Shifters

Chapter 1

"Come on! We're almost there!" Raul encouraged, climbing on his hands and knees. He was 18 now, his dark amber eyes sparked his determination to get to the top. Despite the chilly air, and the powdery snow that surrounded him as he climbed, beads of sweat still formed along his brow line, and dampened his shaggy brown hair.

He pulled himself over the edge and collapsed on the soft ice panting exhaustedly. "Man, that was a workout", he commented. Sitting up and stretching. He rolled out his shoulders. It did feel great though, he thought to himself.

"I can't...believe", A girl's voice panted, slender arms rose over the edge and tried with fail to pull up the body they were attached to. "That I let you... drag me... up here!" She was too tired to really complain and express the annoyed tone she desired in her voice.

He gave her a hand onto the summit of the mountain that they'd spent all afternoon climbing. She dropped on the snow, and tried to catch her breath while sending him an angry glare. She was a perfect female version of her father. Similar bright amber eyes, fair skin, red full lips, and wavy, light brown hair, though her features were soft like her mother's, and she lacked her father's pointed nose. But, she did have his dimples on her cheeks when she smiled. Recently her birthday had announced her coming of age, 16, the excitement of it still made her tremble despite it being a little over a week ago. From now on, no one could call her a "pup".

Raul narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "Give me a break, Kayla." His eyes widened in sudden memory, "and besides you wanted to come, doofus."

She giggled, and pushed him aside playfully. It was impossible for her to hold a grudge on him for very long. They had grown up together, after all. He was her best friend, and best cousin.

"Yeah, whatever", she laid back down and sighed in the cool wintery air. The spicy scent of the pine trees warmed her nose and sent a spray of delight through her chest. The snow had just fallen last night, it was soft like fluff and white as the ivory summer clouds, not like the winter clouds leaving her valley, grey and dull, weak from the load of powdered water they had dropped over her town. She turned her nose up from them, and stared at the gentle blue sky above. It was so soft looking, she felt she could touch it.

"I wish I was a Dragonian, so I could fly and sleep in that sky." She spoke breathlessly. She closed her amber eyes with a smile and imagined it.

Raul lifted a brow and sat for a few moments. He had grown used to Kayla's bounding imagination by now. Though, it still never failed to make him want to laugh out loud and tease her. It was almost like she begged for it. The reason for their long climb suddenly sprung on him, with a gasp he jumped up and kicked snow over her dreaming face. "Get over here, I almost forgot what I wanted to show you."

She scoffed and shook the snow off herself, he always gave her such a rude awakening. She groaned and raised herself up over the crunching slush and followed him to the edge of the summit. He smiled proudly and waved a hand in front of them.

"Behold," He announced in a theatrical, Shakespearean kind of way. It was the voice he had imagined all the characters of those plays to be in, even the women. "The kingdom you will be inheriting once Uncle Anthony retires his post as Alpha and hands it over to you!" he beamed excitedly, "And then I will be taking my dad's place as second in command!"

"Wow", Kayla mouthed.

They were standing on the highest mountain in the perimeter of their valley. Of course it was nothing compared to the towering mountains in the range behind them, but it still gave the greatest view. She could see everything, from the dense forest on the other side of the valley, to the many townspeople it contained, hurriedly shopping for their favorite holiday, Christmas. From way up high it looked like a wintry wonder land, the kind that was sold in stores and made to build for decoration.