Sam forced herself to move slow, a steady march forward that she refused to rush. She would not run, she told herself. She would not embarrass herself, or worse Nafarius, by showing fear. Let the pack think what they would and Lord knew they could probably smell her fear. All they would see was her strength and determination.
Reaching the center of the pack, she felt the ranks close behind her.
She was trapped, surrounded as energy hummed in the night, the pack practically vibrating with restrained power.
And something inside of Sam stirred, woke.
Her eyes searched out and found Nafarius. He stood to the side, Roland stoic and somber beside him. Nafarius was closed down tight, the mating bond muted to little more than a whisper. He had warned her, assured her that it was so she could concentrate on shifting without the distraction.
It's time, she thought, lifting her dress over her head and letting it fall to the ground.
Standing in the center of the pack naked, moonlight spilling over her skin, Sam closed her eyes and searched. There was something new living inside of her. She could feel it, feel the power of it - the life of it. She tried to reach out to it, tried to access that power and release it.
Around her the pack watched and waited.
Energy pulsed, grew bright and dim, bright and dim. Sam frowned, reached out again. But it was like trying to touch a star. No matter how hard she concentrated, how far she stretched, the light existed beyond her reach.
Nafarius' eyes were locked on Sam, his wolf growing agitated and restless. He could feel the pack's resentment and anger along the pack bond. Fear and frustration surged, nullifying his control as alpha as he worked to keep them calm, to keep them from shifting. As long as the pack remained in human form Sam, had a chance. She could survive an attack by humans, a pack of wolves would tear her apart.
Nafarius felt his control snap through the pack bond and watched as Jaxs was the first to shift, the young male unable to hold the change at bay. A moment later and Jaxs was joined by two females and another male. Nafarius poured power and strength through the pack bond, trying to reassure the young members and appease the old ones. In the end, it wasn't enough.
Sam stood with her face to the moon, a fine sheen of sweat breaking out along her skin. She could feel the pack shifting around her, could sense Nafarius struggling to keep them calm. But the tide was turning as more and more members shifted, changed from human to animal.
Nafarius watched as the last of the pack shifted until only Sam, Nafarius, Roland and Maddie remained in human form.
Beside him, Roland swore. "Shit."
"We have to do something," Maddie said, her eyes fixed on her friend.
Nafarius took a step towards Sam stopping short when three wolves darted in to block his path. Lowering his head, he growled, prepared to fight his way to his mate.
"No!" Sam held up her hand. "You can't interfere. I have to do this on my own."
Nafarius watched helplessly. Determined to do something, he opened up the bond and directed everything he had at her.
Sam felt a flood of emotion come at her through the mating bond, knew that Nafarius was trying to help. But he was right, that much emotion was distracting. Quickly, she struggled to shut it down, blocking him until he realized what she needed and pulled back.
Once again, Sam closed her eyes. She could feel the power of the pack, sensed something similar inside of her, but try as she might, she couldn't will her body to change.
Nafarius knew they were in trouble. He'd pushed the pack too far, expected too of them when it came to Sam. He watched as she stood breathtakingly beautiful in a sea of wolves and knew that if she couldn't shift, they would turn and take her down.
There were almost sixty wolves, most of them between him and his mate. He would never make it in time.
"Fuck it," he said and prepared to shift. Beside him, Roland and Maddie dropped to their hands and knees. "Not you." Nafarius looked at Maddie. "Get inside."
Maddie shook her head. "I can help."
"You're not strong enough and you're no fighter." It wasn't meant as an insult, but it was true and Nafarius couldn't afford the distracted. He held the barest thread of control over the pack, his bond with them growing thin with tension as they strained against his hold.
"I can distract them, keep some of them busy." Maddie was already starting to shift, in another minute, she wouldn't be able to speak. "Please, let me do this for you. For Sam."
Nafarius stared down at the young woman. He hadn't bothered to pay much attention to Maddie until Sam came along. He had only just begun to realize how much the young woman did for the pack, for him and for Sam. Reluctantly, he nodded. "But be careful. Sam will have both our hides if anything happens to you."
