Awakened (Auralight Codex: Dakota Shepherd Book 1)

by Shei Darksbane

  “Dakota? No, he is at work.”

  I had laid back on my bed, cherishing her voice in my ear as it chased the lonely feelings away. “Okay, could you give him a message?”

  “You could call him at work if you want to. I can give you his number.”

  “I should get that soon, but could you just give him a message for now?” I didn’t want to try to memorize his number right now. I was too sleepy for stuff like that.

  “Of course. What is it?”

  “Just that I’m home safe and I’ll be coming by to see you guys uh… I guess after I get some sleep if that’s okay?”

  “You are always welcome here, Dakota. You are pack now.” Those words settled into my heart and warmed the lonely parts of it so quickly I couldn’t suppress a happy laugh.

  “What is it?” Raelya asked.

  “I’m just… happy I found you guys.”

  “Ahhh.” I could hear the smile in her voice, and it was easy to picture her smiling face.

  “Could you do me one more favor if it’s not too much trouble?”

  “Most likely, yes.” She said teasingly.

  “Could you just… talk to me a bit, until I fall asleep?” I desperately wanted to avoid that lonely feeling coming back right now. I didn’t like the idea of trying to fall asleep while feeling that way. I rolled to the side to get comfy, and my eyes brushed across the silent shadow of a form I knew wasn’t really there. Those things didn’t bother me anymore, but they also did nothing to make me feel less alone. Though it was starting to creep me out that they seemed to be appearing more frequently now that I’d Awakened. “I mean, I know that’s probably pretty weird and all but…”

  “Not so weird. You are new wolf. It is difficult for you right now, and you have probably many feelings that pack would make it easier for you to deal with.”

  “Thank you for understanding.” I hadn’t really thought of it that way, but at least she didn’t think I was a creeper. I kicked my shoes off and settled into my bed.

  “What do you want me to talk about?”

  “Anything. I just want to hear your voice for a while. It won’t take long. I’m a day sleeper so I’m pretty tired.” I glanced at my alarm clock and it was half past nine. “Tell me a story, Raelya?” I begged in a playful, childish tone.

  Raelya laughed. “All right. Let me see…” Raelya launched into a fairy tale about an old woman who traded three favors to a troll for an old cooking pot. I was actually pretty interested in how it ended, which is just my luck, because I drifted off halfway through it with ease.

  25

  Preparations

  I woke up at sunset. I knew it was sunset because I’d left the stupid curtains open and the relentless evening rays had dragged me out of a deep and dreamless sleep. I lay in bed for a moment, sighing at the silent emptiness of the room around me and my thoughts drifted back to Amorie. I held my hand up to watch the orangey-gold rays playing on my pale skin. She’d looked scared.

  I wanted to hold her and say, “Everything is all right. I’m here.” But I wasn’t. And the sun wasn’t down yet, so I couldn’t even call her. I pushed myself up from the bed and out of my darker thoughts. I needed to go to the pack house. I got a shower, dressed, and headed out the door, leaving that lonely shadow in my apartment where it belonged.

  An hour later, I knocked on Ralof’s door as the cab pulled out of the drive. Steph answered the door. Her lavender hair was pulled up in a puffy high ponytail with strands picked free all around her face to frame it. She wore a tight fitting baby doll t-shirt with some anime characters I didn’t recognize, and shorts short enough to make me feel old for wanting to tell her they were too short. I smiled at her cheery expression, “Hey Steph.”

  “Hey uh… Dakota right?” She shifted out of the way to let me come in, and I did.

  “Hey, you remembered.” I glanced at her shirt. “So you’re into anime, I take it?”

  Steph’s eyes lit up. “Oh yes! Wait. Oh my gosh, please tell me you are too?”

  I sensed that I was about to be in trouble, but she looked so excited, I just couldn’t spoil it for her. I knew what it was like to wish I had someone to geek at after all. “Yeah, some.”

  Steph exploded into a cloud of geekery. She started talking so fast, it was hard to keep up. I floated into the living room with her as she went on about her favorite series, her current obsession, her favorite ships, and then made her stance clear on subs versus dubs. I listened quietly until she paused for air.

