The alpha shifted and walked towards me, along with three of the warriors. “Shift!” He demands, but I just tilt my head and whine at him. “Alpha,” one of the warriors speaks, “Maybe it’s just a normal dog. We’ve never heard of a were-dog before.” The alpha looks at me again, and I whine softly. One of the warriors steps towards me.
“Sit.” He commands, his voice a tad bit softer than the alpha’s. Before any of them could blink, I sat down and barked at them. “Well, I’ll be…” The alpha says softly. I could tell he got an idea because his eyes light up. “Come here.” His voice softened as he squatted down. I walk towards him slowly, eyeing the others beside them.
“He sure is a beaut isn’t he alpha?” I growl softly at him as the alpha slowly petted me on the head. The alpha chuckled and stood up. “I think he is actually a she.” I bark once and they laugh. The warrior closet to us stepped forward like he was going to pet me. I step back and growl softly at him. My growl didn’t faze him however, so when he kept reaching towards me, I snapped at his hand. He drew it back quickly as the alpha laughed.
They turned and started walking back into the woods. The alpha looked at me and started walking with them. I whined softly and he faces me. “Heel.” He says and I race towards him. As his laughter filled the air, his men turned to see what he was laughing about. “I tell you now Alpha, that dog is a one man dog that’s for sure.” I bark softly at the man and move closer to the alpha. He reached for my bag, but I jerked my head away.
He reached for it again, but I kept my head out of his reach. As we slowly made our way back to their pack house, the alpha was trying to figure out a name for me. At each of his suggestions, I would snort or shake my head no. When he was just about out of names, I spotted a lilly growing in front of us. I trot over to it and bark. He came over and kneeled beside me. “Your name’s Lilly?” He asked quietly and I bark several times.
The next several months passed by so quickly that I almost lost track of time. At night, when everyone in the pack house was asleep, I would shift back to my human form, take a bath and eat. Then I would shift into my wolf and go for a run, while making sure I kept my scent hidden. I almost got caught once, but with Lilly’s help, I managed to stay undetected. The pack children fell in love with the dog form, so I allowed them to touch and pet me. But if any of the grownups tried to touch me, I’d growl softly at them. Only the alpha, Greg, and the children were allowed to touch me.
Greg would spend his mornings in his office, and then he would travel around the pack checking on the members and making sure they were doing fine. He would allow me to go with him for the most part, but there were days when he made me stay behind. On those days, I would play with the pups. My bag was well hidden in his room.
More months passed by in what seemed a blink of an eye. My sixth year in Rollins found me living with the Lost River pack as their pack pet. I knew that I needed to start training again, but I wasn’t willing to take the risk of being found. That was until I found a hidden cave behind the waterfall. It took me several weeks to some of the equipment from the gym to the cave without being caught. Once I had enough equipment in my hidden spot, I would go there at night and start to train again.
In my head I could hear my dad coaching me again. It made me smile and slowly the ache I felt with them not being here with me start to fade. The warriors complained about the missing equipment, but Greg just bought them replacements. Each night that I trained, I felt myself getting stronger. I needed to work on my wolf as well, but at the moment I couldn’t risk it. Two weeks after I started training again I was lying in Greg’s office listening to him talk on the phone.
I wasn’t paying any attention to his conversation until I heard a familiar name. “That’ll be fine Jubal. My pack and I will be expecting you and your men next month then.” I growled softly and Greg turned his head to look at me confused. After he hung up, he walked over to me and kneeled beside me. “What’s wrong Lilly?” He asks softly running his hand behind my ears.
I tilt my head sideways and whine softly. “Don’t worry girl. I’ll let them know that they can’t bother you. If they do, you have my permission to bite them.” When I barked, he chuckled and walked out of the room. Sighing, I stand up and follow him. I found him in the kitchen taking a steak out of the fridge. “Would you like one Lilly?” He asked looking at me. I whine and bark at him. Laughing, he pulled a second one out. After my lunch, I made my way to the door and whine. Greg lets me out but tells me not to stay gone for long.
I left the house in a run. I was planning on going to the cave and workout a little bit, but my plans changed. Halfway to the cave, a deep hot pain flashed through my body. I collapsed on the ground, yelping and howling loudly. Lilly, what’s happening?
Our mate’s marked another. She said sadly before going to the back of my mind. As the pain got hotter, I let out a blood curling howl before letting the oncoming darkness take me under. The last thing that registered in my thoughts was Greg’s face as he ran towards me. Two hours later I awoke on a bed in the pack’s hospital. Looking around quickly, I realized I was no longer a Shiloh Shepherd. I was lying there as a human. The oncoming voices caught my attention. Closing my eyes, I act like I was still asleep.
Greg and the pack doctor walked in my room and kept their voices normal. “Will she be alright Doc?”
“I’m sure she will be Alpha. Though I can’t fathom out how she can shift into a dog. That’s impossible.”
“Well, since I saw her shift from a dog to a human, I’d say it’s not impossible. Did you find out what was wrong with her?”
“Physically there’s nothing wrong with her; she’s in perfect shape. But I think I know what was wrong with her.”
