"Ok Eva. Just imagine yourself as your wolf and expand that image so it fills up your entire mind." Grace instructed me.
So I attempted to do as Grace said and imagined myself as my silver wolf. I then let the image expand in my mind until I couldn't think of anything else.
I waited like that for probably a full minute before I started to get a headache and was forced to give up.
"This is the third time I've tried that Grace." I complained to the white haired beauty in front of me. "Isn't shifting meant to be easy after the first time?"
"Normally yes." Grace admitted from her position sitting crossed legged on the grass. "I'm not actually sure why you won't shift. You're doing everything correctly."
"Let me try." Detsy interjected from besides Grace. The latter simply nodding their head to permit Detsy to take over from her.
"Ok Eva, first off I want you to relax. You look like you're going to make your head explode from all the pressure it's under." Detsy instructed me before proceeding to give the same instructions as Grace did, but in a slightly different manner. Although she was a little more patient than Grace when I still couldn't shift.
"Ok, I admit that I'm not sure why you won't shift Eva." Detsy said with a confused expression on her face before turning to Grace. "Could it be because she spent the first part of her life as a wolf instead of a human?"
"I'm not sure either." Grace admitted. "As far as I know there has never been a werewolf that had spent it's childhood solely as a wolf. So this is completely uncharted territory."
"Wait, do you mean to say that I'm now stuck like this?" I say with fear lacing my voice while gesturing to my human body. While I'll admit that my human form definitely has its uses, I do not want to be stuck like this forever.
"No." Grace reassures me immediately. "All werewolves can shift. We just need to figure out what triggers yours as it seems to be different from the traditional method of surrendering yourself to your wolf."
"Well we need to figure it out quickly." I said with a hint of worry weaving itself through my voice. "I am meant to be heading for the Shallow Rivers pack right now and I'm never going to make it there with just two legs."
"I know Eva." Grace said trying to comfort me but sounding a tad stressed herself. "I'm trying to think of what we're missing."
Aurora laughs at us in my head which causes me to sigh. "I don't suppose you've got any ideas on how to shift?" I ask my wolf.
"Actually I do." I hear her reply, much to my relief. "While I appreciate the help Grace, I think you and Detsy should let me talk Eva through this."
Upon hearing my mates names mentioned by Aurora, I turned to inform them of what she said. However I stopped as I saw them both bug eye'd in shock.
"Is that you talking Aurora?" Grace asked through the mind link while still looking dumbfounded.
"It sure is Grace." Aurora replied through the mind link.
"But it's impossible for a wolf to talk to another human directly." Grace stated in complete confusion.
"You would be amazed at how many things you deem to be impossible really aren't my dear Grace." Aurora informed my mate. Detsy still hadn't said a thing or recovered from her dumbfounded expression.
Aurora left Grace to ponder what she'd just said and started talking to me privately. "The mistake you're making is that you're thinking of us as separate beings Eva."
"What do you mean?" I asked Aurora completely confused.
"I mean that you think of me as being a completely separate being that's stuck inside your head. In our case that simply isn't true. I am you and you are me." Aurora tried to explain to me. "For example, you've wondered in the past how the wolves in werewolves heads don't get bored being stuck inside a body being controlled by someone else."
"Yes I remember wondering about that." I said while trying to remember clearly. It was something I'd thought shortly after coming to the Roaring Hills pack and learning of the existence of werewolves.
"Well I don't get bored because I am as much in control of our body as you are, we are the same person. We have the same wants, desires and reactions to things. The only thing that makes us even slightly different is I'm the voice of the wolf whereas you are the voice of the human. You need to stop thinking of us as separate because we're not." Aurora explained to me.
"Ok then." I replied. "I think I understand that you are a part of me instead of a separate being. But how will that help us shift?" The confusion was evident in my voice.
"Are you familiar with the human concept of yin and yang?" Aurora asked already knowing that I didn't, so she didn't wait before launching into an explanation. "The principle of Yin and Yang is that all things exist as inseparable and contradictory opposites, creating a balance between the two. It's normally represented by dark and light circling each other, both keeping the other in balance. However when that balance is upset one side will grow to overpower the other."
