07. Wolf names

"You'd like a name?" Nuri asked softly, feeling her eyes well up with tears. She sniffled and wiped at her tears, shaking her head.

*'I'm sorry, Nuri. I didn't mean to upset you!'* Nuri's wolf whimpered softly.

"No, you didn't upset me. I'm just really proud of you for making this decision. It's not an easy decision to make and most wolves never make that decision." Nuri said, smiling softly "Do you know what name you'd like?"

*'I've been thinking about it for a while, and I think I'd like to be called Tempest.'* Nuri's wolf said happily, jumping up in down in excitement.

"Tempest? That's a great name!" Nuri said as she walked into her bedroom to look out of the balcony again, glancing around at the side of the house. *'I think if I let you take over, we can jump to Kalmin's balcony. That looks a lot closer to the ground than ours. But I can't tell how far away it is.'* Nuri thought, biting her lip as she narrowed her eyes and tried to gauge the distance in the jump.

*'Do you think we should try tricking him?'* Tempest asked.

"I considered it, but I'm not too sure if it would work. Kalmin's an asshole, but he's not necessarily dumb enough to fall for it. I can't suddenly change the way I act around him and expect him to not find it weird." Nuri responded as she groaned and flopped backward on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

*'That's why you shouldn't do it all at once. Act like he's breaking your spirit, a little more every day. That's what he wants, Nuri. Give him what he wants.'* Tempest said with a chuckle, shaking her head, then her body, before licking her paw.

"Tempest?"

*'Yes, Nuri?'*

"I hope I don't offend you, but will you tell me what you look like?" Nuri asked, hesitantly, biting her lip.

*'I was wondering if you would ever ask me!'* Tempest giggled happily, jumping up and down in excitement with a short laugh. She started to speak, but the sound of the front door being closed startled them both into silence as they listened to the sound of Kalmin's shoes on the linoleum, then continued to listen until he walked up the stairs and based by Nuri's room to enter his study. *'Should we go and greet him?'*

"What would I say to him?"

*'It has to be something that isn't suspect. Oh! Tell him I picked a name! That's a really big deal for a wolf, and it isn't weird at all that you would want to tell someone, especially when he's the only person you're allowed to see for the time being.'* Tempest gasped out happily, then nodded her head cheerfully.

"Of course, you're right," Nuri said as she got out of bed and ran out of her room and to Kalmin's study where she rapped softly at the door.

"Enter," Kalmin said with an obvious growl as Nuri heard him slam something down.

Nuri slowly opened the door and crossed the room until she was standing just in front of his desk, holding her hands behind her back. She looked down at him for a few long moments, watching as he continued to write on a pad of paper, glancing at his laptop every so often, but didn't so much as glimpse up at Nuri for a singular moment. "I'm sorry to bug you, but I'm just really excited and wanted to be able to share the news with someone."

"What news would that be?" He asked absentmindedly, raising an eyebrow.

"My wolf asked for a name today, and even had one picked out." Nuri squealed, unable to contain her absolute giddiness, as what Tempest had done was a huge deal for any wolf, regardless of their status. Even the alpha didn't have a name for his wolf, as he still hadn't picked one.

"Are you serious? Nuri, that's amazing!" Kalmin said, his green eyes going bright in happiness and excitement as he stood and crossed the desk to where Nuri was standing, pulling her into a hug. *'Nuri's wolf picked a name? I'm so excited for her! Your wolf picking a name is a bigger deal than finding your mate!'* Kalmin thought, not attempting to hide his smile.

"Thank you!"

"May I ask what her name is?" Kalmin asked as he took a step back and leaned against his desk, watching Nuri.

Nuri started to talk, but held up her index finger, telling Kalmin to wait a moment. *'Tempest, is it okay for me to tell him your name?'* She asked her, waiting for her response before telling Kalmin.

*'Go ahead! I don't mind him knowing.'* Tempest said, nodding her approval.

"Her name is Tempest. I had actually just asked her what she looked like when you got home, but I wanted to tell you about her name." Nuri said, smiling as she looked into his green eyes as he smiled softly at her.

"Tempest? If I'm correct, that means storm, or a violent storm, I believe. It's a great name for a wolf." Kalmin said with an approving nod, then cocked his head to the side, narrowing his eyes at Nuri. "You don't know what your wolf looks like? Or, I apologize. You don't know what Tempest looks like?"

"No, Tempest and I always had an agreement that I would only know as much about her as she allowed me to because I respect her individuality and wanted to give her the privacy to decide everything," Nuri said, shaking her head.

