She was pulled from her thoughts by a sudden and urgent feeling that something wasn’t quite right. Dark notions settled in the back of her mind, nagging at her to find her mates. She looked at the clock. They should have been back by now. Had something happened when they had gone to gather wood for the fireplace? Was there an accident? Did one of them get hurt?
Throwing on her boots and one of Tad’s old sweatshirts, she sprinted out of the house, hoping the feelings of dread that coursed through her body were imaginary.
Nya ran as fast as her legs would carry her across the backyard to the tree line, where she’d last seen her mates. She called for them, but received no answer in response. Where the hell are they?
Her heart raced at the thought of something bad happening to either of them. The very idea made her stomach churn. Off in the distance she heard the sound of female laughter. Too tired and out of breath to run, Nya teleported to the location.
What the fuck?
Bile rose in her throat and she tried to comprehend exactly what she was seeing. The redheaded woman she’d seen her mates with before stood in between them once again. She laughed, tossing her hair with one hand before she made her move on Taavi.
Nya waited impatiently for him to rebuke her, or push her away, or something. To her dismay he stood his ground, allowing the woman to slink right up and under his nose. She wanted to scream in rage at the ballsy woman and her close proximity to her men, but she didn’t. Nya chose to hide behind the veil, watching, waiting, and praying for them to choose her over the redhead.
“So what’s this I hear about my favorite twins finding their mate?”
The woman’s voice grated on Nya’s last nerve. Rage like nothing she’d ever felt tore through her body, leaving her trembling. Gods, what she wouldn’t give for the physical strength to rip the woman’s smug head from her perfect body and feed it to the woodland creatures of the forest!
“We have.”
“Was she the one to break your curse?” the woman asked.
What curse? What the hell was she talking about? Nya’s rage was quickly extinguished by the direction of the conversation.
“We have no way of knowing until our birthday comes, but the prophecy was pretty clear—as long as we claimed our mate by our twenty-fifth birthday, we would be okay.”
Was that why they were so interested in me? Was I nothing more than a means to the end of their curse? Nya’s heart shattered. She had honestly bought all the bullshit they’d told her about being their true mate and wanting to be with her forever. She thought they had been sincere. How could I have been so fucking stupid? They didn’t really want me. The feelings she had lived with all of her life suddenly dashed back into her mind. Her mom and sister were right: No one would really ever want her for who she was and what she had to offer.
Nya looked up to see the woman wrapping her arms around Taavi’s neck before leaning in to kiss him. She had seen and heard enough. Nya wiped her tears away as she dropped the veil.
“Nya! Wait, it’s not what you think.” Taavi darted to her side just as she yanked the enchanted charm from her neck.
“I thought the two of you were different.” Feeling like her body was tearing itself apart, Nya dropped the necklace on the ground by Taavi’s feet and disappeared.
***
“Why did you come here, Selene?” Tad backed her up against the nearest tree.
“I wanted to see if the rumors were true.” Selene’s voice cracked.
“Did someone send you here?” Taavi demanded.
“No! I swear. I just—”
“You just what?” Tad was pissed. It was strictly forbidden to interfere with another’s mating bond.
“I wanted to be with you once more.”
“And you think that showing up to the house of someone who has found their true mate is going to work? You know the laws. You know it’s forbidden,” Tad shouted at their former lover.
“You better pray to Freyja that nothing bad happens to our mate because of your stupidity,” Taavi warned as he bent to pick up the charm Nya had tossed to the ground. Shaking his head in disgust, he turned and jogged away from Selene, back to the house. “We need to find her. Now! Before her family does.”
“I better never see you on our property again, and I swear to Odin if I ever catch you around Nya, there will be hell to pay.” Tad sprinted to catch up with Taavi.
“Where do you think she went?” Tad asked.
“I don’t know. I can’t feel her through our connection. Can you?”
Tad closed his eyes, focusing on an image of her face. “Can you locate her?” he asked his wolf.
“No. I can’t sense her at all.”
Taavi’s phone buzzed with an incoming text. “I just got a text from Rafe.”
Nya is in Blue Creek at Barbara Wolfe’s house. She said to come quick, Nya is hysterical. Tanner will be there in a minute to teleport you.
Taavi read the message to Tad and responded with: Thanks for the heads up. Nya saw Selene come on to us in the woods and disappeared before we could explain.
Good luck.
A few seconds later, Tanner appeared in their living room. “I hear you guys needed a ride to Blue Creek?”
“Yep. Thanks for coming so quick. We need to get to Barbara Wolfe’s house.”
“Barbara’s awesome. She’s super sweet and has a dirty mind. Grab on and we’ll hit the road.”
Tad and Taavi held on to Tanner’s jacket, praying to Odin that Nya would find a way to forgive them.
Chapter Fourteen
Nya screamed as she collapsed in the middle of Barbara’s kitchen. Excruciating pain radiated through her body.
“Nya! Are you okay?” Barbara shouted, rushing to her friend’s side.
“Goddess, please help me. I feel like I’m dying.”
Every bone in her body felt like it was being crushed by an elephant.
