I sat in the corner of the room as Aurora silently instructed me on the procedure to turn Saffron into a werewolf. Everyone else present, except her parents who were still huddled into the corner and scared out of their wits, was comforting Saffron.
"That's basically it for the technical side of it." Aurora said as she finished telling me how to sense someone's soul and how she would create a bridge between that soul and another, even if the second soul was in another dimension.
Apparently Aurora was also contacting the leader of the werewolf equivalents on the other side of the dimensional wall to arrange for Saffron to be linked with someone worthy. She had told me that they had the perfect candidate, they just needed to find them and seek their permission before Aurora and I bound the two souls together forever.
"What's it like having a wolf suddenly start talking to you in your head?" Saffron asked Derrick while also pulling me out of my private conversation with Aurora. Not that Aurora was talking to me much anymore, with her focus being on the other side of the dimensional wall.
"It's like having a best friend you never knew you had, appear in your head suddenly." Derrick tried to explain. "One moment you're alone in your thoughts and the next you can't figure out how you ever managed the loneliness without your wolf."
"I can't wait to meet mine." Saffron said eagerly. Which was amazing considering the girl was only weeks away from death's door and really didn't have any energy at all.
"Just remember that it's not all exciting and happy." Grace warned her. "The process of the first shift is so painful that you'll wish we'd just let you die before it's over."
"I will never hate you for saving my life." Saffron said confidently. "Although I'm trying not to think about the first shift just yet." She admitted.
"We'll all be here for you when it happens." Derrick told his mate while squeezing her hand in a reassuring manner. "Just like you were here for us whenever we needed you."
"I hate to interrupt the touching conversation that you're listening to." Aurora suddenly said in my mind. "But the other side will be ready in just over an hour to connect the two souls. You should also warn Saffron that if we want to save her life, then we can't wait until the full moon for her first shift. We're going to have to force the shift immediately after connecting them."
"Thanks for the warning." I replied to Aurora as I silently regretted having to be the bearer of bad news.
"Aurora and I be ready in an hour to turn Saffron." I announced to the group as they all went silent to listen to me.
"An hour?" Saffron questioned. "I thought it normally takes days to prepare the ceremony to be turned into a werewolf."
"Normally it does because there is a lot more involved in being turned than you may realize, but Aurora and I are rushing because your life is in danger." I replied.
I'd almost forgotten that no one here knew that it normally took days because the leaders on both sides of the dimensional wall had to locate candidates and explain what was about to happen to them. In this case, speed was of the essence and I would have to explain it to Saffron afterwards.
"I hate to be the bearer of even more bad news, but we're not waiting for the full moon for your first shift." I gravely informed the sick girl who was becoming even more pale the more I spoke.
"You won't get the werewolf healing ability until after your first shift. So even if you're still alive at the full moon in three weeks time, you'll be so weak that the shift will kill you. The solution is that I'm going to forced your first shift shortly after turning you." I informed Saffron.
"You can actually force a first shift at will?" Alpha Leyton asked me in awe. "Will that cause any detrimental effects for Saffron now or later on in life?"
"None at all." I replied confidently after Aurora informed me. "It's not that much different than manually opening the floodgates on a full dam of water instead of waiting for the next rain to make the dam overflow naturally. Either way the water ends up leaving and dam and entering the creek or river it's attached to."
Alpha Leyton nodded to me as he processed my example and I continued on. "If you still want to do this Saffron, then I highly suggest we start heading back to the first shifters room next to the pack house. I know I wouldn't want my first shift to be in a hospital room surrounded by doctors that have no idea what's going on."
Saffron looked scared, but she didn't let any of that enter her voice as she turned to her parents and spoke confidently. "Don't even try and think about stopping me. I'm leaving now so Eva can save my life, you're welcome to come and witness the biggest transformation your only daughter will ever go through if you would like to. But if you try and keep me here by any sort of force I'll just have Derrick knock you out."
Saffron paused for breath. "I do not need parents that care more about how they appear to their friends than they do about the fact that their own daughter is dying. So take a quick think about your priorities. Because if you don't come with us and learn to accept everything that I am, then I never want to see either of you again. Do I make myself clear?" Saffron had tears running down her face as she spoke. Her parents didn't really react and I had to suppress another growl at them.
