Chapter Thirteen

Max watched as his mate started to sway before she fell to the floor. The oversized tablecloth blocked her from sight. His heart dropped to his shoes. Was she hurt? Did something go wrong? He took several steps toward her when he felt Catherine’s hand on his arm.

“Look.” She pointed at the Tears, which had turned clear. The red was gone.

“Alicia?” her mother called. “Sweetheart?”

A slight moan came from the pile of material.

Max knelt beside the pile and plucked at the material until he could find the hole her head had once been in. “Alicia?”

A small white snout stuck itself through the whole. His mate’s beautiful blue eyes looked up at him with curiosity.

“I told you you’d be a beautiful wolf.” He took her face into his hands, brushing his fingers against the soft fur along her jaw. “Are you feeling any pain?”

She opened her jaw but all that came out was a whine.

“It takes a lot of practice to speak in the shape of a wolf. I’m going to try to give you yes or no questions so all you have to do is nod.” She nodded her assent. “Are you feeling any pain?”

She shook her head no. Her eyes widened and she disappeared back inside the oversized tablecloth.

“Catherine, did you have to make this thing so cumbersome?”

“I wanted her to keep her dignity. I know it’s a bit much when she is in wolf form, but not as a human.”

Alicia stuck her head out the hole. “It worked?”

“It did.” Max smiled. “How are you feeling?”

“No real pain, but I can feel my body changing. I don’t know how to describe it. Oh!” She disappeared again. Her wolf reappeared.

“Okay, so the first thing we need to do is teach you to control your shifting.”

She tilted her head at him.

“I think about being human,” Max said. “Okay, so this isn’t as easy to explain as I thought.”

“Look at your paws,” said Stacey. Her voice so soft it was just above a whisper. Alicia did as she asked. “Now imagine you’re looking at your fingers or toes.”

“Think about how you would get them manicured,” added Catherine. “Flex them.”

“That worked!” Alicia said on the floor with the cloth surrounding her naked body.

“Each time you shift use that to turn back to human. Then as you start to notice the signs signaling your shift use the technique. You’ll get to the point where you’ll control your body so well that you’ll have to think about your wolf self in order to shift, but right now the shift controls you.”

“Why do I feel so small as a wolf?”

“Because you’re new to this.” Max sat down on the floor opposite her. “Your wolf body is the same size as your human body, but you don’t have the muscle yet. I bet your legs aren’t very steady when you’re on them. It will change. So far, you’re going through all the things our children do.”

“So you have to constantly think of your human form to stay human?”

“No.” He laughed. “That will become second nature too, like getting up and walking.”

“Okay.”

“How do you feel, sweetheart?” asked her mom.

“Good, actually. I’m full of energy. I’m not sure what to do with it right now, but… wait, what is that smell?” She sniffed Max as she looked at him. “Is that our scent?”

“You are probably smelling all kinds of things.”

Jacob came down the stairs carrying a large tray with a carafe and snacks.

“Wow, that’s what I smelled?” She stood and almost toppled over in her cumbersome coverup. Max was up and steadying her before she could move. She grinned up at him. “Will I learn to move that fast?”

“It’s all part of the package.” He smiled down at her.

“I thought you’d like some refreshments,” said Jacob. He set the tray on a side table. “It has all your favorites, Miss Alicia.”

“That’s very thoughtful, Jacob, thank you.”

He poured everyone there a cup of coffee and made them just the way everyone liked theirs.

Alicia held her cup and inhaled. The heavenly aroma filled her senses. “This smells so good.”

“You’re going to find all kinds of things smelling better than before,” said Catherine. “What else do you notice?”

“Mom’s perfume.” She took a sip of her coffee. “Mom has worn it for years.”

“But I haven’t had it on this trip. When I first met Max, I saw his reaction to my fragrance. That’s when I started to suspect.”

“That’s funny,” said Alicia’s father. “That’s when I started to suspect as well.”

“We can pick up scents that are several months old.”

“Really?” asked Alicia. She looked at her hands, spotting fur sprouting. This was going to drive her crazy.

“There is a lot for you to learn.” Max put an arm around her. “Why don’t you get something to eat? You’re going to want to keep your energy up while you get used to this.”

