ANNALISE

“It’s a pity that Calissa can’t join us for a drink,” Lorna exclaims, her voice filled with excitement. “But once she has their adorable pups, we’ll all gather for an unforgettable night of debauchery!” As Lorna’s words resonate in the air, the sound of clinking wine glasses fills the room, creating a symphony of celebration. The fragrant aroma of our delightful sweet and sour nectar wafts through the air, enticing our senses. With each sip, the velvety liquid dances on our tongues, leaving behind a tantalizing sensation that lingers, making this moment unforgettable.

As I sit here, the room filled with the sweet aroma of wine, I can’t help but burst into laughter. “You seem to forget,” I exclaim, my voice echoing with amusement, “that by the time she has my nephews and niece, we will all most likely be pregnant as well.” I take another sip of the rich, velvety wine, savoring its taste on my tongue. “So,” I continue, a smile playing on my lips, “that will have to be put on hold for another six months. Then you have to factor in that by the time we are having ours, she’ll most likely be pregnant again.” The room resonates with laughter, blending with the clinking of glasses and the muffled chatter once again. “I’m thinking,” I say, my voice laced with excitement, “we should take advantage of this time while we have it. Because, let’s face it, we’re all going to be popping out pups left and right once we are all mated and marked.”

“Annalise is right, you know,” Zariah said, her voice carrying a hint of amusement. She took a moment to chuckle, the sound mingling with the clinking of her wineglass against the table. As she raised the glass to her lips, the rich aroma of the red wine filled the air.

“Unlike you and Lorna, Xena and I haven’t gone that extra mile and had sex,” Zariah continued, her words laced with desire. Her lips curled into a playful smile, her eyes glinting mischievously. Another sip of wine followed, the velvety liquid coating her tongue.

“Not saying that we haven’t wanted to,” she added, her voice growing husky. Zariah’s laughter danced in the air, mingling with the gentle crackling of the fire in the fireplace. We would utilize soon to make S'mores.

“But dang! I’m gonna be jumping on Dante every freaking chance I get,” Zariah exclaimed, her voice filled with anticipation. Her fingers trace the rim of her glass. Then she brings the glass to her lips for another generous gulp, humming in satisfaction.

“Dante and I are hoping to have at least three pups. If not more,” she continued, her excitement palpable. The room seemed to buzz with anticipation, the air heavy with anticipation and possibility. Zariah’s laughter bubbled forth again, a melodic sound that filled the room.

“I’m just saying. Now that I think about it, we’re all going to need to branch out and build pack houses of our own at some point,” Zariah said. Her gaze wandered around the room, imagining the future that lay ahead. The flickering light from the fireplace cast playful shadows on her face, emphasizing the sparkle in her eyes.

“I mean, where are we going to fit these pups we’re all going to be having?” she asked, her voice filled with playful humor. Her wine glass was almost empty now, the last remnants of the liquid clinging to the sides. She giggles, the sound echoing in the room as she finished her drink with a satisfied gulp.

The room seemed to brim with excitement, a sense of possibility hanging in the air. Zariah’s words, accompanied by the sights, sounds, smells, and feelings of the scene, painted a vivid picture of a moment filled with laughter, desire, and dreams of the future.

“Well, all our parents have built private homes out in the forest. So it should work out fine,” Xena said, her voice carrying through the room. She gestures with her hand. “You guys could build separate suites onto the existing pack house. That way, Jarek and Calissa could have the existing quarters, and you and Xillon could have an entire wing to yourselves. It’s not a big deal.”

Xena’s smirk played across her face, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She raised her wineglass, the rich aroma of red wine mingling with the scent from the wood burning in the fire. “They built the ancient pack house to be more massive,” she continued, her voice tinged with anticipation. “With the thought of Dante and Declan needing their own alpha suites and, of course, separate suites for their half brothers, so... Zariah and I will move over there to be with Declan and Dante, of course. It shouldn’t be too much of a big deal.”

“Let’s not stress about any of this right now and let loose! This is supposed to be our bachelorette party, after all!” I exclaim, my voice filled with excitement, as I raise another bottle of wine towards Lorna. The sound of laughter and music fills the air as I watch Lorna grab the bottle, ready to pop the cork. The aroma of fruity wine wafts through the room, heightening our senses.

As Zariah holds her wineglass out for a refill, she asks, “What do you think all the guys are off doing?”

“They are male wolf shifters, Zariah! What do you think they are doing?!” I giggle, shaking my head.

“That’s right.” Zariah says, while giggling. “That was a stupid question to ask.”

***

As the night grew darker and the near full-moon ascended to the highest point in the sky, a restlessness began to stir within all of us girls. But it wasn’t just us feeling restless; our wolves shared the same yearning. Despite all the pampering we had been indulging in - facemasks, pedicures, manicures, and whatever else - it couldn’t satiate the hunger within us, for fresh meat and the hope of running into our mates.

Despite our state of inebriation, which didn’t help matters, blood and gore became a necessary element. Our wolves are scolding us for our reckless drinking habits. It’s quite the peculiar joy of being human, coexisting with our wolf counterparts, who possess their own independent existence. While we stumble around, our wolf companions strive to be the responsible adults in this situation, urging us to shift so they can take control and prevent any harm befalling us. Thankfully, our wolves possess the ability to heal us if we end up injuring ourselves. However, with our mating ceremonies scheduled for tomorrow night, any injuries could prolong our healing process.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to go out there where we our mates could see us,” Xena slurs her words as we strip down to our bikinis. “We aren’t supposed to see them until the mating ceremony.”

