Thirty Days: A Werewolf Romance

Life Defining Moments

James Richards 

There are moments in your life that define you as a person. The first moment was when I became a wolf. It shaped my identity. It wasn't something I was ashamed of, it was a part of my grandmother's heritage. I was honoured to have been blessed by the Goddess to receive such a gift. The childhood stories that I grew to love were nothing of myth and legend, but something that existed, that was true. I still remember taking my younger brother for long rides on my back. I can still hear his squeal in the back of mind. 

It wasn't until my brother became of age, that the squeal I loved became something that tormented me. My brother's birthday where it was found he was human, became the second moment in my life that defined me. The brother who was like my best friend, became a stranger. He was someone who turned cold and no longer wanted to follow me like my shadow. It was bitter for me because I loved him deeply and wanted to protect him. But alas, it wasn't meant to last and both of us separated following different paths. 

Another defining moment was when I decided to join the Lotus Pack. It was there that I didn't feel resentment for what I was, but I found a sense of belonging. I found another family, one that wasn't bitter or filled with hate. For I could never tell my mother about the truth of my relationship with my brother, her heart would break. So I forged my own relationships, my own path. One that embraced the part of me that my brother could not accept. It was there that I learned to fight, to defend and protect those who needed it. It was there that my career began which led to me becoming a Beta. Following in the footsteps of my mother's bloodline. I still remember the pride on her face when I told her the news.

The most prominent moment that defined and changed my life was when I was introduced to my brother's soon to be wife. She was and still is the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on. She looked like an angel, all dressed in white. I still remember her eyes widening at my presence and when I shook her hand, the sparks that ignited on my skin was something that stories and legend could not prepare me for. I saw her look at my hand as my touch lingered on her skin. However, the thing that I could not prepare for was the look of adoration that my brother had for his wife to be. I clenched my eyes tightly, knowing that I couldn't take away the person who brought the spark and happiness back in his eyes. 

That conversation with Ellie's mother was the longest conversation we ever had. My wolf was howling in mind, he wanted his mate, but he understood the human part of me that couldn't break his brother. It was too late for us. When we spoke in private, I didn't even have to say what we were feeling, she already knew. She rejected me and I in turn rejected her. The pain in my chest was like nothing I ever felt before. It was ripping me apart, it felt like my chest was on fire. With tears in my eyes, I silently watched my brother wed my beloved mate. 

I wouldn't feel pain like that again, until the day I felt my wolf howl in agony. Even if we weren't mated, there was an inevitable string that tied us together. My wolf had lived his life with that simple thread, he lived for his mates happiness. When Ellie's mother died and it snapped, I collapsed in pain, I was distraught. I didn't know what to do to with myself. That saving grace, no longer existed. I felt hollow. 

It wasn't until I laid eyes on little Ellie, who was battered and bruised in my brothers home which was filled to the brim with dirt and drugs. It was that moment that I felt a spark ignite inside me. My wolf howled at the child who resembled my mate. The need, the instinct to protect her had developed. My wolf developed a bond, one that resembled a child. His anger scorched as he looked at my brother in disgust. The need to kill the one who dared hurt the child of his mate, the child he recognised as his own was overwhelming. I could see my mother look at me with concern as my eyes darkened and my nostrils flared. She gently shoved Ellie in my arms, aiming to simmer the fire for my brother's blood.