Awaken a Wolf (Wiccan-Were-Bear Book 9)

by R. E. Butler

  “I declare myself lygisa.”

  She threw another handful.

  “I vow myself to the protection of my pack.”

  She threw another. The center expanded farther, the red nearly gone as the tips of the flames turned purple for a moment before turning bright blue entirely. Adam’s eyes watered as he watched his mate, but he refused to look away and miss a second of what she was doing.

  “I accept the responsibility of the power of lygisa and I claim that power now! Forlonna gretia lormasktra!”

  The last of the chest’s contents hit the wood, and she dropped the chest to the ground as the fire turned entirely white, save for a golden, glowing center that appeared. She lifted a bottle of sacred oil and poured it over her fingertips. She spread her fingers across her chest and over her heart, and then placed the bottle on the ground. The golden center crawled up the flames until it hovered over them. The form of a wolf’s head took shape. The eyes were black, lit with stars, and the fangs glittered like diamonds in its huge mouth.

  The golden, ghostly wolf lifted its head and howled and shimmering golden tendrils snaked down from the flames, touching each pack member. One descended on Adam, and he felt the connection of Cinder’s lygisa power to the pack. The wolf was the image of the lygisa who had gone on before, the ones who now gave Cinder the power to protect her pack as only a lygisa could.

  As one, the pack lifted their heads and howled, a sound of pure thankfulness for Cinder’s place of reverence in their pack. The tendrils were pulled back to the wolf who seemed to smile at Cinder before drifting back into the flames and disappearing.

  Cinder’s hands lifted, and the red haze surrounding her disappeared as the salt circle lifted off the ground. The grains swirled overhead before funneling into the flames. Her hands lowered slowly, and the fire returned to normal.

  She turned slowly, her eyes still golden, and smiled, showing her fangs.

  “It’s time, my alpha mate.”

  * * * * *

  Cinder couldn’t vocalize exactly how she felt in that moment, but she’d never been more in tune with anything than she was with the pack. She could feel each member through an individual connection like a strand of wire. The wires wove together as the pack – and she was part of that now – connected to them as much as they were to her. She felt their happiness as it twined with her own, a feeling of family and togetherness that rivaled everything but the shining connection to Adam. Together, as alpha mates, they were now joined even more tightly thanks to her lygisa powers, which flowed through her. She felt communion with the woods around them and the earth itself, and the moon seemed to shine brighter as Adam moved toward her.

  He wore only jeans, and her fangs elongated at the sight of his muscular chest and the slight dusting of hair that disappeared beneath the waistband of his jeans. The tattoo on his bicep of a howling wolf stood out in stark relief against his lightly tanned skin. She’d spent a long time earlier in the day tracing that tattoo with her fingers and tongue, and she’d even considered getting one herself. Someday.

  He curled his hand behind her neck and drew her to his mouth. “My beautiful mate,” he whispered, his lips hovering over hers for only a heartbeat before he kissed her deeply.

  She moaned into his mouth, her body sparking with electricity at his touch.

  His free hand slid into the space between her top and skirt and found the small of her back, where he rested his warm hand and drew her against him. “You were amazing, love.”

  She smiled up at him. “I can’t believe how connected I feel to everything, to everyone.”

  He cast his gaze skyward and she looked up, seeing that the moon was almost complete. “Are you ready, Cinder?”

  “Lead the way, Alpha.”

  He grinned sinfully. He knelt and lifted bundles of white ash tied with wire. He tossed the wood into the fire, causing sparks to lift into the air. Turning toward the pack, he raised his hand and a hush fell over the group. “I bring to the pack this night, Cinder Knight. I claim her as my mate and my alpha female. I vow to protect her and our future pups with my life.“

  He turned to her and lifted his left hand, and she mirrored him. He’d already explained this part to her, and although earlier she’d been worried about her part, she wasn’t concerned anymore. She sliced through her wrist with her fangs, leaving twin furrows in her flesh. The blood welled and spilled down her arm as Adam did the same. Their fingers twined and they pressed their wounds together.

