"Good morning Annie, it's time to wake up." I heard a soft voice say to me. Couldn't my mom let me sleep in? It's my birthday for crying out loud. I didn't need to be up and getting ready for the part for hours.
"Ten more minutes mom.... Please? It's my birthday." I pleaded with my mom. Maybe if she let me sleep ten more minutes she would get busy doing something else and forget about me.
"I know it's your birthday, it's a big day today." My mom said gently.
I squeezed my eyes shut harder, and pulled the covers up higher. I'm surprised mom hasn't yanked them off of me yet. "Yes mom I know it's a big day." I told her from under my covers. Seriously, why couldn't she just leave me alone? She knows better than anyone that I'm not a morning person, did she really think that waking me up early would be a good idea?
"Well had I known how hard you were to wake up and how much you are NOT a morning person, I would have agreed that it was not a good idea to wake you up this early." The voice said a little more forcefully and I realized a couple of things quickly. First, that was not my mother's voice and second, I know I hadn't said that out loud. I flung the covers off myself and sat up in bed looking around my room for my mom who was nowhere to be found.
"Did you forget the other part of turning eighteen? I should be offended but I am also excited to meet our mate." The voice said a little offended but excited at the same time. It was then that I realized I was hearing my wolfs voice for the first time.
"That's correct. I'm so excited to finally meet you! My name is Nan." She explained excitedly.
When werewolves turn seventeen they are able to shift for the first time, however it's not into their actual wolf. First shifts are very painful, so when we are seventeen we shift into a smaller wolf that will be less painful than our full wolf. Kind of like a wolf with training wheels if that makes sense. We spend the year between seventeen and eighteen practicing how to shift, run, and fight in our werewolf forms, that way when we turn eighteen and shift into our own wolves it won't hurt us. Eighteen is also when werewolves are considered adults and are expected to start contributing to the pack life. Our wolves know us from the day we are born, but we don't get to meet them until we are eighteen. The mornings of our birthday we are to spend it out in the woods with our wolf getting to know them and becoming close to them.
"We should be in the woods already, hop to it lady! I want to shift and show you our wolf form. I've been waiting eighteen years for this." I could feel the excitement in Nan's voice and couldn't help but feel it too.
"Hello Nan, I'm so happy to meet you also." I didn't even bother to change out of my PJ's as I headed downstairs, when we shift we either strip down or rip our clothes. No sense in getting all dressed up for this.
"Psh, you wouldn't have gotten dressed up anyways. Do you even own any dress clothes?" I smile at Nan's comment, she knows me so well.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNIE GIRL!!!!!!" Both my parents greeted me with a shout as I made my way into the kitchen. I think I just almost ten foot in the air, I wasn't expecting anyone else to be awake.
"Holy crap you guys scared me! I didn't think anyone was up yet." I said placing a hand over my heart to try to calm it down, I'm surprised I hadn't peed myself.
"It's your big day Annie, there is so much to do and prepare for!" My mom told me giving me a look of disbelief. Oh yes, my party. Thanks to Nan's wakeup call I actually had forgotten about it and the stress of it all.
"You're welcome." Nan said, I could almost see the smirk on her face. My wolf was a feisty one and I loved it.
"Why are you up so early? Oh! Did your wolf wake you? Is she nice? Has she told you any tips? Have you shifted yet? What's your wolf look like?" My mom was known for asking a million questions in a row.
"Yes, yes, and no, no. You guys stopped me before I could make it to the woods." I said as I eyed the back door longingly.
"They about killed you with a heart attack before we made it to the woods." Nan said rolling her eyes.
"Sue, let our girl get to the woods and bond with her wolf. You're smothering her with questions." My dad shot me a small smile and a wink.
"I'm sorry, your right! I can't believe it, my little girl is eighteen already, where has the time gone? You are meeting your wolf and finding your mate, it seems like just yesterday I was telling you not to eat the play dough." My mom stopped as she was tearing up.
"Mom." I groaned. I tried to eat play dough once, and I was three! You show me a three year old that isn't trying to put everything in their mouth.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Mom said as she wiped her eyes with the edge of her apron. "Go! Have fun, be careful! Oh! And make sure you are back by 3:30 to get ready for the party! We need to do your hair, make up, get you dressed, oh and-"
My dad grabbed my mom around the waist and snuggled in close to my mom, "Suesy honey, let her go." He then whispered something in her ear that made her blush.
"Yes yes, go sweetie! We love you!" My mom was now turned in my dad's arms looking up at him with a sly smile.
"Be sure to stay within our border Annie." My dad reminded me as he swooped down to give my mom a kiss, and by the looks of it they were getting ready to do some things I did NOT want to see.
"Gross. Are they always like that?" Nan asked me disgusted as I was.
"Unfortunately." I responded to her in my head. I should probably get used to responding to her in my head, once I was in wolf form that would be our only way to communicate. And I would look like a crazy person responding to her out loud in human form. As my parents started making their way out of the kitchen, I headed for the back door. It was time to see my wolf.
As we stepped outside into the morning light I started to get a rush of tingles and excitement. I've shifted before, many times, but this would be my first time with my wolf. I would get to see my wolf.
"Well what are you waiting for? Shift!" Nan shouted at me getting antsy.
I didn't need anymore encouragement, I let myself relax and let the shift take over. I felt my bones shifting to take the form of my wolf and could my fur growing. A normal shift takes seconds, but when it's your first time with your wolf it takes a little longer. It's not painful but you feel every part of it, a way of bonding with our wolf. Once I'm done I turn to look in the window at my reflection, what I see takes my breath away.
"Nan, you're beautiful" I gasp. What I see in my reflection is a beautiful light grey wolf, it actually matches the color of my eyes now that I think of it. My fur is long and soft, and my tail? It's so full and fluffy! I'm not too big, but I'm not small either.
"WE'RE beautiful." She corrected me. I took a few steps getting used to my new wolf form, I wasn't a huge wolf but I felt strong, like I could take on the world.
"We can take on the world together. Now, want to see how fast we can go?" Nan asked me. With a wolfy smile and a yip I take off as fast as I can into the woods