I’ll die.I couldn’t live without Delilah, any more than I could live without Coal. If Delilah doesn’t want me, if she only claims the other two…
I’ll wait until Coal is distracted and sneak away. I think I could easily kill my father in his sleep. Michael will likely be a greater challenge, but if I can wound him before he kills me, maybe the others will have a chance.
I pause mid-stride. From here I can see Delilah, but I look back over my shoulder. If I go now, when they’re least expecting me to return, can I catch them off guard? They’re distracted. Reckless. They won’t have their guards up against an attack if I go alone.
I turn away from Delilah, about to sprint back to the Alpha’s house, when I hear her scream. My head snaps back around, my Wolf howling in my mind. I whimper, unable to control myself at the sound of her pain.
I’ll make sure she’s okay, then I’ll kill Michael and my father.
Delilah
“AHHHH!” I scream, as my back arches, panting hard as I fight to take a breath. Another wave of pain hits me as the world comes into focus. I’m outside, writhing around on the ground.
“What the fuck is happening?” I hear Dean ask someone, and I roll onto my stomach, trying to get up. I need to get out of here. I need to find Coal. I need answers. I need to escape this pain!
“I’m okay, flower. You’re going to get through this. You just need to give in. Let the shift happen.”Coal’s voice fills my mind, and I cry out as another bone-breaking pain crashes through me.
“Where are you?”I beg through the bond, sensing he isn’t close. I need him. I need to see that he’s safe. Michael was hurting him…
“I think she’s shifting…” Matteo whispers, but I don’t hear whatever else he says, because I’m too focused on the pain coursing through my body. Every bone cracks and shifts, making me scream. Pain unlike anything I have ever known, even worse than what I felt from Coal through the bond, is wreaking havoc on my body, and I’m powerless to stop it.
“You need to relax; you need to calm down!” Dean stupidly shouts, and pure rage explodes from within me.
“I’m going to fucking murder you if you tell me to calm down again!” I screech at Dean, and he cringes, taking several steps away from me.
“Right, sorry.” Dean starts pacing, and I let out a low, guttural growl as the pain once again overrides every thought.
“Get this off of me!” I scream as I tug at the dress I’m still wearing. Dean helps me get out of my clothes but leaves my thong on. I shake my head, though, yanking them off of me because the fabric against my skin feels like sandpaper. “Agh!” I rip the chokers off of my neck, so fucking sick of them.
“Fuck, I’m gonna shift!” Matteo shouts, stripping his clothes off, seconds before a giant white Wolf is pacing in front of me. I’m shocked for only a moment when he comes over to lick my shoulder delicately. Soon I’m screaming again, still lying in the grass. Matteo whimpers, dropping to his stomach on the grass beside me and watching me closely with his amber eyes.
“Make it stop!” I beg, writhing as every nerve in my body burns like acid. I claw at my skin, and the painful cuts don’t even compare to the ache in my bones.
“Fuck…” Dean groans, pulling his clothes off and shifting next. His gray Wolf has streaks of white, and his golden brown eyes watch me as I struggle on the ground. Dean paces around me, yipping and looking stressed. The sound of their panic makes something inside me pull to the surface. I want to comfort them.
“What’s happening to me? Am I dying?” I cry out, scratching at my skin even more, and draw blood again, making the other two whimper.
“You need to shift, flower. You’re a shifter. My bite didn’t kill you; it woke your dormant Wolf. It'll make the pain stop, baby, just give in.”Coal speaks softly through our new bond, and my heart aches. He’s so far from me…
“Are you okay?”I ask because he’s too far away. “Where are you? I need you…”But he doesn’t answer.
“Shift, Delilah!” a new voice demands, and I look up to see Quil marching over. He drops to one knee beside me and pushes the hair away from my face. “Come on, baby girl; if you shift, I’ll let you ride my face again.” He winks, and if I wasn’t in pure agony right now, I might have punched his junk. “Hey, there she is. There’s the anger I love to see in your eyes. Come on, Delilah. You can do it; be a good girl now.”
“I’m going to bite your dick off,” I threaten through clenched teeth, even though his words made me smile, just for a moment.
“Promise?” He winks, but I can see how worried he is by the look of fear in his eyes.
“This is bad…” I whisper, but Quil shakes his head.
“No, this is everything. Shift with me, Delilah.” He strips out of his clothes, shifting into a brown Wolf before me, growling as he paws the ground beside me.
“I can’t!” I cry out, moaning in misery. “I’m not a Shifter!” I insist.
“No, flower. You’re so much more! You’re a Luna, our queen. Now shift and show these Wolves what you’re madeof!”Coal demands in my mind. “Dominate them; come on, flower. Make Quil beg for your mark.”Something in his words stirs that presence to the surface once more, and some of the pain eases.“Make Dean submit to you. Claim Matteo like I claimed you.”
“Beg for my mark?” I ask, the pain in my bones fading the more I imagine doing just that.
If I’m dying from the bite, and not really a Shifter, as they claim, then this will fail. But what if I'm wrong?
