I swallow, suddenly nervous.Do they think I’ll fail?I don’t scent any concern on them, just their usual scents of peppermint, pine, and coppery ash.
A delicious blend that makes me sigh.
I want to roll in their scents and bathe in their Alpha essence.
“Shift, Clove,” Volt dares, his gaze glittering with wicked promise.
I take a deep breath, intimidated by the process of shifting.
Because the last several times I tried, my wolf refused to let me go.
However, this time she urges me on.
No, she does more than that. Sheguidesme through it, helping me return to my human form. It doesn’t hurt. It… it feels natural. And completely different from before when I felt blocked beneath another being’s power.
Because Tieran only encouraged my shift the other day, he didn’t maintain his hold. He literally set me free.
The way an Alpha should.
The way a mate should.
He didn’t lord his power over me, he let me be the shifter I’m supposed to be.
Tears prickle my eyes as I complete my transformation and stand on my own.I did it. I shifted.
But the males around me appear expectant, not proud. They’re still watching me with that subtle hint of intrigue.
When nothing happens, Tieran merely nods and says, “Well done, Clove.”
Somehow that feels lacking in comparison to the triumph vibrating through my soul. Even Volt appears to be less than impressed as he says, “That was perfect, sweetling.”
“A beautiful display,” Caius echoes.
Their words are what I want to hear.
But something is missing.
Joy, I think.Joy and… and…I can’t put my finger on it.
All I feel is a hint of disappointment, but I’m not sure if it’s coming from them or from me.
Until I realize the source of it. The last time I shifted, I went into heat.
Were they waiting for that to happen now? Hoping that I would fall into a full estrus? To make me truly eligible as their mate?
I heard them talking the other night, their words chasing me into my dreams. Tieran needs an heir. Which means he needs an Omega that can procreate.
That’s why he hasn’t claimed me yet. It’s also probably why he won’t touch me. I’m not worthy enough in my current state, something that makes me bitter and annoyed.
I want to be good enough for them. I want these males to claim me, to knot me, to make me theirs.
Because my wolf has already decided that they belong to her.
But what if I never go into a proper heat cycle? Will they reject me? Find a new Omega for their clan?
Just the thought of it almost destroys me.
I’ve already been rejected once.
