by Celia Kyle
Even Newman approached them, cautiously and looking like death warmed over with two black eyes, a puffy nose, and a big circular scab on his forehead. Val winced at her handiwork while Zeke narrowed his flashing gaze and let out a low warning growl. Fang scurried up between their feet and echoed Zeke’s growl, though hers was much less terrifying. Val silenced Zeke—and consequently, Fang—with a touch of her hand on his arm. He had nothing to worry about with Newman. Or anyone else, for that matter. Her heart, soul and body belonged to Zeke. Forever. But she did need to apologize to the man she’d hurt.
“Newman, I’m really sorry—”
He held up a hand to stop her. “No, I’m the one who needs to apologize, Valerie. And to thank you.”
“Thank me? For what?” She tried not to laugh, but she’d never had a man thank her for handing him his own ass on a platter.
“For teaching me a lesson I should have learned a long time ago. Never, ever touch a woman without her permission. I’m sorry and… thank you.”
Not wanting to piss off Zeke by hugging another man, Val settled for a gracious smile. “My… pleasure?” They all chuckled, and Newman hurried off before Zeke got too growly.
By the time the stream of well-wishers dried up, the energy on the front lawn had shifted from joyful to excited. More and more people started stripping off their clothes in preparation to shift into their wolf forms.
“You okay with all of this?” Zeke asked quietly so no one would overhear.
She forced a smile. “Yeah, of course. I’m no prude, Zeke. I can’t count how many communal showers I’ve been in.”
“Then why am I smelling tension coming off you in waves?”
Damn the mate bond! She’d never be able to hide anything from him again. Strangely, the thought gave her comfort.
“It’s getting naked in front of everyone just seems so… intimate. I’ll be so damn vulnerable, and that doesn’t sit well with me. Not sure if you figured this out about me, but I don’t trust easily.”
“You?” Zeke gasped theatrically, mocking her in the most loving way. “I’m sure it will take some getting used to, but I think you know you’re safe here. Safe from danger, safe from ridicule, safe from pretty much everything you hated about the human world. We’re all on the same page here, Val. You can trust us. Or at the very least, you can trust me.”
And she could. She knew that deep in her bones. And so she trusted him. By the time she’d shed her panties and folded them in with the rest of her clothes, she marveled at how free she felt. Something inside her pressed against her chest, also wanting to be freed. Her wolf, it had to be. It was the first time the beast had really made itself known to her, and the sensation was out of this world weird. But also amazing. She couldn’t wait to release her and discover everything about her new body.
Gasps and shouts heralded the sliver of bright white cresting over the trees, and suddenly Val had no control over her own body. Not fully, anyway. Her body vibrated with strength and energy she’d never believed possible before. Her face twisted and lengthened as her arms grew impossibly hairy. She tried to control her breathing, to slow the shift so she could relish every sensation, but it was beyond her control. That wasn’t a sensation she liked, but with Zeke by her side, she knew she’d make it through. Relinquishing command to her wolf, she let nature take its course.
Her humanity slipped behind a curtain and her animal instincts came forward, taking center stage. She fell to all fours as her muscles bunched and expanded while her human features receded to nothing. The sheer multitude of scents in her small bit of the world assaulted her, nearly overwhelming all of her senses. Zeke’s massive coppery brown wolf pressed its side against hers, soothing her and keeping her tethered to reality.
Focusing on her own body, Val inspected her furry forelegs. They were long, stocky, and as black as her human hair. God, what I wouldn’t give for a mirror! Stretching each leg to its limit, she discovered that every part she could see was black, which suited her just fine. It would have been even weirder than it already was if her wolf had turned out to be blonde-haired and blue-eyed. Just for fun, she gave her tail a wag and marveled at how cool it felt. With every passing second, she became more at home in her new beastly form, and much to her surprise, she liked it.
Once Zeke was sure she was ready, he let out an ear-splitting howl to mark the start of the run. The entire pack stampeded into the forest as fast as they could, and Val leaped forward to follow her mate, her pack.
