by Janelle Peel
“Thanks. I’m Nat.” I said, entering the room.
“Jonas,” he said in a deep voice as he followed me inside.
He smelled unique, was that the scent? “Excuse me, Jonas.” With my cheeks heating, I turned and addressed his shoulder, “Um, what are you?”
“No need to be embarrassed,” he chuckled. “I’m a Grizzly.”
My eyes widened, “Oh, that’s really cool.”
He sniffed the air in short bursts, “Nat, Wolf… and Mage?”
I grinned, meeting his eyes, “Yup, that’s me.”
His blue eyes widened before glowing brighter.
My brow furrowed. Why was he looking at me like that? Was this some dominance crap? A low growl emitted from his chest.
The old me would never have met a stranger’s eyes… I was not that girl any longer. Squaring my shoulders, I stood tall and rumbled right back.
His upper lip lifted.
I mirrored the action.
The air shimmered, announcing his intent to shift.
Okay, two can play at that game, I thought, and summoned my fusion form just as his change completed.
Shit, he was already huge as a man… but I was definitely surprised as he towered over me on his hind legs. I’d never seen a Bear this close. His black fur looked silky soft and his ice blue eyes widened before dropping to the floor.
Confused by his reaction, I slurred, “Whaa?”
His shift back was quicker than the first. Naked, he covered his manhood with two large hands and rounded his shoulders. “Apologies,” he mumbled. “My Bear took your stare as a challenge. It won’t happen again.”
Turning on his heel, he flashed me his perfect ass and beat a hasty retreat.
A slow clap drew my attention from the opposite corner of the room. Viv stood there with a giant grin on her face. Faster than I could track, she flashed to my side and squealed, “That was so fucking awesome! Oh my God!” Her small hands reached up and stroked the fur on my shoulders, “You are so full of surprises!”
I smiled in response to her reaction, showcasing a mouthful of teeth.
A sour tang entered the air.
“Whoa,” she backed up a step. “Close your mouth, dear. That’s a little scary.”
Was that her fear? Sealing my lips, the scent lessened. Figuring I’d need my full vocal capabilities, I shifted back into my ridiculously baggy clothes.
“Whew, thanks.” She fanned herself and grabbed my hand, “Come on. I have some extra clothes in the locker room you can use. Then you’re going to tell me all about this,” she frowned, pulling me into a walk beside her, “latest development.”
I threw my ruined tee and shorts over the shower rod to Viv’s waiting hands.
“Spill it, girlfriend!” She said.
“I don’t have a bra or underwear, Viv.” I whined.
She laughed, “Yeah, I think that’s the last thing you should be worrying about. Don’t make me come in there. I know you can talk and get dressed at the same time.”
Sighing, I pulled on her skintight, black tank and gathered my thoughts. “Mel calls it a fusion.”
She snickered, “Uh, huh. Like a horror movie wolfman or what?”
I chuckled. “No. It’s a blend of my human and Wolf form.”
“Yeah, that’s totally what I said.” Her foot tapped in impatience, “Anyway, how long have you been… fusing?”
Leaning against the wall, I tugged her bike shorts up and replied, “I call it beast mode. Anyway, the first one happened last night.”
She ripped open the shower curtain, “And you didn’t tell me? This is huge! Did you see Jonas’s face?!”
Nodding, I padded barefoot past her and continued the conversation, “Mel said only dominates can do it.”
My ruined clothes sailed past me and into the trash can as she caught up. “Well, it’s pretty badass.”
“It is, yes. But now Mel wants to teach me,” I lifted my fingers and air quoted, “to ‘communicate’ as a Wolf. The problem is, he’s an asshole.”
Viv shoulder bumped me, “He likes you.”
I ignored her comment, “His Wolf is nice, I guess that’s the twin soul thing, though.”
She nodded, “I heard about that. It must be weird to have two souls inside your head. I can barely tolerate myself.”
“Yeah, neither can we,” I quipped.
Zipping ahead of me, she pulled a long staff from a rack of weapons as I exited the locker room. Tapping the end on the red mat, she smirked, “Now, you’re going to pay for that.”
