541- The Moon's Primal Call
POV Thalyndra Moonclaw:
"A wild dog, let's not forget that important detail, but I agree with shameless. Therefore, let's improve the phrase: a wild and shameless dog."
Lana choked on a laugh while Aurelka roared with anger. I looked at Anton, who was analyzing the young ones in silence, arms crossed, checking on them.
I got lost in his beauty for a second, biting my lower lip. He wore a black linen shirt that accentuated his muscles, jeans, and bare feet. His hair swayed with the gentle breeze. His deep blue eyes were attentive, the silver vibrating, causing the two colors to blend.
I snorted, my body heating up just from the sight.
Ignoring my momentary surge of lust, I leaned in to whisper in his ear:
"Can I know why Myrion said this year is going to be incredible?" Anton laughed and shifted his eyes to mine.
"The more young ones shifting, the greater the current of energy. We are wild, therefore, driven by these instincts. The energy pulses so strongly that we become... aroused. The vast majority of singles end up having sex out there, in the middle of the forest."
I opened my mouth, in shock.
I was indeed feeling something, but it wasn't yet so... carnal, it felt supernatural, vibrant.
"Even those who are shifting?" He shook his head in denial.
"The pain of the first shift is so latent that they can't feel the same energy as we do, those celebrating the event."
I tossed a strand of hair back over my shoulders.
"That explains why your brother is so happy."
"Let's just say Myrion's night is going to end in an orgy. If all his lovers feel affected, not even they will mind sharing him."
"And does anyone not get affected?"
"Usually, the betas."
"Why?"
"We believe it's because they don't have heats. We are more sexually active, more instinctive, that's why we are more affected."
I turned to Myrion, pulled the bottle from his hand, and downed a few gulps of whiskey, preparing myself for what was to come. Myrion let out a snarky laugh.
"Already excited, little sister? Calm down, the night is going to be long." He pointed a finger at me and Anton. "Especially for mated couples."
I returned the bottle to him, staring at them through narrowed eyes.
"What do you mean by that?"
"That I've never seen a mated couple not be affected by Lupercalia. Last time, I saw my parents disappearing into the forest." He made the sign of the cross. "Thank goodness I had the good sense to head the other way, as far away from them as possible."
"Ew!" Aurelka shot, making a disgusted face.
"That's why so many Eldoria are missing?" I questioned, casting another look around.
Myrion made a bow, mockingly congratulating me on my perception.
"Exactly! Not everyone wants to be caught out there, involved in some orgy. We are animals, but we are discreet." He winked. "By the way, if you don't want to leave traumatized, I suggest heading in the opposite direction from where I go."
I let out a heavy breath.
"Wow, thanks a lot for the tip."
I spotted Lyris and Celindra, who were talking with Lunara. Vladren and Edric were speaking with the young ones who would shift. They didn't seem worried or affected by what was about to happen.
"They're acting so... natural," I commented, voicing my thoughts.
Lana agreed.
"It's quite instinctive, there's not much they can do." She looked in their direction. "In the past, our people had fewer pups, so Lupercalia was something quite rare. My mothers told me that Lunara was already pregnant with Aurelka when she participated in her first one. Nowadays, things have changed, we still don't have it every year, but it's more frequent, especially with pups being born more and more."
I was still shocked by how different everything was from what I was used to. It wasn't bad, but something good. Participating in so many lupine events, getting closer and closer to these origins. I already felt like part of them, more than I imagined I ever would.
Anton pulled me against him and planted a kiss on the curve of my neck. My body heated up as if about to spontaneously combust.
"You know this is going to be the first time I'll be accompanied at a Lupercalia?" he whispered in my ear.
I rubbed my tongue over my lips.
"So, you didn't have orgies like your brother?"
"I never got involved with any female from the pack, Little Beast. So, no. No orgies at Lupercalia for me."
"And how did you control the urge?"
He shrugged, as if it meant nothing.
"A cold bath in the lake or I'd go to the city. Sometimes, I'd find some female from another pack or some human."
I stiffened, hearing him talk about his former lovers, feeling furious about it and wanting to kill every single one of them.
Before I could say anything, Edric went to the center of the clearing, silencing the remaining murmur.
"Feel the power within you?" He didn't need to speak loudly, his deep, commanding voice cut through the air like a silent command, something that resonated in the soul of every one present. It was the power of the leader, the direct command to which we should all react and respect. "It's there, pulsing. It's waiting to be released. Let it guide you. Let the wolves out. You are Eldoria. This is your destiny."
We watched as the younger ones looked at the moon, hesitant. Some took deep breaths, their eyes closing, trying to find the strength Edric mentioned. While others seemed nervous, anxious for what they knew would be an incomparable pain. The first shift was not gentle. It was like being torn apart from the inside out.
Edric stepped forward, his eyes narrowed as if he could see what was happening inside each of them.
"Feel your bones, your flesh. The power is there, waiting. Pull it out, let the wolf take over. Don't resist. You were made for this."
The first grunts began to echo through the clearing. One of the young ones, a boy with light eyes and rapid breathing, bent over, his body beginning to tremble. It was visible. His muscles rippled beneath his skin, a pulsing change, as if something was trying to emerge.
"Don't fight it." Edric's voice was firm. "The pain is part of it. Let the pain transform you."
The clearing seemed to breathe along with them. One by one, the bodies began to react, and then the sound came. The sound of bones cracking. The first crack was followed by another, like dry wood breaking, and then the boy screamed, his skin stretching, his muscles reshaping. His hands opened, and his fingers elongated grotesquely before curving, beginning to form claws.
"Feel the power," Edric said, watching them closely. "It's not weakness, it's strength. The pain means the wolf is taking its place."