Xael and her grandmother were finally alone. As the Elder went into the living room, Xael went to her bedroom to grab her hair brush. Her grams had turned on the tv to watch a Sherlock Holmes movie.
Xael sat the brush by her grams chair and went to add the veggies they chopped earlier to the roast pans. She returned to the living room and sat on the floor at her grandmother's feet, taking her hair down, she rested her head on her gram's leg.
"Grams, will you brush my hair for me?"
"Sure hun." The elder brushed her granddaughter's hair for a few minutes. Xael's pups were asleep on the couch as the movie played.
"Xael? What did you want to talk about dear?"
Xael sighed as the brush going through her hair was very relaxing. "Adam..."
"Oh! I see. You know he's really attracted to you Xael. Skylar said he's never seen him want to be close to anyone like he does you. So what about him?"
Xael turned to look at her. Her eyes watered slightly.
"Grandma...He's my Mate."
Her grandmother stared at her, a blank expression on her face as she was so overjoyed that she couldn't react. She'd secretly hoped for them to hit it off, and apparently they had. A huge smile started, but as she saw her granddaughters reaction to it all, she stopped and became a little worried.
"Xael? What's wrong? You should be happy! Adam is a very sweet young Wolfen to have as a Mate, plus he already cares for you deeply."
"Letting someone scent me, is not a good idea grams."
"Xael I don't understand?"
"One day when I was little, my dad told me what I was. He said if others found out, I could be in danger. Grams, dad knew you weren't his real parents, he just never said anything because to him you were."
"Oh my God...that's not possible. Xael that's not possible." Her Grandmother was not only frightened, but there was a slight tinge of fear in her eyes.
"It's true Grandma. He always saw you and Papa as his parents. But he remembered everything from when he was a baby."
"Xael hun, your mistaken."
Xael took a deep breath. "There's a reason the last name my parents gave me is Thunder Wolf and not Red Wolf like yours. The wolves around here. They are more than just wolves Grams, their family. That large Alpha...he's my Grandfather."
"Oh my God!"
"He was able to pass his spirit on to a wolf, the Alpha. The Wolfen that Papa found on the road that night was his mate, my other grandmother. The pack had been attacked that night. The wild wolves came to help them. But Grandad was badly injured and dying, so he asked the Alpha to keep his spirit for him. So he's part wolf, part Grandpa. The ones that attacked the pack were after my dad because of what he was."
"What was he Xael?"
"A Thunder Wolf Grandma, most people call us Dire wolves. Those wolves out there, they were here before they even built this town. Dad told me they are like spirit wolves or something. We can transfer our spirits into them, but only at the point of death. That day I got lost, the Alpha wolf told me all kinds of stuff, most of it I can't remember. I'm not the only Dire wolf, there are others, but they keep it hidden. Mom wrote in a book she left me that letting my scent loose... It's dangerous. It will cause Alphas to go into rut if they inhale too much of it. True Alphas would be even more dangerous to release my scent around. In my human form they could kill me, but in my wolf form... I could fight them off, even though I'm an Omega. When I got lost in the woods, the wolves did something to me, I'm not sure what. That's how I'm able to pass as an Alpha. They did whatever it was so I would be safe. I'm stronger than regular Alphas but not True Alphas."
"This is a lot to take in Xael...It's... I always knew you were different, but... I need a minute." The older woman got up and walked out on the front deck to let everything her granddaughter had just told her sink in. It didn't take long for her to process everything. She had always known the wolves in the area were special, as was the baby that came to them that night. Ms. Emma went back inside and took her seat.
She looked into her Xael's eyes. As outrageous as everything sounded, she believed her on some level. "So you can communicate with them?"
"Yeah, I'm able to mind link them. I do it with my boys all the time. It's just another thing I can do for my safety."
"I see, I see. Xael, are you worried that Adam will hurt you if he scents you?"
Xael could only shake her head. She knew if she tried to speak, tears would flow.
"Honey, that young Alpha loves you. He'd never do anything to hurt you, do you understand?"
"I know... it's just. Grandma, Adam is a True Alpha. He could seriously hurt me."
"Xael, look at me." Xael looked up at her grams. She couldn't hide the worry or tears that were in her eyes. The Elder gently caressed the young Omega's face.
"If I or Wes thought for a second, that Adam was capable of hurting you, we wouldn't have let him near you. Okay little Pup?"
Xael smiled at her Grams. She was right, Adam had shown himself to be nothing but caring, compassionate, respectful and most of all patient and protective of her.
"Thanks Grams. He has been awesome, especially today. Grandma?"