Sam knew it was over. She could feel something inside of her, the power of it just out of reach and feared that her body's immune system was systematically working to extinguish the new life growing inside her.
Exhausted from the effort of trying to shift, Sam felt her body begin to shake, her legs threatening to give out beneath her as she was bumped and jostled. Opening her eyes, she locked onto Nafarius' face, offering him a silent apology and felt his hold on the pack snap.
A wave of power broke, rippled across the sea of wolves and slammed into Sam.
Nafarius felt the last of his control snap, felt the unleashed power surge through the pack and watched helpless as his mate collapsed. "No!"
Surging forward, Nafarius crashed into a wall of fur and muscle. To his right, Roland completed his shift and leapt at one of the wolves - going for the throat. On the other side, a small, blonde body dashed in between two wolves, darting around them, drawing their attention away from Nafarius.
No time to shift, Nafarius' human body slammed the nearest wolf, sending him flying and taking down two more wolves in the process. They swarmed around him, blocking his path and sealing him off from his mate. Panic, fear and pain blazed down the mating bond. She's alive, he thought, but for how long?
He was pushed back, forced to fight his way through ground gained and lost. Roland fought beside him doing his best to injure, rendering wolves unable to fight without mortally wounding any of them. He didn't want them dead, just out of the way.
It felt like forever before he reached the place where Sam had gone down, her body disappearing beneath a colored patchwork of fur and muscle. They moved in unison, the pack working to bring down weak prey as nature intended.
Nafarius waded in, desperately seeking Sam. Shoving aside the last of the wolves, he expected to find his mate broken and bleeding. Instead, a new wolf stood regal in her place. Black as midnight, with piercing green eyes.
As he watched, Sam lifted her head and howled. A second later, the rest of the mating bond slipped into place.
Mine, his wolf growled. Mine, Nafarius agreed.
Taking a step forward, Nafarius reached for his mate, snatching his hand back when she snapped at him revealing an impressive set of teeth. "Easy," he cooed.
Sam was pissed. Ears flat against her head, her hackles up, she snarled a warning as Nafarius once again tried to approach.
"It's okay, Sam. It's me," Nafarius kept talking. Shifting for the first time, her wolf's senses coming alive in the midst of an attack had left his mate feeling understandably aggressive. Opening up the mating bond, he let her feel him, recognized when his wolf did the same.
Sam felt fur, sensed her mate through the bond and slowly uncurled her lips. This time when Nafarius approached she tipped up her head, leaned into his touch. Mine.
Squatting down, Nafarius ran his hands over her, buried his fingers in her fur. "So beautiful," he whispered in awe. Not a single bit of color but for her green eyes.
Sam's eyes grew heavy with pleasure as Nafarius ran his hands over her body. Muscles strained and shifted under his experienced touch. This new form had power in places she would never have been able to understand as a human.
A new energy gripped the
pack. Individuals pressed forward to circle Sam and Nafarius, each one eager to meet their newest member. Sam could feel them surrounding her and experienced an overwhelming sense of welcome.
A soft whimper drew Sam's attention. A moment later a small blonde head slipped under Nafarius' arm to lick at Sam's muzzle. Maddie, Sam thought and stepped around Nafarius to greet her friend.
Maddie greeted Sam by rolling to the ground and onto her back.
Sam felt a vicious hunger spear through her gut, her wolf recognizing the tender flesh of neck and belly. So easy to kill, she thought. Too easy. Maddie wouldn't be able to fight back, stood no chance against Sam. And in that moment she knew, her wolf recognizing a submissive member, someone to be protected. Not eaten.
The knowledge helped steady Sam, so she was able to lean forward, gently taking Maddie's neck between her teeth, asserting her position without causing harm.
Releasing her, Sam nuzzled Maddie's chin in affection before nudging her to the side.
Nafarius stood proud as each pack member came forward, offering Sam some sign of submission. The mate of my heart, he thought.
