I’m one lucky fucker. “I love you, Sophia.” It’s all I have to offer right now, but because she is who she is, it’s more than enough. Her smile is genuine if not a little pained from her re-split lip.

“I love you, too, Masen.”

“Now, let’s get you shifted. I want to do it here. I’ll let you outside and shift when I get out. Don’t worry about the bed. I’ll take care of it.”

She looks at the bed, then at me. “What’s wrong with the bed?” she asks curiously.

“I mean when you shift, the mess.”

Her head tilts. “What mess?”

Is she serious? “Just shift, baby.”

Her eyebrows are raised, she shakes her head.

Then to my utter amazement, she shifts in seconds to a beautiful, solid white wolf. She’s twice the size of any female wolf I’ve ever seen. “Holy shit,” I mutter in astonishment. She didn’t writhe or claw. Shit, she didn’t even make a noise. One minute she is my sweet baby, the next, she’s a fierce wolf that’s been extinct for hundreds of years.

She pads over to me on the edge of the bed and nuzzles her face under my neck. She has no idea she’s different. “Little One?” I try wondering if our bond will allow me to communicate with her before I shift. She looks at me, her amber eyes soft.

Masen I hear in my head. My jaw must hit the floor. I can hear her like she is speaking to me. Usually, we’ll get feelings, but she’s linked to me like we are fully Mated.

“Baby, you didn’t know you’re different?” I ask but send her my emotions, showing her how wonderful and beautiful I think she is.

No, what’s different about me?

Shit, where do I even begin? At least, things make more sense now. I don’t know enough about white wolves to understand all the differences. I can tell she’s picking up my thoughts.

So, because I’m white, I’m different? That’s kind of silly. What color are you?

“Not only are you white, which is really special, you’re much bigger than the usual female.”

Not much new there, she interrupts.

“I think this explains a lot of the things we’ve been questioning. Why your parents kept you separated, how we knew each other as Mates before you shifted, why you challenge me, shit why you smell so good to everyone,” I add bitterly. Yeah, I’m a selfish bastard, “How our bond is already so strong before we’ve had a ceremony. How you’re even communicating with me right now.” I let my thoughts run free with how shifting usually works for most. The slight pain, how a wolf and person aren’t able to speak to each other, with the exception of the Alpha. How only fully joined Mates can hear each other, unMated wolves only communicate with their feelings or emotions.

Maybe it’s because you’re an Alpha that you can hear me. And, it did hurt the first time I shifted but only for an hour or two and not since.