Red in the Blue

Prologue: Housekeeping

Hey! The story starts for real in the next chapter. First, some housekeeping, some level-setting, some content warnings.

Synopsis: Lore has always been content to ignore the older, more archaic aspects of werewolf existence—she doesn't pledge loyalty to any pack, she doesn't go out of her way to take part in any werewolf cultural touchstones, and she's never looked for her mate. If there's a role for her in werewolf society, she doesn't know it and she isn't trying to know it. She lives almost exclusively among mortal humans and takes the occasional wolfy jog in whatever woods she can find. Her suppressed wolf is a good gut check, but little else. Then she's thrust, by pure chance, into the path of her fated mate. And to make matters worse, he's an alpha. Now, Lore is forced to reconcile her rejection of werewolf cliches with the irresistible draw of the man she's (begrudgingly) destined to be with.

Content warnings: this story will have a whole bunch of profanity and a whole bunch of sex. It is, first and foremost, a romance between two adults, and they will do adult things. I will be careful to include content warnings on specific chapters accordingly.

The lore: I love werewolf lore but some of the tropes are problematic as fuck. Some of these problematic-as-fuck tropes I will be using anyway, because we are all creatures of inconsistency. (Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself. I am large, I contain multitudes.)

You will find in this story:

· Werewolves, referred to colloquially as shifters.

· Genetic werewolves: most werewolves in this story have a gene passed to them by their parents, who are also werewolves. It can also be passed through bite, but this is generally discouraged and happens more rarely.

· Fated mates: according to The Lore, every shifter has a fated mate. Many werewolves ignore this and marry who they want, but most, married or not, if they happen across their mate at some point in life, choose to be with that person. Some do meet their fated mate and choose not to be with that person, but, for obvious reasons, it's rare.

· Claiming bites: werewolf mates used to bite each other to show their "ownership" of each other, like a wedding ring. This bite would heal as a visible scar other werewolves could look out for. However, many now opt not to do it. It's a personal choice between mates.

· Alphas: this is essentially a pack leadership position and is now democratic. There are many ways to become an alpha, not just hereditary. Anyone, regardless of gender identity, etc., can be an alpha. An alpha can serve in that role until they choose to resign, or until they are voted out.

· Lunas: traditionally the title reserved for the female mate of the male alpha (like the first lady to the president), this term has fallen largely out of use but may be used colloquially.

· Packs and rogues: werewolves can voluntarily choose to be members of different packs, though many belong to the same pack as their family members. They may move away from the pack and remain members, but most benefits of membership exist in the community found in living together. Any shifter who chooses not to belong to a pack is called a rogue.

· Hidden identities: regardless of pack status, all werewolves must keep their wolf-sides secret from mortal humans. They are also forbidden from biting mortals and turning them to werewolves, unless doing so is the only way to save a mortal's life. There are laws governing this, enforced by a council generally made up of the alphas of each pack or an appointed emissary.

You will not find in this story:

· Moon-compelled transformations: though werewolves may find the seasons and their moods affect their control, they do not compulsorily shift at the full moon.

· Betas, omegas: not for me, y'all. I can't get behind the eugenics of it all. Though alphas appoint lieutenants to help them in the execution of their duties, these roles are not in any way tied to anyone's "natural" or genetic dominance over anyone else.

· Mind-linking: mates can't read each other's minds, however, they are more aware of each other's emotional states and are deeply connected to each other, sometimes to the point of sensing things about their mate. This varies from person to person as it would with human mortals.

Thanks for sticking with me through the boring stuff. We love informed consent here. Enjoy the story! Thanks for reading!

Note: The title of this work comes from Sleep Token song "The Summoning"