Poor Fang did her best to keep up, but after the first few bounds, she quickly fell behind. Still, Val’s precious princess continued following them, despite the fact she would get hopelessly lost in the woods if she did. Sprinting back to the dog, Val nudged her toward the pack house. At first Fang sniffed and barked her annoyance, but then she finally dropped her head and slowly plodded away, looking for all the world like a pouting child. Only once Fang was safely seated on the porch, looking glum and left out, did Val finally bolt into the tree line to find Zeke. She didn’t need to look very hard—he’d waited for her.
Valerie fell into step with Zeke, the two of them bounding into the deep, dark forest teeming with nocturnal life. They ran fast, pushing each other to go even faster as they tore through the thorny underbrush and leaped over fallen trees. Val knew Zeke could have outrun her in a heartbeat, especially with her being so new to wolfdom, but she quickly found her stride and relished the burn in her muscles, just as she did when she worked out in her human form.
The rest of the pack dispersed, either to do their own thing or to give their alpha and his mate some privacy on their first run. Branches whipped her sides like switches, but she barely felt them through her thick fur. Stones and twigs poked at her paws, but the pads weren’t as tender as her own bare feet. Her wolf wanted to chase every little animal that dared to catch her attention, but she had enough control over the beast to keep moving, running, living.
As she and Zeke darted back and forth, always coming back together, the scenery started looking familiar. They must have crossed over from pack lands into the Wolf Woods. Before she knew it, they’d entered the meadow where they’d had their picnic and where Zeke claimed her as his mate. Their spot. Panting from the delicious exertion, they trotted to the center of the clearing and sat side by side, fur against fur, watching as their pack mates darted around the edge of the clearing, frolicking like pups.
Val sat watching it all, trying to fathom the depth of the changes inside her. She not only felt stronger, but the animalistic instinct that led her wolf seemed more accurate than any machine could ever be. Forget night-vision goggles. She had wolf eyes now. Beyond the physicality, she also felt smarter. No, not smarter, exactly. Clearer. As if all the noise clouding her human mind had evaporated, leaving only the most important things in perfect focus.
And one of those things—the most important one of all—sat next to her, staring at her with love and devotion shining in his eyes. Every step she’d taken in life had led her to Tremble, to the woods surrounding her, to the mate pressed up against her. It was as if becoming a wolf had been her destiny all along.
Which, of course, it had.
Chapter Twenty
Zeke sat at the head of the table as he waited for the rest of the ruling circle to arrive. Val sat to his left, holding a happy Fang in her lap. He’d never known his capacity for love was so deep, but as he looked at them—his girls—he realized it was fathomless.
Warren wandered in first, giving Zeke a curious look and no doubt wondering why he’d called the meeting. He nodded and sat at the alpha’s right. Zeke gave a curt nod back but remained silent. Shull and Knox strolled in next, murmuring quietly to each other until they saw their alpha was already present. They missed half a step when they noticed Val’s attendance, but gamely took their seats next to her. Levi was last to arrive, sitting next to Warren as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
Until Fang growled at him, her lip curled back in a vicious snarl—or
as vicious as an adorable fluffball like her could get. Zeke had never considered himself to be a dog person, but Fang was pretty damn endearing. The fact she helped Val so much was icing on the cake.
Zeke remained silent for a full minute, giving them enough time to feel awkward and uneasy. Once they started squirming and glancing at each other with unspoken questions, he began.
“I called this meeting of my Ruling Circle to discuss our next move in the Wolf Woods situation. I—”
“Glad to hear it,” Shull jumped in, excited about the topic at hand. “Knox and I think we should charge a tax for the pack to use the woods, which would be used to pay the bribes.”
Levi nodded enthusiastically. “That’s a great idea! We could—”
“I said…” Zeke held up a hand and the room fell silent as his steely gaze settled on each one in turn. “I said I called my Ruling Circle. Not my father’s.”