  “So what about you?” she asked. “What’s your favorite?”

  I had to think about it for a second because I didn’t watch that many animes, but given her patience, I figure she took it for me having to decide. “Death Note, I think.” It’d been one of my favorites because it focused on investigation, logical thinking, and a battle of wits for the ages.

  “Oh my gosh I love Death Note!” And she told me exactly how much she loved it. Then how much she loved each character. Apparently, she loved all of them. I couldn’t blame her much on that part. She hopped a little as she finished literally squeeing at the love she had for the series and I just admired her exuberance. “You know what I mean?”

  I grinned at her. “Yeah. I honestly had a hard time deciding who to root for. That was one of the things I loved most about the series. You kinda wanted the bad guy to win, but you also kind wanted the good guy to win.”

  Steph’s eyes grew wide. “Woah. You really did watch it…”

  “Uh, yeah? I said I did, didn’t I?”

  “Usually when people name a series like that and then don’t say much, they’re just saying something to shut me up.” She frowned a little and then the frown hit her eyes. Poor kid. She was so vibrant, and it seemed she really wanted for someone to actually listen to her.

  “Well, I don’t do that. I just didn’t say anything because you generally said what I was thinking about it.”

  She grinned at that, the little hint of sadness gone as quickly as it’d come. “I’m so excited that you’re here.” She hopped forward and glomped me. I knew she was glomping me because I’ve watched some anime in my time and I knew what a glomp looked like, and how it differed from other kinds of hugs. And because, now, I knew that Steph was the kind of girl who glomped people.

  I hugged her lightly in return and she stepped back just as Ralof came thundering down the stairs. “Dakota!” Steph backed out of the way as Ralof approached. He leveled his eyes at me and I grinned sheepishly.

  “Hey Ralof.”

  “Had a good time in Nashville?”

  “I did.” I glanced sidewardly at Steph who looked way too interested. “Sure did. Yup.” I stepped toward the kitchen. “Mind if I grab a drink?”

  “Of course not. Make yourself at home.” He walked with me into the kitchen. I got a soda out of the fridge and opened it, leaning back against the counter.

  “So, I need to go to Canada. SII is going to send me for free. This is a really big deal for me. I get to find out what happened to my mind to make me have all those blackouts and forget how to shift or whatever.”

  “Yes, I remember. And it is important that you take them up on this offer.” He frowned. “I don’t like the idea of you going so far on your own.”

  “I figured you would say that. What can I do?” I didn’t want to go alone either.

  “I would be happier if someone from the pack went with you.” He leaned against the bar and crossed his arms.

  I nodded. “I figured you were going to say that. So are you going with me then?”

  “Sadly, I can not. As the Alpha, it is my job to stay here and protect the pack. But there are many good wolves among us, and many of them would be happy to accompany you.”

  I pursed my lips. “Yeah. But I don’t really know anyone that well yet. And I’m not sure anyone would really want to go traveling with me. I mean, they don’t know me either. And I’m not… I mean… I’m not really even a werewolf properly yet. Am I? I can’t even shift�
�� Doesn’t that make me some kind of freak?”

  Ralof stepped forward and put a hand on my shoulder. “You are pack. I do not care if you can not change your shape.” He frowned thoughtfully. “Perhaps not everyone would agree with me, but if anyone gives you a hard time about it, you will let me know, and I will put a stop to it.”

  I smiled at him feeling touched. “Thanks, Ralof. It… it means so much to me to be a part of the pack.”

  Ralof smiled and spread his arms. I hugged him gratefully and his arms swallowed me whole. “Geeze you’re huge.” I laughed.

  Ralof laughed and tousled my hair, releasing me. “I think the problem is more that you are tiny.”

  I grinned. “I’m travel sized, for your convenience.”

  Ralof laughed again as Elisa walked into the kitchen. “What is funny?”

  Ralof turned to grin at his mate. “What do you think, Elisa? Am I too big or is Dakota too tiny?”

