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Chapter 7 Opal

(Hope POV)

I had just finished the last bite of my mouth-watering steak with gusto. I licked my lips and caught Alexander staring at my lips as my tongue came out like it was the most desirable thing he saw. I blushed when his eyes found mine staring at him and I immediately looked down at my empty plate. He chuckled and quietly asked, "Do you still have some room left for dessert? Cake and ice cream. It is after all your birthday."

"There's desert? Yes please." I pushed my empty plate away from me, clearing a space where a dessert plate or bowl can be placed in front of me.

"So respectful. Your parents have taught you well," he said.

My Dad laughed. "That's Mirasol. Teacher and all."

My Mom playfully slapped my dad and said, "Kids today need to be taught to be respectful at all times. I find this calling parents on a first name basis so disrespectful. The least we can do is show some respect for the people who raise us. Another thing, being respectful is also a way of showing kindness. Please and thank you are simple words with a lot of meaning." That's my mom, the teacher.

Alexander motioned to the butler to clean our table and bring us dessert. He asked if they would like some champagne. My Dad said he would be driving and declined. Alexander then said, "No driving tonight. You will all stay here at the hotel. I have taken the liberty of arranging rooms for all of you here at the hotel. So Jim, how about a glass of champagne? To celebrate Hope."

"How can we say no to that. Sure, give me some champagne. My daughter, here's to you. Class valedictorian, soon to be off to University to pursue medicine and now 18. An adult," my Dad said as he raised his glass to me.

"Mom, is it ok if I have a glass of Champagne? I'm not 21 yet."

"No, you have some sparkling non-alcoholic fruit wine instead," Alexander said giving me a glass of sparkling grape juice. Damn. I wanted some champagne.

The butler suddenly came in with a chocolate cake topped with strawberries and candles. It smelled heavenly.

"How did you know I love chocolate and strawberries, Alexander?" I asked.

"I just knew. You should say my name more often. It sounds magical when you say it," he whispered and I blushed once again.

They all started to sing "Happy Birthday to you" when suddenly I felt a blinding pain in between my eyes. I blinked rapidly to ease the pain. My vision started to blur. My body started to feel hot. My stomach started to feel quesy. I can't vomit in front of these people. What an embarrassing end to my birthday.

"Do you guys feel hot? I feel hot." Beads of sweat started to roll down my face. "Mom, I don't feel so good."

"Hope, you have rarely been sick before. Is it something you ate? Maybe the steak? Could be indigestion," my Mom lept from her chair to help me.

"Stay back everyone," Alexander growled. At the corner of my eye, I saw two men come in our room. Alexander gave them a look to stay back.

"What do you mean stay back? She's in pain. Help me get my daughter to the hospital. Please Alexander?" My mom begged.

All of a sudden, I could hear the sound of bones breaking. The pain came in pulses. It was the most painful thing I had ever felt. My mom was right. I was never sick before and I never went home with a broken bone. If I got a cut, it would magically disappear in hours without even a scar. But this?! What was happening to me?!

"Hope, don't fight it. It will just become more painful. Just breathe," I heard Alexander say.

I started doing what he said. I took long breaths like what I saw women do when they were in labor. Then, I heard it, the voice.

"Hope, it's time. Breathe baby girl. It will be over soon."

My bones started to break even more. My body started to morph into something. I could hear my Mom crying, not knowing what to do. My Dad was fighting the urge to run to me. I let out one deafening scream and it was over. The pain that suddenly came was gone. All I felt now was power and strength.

I looked down and saw paws.

"Hello Hope! I am your wolf. My name is Opal."


My mother looked at Alexander, " What have you done to my daughter?"

"Nothing beyond of what is her true nature," Alexander said.

"Hope, sweetie, is that you?" My father extended his hand to my nose. I came over and licked it then I laid down on my belly. "Dad, yes, it's me." I said, using my mind.

"Will she turn back? I mean, can she be human again?" I hear my mother ask Alexander.

"Of course. This is her first shift. Oliver. Clothes please. David put the dressing screen there. Oliver, drape the clothes on the screen. Hope, darling, ask your wolf to shift back. But go behind the dressing screen first," Alexander instructed.

"Ah, Opal, I need to shift back to human form. Can you do it for me? And oh, will it hurt? The pain was unbearable shifting to wolf form."

"No dear, it won't hurt. Just a shimmer and you will be back as your human self," Opal said. I let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Great to hear. Ok, we're behind the screen. Ready to shift back when you are, Opal."

I saw a shimmer of light. I looked down to see my naked self.

"Stay back. I'm naked. Ah...thanks for the clothes and underwear. Seems you got the same dress for me." How convenient.

"Hope, honey, you ok?" My mother asked. She was crying.

"Yes, Mom. I'm okay. Just frazzled I'm naked in front of so many people. Are my shoes out there?"

"I have a pair of heels here. Size 8 right?" Alexander asked.

"Wow, you even know my shoe size."

"Of course, you are my mate. We are connected you and I. Forever."

I came out from behind the screen. I was mostly annoyed that I never knew I was a wolf. I mean, if I had just known, I would have asked my parents if I could go off on a retreat somewhere and shifted there, instead I had to shift at a fine-dining restaurant with my parents bawling their eyes out because their adopted daughter is some kind of alien or something.

"What happened to your hair?" My mom exclaims.

"What do you mean? Does anyone have a mirror please I can use? Or maybe there's a restroom I can use."

My mother came to me with her small handheld mirror. "Here, baby. Look." The hair framing my face was no longer black. It was white, maybe silver even. It glistened in the light like glitter. My eyes shone like gold and had bright golden flecks in them. My eyelashes had grown like I was wearing falsies. My freckles gone. My skin now a pale white.

Strange though. My necklace was there like it didn't break in the shift. Obviously, it possessed magic.

"You and your wolf are now one. It shows in your human form. So beautiful," Alexander said.

"You, Mr. Alexander Ulrich, you have some explaining to do. You knew about this and said nothing. Now sit down all of you. I want to hear this. Mom, Dad, I am so sorry I had to scare you this way. Are you guys mad? It's ok if you don't want me anymore."

My Dad and Mom came over to me and said, "Bear hug." That meant nothing would break us apart.

"Thanks guys. I love you so much." They smiled and sat back down at the table.

"It's time for cake. I'm hungry. That, whatever you call it, uses a lot of energy." We all laughed.

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