-Chapter Twenty-
Supernatural Shit

I sat behind the Braxton's desk, the large book open in front of me, Braxton and Richard reading for themselves what I had learned only days ago.

The two men spoke amongst themselves about new protocols, keeping certain things the same but allowing other changes.

"This is incredible, I wonder why no one has ever noticed this? Richard sounded.

"I have a theory on that." I spoke up. "I'm thinking only Weres have handled this text before, I mean it isn't exactly required material for the Luna Training...but Mr Ocklan when your mother showed me the pack library and told me I could go through anything at my leisure as the Luna to be, I did just that...again it isn't mandatory for anyone to read these books, but they're there for anyone in the pack to look at."

He nodded, "I'm wondering if I could pick Doctor Pollock's brain a little, as a medical professional he'd have to know about were genetics...and he did speak about dormant wolves so casually with Elise and Vance's incidences." He said more to himself than anything.

"That makes a lot of sense, I presume medical professional would have to study anatomy and genetics more in depth than anyone else." I agreed. "But when it comes to the whole secrecy of it all...again I'm assuming only Weres have handled any of these books ever and took the context of using discretion as complete secrecy and they passed that down to younger generations, so all you've ever been told or taught was to keep the knowledge of Weres a complete secret (obvious exceptions being mates)."

"At least that's my guess," I said further, "I'm thinking Weres would read the word 'discretion' and take it as meaning 'speak not on the subject at all, ever'...but reading it from the perspective of a non-Were I see discretion as, 'saying as little as possible'...but never does it say NOT to tell a non-Were." I said.

They both nodded along...We discussed a little more on the topic, before Braxton brought up the next topic of Betas.

"Ryder will be leaving us at the end of his next semester." Braxton informed him, "And I know you've agreed to help me by taking the spot of acting Beta but honestly we all know I will have to choose someone, and truth be told, I'm having one hell of a time deciding who can take on the role best, it's between Vance and Patrick...both my cousins, one through marriage one through blood, but both very capable of the position."

Richard only shrugged, "I can't tell you who to pick...that's your choice alone Alpha."

Braxton nodded his understanding, "Well, as always, I really appreciate your constant help when I need it..."

His uncle smiled and waved his words away nonchalantly as he smiled, "I'm always willing to help you with whatever you need any time you need, you know that."

__________

"Are you sure you're up for this?" I asked a little worried now. "You know you don't have to do this if it's something you really don't want to...we can always find another person to do this."

He shook his head, "Hey relax," He said softly but a humored tone to his words "I've been naked in front of females before...plus I've been shifting since I was 17...it's no big deal, really."

Over the next week we slowly started telling everyone about the whole Dormant wolves situation and how I needed to tell my sister, and when we told Ryder we also asked him if he'd help us out in "proving" to her that this was all real.

I know my sister and we could explain things perfectly and precisely, but if she didn't see it, she wouldn't believe it...and I knew for a fact that there was no way I was going to let her see Braxton naked, and suffice it to say all of our friends are pretty much mated...so Ryder was the first one who came to mind. He is someone she knows and respects plus he's so serious all of the time that it would be hard for anyone to not believe anything he told them.

He agreed, seeing it as no big deal, but now faced with the reality of it, I was freaking out...partially because I was worried but also I honestly felt bad because I was kind of feeling like I was asking Ryder to degrade himself.

I gave Ryder a skeptical look. "Are you sure you're really fine with it."

He rolled his eyes and shook his head, "I do this daily Luna, You're not backing out are you?"

I shook my head, "No...just freaking out about how my sisters going to react...I mean I flipped out and refused to see anyone after I found out...what if she does the same thing, what if she hates me afterward?"

Braxton rubbed my back now, "Gorgeous I doubt she could hate you." He voiced smoothly, a slight amusement in his words.

"I'm glad you're both finding this funny."

"We aren't laughing Love...but I do think you are overreacting just a little...what will happen, will happen wether you stress over it or not, so how about we just go on with what we have planned and let Valerie react however she deems fit." He said cooly.

__________

"I'm glad you could come out." I said as I hugged Val.

"Are you kidding me, Braxton's lake house is beyond amaze H."

I smiled, "Well I'm glad you like it, and like I said last time, you are more than welcome to come over anytime."

"I know, just seem swamped with school since I'm trying to graduate early...anyways, what's up little sis...when I got your voicemail it sounded kinda urgent?"

I smiled, "Oh...I mean it wasn't exactly urgent, but ..yeah, Uh...but Braxton's actually out back with Ryder." I said fumbling over my words, I really didn't know what was about to happen when she saw the shift for the first time and I was freaking out.

"Oh..." She sounded, "You know I haven't seen Ryder in almost a week...I didn't even know he was back in town."

I nodded, "Yeah, he's here...but before we go out there I have to let you know that there's something I need to talk to you about..."

"Harper, is something wrong?"

I shook my head..."No, don't worry, just something I want to tell you."

I noticed as her eyes moved downward to my midsection.

I sighed, "I'm not pregnant!"

She smiled guiltily, "I knew that."

I let out a deep breath..."I don't know how to even begin going about this, so I guess I'm just ask that when we get outside please, please, please, let us say everything we have to say and do before you say or do anything."

"We?" she asked curiously.

I nodded, "The guys are part of it."

She looked at me skeptically but nodded silently before together we made our way outside and Braxton and Ryder both greeted her.

"Sooo." She sounded, trying to kill the awkward silence. "Is this some kind of weird intervention?"

Braxton laughed.