  Adam’s voice was loud and clear as he spoke. “I give you your alpha female!”

  The pack cheered as she and Adam unlocked their hands and raised them in the air for all to see. As she looked at their arms, she saw that although the blood remained, the wounds were already healed. The blood mixing and the remarkably fast healing was due to them being alpha mates, and after lowering her hand, she wiggled her fingers and looked at the scars.

  Adam’s hands locked onto her hips and he kissed her gently. “They’re waiting for us, my mate.”

  She blinked up at him and closed her eyes for a brief moment. She touched her connection to the pack and felt their happiness. It wasn’t just because she was a new and powerful form of protection for them, but because they were glad that Adam had found his mate and the pack finally had an alpha female.

  The lygisa power that had been humming through her began to subside. She knew she could call it anytime she needed to, but it wouldn’t run hot like that all the time. As the power ebbed, she felt the pull of the full moon, and her bones and muscles began to ache.

  She pressed her head to Adam’s chest. “Ah,” she gasped.

  “I’ve got you, love. Let me help you.”

  She lifted her head and pressed her lips to his.

  * * * * *

  Adam felt Cinder’s entire body tremble as they kissed. She’d spent a good portion of the day distracted from the pains of her first shift thanks to their mate connection. But now that she was a full lygisa and officially a pack member, the time had lapsed and her shift was upon her.

  He lowered them to their knees and turned her until her back was pressed to his chest. He could feel the pack’s awareness, but he knew they weren’t truly watching them, but waiting.

  Cinder pressed her face into his neck, and her hands gripped his arms tightly as he held her. Her nails, slightly thicker and turning dark, broke through his skin, but he didn’t care. Her fear at what was happening was tangible, and he knew distracting her was the key.

  He laid his hand on her thigh and squeezed gently. He had to fight the wolf who wanted him to just push her forward and fuck her hard. This wasn’t just about his own need to mate his female on the full moon, but was also about her comfort as she struggled with her shift.

  She whimpered as he stroked up her warm thigh. His hand glided under her skit. She pushed her knees apart and he grinned. She might be nervous but she was eager too. He cupped her sex and her teeth bit into his neck.

  He chuckled. “Anxious, sweetheart?”

  “It hurts less when you touch me.”

  “I know. Mates soothe each other. It’s not about the pack right now. It’s about us. Give yourself to me.”

  “I’m yours, Adam. I think I’ve always been yours.”

  His wolf howled in happiness, and Adam slipped two fingers into her pussy. She arched her back, pressing her hips forward. She was so hot and wet. The heel of his palm pressed into her clit as he curled his fingers and began to stroke her. Her chest heaved as she panted, her breath fanning his neck as she gripped his arm. He held her close and fingered her, drawing her to the edge as swiftly as he could. He focused on their connection as mates and thought about how much he loved her, about how he’d never wanted anyone as much as he wanted her, and how he’d never been happier or more content in his life.

  Her back arched further, and she screamed his name as her pussy clamped down on his fingers when she came. He eased her forward, and she planted her hands on the ground, her fingers c
urling into the earth. Keeping his palm on her clit, he unzipped his jeans with his free hand and then lifted the back of her skirt. Her body, beautifully wet and bare, called to a deep part of him. He pushed into her, grinding his palm into her clit and feeling her pussy clench with each twist. Seated fully, he gripped her hips with both hands and straightened, lifting his head to the sky and seeing the moon. It was pure white, an almost ethereal glow surrounding it.

  It was their moon, he realized. The first full moon of their mating, and the one he’d remember for the rest of his life. Cinder moaned softly, and he felt her ardor fading slightly as pain surfaced. He couldn’t let that happen.

  Turning his attention back to his mate, he gripped her hips tightly and began to move. Their bodies collided as he took her and felt the heat of her body as she responded to his claiming. He growled her name, and her pussy clenched him like a fist, making his vision darken for a brief moment of pure bliss. He increased the pace, holding her firmly. She stretched out her arms, lowering her body to the ground and wiggled her legs further apart. Her pussy tightened, and he tilted her hips with his hands, driving deeper into her core.

