- Birthday Shift

SKYLER'S POV

I finished preparing the special lunch for the visiting Alpha. I had just completed the cleaning of the kitchen from my cooking when I feel a sharp pain run up and down my back and into my arms and legs. I try to hold in my scream and hold on to the kitchen counter hard until the pain passed.

Once the pain has passed, I slowly make my way to the stairs. I put my hand on the rail and suppress another scream as another wave of pain runs down my spine. I wipe the tears from my cheeks and freeze as I see my fingers. They now have claws instead of fingernails. Just as another wave hits, I realize that my body is getting ready to shift.

As I wait for this wave of pain to subside, I frown, realising that I shouldn't be shifting yet. I shouldn't shift until the moon rises, but I am. When the pain finally subsides, I let go of the railing, and then ran out the back door, through the woods, until I make it to the flower field.

I had always told Mum after we found the flower field that this is where I wanted to have my first shift, as there was water nearby and the smell of the wildflowers was just beautiful and extremely relaxing. Except when I had planned it at the age of 5, it was meant to be a special happy time, with my family there for me.

My Mum there to hold me telling me the pain won't last long, my Dad there to tell me I was doing great and I would be the most beautiful wolf in the world besides my Mum of course and James sulking and telling me that I was being a baby but I was here in the flower field surrounded by the beautiful smelling flowers, doing it on my own.

Once I got there, I ran to the center of the field where I collapse and finally let myself scream out loud and allow the pain to wash over me as tears stream down my cheeks. I allow myself to continue to cry as being here in the flower field made me feel like I was closer to mum, that she was there with me and that made me not as terrified but I am still scared.

I lay on the cold ground but I don't feel it as cold. It actually felt really good while my body gets hotter and hotter as the popping of my joints and the cracking of my bones get louder and more painful.

Once the popping, cracking and pain finally start to ease, I close my eyes and relax on the ground for a little while; I open my eyes again and look down to see light grey paws instead of hands, stood up slowly, and was a little wobbly to start with as I got used to my four paws, when I was finally steady I stretched out first my font legs, lifting my butt and tail into the air, I then stretch out my back legs arching my nose to the sky and lastly I straighten and shook out my fur coat. I jump a little as I hear a sweet voice inside my head.

"Hello, Skyler! Happy Birthday! My name is Alice, and I'm your wolf."

I focus on her voice as I reply,

"Hi Alice, it's nice to finally meet you. Shall we go and have a look at us in the lake?"

"Yeah, that sounds great."

So with that agreed on, I changed my focus from listening and talking to the voice in my head and slowly walk over to the edge of the lake, taking my time to get used to using my four legs rather than two. I peered down into the water, so I could look at my reflection and was in awe.

My wolf was beautiful, she was the same light grey as my Mum's but I had a singe of Dad's black coating the tips of my ears, paws, nose, and about an inch wide stripe running down my back all the way to the tip of my tail. I turn inward, concentrate, and speak to Alice.

"You are very beautiful, Alice! I am just sorry our Mum isn't here to see it. She would have loved the look of us..."

"That she would have Skyler. Um... Skyler, you do know that it wasn't your fault?"

"What wasn't?"

"Mother's death, it wasn't your fault..."

I don't agree with her and without even realizing it; I step back and allow Alice to take control. I lay curled up in my mind, crying for a while, until Alice calls to me to join her in having some fun. I mentally wipe my eyes and join her. After joining and letting Alice run around the field chasing butterflies for a while, I looked at the sky and decided that it was getting late and that I should head back to the packhouse.

I had to make sure I have everything set up in time and placed perfectly for the coming Alpha. I don't want to be punished today of all days with another Alpha watching. Because my birthday punishment is always twice as bad as a normal punishment and if he adds another Alpha to watch, it will be even worse.

I run back to the packhouse in wolf form; I stop and pull on a large t-shirt that I find and picked up from behind a tree near the edge of the woods next to the packhouse; it is obviously a spare shirt for the border patrols returning if they had to shift while out. I enter quickly into the kitchen, washing my hands in the sink. I then start grabbing the food I prepared earlier. I put some into the oven to heat and set up the rest on the big formal table in the dining room.

Once I am done, I take one more look around to make sure everything is in place and I double-check everything so that I haven't missed anything; I go back into the kitchen, pull out the heated food, put it on a tray, and then place them on the table. I then take one last look around the table again to make sure everything was in its place.

I then head up the stairs to my room, so that I am not anywhere nearby when the other Alpha arrives. Unfortunately, I bump into James on the stairs.

