AT PACK SHIFTING CEREMONY
ZAVIER
The shifting ceremony is loud, too loud. Laughter fills the room, glasses clink together, and the scent of excitement mixes with the familiar smell of wolves packed too close together. Everyone is here tonight. Elders, warriors, families, every single member of the pack gathered to watch the shifting ceremony, my shifting ceremony, and Michael's shifting ceremony.
But from the way everyone is acting, you would think there is only one of us.
"Michael Blackwood is finally shifting tonight."One of them said.
"I heard his wolf will be powerful."Another said.
"Of course he will be. He's Alpha Charlie's son."Someone else added.
I stand near the edge of the hall, my back resting against the wooden wall as I listen. No one says my name, not even once. My fingers curl slightly against my sleeves, but I keep my face blank. I have had years of practice pretending this doesn't bother me.
Michael stands in the center of the hall, surrounded by half the pack. Everyone wants a piece of him tonight they laugh with him, clap his shoulders, offer drinks, and slap his back as he has already proven himself. After all, he is the son everyone wanted, and technically… we are twins. We were born minutes apart, same parents, same blood. Same ceremony tonight. When wolves come of age, their first shift happens during the pack's ceremony, which means tonight is supposed to belong to both of us, but as I watch the crowd circle Michael, it's painfully obvious that this night belongs to him alone.
I glance across the hall, and my parents stand near the front with the elders. Alpha Charlie Blackwood stands tall, his voice deep as he speaks with pride to the other leaders. Beside him is Luna Rosalie, smiling gracefully while people congratulate her. Their eyes never once looked in my direction.
A memory flashes in my mind before I can stop it. I am six years old, standing in the kitchen holding a drawing with both hands.
"Look, Mama." I say quietly, sliding the paper across the table.
Rosalie glances down for barely a second.
"Michael, sweetheart, come show your father how well you can read."Then her head turns.
I remember standing there with the drawing still in my hands. No one ever looked.
Another memory follows and I am ten, watching the training yard. Michael accidentally half shifts during practice, claws forming briefly at the tips of his fingers.
"That's my son!"Father laughs loudly.
Everyone cheers and I stand a few feet away. The memories fade, but the feeling never really leaves. I push myself off the wall and walk further into the hall.
Some pack members glanced at me as I pass by.
"Oh. The other twin."One of them whispered to another.
The other twin and I keep walking like I didn't hear it. At the center of the hall, the ceremonial fire burns steadily, flames flickering orange against the dark wood walls. This is where wolves reveal themselves for the first time. This is where everything changes. Michael steps forward confidently, and the room erupts with cheers immediately. Father raises his hand, and slowly the room quiets.
His voice carries easily through the hall.
"Tonight."He said proudly, "My son Michael will reveal his wolf and take his first step toward becoming the future of this pack."
My son Michael, not sons, just one. Michael grins at the attention. I lower my gaze slightly, staring into the fire. Deep inside my chest, something stirs, my wolf, restless and awake. He has been there my whole life, quiet but present, a steady warmth beneath my skin. I watch Michael shift into a beautiful wolf, and everyone whistles in approval.
At that moment, I had decided I had enough. I turned around and left the ceremony.
"Brother?"Michael asked.
"Enjoy your time, I am dead to everyone after all. "I said, though, bit my teeth and left the hall.
I quickly left the shifting ceremony, and nobody tried to stop me, as it was expected. Nobody cares about me as I shift into my omega wolf form. As I was walking towards my quiet room, I saw Ethan Blackwood walking towards me, and his sweet sandalwood scent hit my nose. He had beautiful blonde hair, and everyone knew he is future alpha of our pack.
"Mate."He said. "I do not want you."
"I can tell that."I said.
"I want Michael. I alpha Ethan, reject you as my mate."He said without even blinking.
"Of course."I said." I accept rejection."
The moment Ethan finished speaking, he turned and walked away like nothing had happened. I stood there for a moment, my chest burning where the bond had been torn apart. The pain was sharp, but I forced myself to breathe through it. I had felt worse things before. Being ignored my whole life had prepared me for rejection. Without saying another word, I turned and walked toward the hallway that led to my room.
The hallway was quiet compared to the noisy hall behind me. I walked slowly, my steps echoing softly on the wooden floor until I finally reached my small room at the end of the corridor. I opened the door and stepped inside and the room was simple. A small bed, a wooden desk, a dresser, and a single window that looked toward the forest outside the pack territory. I closed the door behind me and leaned against it for a moment.
Then suddenly a loud crack echoed outside. Lightning struck somewhere near the center of the pack grounds, right where the shifting ceremony had been happening.
A bright flash lit the sky through my window. I glanced at it for a second. Smoke slowly rose into the night sky, but I didn't pay much attention to it. The pack would deal with it, they always dealt with things when it involved Michael. I walked to the dresser and opened the first drawer.
"Good." A deep voice said inside my mind.
I froze as my heart skipped.
"Aiden…?" I said quietly.
"Yes." Aiden said. "You finally stopped ignoring me."
I swallowed and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"You… you are talking." I said.
"I have always been here." Aiden said. "You simply never listened."
I stared at my hands for a moment before opening my bag.
"I am leaving." I said.
"I know." Aiden said.
I folded a few shirts and placed them inside the bag.
"They rejected us." Aiden added calmly.
"I know." I said.
"But we do not need them." Aiden said.
I packed a few more things into the bag.
"No." I said quietly. "We don't."
Aiden was silent for a moment before speaking again.
"Good." He said. "Then leave."
I zipped the bag closed and stood up. Outside the window, the night was dark and quiet, the pack hall was still full of celebration for Michael, but none of it mattered anymore. I picked up my bag and walked toward the door. Tonight, I was leaving the pack, and this time, I wasn't coming back.