Hunter's Secret

Hunter's POV

It was late when we returned home from Ash’s house. A very worried mom and a very relieved Cameron immediately wrapped me in hugs when I came in the door. Cameron started to ask a thousand questions and I had to stop him to just say that I was exhausted and promised to tell him everything tomorrow. After taking a nice long shower, I threw on a pair of shorts and crawled into my bed.

‘It is nice to officially meet you, River,’ I say to him.

‘I would say likewise but I have already known you for a long time Hunter. You have gotten quite strong over the past few years, and I think we will eventually be good partners.’

‘I guess I will take that as a compliment. I am going to sleep now. You wore me out.’

‘Good.’ River replies before laying down.

A few hours later, I wandered down the stairs, surprised to find it was still dark outside. I walked down the hall and knocked on Cameron’s door.

“Locks? Can I come in?”

“Of course.”

As soon as I entered the room, Cameron just smiled and said, “I really missed you these past few days. I had to train with my dad and he is not nearly as fun as you. I am really glad you are back. And in one piece. Now, please tell me everything.”

I did my best to tell the whole story to Cameron who asked occasional questions but mostly just sat there in awestruck silence.

“H, you did so well. I am so proud of you. I knew you could do it. I can’t wait to meet my wolf. Just two more years.”

“Yeah, then I can officially make you my Beta too. Also, how long did I sleep?”

Smiling from my words, he replied, “Like nineteen hours.”

“Dang, I guess I really was exhausted. I am still tired though, so I am going back to bed. See you in the morning.”

“Yep. See you then.”

I went back to bed and fell back into a deep sleep. The next morning, I woke up early and decided to test out my new shifting abilities. I quietly walked down to the training grounds. I felt excited to try shifting by myself this time. Once inside, I slipped out of my clothes and prepared to shift. Taking a deep breath, I focused on feeling River.

I began to shift and the pain was a little more bearable this time. River’s massive paws gently hit the cold training floor and he walked up to the mirror. This was the first time that I had truly been able to see my wolf. River was midnight black and exuded confidence and power. I basked in my previously inaccessible form, and focused on feeling what River was feeling.

I took note of how the cold floor touched our paws, how his eyes made my sight sharper, how his ears could hear the rustling of leaves outside, how his muscles contracted when walking, how his nose could easily pick up all the scents of the wolves who had trained the day before.

‘Ready to finally go on that run?’ I asked River.

‘I thought you would never ask’ River replied, racing out of the training grounds.

I sat back and let River take control. Running through the woods that surrounded the pack, River easily dodged and swerved around the trees. Jumping over the fallen logs felt like I was flying.

‘Wow River, you are really skilled.’

‘No, *we* are really skilled. I am a part of you just as much as you are a part of me.’

I smiled to myself as River rushed through the trees.

The sun was starting to rise over the hills and River paused to watch the sun slowly spread its warm embrace over the pack lands. After watching for a few minutes, River decided to head back to the training grounds to shift back. Before shifting, River paused one more time in front of the mirrors so I could admire his reflection.

River’s ears flickered to the door, and we quickly turned our attention to the intruder, and I felt energy surge through me. We were both ready to defend our pack. A low growl ruminated from River’s chest as the intruder walked in. River lunged toward the entrance, but I quickly stopped him when I realized it was just Cameron.

However, Cameron did not realize that it was River, so he screamed and jumped back in fright. I quickly shifted back and put on my clothes from earlier. I turned to Cameron who was extremely pale, and I sheepishly rubbed the back of my neck, apologizing for scaring him.

“Dang Hunter, River is beautiful and also extremely terrifying. You could have told me you were coming down here this morning.” Cameron said, slapping me on the arm, “You scared the crap out of me.”

“Sorry. I was just practicing and getting used to what it feels like to be in River’s head instead of him only being in mine. And let me tell you, it is incredible. I finally feel like myself again. He ran so fast; I swear we could outrun lighting!” I excitedly told Cameron.

“I am sure you did. I think River is the largest wolves I have ever seen; it is going to take some getting used to. Do you feel up to training today or do you need a break?”

“No, I am all good. I have like a fire running through my veins and so much energy, it is crazy.”

“I think that is just called adrenaline but yeah, let’s train.”

I continued to train with Cameron and further explored my connection to River for the next few weeks. I knew I was visibly happy, and it was because all the anxiety and fear that I had held in my body had practically evaporated into thin air.

However, my carefree attitude decreased when I had to attend my first pack meeting with the elders. Even though I would not “officially” take over as ruling Alpha for another three years, I still currently held the title so therefore I had to participate in all things pack related.

‘This is the most boring thing I have ever been in, and I watched you dig aimlessly in the dirt for years.’ River remarked, dramatically yawning and laying down.

‘Well, it is part of our duty as Alpha to learn how to do the job. But I agree, it is booorrrring.’

A gentle “ahem” reminded me that I was supposed to be paying attention. I looked guiltily at my father, who just shook his head at me, and tried my best to stay focused on the current conversation. I listened as the elders discussed the current state of the pack’s treasury, the new upcoming projects to be completed, any grievances or complaints that had been made, and updates on current pack members.

My father led these meetings gracefully, as one would hopefully do after so many years on the job. I watched in admiration as dad spoke his mind and was fair but firm in his decisions. All decisions must have the Alpha’s approval to be put into action and the Alpha could reverse any decision he wanted to. While the Luna of the pack had no legal say in decisions, my dad always made sure that my mom was on the same page as him. If he felt like mom wasn’t on the same page, he would suspend approving or dismissing the decision until they could reach a reasonable compromise that suited both of them.

This was one thing that I also admired about my father, he always put his mate above his pack. He would always make sure that my mom knew how much he valued her opinion and how much he loved her. When I was younger, I would feel grossed out by my parents’ displays of affection like holding hands and kissing each other. Not just in the privacy of our own home but in public too. The entire pack knew how much my parents loved each other.

Now, I smile when I see them together because I have learned how much happiness can come from being truly and completely in love with your mate. I sighed with a bit of longing for my own mate and tried to return my attention back to the meeting, counting down the minutes until I could leave. Sitting still for so long was still not my forte.

When the meeting finally ended, I was desperate to leave but my father placed a hand on my leg that told me to stay seated. After the elders had cleared the room, I looked over at him, surprised to see him smiling at me.

“What?” I asked inquisitively.

“Nothing, I am just so proud of you. I know attending these meetings are not your favorite activity, but it is important for you to learn all parts of this job. I truly believe you can be a great Alpha. That being said, you may want to work on your poker face for when you are talking to River,” he said, winking at me.

I gave a small, slightly embarrassed smile and dad just laughed in response. Now that we were both chuckling, we stood up, pushed in our chairs, and left the town hall.