Another wave hit hard. No longer able to sustain my weight and balance on my hands and knees, I fell to my side.
I bit the inside of my cheek to stifle the de,zz,zzSep groan that fought to escape my lips. Violently shaking, I convulsed, the extra consciousness in my head becoming even more clear. My jaw elongated. Fur pierced through my skin. The swish of a tail brushed against my back legs.
And then it was over.
I lay there, my chest heaving.
It had happened. I was a Wolf!
All of those years of hoping and worrying and waiting, my ever-present animal companion was finally here.
Head spinning, I worked to organize my thoughts. My mind reached out tentatively, Hello?
Her reply didn’t consist of exact words, but I understood it.
The process had been scary for her as well, but she was excited. And more than I could have hoped for, she was just as happy to meet me as I was her!
My heart swelled with love for this creature, who had always been inside of me, but I just now met. I wanted to tell her everything, my whole life story. But when I began, her response shocked me.
She already knew!
She might’ve been silent in my mind, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t there. She knew the struggles I’d faced. She knew my heartbreak. She knew me.
And she loved me.
If wolves could cry, I would be a blubbering idiot right that moment.
Finally, I wasn’t alone anymore...
Thoughts steady and sure, she hoisted our body to its feet. A little wiggle of her butt was all it took to shake out her fur.
I was dying to know what she looked like. Sharing my curiosity, she dropped her head down. Through her eyes, I saw the fur at the top of her chest was black and transitioned into white at the midpoint. It was also tufted out, thicker and longer than a typical Wolf. That was unusual.
She dipped her head lower, looking between her legs, and found the white strip of fur continued along her belly. Her legs were solid black. Three out of four paws were white. Glancing over her shoulder, I could see her back was black, and her tail was thicker than usual as well, long and sleek, black on top, but white underneath. It swished regally in the air.
She blinked and tossed her head back to get the fur out of her eyes. Wait a minute...
...she shouldn’t have hair in her eyes.
But there was. I could see it. It must be longer there as well. Okay. So, she was a little different. But I didn’t care. I had a wolf. That’s all that mattered, no matter what color or shape she came in.
Abruptly, her muscles contracted. Power flowed from her hips as she leaped forward, high into the air. Her movement was thrilling. Excitement coursed through my veins.
She bounded forward at a dead run, tearing through the forest with shocking speed and grace. The sun had set, and night darkened the sky, but I could still see easily. The air whipping around her lithe frame was invigorating. I inhaled deeply.
Without warning, she ground to a halt, nose high in the air, catching the scents on the wind. Beneath the smell of pine and earth, there was a much more enticing scent- delicious spice, balsam and juniper berry.
Her nostrils flared. Her legs trembled. She pawed at the ground.
What was that??
My wolf didn’t know either. But the compulsion to find it, whatever it was, was impossible to ignore. Her head snapped to the side, isolating the scent on the wind and she took off, gliding over the ground even faster than before.
The path, we were on, led to the pack house. Confusion coloured my thoughts. What could the tantalizing scent be? I’d never smelled anything so decadent and alluring there before.
We were close.
She whipped around the side of the house without slowing down. So caught up in the maddening scent, I didn’t realize what was happening until it was too late.
Grinding to a halt, every inch of my body quivered in shock, as I stared at the scene in front of me because now I understood.
No, no, no!
There was no way.
It wasn’t possible!
Alpha and his three sons reclined around a fire. Beers in hands, they looked as if they’d been talking and laughing, comfortable.
That is, until I burst on the scene.
But only one of them mattered to me right then.
Alpha’s firstborn son- Coal!
He snapped to his feet the instant I entered the clearing, causing his girlfriend, Calla, to tumble off of his lap. She glared up at him from the ground, surprised by his sudden and unexpected movement. And then her head turned to me, her confusion twisting into horror.
Coal stared at me, transfixed.
At twenty-one, he was four years older than me. I’d gone to school with his younger brothers, Ryder and Chase, both of whom were complete asses. I had seen Coal before, but never like this.
My razor-sharp vision took in every inch of his perfect flesh.
Tousled dark hair, piercing blue eyes, pants low on his hips, he wore no shirt, revealing his muscular chest, a chiselled six-pack and distinct V indention on his hips.
If I could have licked my lips in this body, I would have. As it was, I wondered if my tongue was hanging out.
Why, yes actually, it was.
I mentally nudged my Wolf.
She pulled it back into her mouth and clamped her jaw shut.
Alpha’s head spun around to stare at me. Eyes blazing, he snarled, “What the fuck? Who...?” And then his voice dropped low, barking out an order I could not resist, “Shift!”
I fell to my belly as the change came over me.
Pain. Oh no, it was hurt again. It took a minute, but finally, I crouched on the ground, naked, panting, my hands planted down to the earth to support my trembling muscles.
