SHIFTING MOONLIGHT-The Prequel-BOOK 0 of the Shifter series.
Sasha sat at the vanity brushing her long black hair, excitement and dread warring in her stomach. Looking in the mirror for a last minute check, she assessed the makeup accentuating her pale skin, big green eyes, and insanely long lashes.
"Hmm, not bad.” She told her reflection. “It’ll have to do.” She couldn’t procrastinate any longer.
Her parents were waiting downstairs. Dad was Alpha of the eastern territories and not a patient man. Mom, on the other hand, had endless patience, grace and kindness.
“Too bad I take after Dad.” she thought with a twitch to her lips. She liked who she was.
She was a tiny, but confident, 26 year old Alpha female in the making. Standing at 5'4" and curvy, society would say too curvy, not that she cared one whit what society said. “Good thing I’m a shifter, dieting is so not me!” she mused as she hurried downstairs. Sasha was definitely enough of a package to make any shifter stop and stare.
“Finally.” growled Garyson, Sasha's father spotting her coming into the kitchen. “I was about to go drag you down here. You know I can’t be late!” It wouldn’t be good for the hosting Alpha to be late for the intercontinental conference of the wolf clan. All eight alphas of the US and Canadian packs would be there as well as many of their packs. Thoughts of all the single wolves gave Sasha mixed feelings. She might meet her mate!
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Wolf Shifters mate for life, and their inner wolves pick who they want. Not that Sasha didn’t trust her inner wolf, she just didn’t like the lack of control she would have in picking her lifetime mate. Even if her wolf liked his wolf, his human half could be an jerk! She did not want to be stuck with some arrogant male who controlled her every move. She’d seen too many wolves who were arrogant, overbearing, controlling nightmares. Since her inner wolf hadn’t picked anyone from her own pack, that meant her potential mate was a total unknown. Ugh, she hated not being in control of this! Since female wolves are usually attracted to more dominate males, she was considerably worried.
Her dad slid his SUV into a parking space between two similar vehicles at the Park. No need to wonder why most of the parking lot was filled with gas guzzlers. Shifter men were all about power and dominance. Sasha mentally shook herself and wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans.
“I’m not some teenager at my first dance! My mate may not even be here, and if he is…I can handle it." She sighed, "I hope."
“Did you say something Sweetheart,” her mom asked, hopping down from her dad's monster of male strutting. Tall, blonde and willowy, graceful as a swan, Suelyn was everything Sasha was not. The only thing they had in common was their complexion and their smile, both having a cute little gap in their front teeth.
“Nope, just thinking out loud.”
Her dad came around the front of his beast; the opposite of his mate. He was of average height with dark hair, green eyes, framed with those same insanely long eyelashes. You could see immediately where Sasha got her looks, right down to the gold flecks around the irises of their eyes. He was deeply tanned from working long hours outdoors and all that hard work meant that he was built like a truck. He’d run you over, too, if you got in his way. He was a tough but fair alpha, with a huge soft spot: Sasha.
Her younger, unmated brothers, Arik and Bryan were already there, eager to meet the single females. Much more eager than Sasha. Of course, if they found their mate, they wouldn’t have to leave the pack to be with them. That would be the female’s fate.
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JT, the son of the Northwestern territories alpha Lendon, walked into the clearing where the wolves were gathering. The sun warmed the long ponytail that flowed halfway down his back. He was oblivious to the looks from the females, unaware that their fingers itched to set his neatly tied hair free. He was equally unaware that he was definitely the best looking wolf present. Women flirted with him often, but he didn’t pay much attention. Average shifters were not a clumsy race, yet he knew he had a natural grace that was beyond the norm. When combined with his alpha training, that grace and confidence made other wolves notice. JT’s thoughts on the other hand, would make most people politely excuse themselves and leave the room.
"Ha!" He snickered to himself, as he pictured a room full of restless wolves trying to slip out of the "room" of his mind all at once. It's not that his thoughts were boring exactly, they were just serious. His mind is concerned with things he sees as important, since he will be taking over as alpha soon, his dad stepping down by next year. Which is why JT was at the conference representing his pack, instead of his dad, in the first place. For all the past conferences, JT had stayed behind and looked after the pack. As the Alpha in training, it gave him valuable experience he'll need all too soon. It was one reason he was still unmated, losing the opportunity to meet other shifter women, as his mate wasn't found among his pack.
"Figures you would be picky." He thought to his wolf, feeling it's amusement in return. He knew he should have made it to a conference long before now, but responsibilities always took priority over his personal needs. He was here now, though, but would his mate be here as well? With all the responsibility about to descend on his head, he wasn't sure he was ready to find her.