Her friends spent several hours teaching her techniques to help her handle her change as well as answering questions that popped into her head.

Something caught her nose. She could see the fatigue in her parents. “Mom, would you and Dad like to stay tonight? I’m sure Jacob has rooms set aside for you.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Her mom looked at her husband.

“Please? This has been a long night and I’ll worry if you were to try to drive back to the mansion this late.”

“We’d love to stay, sweetheart,” said her father.

“Then why don’t I escort you to your room,” said Max. “This will probably be an all-nighter for your daughter. You don’t need to stay up with her. Get some rest and I’ll wake you if we need you.”

“That sounds good,” answered her father. He slipped an arm around his wife’s shoulders and urged her to follow Max out of the vault.

“How did you know that your mom was tired?” asked Catherine.

“I could see the fatigue radiating off her.”

“Good.”

“Good?” Alicia tilted her head at Catherine. “Why?”

“How many times did you ask us if we were reading your mind when we picked up on something you didn’t think showed?”

“A lot.” She smiled. “So that was how?”

“That is just the beginning. You’re going to find, as time goes on, you can smell emotions. You’ll see people’s auras too and the color surrounding a body gives you insight on what is going on inside them.”

“Really?” She unhooked the necklace and pulled the stones out of her pocket. She had picked them up earlier but hadn’t had a chance to put them back on the necklace. “I find it amazing that they all lost their color.”

One fell out of her hand and bounced across the floor. Stacey retrieved it.

“Oh, my.” Stacey held out her hand. In it sat a blood red stone.

Alicia looked at the rest of the stones and they still looked like a regular diamond. When she took the stone that Stacey had she watched as all the color left it once again. “Okay, so now we know why the Tears can only be used on a person once.”

Max came back down to the vault. “And why is that?”

“Because of this.” She handed him the stone then stepped back. It turned red once more. When she took it from him it went back to clear.

“Amazing.” Max looked at her. “Do they still talk to you?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact I feel closer to them now.”

“Interesting. Did they talk to you during the ceremony?”

“In a way. They guided me, I think. The words in the poem weren’t exact but they led me to say the right ones. I think they led all of you to join in as well. That was why it worked. If I had tried this on my own I don’t think it would have.”

“So you needed us?”

“Yes. I think it’s different for each person, but the change can’t be forced. If you had tried to force Sonora it wouldn’t have worked.”

“Even if the whole village was behind it?”

“She had to want the change. I’m sure if coerced you might be able to force someone, but the Tears don’t want to be used in that manner. I’m not sure if I can explain it any better than that.”

“I wouldn’t think the stones were intelligent that way,” commented Max.

Alicia shrugged. “It’s the impression I get from them.”

“If you two don’t mind I think I’ll go rest as well,” said Catherine.

“Thank you for all your help. All three of you.” Alicia smiled. “I can see the fatigue lines around your eyes as well. I’m sure this is going to take days, if not weeks for me to learn and master everything I need to know.”

Max came to her side and wrapped his arms around her. “We’ll see you in the morning.”

“Yes, sir.” Patrick took Stacey’s hand and led her up the stairs behind his sister.

“You couldn’t wait until they were gone.”

“You felt the same way. You find your new outfit uncomfortable and can’t wait to get out of it.”

“Please help me.” She showed him her back and he undid the snaps. The garment slipped down her shoulders and pooled at her feet.

“I have to say I do like the way you’re dressed now.”

“Now that doesn’t surprise me, but I am glad Catherine made that stupid thing. I know my dad probably changed my diapers but that was when I was a toddler and Patrick is like a brother. I’m not sure I could have looked him in the eye once I knew he saw me naked.”

“You know that attitude will change as you adjust to shapeshifting.”

“Probably, but until it does I feel better knowing he hasn’t seen anything I don’t want him to.” She snagged a robe she had brought down.

They headed up to their room.

“Are you tired?” asked Max.

“Not really, but I know I should rest.”

“That’s probably a good idea, but I thought you might want to go for a run with me.”

“Really?” She stopped walking. “You know how much I’ve always wanted to do that.”

“That’s why I asked. You’ve conquered the shifting easily and I know you’re brimming with energy.”

