Shift

Sixty-Five

Jace

I really, really, really, really hoped Ava wouldn’t Shift. While Ava had been getting ready and everyone else had been making the preparations for the ceremony, I’d been in the village’s library, trying to find as many cases as I could, in which a human and alpha had mated.

Apparently, in every single case in recorded history, the human Shifted. What were the chances that we were going to make history because Ava didn’t shift? Pretty much zero, none, nada.

I’m so selfish, I thought, as I laid Ava on the king-sized bed. Ava reached up to grab my neck, dragging her warm tongue across it. A groan escaped my mouth as my lips parted.

What if she Shifts… in the middle of… this? I could barely even consider the thought. I’d probably kill myself for doing something so unimaginably painful to my mate.

Mate, the word echoed in my mind as I stared down at Ava adoringly. “What are you thinking about?” she whispered. I didn’t answer. “Just kiss me.”

I sighed and leaned in, straddling her hips. My lips found hers, and I was gone.

After finishing our fifth round of, uhh, activities, I was holding my breath. Ava had just fallen victim to a deep slumber. I stroked her cheek, electricity crawling up my hand.

I was terrified for her. She could begin to Shift at any moment now, though I doubted it. She was too calm.

Maybe there’s, like, a 24-hour rule or something? That after I mate with her, she Shifts a day later?

Honestly, I was looking for any kind of reasoning right now. Why should we be special enough to be blessed? Why weren’t the Fates cursing Ava with a beast?

I was grateful, don’t take it the wrong way. But I felt like it was too good to be true.

Ava

I never Shifted. We weren’t sure why, but I was alright with it. Jace didn’t comment, but I could tell he was happy that I didn’t Shift. He saw it as yet another obstacle in life.

A few weeks later, we relocated our pack to New York. It was close to my home- not that I’d ever visit- but I was sure no one would find me.

Jace and I got a house on the lake. We had boats, wave runners, a waterslide, canoes, docks, quads… I was sure we’d never be bored.

The rest of the pack was living around us. We’d gotten great deals on houses in a little community. We bought out the entire community, and we ran it ourselves now. Of course, only Shifters were permitted to enter the premises. We had a small school building, where Jessica and her mate taught the children. There was even a little animal shelter right outside where we’d bought the property.

Ironic, isn’t it?

I stared off toward the lake, the thoughts of the past few weeks swirling around in my head. Strong arms wrapped around me, making me almost spill my warm tea. I knew it was Jace, simply from the pure joy it brought me to be engulfed in his arms.

It was my wish to be taken away, into a fairy tale.

And I finally got my happily ever after.