Slippers at Midnight Pt. 01

A/N So... full disclosure... this is not going to be quick. I promise, this story eventually has sex scenes but this first part is really just the set up of the story. If you are looking for a romance, this is the story for you. If you are in a rush to get to the "good stuff" you may want to find another story and come back to this when you are in the mood for the build up. There is much more sex in Part 2. I pinkie swear.

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Slippers at Midnight, Part 1

Chapter 1

My name is Elle Bannister. When people ask me where I am from, I tell them I'm from Avion. It's a small town in Texas an hour from Dallas. They tell me they've never heard of it and I smile and say "No one has." I say it like it is a joke, but it's not. The residents of Avion work very hard to keep our town off of the radar. The town exists. We have a post office and a mayor's office. If someone was determined, they could find us. No one looks for us though. And that is just how we like it.

I was 20 years old and attending college in Fort Worth at Texas Christian University. It was a big change for me to move to Fort Worth. It's part of the reason I picked TCU. The class sizes were relatively small and it was less intimidating than other schools I looked at. I was glad to find out that the school didn't care if you weren't a Christian. It would be very difficult for me if I had to find a school founded by people who shared my religious beliefs.

The week before my 21st birthday was busy. I was going home for a long weekend to celebrate and I wanted to make sure all of my work was finished before I left. I knew my school friends were annoyed that I wasn't going to spend my birthday in town but I promised them that we could go out and celebrate when I got back. Delia, who was currently sprawled out across my bed, was not satisfied with that answer.

"Elle, you are turning TWENTY-ONE. That is not a birthday you are supposed to spend with your family in your sleepy little hometown. Twenty-one is the year you go out with your college friends and get drunk, dance too close to strangers, and wake up the next morning wondering where your panties are. I'm pretty sure it's the law."

I laughed. "That sounds like a great time, D, but it's really important that I am home this weekend."

"But why?"

Obviously, I couldn't tell her I needed to be home because some ancient switch was going to flip in my brain at 7:56 PM on Saturday and that I might not be totally in control of whatever I did next. Instead I told her, "My family has birthday traditions and they're really important to them. It's not for everyone, I know, but I actually really like my family and it's... special."

Everything I said was true. I did like my family and we did have birthday traditions. It just wasn't the whole truth. I hoped Delia wouldn't ask for more details. Fortunately, she didn't. She just rolled her eyes and headed out for her next class.

Thursday afternoon I was waiting outside Hays Hall, the residence building where I lived on campus. I'd gotten all of my schoolwork done for the next two weeks, my bags were packed, and I'd said goodbye to everyone who would notice I was gone. I'd wheeled my small suitcase around to the parking lot and Delia and Stephanie were waiting with me when my dad and my younger brother pulled up to the curb. Dad and Adrian jumped out of the car and for the next minute I struggled to breathe as first my brother and then my dad took turns crushing me with giant hugs.

When my dad finally released me I turned to find my friends introducing themselves to Adrian. Both girls were a bit pink-cheeked as they looked up into my younger brother's face. He was barely 18 but he was six foot two with thick dark hair and dimples that no girl had ever been able to resist. I rolled my eyes and pointedly handed him my suitcase. He took it, grinned at my two friends, and carried it to the trunk.

As soon as he walked away, Delia looked at me and mouthed, "Damn!" Stephanie giggled.

"Down, girls," I murmured.

Dad put his arm around my shoulders and kissed my temple. He looked at my friends. "Hey girls. Do you have anything fun planned for the weekend?"

Stephanie shook her head. Delia looked put out. "No, Mr. Bannister. We don't have anything fun because you are stealing the birthday girl and we have to stay here and study or something."

My dad's laugh was deep and infectious. "I'm sorry, Delia. Hopefully, you girls can do something fun next weekend."

"If she comes back..." I heard my brother's mumbled words but I doubted Delia or Stephanie had. I shot him a look and he rolled his eyes as he closed the trunk and came to stand on my other side.

By the way Dad's eyes narrowed, I could tell he had heard Adrian's comment, also, but it was only a flash and then he was grinning again. He squeezed my shoulders. "You ready, Kiddo?"