“And you worked all day and I can see you’re tired.”

“The chance to run with you for the first time is something I won’t pass up. I think that’s one of the reasons everyone went to bed. They knew.”

“Let’s go.”

He led her to the back porch where he removed his clothing and helped her out of her robe. He shifted, then sat and waited for her to do the same. It took her a few moments longer, but she stood beside him in her wolf form. It was all so new to her she didn’t know what to expect. Nervous energy zinged through her.

Max led her down a well-worn path, his claws pulling up dirt as he trotted along.

She felt the soft ground under her paws. The smell of the soil filled her senses. Alicia had never noticed the earthiness before but now it surrounded her. Max continued to move in front of her, turning to check on her from time to time.

Alicia wished she could talk to him. He was trotting along but she wanted to run. She yipped. The only sound she could make at the moment. Max turned to look at her. She gave him a little hop and ran to his side. He gave her a low woof, which made her whine. Max huffed and sat down. She sat across from him.

She watched in amazement as he stretched his neck and opened his jaws.

“This is the hardest,” he told her. “A wolf snout isn’t designed for speaking.”

She tilted her head at him. Yet here he was talking. It didn’t seem too difficult for him.

“You have to imagine your vocal cords. Have them form in your throat.”

She nodded as she focused on her throat. She opened her mouth several times but all she could do was make a strange noise that sounded a bit like a yawn.

“It will come.” He stood on all fours. “Ready to run?”

She jumped to her feet and nodded.

Max took off with Alicia hot on his heels. The moment they entered a large grassy area she bolted past him then danced in front of him when he caught up. They played for hours and watched the sun rise. Alicia couldn’t stop the yawn that overtook her. Max butted her shoulder with his head. She brushed her snout beside his then tucked her head into his neck. She was tired.

He led her back to the house and helped her into her house robe. Once she was covered he picked her up in his arms and carried her to their room. Tomorrow, actually in just a few hours she would be awake and want to do it all over again.

***

Alicia woke up and stretched. Last night had been so much fun. Then she froze for a moment. She shifted for the first time. She had used the Tears on herself. She went to the closet and pulled out the form that she kept the necklace on. The ruby red tears graced it. Was it only a dream?

She ran her hands over the stones and watched as they all turned clear. Alicia grinned. It did happen. Did she look any different? She went to the mirror and studied her features.

“You’re still as pretty as the day I met you.” Max stood in the doorway of their room holding a large tray. “I thought you might be hungry after all the running you did.”

“I am feeling a little hungry.”

“Good because Jacob cooked all your favorites.”

“Oh my.”

“Eat what you can and we’ll refrigerate the rest.” He set the tray on a table nearby.

“Aren’t you going to help me?” She watched him step away from the food.

“Of course, but I want to be sure you fill yourself.” He brought over a chair and placed it in front of the tray. “You’re going to find you’ll burn through the energy you’re consuming a lot faster than you did before.”

“I don’t feel like I can eat that mountain of food.” She picked up a piece of bacon and took a bite.

“And maybe in the beginning you might not but don’t think about the calories anymore. This is what will allow you to shift easily, run faster, give me toothy grins.” He took a piece of bacon as well.

She smiled at that. She had accused all of them of having toothy grins.

“You made a comment about Stacey being built like a greyhound.” Max pointed a piece of his bacon at her. “That is because she won’t allow herself to eat like she should. Since she has mated with Patrick she’s starting to fill out more. She’s becoming the wolf she should be because of Patrick.”

“Dominic did a number on her, didn’t he?” She snagged a half of bagel smothered with cream cheese.

“I think her father had a bit to do with that as well.” Max grabbed another piece of bacon. “He taught her to be invisible, to hide in plain sight. She stayed thin because no one would expect that from a werewolf. She wore boring clothes and never wore makeup because she didn’t want to stand out.”

“And then she started to work for me, and you came into my life.”

“She could have walked away once I came into the picture, especially after we mated but she didn’t. Stacey might have thought we’d protect her.”

“Which you would have done no matter what.” She bit into the bagel and rolled her eyes. Jacob made his own cream cheese and it was one of her favorite dishes of his. “We should package his cream cheese.”

