29

Stella
When I saw a figure lurking in the shadows, I felt scared. I wanted to warn Julian, Cody, and Skye, but a sudden voice jumped into my head.
‘Hurry, Stella, shift or they get hurt and die,’ I heard a woman’s voice in my head and I freaked out. I felt terrified by that voice.
How did it get to my head?
The voice repeated the word shift in a louder tone that was filled with vigor and power. I did not think much as it was so demanding and absolute. I felt like a soldier receiving orders to kill the enemy. They had no choice but to obey and save others’ lives. I was the soldier.
I ran to fight the wolf that was standing behind my people and jumped over their heads and heard bone cracking in my body. I assumed it was painful but the adrenaline rush blinded me and blocked all the pain from my mind. It was like a dream. I gazed at my hands and saw fur. My mouth was now a long snout. I did not have time to react as my body moved on its own, and I landed on the brown wolf.
What was happening to me?
‘I made you shift. You became a wolf, Stella. A strong wolf that is going to beat this rogue’s butt. Now fight, and think later,’ the woman’s voice answered my question, and I had no other choice.
I fought.
I fought until he dropped to the ground with a broken leg and bloody head. Not a second later, the rogue ran to the woods, leaving me to my thoughts. I looked back to where we were and saw them frozen in place. “What just happened?” Skye and Cody asked simultaneously. Julian approached me and then kneeled down in front of my shivering body. I was not feeling cold. It just felt weird and abnormal.
I’m not human?
‘No, you’ve been a werewolf since the day you were born. It will take time to explain, but in the meantime, my name is Dianna. It’s so good to be back,’ she introduced delightfully. I did not know what to say.
This is too much for me to comprehend. I mean, I can understand and accept Julian’s nature, but me being one?
It was so wrong, weird, funny, I don’t know… I can’t describe it.
Julian pulled his hand and placed it on my big head then rubbed my soft gray fur. It felt good to be touched by him, especially when I was lost and terrified. “Stella?” he trailed off, and I nodded my head in response.
Out of nowhere, I had the urge to be near him, so I started sniffing his clothes and buried my head into his warm wide chest that accepted us. Dianna burred with satisfaction at the contact. After a moment of silence, Julian shifted.
Looks like Peter took over control… Again.
‘Hey, Peter. I’m Dianna,’ my wolf introduced herself to him, and I just stayed silent. Peter came closer and sniffed our neck.
‘Dianna. What a beautiful name for a beautiful Luna. You and Stella are perfect for us.’ His tone was softer than usual. He was whipped. ‘we have a question…’ he trailed off. ‘How is that possible? We did not smell your scent before so we always thought Stella was human. It’s like you weren’t there but suddenly appeared, how?’
‘Yeah, Stella did you know?’ Julian also asked through what I assumed was the mind-link.
‘No, I was too surprised, if I must say. She told me I was born as a werewolf,’ I stated, then Peter and Julian gasped.
Before they could say anything else, Cody and Skye stepped forward. “Guys, not to interrupt or anything, but we would like to share your conversation. We have the right to know, she’s our soon-to-be Luna, and she’s Skye’s best friend,” Cody reasoned. I just nodded and tried to shift back. Then the horror ran through my body…
I didn’t know how to shift back.
‘Julian, how can I shift again?’ I asked, anxious. Both Julian and Peter laughed at me. Hell, even Dianna laughed. ‘What’s so funny?’
‘It’s just your tone is so cute,’ Julian replied, and I felt my cheeks heat up. ‘All you have to do is focus on your human body, picture it in your head,’ he answered.
‘It’s not that hard. You can do it,’ Dianna encouraged me, and I smiled, trying not to panic. I closed my eyes and pictured myself, my human self, wearing a sundress. I struggled at first because of my running thoughts, but after a moment, I focused and felt my bones cracking up like the first shift. I opened my eyes to see human hands again.
“That wasn’t hard,” I commented with a grin.
I did not realize that I was naked until Julian’s growl filled the air. He shifted back quickly to his human form, naked, and stepped in front of Cody’s body. He blocked his view of me. He tried not to look as well. “Skye, there are some spare clothes for me in the trunk. Bring them,” he demanded with a voice full of authority.
Skye bowed her head. “Yes, Alpha,” she replied, then dashed to the Jeep.
“Stella, we will get out of here and head home, so you can tell us everything Dianna says,” Julian said, and I nodded. I felt like I was a robot functioning on default.
“I now understand how you feel when you’re in your wolf form. It felt amazingly good. My senses got extremely better. I could mind-link you as well. ” I was excited once reality became clearer.
“I know how that feels,” Cody commented. Skye came with a large hoodie, a shirt, and shorts, which belonged to Julian. I could actually smell his scent. It smelt like pine trees.
