AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Celeste, what’s wrong, baby?” I moved toward her front to look into her eyes and was startled to see they were pure white, staring at nothing with her hands on her head. Finally, her eyes returned to their normal blue, and she groaned. “Celeste?” I asked, concerned. I could feel the pain of her migraine as if it were my own.
“Maya,” she grunted, turning around towards the elevator. “Something’s wrong with Maya.”
‘Dr. West. Please head to the third floor. Something is wrong with Maya.’
‘I’m already here, Alpha. I came to check on her as you requested. She’s having trouble shifting. Her body is still too malnourished. I’m not sure if she will survive the first shift,’ he answered grimly.
Rushing to the third floor, we quickly made our way to Maya’s room, and Celeste ran straight to her side.
“Be careful, Luna. One of her claws is extended,” Dr. West warned.
Maya was on the floor by her bed, stuck mid-shift. Her nose was a snout, she had one paw and one leg, her torso was extended and fur was exploding all over her body. The first shift is known to be excruciating. I couldn’t imagine being stuck in that pain for an extended period of time, unable to stop it, unable to complete it. Maya was crying and whimpering, her voice soft and in pain one moment, then howling lowly as her wolf struggled to complete the shift. It was heartbreaking to watch.
Celeste pulled her onto her lap and began caressing her half-transformed cheek. She started singing lowly to both Maya and her wolf. As she sang, I recognized it was in Spanish, but I couldn’t understand what the words meant. Her voice became ethereal, and her eyes began glowing as she continued singing.
“Muñequita, le dijo el ratón, (Little doll, the mouse said)
Ya no llores, tontita, no tienes razón. (Don’t cry, little dummy, you don’t have a reason)
Tus amigos no son los del mundo (Your friends are not from the world)
Porque te olvidaron en este rincón. (As they forgot you in this corner.)
Nosotros, no somos así. (We are not like that)
Te quieren la escoba y el recogedor.(You’re loved by the broom and dust pan)
Te quiere el plumero y el sacudidor.(You’re loved by the duster and beater)
Te quieren la araña y el viejo veliz. (You’re loved by the spider and the old suitcase)
También yo te quiero y te quiero feliz.” (I love you too and I want you happy)
Dr. West and I stood back in stunned silence. After she started her song over three or four times, Celeste’s hair was glowing blue, and her aura radiated outward. It was stronger than a luna’s, as strong as an alpha’s, but didn’t feel heavy as one usually felt. You could recognize its enormous power, but it was soothing instead of imposing. Her hand left a shimmer on Maya’s face as she caressed her face which lingered for a few seconds before absorbing into her body.
Slowly, Maya’s whimpering slowed as if she was no longer in pain. Her body resumed the contortion that occurred during the first shift. Her bones snapped and realigned, and light brown fur exploded from her body. She wasn't in the pain we all knew she should be feeling. Her wolf was small but pretty. Once her shifting was done, she stood and shook her fur, then nudged her nose into Celeste in gratitude, who smiled and caressed her fur while her eyes were the only part of her still glowing.
I felt her sudden exhaustion and moved, following my instincts. I dropped behind her and held her against my chest moments before she passed out. I ran my hand through her hair and kissed her head. I felt she was fine, though I didn’t like to see her unconscious. Atlas and I could tell she simply exhausted herself helping Maya.
“I’ve never seen anything like that,” Dr. West said in awe, approaching Maya’s wolf and checking her vitals.
“What happens in this room stays between us, Doctor,” I said, using my alpha voice to make sure he understood this wasn’t a request. Dr. West bowed his head.
“Of course, Alpha. Would you like me to check over the luna?”
“No. Help Maya shift back, and then you can go. Celeste is fine. She just needs to rest.”
Dr. West guided Maya through shifting back, giving her a robe to change into. Maya came to check on Celeste with tears in her eyes and dropped to her knees before us. She looked scared to touch her friend.
“She’s okay, Maya. She’s just resting. I can hear her heartbeat. It’s beating strong and steady,” I assured her.
“I could hear her voice through the pain, and Kara gave Esmeralda the strength to finish shifting. She took our pain, Alpha. She and Kara absorbed it and gave us back warmth. How did she do that?”
“She is special, so we need to protect her by keeping her secret. I’m glad you’re okay, Maya. We will work on your nutrition over the next few weeks to ensure you can shift on your own during the full moon run.” She nodded at my words.
“Alpha?” she said.
“Yes?”