"Watch it! Bitch!! My goddess Skyler, you could have at least put on a clean shirt to cook lunch in. Is lunch all set?"

"Y-yyess, James, lunch is all set in the dining room ready for Alpha to present."

I move to walk away and continue up to my room when he grabs and pulls me back by my hair, saying.

"I didn't say you could go yet"

James then punches me in the ribs that Alpha had broken last night. They had healed a little after my shift thanks to Alice, but they were still broken and very tender. I end up curled into a tight ball on the floor, trying to protect myself as much as I could, as James was kicking me everywhere he could find an opening.

Once he was done and satisfied, I listen as he then turns and continued to walk down the stairs laughing as he meets up with one of his friends at the bottom. I lay there for a while trying to catch my breath as I believe he had just broken another rib or two, and I try to keep myself from crying as that just makes the others pick on me more.

"Don't worry Skyler, now that I'm with you, I can help you heal a lot quicker."

"Thanks, Alice!"

Now, with the help of Alice, I managed to get to my feet and slowly make my way up the rest of the stairs to my room. I ignore the pain that is spreading through me with each step I take. I enter my room and just as I was about to close my door; I heard the front door open and a lot of commotion down in the living room. However, I just can't muster up enough energy to actually care about what is going on down there now.

I continued to close my door but not all the way as I know the Alpha will probably call me at some stage, to do something for either him or the visiting Alpha, So with Alice working to heal my battered body, I quickly change out of the shirt I picked up outside and put back on some of my own clothes, I then fall onto my bed allowing the darkness that has been threatening to consume me since my run-in with James finally win.

- Alpha Mason

ALPHA COLE MASON'S POV

This is one thing I hate about my job, I hate having to travel to the other packs and having the Alpha's of those packs kissing my arse, but if I want to keep my allies and my treaties up to date either me or my brothers have to visit each one. Unfortunately, I drew the short straw today and I'm the one that has to do the visit to the Midnight Lake Pack. On the bright side, I might find my mate. We each believe we will, one day, meet our mates on one of these alliances or treaty updates. We, or should I say I am hoping that we won't have the same mate. I don't know if I or my wolf Xander would be able to share her. My name is Cole Mason and I am one of 3 Alphas from the Royal Blood Moon Pack.

I am traveling today with our Beta Max Fight. It's a long 6-hour drive from our pack to the Midnight Lack Pack. I hate these long drives. I would have preferred to have run in wolf form, but I am traveling to this pack to renew our alliance and our protection for them. So, they would see my arrival in wolf form as a threat. So I just stare out the window trying to imagine what my mate will be like. Will she be strong-willed or will she be a submissive? Will she be beautiful or plain... I smile as Xander growls at me for that description of our mate, but most of all, I want her to be loving.

I must have dozed off with images of my ideal mate running through my head because the next thing I know we have pulled off of the highway and are pulling up the driveway to the packhouse of the Midnight Lake pack. Once the car has stopped, I open my door and climb out of the car, along with Max, and stretch, thinking again that there must be a better way to keep everything running smoothly and up to date without all the travel involved. Ha! I can dream, can't I?

As I make my way to the door, Xander starts to pace and is getting really restless inside my head, making me feel rather nervous and giving me a slight headache, so I turn inward.

"Xander, what's wrong?"

"I don't know, but something good is about to happen."

"Xander, what do you mean, something good?"

"I don't know, it's just something good!"

"You really are no help."

I finish talking to Xander and cut him out as much as possible. I lift my hand and knock on the door. A young female opened the door. Once she sees us, she bows says politely.

"Welcome, Sir! Please do come in, the Alpha will be down shortly."

As soon as I enter the packhouse, I am hit with something smelling heavenly of forest and flowers, but I am interrupted and pulled back to reality by the booming voice of Alpha Jackson.

"How are you doing, Alpha Mason?" Alpha Jackson asks, extending his hand for me to shake. I reluctantly take his offered hand.

"Not bad.." I replied, shaking his hand for the shortest time possible. I didn't like this guy, he just felt off. He seemed to change after his mate died.

"Lunch has been served in the dining room, awaiting your arrival. Shall we go and eat? Then, we can move to my office and conclude our business. Oh! This is my son, James. He will be taking over from me in a couple of months so he will be joining us."

"Thanks. This is my Beta Max. He will be joining us as well." I say as I follow Alpha Jackson to the dining room, after shaking James's hand quickly.