"While this is fascinating Aurora. I have no idea how this will help us shift and we really need to shift so we can get going." I said rather impatiently to the wolf side of me.
"Have a little patience." Aurora scolded before continuing. "As I was saying before, if I am one side of the yin and yang balance and you are the other then it stands to reason that if we upset that balance one way or another either the wolf or the human would become dominant, causing us to shift."
"Ok." I said with far more enthusiasm then I'd shown Aurora so far. "So how do we upset this balance?"
"It's quite simple really, all we need to do is for one of us to figuratively step back so the other can step forward and become the larger part of our balance. Does that make sense to you?" Aurora asked.
"Unfortunately it does make sense." I replied as I shut my eyes and tried to shrink my presence in my own head. A second later I felt Aurora's presence grow in my mind, replacing the space my human side was just occupying. It didn't feel like a foreign entity trying to take over my mind. It simply felt like a different part of me was growing.
A couple of seconds after that I heard the loud snapping of my bones and felt my body start to change as I shifted into my silver wolf. At least shifting was already completely pain free for me.
I opened my eyes as my front paws hit the earth and shook out my fur. It had only been a day but I already missed the warmth and protection of my soft silver fur.
I looked around with a satisfied grin on my face and spotted Lydia and her mate Kyle walking past where Grace and Detsy were sitting, on their way to the pack house. The two werewolves had stopped walking and turned to face me with their heads bowed in submission to me.
"What are you doing?" I questioned the pair as Grace whistled and Detsy looked proud.
"You've got quite a serious aura coming off you Eva." Grace informed me. "I wouldn't be surprised if Alpha Leyton himself isn't quaking in his boots at the strength you're projecting. Just relax my beautiful silver wolf."
So I tried to do as Grace told me. Much to the obvious relief of Lydia and Kyle who looked like they just relaxed after a hungry tiger had walked past.
"Sorry guys." I said to them. "I honestly had no idea that would happen."
"It's ok Eva." Lydia replied. "That just shocked us. Who knew that you would have such a commanding presence after you'd managed to shift for the first time." Lydia smiled at me before directing her mate to continue onward towards the pack house.
"Well you haven't gotten any bigger, but all your muscles are definitely more defined Eva." Detsy commented to me as she circled me, observing my wolf form after shifting. "As well as that presence, you're going to have to be careful in controlling that, or you might make some of the werewolves who are younger or lower in the pack rankings wet themselves when you're around."
"Noted. I will work on that straight away." I promised Detsy who had finished circling me. "I really don't want to walk around causing fear."
"I'm actually not sure what's causing that powerful aura." Detsy admitted. "Your wolf form hasn't really changed much since your shift. But it's like you're radiating power now. Just be careful and stay relaxed like Grace said."
"I promise that I'll try my best." I said while wagging my tail at my mates. I haven't even left yet and I already missed them.
"Come back to us as soon as you can." Detsy said as she pulled my middle section into a massive hug.
"You can count on it." I promised the girl who didn't want to let go of me. "I've only just found you two and now you're stuck with me forever."
"That's a promise I can live with." Grace responded as she gave me a hug around my neck. "You're stuck with us as well you know right?"
"Oh I do." I sniggered back at Grace. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Are you three going to be touchy-feely all day or can we get a move on now that you've finally managed to obtain your wolf form again?" Thomas asked us sternly as he came over to us already in his wolf skin. His brown charcoal coat ruffling in the breeze and his impatience.
"Well excuse me Mister, 'my mate's coming with me.'" Grace shot back at Thomas rather angrily.
Thomas flinched a bit at the power in Grace's words but stood his ground against her. "This has nothing to do with that fact that Daniel is coming with us and you aren't Grace. We need to get a move on because if we leave too late and the sun goes down before we get there, then it becomes dangerous to move around in unfamiliar territory in the dark."
Grace sighed. "You're right, I'm sorry." She admitted. "Just promise Detsy and myself that you'll take care of our Eva."
"I promise you with my life Princess. All I ask is that you're ready to go in the next five minutes Eva." Thomas said before turning around and heading back to where his mate was waiting for him.
"Be safe Eva." Detsy said as she finally let me go. "Stay in contact with us for as long as the mind link will allow before the distance becomes too great."