“I’ll mention it to Jacob. But going back to Stacey, her fear of Dom is so strong it had to take all her willpower not to run at the first chance she got.”

“I’d like to think it is our friendship that kept her from leaving. From what I’ve learned she had no one her age at home so she never had friends growing up.”

“I got the same impression.” Max picked up a plate and loaded scrambled eggs on it then brought it to her. “Eat.”

“That’s too much.”

“Don’t care. A piece of bacon and a half of bagel will last you maybe fifteen minutes. You need to at least be able to make it down the stairs before your stomach starts to growl. Plus, you have all those beautiful blue books to read.”

She laughed. “I made a promise.”

“You did and Catherine will make you keep it.”

“Oh? She got you too?”

“She’s gotten all of us at one time or the other. Just be careful she doesn’t catch you again.”

“She didn’t really catch me this time. I didn’t know how to tell my mom and she let me ask her students how they would handle it if they had the same situation I did.”

“You’re looking forward to what they wrote.” Max might have said it like a sentence, but she could tell by his tone that he was surprised.

“What did she make you read?” Alicia asked.

“Theories on the Tears. I was dumb enough to ask her the wrong questions on how she interpreted the legend.”

“Based off what most knew or what you knew?”

“Now you’re starting to sound like her. No wonder why you’re curious to see what they said.” He filled another plate, this one with fruits and set it on the table next to the booklets. “Enjoy. I’ll be back when your parents get up.”

Alicia nodded. She wondered how she knew they weren’t awake yet and realized it was because their scent was dormant. “Wow. No wonder Max could always find me.”

Coffee in hand she picked up the first book and read. It didn’t take her long to work her way through all of them. Not being a teacher, she wasn’t sure how to grade them so she put them in order of how she liked them. There were several who didn’t understand the request and they were on the bottom of the pile but some of the students put a lot of thought into the essay and those went on top.

She dressed, picked up her cup, tucked the books under her arm and headed to the kitchen. Max met her at the doorway. He took her hand and led her into the dining room. Jacob had created another magnificent breakfast for her guests.

“More food?” she asked softly.

“Only if you want something,” Max replied to her just as softly.

Alicia turned and looked at her friends and found them all grinning. They heard every word. She narrowed her eyes at them and then laughed when they all ducked their heads.

“I’ll teach you how to pitch your voice so only I can hear you,” Max whispered in her ear.

“My goodness, everyone is already here,” said her mom as she entered the room. She smiled when her daughter came over and kissed her cheek. “You look wonderful, my dear.”

“What were you expecting, Mom?”

“I don’t know, maybe you looking tired after what you went through? But you look like you got a perfect night’s sleep. I’ve never seen you look so healthy.”

“Thanks, Mom.” She brushed her fingers up her neck. “I think.”

“Oh, don’t get me wrong. You never looked ill, but I’ve known you all my life and you look like you did back in high school. Your skin is radiant, flawless. Your eyes have this sparkle. Your hair looks thicker too, and your teeth are so white.”

“Really?” she looked at Max.

“I’m the wrong person to ask that. I’ve always seen your beauty as flawless and your eyes have always had this sparkle to me.”

“Flatterer.” Alicia turned to Catherine. “Well?”

“There are subtle changes, but right now they’re hard for me to pinpoint. Once you’ve been shifting for a few days they will become more pronounced.”

“My mom can see it, but you can’t?”

All of them shook their heads.

“Isn’t that a little odd?”

No one would answer her.

“Come on.” Her mom grabbed her hand and pulled her to the buffet table set up in one corner. “Let’s get something to eat. Your father and I need to be heading back this morning.”

“I’d love for you to stay.”

“I know, but I have a lot of last minute things to tie up before the wedding and I can’t do them here.” She picked up an empty plate and handed it to her daughter. “Everything is just about done. You need to try on your dress once more.”

“They have it ready for me to pick up on Monday.”

“Sure, and you don’t need to try it on one more time because your body didn’t just go through a transformation.”

“Oh, no.” Alicia turned to look at her mom. “I didn’t even think of that.”

