Fire consumed my skin and guts again. I felt that tectonic shift of my bones reconfiguring. My skin and stomach were engulfed in flames. All the trauma and venom must be triggering my change.
“We’re out of time, boys. She’s changing.” Ace announced darkly.
Changing. Yes. I was changing into my wolf as my body’s form of self-protection. My brain was trying to process the pain of the shift, but there was a lot to absorb, and I didn’t have much practice.
“Go ahead and shift,” Ace commanded his brothers. “I’ll wait until Cat finishes, but I need you two to have our backs while she’s so vulnerable. Then go after Kane. You just missed him.”
In between waves of pain, I opened my eyes and squinted. Domino and Blitz were starting to strip. Their vests came off first, then their t-shirts. Their toned muscles gleamed in the moon’s light, sending a rush of exhilaration down my spine when I realized they were going to stop Kane.
Another shock of pain bombarded my body and my vision momentarily whited out. When it came back online, the images were different. Much sharper and bolder, though muted in color.
“It’s okay, babe. You’re doing great. It’ll all be over soon, and then the pain will be gone,” Ace soothed, as I writhed uncontrollably in his arms.
Just like last night, Ace went to his knees and set me on the ground almost reverently. My whole body spasmed in that one ultimate charley-horse I’d first felt not 24 hours ago. Then, there was the single second of blinding pain too great to fully comprehend, and it was abruptly all over.
Limp and panting, my pain suddenly shorted out of existence, and I was seemingly back to normal. I felt amazing. Standing up on all four paws, I realized I had successfully shifted. Glancing behind me, I saw my clothes, scattered and torn on the ground. A problem for later me. Right now, I had bigger concerns.
My handsome mate smiled. Then, he began to pull off his vest, setting it carefully at his feet.
“We’re going after, Kane,” he began, his tone even and melodic.
I began to slowly back up and growl my approval at his words.
“The pack won’t let him get away with what he’s done to you and Anna,” Ace continued, shucking off his shoes and pants. “Look behind you if you don’t believe me.”
Tossing a nervous glance over my shoulder, I saw two enormous wolves standing directly behind us and gave a wolfy grin. The regal animals were holding stock still, observing this scene and following the conversation. Though both were obscenely large, one was significantly bigger than the other. Domino was every inch the giant in wolf form as he was in his human one. Both wolves looked directly at me then with eyes that were not quite animal or human. They were some magical, primal hybrid of the two.
“Catalia!” Ace shouted at me when I began to fidget nervously in place. The overly formal use of my name commanded my full attention. “Focus! If we want to catch Kane, I need you to follow me and the pack.”
Completely naked now, Ace crouched onto the ground and the air shimmered around him. Before my very eyes, his body began to morph. It took only a split second, and my beautiful biker again transformed before my eyes from an adult human man into the equally impressive form of a majestic wolf.I stared at the stunning beast before me, his black, glossy coat setting off his intelligent grey eyes.
Trotting over to my side, Ace nuzzled my neck. Gently using his teeth, he nipped the vulnerable flesh there and my muscles instantly slackened. Giving an approving yip, he moved to the center of our pack and tossed his head back. A howl, strong and true, issued forth from his muzzle. It was one I could not ignore.
The rest of us mirrored our leader, throwing back our heads and baying at the moon side by side with our alpha. To my ultimate surprise, a howl answered us back. The other members of our pack had arrived.
Ace lowered his head then and flashed a wolfish grin. When he glanced at the woods, we all knew what he was saying.
Follow me.
And we did.
Staying close on Ace’s heels, I shadowed my mate, loving the freedom of the night and the gentle breeze that whispered through my honey-toned fur. Behind me was Blitz. His pelt was so pale it almost appeared white in the dark of the night. Protecting our rear was Domino, the biggest wolf of us all. Hisgrey pelt, flecked with black, blended into the forest seamlessly despite his great size. It made the menace of muscle appear almost boneless as he loped quietly behind us, vigilant for any potential threats that should come our way. My pack.
My stomach gurgled then, and I realized I was starving, though not for food. It was for vengeance. Ace paused and gave my cheek a reassuring lick. Licking him back, I tried to communicate my need for revenge, and I prayed he understood my clumsy effort. Coming to a full stop, Ace’s ears pricked as he intently listened to the forest sounds around us.
Mirroring the pack’s stillness, I awaited their next move. Then, when I thought we’d lost him, I spotted what they were all fixated on: atop a gentle ridge in the distance, Kane, in human form, stood there in the moonlight,.He was cornered by three wolves I didn’t recognize but must belong to our pack.
Kane was a fully mature ware. Even with no experience as a wolf, I knew it wouldn’t be easy to take down such a specimen. However, after a surreptitious look at my pack—yes, my pack, my family—I knew each one would be able to end the daunting beast even if on their own. But we weren’t on our own. We were a unit. And together, we could achieve great things.
Pointing his front paw in the direction of the demented animal, Ace crouched low and began to creep forward. Blitz and Domino wordlessly understood their leader’s plan. The former went left, while the latter went right.
Uncertain what I should do, I began to restlessly paw at the ground until a voice in my head communicated that I should relax and watch from a distance. They weren’t so much human words that spoke to me, more like pictures that conveyed themeaning well enough for me to understand the overall intent. This was our wolf language, our pack bond in action.
Hanging back, I laid on the ground and peeked through the brambles to see what would happen next. With beautiful precision, the pack silently approached the leader of Los Lobos. Like a dance that had been perfectly choreographed, they joined our brothers already flanking Kane and now circled the monster on all sides, effectively blocking any potential route of escape.
Unwilling to just meekly submit to death, Kane broke free of the Night Stalkers and turned to run in the opposite direction. Unfortunately for him, Domino was waiting for such a move. Try as he might to give the giant wolf the slip, Kane, still in his weaker human form, was wholly unsuccessful and nearly ran straight into the oversized beast’s jaws.
In the end, the kill didn’t come from Domino, Blitz, or even Ace. It came from a wholly unexpected source. While the other wolves respectfully waited to see if they would need to join the fight, Ace trotted proudly forward. Kane could do nothing but watch, bug eyed and frozen as the pack surrounded him, blocking any possible exit. Even if he’d been in his wolf form, he couldn’t take us on. As a human, he was practically helpless. For the first time in his adult life, Kane had to accept that no amount of brute force could save him now.