Roland watched from the shadows, as Sam was accepted into the pack and felt joy. Her joy. It was pure and good and for one precious moment, he remembered what it felt like to be that free, to trust that completely in the security of belonging. He envied her in that moment.
Sam saw Roland slip from the shadows, his scar appearing larger, covering more of his face now that he was in wolf form. She waited, wondering what he would do. Roland had been against her presence from the beginning, noone more vocal in their disapproval. What would he do now that she was no longer human?
Nafarius felt himself tense as his beta approached his mate. Roland was his best friend, there was no one he trusted more, but in that moment, Nafarius knew that he would kill the male before allowing him to harm his mate.
Roland felt Nafarius' aggression, a stinging sensation through the pack bond that reminded him of a swarm of bees. It was unpleasant and Roland had to resist the urge to appease his alpha. He would only do this once, some part of him knowing that it was now or never.
Sam stood staring up at Roland and waited. As each member had come forward, she had been able to recognize their place - not only as it related to her but where they fit in with the rest of the pack. The information flowing to her in much the same way she received information from Nafarius through the mating bond.
Roland watched her eyes, saw something move behind them that wasn't just wolf and knew. With a huff of something akin to amusement, Roland slowly lowered his head just enough to guarantee she could reach, lifted his jaw and gave her his neck.
Sam took him between her teeth.
Roland waited, expecting her to immediately release him. He recognized her as alpha female but theirs was likely to be a more complicated relationship. Roland was in some ways more dominant than Sam, physically able to take her down. But there was something more to Sam, something that put her in line with Nafarius and therefore dominant to Roland. Shit was never easy with her, he thought.
Mindful that she could rip out his throat if she chose to, Roland tried pulling free.
Sam issued a low growl of warning. She had recognized the nuances to their positions, knew that she was going to have many challenges ahead when in came to her relationship with Roland. She also knew that his had been a symbolic show of submission. It wasn't for her.
Roland planted his paws and tugged, growled with displeasure. Physical strength didn't matter now that she had his neck between her teeth. He could fight her but any effort on his part to get her loose risked ripping out his own throat. Mindful of the lesson, Roland surrendered, waiting for Sam to release him.
Sam felt him settle and immediately let go. Before he knew what she intended, she had leaned forward knocking him in the chest with her head. You big jerk, she thought, and felt his amusement.
Sam's joy was cut short when she spied Rose approaching. The other woman walked forward, head held high and Sam knew she had no intention of submitting. Thinking back to her conversation with Maddie, Sam knew it was time to do something.
Nafarius was surprised when Sam leapt at Rose, closing the distance and forcing the other woman back.
Sam didn't hesitate, didn't give the other woman the chance to recover. Her wolf recognized a challenger, a threat to her position as alpha and attacked.
Rose scrambled to get out of the way, narrowly escaping as Sam snapped at her heels. Turning, Rose reared up, tried to come down on top of Sam.
Not bothering to evade, Sam stepped in closer, and raked her claws across Rose's soft underbelly, blood splattering across the dusty ground.
Rose snarled at the injury, shook it off.
The two wolves clashed, neither one having a clear upper hand.
Sam heard the snap of Rose's teeth as they passed dangerously close to her ear. Rose was going for the tender bits, injuries that wouldn't kill but would cause considerable pain.
Sam went for the kill.
Nafarius stood watching as the two females fought for dominance. He could feel Sam's concentration through the mating bond, knew that she was working hard to gain the advantage. Rose had experience on her side, but very little training, having avoided the required sparring sessions whenever possible. As a new wolf, Sam was more raw power and determination.
Sam watched Rose set up for another attack and mentally smiled. The woman was predictable, coming at Sam the same way every time. Feigning a stumble, Sam watched as Rose lunged, coming in high and trying to body slam Sam off balance.
Feeling a spike of fear through the mating bond, and something she couldn't identify from the pack, Sam let her body go limp, the unexpected shift causing Rose to shoot passed her. Jaws snapping, Sam latched on to Rose's neck, threw her weight back and slammed Rose to the ground.
