“It’s all right,” I said to both of them. “We’ll get through this.” I bent to mutter in Grace’s ear. “This is it, Grace. You can do it. Just talk to your wolf. She’s going to come out. Don’t fight her, just talk. Let your body relax and take several deep breaths.”
Grace moaned, but her breathing did deepen and grow more regular as she whimpered. But she didn’t have long.
“Step back,” I told Emma, just as Grace shifted.
Chapter 22 - Emma
Grace’s wolf form was gorgeous. A slightly darker auburn than her hair color. She howled and started running rampant. She banged into an end table, unsettling the lamp and causing it to fall to the floor. She dug into the walls with sharp claws, experimenting with them. She bounded all over, a feralness to her that I had never experienced from her before.
Without waiting or hesitating, Elias shifted, turning into his massive wolf in the middle of the living room, the vast space designed to allow him to do that. Grace came to a halt as she looked up at the great wolf.
Grace bared her teeth and snapped, clearly trying to seem fierce. Elias’s wolf tilted his head in such surprised amusement at the tiny cub challenging him that I couldn’t help but laugh. His tail swished, then he lunged forward, nipping at her feet. Not aggressively, but playfully.
Grace jumped back with an excited yip, then jumped back up toward Elias. He stepped back, just out of reach, tail swishing as he nudged her flank, all but rolling her onto her back.
For the next couple of hours, he switched between corralling the tiny wolf and playing with her, depending on her mood. She was too erratic and feral at the moment for him to leave on her own. I stayed off to the side, watching, hating that I couldn’t do more. Every time a new rush of fear or anxiety raced through me, Elias sent soothing, reassuring emotions back through the bond even as he kept chasing after Grace. They dislodged a few pictures when Grace accidentally bumped into the walls, and there was a deep gouge in the carpet from Grace’s claws, but beyond that, Elias managed to keep the damage to a minimum.
Eventually, Grace began to slow. Her jaws opened to give a wide, long yawn, and she padded over to the middle of the room. Elias watched as she curled into a ball. He sat next to her, licking her head as she began to drift off to sleep, exhaustion overtaking her.
He stayed there for a long time, wrapped around her, his head resting on her flank, comforting her. When he was certain she wouldn’t wake up again, he rose to his feet and shifted back into his human form.
“Is she going to be all right?” I asked. “I didn’t realize it would look like…that.” I gestured at the room, trying to convey all the destruction and chaos that had just ensued.
Elias gave a short laugh, his eyes crinkling. “She’s fine. She just needed to get out some of the excess energy. She’ll be out of it for a few hours,” he said. “Once she’s back to reality, Grace should be in more control, and I can show her how to shift out.”
“And if she isn’t in control?” I asked, keeping my voice even.
He flashed a charming grin, eyes sparkling. “In that case, I’ll have another run around with her like today, until she’s tired out again.”
Not very long ago, I had made a promise to myself not to reach out to Elias once I had discovered Grace was getting ready to shift. Now, I couldn’t believe I had been so stupid. I would have never known how to handle her. Elias had taken over and controlled the situation like he had done it dozens of times. I wouldn’t have been able to endure any of this without him.
“Thank you,” I said, my voice dry.
“Of course,” he said. “Honestly, it was kinda fun. I’ve never helped a kid with a transformation before.”
He glanced down at Grace, then back to the door, his brow creasing with concern.
“The wraith made this happen, didn’t it?” I asked.
He hesitated, then nodded. “It’s on the outskirts of town. I left Sam in charge, but I have to go back,” he said. “I can’t leave them. If something else goes wrong, then I’ll know through the mating bond.”
I could feel the color draining from my face as I stared from the peaceful, sleeping wolf cub curled on the floor to the outside, where my town, my pack, was in trouble. They both needed me.
“I can’t leave Grace,” I finally said, my voice strained as guilt began to seep in. “I’m sorry.”
He nodded, as if that was the response he had anticipated, then reached out and gave my hand a comforting squeeze.
“I understand,” he said. “Stay here. We can drive it out, and we’ll be better prepared for next time.”
As if on impulse, he pulled me closer to him, pressing his lips against mine. I let my mind go blank and stopped worrying for just a handful of moments as he held me.
He pulled away, and the worries came rushing back.
“Be safe,” I said.
He cracked a playful grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Don’t worry. I usually am. Sometimes I just get unlucky. But I don’t plan on letting that happen today.” He turned back to the door.
“Elias,” I said.