“I called them this morning and told them you just found out you were pregnant and wanted to be sure the dress still fits. They will see you first thing Monday morning. That way if they do need to make a few changes you can still pick up the dress Monday afternoon.”

“Thanks, Mom. You are a life saver.”

***

Stacey sat on one of the overstuffed chairs, waiting for Alicia to see her wedding dress. She had no idea what to expect. A wall of white came out as two of the women came to Alicia on the platform. All that crinoline went over her head as they fitted the dress on her. Slowly they adjusted Alicia’s gown until it flowed around her.

Her breath caught in her throat. This gown had lace sleeves that came to a point over her hands. The sleeves had little puffs at the shoulder.

“Is that your mom’s dress?”

Alicia nodded. The gown had been taken in so it fit her perfectly. “I’ve dreamed of wearing my mother’s dress since I was a child. I always thought it was the prettiest one I had ever seen.”

“It’s beautiful. You look like a princess.”

Alicia laughed. “I said the same thing to you.” She looked in the mirror, turning to the right and the left. The full skirt moved with her. The beautiful silk dress had been meticulously cared for. The crinoline beneath was new but complemented the design perfectly. Won’t her mom be surprised. She thought Alicia had picked out a different dress. She didn’t know her husband had snuck her wedding dress to their daughter several weeks ago.

“And your veil?” asked the designer.

“Right.” She looked at Stacey. “There is a picture of my mom in her wedding dress. Can you get it for me?”

Stacey nodded and pulled the purse onto her lap. When she found it she held it out to one of the designer’s assistants. At least she knew who these people were now. The assistant gave the photo to the designer. He studied the picture for a few moments then studied Alicia.

“You want this?” he asked.

“I want a crown, or a tiara.”

The stricken look he gave her made Alicia laugh. “I am so sorry, but I just couldn’t help myself. I don’t want a crown, I was just teasing. I thought about maybe a small pill box hat, but I couldn’t find one I really liked.”

He stepped up to her and gestured toward her face. “May I?”

“Okay.” She was curious. Stacey could smell it.

“To pick the right veil I need to study your head. See how high your forehead is, where your ears are.”

“If they’re even,” she added.

“Exactly. You have a small head.”

“I know. That’s why I don’t normally wear hats. I look like a child in them.”

“I’ll be right back.” He disappeared for a few minutes. When he came back he was pushing that small cart he had the veils on during Stacey’s fitting. This was a different group of veils but it must have been what they used the cart for. He set three on top then turned back to Alicia. “Which one speaks to you the most?”

I kinda like that wiry one.”

“Good choice.” He brought it over and placed it on her head. He arranged the wires circling the small cover so they flowed around her hair and face. The wires were covered in a white silk and sparkled as Alicia moved her head around.

“What do you think, Stacey?”

“Well…” She blinked. Alicia was looking for her opinion. “I do like it, but I’m not sure of the sparkle on it. It takes away from the dress.”

“True, but that can be fixed. I’ll just change the fabric to something that mirrors your dress.”

“Perhaps I should see the others on as well?”

“Of course.”

Stacey watched as he placed one veil after another on Alicia’s head, but she still liked the first one best. The ladies helped Alicia back into her fitting room so she could take the gown off. She came out with a big smile on her face.

“So glad nothing needed to be altered.” She reached for her purse. “You ready?”

“Very much.” Stacey stood. “Are they delivering everything?”

“Yeah. I made Jacob aware.”

“Now what?” asked Stacey.

“Max wants me to meet him at his headquarters, then we’re going to Patrick’s factory to do some sort of inspection.”

“Perhaps I should go directly to the factory.”

“Actually Max asked me to bring you to the main office first. Patrick will meet us there. Max wants to see how many people notice what I’ve done if we’re all in a group.”

“Why?”

“I wish I knew. No one tells me anything at times.”

***

Alicia sighed when she found Max and Patrick talking softly to themselves. She hated when they did that. Her hearing picked up a few of their words.

“So why are we going in as a group?”

“My mate is the first person to use the Tears. I’m not noticing a different scent since she’s done this.”

“Well, no, but she was mated to you before she changed so I assume it’s really subtle.”

“I think it’s non-existent.” Max looked over and caught her watching them. “You can hear us?”

