Someone's voice jolts me from my sleep as I jerk upright to find Aiden staring at me. "Meat is cooked, and water has cooled down. You should have some."

I peer behind him to see that he has set out the parachute as a mat on which he has placed the now-cooked meat. I nod at him, wash my hands, and join him, squatting, my legs crossed Indian-style.

I try to tear some part, but it is hard and dry. I glance up and notice Aiden making faces at the meat. His lips twist in distaste as he looks at the meat in front of us.

I chuckle at his expression as he asks, "What?"

"Your face," I say, in between my chuckles. "It is so childish."

He purses his lips more making me laugh harder.

"Umm, Aurelia?"

I look at him and notice that his expression is now changed. He is serious as he stares.

I scrunch my brows in confusion and ask, "Yes. Is something wrong?"

"No. I just wanted to ask you something, but I am not sure how you would react." He is now scratching the back of his neck, a nervous act.

I sit up straight and give my full attention. He looks serious, yet hesitant, and expectant. He gulps something in his throat and then walks toward me and stands beside me.

He stretches his palm out in a gesture as to hold it. I am confused, yet comply with him and put my hand in his. He pulls me to my feet and looks at me.

"Look," he says, pointing toward something. I glance in the direction he is pointing and notice something beautiful.

There are two wolves on the opposite bank of the river who are drinking water. Once they fill their bellies with water, they brush their coats against each other. One licks the head of the other and lets out a bark. The other wolf then goes into the forest, and it reappears with two pups following it, clinging to its legs.

It's a wolf family. The pups stop, not going forward, but the adult wolves nudge them towards the lake and nuzzle them. They resist initially, but after a while, they get used to the feeling of being in the water.

The parent wolves slightly dunk the pups' heads inside, no doubt trying to wash them. Then they pick each of the pups up by their necks, their jaws gentle on the pups' necks, and stand straight.

Suddenly, their heads jerk up, and for a moment, it looks like they are staring straight at us. What they have is a dream many yearn for.

A small family full of love. Their actions reflect their emotions. They keep looking at us for some more moments before turning back and going into the cover of the trees.

A smile graces my face upon seeing the wolves. They say nature is harsh. I suppose, in a way, it is. But isn't that a part of life? And these simple moments in those hardships make life worth living .

I turn my face to look at him and find him already staring at me. A smile graces his lips, too. I notice he still hasn't let go of my hand as he continues to clasp it.

I do not realize that somewhere between looking at the wolves, I had placed my other hand in his. His eyes pierce my soul, communicating something that I can't comprehend.

I see my reflection in his eyes. The gentle stroking of my hands by him starts a strange sensation in my abdomen.

"Aurelia. I do not have many friends or family, for that matter. Only Sarah and Archer. Then I met Nana. You are her granddaughter, a person close to one whom I loved. But then we kept meeting, and I started getting to know you. I do not know you entirely yet, but all our meetings have always reflected your bravery, your love for Nana, and your empathy. I feel this compelling pull toward you. Now I think that..."

He is trying to say something, but only some of his words register in my mind. The trance has broken, and I feel nauseous suddenly, and sweat breaks out on my forehead. I try to wipe it with the back of my hand, but I feel my skin heating. Suddenly, I feel hot as sweat forms on my neck, and I grow uneasy.

I feel my beast stir, but relief is not the feeling that overcomes me. It is a familiar feeling, yet the timing and the company I have make me nervous now.

Aiden is about to say something, but my beast stirs inside me, waking up, and abruptly I am a prisoner in my mind. My hands jerk away from Aiden's.

Oh no. I don't have my suppression shot with me, and all my luggage is probably part of the wreckage now.

I am shifting, and the heat of my body drops before vibrations pass through my body. From the periphery of my vision, I see Aiden looking at me in shock. He must guess what is happening, but I do not have much time to dwell on this.

I try to focus and take back control, urging my beast to understand, but she does not listen to me. She is all beast now, and any semblance of humanity is tucked in a corner of my mind as she takes over me.

Her animalistic instincts force both of us to look at the moon as she howls at the sky, and it dawns on me that it is a full moon.

Shit. How did I forget? I was so caught up in the drama of my life that I didn't notice. My beast, who is in control now, looks at Aiden. She is filled with affection as she gazes at him. She says one word that changes my entire life.

Mate

No. This can't be possible. How can I have a mate? My beast is weird. Abnormal. Abruptly, my body stops shaking from the pull of the shift, yet I am not in control of my human body.

My beast is at the forefront of my mind as she swims in the euphoria of finding her mate. The moon goddess has paired me with none other than the Alpha King. I try to push my beast back into my mind, but to no avail.

She keeps gazing at Aiden and then kneels, submitting to the king. From behind her eyes, I see Aiden keeps looking at me in shock. His shock then turns into anger as his beast flashes in his eyes, and he lets out a loud roar that shakes the entire ground beneath our feet.

He must think that I lied to him. But how can I explain my origins when I don't know about them myself? My parents died searching for answers, and if my guess is right, the Blood Mafia is after me for the same reason.

My beast submits initially, but then feels threatened at being forced to submit. She is an alpha in her own right, and the feeling of forced submission is not something she likes, especially when it is her mate who forces her to submit.

She feels as if she is being rejected, and that's all it takes for her to re-initiate the shift. I try to push back at her, but she is unyielding, more so than usual.

Fur sprouts as tingles run up my spine. My body starts vibrating as my bones crack, reorienting themselves. I am powerless.