Sora
It felt like I’d been here for years.
“Dire-fire!” Marta barked.
My hands lit with silver flame. Casually, I tossed a large ball of fire at a random palm tree. It lit in a bright blast and almost immediately incinerated into ash.
“Water,” Sara whispered.
Flicking my fingers, I called to my well. Water leapt out of the ocean and splashed onto the palms roots, sizzling against the remains of fire eating away at the sand.
Marta cried out as another palm caught fire, “Call it back!”
I smiled. Little did she know that Blaze had actually taught me that trick after I’d nearly killed him. My heart pinched, I missed my Mate.
Gritting my teeth, I pulled. Hard. The palm extinguished with a clap and the permanent twilight that I’d experienced ever since I had arrived, dimmed. My well filled and began to boil over. Silver light shot from my eyes and hands, seeking any release possible. It was too much; my head began to pound and I dropped to my knees under the strain.
Smack!
The pull of power cut off and I lifted a hand to my stinging cheek. I’d been slapped.
“Stupid!” Marta screamed into my face. “Don’t you know anything? You can’t draw on her plane. If you’d continued…” her shoulders slumped and she stalked off into the surf without a sound. A moment later, she disappeared beneath the waves.
I lifted my eyes to Sara’s sad face.
“Just give her some time. She misses the Pack. But she is right.” She settled beside me in the soft sand. “You can’t draw magic here. It will upset the balance. Pulling your own magic back is fine, but I assume you know the difference now.”
I nodded. “I’m sorry. I was just missing Blaze and I reacted.”
Her palm touched my cheek, instantly warming to heal the welt that had already begun to rise. “It’s okay, I should have explained. I forget how new you are to all of this.” She lowered her hand and shrugged, “You’re capable of so much. Even in this short amount of time, you’ve learned more than I did in the first 15 years of possessing magic. Plus, you have every element possible.”
My voice cracked, “How much longer?”
“Soon, Sora,” she answered softly, “soon.”
Mel
He entered the Training Grounds without being noticed and settled onto a weight bench.
What Nat lacked in experience, she more than made up for in perseverance. Viv had kicked her butt all over the mat and she still came back for more, each and every time.
He admired her tenacity. Taking on a Vampire was extremely difficult. They were faster than Shifters, especially a Shifter in human form.
As he watched, Viv picked up her speedy strikes. For every 4 she tagged Nat with, she was smacked once in return.
Before long, their strikes were evenly matched.
Nat smiled mischievously. Between one blink and the next, she performed a fusion, faster than even he’d ever performed. Dropping her staff to the mat, she tackled Viv. Springing up on her hind legs, she dangled her trophy by the throat with an outstretched claw.
“Haaaad enuf?” She snarked; the edges of her bottle green eyes glowing silver.
Viv’s feet dangled helplessly from over 3 feet above the mat. She grinned cheekily, “About time, Bitch.”
Nat chuffed softly before lowering her to the floor.
“Now,” Viv continued, taking in Nat’s form from head to
toe, “you owe me some new clothes.”
Nat howled in laughter.
His own Wolf joined in before he could stop him. Their joyous notes rent the air for one brief moment in perfect harmony until Nat’s beautiful voice cut off. She turned toward him and the wolf like grin slid off of her gorgeous face.
With a whine, his Wolf slunk off to the depths of his mind, chagrined at ruining her happiness.
Her ruff stood on end and she issued a low growl at the interruption.
His Wolf rolled over beneath his skin, releasing pheromones to try to communicate his apology.
She inhaled in short puffs as his scent coated the area. With a snort, she dismissed him and turned her attention back to Viv, “Soory. Kin wee ick dis uff laterr?”
Viv giggled. “Sure, Babe. I’ll be in the rec room for a bit.” With a wink, she replaced her staff and flashed from the large room.
Mel stood as Nat approached; looking internally to his Wolf for help. A small whimper left his lips before he could catch it. Mortified, he stared hard at the floor. How could this tiny little thing subdue his Alpha so completely?