"I've never heard of someone doing that, but I can understand why you would. That's respectable, Nuri." Kalmin said with a nod as she looked into Nuri's baby blue eyes, watching as she tried and failed to hide her excitement. *'It seems like everything I learn about you makes me more interested in you, and that is something I'm sure I will hate about you soon.'*

*'Why don't you try to get along with her, Kalmin? Look at how happy she is! This is the perfect event to make her dinner and apologize for the way you've been acting towards her. I know you're going to say no, and say you hate her because she's a hybrid, but Kalmin, please. She is our mate, you know what happens when a mate dies. You're bluffing if you say you want to experience that.'* Kalmin's wolf said, snarling at Kalmin when he started to respond.

"Are you okay? You look like you and your wolf are having a heated discussion. Do you want me to leave?" Nuri asked as she watched Kalmin's reaction as he remained silent. She knew that he and his wolf were conversing, and she could tell that Kalmin was not happy with what his wolf was saying in the slightest.

"Yes, but it's fine. This is a joyous occasion, and it deserves to be treated as such. Make no mistake, this changes nothing between us, but this is me, congratulating your wolf for reaching an amazing milestone." Kalmin said with a sigh as he pushed himself off of the desk and walked towards the door, holding it open as he motioned for Nuri to follow him.

Nuri nodded and followed Kalmin out of the office, then down the stairs where he walked towards the front door, grabbing his keys off of the table by the front door. When Kalmin opened the front door, Nuri paused a few feet away, afraid of walking towards the door, as she didn't know if she was allowed to.

"Come on," Kalmin said with a nod as he stepped to the side, motioning for her to walk out of the door. *'She hasn't been here that long, and already she's afraid to come by the front door. I think you may be right, I can mold her into the mate I want, despite the fact that she's a hybrid.'* Kalmin told his wolf as he led Nuri to the garage where his car was parked, then held the passenger side door open for her.

"Can I ask where we're going?" Nuri asked him as he pulled the car out of the garage and drove down the driveway.

"That's up to Tempest. This is her celebration." Kalmin said as he stopped at the end of the driveway, waiting for Tempest's response.

*'I don't know what he expects me to say?'* Tempest whimpered softly, shaking her head.

"She said she doesn't know what you expect her to say," Nuri responded, looking at Kalmin, shrugging.

"Maybe if you want something to eat, or do you want to go and do something? See a movie? Go for a run? I will try to give you what you ask for within reason." Kalmin said, speaking directly to Tempest, instead of Nuri.

"Could we get something to eat, then go for a run?" Nuri said, relaying what Tempest had said in her head.

"Sure, what would you like to eat?"

"Oh my god, Tempest are you serious?" Nuri gasped out with a giggle, shaking her head. "She wants a burger and fries because my parents wouldn't let us eat things like that, and we've never had one."

"Really?" Kalmin asked, his eyes going wide in shock as he shook his head and turned left on the road, driving forward. *'What kind of teenager has never had a burger and fries? This poor girl.'* Kalmin thought as he drove towards the closest burger place he knew of.

"I know, it's weird, but I couldn't change it," Nuri said with a shrug as she rolled down her window, smiling as she felt the wind brushing against her face.

"Kalmin, can I ask you a question?" Nuri asked after a few minutes of silence, turning around to look at him, biting her lip as she waited for his response. "Well, it's actually something that Tempest and I have been curious about because my dad said that's the reason he chooses not to be with his mate because he didn't want to experience it."

"You're going to ask what happens when a mate dies?" Kalmin asked her, although he already knew that this is exactly the question she was asking. "Once our wolves have claimed each other fully, if one of us were to die, both of our wolves would die with us."

"Oh my god, do you mean, like, if you died then Tempest would die too?" Nuri cried out, then felt a wave of sadness and confusion wash over her as she thought about what he'd just said. *'I couldn't imagine not having Tempest anymore, why would anyone kill their mates?'* Nuri thought, remembering that some wolfs would kill their mates, rather than accepting them like Kalmin wanted to do to her.

"Yes. But there are some who consider their wolves as nothing more than a voice in their head, and they do not get attached the way you have. That's why when a wolf picks a name, it's a big milestone that not many achieve." Kalmin said with a nod, watching Nuri as she began to freak out, feeling a variety of emotions welling up as he watched her.

*'You're right. If our mate was to die I would lose you, and I would not be the man I am without you.'* Kalmin said to his wolf.

*'Kalmin, I wanted a name. But when I saw the way you treated our mate, I decided not to tell you. What's the point in allowing myself to have a name if you'd throw me away so easily?'* Kalmin's wolf responded with a growl, making Kalmin gasp out and slam on the brakes, which resulted in Nuri smacking her head on the dashboard, then slumping over as she blacked out.