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Sasha walked across the clearing in the middle of the park, taking in the myriad of colors and smells attracting her attention. She loved the Adirondacks, always filled with beauty and splendor, no matter the season. This was her home. Sasha just couldn't picture herself living in a place without these mountains as her ever present backdrop, these woods as her wolf's playground, or without Lake Champlain's view to bring her tranquility. The clearing was crowded with wolves, no tranquility here today. The main meeting wasn't for another hour or so, but most wolves were already here, using this time for socializing, greeting people they knew, meeting people they didn't, and, for some, looking for their mate.
Sasha was still thinking about whether she wanted to meet her mate or not. In fact, she was so engrossed in her thoughts she wasn't looking where she was going. Well, at least she wasn't looking when she hit a wall!
"Umf! The air left Sasha in a huff. She realized she was staring at a teal colored T-shirt, stretched over a very hard, and very sculpted chest. Hands came up almost immediately to steady her. She could feel the heat of his hands on her bare arms. Just as Sasha felt the air return to her lungs, she looked up......and lost her breath all over again.
"Are you okay?" JT grabbed the person he nearly ran over, as she nodded, "I'm very sorry! I should have been paying better attention to where I was walking. A friend had waved at me and as I turned to wave back, I crashed right into you. Again I apologize." Just as he finished talking, the girl in his arms looked up. As her big beautiful green eyes looked at him, it felt like someone punched him in the gut. He couldn't breath. His wolf woke and felt like he was going to burst out of him, uncontrolled, and howled in his mind, "MINE!!!"
Sasha was staring at the most incredible blue-green eyes she had ever seen. As she desperately tried to draw a breath, her wolf feeling like she was clawing to get out and howling, "MINE!!"
She had never felt like she was going to shift uncontrollably before "Calm, breathe," Sasha thought to herself and her wolf. "Please." She begged. The heat from the male's hands on her arms felt like it was burning, yet she couldn't move, couldn't look away, and still couldn't breathe!!
JT wasn't one to panic, as he tried to calm his wolf, he thought to him, "what's wrong?"
"OUR MATE!!" His wolf was projecting into his thoughts. "Claim her!" JT could feel his fangs lengthen.
Meanwhile, Sasha was having similar problems. "My mate? I've been here five minutes!" Not that she could do anything about it, seeing as she was about to pass out from lack of oxygen. Sasha's eyes started to close, and as she lost consciousness, she began to shift.
JT, also, was shifting as consciousness slipped away......
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All of the wolves in the vicinity stopped and stared in awe, as more made their way over to see such a rare occurrence. Very rarely do their people shift to wolf form to mate. This only happens when there is resistance to being mated, either to the person picked by their wolf or to being mated in general. Since the wolves are not willing to risk losing their mates they......takeover. Just until the binding is done, then the wolves are linked, mind, body and soul.
After the binding, the mated pair understand each other completely and there isn't any room left for second thoughts.
The two wolves standing in the middle of a growing crowed didn't notice the other shifters. They were too engrossed in their own feelings of intense joy and happiness for having found their other half. In moments their souls will be complete.
Garyson stepped up to the two wolves, a giant smile on his face. He was good friends with JT's father and although he had only met JT on the occasions the conference was in JT's territory, he knew his reputation. The younger wolf is known for being patient, responsible, strong, and intelligent. He was a good leader and earned people's loyalty easily, for there was was something about him that inspired trust, a quiet dignity, a knowledge that you get when you look into his eyes that you matter, that you matter not just to him but to the world. JT's determined but positive attitude made people feel that he will do his absolute best to make that world a better place. Garyson was smiling because he knew JT would be a perfect match for his strong willed, independent daughter. Here was the one wolf in all the packs that wouldn't butt heads with Sasha, who would let Sasha keep her independence, who could make Sasha happy.
Garyson was prepared for a binding ceremony, as there probably be a few today. It was a simple ceremony, only needing an Alpha, a witness, a length is twine or leather to bind the participants hands with and eight words. As Garyson stood before them, each wolf bit their own paw, drawing blood and held their paws to the Alpha. He brought their paws together mingling their blood and tying a leather thong around their joined paws. "One heart, one mind, one soul." Garyson pronounced over the bound paws, with his head bowed, "for eternity."
As soon as the Alpha finished, heat rushed through the two wolves starting at their joined paws and ending in their tails. Awareness followed the heat, feelings not their own, memories shared. It was as if they had become one, one being, no barriers, no questions, just understanding. They nodded as one to the Alpha, and he unbound their paws. The wolves released their hold on their form and they shifted back to human.
Sasha and JT still held each others eyes as they regained control of their bodies. Their minds forever linked, as was their hearts and souls.
*Hi.* JT's thought filled Sasha's head.
*Hi.* Sasha thought back as tears of joy started to fill her eyes. They both reached at the same time and found each other's hand.
*One heart, one mind, one soul.* they both thought as smiles started filling their faces. For eternity.
*Yes, for eternity.*
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