Chapter 14: A Witness To Her First Shift

River mumbled, "I'm pretty sure you can't be mated to me; you're too good to be my mate," while Arianna fiercely bit her lower lip. So he believes she can never be his mate?

"Can you tell me how to use mindlink? I haven't learned how, and I'm dying to mindlink someone," she whispered, gazing at him for an answer. "Find it out yourself because I'm quite busy, "You're currently in my office," River remarked, frowning.

"Do you want me to cause a commotion, then? Yes, no one can enter here unless you allow them to. Are you free to teach me, or do you want to?" Arianna inquired, a gory smirk emerging on her lips.

But River didn't fall for it, he's not in the mood for her children's plays, "I'm not in the mood. I can actually send you away; don't dare me, Little Lamb," he warned firmly. 

Arianna approached him gradually; after hugging him, their positions had swapped, and she was now five steps away from him.

When she was two steps away from him, she came to a halt, "Send me away. I am waiting," she said, pulling a document from the desk. She stood on tiptoes and raised the document in the air, "Teach me how to mindlink, or I'll take this with me. You know I don't return borrowed items, so this could someday become mine," she remarked, smiling.

River tried to drag it away from her, but she quickly raced away from her prior location, "Tada! Come get it, I'm leaving," she laughed as she tiptoed towards the entrance door.

Before she could open the door, powerful arms trapped her against the wall, causing a gasp from her, because she wasn't expecting it, "Hand it over," River ordered firmly. Arianna peered into his eyes, hoping for some seriousness; he actually meant what he said. But she wasn't terrified, and instead found it confronting.

"Give me what I demand in return, and I'll hand it over," Arianna demanded, and she soon felt him trapping her hands securely on the wall, "I'm losing my anger; hand it over, I don't mind hurting you," he said sternly. 

Arianna sensed something in his words, 'anger', and the way he looked at her changed. Arianna quickly handed him the document and stormed away angry– Surprisingly, River did not return her attention or even make an attempt.

—--

Arianna approached her brother, who was standing somewhere in his office, "You looked pretty melancholy; is something wrong? You haven't met him…, "River is no longer as pleasant as before. His words hurt, brother," Arianna whispered, scraping her lower lip hard.

Devyn studied his sister; was it as he expected?

"Arianna, his remarks ought not to harm you. He has always been like this. I hope you don't have feelings for him?" He questioned, turning to face her.

Arianna was taken aback by his question; obviously, she does not love him. He was simply heartbroken that her childhood friend had turned her down after so many years.

"No, brother; I only see him as a brother. Nothing is more than that," She muttered, but she knew she wasn't being truthful. She felt as if her heart contradicted what she spoke.

"Little sister, I urge you to keep it that way. I'm not trying to terrify you; he couldn't possibly love you. But I am trying to protect you. You should relax more; let's get back to the pack. You need energy to shift tomorrow," Devyn remarked before transforming into his wolf.

Arianna understood what his wolf's agility and remarkable physical development entailed. So she clambered upon his back, and Devyn's wolf took off quickly.

—----

Arianna walked up to the dining room the next day, greeted by many pack servants. She was famished, so she took a seat and the maids served her meals. She asked the maid, "Have you seen my brother?" The maid was perplexed, "I have no idea, Miss. 

The Alpha often left the pack every morning, have you forgotten?" The maid inquired, surprised, how Arianna could have forgotten her brother's regular routine?

Perhaps because she hadn't been with the pack in years.

"Should I return to our customary spot? Where should I go, specifically? I can't wait to shift, yet my brother isn't even present to see my first shift. He can be boring to my disliking," she thought inwardly, biting her fingers fiercely.

Unable to take it any longer, she walked out of the pack house and ran gleefully to her and River's favorite childhood hangout. River made a forest for the two of them.

As Arianna ventured deeper into the woods, she noticed her fingers moving on their own. Her mind was perplexed. Is she probably shifting? Oh, no!

Her bones cracked and her pain worsened; she couldn't control her worry. It was very agonizing; it would have been less painful if an Alpha had been around to watch her change. But her brother was absent!

Arianna fell to her knees, clutching her chest in despair, "It hurts, where are you brother?"

Her brother had taught her how to mindlink a few hours ago, and she had learned quickly. She slowly and faintly attempted to mindlink Devyn, but it seemed that his mind was not focused on the mindlink.

Arianna recognized she was alone, that she needed to bear the anguish and shift. With a sensation of encouragement emanating in her body, she let her wolf take command, As her wolf fur emerged, she let out loud screams of agony.

She put her hands on the floor and tried to concentrate, but her shifting was dreadful. Arianna's thoughts moved to River; would he respond if she mindlinked him?

Nonetheless, she mentally linked him and waited for his arrival for minutes that turned out to be eternity. In the midst of her agony, a booming step echoed in the surrounding area, and soon an agile wolf was spotted approaching her quickly, seemed enraged about something.

When Arianna peered carefully at the person in front of her with weak eyelids, she recognized it was none other than River.

Could she be delighted that he heard her cries?

River went closer to her, his face frigid as usual, and ordered in his Alpha tone, "Take off your cloth and allow your wolf to take over. You're slacking her off by refusing to agree to her demand,"

Arianna finds his voice strange; why would he want her to strip naked in front of him? 

"Don't keep me waiting," he says coldly, and Arianna finds herself weakly obeying his instruction.

It wasn't his first time seeing her naked, but she was very shy around him. She heeded his next words and surrendered herself to her wolf. Her bones snapped violently, and soon a wolf stood in front of River.

He observed her attempting to release herself from an internal pain, she raised her fur as a signal, expressing her interior sorrow. Arianna had been brutally wounded prior to her transformation, which had a significant impact on her wolf.

"Carl, can you connect with her wolf? Try to make her give in," River tells his wolf, "I tried before you said so, but it isn't working. Seems we'll have to use the other method," Carl grumbled, and River couldn't understand why he felt sorry for her.

But he was determined to soothe her misery, so he crouched down to the wolf level and looked into her eyes, which looked exactly like Arianna's. He couldn't deny that Arianna had a stunning wolf.

"I want you to return to your human form. Don't fight the impulse, I'll be here to see it all. You can do it, return to your human form," he instructed in his Alpha tone.

Arianna's wolf groaned in rage and subjugation; ultimately, Arianna transformed into her human form, but she had endured too many injuries. River immediately covered her nakedness with her cloth.

"I'm so cold, River," she exclaimed painfully. River reluctantly held her body to himself, ignoring the fact that he was naked as well.

"It's alright, Little Lamb; I'm here. You will feel much better now; can you hop on my back?"

"No, I am too weak. The agony is truly killing, River, "Yes, I understand. Should I mindlink my Beta to come here?" he asked again, but she shook her head with negativity.

"I can't move; your scent is alluring. Can we stay in this position for the duration? I promise it will be sooner," Arianna whispered miserably, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Anything you feel it's convenient for you just do it, without asking for my permission, Little Lamb,"