"Please go and get the doctor so I can be discharged." Saffron asked Alpha Leyton. "I believe I have an appointment in the first shifters room in a little under an hour."
Alpha Leyton almost ran out of the room in his search for the doctor while I stood up and went over to Saffron and grabbed her hand that Derrick was not hogging to reaffirm the unconditional love and support I had to my best friend. Grace and Detsy were on either side of Saffron
in similar shows of support.
It took Alpha Leyton less than two minutes to find the doctor and five minutes after that all Saffron's discharge paperwork had been done. Even though Saffron could still walk without a problem, albeit slowly due to her lack of energy, Derrick insisted on carrying his mate back to the car.
I think everyone was surprised when Saffron's father recovered from his stupor and held his pride in check long enough to ask Alpha Leyton if both of them could come with us.
After a quick look at Saffron for confirmation, Alpha Leyton agreed to their request and they were both now following behind us to the parking garage.
To my surprise, Grace and Detsy both volunteered to drive back with Saffron's parents and guide them to the pack house. Personally I just felt sorry for the earful Saffron's parents were about to receive. This was not one of their better days.
I helped Derrick gently load Saffron into the Jeep that we'd rushed to the hospital in sat beside Saffron while Derick took the opposite seat and Alpha Leyton drove.
As we drove off Alpha Leyton instructed Derrick to call ahead to the pack house and ensure that the first shifters room was ready and Doctor Rory was present when we arrived.
I wouldn't say that Alpha Leyton was speeding on his way home. But that was only because he didn't get caught and pulled over. I don't think I've ever seen a middle aged man in such a rush to get somewhere with time to spare, just in case.
The trip back to the pack house was a full five minutes faster then when Grace was speeding to get to the hospital a couple of hours ago. I would hate to think how much the fines would have been if Alpha Leyton had of got caught at some of the speeds he was doing.
"We have about 20 minutes left. Go and get Saffron comfortable." Alpha Leyton instructed before turning to me. "Is there anything you require to do this?"
"No, all I need is to wait out the remaining 20 minutes then I'm good to go." I replied
"Ok, can you please wait with Saffron and Derrick while I get Luna May and make sure Doctor Rory is ready?" Alpha Leyton asked me, much to my surprise. I still wasn't used to high ranking werewolves asking me instead of ordering me since my rank suddenly went up.
"I'll see you in 20 minutes then." I promised before Alpha Leyton turned away from me ran up and into the pack house at some serious speeds. Also breaking his own rule about running in the pack house.
"We're about 10 minutes away." Grace told me through our mind link when I asked how far away they were. So I decided to go and help comfort Saffron for those 10 minutes instead of just waiting idly for my mates to arrive with our not so welcome guests.
Saffron was already lying down on one of the tables and I could hear Doctor Rory messing around in the medical storage room.
Ten minutes later Grace and Detsy entered, followed by Saffron's parents who appeared to be spooked. I had no doubt that my mates had spent the entire trip home laying out the rules for them.
"How long until the other side is ready?" I asked Aurora in my head while we waited.
"Less than five minutes." Aurora replied. "Now is probably a good time to tell Saffron that you are going to need to bite her."
"I'm almost ready to begin." I told Saffron as everyone else went quiet. "The only thing I haven't mentioned yet is that I'm going to have to bite you to begin the transformation into a werewolf. I need to warn you that it's going to hurt and while you can still back out at any time until I bite, after that there is no going back."
Saffron didn't say anything but her face told the story for her. She was terrified but she nodded her head at me in confirmation anyway.
"Why do you have to do something as violent and painful as biting her?" Saffron's father spoke up from the other side of the room where he and his wife had been instructed to stand. "Surely there must be a less painful way."
"There is." I admitted slowly. "But I need to get myself into her bloodstream and stay in contact with it, in order to change her. The only way I can manage that without causing a wound is to wait for her time of the month. Even then the required action for that to work would be highly inappropriate. It would also have all three of our mates in this room trying to attack us for good reason."
"I love you Eva." Saffron said from where she was lying down. "But I really don't want a girl I consider to be my sister playing around down there. I'd honestly much rather be bitten."