“Nya, sweetie, I need you to take a deep breath and try to relax. I think I know what’s going on.”
“I can’t breathe. It hurts too bad.”
“Try to concentrate and focus on taking a deep breath.” Barbara tried again to encourage her. “Sweetheart, I know this is scary, but don’t fight it. Your body is changing for the first time. You must relax. I want you to picture a wolf in your mind.”
Nya nodded and did as she asked, thinking that Barbara had finally lost it. What the hell was she talking about, ‘her body was changing’? Against the pain raging in her body, Nya sucked in a deep breath and imagined a beautiful black wolf standing in a dark forest.
The pain subsided just as fast as it had consumed her. The floor no longer felt as cold and hard as it had moments ago. Nya opened her mouth to thank Barbara for her help, but the only sound she heard was the sound of a dog whining.
“Take it easy, sweetheart. Everything is going to be okay. You were always beautiful, but now you’re simply—breathtaking. Let me grab a mirror to show you what I’m talking about.”
Fear of the room spinning kept Nya from giving up her position on the floor. Whatever had just happened, she was thankful as fuck the pain was gone. I wonder what Barbara is talking about. What did she mean, I’m breathtaking?
“Just wait. You’ll see.”
Nya had spoken to herself on multiple occasions every day of her life, as far back as she could remember. Never had a voiced answered her…until now.
Who are you? How are you doing that?
“Here we are. Have a look.” Barbara knelt down to Nya’s level and placed the mirror in front of her face.
The image in the mirror looked exactly like the black wolf she’d imagined moments ago. The only difference was, the wolf in the mirror had her amethyst eyes.
Oh my Goddess. Nya tried to sit up, but the room started to spin. She looked down at her hands and saw two furry black paws. This can’t be happening.
Calm down before you pass out. I’m not ready for a nap just yet, if it’s all the same to you. Nya’s wolf
offered her sarcastic support.
Blackness crept in around Nya’s vision. She tried to suck in a deep breath, but it was too late. The darkness had already begun to pull her under.
I tried to warn you.
***
“Where’s Nya? Rafe said she was here with you.” Taavi thought he might lose his mind when they teleported into Barbara’s living room and he didn’t see any signs of Nya, though her scent filled the house.
“You guys really need to learn how to knock,” Barbara said, less than impressed with their sudden appearance. “I could have been naked or having incredible wild sex with my mate.”
“Sorry.” Tad blushed. “Is she still here?”
“Follow me. I’m Barbara, by the way. It’s nice to see you again, Tanner. How’s my Hannah?”
“She’s doing great. I would have brought her along, but I still don’t know how many people I can safely teleport at one time. We’ll swing by for dinner later this week.”
“Perfect. Just give me a call and let me know when. I’ll make her favorite meal.”
Barbara came to a sudden stop, turning to face Tad and Taavi. “Your mate is fine; however, she got a little bit worked up and passed out on the kitchen floor a few minutes ago. It’s probably best to let her come to on her own.”
“What happened?” Taavi’s heart nearly stopped when he saw a black wolf lying on the kitchen floor where he had expected to see Nya. His mouth flew open, stunned by the sight. He turned to Tad. “Are you seeing the same thing I’m seeing, or did our little trip with Tanner fuck up my eyesight?”
“If you’re seeing a black wolf sleeping on the floor, then we’re seeing the same thing, and your eyesight is perfectly fine.”
“How did this happen?” Taavi asked.
Barbara placed a plate of fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies on the table along with several cans of soda, and motioned for the men to have a seat. “Well, I’m not a professional or anything, but I imagine it has to do with the fact that she’s your mate and has been gifted with a wolf of her own. Do you need me to explain the mating ceremony and what takes place there, or are you pretty clear on that?”
Taavi wasn’t sure if he should laugh or not. Clearly he was in the presence of the queen of sarcasm. “I think I’ve got the mating thing down. Thanks. I didn’t even consider the possibility that she could be blessed with a wolf—she’s a different species.”
Chapter Fifteen
Tad jumped to his feet as Nya started to come to. “Nya, are you okay?”
She growled, warning him to back away from her.
“Please let me explain.” Tad shifted to his wolf, hoping she didn’t know how to close the mating connection.
“Baby, please. Nothing happened with Selene. Taavi pushed her away. There’s no way we would ever choose her over you.”
Nya chose to ignore what he’d said and instead asked, “What the hell did you do to me? Why am I a wolf? And how do I stop being a wolf?”
“Because you’re our mate, Odin has blessed you with a wolf spirit. She will be with you always. My wolf senses that she is a very old, but good, soul.” He avoided telling her how to shift back to human, and would continue to do so as long as he could get away with it. Keeping her in her wolf form for as long as possible would give him the opportunity to find out exactly what was on her mind.
“Why did she ask if I was the one to break your curse? What was she talking about? And you damn well better be honest with me.”
Tad needed to phrase his words very carefully. He now knew exactly what Nya had heard from Selene, and if the shoe were on the other foot and he were in her position, he’d be just as pissed as she was. If not more. As it was, he was livid with Selene for the little stunt she had pulled.