Mate, his Wolf grumbled softly from the recesses of his mind, as if that was all the answer that his human side required.
Her round, perfect toes entered his gaze. Evidently, she’d shifted back while he was busy with his mental conversation.
“What?” She barked. “I said that I would find you when I was ready. That does not mean to seek me out and spy on me!”
Fuck. She was pissed.
His Wolf was now absolutely silent. For once, he was letting the man lead with words. “I’m sorry,” he back peddled. “I wasn’t trying to spy. I came looking for Jonas…”
Her soft sigh carried to his ears and he dared to look up. Her clothes were torn. The once tight black tank hung loosely on her tiny frame, exposing the tops of her firm breasts. Her shorts were held in the grip of one small hand in an attempt to keep them from sliding off the curve of her hips.
“He was here earlier,” she mumbled. “I met his gaze and he acted really weird. He shifted, so I did too.” She waved one hand at her chest, “I went all beast mode. Jonas dropped his eyes and apologized. Then he left.” One shoulder rolled, “I’m guessing it’s this communication thing that you’ve offered to help me with?”
His Wolf’s ear pricked. Mel answered, “Yes. You are dominant, so he wisely decided to forfeit his challenge.” Lifting his gaze to her light blue eyes, his Wolf brushed his fur beneath his human skin.
She inhaled sharply before her brows furrowed, “Why is it so much easier with him?” Her hand flailed in his direction.
So, she could sense his Wolf on some level. This may be even easier than he’d originally thought. “He is an Alpha, and as such, is much more in tune with human emotion than most of the Pack.”
Settling beside him on the weight bench, she continued, “I can read him. I can’t read the others. He does exactly what I think he will.” Her shoulders rounded, “Still want to teach me?”
His Wolf made a bid for control. Unprepared, he struggled beneath the massive beast for a moment before his humanity was quickly shoved to the backseat.
Nat
In the blink of an eye, Mel shifted.
The weight bench squealed loudly at the added mass and groaned in distress. One large shoulder nearly shoved me from my seat.
Golden eyes found mine and the large Wolf chuffed in laughter before languidly moving to stand. His chocolate fur rippled with the motion as his thick muscles flexed.
I shook my finger in mock outrage, “That was not funny.”
His lips lifted into a smile, laughing at my faux reprimand.
I grinned, “Okay, maybe it was a little funny. Some warning next time would be nice, though.”
He tipped his shaggy head in acknowledgement.
“So, what happened to Mel, anyway?” I inquired.
Raising his thick, bushy tail, he snorted.
I lifted a brow, “What, you think you can do better?”
His barrel chest puffed out as he adopted a regal pose.
Chuckling, I moved to stand when he lifted a wide paw. Jerking his massive head, he nudged my chest with his black nose.
My brow furrowed, “Shift?”
He sat back on his haunches and waited.
Okay, looks like another shift was in my future. “Full or partial?”
One ear flicked in response.
“Full it is. I can’t communicate with you that way, though. Are you sure?”
His ears flattened, seemingly annoyed with my lack of self-confidence.
Well, I did need to learn, and he was much better company than his passenger. Rolling out my shoulders, I reached for my well and shifted in a shimmer of silver light.
Hopping down from my perch, I shook off the shredded clothing.
He nodded and turned his back on me.
Curious, my sharp claws dug into the red foam mat as I moved back to his front.
His ears flattened briefly before he turned in the other direction.
I snorted, what the hell did he want?
With an irritated sigh, he pivoted back toward me. Gently, he tipped my jaw up with his. His amber eyes widened as he looked at me imploringly.
Not knowing what to do, I held still.
His breath whispered across my muzzle, then my neck and side as he took in my scent. After a moment, he moved to my rear.
Freaked out, I dropped my tail and sat. Looking back at him, I lifted my lip. Umm, no, I don’t think so.
He chuffed a laugh and moved his massive head under my belly until I stood again. Then he repeated his attempt.
A low growl rumbled from my throat. NO!
