540- White Garments and the Freedom of Letting Go
POV Thalyndra Moonclaw:
"I wanted to drink as much as they will..." I whispered, thoughtfully. Aurelka snapped her fingers.
"Let's go to Myrion's house and raid his liquor arsenal. We'll stay isolated and drinking, just as you wish."
Myrion cast a sideways glance at his sister, always jealous of his precious bottles, but said nothing, yielding. He knew how important it was to me, the meaning the day carried.
Anton hugged me and led me toward them.
"Let's go, Little Beast. Let's drink, as you want, but isolated." Before letting myself be led, I planted my feet and turned my back, my eyes meeting the solitary stone once more, imposing under the soft moonlight. The shadows danced across the rough surface, and for a brief moment, the light reflected on the engraved inscriptions, revealing my father's name clearly, almost as if he were calling me.
The wind blew gently, carrying a sense of lightness, as if part of the weight I had carried for so long was finally dissipating. He was free now, his soul no longer bound to the world that knew him, but present elsewhere, in a new form of existence.
I stood still, staring at the illuminated stone, absorbing his presence for the last time.
He never wanted me to be alone, he was always afraid for me. It would be a comfort to him, to know that I was surrounded by friends who had become brothers that life had given me, that they consoled me on that fateful day and had made every meaning become more important.
I opened a sad smile, full of longing.
Finally, he was free. No Mercantes pursuing him, no fear of his own shadow. Just, at peace.
...
The night was charged with anticipation, the full moon shining intensely in the sky, casting its silver light upon all of us. The air had a different weight, as if the Earth itself was vibrating in anticipation of what was to come. Around the clearing, the torches burned high, illuminating the faces of the older wolves and the young ones, who were about to shift for the first time.
Despite it being an important event, I noticed that few had attended. There were also no children.
It was the Lupercalia, the sacred ceremony that marked the first shift of young Eldoria upon turning twenty-one. The low murmur of conversations filled the air, mixed with the sound of crackling bonfires. We were there to witness the moment when the youngest would assume their true form for the first time.
For a moment, all the sound and commotion around seemed to disappear. I could only focus on Anton.
He was beside me, his eyes fixed on the moon, and I could feel the energy coursing through his body. The shift was inevitable, pulsing beneath his skin like a wave about to break. As their alpha, future leader, he felt even more affected by all that irradiation.
"I don't remember my first shift being so ceremonial," I mocked, a light smile forming on my lips.
There was no ceremony at all. My father took me to a house in the middle of the forest, where we spent a few days, until the shift occurred. Far away from humans, far from any kind of scandal that could lead some Mercante to us.
Anton laughed softly, his gaze crossing mine with familiar intensity.
"Because you were trying to run away from me back then," he teased, approaching, rubbing the tip of his nose against mine. "Now, you have nowhere left to run."
"You're the one who should run from me, I wasn't the one who got stabbed at our first meeting," I murmured, blinking slowly.
He laughed.
"You're absolutely right, but I was prepared to find a damsel in distress, not a violent and bloodthirsty female."
"Not that much blood came out." I huffed.
"You say that because it wasn't your blood."
"I'm sorry you didn't even have a chance to defend yourself. If I had known you were so slow, I would have given you a few seconds of advantage."
He opened and closed his mouth, pursing his lips in a grimace, incredulous at what I had said, seeming genuinely offended.
"Just to clarify one thing, I only let myself be hit because I was a little tormented by the scent I smelled."
"What scent?"
He pulled me, pressing our bodies together. I placed my hands on his shoulders and stared at him attentively.
"Your scent, Miss Moonclaw. From the moment I entered that house and was hit by the essence of cedar and sandalwood, I became unsteady. It was as if it were paradise, as if I had finally found what I had been searching for. I didn't see the knife flying through the air, I didn't hear you approach. I was so... hypnotized, that I lost all my other senses."
I rose on my tiptoes and pressed our lips together in a hot, passionate kiss. I pulled away, trying to suppress a smile.
"Even though that sounds pretty cute, I think it's just an excuse. Admit that I'm too fast and you were surprised."
He let out a laugh.
"Oh, well, you surprised me, a lot, so much that I fell in love that instant." He shook his head in disdain. "But I really was too impacted by your scent, so stop gloating."
"Uh-huh... If I had known you'd be so impacted, I would have gone topless."
He let out a low growl.
"Then I would have lost control and fucked you immediately."
"You wouldn't do that, you're not a savage."
"Want to bet?" he whispered, his eyes changing color.
I pushed him away, wanting to focus on the event. Anton distracted me too much, whenever he was around.
Aurelka approached and handed me a glass of țuică.
"Drink, you'll need it." I widened my eyes.
"Why?"
"There are a lot of cracks and hisses of pain." She shuddered at the memory. "It's not very fun."
I remembered the pain of the first shift. I took the glass from her hand and drank it all in one gulp, frowning in a grimace as I felt my esophagus burn.
"This is a canonical event in every lupine's life," Lana commented, looking at the young ones who had reached the age of their first shift. "I love having my she-wolf, but I certainly don't miss my Lupercalia, and thank the heavens, I will never have to go through it again."
I let out a laugh, remembering how special my father had been to me during my first shift. It was thanks to his tips that I got through it. My chest tightened with longing, as always happened when I remembered him.
Myrion stopped beside Aurelka, holding a bottle of whiskey and drinking straight from the neck.
"This year is going to be incredible," he said, excited, smiling ironically. Aurelka rolled her eyes.
"Stop being disgusting." I blinked, confused.
"I'm not sure I understood..." Aurelka huffed.
"My brother is a shameless dog." He raised a pointed finger.