‘Pack,’ a small voice inside me said. 

“You can’t leave. Kai wouldn’t let you. If he cut ties with you, then you wouldn’t last a week as a lone wolf before another pack found you. Female werewolves are rare. Most of them don’t survive the change and only a handful are born to werewolf couples. If another pack claimed you, they might not treat you properly. Kai’s pack is respectful of females, they cherish us, protect us. Not all packs are like that.” Something dark crossed her face but before I could figure it out, it was gone.

“I can’t go home. I can’t stare the Alpha in the eye. Okay, keep going.” I took a deep breath. Werewolves existed. I was one of them. I would have been dead if Kai hadn’t changed me. I couldn’t go home. Okay. Just breathe.

Emma nodded. “That small voice you are probably hearing, that’s letting you know that I’m pack, or that you’re in danger. That’s your wolf, your instinct. She will barely speak to you now but as you get to know her better and trust her more, you and her will become one.”

I could only nod.

Emma smiled. “You’re doing great. Now that big booming voice in your head, that’s Kai. He can pick up on your thoughts, emotions, and he can speak directly into your mind. You’ll get used to it. In a moment, I want you to change into the clothes I brought you. Then I’m going to take you out to meet everyone and we can establish your place in the pack. The sooner we do that, the better off everyone will feel.”

“My place?” I could feel something inside me thrumming with excitement. My inner wolf, I recognized.

“Every pack functions smoothly because we all have a place in the pack. There’s no need for me to get into a dominance battle with Sadie because I know she’s ninth in the pack of dominants. I’m twenty-sixth; the last and most submissive wolf. Everyone protects me and that’s my place. That’s where I feel most comfortable. That’s why Kai sent me in here, so that there was no chance that your inner wolf would feel threatened.”

I nodded. Something about what she said felt right. I would go out there, establish my place and then talk to Kai about my old life. I needed to at least call my mother… and my roommate, Lexi.

“And how do I establish my place?” I stared into Emma’s green eyes.

She quickly lowered hers after a few seconds. She swallowed hard. “A staring contest. You will start with me. If I lower my eyes first, then you are more dominant than I am and you move to the next person in the pack and so on and so on. You do this until you lower your eyes. Then we all know your place. No fights. Kai runs a clean pack.”

I nodded. That didn’t seem so hard.

She elbowed me. “I can already tell you are more dominant than me. For a human female to survive the change, you have to at least be in the middle. You might even be higher than Sadie.” She grinned like that would bring her immense joy.

I felt nauseous. “Well, you survived, so you must be pretty strong, too.” I added, trying to make her feel better.

“Oh, Aurora, I wasn’t changed. I was born this way. Both of my parents are wolves.”

“Oh. Well, how many females do you have in the pack that have survived the change?” My heart raced in anticipation.

She fiddled with her hands. “Just you.”

Emma cocked her head to the side. “Kai says everyone is waiting, so go get dressed, okay?” She smiled sweetly.

I picked up my new clothes and went to get dressed. It was time to do a staring contest.

When Emma led me out of the room, I realized we were in a huge house that overlooked Mt. Hood. The ceilings were vaulted with exposed wood beams, and one of the living room’s walls was entirely made of glass. I could see through the glass that a large gathering of people stood outside. They were all lined up in a row and talking. Once I came closer and Emma led me outside, they became silent.

‘Pack. Pack. Pack,’ my inner wolf chanted.

I scanned the faces. Some smiled at me, some scowled. Then my eyes rested on Him. Kai. I quickly looked down towards his full lips remembering Emma’s advice not to meet his eyes. He was East Indian, over 6 feet tall and built from rock hard muscle. He had dark, unruly hair and chestnut eyes. If I wasn’t feeling like I had been abducted by aliens and taken to a new werewolf planet, I might actually say he was hot. His lips quirked up to a smile and I realized the other thing Emma had said. That he could read my emotions, my thoughts. Just kill me. His smirk disappeared and he stepped forward placing a warm, possessive hand on my shoulder. Emma took her place at the end of the line.

“Brothers and sisters, a new pup has joined our ranks!” His voice commanded attention and oozed with power. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. “This strong female survived a horrific accident and the change. I feel your anxiety about her. Is she submissive, should I protect her? Is she dominant, more dominant than me? Could she be my mate? I think it’s best to establish her place before we have celebrations to welcome her. This will ease your minds.”

I balked inside when he said mate but kept my face a mask of calm. Werewolves could smell fear, right? Well, I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.

Kai walked me towards the end of the line to where Emma stood. She smiled.

“Emma, you have explained how this will go?” Kai spoke to her as if she was a cherished little sister, something to protect.

She nodded. “…and you can start with Sammy. I already know she’s more dom than me.”