“Wear it, Stella,” Julian ordered. I felt his possessiveness and did not want to mess with him, so I grabbed the hoodie and put it on my naked body. It was too big; it reached just above my knees.
It’s so warm.
Julian put on the shorts and a shirt, and then we headed home.
I really want to know what happened to me.
Was I really born a werewolf?
29
Stella
No one talked on the way home. We stayed silent until Dianna, out of nowhere, started singing in my head. Like literally singing in my head.
What in the world? Why know?
‘Dianna…’ I said to grab her attention. She was so into the song that she did not hear me. The Greatest by Sia. Her voice was worse than Skye’s voice. They will get along for sure.
‘Yeah?’ she replied after she sang the chorus.
‘Why are you singing?’
‘Oh, I sing when I get nervous,’ she reasoned, and I thought. How come she knew about this song if she was never out in the world? She was nervous, but from what exactly?
‘Of what?’ I asked again, eager to know.
‘What do you think? In a matter of half an hour, I will have to explain stuff to you that I have never said before. Think Stella,’ she said and rolled her eyes.
I just nodded. She got a point there.
I did not realize that I zoned out until someone’s hand was in front of my face, waving to grab my attention. “Stella, are you okay?” I turned my head and saw Julian with a worried expression. He was sitting beside me from the passenger seat. Cody was the one driving, and Skye sat next to him.
I smiled. “Yeah, don’t worry about it,” I replied, then grabbed his hand with mine. It felt warm. I felt the sparks with so much power than the last time I held touched him.
Does Dianna have anything to do with it?
“Are you sure? It looked like you were debating with Dianna,” he smirked, and I nodded. He rubbed my palm with his thumb, and it tickled me a bit. I let out a low giggle. “What?” He asked with a smile.
“It tickled. But I loved the sparks that went through my body. They were filled with love and affection more than last time. I love you, Julian, and I think Dianna has some explaining to do.” I said, and he kissed my cheek. His tender kiss made my insides go crazy.
I wanted to kiss him on the lips but decided against it. I did not want Cody and Skye to tease me about it later. I knew Skye, and I was getting to know Cody day by day. They will laugh at me but not in a mean way. In an annoying way, for sure.
I let Dianna take control after we got home and sat in the living room. I let her do it so the rest could hear what she had to say. “Dianna, tell us everything you know about Stella’s past,” Julian requested as he sat across from me on the couch, next to Cody and Skye. I sat in front of them on a chair.
“I’m just talking about Stella today, no one else. Her family, for example, would be for another day,” Dianna explained. They nodded. I encouraged her, knowing that she was nervous about the whole thing.
‘You can do it.’
She sighed before she began talking using my voice. “So, it all started when Stella was born. As we know, the moon goddess made wolves partners for those who have werewolf blood in them. When Stella was born, I was inside her soul. We were meant for each other. I was her partner.”
“We were great together for years until your first shift, which came way earlier than usual. You shifted on your 7th birthday, and no one knew the reason. After the first shift, things turned upside down for us. I just want to say that it was all Raymond’s fault. He went crazy after your parents’ death, but I won’t go into too much detail right now,” she said and went quiet for a while.
‘How come I don’t remember you? ‘
“Well, Stella, you didn’t remember me because of the abuse. It was too much for your little body to handle, so I just drifted away in the back of your mind and soul. You lost your memory of me when you got older, thinking it was a dream, but I couldn’t forget you. I tried to shift and help you with your life and to stay away from Raymond, but I couldn’t do it. Your body was badly hurt, and you suffered from malnutritionment for years. I needed your body to be stronger so that it does not overwhelm you. You could have died if I shifted when you were weak. But today, everything changed. The danger that threatened my mate and pack members triggered me to go wild and release my anger. It’s like I got activated after years of being turned off,” she explained, and I was blown away by what she said.
So it’s all Raymond’s fault after all.
“Wow…” Skye said, then came and hugged us real tight. “I’m so sorry both, you had it rough. Now everything will be alright.” She rubbed my back, and we smiled.
“Thank you,” Dianna said since I could not reply.
‘Do you want me to take over again? ‘ I asked, and she agreed.
Cody got up and walked towards me. “As Skye said, it will be more than alright. Don’t worry, Luna.” He rubbed my shoulder, but we heard a growl. Cody removed his hand from my shoulder as if it stung him.
I looked at Julian, who was right in front of me. “Mine,” he hissed, and we rolled our eyes.
“Stella, we will be with you until the last day we are destined for to be together. I will train you so you can defend yourself if you ever have to. Skye can teach you a few tricks, but I’ll teach you everything I know. You won’t be alone, ever,” he said, then kissed my lips slowly.
I kissed him back, then pulled away with a smile, not caring that Cody and Skye were grinning like goofballs. “Thank you all.”
I’m a werewolf, cool.
And tomorrow… is the graduation ceremony…
I forgot.
Again.