She nodded.

“What?” asked Patrick. “I thought you pitched your voice so only I could hear you.”

“I did.” He left Patrick’s side and went to Alicia. “How did you hear that?”

“I don’t know. You said my hearing would get better.”

“I know, but you shouldn’t have been able to hear what I said to Patrick.”

“You pitched your voice?” She placed her hand on his arm. “What did you mean that my scent is non-existent?”

“We can tell a werewolf from a human by a scent.”

“A scent you can’t detect on me.”

“I can’t, but it could be because you’re my mate I’m not going to notice it. I want to see if someone else can.”

“Why not just throw me into a room with a bunch of people and see what happens?”

“You’re angry.”

“Max, how would you feel if I was whispering behind your back because I was trying to protect you and wanted to know why you were different?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I made the decision to do this. If there are some anomalies I should know about them.”

“It’s not like this is life threatening.”

“There’s more, isn’t there?” She could tell by the way he was behaving she was right.

“Your fur.”

“What is wrong with my fur?”

“There is nothing wrong with your fur. It’s a beautiful coat of white.”

“There are no white werewolves?” She didn’t like the way this conversation was going at all.

“Never saw one before.”

“But you’ve heard of them, right?”

“Um, yeah.”

“Don’t tell me, in a legend.” Alicia wanted to smack herself in the forehead. She should have known.

“Look, right now you have no color and we all started out that way and for some it took them several days before any color showed in their fur.”

“What are we talking? Forty-eight hours or three weeks?”

“Normally within thirty-six hours, but it has been up to two weeks with a few.”

“And you guys were watching them like hawks until color showed up. Max please don’t do that to me.”

Patrick stepped up to them and ended their conversation. Alicia dropped back to walk with Stacey. “I want to know about this white wolf legend.”

Stacey nodded.

“And you’re not allowed to defer to Patrick. I’m asking as a friend, but if I have to I will request as the Alpha’s mate.”

Stacey pulled her ever present tablet out of her bag and did a little typing then handed the tablet to Alicia. “I wondered if Max would tell you.”

“He just told me, and it wasn’t something he wanted to do.” Stacey didn’t say anything, but Alicia knew she was confused. “I sort of overheard their conversation.”

“Did he pitch his voice?”

“That’s what he told me, but I could still hear him and Patrick.”

“Really? That’s something none of the rest of us can do.”

“What? Even if you’re close to them?”

Stacey shook her head. “Only the person you want to hear, can. It’s not easy to master. I haven’t been able to do it yet.”

“Wonderful.” Alicia followed Max and Patrick and stood in the back as Max started his inspection. She read about the legend and half listened to the conversation. A softer one caught her ears and she looked up to see who would be talking while Max was supposed to be the focal point of everyone. She knew protocol. All attention should be on her mate.

She stepped forward and gently touched her mate’s hand. He turned to look at her and she mouthed ‘be prepared’. “Excuse me.”

That drew all the attention to her.

“What is your name?” She pointed a finger at one man. He gave it to her and she nodded as she wrote it down. “And you?”

“George, why?”

“I just needed your names so when Max asks who was so rude to speak while he was talking, I have the right names.” The other conversation ceased immediately. Max gave her a resounding kiss and went back to the inspection. She went back to the tablet and continued to read.

Alicia finished about the time Max was done. She handed the tablet back to Stacey and linked arms with Max. “So did anyone notice?”

“Not that I can tell.”

“Yeah, me either.”

“How much of the legend did you read?” He slipped an arm around her waist.

“Whatever Stacey had on her tablet. I’m sure there is more but at least I have an idea of what to expect.”

“It doesn’t mean this is about you, sweetheart.”

“Right, just like the last legend wasn’t about me.” She stopped and made him stop as well. “Max, the facts are all there. I am the first person to do this. Maybe everyone who follows in my footsteps will be the same way and that’s how you’ll be able to tell us apart by the lack of color in our fur, but like you said we don’t know. I’d rather be prepared and be wrong then not know and get caught in a situation that gets me in trouble because I’m not aware.”

“All right. I’ll give you everything I have on the legend. I’ll warn you it’s boring reading.