"I promise." I said as I gave a quick wolf kiss to both of their faces. It left both of them nice and slobbery.
I laughed as Grace and Detsy tried to clean their faces as I walked towards Thomas and Daniel.
"I'm ready." I said as I approached the pair.
"About time." Thomas said with impatience in his voice. "So are you going to be able to keep up with us for the six hour run Eva?"
"Of course I'll be fine." I confirmed before issuing a challenge. "Last one there has to change all the pups nappies for a week straight."
I took off at a fast pace that wouldn't tire me out straight away and glided along with the two boys scrambling to make up the distance after my surprise start.
The pack house disappeared from my view behind us after only a couple of minutes. We were making good time and I noted that I definitely had more stamina now that I'd shifted.
"You're also stronger, have better reflexes as well as being faster with a higher stamina than you used to." Aurora informed me as we raced along.
Most of the trip was spent in silence as the language of the wolves was predominantly spoken with facial features and we couldn't really look at each other enough for long conversations.
However my ability to mind link Grace and Detsy didn't fade. We were at about 7 times the normal range of a mind link but we were still chatting away.
Thomas called a halt to our journey beside a dam. "We're about an hour away from the small encampment our pack and the Thundering Falls pack has established to watch over the Shallow Water pack members. We're going to break here for fifteen minutes to recover a little before heading there. Any complaints to that idea?"
Of course neither Daniel or I had any complaints about stopping for a rest. To top it off my ability to mind link Detsy and Grace was finally reaching it's limits. I guessed that we only had about five or ten minutes more of travel and I'd be cut off from them. Although it seemed the range of our link was 15 times that of a normal mind link.
I said my goodbyes to my mates as Thomas made us start to move again.
I was sad to be away from Grace and Detsy, even if it was only for a few days, but I was ecstatic at the prospect of seeing my previous pack mates. I was even more excited to learn if John was still with the she-wolves that remained.
My thoughts spurred energy to flow into my already pumping legs and I picked up a large amount of speed for the last ten minutes of our journey.
The smell of our pack mates getting close caused Thomas and Daniel to also speed up as we raced the final stretch. In the end I crossed into the camp first with a racing Daniel close behind me.
Needless to say, Thomas now has to change nappies for a week when we get back as he crossed the finish line a full ten seconds after Daniel.
The camp was only small, with four warrior werewolves present. Two from our pack and two from the Thundering Falls pack. I already knew that each pack had three wolves present at the Shallow Waters pack encampment, the remaining two wolves will either be hunting or patrolling.
"Welcome Thomas, Daniel and Eva." A werewolf I recognized by the name of Stewart said. "There are clothes over in that corner for you to shift in."
Before he turned back to the whole deer that was being spit roasted on the fire, Stewart spoke to me. "I'm glad you've recovered after that nasty fight with those wolves Eva."
I simply nodded at him before I walked to the smile pile of clothes and picked out a loose t-shirt and some sweat pants.
The two wolves from our pack were looking at me with confused expressions as I went behind a tree and proceeded to shift into my human form and attempted to get dressed.
Needless to say it took more time to get the damn clothes on properly than it did to shift. I managed to put my shirt on backwards twice for goodness sake.
"Are you alright back there?" Daniel called from the campsite in concern but at least respecting my privacy.
"I'm good, just give me another minute." I yelled back in English as my mouth was now human. I heard someone drop something in the camp before they started swearing. I'm guessing whatever they dropped was heavy and hit their toe.
"Why is there a female voice coming from the woods?" Stewart demanded.
Luckily I had finally managed to dress myself so I simply walked back around the tree and into the view of the people in the encampment.
"You might want to shut your mouth before you start swallowing flies." I told both the wolves from my pack.
"Since when could you shift?" Was all Stewart managed to get out before swallowing. "I thought you were a normal wolf Eva."
"Since the full moon last night." Thomas chuckled at the reaction of his pack mates. "Needless to say Eva surprised everyone when she started shifting and discovered that she was a werewolf, including herself."
The two werewolves simply nodded like stunned idiots so I decided to stop wasting time and get down to business.
"So what's the situation in the Shallow Rivers pack?" I asked.