We enter the dining room. It looks to be set up perfectly and that heavenly scent of forest and flowers hits my nose again. Xander whines in my head. I look around but can't tell where it is coming from. After a little while of eating, Alpha Jackson yells.

"SKYLER!!!!"

"SSKKYYLLEERR!!!!"

After a short amount of time, I hear light footsteps coming from upstairs, making their way down to us. I turn around and see the most beautiful girl ever enter the dining room. She has her long black hair over her face and long baggy clothes on.

"MATE! MATE! MATE!" Xander is chanting and growling inside my head at the top of his lungs. Giving me the start of another headache.

As I massage my temples, trying to relieve some of the pain. Once I manage to quiet Xander down enough, I pay attention to what is now happening between Alpha Jackson and this Skyler girl.

'SMACK' I now see Skyler holding her cheek, and Alpha Jackson is saying, "Where are the drinks? I thought you told James that everything was done to perfection!... If that was so, why don't I have a drink in front of me and I certainly can't see any drinks on this table?." 'SMACK'

Xander was growling loudly inside my head now, as the Skyler girl whimpered a "Sorry Alpha!"

I presume she then ran to the kitchen to get drinks for everyone. I was starting to get quite upset at seeing Jackson strike our little mate.

I watch Skyler re-enter the dining room, carrying a large tray full of drinks. She served the Alpha, then me and then made a round of the table giving one to everyone else, then made her way back to the Alpha, except as she walked past James, I saw he had this evil smirk on his face as he put his foot out just a bit and made Skyler trip. The last of the drinks on the tray went flying and landed all over Alpha Jackson.

Alpha Jackson growled extremely loudly, causing the whole house to shake. He jumped up and grabbed Skyler by the hair, and dragged her out of the room. I also jumped up, knocking my chair over, and followed them into his office.

"Sorry!.. Sorry!... Sorry!... Sorry!!!" I could just make out Skyler's soft whimpering words.

Ignoring her whimpering sobs, Alpha Jackson throws Skyler into the office. She lands with a crash and a crack on the floor in front of his desk. She lets out a soft groan as she tries to move. He walks up to her again, grabs her by the hair, and is about to punch her in the face when I walk into the office behind him. I move with the speed of Xander and grab his arm before he can make contact.

"YOU WILL NOT HIT MY MATE AGAIN..."

I yell as I pull him away from a whimpering Skyler. Xander was pushing to come out and protect his mate. I move to be in between him and Skyler.

"I will treat my daughter, however, I feel like treating her... It is not your place to tell me how to discipline a member of my pack, let alone my family!" He resorts back to me.

I couldn't stop him. Xander took over as I turn around at his words and punched him hard directly in the nose, knocking him out, before he had a chance to do or say anything else.

Xander then backed off just a little as we crouched down next to Skyler, whispering, "I will not hurt you, little one!"

I slowly picked her up, bridal style. She whimpered again but cuddled in closer to my chest. Which made a small smile grace our lips.

"MAX!"

I then yelled, walking out of his office and back towards the dining room. Max stops just outside the dining room doorway in front of me.

"Alpha Jackson and the Midnight Lake Pack are no longer under our protection. We are leaving."

I growled at him as I continue walking towards the front door. I also continue to fight with Xander as he is still very close to the surface, wanting to go back and beat the crap out of Alpha Jackson just for the fun of it.

Max looked at me, then at the girl in my arms in confusion. Something must have clicked after a few seconds as he then started to follow after me. I walked out of the house and over to the car with Skyler in my arms. Max runs over and opens the back door so I can climb in without removing my arms from around the precious little package within them. Max then makes his way around and climbed into the driver's seat. He speeds off down the driveway onto the road, heading back to our pack, back to our home.

- New Life and Love

SKYLER'S POV

I hear someone say something softly to me but I can't make out what is said over the pain running through me. I think he just re-broke the ribs Alice had just finished healing. I then feel two arms wrap around me and lift. I feel like I'm floating. I know that they are not the Alpha's as they are not cold like his have been since I was 7. These arms are warm and then I am surrounded by this divine scent of chocolate and rain. That is when I realize that I am being carried in a pair of strong arms belonging to someone that I don't know. I feel sparks everywhere his arms touch my body even through the thin layer of clothes I was wearing, but now instead of feeling scared, I relax as I feel comfortable and safe like nothing can touch or hurt me. I snuggle closer to the warmth, inhale deep, and fall back into darkness.

I jolt up with the sun in my eyes, looking at the time to see that it is 11 am and panic. I go to jump out of bed but get caught up in the sheets. I then hear laughing coming from the door.