“That’s just an old wives’ tale for humans,” Lorna declared, her laughter filling the air as she swung open the door. Peering down the hallway, she gestured towards the staircase that would lead us out of the ancient pack house. “Besides, it doesn’t apply to us. We’re not necessarily human.” She chuckled, her eyes twinkling mischievously. “By now, they should be finished with their hunting. Most likely, they’re indulging in their fresh kills and sipping on beer. It’s pretty much what we were doing, except they’re acting like cavemen.”

With cautious, barely audible footsteps, we tiptoed down the dark hallway of the grand mansion, the subtle creaking of the floorboards betraying our presence. Mindful of the silence, we opted for the stairs instead of the elevator, each step taken with the utmost care to avoid any unnecessary noise.

Emerging into the open air, a gentle breeze brushes against our faces, carrying with it the smell of dewy grass and the distant aroma of blooming flowers. Lorna, our ever-vigilant companion, closed the door behind us, its closing sound reduced to a mere whisper.

Descending onto the ground, we felt the coolness of the thick, lush grass beneath our hands and knees as we started our stealthy advance. The tall blades of grass towered above us, swaying in the wind, their rustling creating a symphony of hushed whispers. We navigated our way through this natural obstacle course, inching closer to the forest’s edge. Our senses heightened with anticipation.

“We are to shift, hunt, eat, then all meet back here. If we come upon our mates, we are not to interact with them. We’ll have all the time in the world with them after tomorrow night. Got it girls! It’s the last girls’ night we’re going to have for a while, most likely, so let’s keep it that way,” I command.

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement, rid themselves of their clothes, shifted, then bolted out into the forest.

***

Larissa had her sights on a decent sized young buck and was about to pounce on the animal when someone rudely halted her actions. ‘What the hell are you and the other girls doing out here?’

Larissa spins around, her eyes widening as she sees Trex creeping towards us. Her gaze fixates on the bright blue crescent moon on his forehead, a mirror image of her own. It was through Trex and Calissa’s wolf we discovered the power of mating with the ancient bloodline. This union had the ability to transform a normal shifter into an ancient shifter. However, the transition wasn’t easy for Jarek, as the new abilities overloaded his system. Perhaps that’s why he and Calissa didn’t conceive right away.

‘Our wolves had the hankering to hunt and get some fresh meat and blood in their systems.’

‘At two o’clock in the morning?’

‘Shouldn’t you all be back at our pack house shooting pool and drinking beer? Just because we are women doesn’t mean we can’t hunt the night before our mating ceremonies, just as you all have done.’

‘Touche. I’ll round everyone up so you girls can have free rein over the forest. The hunting has been good tonight. Don’t be too long. You’ll want to get some good rest before your ceremony.’

‘The plan is to hunt, eat, and then go straight back to the ancients’ pack house. Don’t worry. We can take care of ourselves. Make sure Xillon gets rest for me. Your mating and transformation to an ancient shifter wasn’t all that smooth. I’m worried about him.’

‘Don’t worry, I will. You do the same for Xena and Zariah.’

‘We had planned to stay up all night, to be honest. It’s a good thing I ran into you. They are going to have a hard transition for sure.’

Trex and Lorna bowed their heads before Trex sprinted into the forest. Larissa wasted no time tackling and devouring the young buck she had tracked down. She didn’t leave a shred of evidence behind. Eating the bones, brains and every morsel of the creature.

‘The lake isn’t too far off. I would like to cleanse myself, so you don’t need to worry about showering once you arrive back at the pack house.’

‘Sounds like a plan to me, Larissa.’

After shaking out her fur, she bolted towards the lake, making it there within a minute.

Upon her arrival, our laughter echoed across our subconscious as we beheld the breathtaking sight of friends- three majestic wolves frolicking in the water. Their graceful movements created a symphony of splashes, filling the air with the refreshing scent of the lake.

‘Seems we weren’t the only ones wanting to get clean,’ Larissa said, as she waded out to the others.

Though I would love to join in on the fun, we all needed to get to sleep. So me being the Alpha-female, I had to bust up the fun.

‘Alright girls. Let’s get clean and get back to the pack house to sleep. Your ceremonies are going to take a toll on you all. Rest is a necessity. Chop, chop.’ I commanded through the mind link.

Their wolves bared their necks to us. ‘Yes, Alpha,’ they all said in unison and stopped their bantering to allow their wolves to submerge themselves in the water, clearing the blood from their fur and snouts.

We shoved Lorna’s bed to the far corner of her room and made a huge comfortable pallet on the floor that comprised several comforters and then crawled into our sleeping bags. It was now five o’clock in the morning. Prepping for the ceremony would begin in seven hours. My hope is that six hours of sleep would be enough for Xena and Zariah.

“I apologize for not considering the toll your transformations would have on you,” I said as I rested my head on my pillow. “I feel terrible for keeping you both up so late.”

“We’ll be fine, Annalise. Don’t worry.” Xena said, yawning and closing her eyes.

“Goodnight girls. Don’t worry. Annalise and I can help you both. Everything will be just fine.” Lorna said as she bopped me on the nose, smiled and closed her eyes.

I thought it would be hard to fall asleep. I thought the excitement of knowing that I would be marked and mated to my mate and the love of my life in just eighteen hours would prevent me from falling asleep. But it only took a minute for my brain to shut down and for me to fall into a deep dark dreamless slumber.