I sense Aiden's anger as he grinds his teeth and clenches his fists as he understands that I am shifting. His anger turns into shock as he sees my unusual form. My beast rises, her eyes on par with Aiden's. She is at the same level as Aiden now.

Aiden doesn't like being stared in the eye, and anger rolls off of him in waves. My beast flashes her teeth.

Her move triggers the alpha in Aiden as he snarls at us, and in a flash of movement, his hands encircle my throat, squeezing.

He raises me by his grip on my neck and pushes me against the trunk of a nearby tree, and my back crashes against it.

"What the hell are you?" He shouts, his voice echoing through the forest.

The fight drains out of my beast, as I feel waves of power rolling off Aiden. They crash against me, and I am feeling suffocated by his power, both physically and mentally.

My beast, Katherine, does not speak. She only angles her neck more in submission to him. According to her, if her king deems her worthy of death, then she will accept it gladly.

Wait, if my beast is back, I must be able to mind-link. I am running out of breath now. His grip becomes tighter. I put all of my effort into linking him.

'Aiden, please give me a chance to explain. Please.' I plead with him through the link.

He had been glaring at me until now, but for a split second, his gaze softens, and he nods. His grip on my neck tightens for a moment before he loosens his grip on me, lifting off each finger one by one.

His expression still looks suspicious, but I don't blame him. His reaction is justified.

I fall to the ground, taking breaths, refilling my lungs with air. My beast's paws clutch at our throat, relieved.

I plead with her for control, and, unprecedentedly, she agrees. My beast form persists as I try to shift back, but she does not let me.

But I have no time to ponder over this, as Aiden is now squatting in front of me. His tone is harsh as he says, "Speak."

'As you can see, this is my wolf. I do not know how, but I was born this way. My first shift was when I was four. It was partial, as my hand changed into an unusual paw. Horrified, my parents dived into research, but they found nothing. My beast shifts forcefully every full moon, and I am nothing more than a prisoner inside my body.'

Aiden remains silent for a moment before clenching his eyes shut. After a few seconds, he opens them again, but hurt reflects in his eyes.

"Did you know I was your mate earlier?"

'No,' I say.

How could I have known? Come to think of it, I have never been with Aiden without a suppression shot. Maybe that is why we never thought we could be mates.

My beast is still in control, and she angles her neck once again, whining to him. She then lays her head at his feet. A sign of complete and utter submission.

He looks at me hesitantly for a moment before he stretches his hand and rubs my beast's head affectionately. His fingers run through our fur, tugging and caressing.

Sparks fly wherever he touches, and I am overwhelmed by our feelings. My beast's feelings and mine, put together, form a powerful combination. My beast whines at him and rubs her head against his thigh, spreading her scent over him and marking him the way she can in this form.

"Is this why the Blood Mafia is after you?" He asks, his tone measured now as he stops caressing my head.

'I do not know. But yes, my research is finding out the cause of my abnormality. I am sorry I hid it from you, Aiden Sorry, I mean King.'

"Hmm," he says, not letting me know what he is thinking.

His face is a mask of stone, and I can't guess what his reaction is. Does he hate me now?

I try to ask him whether he hates me, but my beast does not let me. According to her, she has relinquished enough control until now and wants to spend time with her mate.

"Is that why you say you are a weresap, because you do not want others to know of your unusual form?"

His gaze is soft now, and I try to answer, but my beast does not let me.

"Aurelia?" he asks, after a few moments of no response, but then my beast surprises me by responding to him in my stead.

'It is Katherine, my king.'

This is unusual. She has not done this till now. How can my beast communicate with others? She is using my mind-link. It is unheard of!

At most, wolves can use their human bodies to speak, but communicating through my mind-link is unbelievable!

Now I think Aiden trusts me, as he now replies via our link. 'Katherine?'

'Yes, I am your mate, my king. Aurelia's wolf. Her beast.'

Katherine says this. Her adoration is palpable in her tone, and she is all hearts, flowers, and balloons for her mate.

'How can you speak?' he asks, astonished.

His brows raise in surprise before furrowing together in confusion. He must be confused.

I am doing no better, either.

'I do not know either, my king. This is the first time I have done it. Maybe it's because you are with me.'

Her tongue now lolls out of her jaws, panting in a way that dogs do for their masters.

My big, bad beast is now a soft, cuddly toy in Aiden's hands. Just great.

Strange. Unusual. Peculiar. These are the words that come to mind regarding my beast's behavior. Usually, when I am force-shifted, she's out on a hunting spree, and Nana chains me up to stop her. But today, she shows no sign of agitation.

'Can I speak to Aurelia?' Aiden looks at us with doubt etched onto his face.

'No. I want to spend time with you, my dear mate, my king,' she says, licking his hand.

I notice Aiden's brows touching his hairline at her actions. I am embarrassed by her display of affection while she basks in his scent.

'So, you won't let her talk to me?' Aiden asks, trying to understand my abnormal wolf.

'Noo.' She whines, then rubs her entire body against his legs, circling him.

Ugghh. I am mortified now.

Aiden raises a brow at us in response to our behavior, but then says, "Alright. But I need sleep. You can sleep beside me. Oh, and Katherine, let Aurelia know we have lots to discuss tomorrow."

Aiden then removes his jacket and lays it on the ground, like a bedsheet, and lies upon it.

My beast sits belly down and lays her head on his legs near his ankle. She's trying to sleep. Another unusual act from her.

I try to gain control, but fail again. As my beast falls asleep, I fall into a deep slumber, our eyes closing of their own accord.

Word Count: 2395