The Alpha's Fox Mate

The sea was cold this mid-November night, but I enjoyed it. I always felt at ease among the waves, as they washed away my insecurities. The water hit just below my small breasts; I had never been the most attractive she-wolf in the pack, but being one of the only girls who attended training, my warrior-like physique made up for it. My extravagant navy blue gown was drenched, and it would soon be destroyed. It made me wonder why we had to dress up for such an occasion. All of the Alpha’s children had to participate in the first shift ceremony, following Mariners Moon Pack tradition. My two older sisters had done it when they turned eighteen, right before they met their mates and moved away. Today was my birthday, and my turn to be officially presented to the pack finally came. I can’t say I was exactly excited about it, since I knew my father had plans of making me the next Alpha. And being a female leader in the male-dominated werewolf society wasn’t going to be a walk in the park. I took a moment to admire my reflection in the crystal clear waters one last time before diving down. The colors in my unique eyes - a mystical green on the outside that slowly faded to light blue at the center -  seemed to dance freely under the moonlight. The tips of my slightly wavy, jet black hair had become wet due to the movement of the sea. I drew in a long breath, realizing that when I reemerged, a feral beast would take my place. The alluring white moon reached its highest point in the sky, and I instinctively knew it was time. I plunged into the sea, embracing its cold darkness. I held my breath as my nails elongated, slowly turning into black claws. Thick fur tore through my pores, causing my skin to burn uncomfortably. When my bones started to crack and shift, the pain was almost unbearable - thankfully, the ice cold water helped numb it. Since I had true Alpha blood, the transformation didn’t take more than a minute, and soon my torture was over. The beast I had become surfaced, gasping for air. Its eyes immediately turned to gaze at its reflection in the water, giving me an opportunity to analyze my wolf-self. Its dense coat was mostly a shiny black, just like my hair, but with speckled shades of auburn, which reminded me of my mother’s ginger hair. Its eyes were a piercing blueish-green, exactly like mine, only more vivid. Around its head and chest, the fur was a lot thicker and spikier, conferring an intimidating and savage look to it. I heard shocked gasps coming from the crowd, composed of more than seven hundred pack members that had come just to celebrate my first shift. It took me a few seconds to understand what they were so surprised about. “Marcelline...” a male voice called from the back of my mind. “I’m honored to meet you. My name is Havelock. I’m your wolf,” he explained. Before I could even process what was going on, my father got up from his seat abruptly. My mother followed closely behind him. “No!” The black-haired man in his fifties cried out. “This can’t be happening! Not again!” His expression was one of pure disbelief as he rushed into the water towards my wolf. “Dad,” I tried to reach him through mindlink, but he seemed too absorbed in his own little panic. “It’s all happening again, I can’t believe it!” My father massaged his temples in distress. “Now we have to find who has her wolf, and if it’s another damn Prophecy…” he muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose. I grew up hearing the stories about how my parents were paired with each other’s wolves when they first shifted. As an Alpha, my father was looked down on for having a female wolf, and my mother was so scared of what others would think that she would rather be called wolfless than shift in front of anyone. On top of that, they had to fulfill some kind of Prophecy to defeat a maniac that wanted to destroy all Alphas. They only managed to have their wolves switched when they marked each other, after the war ended. But this was different. My parents would always talk about how they felt empty, as if a part of them was missing - the other half of their soul. They said it was uncanny, as if they had to share their bodies and mind with another individual. However, despite being a male, Havelock did feel like me. It was almost like he was a representation of my masculine side. As weird as it sounded, I felt safe and complete having him with me. “Dad!” I tried to establish a stronger connection with my father. Still no luck. “Zale, wait!” my mother chimed in. Her beautiful fiery ginger hair danced freely in the wind, lighting up the dark night. “Marcy doesn’t look scared...she’s content.” She pointed at my wolf counterpart. “And he does look a lot like her.” When my father finally stopped freaking out, I took the opportunity to tranquilize him. “Dad, I know how traumatized you are about the whole ‘switched wolves’ situation…” I started, sighing in relief when I noticed he was finally listening. “But Havelock...it feels like he belongs with me. He is me, somehow.” “Okay,” he whispered after a long time, still trying to take everything in. “It seems like this’ll become tradition in this pack - for Alphas to be born with opposite gender wolves!” he joked, but his laugh sounded more nervous than actually happy. “My prince, don’t you see? This is just perfect!” Mom touched his hand, making him relax instantly. “We wanted Marcy to become Alpha...the fact that she has been gifted with a male Alpha wolf just proves she was truly born for this. I’m not saying that female wolves are weak, but…” “Having a male wolf will make things easier for her…” My father’s eyes widened in realization as he completed my mother’s thought. “Everyone will respect her - and Havelock.” He smiled. “I don’t think you needed me in order to be respected...” My wolf’s voice echoed through my head again, “You’re a born Alpha, Marcy. I’m sure you would’ve been fine either way. But I’m glad to be your counterpart,” “Me too, Havelock,” I told him with a smile. “But can you give me back control for a second? I need to speak with my family,” I asked and he immediately obliged. Shifting back was a little less painful, especially because of the icy water numbing my senses. As soon as I was in human form again, my father tossed me a towel and a new change of clothes. “About this whole Alpha thing…” I started, searching for the right words. “I knew it was a possibility, but this is all happening too soon for me. I would like to finish college before I take the position.” I stated firmly. “What? Marcy, you’re my daughter. And werewolves don’t usually go to college, there’s more important things you have to…” My father was ready to argue with me, but once again, Mom stopped him. “She’s being reasonable, my prince.” Thank Goddess she came to my rescue. “Marcy will get a degree in Design, just like she always dreamed of. After that, she will step in as Alpha of Mariners Moon.” “Thanks, Mom!” I hugged her, and she smiled sympathetically at me. “Whatever you say, my princess.” My father sighed in defeat, but turned to me with a proud smile nonetheless. That was the first day of the rest of my life. I thought destiny had already taken its toll on me by tying my soul to a male wolf, but little did I know the Moon Goddess had yet another wicked plan for me.