Unclaimed

Chapter Nine

When I woke, I immediately stripped my shirt off over my head, cursing myself for sleeping in it as if Alpha Grady didn't have a habit of walking right into my house. I pulled the blankets over my body, naked besides my underwear, and looked out the window. The sun was up higher than normal.

I checked my phone. Eleven? How did I sleep so late? I noticed a text message from Alpha Grady, and my blood heated before I had a chance to even read it.

"No run this morning. Pack will run tonight for full moon. You can come for breakfast if you want."

I sighed as sadness washed over me. I had missed breakfast with him and Grandma Lisa, and I had a feeling that she might have missed me enough to ask him where I was. Quickly I sent back, "I just woke up. Sorry I missed breakfast."

My stomach growled as I thought of the delicious meals I'd missed out on over the last twenty-four hours. I pulled my own shirt on, tossing Alpha Grady's shirt back into the hamper.

**

I danced around the kitchen as I scrubbed at my dishes in the sink. I heard a knock at the door just before it opened, and I didn't have time to hide my lacy underwear so I grabbed a kitchen towel and held it in front of my lower body as Beta Mark stepped inside.

His eyes landed on me for just a second before he turned away. "Oh, no. I'm sorry. Everyone is helping gather wood for the fire tonight. We'll be ready to shift just before sundown."

"Okay. I'll get dressed. Should I meet you somewhere?" I hadn't known I was expected to be helping. Why hadn't Alpha Grady told me?

"Just grab some wood and bring it to the fire pit."

"Thank you."

**
I dropped the last load of wood and rolled my shoulders, recognizing the discomfort of my muscles. It was almost time to shift, and my body was calling out for it. I was so nervous about shifting in front of these people. No one had ever seen me in my wolf form, besides the few times I hadn't been able to control myself during puberty.

I shivered, looking around the pack. My nervousness was going to make me shift early, and the more I thought about it, the worse it got. I took a few steps back, trying to escape the feelings, but it was no use.

A roar ripped through me as thick fur sprouted all over my body. My bones changed, my canine teeth lengthened, and my paws dropped onto the ground. Luckily, the pain didn't last very long after the initial shift.

I watched as everyone around me shifted into wolf form, taking on different shades and colors, spurred on a little early by me. My wolf was a dark brown, like a chocolate lab. There were too many wolves around the fire pit for me to recognize anyone I knew.

The pack took off in a sprint on the property line, following a nearly identical path to the one Alpha Grady and I took every morning. But after a mile, something drew my attention. I pressed my nose to the soft leaves in front of me, leaving the path behind as I went on my own adventure.

Barking and howling sounded from behind me. Peter tried to push into my mind, but I pushed him out. I didn't care that I was leaving territory. Something was drawing me and I had to find it.

A familiar scent I couldn't recognize wafted into my powerful nose, and I sprinted to its source. My paws dug at the ground where the scent was the strongest.

I winced as I heard the howl of an alpha, warning me that my actions would have consequences, but didn't stop. Furiously, I pulled up the sod under me until it hit me. Grady, Grady, Grady... I needed him. I begged for him until I knew he could hear my thoughts. Grady, Grady, Grady...