The scent of fresh blood exploded in the air, several wolves howling in appreciation.
Rose struggled, tried to roll onto her feet.
Sam growled and bit down harder. She could taste blood, felt the woman's throat starting to crush under the power of her jaws.
Rose's paws twitched, the mark of a defeated animal until finally she lay still and unmoving.
Sam growled low in her throat, struggled against the instinct to shake Rose until her neck snapped. She wanted to feel that death between her jaws, wanted to experience the rending of flesh and the thrill of the kill.
Rose may be pack, she thought, but she was Sam's enemy.
"Sam."
Sam rolled her eyes up to find Nafarius standing close by, the rest of the pack watching, approval evident in their eyes. She could feel it then, the pack bond having settled into place. Acceptance.
Slowly, she released Rose, left her laying on the ground to lick her wounds, and went to her mate.
Nafarius waited to shift until she stood by his side. When it was done, he stood tall, the largest of the wolves with dark red fur and gold eyes.
Sam recognized her mate, could feel him flowing through their bond. They were connected on so many levels - through the mating bond as well as the pack bond. There wasn't a corner of her being that he didn't touch, a hurricane of emotion with the two of them at the eye of the storm.
She went to him, licked at his muzzle before tipping her head to the side and offering her neck. She may be alpha female, but Nafarius would always be Alpha.
Nafarius took her between his teeth, noting that while she offered him her neck she had stayed on her feet, standing as his equal. No, he thought, she would never crawl to him - or anyone for that matter. Releasing her, he tipped his head back and howled. Joined by the entire pack, the sound was one of victory and celebration.
Sam was aware of a hunger, a burning building in her belly until it threatened to overshadow everything else. She needed to hunt, to run, to feed. Letting the others know, she signaled the start of the hunt.
Nafarius had explained that she would lead the hunt, her first test in pr
oving to the pack that she could provide for them. He had given her a few pointers, but otherwise told her to trust her wolf. If she made it this far, her wolf would know what to do.
They spread out, Sam in the lead with Nafarius close behind. It didn't take long for her to find a fresh scent. This time of year, the forest was full of game.
Slipping through the forest ahead of him, Nafarius watched as Sam disappeared in the dark, her black coat the perfect camouflage for the area. She was quick and sure, following the deer's trail towards a nearby watering spot.
It wasn't until he almost stepped on her, her bright eyes turning to him in the dark, that he realized she'd stopped. She turned away and he saw what had caught her attention. Tucked in among the trees, a doe stood eating late summer berries.
Using the pack bond, Sam ordered the others to spread out, flanking the deer as she prepared to drive it deeper into the pack's territory.
The doe's ear twitched, its body tense, poised for escape.
Sam burst through the trees, the doe taking panicked flight, crashing through the forest in an attempt to escape death. She could feel the pack around her, the joy of the hunt as they spread out working together to ensure success.
They ran to wear the doe out, and for the sheer joy of it.
Ahead of him Nafarius saw the doe stumble, saw Sam put on a burst of speed just before gathering herself up and launching herself at the deer.
The two powerful animals collided, prey and predator rolling, one struggling for purchase, the other for life. Nafarius and the rest of the pack held back, the kill belonging to Sam.
Sam clamped down on the doe's neck, her teeth piercing the jugular. Fresh blood, hot and coppery, flooded her mouth, the scent spiking the air. Releasing the doe, Sam danced back as the animal tried to rise. Quickly, she darted back in, took hold of the animal's neck, tearing through muscle. The rush of the kill warred with her desire to ease the doe's suffering. In the end it was a quick kill, the doe dying of blood loss and shock.
Standing next to her kill, surrounded by pack, Sam lifted her head and howled the end of the hunt.
Nafarius watched as the pack descended on the doe, stronger members taking the prize share while the weaker members waited.
Legend (A Wolf Lake Novella) Page 11