“Of course I am. I’m terrified that I’ll get stuck in animal form and your pack will shred me to kibble!”
“You have my word that no harm will come to you.”
“Very well. But know this, brother, I’m holding you to it. If I die, I’ll be pissed, and I will find a way to haunt you for the rest of your life!”
Adalyn closed her eyes and imagined herself turning into a wolf. She felt a chill sweep across her body. Her limbs began to tremble. She almost pulled back, the fear and panic once again trying to overwhelm her— but she stuck with it.
Just a little longer,she whispered to herself. She could handle it.
Somehow.
A sudden wind whipped around her. She smelled majik thick in the air. Her witch balked at the idea of surrendering any form of control. Yet Adalyn pushed on, past her witch, past her own inhibition and fear.
She felt as if she were floating above the ground as each of her bones snapped and reshaped to form a new primal body. The thick majik held her in place as her body transformed. Power, not hers and one she wasn’t used to, seeped into her, easing her transformation. It took her a moment to realize the Alpha, her brother, was guiding her first shift. She would have to remember to thank him for it later.
Seconds passed, hell, it could have been hours for all Adalyn knew, when she had finally felt the majik that had surrounded her begin to dissipate. She glanced down to see the ground much closer than it ought to be. Her feet—err paws, were tiny and covered in a dark mahogany fur. Foreign scents filled her nose. She could smell everything! The dirt beneath her paws, the flowers in the field, the grass under her paws, the sweat from the humans who stood beside her, even the fuel in the vehicles nearby. Each creature who roamed the forest had a different scent. A scent that she was easily able to identify. It was like nothing she’d ever experienced.
Her ears twitched as sounds from far and wide funneled into her ears. Twigs snapping under the weight of a deer miles away sounded as if it was right next to her. Adalyn could hear the gentle breeze as it rustled the leaves on the trees above. The sound of a car engine miles away filtered back to her.
Fascinating.
She pawed at the ground. The texture of the grass seemed odd when she compared it to walking outside in her bare feet. Though her wolf didn’t seem to mind it one single bit. She closed her eyes and swallowed a breath of the freshest air to ever hit her lungs.
Adalyn felt a cool nose rub up against the side of her face. It took her a second to realize the owner of the nose was Wade. She’d recognized his pale gray fur from when he’d been nice enough to shift to show her how easy it was. The slightest touch startled her, unaccustomed to how sensitive her fur covered body would be.
Majik once again filled the air, this time it had a sweet smell. A scent that smelled like home. Her wolf reveled in the scent. Adalyn watched as each of the humans in the field shifted into wolves. Their moves gentler and more graceful than hers had been. She could feel the power of the Alpha pressing against her. The authority of the Alpha calmed her wolf more than she would have imagined. It was as if she had been designed to follow him. His will was her will. It wasn’t a question that needed answering, nor did her wolf try to fight the calming effect. She accepted it without question. Every fiber of her being told her to do so.
It simply was.
Without making a conscious decision to do so, Adalyn found herself bowing to Rafe.
“Adalyn Erickson, daughter of Bjorn Erickson, do you give yourself freely to Black Paw Pack?”
It was her brother’s voice that filled her mind.
“Yes.”
“Do you submit to the Alpha’s will and leadership?”
“Yes.”
Each of her answers sprang to her mind before she even had a chance to think twice.
“Do you pledge to protect this pack and all of its members, even if it means your life?”
“I do.”
“Very well. As the Alpha of Black Paw, I accept your entry into the pack. May the gods grant you peace and prosperity within our ranks.”
Through her wolf, Adalyn felt herself connect to each of the wolves in the pack. Her own power surged within her, somehow supercharged by the pack she’d committed to. A sense of calm and peace washed over her wolf, leaving her more serene than Adalyn had ever felt. The animal within her finally had a purpose, a home, a family. All the things she’d been missing her entire life.
“See, it wasn’t so bad, was it?”
Adalyn let out a yelp as Wade’s voice filled her mind.“How can I hear you? How is this possible? The Alpha, I understand, but can I talk to everyone in wolf form?”
She really needed to learn the ropes of wolf-hood—ASAFP.
“You can speak to and send mental images to anyone in the pack,”Wade answered.
“That’s a handy-dandy feature.”
“It sure is. Are you ready to run?”
Wade didn’t have to ask her twice. Adalyn shut down her thoughts and let her wolf do exactly what she’d longed to do their entire life.
Run.