“Well spit it out Doc.” I almost laughed at the sound of impatience in his voice. Greg was never one for beating around the bush. “It’s my belief that her mate marked another. That’s the only thing that can explain everything you described when you found her sir.”
“That means she has met him and he or she rejected the other.”
“Correct Alpha, though I can’t see why anyone would reject her.” The doctor adds softly and I could feel his eyes on my face. I move slightly and moan. Both of them rush to my side and I felt Greg take my hand. “Lilly, are you alright? Lilly?” Opening my eyes slowly, I blink and look around.
When my eyes land on them, I sit up and back away from them. Greg slowly removes his hand from mine. “Lilly, it’s me Greg. We’re not going to hurt you. We’re worried about you girl.” A shy smile makes it way on my lips. “I know.” I say softly looking at them. The doctor was almost bursting with excitement and questions. But Greg made him leave the room. Before he made it to the door I spoke again. “Doc, I’ll answer any questions you have later alright?”
The way his face lit up made me smile. The smile stayed on my face until he slipped out of the door. Now that I was alone with Greg, I felt nervous. Keeping my eyes glued on my hands, I stayed quiet deciding to let him start the conversation first. “Is Lilly even your name?”
“Lilly is the name of my wolf. My name is Tami.” I wasn’t about to tell him my full name. He only knew me as Lilly, the dog. I trusted him, but that was when I was a dog. But now as a human, I wasn’t so sure. “If you’re a wolf, how can you shift into a dog?” I glance up at him before looking back down. “Every wolf has the ability to shift into anything they wish too. At the moment, I can shift into several animals. It just takes practice and lots of time. We’ve been taught that wolves lost that ability a long time ago, but it isn’t true.” Greg took a seat beside my bed and leaned back.
“Why are you living as a rouge? Doesn’t your family and pack miss you? Your mate?”
“I’m living as a rouge because my mate rejected me. My father was Beta of our pack, but I lost both him and my mother during a pack war when I was fifteen. The Alpha and his family took me in, but he didn’t treat me the same. Neither did his children. Only the Luna treated me as family. I was the best unshifted fighter in the entire pack, but I was never allowed to fight.” I sigh softly and look at the wall.
“I was only eighteen when I found my mate. But by then, my parents had been dead for three years, and I wasn’t the same person I used to be. I still trained and I was still our best fighter, but I was withdrawn and quiet. I only spoke to others when they spoke first. And because of that my mate, the future alpha of my pack, rejected me. In his eyes I was weak and unfit to be Luna.
“Over the six years I’ve been gone from my pack, I’ve felt it every time he slept with another femme. Over time, I was able to hide the pain it caused. But I wasn’t expecting him to mark another. That pain was ten times worse than anything I ever felt in my life.” I stop talking and pick up the cup of water sitting beside my bed. Greg was quiet, but I could tell that he listened to every word I said.
“When I ran, I didn’t stop until I found a town that didn’t have a single wolf in it; Rollins. Life for me was going fine those first years here. Then your pack moved in and I knew that it wouldn’t be long until I slipped up and y’all found me. I didn’t want to be shipped back to my pack because I didn’t want to face him. But now it doesn’t matter.”
“And why’s that Tami?” Greg asked softly, his voice still kind and caring. Turning to face him, I give him a weak smile. “It doesn’t matter anymore because in a month’s time, he’ll be here to see you.”
“Jubal Hill?” Surprised filled his eyes as he looked at me. I laughed but it sounded bitter to me. “That’s the one. I doubt that I would have your permission to be gone by the time he gets here huh?”
“I won’t let you leave Tami. I’ve grown accustomed to having you around.” He smiles at me and sits up. “But, I will grant you permission to find a place to stay for the week that he’ll be here if you’d rather not see him.” I bow my head in respect. “Thank you Alpha. I have the perfect place in mind.”
“Just call me Greg, Tami. We’re friends aren’t we?” Nodding slowly, his smile grows. “Now, I have a question for you Tami. And you don’t have to answer right away. Would you like to become a member of the Lost River pack?” Looking him, I notice that he wanted me to join. Lilly, do you think we should?
I don’t see why not Tamar. Jubal made it clear that he doesn’t want us anymore. As long as we stay clear of Jubal and anyone from that pack, we should be good.
I’m sorry he rejected you because of me Lilly.
It’s not your fault girl. He couldn’t see that you were still mourning the loss of your parents. I smile mentally at her and look back at Greg. “We’d like that Greg.” I say softly. “What’s your full name Tami?”
“Tamar Ellen Hale.”
“Do you, Tamar Ellen Hale, pledge your allegiance and loyalty to the Lost River pack until death? Do you pledge to defend the pack against any threat made against us?”
“I do pledge.” Instantly, I felt the bond snap into place. The wolves that were using the bond to speak to others sounded like whispers, but I could easily block them out. “Thanks for taking me in Greg.” I say as sleep started to claim me. Greg stands up and places a soft kiss on my head. As he left, he said, “I’d do it all over in a heartbeat Tami.” And for the first time in six years, I felt at peace with myself as I drifted off to sleep.