my hair and murmur 'go on'. I racked my brains. What makes me smile? "Mum. Dad. Larissa. My pack. Smiling faces. My friends. Tanelle and Benjamin." I took a deep breath. I felt like someone had run a hundred swords through my abdomen. I felt incredibly hot and sweat was dripping off of me like a leaking tap. My insides felt like they'd contracted until they were the size of a fingernail, and then been tightly wound over and over. It was like there was a war happening in me and every stab and hit was getting me.

The time that the pain lasts can vary greatly. I've had it last for five minutes. I've had it last for almost a whole day. It's not fun to shift when you're me. Lucky my pack understands... or they just feel sorry for me. I've been recorded plenty of times, and I honestly sound like I'm in a medieval torture machine.

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"Jeez Isla. That one wasn't incredibly nice. I believe it's one of your worst ones actually," commented Larissa, after the pain went away several hours later.
I glared at my aunt. "Oh really? I didn't notice," I confessed sarcastically. "You're really not helping woman." Frustration and pain laced my words. "Can I go now? I'm supposed to be at Demi's just after lunch. It's an hour drive! I was supposed to leave twenty minutes ago!"
Aunt Larissa rolled her eyes at me and sighed. "That's not a specific time, meaning it's vague and you can rock up when you think that time was."
I let out a humourless laugh. "Actually, there is a time. Half past twelve if you want precise Auntie." I smiled up sarcastically at her. "Why do you think I said I was twenty minutes late in leaving?" Larissa ignored me, and finished up the testings and recording, putting it on file.

I was now sitting back on the bed, legs dangling uselessly over the side. I'd messily put my hair up in a bun halfway through the night and now tendrils of hair were falling out, making me fear that it looked like a rats nest. I jumped off the bed and pulled the hair tie out. Leaning over forwards I grabbed all my hair in a big bunch and put it into a high ponytail.
"Hey Larissa - is there mirror around here somewhere?" I questioned, desperate to see if I looked as bad as I felt. She looked up from the computer for a moment at me, then shrugged and went back to typing.
"You look fine LaLa."
"You look fine LaLa," I mimicked in an annoying high-pitched voice. "I feel like crap so I have to look somewhat like crap. But it doesn't really matter does it?" I mused, off in my own world now. I grabbed a piece of my hair and rolled it between my thumb and index finger. "Demi's guilt-tripped me into letting her do my make-up tonight even though it's her birthday." Drawing my lips together into a line I gave my aunt a piercing stare. "I'm leaving. And you can't stop me." I strode towards the door. She gave me a half-hearted wave and laughed.
"See you when you get back!" 

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A/N ~ Edited Version. Please note that the chapters do get longer... much longer. Hope you enjoyed!