"What's so funny?" I question before I can stop myself and look up at the unknown man in the door frame. His divine smell of chocolate and rain entered the room, and he had a powerful aurora coming off of him. He was an Alpha. Oh no! I thought, once I was able to get myself untangled from the sheets, I got to my feet. I backed up to the wall slowly and lowered my head and eyes as a show of submission to him. Whispering "Sorry Sir! It won't happen again."

"MATE! MATE!"

Alice was screaming in my head, but I didn't believe her. Nothing good has ever happened to me since that day mum died.

"No! Alice! He can't be. He's an Alpha."

My Alpha, My Dad must have finally caved and sold me to that visiting Alpha after i made such a fool of him at lunch. I just hope I don't disappoint him like I did my dad. I shake a little in fear as I hear him slowly walk up to me and feel him put his fingers just under my chin. I flinch a little, expecting him as my new Alpha to slap me for speaking without permission, being in a room that is obviously not mine, for sleeping in and not doing my chores. I hoped he didn't notice my flinch or my fear, but he does. I feel the sparks again as he slowly put pressure on his fingers to make me look up at him. He had gorgeous sapphire blue eyes that I could get lost in all day.

"You never have to hide your face or anything from me, sweetheart. I would and will never hurt you. Now would you like some lunch?" he dropped his hand from my chin with a smile, then started to walk to the door.

I nodded silently, blushing, as this surprised me and I couldn't seem to form any sort of reply. I followed him quietly to the kitchen, where we came across another male. Again, I lowered my head out of respect and stand by the wall next to the door.

"Hey, Max!? What's for lunch?" The Alpha asks,

"Sandwiches!" Max smiles and continues. "So, Cole, who is this lovely lady?"

So the Alpha's name is Cole, and the other guy is Max. I smile to myself.

"Max, this is Skyler, my mate, and Skyler, this is our Beta Max Fight," Cole states with a big grin, as he holds his hand out to me. "Come sit at the counter. Max makes the best sandwiches ever."

"Gee thanks, man," Max says, blushing

I hesitantly take his hand and he leads me over to the counter. I sit quietly as he then goes back to the other side of the counter. I just listen and giggle as the two males banter back and forth while Max is making lunch. The next thing I know, another male walks into the kitchen. I smell another wonderful smell of mint and sage and hear a low growl coming from the door.

"MATE!"

"MATE!" Alice says again.

My giggles die and my head snaps towards the door. I can't help the fear that passes through me as I look wide-eyed at the male that is standing just in the doorway. He looks stiff as if he is fighting himself to stay in the doorway. I see his eyes flash as he loses the battle and slowly walks over to me. He then moves behind me, leans down, and wraps his big arms around my waist while breathing in my scent.

I freeze, flinch, tense, and whimper all at the same time. Not knowing what to expect from this male, he didn't seem to notice as Cole did in the bedroom. As I take a breath and smell his intoxicating scent of mint and sage, I relax a little, allowing me to feel tingles spread out from where his arms touch my skin; they are just as nice as the sparks I get from Cole touching me, but I don't know him so this still doesn't stop me from being terrified of him, as he could do anything to me and I couldn't stop him, I then wonder as I flick my eyes to Alpha Cole if he would do anything to stop him if he did try anything.

Cole must have heard my whimper as turns his attention from Max, looks over to me, and then eyes the new male growling.

"Elijah? What are you doing with your arms around my mate?"

The male holding me lifts his head from my neck and growls in reply, "She is my MATE!"

He then tightens his arms around me. I whimper again as he hits and starts to put too much pressure on my still healing ribs. The fractured ones are now nearly fully healed thanks to Alice. I just hope he doesn't cause them to break again or make the ones still broken worse.

When the male with his arms wrapped around me finally noticed my soft whimpering, he loosens his hold on me, allowing me to breathe and move just a little, but he doesn't let me go completely. As they continue to growl at each other, I turn inward to Alice,

"Alice? How is this possible? We have two mates?"

"I'm not sure, but they are both our mates and I have a restless feeling that there is still more to come."

"What do you mean? Alice? What more to come?"

After her comment, she doesn't answer me again as she disappears to the back of my mind. I then tune back into what is happening in the kitchen around me. Elijah, I worked out, still has his arms firmly around my waist, while Cole and he kept exchanging growls. This was starting to really scare me as to what they would both do to me or to each other.