I nodded and he released me so I could hug my friends. They both wrapped their arms around me. "Happy birthday, Elle." They chorused and let me go.

Adrian was looking at them both approvingly and Delia grinned at him. "You want a hug, too?"

"Hell yeah," Adrian responded with a smirk and Delia tugged Stephanie over to him so Stephanie was crushed between them in a group hug. All three of them laughed and Adrian waved as he walked back toward the car.

"Shotgun!" I yelled.

Adrian narrowed his eyes and growled at me. I laughed and he climbed into the back. Once we were settled, my dad started the car and we were on our way home.

Chapter 2

The ride home was a joyful affair. We blasted music and sang along. My dad stopped at a drive-through as we headed out of Dallas and bought milkshakes. We were about 20 minutes from home when Adrian sat forward and rested his chin on my seat.

"How are you feeling, Elle? Are you nervous?"

My dad didn't say anything but I could tell he was interested in my answer.

I shrugged. "I don't know. It doesn't seem like it's gonna happen this weekend. I mean I was home two months ago and no one claimed me so... I don't know. Who has come of age in the last two months? There aren't that many kids close to my age."

"Trip Nelson turned 21 last week. It could be him."

"Oh goddess. Don't say that. I don't care what changes in my brain. Trip Nelson is a doofus."

Adrian laughed. "Ok. I'll say a prayer that the goddess doesn't give you Trip Nelson." His voice was teasing and he waggled his eyebrows. "You know Julian turns 21 this weekend."

"I am aware, yes, that the twins and I share a birthday."

"What do you think? Could it be Julian?"

I laughed. "That would be amazing. Then I could boss you and Andrew around for the rest of my life."

"And that's different, how?"

I playfully slapped his cheek. "You'd have to listen to me."

Even my dad laughed, then. His voice was serious when he spoke. "Seriously, hon, are you nervous?"

"I guess a little. It seems like half the people I've talked to said it is no big deal and the other half said it changed their lives. What about you, Dad?"

It was his turn to shrug. "Both, I guess. I mean, yeah, it changes your life. You go from being an independent person to being tied to someone else. But... I guess..." He scratched the back of his neck. "It's also not something to worry about because you are still you just more... complete."

Adrian groaned and sat back. "Gross, Dad. Please do not go into any details about how Mom completes you."

My dad grinned at Adrian in the rearview mirror. "You don't want to hear about how the day after my 21st birthday I saw your mom walking down the street and BAM. It hit me. It was like the world dissolved and reformed with her at its center. I pulled to the curb, left the engine on and everything, and sprinted after her."

I knew this story well. "She says your scared her shitless when you ran up behind her and grabbed her."

My dad laughed again. "And I have been apologizing for that for 27 years. I can't describe it. It was like logic and reason shut off and the only thought in my mind was that I needed to be with her right then. She hadn't flipped yet, she was only 18, but when I told her what had happened she was excited."

"Ew!" Aiden interjected. Dad narrowed his eyes at Aiden's reflection.

"Your mom was excited that I had imprinted on her. Turns out she had a crush on me since she was a freshman in high school."

I told the next part of the story. "But you didn't want to marry her, yet. You wanted to wait until she had flipped so she would feel the way you felt."

Dad continued his story. "True, but we started dating. When she turned 21 she flipped and... Wow. Things had been good before but once she flipped..."

Aiden buried his face in his hands and began to groan in protest. I couldn't stop giggling. No, I didn't want details about my parents' love lives when they were younger, but it was also really sweet. In truth, it may have been 27 years since my father had first imprinted on my mom, but you'd never know it watching them. He still looked at her like he couldn't wait to touch her. She still glowed whenever she was with him. Gross, yes, but also #goals.

"I asked her to marry me the night she turned 21. She flipped and I asked and we've been together ever since. We got married 4 months later. And you know what, Aiden?"

My brother peeked through his fingers.

"It's still hot." My dad called back. Aiden dropped his head in defeat and Dad laughed so hard I thought I was going to have to take the wheel.

We pulled into the driveway 20 minutes later. My older brother Andrew's car was in the driveway. Dad took my hand and Aiden grabbed my suitcase from the trunk and followed us inside.