"Yeah hun?"
"You want to meet the others?"
"What? Seriously?"
"Mn."
Her Grandmother nodded as her eyes sparkled out of excitement. Xael stood and took her Grandma's hand and went to the front deck with her. The pups walked softly behind them. Still holding her Grandmother's hand, they walked to the huge pine tree.
"Are you ready?" Xael looked over to the older woman.
"Yes dear."
Xael threw her head back and let out the deepest and loudest howl Ms. Emma had ever heard a Wolfen make. As it echoed through the night, it sounded like distant thunder. Just then the Elder heard noise coming from the woods. Turning to look, she saw that the treeline was now filled with wild wolves. She then saw one familiar and extremely large wolf come forward.
It was the Alpha whose eyes she had looked into that had guarded her granddaughter when she was lost deep in the woods as a child. He came up to Xael and she lowered herself to her knees. The large Alpha was so gentle as he nuzzled her, his nose touched her forehead. Xael lowered her head in acknowledgement. The Alpha then made his was over to her grandmother. The Elder was frozen to the ground. She never realized how large he was, actually how large they all were. Looking amongst the pack, Emma saw larger wolves and regular sized wolves.
Xael spoke softly. "The larger ones are the Spirit wolves, the others are the wild ones."
Ms. Emma turned to look at her granddaughter who right before her eyes shifted into a large black wolf. She was as large as the Alpha. Walking up to her, Xael nuzzled her gram's hand. Emma looked at her granddaughter in her wolf form. This was her first time seeing her as a wolf. "Oh Xael, you're so beautiful!" Ms. Emma was getting a little choked up from all the emotions she was feeling.
The Alpha let out a howl, all the others joining in, even the pups. The Alpha nuzzled Xael once more and turned towards the treeline. The wolves disappeared into the woods. Xael shook again and shifted back to her human form, arms trying to hide her nakedness.
"Do you believe me now?"
"Oh my baby!" Ms. Emma hugged her granddaughter as if her life depended on it.
"Uh...Grams I need to get back inside, I'm naked and this place is full of Males..."
"Oh Shit! Yes, Get! Get!"
Xael dashed back into the house and put on fresh sweats as shifting had destroyed her clothes. When Xael excited the bedroom, her Grams was sitting in her chair with a dazed look on her face. Xael tried not to laugh. The pups took up their spots on the couch.
"You gonna be okay Grammy?"
"Shit... if I drank I'd say get me a shot of whiskey!"
Xael laughed as her grandmother joined in.
"So is this why your parents raised you out here, away from everyone?"
"Yes. Dad wanted me to stay close to you and Papa so I could learn from you and the others. He said they would keep me safe."
"So did your mom ever tell you what she was?"
"My mom was the same as my dad, that's why she had to go Rogue. Others were trying to force her to mate with them, to make their pack stronger from the pups she would have."
"I see, I see...that explains a lot. Wait when did they tell you all of this. They died when you were still young!" Xael could see the gears in her grandmother's head turning.
"A few weeks before they were killed. Mom gave me a letter. They told me I was to open it if anything ever happened to them. I think they knew others had found out about them, but didn't know they had had a child. The letter went into more detail, hold on I still have it." Xael went to her room and came back with a worn letter and a velvet box. It was several pages long and went into great detail. It described a portion of her mom's life prior to meeting her dad, what the two of them were and what she was. It also detailed her abilities, how to cultivate them and how to use them to keep her safe. At the end, they both wrote how much they loved her and how proud they were of her."
It was the Elders turn now to have tears in her eyes.
"Now I understand why she taught you to hide your scent little Pup."
The two sat and looked at each other for a minute before her grandmother spoke to her.
"I have something else for you Grams. I want you to have this." Xael handed her grandmother the velvet box. Ms. Emma opened it to reveal a purple heart medal. She fought back tears as her fingertips gently caressed it.
"Oh Xael..." Her grandmother kissed her on the forehead and got up from her chair. She walked to the fireplace mantel and sat the box next to the others. The other medals were placed in front of a folded American flag that was her grandfathers. Ms. Emma turned to her. "Your Papa was so proud of you hun!" Returning to her chair the two shared a few loving moments of silence.
"Xael, how do you know that Adam is your Mate?"
"I scented him when Gunner brought him into the bedroom. I didn't mean to, it's just, his scent was so comforting and he felt so safe."
"Did you tell him?"
"No...I'm kinda afraid to."
"I understand hun, but if he is your Mate..."
"I know, I know. Hell he thinks I'm an Alpha, he's gonna shit when he finds out I'm an Omega."