I stared at Coal in awe.
I had a mate!
...the one thing I never thought I was good enough to have.
And there he was.
Perfection.
“Dude,” Chase muttered, his face twisted as if he was in pain, as he stared at his older brother.
What? Why was he looking at him like that?
His brother had just found his mate. It should be a happy time. Mates were special, no matter who they were, a gift from the Moon.
This changed everything for me.
And then I understood Chase’s expression.
Shock and disappointment coursed through me.
He was staring at Coal in pity.
“No!” Alpha roared, jumping to his feet. Hands clenched into fists, his unbridled expression, rage. He took a purposeful step in my direction.
Oh shit! Terror coursed through me.
Coal yelled, “Stop!”
Alpha spun and faced him. “You know this is NOT happening! I don’t give a fuck what the Moon thinks. I am ending this right now!”
“No!” Coal hissed. “Of course, it isn’t happening. But I will take care of it. We cannot condone killing the girl when she hasn’t done anything wrong!”
Killing me?!
My gaze broke from Coal and centered back on Alpha. A hard shudder ran down my spine. Coal was right. Alpha’s eyes blazed lethal intent.
I was going to die.
Coal stepped around his father and approached me slowly. Every step closer charged the air with electricity. Did he feel it too?
Crouching down, he brought himself eye-level with me and then wrapped his hand around my bicep to tug me to my feet.
Tingles shot up and down my skin at his touch.
Eyes widening, he let go of my arm like it was on fire. A muscle in his jaw twitched. He spoke through clenched teeth, his tone icy cold, “Brinley, listen to me very carefully. This isn’t happening. You need to leave and forget it ever happened.”
Forget it happened?
How was I supposed just to forget it happened?
I crossed my arms in front of my chest, embarrassed and vulnerable at my nudity, and whimpered, “But-“
He cut me off, his voice harsh, “Let me be clear. I don’t want you now, and I will not want you in the future. Do you understand?”
My wolf whimpered in my head, her tail tucked between her legs. I was speechless, powerless to speak around the massive lump in my throat. Tears came to my eyes and streamed silently down my cheeks.
Nothing had changed.
He didn’t want me.
And now things were much, much worse.
Coal’s expression hardened as he waited for an answer to his question.
My eyes flickered back to the group behind him. Alpha glared. Calla had found her way back into Coal’s chair, and smirked at me in satisfaction.
I thought I’d been broken before.
I thought my life couldn’t get any more painful.
I could not have been more wrong. I laughed bitterly in my head. Because there was no way I was going to survive this torture, this pure heart-crushing pain.
I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t give Coal the answer he wanted.
Instead, I let my Wolf take over.
Skin became fur.
We turned and ran...
COAL’S POVThe night began like any other. There had been no indication that my life would irrevocably change in just a few short minutes. No omen that this night would be the tipping point for my future.And yet it was.Seated around the campfire with my brothers, my father handed me a beer, while I waited for Calla to arrive.“Thanks,” I grunted.Twisting the top off with a flick of my wrist, I turned it up and took a few swigs, enjoying the coldness of the liquid down my throat.My thoughts wandered, tuning out whatever sex joke my adolescent brother was telling, and ignoring their raucous laughter. I’d heard them all, and they stopped being funny around the age of twelve. I sighed heavily. They were sixteen and eighteen now, when would they grow up?Calla sauntered in fifteen minutes later. She wore a slim-fitting white top, and blue shorts, which revealed her long toned legs. Flipping her blond hair off of her shoulder, and flashing her million watt smile, she stepped past my fat
COAL'S POVThe days passed slowly, painfully. Time felt heavy, an unbearable burden on my soul and body, suffocating the very life out of my bones. I wasn’t sure if I was strong enough to bear it.Sitting at the large desk in my office, I stared blindly at the fireplace across the room, nestled in between floor-to-ceiling bookcases. Winter was coming. Soon, flames would fill the fireplace, flickering in a complex dance, releasing heat into the atmosphere.But nothing would warm me.Not anymore.I suspected the cold pit in my stomach, and I would remain good friends for eternity. I leaned back, my hands clenching the armrests of the executive chair. The leather chair creaked in resistance.Recent events ricocheted in my head like a pinball machine on crack.Immediately following the shocking revelation that Brinley was my mate, I’d insisted she not clean my room anymore. I’d used some ridiculous excuse that I didn’t want her around my things. When in reality, I couldn’t care less if sh
As I was lost in my thoughts, Calla’s hands found mine. “Coal?” She whispered to get my attention.My eyes snapped to hers. I forced myself to refocus and tried to keep the gruffness out of my tone, but still, my voice lowered, “Calla, I need to know what you’re up for. Obviously, we already know the situation with my mate.” I could barely say the word without grimacing in pain. “You haven’t found your mate yet. I understand if you would rather cool things off between us because I need to start thinking long-term.”She frowned, her face crinkling in confusion. “What does that mean...’thinking long-term’?”“It means I’m going to be Alpha one day, and I need a suitable Luna.”The hackles on her back rose. She stood. Her hands found her hips. Her voice rose in agitation, “And what makes you think I’m not a suitable candidate?”I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. “You are not suitable because you still have a mate out there you haven’t found yet.”Her eyebrows rose in understanding
