“Wow, so vampires are real.” I pondered with a mixture of excitement and fear.

“Aurora, what happened?” Kai pushed again.

I quickly explained, but didn’t give him details, and had to talk him out of driving over to Sylvia’s.

“This day is about Sadie. She is going to meet her mate. Meeting with Sylvia can wait.”

***

Apparently the Seattle Alpha and Kai went way back. They used to be in the same pack together in New Mexico. When we entered a large grassy park, I could see the space needle peeking out in the background, just like my vision. A man and a woman stood near a picnic table with a large group of people further back in the grassy area playing soccer.

“Shamus!” Kai embraced the large man with a red, shaggy beard.

“Kai! My brother.” Shamus returned the hug.  “You didn’t say much over the phone, just that this visit involved a possible mate for one of my wolves. All of my guys are in a frenzy with excitement.”

“Well, it’s a long story, but my newly changed mate, Aurora, had to see a witch about something. Sadie was there, and the witch did a palm reading for Sadie and said her mate might be in the Seattle pack.”

He doesn’t trust him? I thought.

‘I trust Shamus with my life, but not his mate,’ Kai told me.

Interesting.

Shamus stepped towards me and extended his hand. “You must be Aurora. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He smiled genuinely and I was careful to make only the briefest of eye contact. I took his hand. “A friend of Kai’s is a friend of mine.”

Shamus’ mate stepped forward and shook my hand. “I’m Petra.” She had an air of snobbery and wore expensive jewelry and too much make up. I had my guard up after what Kai had told me.

‘She’s power hungry and money hungry, but she’s not a horrible person,’ Kai said in my mind.

“Nice to meet you, Petra.” I held her gaze a little longer than polite and turned to Sadie.

“It’s good to see you both again,” Sadie greeted them.

Shamus smiled warmly at Sadie. “I would be one proud Alpha if one of my boys was your mate, Sadie. This is exciting. Should I have my boys shift and we can see what happens?”

That’s how it was in my dream.

“Yes,” Kai said, and nodded to Sadie who began to undress and shift. All of the men on the soccer field began to undress and I cleared my throat, looking at my shoes.

“You will get used to it,” Petra told me, winking. After a minute of hearing snapping bones and growls, Sadie stood a few feet ahead of us, facing the approaching wolves. She was a beautiful reddish wolf with small black spots and sleek fur. We stood in human form, as well as the women and their mated partners on the field. I noticed there were only three mated couples and one child, to the twenty or so single males trotting towards Sadie. My eyes were scanning the wolves one by one, but before I could get halfway through the approaching pack, I heard Shamus shout out in joy.

“It’s Brett!”

He looked at me and Kai. “He joined my pack two summers ago. Was a lone wolf, broke away from an aggressive pack in Texas. He is such a good guy. They will make a great pair.”

I turned to Kai and saw him swallow hard. I had forgotten for a minute that this was his ex-girlfriend. Sadie approached Brett’s wolf and he jogged up to her and put his front paws flat with his rear up in the air and yipped. He reminded me of a dog asking to play with his owner. Sadie pounced on him and they rolled a few times before running off into the park. I knew what they felt. Total trust.

Shamus sighed. “Young love.”

Petra spoke next. “Will you want Brett to transfer to your pack or–”

Kai shook off his thoughts. “No. Sadie and I have spoken, and in the event she found her mate today, she told me she wishes to transfer to Seattle pack. She has my blessing.”

Shamus put his hand on Kai’s shoulder. “Trusting me with Sadie, with a mated female were and her future pups is an honor. I will make sure she is well protected and provided for.”

Kai nodded. “I knew you would friend. That’s why I was happy to oblige her request. I just hope you have a spot for a dominant female who thinks she should be your next second in command.”

We all shared a laugh at that.

A while later, Sadie and Brett changed into human form and got dressed. Brett was told that Sadie would be joining his pack.

He approached Kai and extended his hand. “Thank you for allowing Sadie to join my pack. I will take care of her.”

Kai shook his hand briskly and nodded.

Shamus, Petra and Brett started walking away. I moved to go to the car and give him and Sadie privacy to say goodbye. Kai grabbed my hand to stop me.

“Breaking pack bonds needs a witness from the pack, as my second, it’s your job to witness,” Kai told me.

“Oh, okay.” I stood there frozen. My vision didn’t play this part.

Sadie lifted her shirt to expose her belly. Her eyes ran up and down Kai’s body. It was as if she was taking one last look of what she would never have. I had to suppress a growl.

“I’m sorry, but this will hurt,” Kai told her and she nodded.

Kai undressed quickly and changed into wolf form. He paused for a second and then lunged at Sadie’s abdomen, digging his teeth into her side. She whimpered a little, but didn’t scream. Now I know why Brett walked away. He wouldn’t have been able to see this. Kai pulled his jaws out of her stomach, and with her blood in his mouth he howled. It was the longest and most haunting howl I had ever heard. ‘Sadie, you are no longer a member of Mt. Hood pack. I cast you out.’ Somehow I knew that he had sent this mental message to all of Mt. Hood pack. ‘I cast you out. I cast you out. I cast you out.’ I felt something tug at my chest and then it was gone. Sadie was gone. She smelled like a foreign wolf to me now. A single tear rolled down her cheek. Kai changed into human shape and Sadie began to walk away. When she looked back at Kai, it was the look from my vision. It was goodbye.