Axel grew up in a small town adopted by human parents when his mother died during childbirth. He never needed to look for his birth father because his foster parents were all he needed. Kade and Laurel treated Axel like the son they always wanted. He was given everything a boy could want. When Axel shifted for the first time, he had no idea what was happening to him. His body got really hot and itchy. He had this pounding headache for days. They lived on the forest side of town, so he decided to take a walk and get some fresh air, maybe take a swim in the river if that helped cool his aching itchy body.

He stumbled over rocks and tree roots, the smell of the trees becoming stronger, and he could hear everything. The wind in the trees, the heartbeats of rabbits running and the rushing river seemed to be so loud he covered his ears. He did his best to breathe through the pain he felt all over his body. He laid on the ground next to the river, waiting for the pain to stop. When all of a sudden, he felt a POP in his head like he had just burst a brain cell.

"DUDE!! Finally," Liam, his wolf, shouts in his head. Axel thought He heard voices. He sat up, looking around, but he was alone.

"Hey, Axel, you are not crazy. I am your other half. You are a werewolf, and I've been trying to break through the barrier in your mind since your birthday last week. You need my help to shift."

"Shift what's a shift?" Axel couldn't believe he was responding to himself in his mind.

"A shift is when you turn into a wolf. Trust me, I got you, man. It's my job to guide you through this process. Just let go of control. Stand up and breathe like you do when you do yoga. It's going to hurt like a bitch, but you got this. We got this." Axel took a breath he pushed everything out of his mind. He let his arms fall limp, and he just relaxed into the pain. He could feel his body become calm, and then more Liam radiated through his body as fur sprouted over his arms and legs and his clothes tore his body turned into a beautiful grey wolf with sliver tips and black ears. He was large for a werewolf, not that he had anything to compare it to. He thought he was human until 5 minutes ago. Liam took off into the woods running over logs and swimming in the river. He had to go tell Lucy. He knew she would accept him any way he was. First, he had to go home and get some clothes on because he shredded what he was wearing earlier.

After he had changed, he grabbed his bike and headed over to the bakery where Lucy worked.

"Hey, Ax!"

"Hey, Luc! Can I grab a coffee and donut?"

" of course, I'll bring it out to you."

Axel was nervous, really nervous. He was about to tell Lucy, his best friend and possible love of his life if she felt that way, that he turned into a wolf sometimes.

"Can you take a break? or are you almost done? I want to show you something." I asked her, more nervous than a jock like myself would like to admit.

"Ya, actually, I was about to take a break to do my homework. What's up?" Her beautiful blue eyes were always so kind and open, even though she had a pretty tough life so far.

"I'll help you with your homework, then can we go somewhere?"

"HAHA Axel Rose Monroe, when have you ever done homework in your entire life?" She laughed at me. I loved hearing her laugh. She made my world better. Even if she didn't love me like that, she was still the best friend I ever had.

"Okay, fair, but what I want to show you is super important."

"Well, Axel, let's go then. I can do my homework later."

"It's just extra credit, isn't it?"

"Haha, you know me so well." Her cheeks flushed a little, but I know she loved that I knew her so well.

We got on our bikes and headed to the river. There was a mountain biking trail we took all the time, and I knew the perfect spot where I could show her, and she could scream, and no one could hear her. That sounds creepier than I meant it.

*****

"Axel, why are you getting undressed? Please tell me you aren't showing me a rash that shameful shelly gave you." She giggled, but she wasn't kidding.

"I told you I didn't give her my V card; I just let her give me a blow job."

"Ewww Axel," she screamed at me and covered her ears.

"You will see, just remember I will never ever let anything happen to you. Do not be afraid of me, okay."

"Okay...." She eyed me thoughtfully. I finished undressing, took a deep breath and shifted, I thought it would hurt a lot like the first time, but it wasn't that bad. Uncomfortable but not as painful. I waited for the scream, but none came. I thought maybe she fainted or ran away, but I could still smell her vanilla raspberry shampoo. I turned, and she was just staring at me, not a single shred of fear in her eyes. She just watched me. I turned my head to the side, and she followed my movements. I underestimated her tolerance for crazy. She reached out her hand, moving it through the long fur around my neck. She stepped closer slowly. She whispered in my ear. You are still the same Axel Rose. I would recognize you anywhere. I crouched down, so my belly was brushing the earth, and my wolf Liam just purred he loved her as much as I did. She sat back and leaned into my side. I wish I could talk to her in wolf form. Ask her what she thought, but it would have to wait. I could feel her breathing slow, and then I heard a slight snore escape her mouth. She fell asleep. That is so weird. Why would she need to sleep now?

"It's me," Liam said.

"I have special calming abilities. I soothe her damaged soul. Her wolf has caused her a lot of pain." You will learn more later.

"Her what? she is like us?"

"Yes, she is, and her wolf is dangerous. You can't tell her. She needs to find out on her own."

"I can't keep something so big from her? We have zero secrets between us."

"You have to. it's for her protection." I ended the conversation and let Lucy sleep. The next big question was to tell my parents or not. My adoptive parents have been amazing. They love me, not like Lucy's foster parents, who don't even notice when she doesn't come home. I know my mother would have petitioned to keep Lucy if I asked her to, but Lucy liked her privacy, and even though we shared everything, I think she liked being invisible at home. My mom would ask her every day, how was school? How are you feeling? And berate her with questions every day.