“Are you alright?”Wadim asked her through their bond. He knew what was coming was a big deal. To allow Vasile to force the phase would mean giving the Alpha a form of control over her mind. Wadim knew she must hate giving up such control. He did, too, where his mate was concerned, for that matter. And Wadim knew it was taking all of Zara’s willpower to keep from bolting from the room.
“As good as I can be, I suppose,”she answered, though she sounded defeated.
“You didn’t let the vampires destroy you, Z. I’ve no doubt you are going to be able to bring your wolf to heel. Try and be patient with yourself and your wolf.”
“Patience isn’t one of my stronger attributes,”she said.
“Then you’re in good company because I’m pretty sure few in this room even understand what patience is,”Wadim teased and felt her relax a tiny bit. It was enough for the moment.
Vasile cleared his throat and all eyes, including Wadim and Zara’s, turned to the Alpha.
“Zara,” Vasile said as he looked at Wadim’s mate. “After all you have endured, I am sorry that this is the way you’ve been introduced to your wolf. You are Canis lupus, and it is not something you should fear. You are a member of this pack now, a part of this family, and we are going to do everything we can to help you transition into this new life. I will not lie and say it will be easy.”
“You got that right,” Jen muttered, earning her a rueful smile from Vasile.
“But I can promise you, in the long run, it will be worth whatever struggles you will face,” Vasile finished and then glanced at Rachel, bowing his head as if to yield the meeting to her.
Wadim watched, his wolf’s curiosity piqued, as the healer stood. She straightened the long dress she wore, a subtle reminder that the healer hailed from a different time period and felt more comfortable in modest clothing. Her eyes landed on Wadim and Zara as she spoke.
“I’ve been doing some digging into the history of the gypsy healers,” Rachel said. “Thus far, I have not found a situation like yours mentioned in our recorded past. However, I have come across some magic I could use that might help you stay in your human form.”
Wadim tensed as he felt his wolf begin to pace inside of him. It didn’t like the idea of their mate not being able to phase. Her wolf form was a predator, much better able to protect his mate should the need arise. In her human form, the young woman was more vulnerable. But even as he worried, he felt his mate relax further. Zara wasn’t ready to have such a drastic change added to the already mounting alterations she’d experienced over the past months. Being rescued from the vampires and thrown into a world of wolves, not to mention finding out one of the wolves was her soul mate, was almost too much for her. Wadim knew he and his wolf needed to give her time to adjust.
“It’s only temporary,”Zara’s gentle voice filled his mind.“And it’s not because I don’t want to be a Canis lupus or that I don’t want to be with you. I want both of those things. It’s just a lot to handle.”
“I’ll support whatever decision you make, baby. I want what’s best for you, and you know what that is better than anyone,”Wadim said, hoping she heard and felt the sincerity in his words.
Rachel spoke to Zara. “The first step, of course, is to return you to your human form. Unfortunately, since you can’t control the phase, we will need Vasile to force your change.”
“That sounds about as pleasant as a hot poker in the eye,” Jen said.
Jacque glared at her best friend. “Saying stuff like that isn’t going to give Zara any encouragement. Bite your tongue if you can’t say something helpful, Jennifer.”
Jen made a clawing motion at Jacque as she meowed and hissed like a cat. “Your claws are out in full force, Red. But, I must concede you are correct … this time.” Jen turned to look at Zara. “I apologize for my lack of tact and sensitivity. My mom dropped me on my head ten times too many when I was a child.”
Zara’s wolf rumbled and Wadim felt her amusement.
“I think Zara is already getting used to you,” Wadim said. “Thank you, Jacque, for being considerate, but my mate has thicker skin that anyone yet realizes.”
A quick flash of shame crossed Zara’s mind as she pictured the marred and pockmarked skin beneath her clothing. That was truer than anyone, even Wadim, could imagine. She saw Wadim tense as he felt her emotions slip through the bond, so she quickly shut down the thoughts.
No one else in the room seemed to notice. Jacque smiled at Wadim and then glanced at Zara. “Then you’re going to fit right in.”
Vasile cleared his throat, and all eyes turned to him. “Zara, Wadim,” he said, looking at them, “are you both willing to consent to an Alpha command that will force Zara to phase back to her human form?”
“I am,”Zara told Wadim.
“Zara say she is, and I am as well,” he told his Alpha.
Vasile nodded. “So be it. Everyone else please step out. When this is done, I need the males to return.”
Wadim laughed when Jacque and Jen growled in unison.
“No offense, Alpha,” Jen said, “but how many times do you andthe maleshave to exclude us from meetings before you realize that we don’t take kindly to it?”
“As usual,” Vasile said. “I will note your displeasure and reserve the right to lead as I see fit. Decebel and I have talked about merging our packs, though it is not set in stone just yet. He has agreed to defer major decisions to me which means, when I order the males to be present for a meeting without their mates, they will heed the command. You do not have to like it, but it will not change my decision.” His voice wasn’t harsh, but it was undeniably commanding. Vasile was reminding Jen of her place.
“I hear you.” Jen grumbled as she stood and filed out with the rest of the group.
