"If you want, you can ask Fynn to tell you more," Adrianne concluded.

As Ian explained, a baffled look must have been painted on my face, "as alpha he had the responsibility of taking a ridiculously boring course about the history and all the other unnecessary pieces of information."

"He could probably explain everything I just said with ten times more detail," Adrianne sighed, "the perks of being sigma."

Ian snorts as he adds, "that is if he even remembers anything he learnt."

Soon after, the doctor knocked on the door, discharge papers were signed, and we were on our merry way.

Miraculously, story-time had improved Ian's health, enough to go home.

Home. A place I hadn't truly felt in so long.

"Is it the place? Or the people?"

Good question... I think it's the people being at the place that makes it home. Not just one or the other.

I skipped forwards, catching up with a walking Ian. It was as if he was never centimetres away from bleeding to death.

His laugh floated through the forest. "You know how Adrianne said wolf-shifters have special powers?" I nodded, "one of them is the ability to heal incredibly fast."

"Like vampires," I curiously ask, not even sure if they're real. I mean, who knows? Wolf-shifters are!

"Like vampires," he repeats.

A sharp whistle pierced through the slightly warmer winter air. Howls responded as the clearing's surrounding snow started to shuffle. One by one, all five wolves gathered in the clearing.

Déjà vu. It reminded me of when I met the loyal, loving animals for the first time. I laughed as I recalled my fear of the wild beasts.

"You guys can shift into humans now," Adrianne said, laying a pile of large male clothes at the side of the clearing before stepping back to re-join Ian and me in the centre.

Ian turned to me, "you might want to close your eyes for this. It's your first time being present while they change. They also end up nude, for your information.

I immediately covered my eyes, a part of me relieved I wouldn't have to see the physical transformation. Hearing the sounds and bones adjusting is already enough.

"Adrianne."

What about her?

"Grrrr, wolves are ours."

Yes, they are, I'm sure she has her eyes closed as well, no need to be jealous.

"You secretly are too."

Am not.

"Are too."

One by one, bones proceeded to crack as they shortened, narrowed and moved around inside the shifters' bodies. I shivered.

"Where's Brian," a deep, unfamiliar yet familiar voice penetrated through the silence.

Ian nudged me and I uncovered my eyes, taking his action as the cue to do so.

The man who stood before me was magnificent: flowy blonde hair with electric blue strands which seemed to move and float on their own accord, a muscular but lean physique where the top of my head was likely only up to his shoulders, and warm but cool brown eyes which narrowed as they settled on me.

I squirmed under the intensity of his harsh stare, involuntarily pushing myself into Ian's side.

His arm wrapped around me, causing the man with the strong and dominating aura to narrow his eyes further.

As if he could squint any smaller. I zipped my lips before they got me into more trouble.

A masculine laugh sounded to my right, "alpha! Man, take it easy on our girl."

He snorted and continued, "you're scaring her with all you stare-until-she-turns-into-dust staring. She's gonna be scarred for life."

Turning, I met a pair of identical males. They had a lean build, jet black hair and other mirrored features. The only difference was in the eyes. One sparkling blue like the ocean, the other a lust forest green.

"Blaze," I said, bringing up my finger to point at the blue-eyed twin.

"Liam," I shifted my finger to the shifter beside him.

Another clothed shifter stepped out behind them. I pointed at dark brown hair highlighted by redder strands, "James."

His amber eyes lit up with happiness as I recognised him. "Nice to meet you, Katie," his smooth baritone voice warmed my chest.

An arm that wasn't Ian's swung around my neck, slightly rattling me. "Good to know your playful wolf temperament reflects onto your human side," I greeted.

Chuckling, Blaze gave me a hug, "good to know you're just as cute whether I'm in my wolf or human form."

Low growling noises sounded from in front of me, but I purposely chose to ignore his needy behaviour. I was so not dealing with that today.

"Hit nose?" I snickered at the mental image of Fynn's human face as he realised I hit him, storing the picture in my special box in my brain labelled "future laughing material".

Adrianne approached us from where she'd been conversing with Fynn, "we should head to my office, we have a lot to talk about and Katie should be caught up with it all."

Should I be excited or nervous?

"Neither. Feel alert, danger is coming."

***

A/N:

Hello! A semi-long chapter today. Thank you so much for over 700 reads! Love ya'll  <3

The school year's nearly done (it ends on June 24th for me), and I'm so ready for Summer vacay!

QOTC: What flavour gum? If not, what's your favourite candy (brand, flavour, whatever)?

-Hilda

Keep an eye for Chapter 15: 11June2022