  Swiveling his hips, he knew he’d hit her sweet spot when her hand curled and her now entirely black nails dug a deep trench into the ground. Growling, he fucked her hard and fast as his vision blurred and pleasure swamped him. She screamed and her body locked down on his, pulling him into his own climax.

  Bending over her, he curled his arms around her as they came together. He saw the glow of their pleasure in his mind’s eye and knew that Cinder had seen it too when she gasped. With a gentle push through their connection, they shared their pleasure with the pack, who greeted them with howls of acceptance and love.

  “I love you, Cinder. I fucking love you so much.” He kissed her neck and hugged her close.

  “I love you, too. I –” She groaned and then her body jerked.

  He pulled out of her and stroked his hands down her arms. “Don’t fight it. Just let the shift come. It’ll only hurt for a moment, and then you’ll be free to hunt with me and our pack.”

  She groaned and rolled to her back. Her hands were curled under her chin, the thick claws clicking together. “I want to see the whole territory.”

  “What?”

  Her back bowed and she cried out, her joints cracking. “I have to, for the lygisa. I have to know the land.”

  He pressed a kiss to her furry cheek. “Okay, love. Let me see your beautiful shift.”

  She rolled to her side and curled into a ball with a muffled sob. He wanted to help her, but there wasn’t anything he could really do except be there for her. The first shift was always scary and difficult, but Cinder was at a disadvantage because she was older and hadn’t grown up knowing what to expect.

  He glanced around and saw that the whole pack was waiting for her to shift. He’d expected them to take the shared pleasure and go enjoy themselves, but they were waiting, watching to make sure she was okay.

  Cinder rolled to her stomach as her bones cracked, the sound loud like fireworks. His wolf whined in sympathy as Cinder made small pained sounds while her body slowly transformed. She’d been a beautiful woman, but the creature before him was magnificent. Her fur was the color of spun gold and sparkled in the moonlight. Her eyes glowed like shiny gold coins.

  She sat down on her rump and lifted a paw, looking at Adam plaintively.

  He scrubbed at his eyes. He’d never thought a female’s first shift would mean so much to him, but seeing Cinder struggle and come out on the other side victorious had touched him to the core.

  He cupped her head and kissed her snout. “You’re so beautiful. I’m one lucky male to have you as my mate.”

  She licked his chin and then pressed her nose to his throat with a soft growl. Her paw now rested on his thigh and her claws ripped through his jeans. He chuckled. “Let’s get you undressed first and then I’ll shift. We’ve got some territory to see.”

  The skirt had come off as she’d shifted, but the tank top was looped around her waist. He tugged it over her head and tossed it aside and then he stood, pushing his jeans down his hips. He shifted, quickly taking on his wolf form. His natural coloring was a stark contrast to her shimmering gold.

  He found her sweet scent even more intoxicating in her shift as they scented each other. The pack had shifted at the same time that he had, and as he and Cinder walked away from the bonfire, they parted and let them lead.

  The night passed quickly and the pack stayed out until dawn, which was the first time Adam had stayed out hunting that late on a full moon since he was a teenager. Keeping his promise to Cinder, he and the pack took her around the entire territory. As she trotted the edge of the territory, he saw that she was leaving something behind, a golden trail of glitter that faded as quickly as it was been shed from her fur. She was marking the territory through her lygisa power. His pride in his mate had no bounds.

  When she’d marked the entire territory, they turned their attentions to the hunt. It was the best night of hunting he’d ever had. The game was plentiful, and Cinder was a fast learner. She first caught two rabbits, but instead of claiming them for herself, she gave them to two young females who had recently shifted. When she helped him take down a buck, she had shared the kill only with him, and he’d never seen anything sexier than his mate as she prowled toward the big creature.

  When they finally reached the backyard as the sun began to rise, she shifted smoothly into her human form and sat down on the grass with a yawn.