I sighed, "Uh, I don't know how to do this...best do it like a Band-Aid?" I wondered aloud, Ryder silently nodding in approval.

Valerie just looked at each of us before I blurted it out "Okay then...The guys are Werewolves."

Silence...

Again she just looked at all of us like she was waiting for me to say something before she finally spoke, "Werewolves..."

It wasn't a question, more of a flat statement echoing my words.

I nodded, "Yeah...Um...So something in Braxton and Ryder's genetic coding makes it possible for them to sort of transform into actual wolves...But they are in complete control of themselves even in wolf form."

I watched as her brows pulled together ever so slightly...I could see she was skeptical about what I was saying but I continued. "Uh, I didn't believe any of it at first myself...so I needed proof, and Braxton provided me with evidence...but today Ryder here has offered to demonstrate for you, what I'm talking about."

We all looked at her and she didn't respond so Ryder took it as a go ahead signal.

He took off his shirt and I watched as Val was now suddenly a little more interested. When I heard his belt buckle I looked away, I would never openly watch another man undressing especially in Braxton's presence. I grabbed his hand and he smiled down at me.

I heard as the material of his jeans hit the ground and knew his pants would be down and soon he'd remove any underwear he may or may not be wearing.

"Hey now." Val sounded slightly amused. "You guys are fucking with me right?"

Braxton chuckled.

"Just watch." I said, still looking away from the scene in front of me.

Assuming she did as I instructed she watched on as a now naked Ryder shifted into his wolf. Only her gasp could be heard and that's when I turned to find Ryder was in his wolfs form. Val took a step back and Braxton and I took a step forward.

"It's alright, like I said Before, this is still Ryder and he is still one hundred percent in control of this form just as much as he is in his human form."

She looked at me and then back at Ryder.

"Okay, wow..." She finally said in visible shock and maybe a little bit of awe...or was it fear? "Dude this is like, uh...some super scary supernatural shit, so...so, sorry, I'm kinda trying to wrap my head around all of this." She sounded with an audible release of her shaky breath. "Shit, okay then, so H...do you like turn into a wolf thing too?" She asked calmly as she looked at Ryder once again, but I could see that there was a lot going on with her thoughts.

"Why don't we give the girls a moment alone." Braxton sounded as he leaned down to gather Ryder's belongings and held the back door open for him to enter the lake house.

I waited until we were alone before I shook my head, 'no.' "Essentially no, I do not turn into a wolf...theoretically though, we may have the capability...we are what you call Dormant Wolves"

"We...Dormant?!"

I shrugged, "We are sisters Valerie." I said in an 'obviously' tone. "And Dormant...we'll just call them sleeping wolves to make it a little easier."

She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "This is so fucking strange...we're wolves...what about mom and dad?"

I made a face, "It's complicated...it has to do with our genetic coding but basically any wolf we have is sleeping so to speak and it may very well never wake up, but there is a chance that it could...as for Mom and Dad, well one if not both of them do carry that gene...but who knows how long our family has had sleeping wolves...so I wouldn't put it past them to not even know about this at all...I mean we didn't know about sleeping wolves until I stumbled across a book on them."

"And you've kept this from me for a YEAR?!" She finally shouted.

I could see she was more hurt by me not confiding in her instead of the entire wolf thing.

"Just about" I admitted shamefully, it did suck not being able to tell her. "Trust me it wasn't easy...there was a lot of shit that I wanted to vent to you about...but the Weres are kind of a secret and it wasn't until recently that I found a loophole in that like I said, we are wolves ourselves so that's when I knew I had to tell you."

"HAD to tell me?" she questioned..."

"Well yeah, what if I didn't tell you about your wolf and then you found yourself at school or the mall and you shifted...you wouldn't know what to do, you could hurt somebody, and also you could freak a ton of people out...now the likelihood of that happen is very slim as the only way we know to wake up a wolf is in a life or death situation."

"So there's a bigger chance I'll never shift?" She asked.

I nodded, "Yes there is that chance that you'll never shift...but there's also the chance that you could, slim though it may be, it is still there, I mean people get into car accidents all the time, or get seriously injured just going down the stairs...anything could happen and now you have to be prepared for anything and there more."

Just then Brax and Ryder rejoined us. It was quiet for a moment and then Valerie sighed heavily.

"So what now...Don't tell me some mythological centaur is after me or some shit to top it all off."

I had to suppress a laugh, "Not to my knowledge..."

It was Braxton who spoke up though. "Well other than your sister wanting you to know about her life...we think you had the right to know, yes because you may shift but also because you have a Mate somewhere out there."

"Like a soul mate?" She wondered out loud.

I nodded, "I'm Braxton's mate."

Braxton smiled and agreed before continuing, "Now unfortunately we do not know who your mate is, but he's out there and over time you two will cross paths and you'll know he's your mate...and he may very well just come right out and tell you you're his mate, then again he may try and ease you into it thinking you're just an ordinary human."

She nodded her head, "It can be anybody?"

We all nodded.

"How will I know?" She asked.

I shrugged, "It's different for everyone, for me it was this urge to be near Braxton because every time I was near him I would get these intense butterflies in my stomach, and the closer I got to him the wilder the butterflies seemed to flutter, but the obvious sign is the touch."

Braxton smiled and nodded, "you can touch anybody and not feel a thing...but the minute you touch your mate, it's fiery, or electric in both the most intense and calming way possible."

She smiled a little as she got a dreamy look about her, "Well that doesn't sound so bad."

"Trust me...mates make everything worth it in the end." I said smiling now.