by Lilly Wilder
“There you go,” said Landon. “The worse is over now.” He reached out his hand and ran it over my thick, silver fur. “You look gorgeous.”
“Gorgeous? I don’t feel gorgeous. I feel like highway roadkill.”
“Far from it,” came a voice inside my head that wasn’t my own.
“What the hell?”
“It’s a perk of being a wolf mate. You get a mental link, which means you can talk to us without ever saying a word.”
“So, you two are inside my head now?”
“And you are in ours.” Landon joined the conversation, having transformed into his own wolf self.
A part of me felt violated. The privacy of my own thoughts was no longer private. I now shared that space with my lovers.
But was that really such a bad thing? Maybe this was the secret to finishing each other’s sentences.
“Jane?” Landon nudged his snout into my neck. “Are you alright?”
“Just give me a minute. This is a lot for me to take in.”
“Whenever you’re ready.” Roman punctuated his sentence by licking my face. It was actually much cuter than it sounds, especially coming from an alpha wolf.
I sat down on my haunches, which was a weird feeling all on its own. I really could not believe that I had seriously transformed into a living, breathing wolf. Perhaps I was having some acid-trip of a dream.
“You’re not dreaming.” Landon tugged on my ear. “This is real and as soon as you start running, you’ll understand the glory of it.”
“I’m not much of a runner… I never made it on the track team, you know.”
“That doesn’t matter. You’re a wolf now and wolves were born to run.” His words seemed to inspire something deep inside of me. My muscles tensed with anticipation as I got up and leaned forward, ready to sprint into action.
The boys had their tongues out. It wasn’t quite a set of smirks but I knew they were up to something. And that’s when Landon shot off like a bullet. Roman was quick to follow, leaving me in his dust. But I wasn’t about to stand around while they had all the fun.
It was time for me to unleash the beast.
Chapter 17: Roman
I looked back and saw that Jane was gaining on Landon. Speed wasn’t his element but he was by no means slow. With a little bit of effort, he was able to outrun most.
His paws pounded into the Earth, tearing up clumps of grass with every stride he took.
“She’s going to catch up to you, Landon. Are you really going to let a newbie kick your ass?” I taunted, trying to get him to up the ante.
“I’m going as fast as I can!” he protested. “Trust me, I’m rolling on all cylinders.”
Jane had a look of pure determination in her eyes. As a wolf, her irises were a deep amber color like a pot of honey had been stored within their depths. It was a color uncommon in our clan and it would set her apart from the other members.
She was so quiet that her advance snuck up on me. One second I was watching her tailing Landon and the next she was tailing me.
Surprised, I pushed myself to run a little faster. I wasn’t anywhere near my top speed but by the looks of it, neither was Jane.
“What’s the matter? Getting scared that I might beat you in this little race of ours?” Jane had a cocky tone to her voice that buzzed with newfound confidence.
“I’m going to make you eat your words,” I countered, as I weaved through the foliage.
“Well, I guess I’ll see you two back at the den…” Landon’s words sounded through my head but I paid them little attention. The forest was getting thicker and thicker and I had to concentrate on marking my path through the trees because one mistake —
Crash!
I skidded to a halt.
“Jane?”
I caught her scent in the air and followed it to a hidden grotto. Its entrance had been masked by a carpet of moss. Jane, unfamiliar with the landscape had fallen right into nature’s trap.
“Decided to take a dip? Were things getting too hot to handle?” I teased in a playful manner, before diving in to join her.
The water was frigid — icy even. But a wolf’s pelt can withstand just about anything. I’ve lived in the arctic during the winter and, somehow, I lived to tell the tale. Although there were a couple of caribou hunters that wanted me for their wall.
“Fuck, I think I broke something…” Jane was struggling to make it to dry land. Her tail flicked from side to side in a desperate attempt to keep herself steady.
Quickly, I grabbed her by the neck and dragged her over to where it was safe. “Are you okay?”
“I don’t know… It’s hard to tell with all this adrenaline running through my body.”
“Okay, I need you to transform back for me. It’ll be easier that way.”
“Will that hurt too?”
“Not nearly as much,” I said, squeezing her paw as a sort of promise.
She looked me in the eye before nodding her head ever so slightly. “Okay. Tell me what I need to do.”
“Just like before, I need you to breathe and close your eyes. Once you feel calm enough to do so, envision your human form and beckon it forward. Embrace it.”
I watched as her brows knitted together.
“That’s it,” I encouraged, trying to ease her through the process. Back when the clan was still in existence, I had been in charge of teaching the youngsters how to control their transformations and it was never easy. Commanding a wolf, at will, is something that requires patience and self-control. Both of which are hard to come by. “You’re doing it.”
I was actually quite impressed by her abilities. She seemed to be a natural shifter.
“Of course she is — she’s our mate after all,” came Landon’s voice. I should have known that he’d hardly leave us alone.