Mom sprinted into the living room and threw her arms around me. "Hi, Baby! Welcome home." It was a surprise to no one when she released me and threw her arms around Dad's neck. She kissed him and a growl rumbled from deep in his chest. Like I said, almost three decades had done nothing to cool them off. I turned my back on my parents and faced my older brother who had followed Mom into the room.

He grinned at me and lunged. I didn't stand a chance. He picked me up and spun me around. "Hey, Sis!" When he set me down I slapped his arm but then I touched his face.

"You look good, Drew. How's Tilly?" Drew had imprinted two years earlier on a quiet girl he'd gone to high school with but never noticed. Unlike Mom, Tilly wasn't sure how she felt about the gregarious Bannister boy who was suddenly in love with her and he'd had to wait patiently for her to flip. Fortunately, there was only a month and a half between their birthdays so he didn't wait long. Tilly was always more subdued than Drew, but still very happy to marry him a short three months later. Tilly was wicked smart and in a science program at Rice University in Huston so she and Drew had purchased a small house in the suburbs. It was a four-and-a-half-hour drive for Andrew to get home so he hadn't been home as often as I had. I was glad he was here, now.

Drew assured me that Tilly was doing well. She was sorry she couldn't come for my birthday but she had sent a gift and promised to call on the day. I was glad. Depending on how tomorrow went, I might need to talk to my sister-in-law.

It was too early for dinner so we opted to play a game. We played cards and chatted until dinner time. Andrew and I helped Mom make our favorite meatloaf. (Yes, I know you probably don't like meatloaf, but this recipe is incredible. If you had Mom's meatloaf you would change your mind.) Dad and Aiden put away the cards and set the table. By the time the meatloaf was in the oven, I felt totally relaxed. It was just a normal evening with my family. I almost forgot that tomorrow was my 21st birthday. Almost.

Chapter 3

Don't you hate when you read a story and the author just keeps dropping all these hints and you kind of know what's happening but you aren't totally sure and you just wish they'd get to the point? Yeah, me too.

You know what I hate even more, though? When you read a story and you know it's going to get sexy at some point but the author really wants to establish the story and help you get to know all of the characters and you care, because the story is pretty good and you wanted a good story otherwise you would have picked a shorter story to read- more of a "wham bam thank you ma'am" but now you're starting to regret that decision because holy shit how are we this far into the story and no one has taken their clothes off, yet. Yeah. I hate when that happens.

So here- That night, I was getting ready for bed.

I was in my room and I slowly pulled my shirt off over my head.

Next, I unhooked my jeans and pushed them down my thighs and then down my calves.

Now, I was wearing nothing but a pair of light pink panties with stretchy lace at the top and a pink bra. I caught my reflection in the mirror and was pleased with the appearance of my cleavage above the pink satin.

I reached behind my back and unhooked my bra. I let it slide down my arms and my boobs sprung free.

Then I put on my pajamas and went to brush my teeth. What were you expecting? I'm still with my family at this point and it is not THAT kind of story.

Teeth brushed and pajamas on, I crawled into bed. I pulled a pillow between my knees and tried to get comfortable. It was so quiet here in my small neighborhood in my small town. A town that only grew when people got married or had babies. A wolf town.

American werewolves live in small communities all over the U.S. We are in every state and not too far from every major metropolitan area. You may think that you would have heard if there were wolf people running through the suburbs every full moon, and you are probably right. But we hadn't been like that in a long, long time.

The first American werewolves came to the U.S. from Romania. Like most immigrants, they tended to settle in areas with their own kind. Back then we were still dissociated- still moon-cursed. Every full moon my ancestors would change into frightening beasts and run around eating and fucking and generally terrorizing the rural areas they called home.

In the mid-1800s, though, there was a werewolf doctor named Claudiu Lyall. (And yes he was both a werewolf who was a doctor and a doctor for werewolves.) He discovered that werewolves were, essentially, split personalities although he didn't use that term. (Now we call it dissociated) Dr. Lyall hypothesized that if werewolves could be taught to reconcile their "human sides" with their "wolf sides" they would be able to integrate into a complete being instead of one moral rational being and one need-based violent being. Sure enough, he started testing out his ideas and soon werewolves across the nation were integrating their two sides.