  “Tired, love?” he asked as he sat next to her. The pack shuffled into the yard, saying goodbye and heading to their homes.

  “I am completely exhausted, but in such a good way.”

  “Do you feel different?”

  “I feel the same but different, if that makes sense.”

  “Not remotely.”

  She slapped his shoulder with a laugh. “I mean, I know I’m still me, but there’s this new part of me that feels like it’s been there all along. The power is there in my mind, in the background. I know I can call it whenever I need it, the same as my wolf. The pack is my family now. I feel like I’ve known them forever.”

  He nuzzled her throat. “I feel the same way.”

  She hugged her arms around him with a sigh. “On the next full moon, I’ll get to perform blessings. It will be like the vision we both shared before I came here, when I shifted in front of the fire with the pack.”

  He hummed in agreement. “We’ll be ready.”

  She looked at his face, her eyes brimming with happiness. “Did you really like my shift?”

  “You’re beautiful.”

  “You’re pretty handsome yourself. You actually blend into the shadows, but I stick out like big gold thumb.”

  He chuckled. “And there was the glitter thing.”

  She made a face. “It wasn’t glitter. It was the lygisa power marking the territory.”

  “Wolves usually just pee on stuff. That was glitter.”

  “Adam,” she growled.

  He tried not to grin, but he couldn’t help it. She was so cute when she was mad. A piece of fabric hit him in the face, and Cinder snorted a laugh. He glared at Solan who looked sorry he’d thrown it. Adam looked down to see a robe and a pair of shorts.

  “I think the robe is for you, but if you’re going to be mad at me about the glitter thing, then maybe I’ll take the robe, and you can have the shorts.”

  Seeming to be aware suddenly that she was naked, she covered her breasts with one arm and reached for the robe. He held it just out of reach.

  “Adam!”

  “Say you shoot glitter out of your butt, and you can have the robe.”

  “I do not!”

  She struggled to reach it but couldn’t.

  “Say it. Say you have a glitter butt.”

  “You can’t be serious!” She huffed.

  “Alright,” he chuckled, “say you love me.”

  Grinning, she nodded. “I l
ove you. Even though you’re a total ass sometimes.”

  “You know me so well, babe.” He laid the robe over her shoulders, and she slipped her arms into it as he stood and tugged on the shorts.

  Solan, who had quickly disappeared, was replaced with Adam’s mom. “I made coffee.”

  “Thanks, Mom, but I think we’re just going to bed. That is, if it’s okay with my mate.”

  Cinder’s answer was a yawn. Adam lifted her into his arms and carried her into the house. She was asleep before he laid her down on their bed. It took only moments to divest them of their clothes, close the curtains, and lock the door before joining her under the covers and pulling her close.

  He would never have guessed that a trip to Lykos and seeing his mate would lead him to this place, where he held her close after a night of hunting, the pack completely content, and their territory safe. Cinder would keep the pack safe through her power, but Adam would keep her safe. He and his wolf silently vowed to be ever vigilant and protect her against anything and everything that might come.

  Their meeting had awoken the wolf inside her and given her amazing power, but she’d given him much more in return. He’d spend the rest of his life making sure that she knew just how special she was to him.

  Chapter 17

  Cinder settled into the chair behind the reception desk at the clinic. She hadn’t been to work in a week. Adam didn’t really want her to keep working, and she knew in reality that as alpha female, she really shouldn’t work away from the pack, but the clinic needed a receptionist and she promised Dr. Whalen she’d train her replacement.

  A chair scooted behind her, and Cinder moved to make room for Angie. They’d toured the facility already, and she was teaching her the position responsibilities. “Okay, so it’s really a pretty simple job,” she said. She explained the ten-line phone and the messaging system. “When Dr. Whalen’s door is open, he’s taking calls. Otherwise, he’ll call whoever it is back, unless of course it’s the leader of one of the were-groups or someone calling on his or her behalf. Do you know all the leaders?”