REVY
The world was burning.
I should have been dead from Adara’s flames. I would have been dead if the naked man, Alonzo hadn’t covered me with his body. Everything inside of me was telling me that he was the reason I was alive.
Smoke and ash filled the air, but that wasn’t the source of my tears. No, it was the excruciating pain ripping through my limbs.
Let me out, the thing growing inside me growled.
Fuck you! I replied.
The fact that I was having an entire exchange inside my head should have worried me, but I didn’t have time for that shit. Gripping the moist earth between my fingers, I let out a sound that was a cross between a mangled scream and a howl.
It was deafening.
It was terrifying.
It was fascinating.
Opening my eyes, I saw the world as I had never seen it before. I could see everything. Every ray of sunshine. Every ember burning through the leaves. Every angry vein popping out of Adara’s neck as she yelled at the dove gray wolf.
Grinding my teeth until I thought my jaw would snap in half, I watched as the wolf transformed into a man. A handsome man. A beautiful man.
A dead man, the beast inside of me growled.
It was the voice that I had grown up with. The one that made everyone think I was crazy for many years. It was the same yet different. Before, it was just a whisper. Now, it was full blown, taking shape in my head, spirit, and body.
He’s a wolf, I sneered back.
So, the beast countered. We’re something better.
Hesitation flowed through my veins as pulsing power coated each nerve ending.
Trust me, Revy, the beastly voice said
Taking a deep breath, I relaxed and let go.
Everything flashed brightly. Every inch of my body burned as it was torn apart by the beast breaking free. Thirty seconds later, I stood panting.
Shock covered the faces of everyone surrounding me. I could understand why. I was Revy. I was death. I was a wolf.
Not just any wolf, the beast grumbled.
“Trevor…Alonzo,” Adara called out to the soon-to-be-dead man. “Run!”
We’re the biggest wolf.
My mind swirled with trying to keep up with the two conversations. The internal one with Wolf and me and the external one with Adara, a very naked Alonzo, and the dove gray wolf Shifter, Trevor.
“What kind of wolf is she?” Trevor asked, rooted to the spot.
We’re the best wolf, the voice continued.
“Trevor, go!”
“I can’t,” he yelled back. “She’s a wolf now, part of my Pack.”
We’re the most ancient wolf.
Adara grabbed Trevor by the shoulders and shook him.
“She’s not just some wolf. She’s the wolf.”
“I don’t understand.”
Looking down at my new form, I yipped with excitement. On all fours, I was as big as a two-story house. My dark gray fur was coarse and blew in the gentle wind, and my sharp claws dug into the scorched earth.
“She’s an Amarok,” Adara said, trepidation pooling in her glowing eyes.
Sit back and relax, Revy.
“Trevor, run!”
I’ll take care of everything from now on.
That sounded good. I was tired of always making the hard decisions. I just wanted to live each day with as much excitement as possible. This wolf would make life worth living again.
My eyes zeroed in on Trevor as he dipped through the burning trees.
Now, the beast grumbled. Let’s have some fun.
REVY
Day Three.
It had been three days since the Amarok ripped through my skin. Three days since I felt the best I had ever felt in my life. Three days of pure freedom.
Wolf was right. All I had to do was sit back, and she’d take care of everything.
Breathing deeply, I let her stomp across the landscape. I laughed as the scent of bears filled us. Wolf growled low as we entered their territory.
Wolf and I had been traipsing all around Hell Fire Valley since the day I arrived. I felt no need to Change back. We were having too much fun killing rabbits and knocking down trees.
Wolf ran through the forest, leaving maples and evergreens splintered in our wake. We skidded to a stop in a large clearing and, because we were hellbent on making enemies, we pissed on the border of the bear’s territory. Marking it as ours.
For hours, we ran through Hell Fire. Power pulsed through my veins. My mind was cloudy with dominance. It was orgasmic. Being Wolf was a high had never experienced before and I was becoming an addict.
As the sun began to set and the temperature began to drop, I knew it was time for this adventure to end. Three nights of sleeping in the woods and eating fresh kills were enough. I needed a shower and a hot meal.
Pushing forward, I tried to Change back.
No, Wolf grumbled, stalking a deer.
Let me out, crazy bitch!
I pushed again but, after spending three days inside of her, Wolf had more strength than I did.
It is my time now, Revy. I pushed and thrashed about, but Wolf only huffed. I will let you out…in approximately twenty-three years.
Panic filled me as Wolf pounced on the deer.
I was stuck.
The Life, Love, and Death of Adara Marshall Page 12