After a few minutes, Jane had successfully transformed into her human form. I had nearly forgotten that she had been naked beforehand which meant that she was naked now. I steadied my impulses. The last thing she needed was for me to pounce on her.
“Tell me what’s bothering you,” I whispered.
“My arm. Or rather, my front leg? I don’t know. While I was running, I tripped and my… paw… sort of curled back. I think I heard something snap…” she frowned. “Jeez, it’s weird thinking of myself as some four-legged animal.”
“You’re much more than that,” I said, while brushing back her wet hair. “You’re everything I’ve ever wanted and more.”
Blush colored her cheeks, making her even more precious than before.
“Now, this might feel a little weird but I promise it will feel better in the end.”
“What are you going to do to me?”
“Oh, there’s a lot I want to do to you,” Landon chimed in.
“We weren’t asking you,” I retorted.
Jane giggled. “You know, I thought this whole ‘mind link’ thing might be a little weird but I think I’m starting to like it. I can tease you guys with dirty talk even while I’m at work.”
“Work?” I questioned. “Why would you go back to work?”
“Well, I’ve got to pay my rent somehow.”
I laughed. “Shifters don’t pay rent. We live off the land. We survive with the resources that mother nature gives us.”
“Wait… so, you’re telling me that we’ll live completely off the grid? No more computers? Cell phones? TV?”
“Our culture does not need such technologies,” I explained. “We spend our time hunting and crafting materials.”
“Damnit. And the next season of my favorite show was just about to come on…”
“But nothing is stopping us from modernizing. Many clans have moved into the city to enjoy the luxuries of 21st-century living.”
“Yeah, I think that might be a good idea. I like it out here, don’t get me wrong, but I’m not sure whether I can give up everything from my old life.”
I
nodded my understanding. “We will discuss it with Landon but right now, let’s take a look at that injury. Shifters heal at an accelerated rate and so, the longer we wait, the more likely it becomes that something will set incorrectly and then I’d be forced to break it anew.”
“That doesn’t sound very… pleasant.”
“It’s not.” Gently, I took her arm and examined it until I came across some swelling at her wrist. “Looks like maybe you broke it.”
“I don’t like the sound of that…”
“It’s alright. Wolves are very hardy creatures and we have a few tricks up our sleeves.
“Tricks?”
“Like this one.” I leaned forward until my face was only inches away from her left breast.
“As much as I enjoy a good nipple tease… I don’t think that right now is the right time.”
“Trust me,” I said. “Just trust me.”
I leaned forward even further so that the warmth of my breath rolled into her skin — more specifically, the mark upon her heart. It pulsated with a soft purple glow and as my lips got closer, the glow became brighter.
“Ah!” Jane exclaimed, head thrown back. I had finally pressed my lips against the mark, tapping into the bond we shared as mates. I winced slightly, as all her pain transferred into my body. In exchange, she was given some of my strength so that she could heal at an accelerated rate — even for shifter standards. “Wow…” she gasped as I sucked on that sensitive skin, tongue swirling around because I wanted to see how she would react.
I pulled back. “Feel better?” I asked.
“What was that?”
“Mates have the ability to help one another heal. There is a balance in energy by doing so.”
“I’m not sure I know what you mean.”
“It means that in order to make you feel better, I had to take on your pain.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because if I did then you wouldn’t have let me do it,” I answered. “Besides, pain is easy enough to handle. It would have been much worse if that wrist didn’t heal properly and you were left with a permanent injury.”
“I still don’t like the idea of you hurting on my behalf.”
“I am sure that you will return the favor one day.” She was standing so close to me that I could not ignore the call of her lips. With my fingers tangled in her hair, I pulled her even closer. I thought it would be nothing more than a quick kiss but it turned into something much, much better. Her tongue was eager to play and her mouth was hungry for some action.
Before I knew what was happening, I had her up against the wall. It was slick with humidity. Her nails dug into my skin, sharper than before.
She growled with the need to mate.
Breathless, I broke off the kiss. “Someone’s feeling a little frisky.”
“Well, if you think about it, I’ll be a literal animal in bed from this point forward.”
“Mmm, I like the thought of that.” I was just about to kiss the side of her neck but Landon was quick to interject.
“Sorry to ruin all the fun but it is getting late and you two should be returning to the den. There are countless dangers lurking about and I don’t have the patience to save your asses should you get in trouble.”
“Is he being serious?” asked Jane.
“Well, about the dangers, yes. About leaving us to fend for ourselves, no. He’s an alpha and it will always be his prime instinct to protect his family.” I rested my hand on her stomach knowing that our future pup was in there somewhere.
“Come on. That wrist of yours should be good to go.”
“Good enough for another race?” Jane was quick to challenge. She might have adopted my speed but she definitely had Landon’s competitive nature.
“Just try not to fall this time,” I said with a wink. “Unless, of course, you’re falling for me.”
“It’s a little difficult to fall for a man that I’m already head over heels about.”
