Page 5 of Welcome Home: When Shifters Unite!
“You can tell me why you are here another time. But what grade did you achieve?”
“I left as the top Luna candidate, best grades in all subjects, but excelled at hunting.” Yes, I am proud of what I achieved. They may have taken my mate, but they cannot take my achievements.
“Shit. Now, don’t you be telling no passing Alpha that, or they’ll have you hogtied and gone before we can spit.”
“Troy,” he’d given me his name at the start of the interview, “I want nothing to do with mates, or the Moon Goddess, because as I see it she isn’t all she could be.”
“Yeah, I understand that sentiment, but not sure I agree with it. But, let’s not get bogged down with goddess stuff. We have to get into the kitchen or the others will give us the cold shoulder for the next week.”
The others, it turns out, are Robbie, a human man, Stella who is a wolf shifter, and Leo, who yeah surprise, is a lion shifter. I’ve never met a lion shifter before and he is large, has golden eyes and sandy/gold flecked hair. He is quiet, but you can see he misses nothing; he has welcomed me and helped me when needed to find my bearings around the kitchen.
My first day in my new life I think went well. I’ve made new acquaintances, which I hope will turn into genuine friendships. I have a room to sleep in, and will have money to come at the end of the week. From then on I will be paid on the first of every month, which is why I get paid end of this week, as it’s the end of this month.
‘Things are looking up, Adira.’
“Don’t speak too soon, Blue. You don’t want to jinx us.” But I have to admit we both have a good feeling about the town and our future. “We’ll go for a run on the weekend, let you stretch your legs and enjoy the freedom.”
‘Thank you, I’ll look forward to that. But we will both make sacrifices to make sure our new lives are good ones.’
“Yes, we probably will, Blue. Good night.”
‘Good night, Adira.’
Chapter 3
*Adira*
Six Weeks Later
Six weeks has passed already, but it’s been a good six weeks too. I have settled into the job and love working with Troy, Robbie, Stella and Leo. They are all so good to me, like a family without the same blood running through our veins. It doesn’t even matter that Robbie isn’t a shifter either. He’s one of us and we’d protect him if needed.
I have been running with Leo on Sunday of every week. The first week when he offered to show me the places to run safely, I was nervous, but the more I know about Leo, the more I love him. He’s the brother I never had, and he has grown into being my ‘go-to’ if I’m worried or need advice.
“Come on, slowpoke, let’s be moving or we’ll never get this run over and meet Robbie for something to eat at the Tavern,” Leo says, and I see Stella, who is with us this week, giggles and eggs him on to give me hassle.
“I’m coming. I was helping Joyce.”
I do a lot of things for Joyce because she is having trouble with one of her legs. It’s giving her a lot of pain, and I’ve not mentioned it because she gets touchy if anyone thinks she’s weak. I try to help without her realizing by taking the trash out, cleaning the stove, and things she would have to bend down to.
‘We best run and leave them behind.’
Blue is snickering in the back of my mind. I know she is faster than most wolves, but I’m not sure about Leo as we’ve not tested that fact yet.
“Shall we test today, and see if Leo can keep up?” I ask Blue and she jumps to her feet, giddy with excitement.
Stella steps behind a tree and shifts into her wolf. Now I’ve seen this done all the time in my old pack, but I’ve never had to, yet I’ve shown no one either. Should I let them see?
‘If they are family, they can see.’
“What do you see me as?” I ask Leo, looking him right in the eye.
“You are my family now, Adira, and although we are different, we are the same. I’m a lion and you are a wolf, but we are alone, rejected and yet found each other. You are my sister regardless that you are a wolf, the same as Stella and Troy. Robbie is human. Family.” Leo wraps an arm around my shoulders and pulls me to his massive body and hugs me, before messing up my hair and laughing.
“I will show you something, you too Stella, but I’ve shown no one before because I don’t know how I do it.” I don’t wait for a response. I shift, maintaining my clothing, and it takes only a few seconds to complete the transformation.
Stella gasps, and Leo chuckles, which is deep and rich, something we don’t hear very often from him. “That is amazing,and there are only two packs that can do that. The Mass Mountain Pack, and The Strongbow Pack, which is no more. Are you Mass Mountain Pack?”
I shift back as we cannot mind link, but I may need to speak after this revelation. “No. I am from The Strongbow Pack. I was saved by the Alpha of the pack I left and he farmed me out with a couple who took me to gain the monthly income they would receive. I knew nothing of this until I left the pack.”
