Annalise gasped for breath as she found herself human again, crouched on the ground, her knees in the dirt. Having watched the other wolves shift back into human form earlier, they had made it look so effortless. The Alpha had spent ten minutes with her privately, directing her to focus properly to shift back. Annalise looked up in relief at the woman standing in front of her, the Alpha.
She was shorter in human form than Annalise had expected her to be, although still taller than Annalise, who stood at a generous 5'4". The Alpha had short blond hair and hazel eyes. She was in her late thirties, dressed in jeans and a plaid shirt. She gave Annalise a proud smile,
"Very good," she said as Annalise got to her feet.
Annalise quickly regained her balance on two feet as easily as she had with four. She looked down, holding out her hands to ensure she was, in fact, human again. Her breath caught, and she felt her heart leap to her throat as she noticed the blood still on her clothes form earlier. She looked up and met the Alpha's gaze, expecting her to be alarmed or panicked. Once again, Annalise found her expectations were wrong as the Alpha quickly regarded her clothing and said calmly, "Come on inside, I have something you can put on."
Annalise watched the Alpha turn to the door leading into the large cabin. She opened it, then paused and turned around, gesturing for Annalise to follow.
"Come on, I won't bite," The Alpha said with a friendly smile.
Annalise smiled awkwardly and followed her inside.
~.~
Now dressed in a clean grey sweater and blue jeans one size too big, Annalise found herself sitting on a brown leather couch in the open living space of the cabin. The large windows opened to the back of the cabin, the view being a gorgeous picture of the woods she was just in moments ago. She heard the Alpha in the kitchen behind her, opening and shutting cupboards. The woman walked around the couch and handed Annalise a white mug, but her still heightened senses recognized the smell immediately as green tea.
"Thank you," Annalise said quietly as she took the warm mug carefully.
She starred down into the cup as the Alpha sat down in a comfortable chair to the left of her. They sat in silence for a few minutes as Annalise continued to look around the room, admiring the interior design choices. She wasn't sure if the Alpha was expecting her to speak first or even what she should say.
The woman leaned forward, gently placing her mug on the coffee table between them and resting her elbows on her knees.
"How about we start with your name?" The Alpha asked slowly, her voice tentative.
Annalise quickly looked over to her and felt her face redden faintly at the realization she hadn't introduced herself yet.
"Right," she said, shifting her weight slightly on the sofa, "I'm Annalise. Annalise Fierrston."
The Alpha smiled at her, "It's nice to meet you Annalise. I'm Candice, the Alpha of the Saphire Pack."
Annalise returned the smile before looking down at the mug resting in her lap again. Her brow furrowed slightly, as she debated what question she should ask her from the millions swimming around in her head.
"So, Annalise," Candice began, "how much do you know?"
"About what?" Annalise replied, confused.
Candice's lips turned up slightly as she observed Annalise's demeanor, "About the curse, being a werewolf, your pack?"
Her eyes widened, "A werewolf?" Annalise said the term as if it were a foreign language.
Candice chuckled softly, "Yes, in case you hadn't noticed, you and everyone else here can shift into wolves."
YOU ARE READING
Rising Embers
Werewolf"Death was something she hadn't thought of much before. Which she heard was normal for her age. In your twenties, even as a teenager, you never envision yourself dying. You think you're invincible. But with the heaviness of her body, the acute pain...
