My clawed hands and feet sped over the icy ground, turning into large paws once my wolf took over. The unexpected approach startled the cleaning crew who tried to erase last night’s aftermath, forcing them to jump out of my way.
The Sun God now reigned in the sky, but I knew my Moon Goddess was with me while the pain tore through my chest and into my soul, transcending the physical.
Once and again, my paws struck the earth, cracks spreading with every blow as I made my way around the island. Structures blurred from my view when I passed them over and over, going in fucking circles. My run became faster, stronger, and wilder, but there wasn’t enough land, enough fresh air, or a forest to calm the raging storm beating inside me.
Something crashed against me once I passed the beach for the fourth time, the wolf and I rolling straight into the icy waters of the shore from the force of her attack.
“Damn it, Alyce! You know I hate it when you body-slam me!”I growled into my sister’s mind through our family’s link, seeing her stand on all fours.
“I know, that’s why I did it.”Water droplets flew in every direction when she shook her white and caramel-banded coat—the only visible difference between us in wolf form.
“Grrr…”
“Are you done with that?”
“Done with what?”I barked, dragging my furry ass out of the water.
“Feeling sorry for yourself.”
“I’m not feeling sorry for myself.”
“Could have fooled me.”
Sighing, I shook off the water too, and stood across from her on the sand, holding her gaze.“I can’t touch her,”I whispered in her mind.“I’m supposed to be this powerful, indestructible being?—”
“Youarea powerful and indestructible being,”she retorted.“And a cuddly Hanny bear too, but that’s beside the point.”
“I’m not. I can’t even touch her…”
“You can touch her as the Beast,”she reminded.
… And barely as the wolf.
“How is that supposed to work?”I challenged.“How will she get to know me, how is she to fall in love with me when all I am around her is a Beast? How can she truly love me when I can’t be my full self with her?”
“She can still fall in love with you.”
“No, she fucking can’t.”My growl echoed in the air while I strutted past her.
She followed.“What? You’ve never heard of Beauty and the Beast?”
“It’s not funny, Alyce,”I grunted, turning to face her again.
“It’s a little funny.”My twin grinned, showing her pearly white canines.
“It’s different for me, and you know it… I was not chosen.”
“Weren’t you?”she defied, placing her paw on my shoulder.“You have the bond tattoo just like D and Dante do.”
My gaze lowered to the glowing lines that ran along my bond tattoo whenever I took my wolf form, visible over the white and soft brown speckled fur. They were filled with a magicalsilverish-blue light that declared my rightful place as Natasha’s third mate.
Even then, my chest sank with the weight of my burden.“She has the power to destroy me, Alyly.”
The light in her eyes softened with my use of the endearment; I’d given it to her when we were kids. The single word told her exactly how distraught I truly was by this.
I let my massive wolf form plump down on the sand, but she nuzzled my face, calling my attention back to her.
“Isn’t that what love is anyway?”she asked. “Giving someone the ability to destroy you but trusting them to protect you instead?”Resting on the sand next to me, my sister held my gaze.“Every day, I trust Vanessa will not rip my heart apart, knowing she’s trusting me to do the same.It would be a real shame if she ever hurt me, but the possibility of it will never stop me from loving her. She’s my mate, just like Natasha is yours.”
