Jaxson spluttered, but Dannie was already sashaying her ass out of sight, uncaring that a furious shifter was half-wolfed-out behind her.
I was lucky to have a friend who thought I was something worth losing, when everyone else in my life—except Simone—had just thrown me away.
Jaxson’s black-as-fuck eyes were locked on me, his jaw hard and unyielding as the energy and scent of his wolf filled the underground cells. “Don’t lose it,” I said bluntly. “I don’t give a fuck what your personal beef with Dan is. Control your shit.”
He attempted to murder me with his expression, but I just closed my eyes and laid my head back down, determined to get as much rest and healing in before the full moon shift. Some wolves died during their first turn, bodies too weak for the soul they housed.
No fucking way would I give these assholes the satisfaction of seeing me succumb to the wolf in that way. Nope. They were going to see me stronger than ever, and one day, hopefully sooner rather than later, they would no longer be a threat to me.
11
By the time night rolled around, the pain was long gone, energy sparking beneath my skin like I’d stuck my hand in a power outlet. I’d always felt the foreign beat of another in my soul—usual for a shifter—but tonight, it was different. She was stretching her legs and pushing against the invisible holds that had been forced upon us for years.
Twenty of us stood naked, the bright light of the moon bathing across our skin. I was at the back, trying desperately not to think about how vulnerable I was in front of a ton of wolves who hated me. Thankfully, Dannie was there with me, not naked since she wasn’t shifting, but it was good to have a friend at my back.
And thankfully, my worst tormentors—Jaxson and Torin—were with their fathers. Maybe I’d get through this without having to associate with either of them.
“New shifters,” the alpha shouted. “It’s finally time to allow your beasts to run free and experience the power that comes with being a full-blooded member of our pack.”
Dean stepped up, and even though he was only the beta, his presence was as commanding as the alpha’s. He was tall and broad like his son, with hair as inky black, and eyes that were a piercing blue. He looked far too young to have a son in his early twenties, but that was the perk of wolf genetics.
“The moon is almost at its peak,” he said in his low accented voice. Despite growing up here, he always rolled hisrs, European style. “Very soon, you will lose conscious thought and allow your wolf to finally be free. You do not need to fear this change, for we will be with you the entire way, keeping you and the rest of our pack safe.”
Wow, how reassuring. For everyone but me. I’d never expected to end up back here for my first shift, but I’d have to make the best of it now. My wolf was ready to run and nothing I did would stop her.
The air was freezing, but I was far from cold. My blood was an inferno as I tilted my head, letting my hair fall in loose waves down my back. As the energy grew in my gut, an almost unbearable swirl of power, it felt like my hair was swirling around my body too.
When the moon burst with the brightest light of the night, my eyes closed involuntarily against the glow, and my wolf spirit rose to be truly visible to me for the first time. A deep burning red covered her, like an aura, and as she pushed toward the surface, the barrier holding her fell away.
Be free. Run.
Her warmth brushed across my face, like a caress, but that was the end of any soft touches as the change took me over. Dropping to my hands and knees, pain burst across every nerve ending as my back arched, body elongating.
“I’ll help you through this…”
I’d missed most of the alpha’s speech, too focused on my wolf, but when those words registered, I almost laughed out loud—the only thing stopping me was that if I opened my mouth, I’d probably scream from the agony. I knew, for sure, that bastard would die before he’d lessen my pain in any way.
The crack of bones echoed across the clearing. I wasn’t the only one in the midst of debilitating pain, and as my fingers broke, sending me down to my forearms, I started to pray that no one attacked me while I had no chance of defending myself.
Shadow Beast. Help me survive this.
It always struck me as amusing that we worshiped an entity who was depicted as a dark, scary figure living in the shadows, more animal than human. Not to mention, he literally had the wordbeastin his name.
It was only a nickname, though—no one knew his original title. It was either a long-held secret or information lost to time, until eventually he was known only as Shadow Beast.
The one who stalks you in the night.
“Release your wolf!” Dean shouted, and this time there were screams as the strongest part of the change rendered us in a state somewhere between human and animal. At some point, the human part of my mind faded to the wolf, and when that happened, the pain was muted.
Free. Finally free. Run, run, run, run. Run in the moonlight. Chase the rabbit and scent the prey all around us. Pack. Family. Bonded. Alpha…
I’d lost myself, as all newly shifted wolves did.
She was instinct, ground beneath her feet, moonlight on her back, freedom in her heart.
As she dashed through the forest, the fuzzy place my human consciousness had been in lifted, and awareness filtered back through me. I found myself completely aware, riding along in the agile body of a wolf, and for a second, I freaked the fuck out.
What was happening?