Birds could have flown into Shull and Knox’s gaping mouths. They slowly turned to look at each other and then returned their shocked gazes to their alpha.
“All we’ve ever done was try to help—”
“Your father entrusted us to—”
“Thank you for your help during the transition, gentlemen,” Zeke interrupted. No sense in letting them blather on any longer than necessary. “I sought your counsel and you gave it freely, even when that advice ran counter to everything an alpha should be and do.”
Shull’s head rocked back as if Zeke had just slapped him. “Name one time—”
“Kidnapping the Blackwood healer, for one,” Zeke snapped back. “If I recall, that was your idea, Shull. I take full responsibility for taking that advice, but things could have ended very badly. I expect my advisors to steer me away from such stupidity, not suggest it. Out of all of you, Warren was the only one to try and talk sense into me. Thank god Drew forgave my impetuous and very bad decision, which we can only attribute to fate.” He shot Val a sly smirk. “Fated mates, to be precise.”
“Listen, Zeke,” Knox started, but Zeke cut him off.
“No, you listen. The transition between my father and I could have been rough, and you both worked to make it go smoothly. I appreciate everything you’ve done, and you will hold a place of honor in the pack for your service, but from this point forward, you will no longer be joining Ruling Circle meetings. You’re excused.”
For the first time since his father’s death, Zeke felt perfectly at home in the alpha’s seat. Hell, in the role itself. It had taken Val’s encouragement to lead from his heart to make him see that too many cooks in the kitchen spoiled the broth. After a year of second-guessing himself and seeking the approval of his elders, he’d finally found his footing as the leader of the Soren pack, and that meant relying on those he could trust to advise him, not his father’s sloppy seconds.
The two old wolves stared at him in utter disbelief, and when they opened their mouths to protest, Zeke’s placid gaze turned hot and hard. The men blinked, sensing their new alpha meant business. Good thing because he wasn’t above handing them a smackdown, in spite of their age. A whiff of Val’s desire reached his nose and he had to tamp down the urge to smile. She liked his alpha display.
Duly noted.
Without another word or objection, Shull and Knox dropped their gazes and shuffled out of the room. If they’d been in their wolf forms, their tails would have been tucked between their legs. That didn’t stop them from slamming the door on their way out though.
Levi, perhaps sensing his time had come to pay the piper for arresting Val, sank in on himself, trying to present the smallest target possible. Zeke watched him silently, letting the knife twist in the man’s gut.
“Levi,” he finally said, his tone downright bloodthirsty. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Zeke—” Levi started in a pitiful whimper.
“Execution!” Zeke shouted over him. Levi’s eyes grew wide with alarm, as did Warren’s. “I won’t lie, it crossed my mind, but that’s probably too harsh for your crime. Expulsion from the pack seems more reasonable, though I suppose with that lone wolf who’s been prowling around Wolf Woods, you wouldn’t be alone for long. Of course, we all know lone wolves are either a bit or totally insane so…good luck with that.”
“Zeke, what crime did I commit?” Levi asked, his head lowered and his eyes pleading.
“Don’t play with me, Levi. Trying to implicate the alpha mate in the sabotage of McNish’s construction site.”
Levi leaned across the table, almost reaching for him. “But that wasn’t a crime, Zeke! I was doing my civic duty. We all heard her threaten to blow it up. Besides, she wasn’t the alpha mate yet—she was just a stinking human!”
Zeke’s wolf fought to come out and lunge at Levi, but just as he snarled, and his fur and fangs started to show, Val laid a calming hand on his arm. He looked at Val and she guided him through five calming breaths. Once he had control again, he returned his still-fiery gaze to Levi.
“That human kicked my best sentry’s ass. That human dealt with Calhoun in a way I never could have. This human showed more initiative, integrity and balls than you have since I appointed you!”
Levi had no response.
“As I was saying,” Zeke continued. “I considered more drastic measures for that kind of insubordination, but my enforcer talked me out of it.”