Their growls were getting louder and louder and more and more threatening towards each other. I try to get to my feet from off the stool, but I don't get to move too far as Elijah tightens his hold around me again, stopping me from moving. Now I really start to panic and begin to struggle, needing to get out of his arms. I whimper softly,

"Please, don't hurt me... Please, let me go..."

I jump, stop struggling and quieten my whimpers even more as Max sighs and yells,

"ELIJAH! COLE! ENOUGH!"

He then continues in a normal voice, "Calm down, both of you! Look at her, you guys are scaring the shit out of her. Elijah? Can you please let her go so she can at least breathe and calm down?"

Elijah sighs and lets me go. He then sits down on the stool next to me, leans across, and grabs one of my hands from my lap so he could hold it in his. Cole then walked around the counter and sits on the stool on my other side, lacing his fingers with mine and then moving my hand onto his lap. I relax a little, having both of them touching me, as the tingles and sparks spread from my hands up my arms and mix when they reach the middle of my body. Even though I am still extremely scared, I now feel a little safe.

"Thank you, Max..." Alpha Cole looks towards Max, who has gone back to making the sandwiches. He then looks past me at Elijah and says.

"I guess now that we are not scaring the hell out of our mate, how about I introduce you to her!?!"

"Skyler, my dear!" He brings his hand up and kisses the back of my hand, making me shiver as more intense sparks race up my arm,

"This here is Elijah Mason, one of my slightly younger brothers. Elijah, this is Skyler Jackson. I found her and brought her back with me from my visit to the Midnight Lake Pack yesterday."

"Oh! How did that go? Was the Alliance and protection diameters updated and resigned?"

I don't listen to them talk as I try to think, Mason!?! Mason!?! Where have I heard that name before?... James had said that my Alpha was having a very important Alpha coming yesterday, and that is why everything had to be perfect. I keep thinking, trying to remember where I had heard that name and why a shiver of fear keeps wanting to run through me. I puzzle this information over and over for a little while until it hits me and I start to shake with fear again; we had learned about them in school in the last few weeks as our alliance with them was coming up for renewal.

We were taught that 'The Mason Alpha's are the most feared Alpha's in the country, next to the Werewolf king himself. They were three brothers, all Alpha's, they are known across the country for their ruthlessness, cruelty, cunning, and that they kill any who wanders onto their territory without permission from one of the three. They run the Royal Blood Moon Pack with an iron fist, which gives them the best warriors that are feared by all. Which is what allows them to protect all the packs under their alliances and protection, even the King. They are also known for taking and using any and all females they want, whether the female wants to or not.

I pale and whimper slightly as I come to this realization. I then slowly move and get up off my stool, backing away from the males sitting at the counter. They look at me with curious and confused expressions on their faces as I manage to softly pull my hands out of theirs. Once my hands are free, I turn and run out of the kitchen. I have no idea where I am and I am not sure where to run because from what I learned it wouldn't matter if I run upstairs or out the door, if they wanted me, they will catch me. I make a quick decision and decide that maybe running upstairs and hiding in one of the empty rooms would be the best idea to start with. That might make my punishment a little less when they find me, and I know they will.

I run to the first room that I find that is unlocked and has no one in it, I quickly move inside, close, and lock the door behind me. I lean on the door for a few seconds and then run over into one of the dark corners of the room that is the furthest from the door. I push my back into the wall and then slowly slide down it until I can curl up into a ball on the floor. I allow my tears to slowly run down my cheeks and soft sobs to escape my lips, as I realize that I have not only just run away from an Alpha or two, I just ran from two of the most feared Alphas around. I am sure to be punished badly by both of them for doing so.

I whimper slightly as I hear the door being unlocked and open. I also hear a couple of male voices, so I curl more into myself and I then don't move. That way, if I don't move, they won't find me because if they find me, they might just kill me and not even think twice about it. I hold my breath as I feel someone next to me and then slowly put their arms around me, carefully picking me up. From the warmth and the sparks, I know it is Cole. I whimper and whisper.

"I'm sorry Alpha! I won't run again!! Please don't hurt me!"

I feel as a low growl runs through his chest but he doesn't say anything as I curl up more into his hold while he carries me back to his room from the scent. I wait for his punishment as he lays me on the bed and covers me with the blankets, saying.

"It is okay, Skyler. Relax. You have been through a lot, just rest and we can work it out later!"

I guess he will punish me later. He places a soft kiss on my forehead and leaves the room. I let a couple more tears fall as the last person to put me to bed and kiss me like he just did was my mum the night before my birthday. I then fall into the darkness of sleep, but it doesn't last long.