Unimpressed with my warning, he slowed his motion, but continued regardless.
Pissed, I turned and snapped a warning at his face with the sharp click of my teeth.
He blinked and yipped softly before turning his back to me once more.
What? I was supposed to sniff his ass? No, thanks. I barked back once in irritation. I am not sniffing butts.
He woofed and lifted his tail.
Dammit. He just wasn’t going to give up, was he? With a heavy sigh, I decided to just get it over with. Hesitantly, I padded over to his hind end. When I was a foot away, I stopped
He grumbled in disapproval.
Clenching my teeth with an audible screech, I moved a little closer and inhaled. Wild muskiness met my senses. He’d been hunting earlier and was excited. Images flashed through my mind with each short puff of air. Sage brush. A bunny. Joy. Bex. Pack. Worry. Fear. Anger. Home…
Home? I sat to contemplate the thought. What did that even mean? I was home already. More importantly, how could I gather emotion through scent?
His nose touched my cheek, startling from my internal monologue. Stepping back, he waited.
Goddess, now he wanted to sniff me, didn’t he? In for a penny in for a pound, I guessed. Closing my eyes, I stood and waited.
A soft purr met my ears. I felt pressure on one side as he slowly made his way down the length of my fur. Holding my breath, I tucked my tail. My legs trembled with nervousness as I peeked back over my shoulder.
His large form was nearly twice the size of mine… and he was patiently waiting for me to relax. His eyes softened in concern.
With a deep breath, I straightened my tail and turned back around.
Soft puffs of air whispered through my fur and I braced my legs. A strange chittering met my ears and I dared to look again. His eyes glowed with excitement and he moved back toward my face and licked my nose.
Stunned by the emotional display, I froze.
Grinning, he prowled to the side door and pushed it open with a massive shoulder. Throwing me a backward glance, he exited with a sharp yip.
Well, I thought, that wasn’t so bad. Standing tall once more, I followed.
Chapter 5
Blaze
Warm fingers drew him from an exhausted sleep in the
leather wingback where he’d collapsed.
“Hey,” Sora whispered softly.
Flashing to stand, he crushed her tiny form against his chest. “Sora,” his voice cracked. “You scared the hell out of me.” A relieved tremor wracked his body.
Lifting a hand, she soothed the taught muscles of his back, “Shh, it’s okay. I’m here.”
He squished her tighter in response and growled into her hair, “You’re supposed to be here, with me, always.”
Her pained breath loosened his hold. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “I was just so worried.”
Leaning back, her sapphire gaze caught his. Tiny, bright stars illuminated her high cheekbones as her brows lowered in concern, “Is the Clutch alright?”
Unwilling to let her go completely, his hands slid down to her wrists, “I don’t know. I haven’t left our room since I awoke.” His tone hardened, “Whatever happened, it was my fault. I shouldn’t have pushed you.” He shook his head sharply in frustration.
Her eyes softened, “No. The fault was mine. I was afraid. The Goddess would have taken me the moment I used my magic. I should have tried sooner.”
He growled, “Days, Sora!”
She pulled away and headed back to bed. Settling against the soft pillows, she tipped her chin to the spot beside her. “It isn’t so bad, I was told it could have been up to a week.”
“A week?!” He asked, incredulously.
She nodded and waited for him to join her.
He gritted his teeth.
“Please?” She whispered, “I’ve missed you.”
Silently, he prowled to the large king and sat. She raised one arm in invitation until he laid back and rested his head against her chest. The tips of her fingers combed through the blonde strands of his hair.
As he relaxed, she answered, “I saw Sara.”
Pain lanced his chest, “How?”
“She walks with the Goddess. I also saw the Pack’s Mage, Marta. They trained me.”
Confusion flitted through his thoughts, “Trained?”
Her hand stilled, “Yes. In the majority of my magic.”
He rumbled in disapproval, “Did you at least get any answers as to why?”
Sora lifted and dropped a shoulder as her stomach growled, “Nope. Evidently, I’ll know when the time is right.”