Warren looked puzzled while Levi screwed up his face.
“B-but I’m your enforcer,” Levi sputtered, shooting a glance at Warren for support.
Zeke smiled, turning to his implacable mate. “Not anymore.”
He let the news sink in for a beat or two. Warren looked relatively pleased, but Levi’s face had turned an alarming shade of red.
“Levi,” he continued, “you’ve been reassigned to scat duty.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Levi scathed with a scowl.
“It’s a new position created just for you, and it’s a very important one.” Zeke somehow managed not to laugh as he explained Levi’s new duties. “Until the fate of Wolf Woods is decided, we need to be hyper-vigilant about not revealing any evidence of our presence. No trace whatsoever. Your new job, whether or not you choose to accept it, is to patrol Wolf Woods and clean up any random wolf scat you find.”
“Fuck that!” Levi shouted as he jumped up from his seat and slapped his hands on the table in outrage. “I’m your enforcer! No way am I going on poop patrol!”
Before he was finished ranting, Val set Fang on the table and stood slowly but purposefully. She then put herself between Zeke and Levi. They both knew Zeke didn’t need to be protected from the likes of Levi, but it was her job as his enforcer to protect him, and she took her duties very seriously. Damn, what a helluva woman!
Her body vibrated with tension, ready for a fight should Levi try to attack, and Zeke almost hoped he would. He had no doubt she’d be able to handle herself just as well in a wolf fight as a bar brawl. Unfortunately, Fang had other plans.
No doubt sensing the impending threat to her mistress, Fang gave one short warning snarl and then darted across the slick table in a frenzy of yips and nips. The surprise attack jerked a yelp out of Levi, who staggered backward, trying to avoid the dog’s needle-sharp teeth. Leaping from the table, Fang chased the terrified ex-enforcer around the room a couple of times before Levi remembered there was a door. Of course, as soon as he bolted out of the war room, Fang followed, nipping at his heels.
Zeke roared with laughter, while Val and Warren watched with blatant amusement as Fang pranced back into the room, her head and tail held high with pride over her accomplishment. Val scooped her up and showered her head with kisses as she returned to her seat at Zeke’s left.
“Congratulations on your new position, Valerie,” Warren said, a rare smile lingering on his lips. “And to you, Zeke, for choosing the best enforcer for the job.”
Zeke grinned. “Glad you approve.”
“So what’s the plan for Wolf Woods?” Warren asked him, turning d
eadly serious.
“All I can tell you is that we’re not paying a dime to those scumbags. It goes against everything I believe in. McNish can go sit on an ice pick, for all I care. If we can’t work within the system to keep the woods wild, we’ll simply have to accept a new reality. We have more than enough room for runs on pack lands, which will act as a buffer between us and human encroachment. It’s not ideal, but we’ll be okay.”
Warren nodded his approval of this more reasonable, if frustrating, plan. “Sounds good. Or good enough, anyway. I honestly didn’t see how paying off Calhoun and McNish could be sustainable over—”
The doorbell bing-bonged loudly from the main living space and was quickly followed by a familiar voice calling out, “Hello?”
“Chloe!” Val squealed and sprinted out of the war room to greet her best friend.
Zeke had never seen her act so much like a…girl. He rather liked that side of her. Hell, who was he kidding—he liked every side of her!
Grinning at Warren, he shrugged. “Meeting adjourned, I guess.”
Warren didn’t seem quite so amused. In fact, he looked downright crestfallen.
“Boy, you look like the cheese just fell off your cracker,” he said, slapping his beta on the shoulder. “Buck up, brother.”
Warren winced and nodded but didn’t look any less bummed. He’d had something of a crush on Chloe for most of their lives, but she’d never been interested. It was one thing to pursue her as two unmated wolves, but once she’d found her fated mate in Drew, Warren really should have accepted how ill-advised his crush had been. Zeke felt for the guy, but it was time to let it go.