  Elisa rolled her eyes. “You are both too crazy.” She brushed past her laughing husband to get herself a drink.

  I shifted out the way and smiled at her. “Hey Elisa.”

  She straightened from the fridge with a drink in hand and looked me over. “New wolf. You are still too skinny. Eat something.” She gestured to a slow cooker on the counter. “There is pork.”

  I grinned at her. “Yes, ma’am.” I turned and paused as I wondered which cabinet held the plates, but Elisa stepped past me and opened the correct one before heading out of the room. Ralof caught her in a hug and kissed her cheek. She hmph’d at him, but smiled, and it was beautiful. She left again with her drink and Ralof stepped over to lean against the counter next to me as I piled some pulled pork onto a plate.

  “She likes you, you know.” He rumbled quietly.

  I smiled. “I know. I can feel it.” I put the lid back on the slow cooker and started searching drawers for a fork.

  “Good. I did not want you to think she is serious with her sternness. It is just how she is.” He pulled open a drawer to reveal the location of the hidden silverware to me.

  I grabbed a fork as I grinned at him. “She’s wonderful. I love it here so much.”

  Ralof gave me a soft smile. “It was lonely when you got home, then?”

  I froze and lowered my head, suddenly holding back tears I hadn’t realized had been waiting to ambush me. “I have never felt like this before. I’ve lived alone most of my adult life… Suddenly, it’s like I just can’t take it.”

  Ralof put a hand on my shoulder. “It is okay, Dakota. We are pack creatures. Now that your wolf is Awake, it is not surprising that you feel the need to no longer be alone.”

  I looked up at him with a quivering smile. “What do I do about it?”

  “You could move in here, if you wanted.” He squeezed my shoulder softly.

  I blinked, my heart jumping. “I… I could?”

  Ralof nodded seriously. “Mmhmm. You would be more than welcome.”

  I thought about that for a moment. The pack house was pretty big; I didn’t doubt there was room for me. And it seemed that several of the pack members lived here. On the one hand, I liked my little apartment, and it was close to my job. On the other hand, I could always get another job. In fact, if the SII thing panned out, I wouldn’t need that other job anymore. I remembered how I’d felt the first time I visited the pack house. When I’d left, it’d felt like leaving home.

  “I… I think I would like that.”

  Ralof patted my back gently. “Take your time and think about it. If it makes you happy, then do it. And if not, that is fine too.” He thumped my back solidly and smiled at me, then started for the door. I was quiet as he crossed the room, but then suddenly remembered the pressing issue I still needed his help for.

  “Ralof!”

  He glanced back at me, pausing in the doorway.

  “Who should I ask to go with me to Canada?”

  Ralof smiled. “It is up to you. Just ask someone. Other than myself, anyone could go with you if they want to. So it is really your choice who to invite.” And with that, he left me alone in the kitchen with a plate full of pork and a head full of options.

  I sat down at the bar and started eating Elisa’s delicious pork and considered my options. I doubted Elisa would want to go. She seemed to have her hands full keeping a house full of werewolves fed and orderly. I assumed she got a lot of help with that, but she also seemed to be the lady of the house, and I didn’t want to be a burden. Andrei was lots of fun and he might enjoy going on a trip with me, but I knew he was some kind of supervisor at the railroad and it might be hard for him to take the time off. Steph, Kenneth, and Elliot were all too young. I’d feel awkward with a teenager for my bodyguard.

  Raelya stepped into the kitchen and paused to smile at me. “Ello there, Dakota.”

  “Raelya! Just the woman I wanted to see.”

  She tilted her head. “Oh? And what did you want to see me for?” She came over to the bar and sat down next to me.

  “I have to make a trip to Canada and Ralof wants someone to go with me.”

  Raelya smiled sweetly. “You want me to go with you?”

  “Would you? I’d really love the chance to get to know you better anyway.”

  Raelya nodded. “I would be happy to go with you, Dakota.”

  I smiled, honestly pleased that she was willing to go with me. “Awesome. I can’t wait.”

