Scarlett

I was drifting out of the darkness that had given me refuge from the pain. The more conscious I became, the worse the pain became. My body still felt like it was on fire, burning from the inside. Sweat was pouring off me. I opened my eyes and found myself upstairs in Cade's room. My body arched as pain sliced through me again and I screamed.

"I'm here, Scar." I heard Cade trying to soothe me as he held my hand. The wave of pain only eased for a second before my eyesight changed. Normal vibrant colors changed to various shades of amber.

"My eyes," I gasped in panic as I found Cade's concerned gaze above me.

"It's okay, it is part of the change," he assured me softly, holding my hand in both of his.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there when it started," he whispered to me. He felt guilty that I'd started it on my own with no one to help.

It was too much effort to talk and I felt so weak. I squeezed his hand so that he would know that I didn't blame him for it. I knew him well enough to know that he would have a good reason why he didn't answer me sooner.

I lost track of time and every moment of the burning pain felt like forever. Cade soothed me with words and a wet cloth dipped in cold water that he pressed to my forehead, easing the heat.

I groaned and gasped as I thrashed. My body was transforming, pushing the limits of my human shell. My bones ached; it felt like they'd been broken and put back together.

A good while later the heat began to ease, and along with it the pain. But I was exhausted and I could barely keep my eyes open.

"Sleep, Scar," soothed Cade with a feathered kiss to my forehead.

I heard the sound of a door opening.

"How's she doing?" I heard Blake ask.

"It's over, she's sleeping."

Cade let out a sigh.

"That was intense," Blake murmured.

"I know," Cade murmured. "Watching her in that much pain and being unable to do anything about it was torture."

"I know. Is there anything I can do to help?" Blake offered.

"Will you just let everyone know that it's over and she's sleeping?" Cade responded and let out a heavy sigh. "I don't want to leave her."

I heard the door close and then a few moments later I felt the bed dip. He didn't reach for me. Maybe it was because he wasn't sure how tender my body was, but I needed him.

Slowly, I turned and shifted slightly so my head rested on his chest.

"Sleep, baby," he soothed again as he held me close to his chest. The sound of his heart beating under my ear soothed me into an exhausted but peaceful sleep.

When I woke up, I yawned and stretched. I felt great.

"How are you feeling?" I heard Cade ask. I looked to see him sitting beside the bed, watching me.

"I feel fine," I replied. In fact I felt better than fine. I felt stronger. I sat up.

"Why are you not in bed with me?" I asked.

He ran a hand through his hair. He looked exhausted.

"I couldn't sleep and I kept tossing and turning so I got up. I didn't want to wake you," he explained.

"Why didn't you go and sleep in one of the guest bedrooms?" I asked.

"I wasn't going to leave you."

My heart squeezed at his words.

I shifted over and held the comforter open and patted the empty spot next to me. He smiled at me as he got up and got into the bed next to me. Still sitting up, he pulled me against his chest and hugged me. I reveled in the feel of him holding me so close. I closed my eyes for a moment and breathed him in.

For a few moments we sat in silence, both lost in our own thoughts.

"I need to get up and shower," I said as I pulled away and looked up to him.

"I'll start the shower for you," he offered as he pulled away from me and got out of the bed. He disappeared into the bathroom and a few moments later I could hear the water running.

It was then that I remembered what they'd said about the pain of the first shift.

Cade walked out of the bathroom.

"If that's what childbirth is like, you're getting fixed," I told him, crossing my arms over my chest as I glared at him. There was no way I was ever going through that type of pain willingly.

He actually laughed at me and I felt my temper rise. He pressed his lips together to smother any further laughter. It must have been my glare that made him mask any further amusement because he knew his life depended on it.

"No, childbirth is not that bad. Normally the first shift is painful, but it's not usually as bad as what you experienced."

"Why was mine that bad?" I asked, feeling it was a little unfair that mine was worse than what most werewolves experienced.

"Only werewolves with alpha-blood experience a first shift like you did," he explained.

Firstly, it physically made my heart hurt to think he'd experienced that pain and then a moment later I realized what he was saying.

"I've got alpha blood?" I asked, needing confirmation of my thought.

Cade held my gaze and nodded. I'd never even suspected that.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"It means that your father or mother belonged to an alpha bloodline," he answered. My forehead creased as I began to process that thought.

"Come on, your shower is ready. We can talk about this when you're done," he said, pulling me out of the bed by my hands.

In the shower under the constant stream, I thought about the ordeal I'd just gone through. It had been the most intense thing I'd ever experienced and I was so relieved it was over.

I don't know if it was because I was thinking about my first shift or not, but I suddenly wanted to go into the forest and shift into my wolf for the first time. Or maybe it was something stronger that made me get out of the shower and dry myself off. I got changed quickly and then I strode out of the bathroom toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Cade asked from behind me. I'd been so focused on what I needed to do that I'd completely forgotten about him.

I stopped and turned.

"I need to...go outside," I tried to explain the need that was growing inside of me.

"Okay, Scar," he said and took my hand in his.

It took us a few minutes to get to the gates in front of the compound.

"Open the gates," he ordered to someone.

I wrestled with the growing need to shift into my wolf. Nothing else around me mattered.

The gates opened and I walked into the forest with Cade and a few others behind me. In the forest, with trees around me, I dropped to my knees. The need in me was so strong, but I had no idea how I was supposed to shift.

"Just let it happen," Cade whispered from beside me.

I closed my eyes and gave in to the need. It took a few moments, but then I felt my body change. It was painful, but I could handle it as my human form shifted into my wolf. The pain was nowhere near what I'd just experienced earlier.

This time when I opened my eyes, I was a wolf.

"You're beautiful," said Cade in awe as he stood in front of me.

I cocked my head at him and he smiled at me. My heart warmed at his words.

I looked down to my front legs and paws. I had soft midnight-black fur covering me.

In a moment, Cade changed into his wolf and he stood beside me, magnificently powerful. The color of his fur matched mine. He walked closer and nuzzled me with his wet snout. I loved the feeling of his fur against mine.

The two of us stood side-by-side, facing the forest.

I felt alive and I closed my eyes for a second to adjust to the intensity of my senses before I ran for the first time in my wolf form through the forest.