“Taavi and I were born under a curse. The only way to break it was to find our fated mate. We’ve been searching for you for years.”
More than anything Tad wanted to know what she was thinking.
“What would have happened had you not found me?”
“On the eve of our twenty-fifth birthday one of us would have turned evil.”
Tad could tell that Nya’s thoughts were a jumbled mess. She wasn’t sure if she believed him or not. The main question running through her mind seemed to be: Was the curse the only reason they had claimed her as their mate?
“No. It wasn’t the only reason. It’s so much more. Listen to your wolf; she will always tell you the truth. Whether you like it or not. Wolves are different from humans, or even Fae, I suppose. Finding your mate is like finding the other half of your soul. Your mate is the only person who can complete you.” Tad opened up his connection and allowed the love he felt for his mate to pour through the channel. “Does this feel like a case of lust to you?”
***
The emotions that flooded Nya’s senses were not those of lust. Tad was telling her the truth. She didn’t need the opinion from the stranger in her head. What did she know about Nya or the twins anyway?
“You would do well to try to get to know me and work with me. Our lives will be so much easier if we’re not always at odds. I want what’s best for both of us and our mates.”
Nya thought about what her wolf said, and what Tad had said. Being suddenly turned into something she was never meant to be did nothing to calm her already confused mind. No matter what her decision, her life would never be the same.
“You were always intended to be a wolf. The Fates wrote our destiny long ago. You are just now finding out about it. Have you ever wondered why you are so different from your family? You know better than most there are far more differences than similarities when it comes to your mother and sisters.”
“How do you know all this?” Nya asked her wolf.
“Uh—we share the same brain.”
“Are all wolves smartasses or just you?”
“What is this smartassery of which you speak? I hear nothing but my sparkling personality shining through.”
“This should be fun. Not!” Nya responded. “Can you at least tell me how to be a human again?”
Her wolf pretended to think about the answer for a moment. “Only if you ask me nicely.”
“Fine. Can you please tell me how to become a human again?”
“Much better. It’s easy—just picture yourself in human form. When you want to shift back to the awesomeness of your wolf, just picture me in your mind. It makes the shift a lot less painful.”
Nya did as her wolf instructed and thought about what she normally looked like. She sighed with relief when she found that the change back to human was as easy as pie. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Taavi rushed to Nya’s side as soon as the transformation was complete. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I think so. That was weird.” Nya looked over her body to make sure all her pieces and parts were back in the correct order, and that she no longer had a fluffy tail.
“You looked fucking hot!” Tad said once he shifted.
“Watch your language, boys,” Barbara reprimanded. “Ha ha! Just kidding. She was fucking hot as a wolf.”
“I have to admit, now that I’m not so freaked out, it was pretty cool. My wolf said I can change anytime I want—is that true?”
“Yep. It sure is.” Taavi wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight. “I hope Tad explained the mess with Selene.” Taavi looked her right in the eye. “I want nothing to do with her. Neither does my wolf. You are the only one for us. You know that, right?”
Nya nodded. “I do. I just saw her touching you and flipped out. Not only that, she looked so much better with you than I ever could. What could the two of you possibly ever see in me?”
Taavi didn’t hesitate to answer. “Our future.”
“Not that Barbara isn’t a gracious host and all, but can we go home now?” Tad asked.
“What a wonderful idea. I think it is time for Nya to go home now.”
Every head in the room turned in the hope of lo
cating the unknown voice—except Nya’s. She knew exactly where the voice came from and whom it belonged to. Her mother emerged from the veil just long enough to grab hold of Nya and disappear.
Chapter Sixteen
“Mom! What the hell do you think you’re doing? Let go of me.” Nya struggled against Felicia’s hold, but it was no use. Her mom had an iron grip on her arm and wasn’t about to let go until they got to their destination.
“I warned you to stay away from those mutts. But you didn’t. Why am I not surprised? Don’t you see how they have ruined you?”
“Ruined? Mom, what are you talking about? They’re good people. Honorable. You don’t even know them! What is your problem with them?”
“My problem is that you allowed them to mark you up like some common piece of trash. Dogs like the ones you decided to hook up with are incapable of caring for anyone but themselves.”
“Your mother knows much more about wolves than she cares to admit,” Nya’s wolf warned.
“What are you talking about? How could she know anything about them?”
“Those beasts will promise you the world, and then what? You leave your family, and everyone you’ve ever known—for what? To be left for dead when they find their true mate? There’s nothing but heartache waiting for you in the human world. It’s time for you to face your responsibilities at home and become a productive member of our society. That is where you belong. Not here, in this realm with those beasts.”
“Oh my god.” Nya conveyed the shock she felt at her mother’s admonitions to her wolf.
“I knew it. She was involved with a wolf at some point in her life.”
“Where are you taking me? You can’t teleport, and I’m not about to. I’m not going back across the ethereal plane.”
Felicia laughed, keeping up her steady pace. “And what? You think those wolves of yours really want you to stay here? With them? Please, child. Don’t be so naïve. How would you support yourself in the human world, where the almighty dollar rules the land? Do you think your pets will let you lounge happily around the house, while they pass you back and forth like a cheap whore?”
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