Sweet floral lilacs and moonlight incandescence washed over me, drowning me in her essence. I mumbled, "Brinley? What are you doing here?"She looked equally stunned, mossy green eyes wide, flecks of gold swirling in their troubled depths. "I was working early today...I have...to go into town," she trailed off, her gaze now firmly on the floor. Her lip quivered. My Wolf paced in my head. His urge to comfort her was almost overwhelming."Oh," I muttered through clenched teeth, careful not to inhale through my nose again. I stared at her, mesmerized, frozen. I had no desire to move from the place I stood. I would have been happy just to sit and watch her succulent lips and the way her auburn hair fell over her shoulders.I hadn't seen her in two weeks.I'd assumed all I needed was time to get over her.I realized the depravity of that lie now.I was a fool.No amount of distance or length of time would lessen my captivation with her. It was preposterous to think I could overcome the Moo
It took every ounce of my strength and determination to keep him at bay. There was no doubt he could end the conflict, exacting the punishment he deemed deserved. But his actions would start a war, a war we couldn't win, a war that would end in Brinley's demise. Tension ran through my entire frame, causing me to shake. Brinley wrenched free, bucking Calla off. She spun around and lunged forward, her canines finding purchase in Calla's shoulder. How quickly the tables turned. Now, Brinley held the position of power. She stood over Calla, who writhed and fought beneath her. Brinley shook her head viciously, her teeth sinking deeper into Calla's flesh. Calla stopped fighting, whining out her submission. My Wolf puffed out his chest as we watched, pride in his mate flowing through us. Brinley was shockingly fast and strong. She lacked training. Her strength and speed were a gift from nature. He moaned out his pleasure at seeing her dominating the other she-wolf. Heat burned inside of
BRINLEY’S POV I was numb. I'd gone into town, as required, and returned with the list of supplies Lena had given me. It was dark. I trudged up to the two bedroom rundown house. Lena stood in the little kitchen and barked, "Once you put away the supplies, strip and be on your way. Your clothing will remain here. Each morning, you will report to me, get dressed and go to work. When finished, you will return, get undressed and get out of my sight." "Yes, ma'am," I mumbled. I kept my head down. I didn't have to look at her to know she was smirking. She was thrilled not to have to deal with me anymore and even more excited at my suffering. She took special satisfaction in my pain. Silently, I put the supplies away and walked into the small bedroom I used to call mine. Tears washed down my cheeks as I realized there wasn't anything in there that I cared about losing or leaving behind. Except one... I reached under the bed and pulled out a small teddy bear. It was a gift from my mothe
Another long week passed. My new schedule was becoming routine. Alpha had decided I would no longer clean the packhouse, thus eliminating me from Coal's presence altogether. Instead, I was sent into town on a daily basis to gather supplies, clean homes or run errands for pack members who lived there. It was a ten-mile trek each way, but I didn't mind the walk, and I was thrilled to be away from the pack.I was weak, but thankfully, my Wolf had been successful in hunting a few rabbits. We didn't eat every day, but it was enough to keep us alive.Today, the last house on my list, belonged to a member of a neighboring pack, Onyx Moon. Frankly, I'd been surprised to get the assignment, because relations between Ravenswood and Onyx Moon were not always the best, aggravated by a fierce rivalry for land. And their alpha, Alpha Wilder, was known to be a ferocious man. Of course, I couldn't imagine a man worse than Alpha.I pulled the address out of my pocket, checking it again and turned righ
BRINLEY’S POVMy head hurt. My world was a haze. I struggled to bring myself to consciousness, but couldn't quite grasp it. I was lying on my stomach, but my body was limp, I had no control. Abruptly, hands from behind lifted my hips. I startled in the strange male's grip, but my effort was pitiful as the drug-induced haze pulled on me. With shocking horror, I realized I was naked with a gag in my mouth. My heart pounded in my chest. No, no, no!! Rough fingers invaded my body, entering where no one had ever been before. Pain shot through me. My back arched of its own accord. A scream ripped from my chest, but no sound came out, muffled by the gag. His fingers withdrew, and claws dug into my sides as he pulled my hips back, thrusting himself into me at the same time. Red hot searing pain tore through me. My insides felt ripped apart. Torture so intense, I couldn't even scream. I desperately willed my body to work, trying to scramble away from the monster behind me. But it was n