  “When do we leave, and where are we flying from?” She got up and went over to the counter.

  “In a few days. I’ll let you know when I have the final information. And I think Nashville.”

  “All right, so we will drive to Nashville then?” She got down a plate and started picking out some pork for herself.

  “I figured we’d just take the bus.”

  Raelya tilted her head. “Would it not be simpler to drive?” She grabbed a fork and came back over to the bar.

  I shrugged. “Probably, but I don’t have a car.”

  Raelya settled down next to me. “Why not? Do you not need one to get around in Knoxville?”

  “Oh it would be nice, but…” I shrugged. “I don’t drive.”

  Raelya blinked. “You do not drive? But why not?”

  I shrugged. “It’s… a long story.”

  “Well if you do not want to tell me, I understand.” She started eating and looked away from me.

  I frowned. “I don’t mind, just… really, it’s not that interesting.”

  Raelya glanced over at me. “Most people your age can drive, so it probably is.”

  I sighed. “When I was a teen, I had those blackouts.”

  “The ones you are going to see a Mentalist about, yes?”

  I nodded. “Because of the blackouts, I wasn’t allowed to get a learner’s permit, or a license.”

  “Why did you not get one later on when they had stopped?” she asked around a mouthful of meat.

  “Because… the blackouts continued for a few years. By the time I had stopped having them for long enough that I could get the restriction dropped, I had moved out of my parents’ house and I’d been living in Knoxville on my own for quite a while. I was already used to dealing with getting around without a car, and… it just wasn’t a big deal when I was in college.” I poked the pork on my plate. I hesitated and Raelya looked up at me curiously. I sighed. “I had… this girlfriend. And we lived together, so I pretty much just bummed rides off her. Then when we broke up, I didn’t really have anyone to teach me or a car to practice with, so I just stuck to what I knew.”

  “This is interesting story. I do not know why you say it is not.” Raelya had finished her plate of pork in the time it took me to tell the story, so she jabbed her fork onto my plate and snatched a bit of mine.

  I laughed at her. “I guess it seems like old news to me. You know there’s a whole pot of meat over there.”

  “But it is over there. And yours is right here.” She grinned at me.

  I grinned back. “Yeah, this is going to be a
fun trip.”

  26

  Boarding

  Raelya picked me up the afternoon of our flight to Canada. She’d offered to drive us since I had no car, and she thought it’d be silly to take a cab to Nashville when she was perfectly capable of driving us. Besides, she’d told me, she liked driving. I didn’t argue. I’d taken a lot of longer cab rides lately, and I knew she was right about the cost.

  I stuffed my bags into the back seat and settled into the passenger side, smiling at my golden-haired companion cheerily. “So it’s a hundred and eighty miles to Nashville, we’ve got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark and we’re wearing sunglasses.”

  Raelya furrowed her brow and tilted her head at me. “What?”

  I sighed. “You were supposed to say, ‘Hit it!’.”

  “Hit it?”

  “Close enough. Let’s go.” I closed the door and buckled my seatbelt.

  We chatted on the way, but Raelya could tell I was tired. I shouldn’t have been. It was late afternoon when we’d left my apartment, but I’d been resting terribly ever since I’d come home from Amorie’s place. It just wasn’t easy getting meaningful rest in my lonely apartment.

  After a bit, she told me to go to sleep, and when I argued, she insisted that she was fine and that she’d rather have me be alert for the plane ride than the car trip.

  “Why so much?” I queried.

  “Because… airplanes are not so comfortable for us. For wolves.”

  “Why so much?” I repeated in the same tone.

  She glared at me playfully. “Because. It is a small area with many people, too many smells. The sounds are very loud. Everything about it tends to put the wolf on edge. I would far rather have your company then. So get your nap. I insist.”

  I wiggled into a comfier position. “Are you sure you’re not Elisa’s daughter?”

  She smiled. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  I woke up as we pulled into the Nashville airport. Raelya hadn’t needed to wake me; a plane was taking off at the time and the noise had taken care of that for her.