I didn't leave my room the next morning, or the whole day following that morning. I was too ashamed to face my family. I'm sure they could smell what had happened or something. Luke most definitely had, but he hadn't said a word on the way home and he hadn't tried to make contact today either. He was probably trying not to jump to any conclusions and was trying to give me my privacy. As the night carried on, I realised I couldn't avoid facing them for much longer though. When the daylight came and went again, I would have to have my first shift with the other teenagers who had had their birthday this month.

I sat upright in the bed, looking out the window, staring up at the almost full moon. Only one more day, and then I would finally have my first shift and would be able to go home again, after which I could finally start trying to forget what had happened. Maybe I could even pretend to still be a virgin, although any wolf would be able to tell I had been with someone, as it changed your scent slightly. I just hoped I wouldn't meet my mate soon, because there was no way I would be able to admit what happened. Who would want a mate like me? Who gave her virginity up to the first stranger that was kind to her? I pulled my knees to my chest and laid my head onto my knees, softly weeping again, not coming out of the room the next day either

The sun shone bright that day, but disappeared quickly, to be replaced by a brilliant full moon. Must be the Moon Goddess' way of telling me how disappointed she was in me. But there was nothing I could do to stay in this room for any longer. I couldn't possibly have my first shift in this room, I would wreck it comletely, potentially hurting myself in the process. There was a reason they did this outside, in the woods, in a little clearing, being surveilled by powerful warriors to keep us in check if our wolves turned out a little crazed for being in hibernation for seventeen years. Our wolves were reincarnated spirits of werewolves so it was always hard for them to adjust again and us teenagers had to learn how to reign them in, which was easier for some than others.

The moon outside told me I had to get up soon. I had dressed myself a little while back, settling on leggings and a sweater, as I would have to take them off later anyway, or shred them. I felt quite nervous about that, but I remembered everyone would be there for the same thing. No one would be looking at my body.

A soft knock on the door interrupted me from my thoughts.
"Cassie, it's time, honey."
It was my uncle's voice, he was going to go with me, as it was one of his jobs as the Beta to supervise the first shift.
I sighed, it was time to face everyone again, my time had run out.

I rose from the bed and opened the door, keeping my head down and not looking at his face, afraid of the disappointment I would find. Instead I began walking towards the front door, where my aunt and cousins stood waiting, to wish me good luck and to enjoy it. I nodded faintly, but still didn't dare to look at them.

We were to walk to the clearing, as it wasn't reachable by car, that part of the forest was too dense for cars to get close enough.

A jittery feeling began to take over my body as we got closer and closer. I was nervous. I felt my heartrate increase, which made my uncle look down at me.

"It will be fine, Cassie, it will be over before you know it. Aren't you curious about meeting your wolf for the first time?"

I nodded. I knew I should be excited, I would finally be truly free to do anything I wanted in the world, but I feared my mate could be among these very wolfs and that he would reject me instantly. I also feared the pain of the first transition, but that was inevitable, so it was mostly the fear of meeting my mate. It was ridiculous, how my mistake had changed meeting my one and only soulmate, from being the one thing my heart desired more than anything, to something truly terrifying.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, shaking me from my destructive thoughts.

My Uncle stopped me from walking any further and made me look at him, concern evident in his eyes. He cleared his throat and stuttered out a question I wasn't expecting.

"Did someone take advantage of you at the party, sweetheart? You know you can tell me everything, the Alpha won't stand for it, I won't let my brother's daughter be hurt like this."

I shook my head in disbelief. Is that what they thought? I had made them all worry while it was all me, I had been the irresponsible one.

"No, that's not what happened." I choked out, looking everywhere but at him, scared of seeing the disappointment in his eyes.

When I finally did though, when he spoke again, all I could see was worry.

"We're nearly there, Cassiopeia. Let go of those worries and just enjoy this moment, it's a one in a lifetime occurance, you won't ever relive the feeling of a first shift."

I realized he was right, this moment was truly unique, did I really want to spend it in fear, and feeling ashamed of what happened at the party yesterday? No, I didn't. So In those final moments before joining the group, I took a few deep breaths, shook my muscles loose to ease the tension and simply let go of all the negative feelings, to let excitement finally rule my body.

We set off again, and rather quickly we reached the clearing, although it was clearly a man-made clearing, not a natural occurance at all. Dozens of treebarks scattered the area, and grass wouldn't even grow here anymore. It had been uprooted too often over the years for it to be able to sprout. The whole landscape had an eerie feeling to it, even though excitement was clear in the air too, as all the adolescent wolves gathered here had only one thing on their minds. Or maybe a few, shifting and meeting their wolf, which could possibly lead to recognizing their true soulmate.

My uncle left me, to join the other warriors who were keeping watch tonight. He would soon begin welcoming everyone, briefly telling us what to expect again. Not that we didn't know yet though, because all we were ever told about when we were kids, was how magical our first shift was, how it was one of the only moments in life where we were truly close to the Moon Godess, in which she blessed us all by awakening our wolf spirits.

Suddenly, the excitement I forced myself to feel, wasn't as hard to maintain anymore. The moment was nearly there. One look up to the sky, told me enough. The moon was nearly at its biggest point, a near perfect circle, for a perfect night of first shifts.

My uncle's wolf cry called everyone's attention and we all turned towards him, bearing our necks in respect, as he was the highest ranked wolf here tonight.

"Tonight, little wolves, you will join our pack to become true members, you will no longer be adolescent wolves, but you'll be given a rank, or you'll earn it, allowed a vote in official gatherings, meet your wolf spirits for the first time in seventeen years, and potentially even meet your mate tonight. It's a night you will remember forever, so make it count!" My uncle's voice rang through te crowd.

It was like he was telling us fairytales, instead of facts. I was mesmorized by his words, and I could tell I was not the only one. My uncle's voice demanded respect, but he was also incredibly charismatic.

"Now young ones, the shifting process is different for every single one of you. Some may withstand the pain, others may cripple from the first second and that's okay. We are all equals here, and if some need more guidance than others, during or after the shift, we'll be here for you in every single way. Whatever you do, don't fight the pain, endure it, or cry out, but don't fight, it will only make the pain and process last longer."

He looked up at the sky briefly and smiled.

"Alright pups, spread out, so you won't hurt the ones around you while shifting, it appears your time is near."

I looked around and saw I already had enough space between me and my neighbours, so I simply stayed put and watched the sky, where a perfectly round moon proudly shone now, and waited for the process to start as patiently as I possibly could.

Alright! Chapter 3 already. Please vote if you like the story so far, or comment, that makes me so happy, but honestly, just people reading it is good enough.