I suddenly felt Aurora's presence in my head get weaker as she stretched herself out through the dimensional wall to act as a bridge. For the first time since I first shifted, I felt almost alone in my head.
"We're ready here." Aurora said once she'd stabilized herself. "Although it isn't easy to maintain a bridge between the dimensions so please hurry."
"It's time." I said as everyone except Derrick backed away like I had previously instructed them to when the time for the turning came. Even Derrick wouldn't be allowed near us while I actually turned Saffron into a werewolf.
"Please help you mate remove her shirt and jumper but leave the sports bra on." I instructed Derrick who looked at me darkly but followed my instructions anyway. It didn't take him long to help his mate undress before Derrick went to the other side of the room to stand with his father.
"This is your last chance to back out." I told Saffron as I stood next to the table she way lying on.
Saffron looked me directly in the eye before simply saying "Do it."
I gently removed her hair from her left shoulder and neck area. Which was the side that did not have her mate mark on it, while Saffron just watched me nervously.
I proceeded to reach inside myself just like I would if I was going to adjust myself mentally so I could shift. Except this time, what was left of Aurora's presence and I both worked very hard together to balance the two parts of my power perfectly, instead of just allowing the human or wolf side to overwhelm the other.
It took us nearly three minutes to achieve. But the end result was a partial transformation. I was a human with coarse hair, wolf ears and a tail. As for why we needed to be in this state to turn someone, well we can't create a life form that's part wolf and part human without being one ourselves.
Once Aurora and I had achieved the balance we needed I didn't hesitate to sink my already extended canine teeth into the lower part of Saffron's neck.
Saffron cried out at the sudden pain. I had suddenly moved and bitten her after three minutes of not moving after all. But after her initial cry of pain she somehow manage to not make any further noise.
I also noticed that Alpha Leyton was physically restraining Derrick as his mate bond with Saffron was trying to force him to come and remove the source of her pain.
Without removing my teeth from Saffron's neck I shut my eyes like Aurora had instructed me and instead used my sixth sense to feel for Saffron's soul as well as the trail Aurora had formed to the other dimension.
It was surprisingly easy to find the mass of energy Saffron's body housed that was her soul. Even without interacting with it I could feel the glee and playfulness that was a massive part of Saffron emanating from her soul.
Being very careful, I gently came into contact with my best friends soul and started to stretch out some of the energy that formed the core of her soul. Creating a kind of energy thread if you will. I slowly stretched these energy threads in the direction of the trail that Aurora had left while making sure that the delicate threads didn't tear or break.
It didn't take me long to extended Saffron's soul cord to where Aurora was waiting beside another soul. She'd already created the fine trail of energy from this soul that would become the soul bond.
As I reached Aurora we worked carefully together to tie the delicate ends of the energy threads together as well as convincing the two types of energy from the two different souls to work together.
It took about two minutes of tying the soul cords together before they started to accept each other. A minute after that and we stopped interfering in the formation of the link as the two souls started to fuse together by themselves.
A minute after that and the link was complete and stable. Saffron was a werewolf. However, I still needed to kick start the solidifying of her bond and her first transformation instead of waiting for the full moon. So I simply injected a lot of energy into the delicate bond between the two souls, which caused it to react and start to strengthen.
Once I'd injected the energy that would force Saffron's first shift I pulled out of the world of souls and sixth sense, to come back to the reality where I still had my teeth stuck in my best friends shoulder.
Having finished I immediately pulled my teeth out of Saffron's shoulder and let go of my half transformed state, reverting back to my human form.
"It's done." I simply said. Although nothing had started to happen yet so everyone was looking at me like I was crazy.
"Are you sure you did it right?" Grace said hesitantly to be as she looked between me and Saffron who didn't look to be any different from any other girl who'd just got bitten.
I was saved from replying to my mate as a loud CRACK noise filled the room and Saffron's elbow broke cleanly in half. Although she'd managed to be quite for so long, Saffron finally gave into her instincts and screamed at the sudden pain.
"I'm sure." I replied smugly to Grace before turning to Derrick, Alpha Leyton, Luna May and Doctor Rory. "You can approach us again. First shifts suck so she's going to need you."
I didn't even get to finish my sentence before Derrick arrived at his mates side and was quietly talking to her soothingly.