By the time I was born in the 1990s, werewolves were integrated from birth. We were taught to accept our wolves as a part of ourselves and taught that we could control ourselves. We were no longer forced to shift. So we didn't. We lived as humans 365 days a year. Kind of.

We look human but we aren't. Werewolves, or just "wolves" to those on the inside, are stronger and healthier than humans. We hear better, see better, and almost never get sick. We heal quickly, burn calories like you wouldn't believe, and are very, very in touch with our more animal natures. We love to eat, to play, to laugh, to drink, to dance, and to fuck.

You may have gotten the wrong impression when I told you about the way my brother reacted to my parents' love story but we are not prudish about sex at all. It is totally normal to talk about sex with your family when you are a wolf. We may cringe if our parents started to get too graphic but it was perfectly normal for our parents to be expressive with their affection. PDA was not an issue in Avion or any other wolf town. No one was put out to see a pair making out in the park or to hear the quiet groans of a couple behind you in a movie theater. If wolves catch you in a compromising position they are more likely to give you a high five than a dirty look.

We all enjoy sex and we do it without guilt as soon as we are mature enough. Teenagers don't have to crawl out of their boyfriends' bedroom windows before the sun comes up. No walks of shame here. Birth control is readily available to all. Unless it is their time to procreate. It is the duty of every wolf to reproduce. We are called by the goddess to multiply. Once a wolf couple has been mated they are expected to produce little baby wolves.

Mating is another thing that sets us apart. Our scriptures say that "To every wolf the goddess gives a perfect mate. From her, his name is hidden until her years are twenty and one. Then will she know him."

Basically, for every wolf, there is another wolf for whom they are destined. We might live right next to them our whole lives and not know it, but they are for us and we are for them. On the twenty-first anniversary of our first breath, something changes in our brains. We call it "getting flipped" or "flipping". The next time we see that destined wolf we imprint on them. From that moment on our desire is only for that wolf. We may objectively notice attractive qualities in another, but we will only want our mate. We want them in every way. We desire them sexually, natch, but we also love to be with them. We want to talk to them. We like the way they laugh and the funny way they do things. They become dear to us.

The goddess is kind. She never gives us a mate that we might not meet. I, for example, knew I would not be destined for a man in North Ireland. Maybe someone in Huston who I would meet when I went to visit my brother, but most likely, someone right here in Avion or back in Fort Worth. Someone I would see often and could not avoid meeting soon after flipping.

That's part of why it was so sacrosanct for all wolves to reproduce. Each cub we bore was destined to be the mate of someone else's cub. So we all knew our duty and no wolf would dream of a life without at least one child.

A mate and a child- the two things certain for every wolf.

Chapter 4

Because I have two brothers I was not surprised when I was awakened at 8 am on my birthday by two huge, obnoxious, grown-ass adult men coming into my room and flopping on my bed and yelling "Happy Birthday." I was not surprised but I was still annoyed and did my level best to beat them both senseless with my pillow.

After I felt they had been adequately battered, I allowed them to escort me to the kitchen where my mom was making eggs and my dad was flipping pancakes. Andrew held out a chair for me and brought me a cup of orange juice while Adrian joined dad at the stove and fried up a bunch of bacon.

Soon the five of us were sitting together shoveling huge forkfuls of pancakes and fried meat into our mouths and enjoying each other's company. That's when Mom brought up the ball.

The U.S. may not have a royal family but the Southwest American Territory of Wolves did. The Southwest American Territory of Wolves, or S.A.T.O.W, covered Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California in the U.S. as well as Chihuahua, Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur in Mexico. All of it was ruled over by its king- Alpha Constantin Drago Horia. And Alpha Constantin lived right here in Avion in a palatial mansion on the North side of town. He and his family also had mansions, palaces, and castillos in half a dozen other places in his territory and vacation houses throughout the world but their primary residence was here in Avion. So we had, at least, a passing familiarity with the royal family.

Don't get me wrong they didn't come over for BBQs and my brothers and I hadn't gone to swim parties at the royal residence in the summer like some of the kids from the North side of town did, but we saw them occasionally when we were in town and they recognized my parents by face and name.