I smirked. “Then it looks like we have nothing to worry about.”
“Good because this time I’m going to win.”
“We’ll see about that.” There was quite a bit of smack talk as we made our way out of the grotto.
Once outside, I picked up the nearest stick I could find and used it to draw a line into the ground. “This will be our starting —” I was going to explain to her the rules but she was already gone. All I saw was a flash of grey.
“Sucker!”
“That counts as cheating.”
“All is fair in love and war.”
“I hope you know that I’m going to punish you for this.” I had transformed into my wolf form and took off. If I happened to lose this race then Landon would never let me live it down.
“My money’s on Jane.”
“Oh, shut up,” I snapped. “I’m a veteran.”
“Looks like you’re all bark and no bite because I’m in the lead.”
“Not for long.” I took a sharp left and banked on the reliability of an old shortcut. The terrain was treacherous but I was prepared to take my chances if it meant maintaining my dignity.
Shit.
The old log that connected one cliff to the other had rotted away leaving a sizable gap that would be nearly impossible to jump.
“Don’t you dare,” warned Landon. “I am not raising our pup on my own.”
But did I listen to my partner? Of course not.
I continued forward and I didn’t stop until I was on the very edge. The earth gave way but it held out long enough for me to make my jump.
The world slowed.
I was suspended in midair. I wasn’t going to make it.
Crash!
I had spoken too soon.
After the second needed to compose myself, off I went again.
“Didn’t think I’d let you win that easily, did you?” I asked, as I passed her up.
“Hey! How did you…?”
“Experience is the name of the game and you still have a lot to learn.”
Chapter 18: Landon
A few weeks later.
Things were quiet — too quiet — and I didn’t like it. I was more than certain that our enemies were plotting something. What exactly? I wasn’t sure. But preparation was key.
“Jane.” I found her inside the den, laying on the bed of pelts. She had her hands on her stomach and there was this goofy sort of smile on her face. “I need to have a word with you.”
“One second.”
“What is it?” I inquired, now curious as to what was making her so happy.
“I think I can feel the baby kicking. But, that doesn’t make any sense. I’m too early in my pregnancy for that.”
I quickened to her side. “Wolf pups are very active, even early on,” I explained. “Let me see.”
She guided my hand to the specific part of her stomach where she had felt the movement and there it was. My child.
I dropped to my knees so that I would be eye level with her pregnant belly. With tears in my eyes, I kissed that precious part of her.
“Landon…” she whispered. “Are you crying?”
I wiped away my tears before she could see them.
“Oh, he was definitely crying,” came Roman’s response from the entrance.
“No one asked for your opinion.”
“It’s okay to get a little emotional about your soon-to-be child. It’s a normal reaction.”
I got up and rolled my shoulders back to help straighten my posture. “Have you felt the baby kick yet?”
“No, I haven’t.” He joined us and like me, he also felt that tiny nudge from an invisible foot. “I think we’ve got a healthy and happy baby on our hands.”
“Speaking of which, I had a question about the pregnancy.” Jane pulled her shirt back down. “How will we know if everything is alright with the baby? It’s not like I can go to my local OB/GYN.”
“
Right,” affirmed Roman. “Human doctors are not equipped to handle our kind. They wouldn’t know what to do with you.”
“So, what are we supposed to do? Wing it?”
“I think I might know someone.”
Roman looked at me as if I had sprouted a third eye in the middle of my forehead. “And who do you know, that I don’t?”
“Cynthia.”
“Cynthia?” Both Roman and Jane spoke her name in unison.
“I’m sorry but who is Cynthia?” Jane had her lips pressed together into a thin line, giving me the impression that she wasn’t very happy with me.
“She is an old… friend,” I said not wanting to say ‘lover.’ It hadn’t amounted to much since we were both aware we weren’t destined as mates. Still, it had been a summer of fun all the same.
Roman’s confusion mounted. “How come I have never heard about her?”
“Because she is a lone wolf. She was ostracized from her pack for practicing shamanism.”
“Shamanism?” It was now Jane’s turn for confusion. “What does that mean?”
“I suppose you can call her a witch doctor.”
“You want me to go to a witch doctor?”
“It is only a thought,” I said, trying to defend myself against her outburst. “She really is quite good at what she does.”
“Which is what exactly? Turning men into frogs?”
I shook my head. “She does not turn men into frogs. She makes medicines and helps the wildlife. She’ll often attempt to speak to the trees —”
“So, what you’re telling me is that she’s crazy.”
“All I’m asking is that you meet her. If you do not like her, then fine, we will attempt another course of action.”
“I do not like this,” said Jane.
“Did you sleep with her?” Roman’s voice slithered into my mind. Had he forgotten that Jane could also hear our mental conversations?
They both stared, waiting for the answer.
“Yes. But it was a long, long time ago. I was a young wolf without a mate.”
I could see the hurt in her eyes.
“Jane, please, she does not mean anything to me. She is only a part of my history.”