Page 104 of Do You Even Shift, Bro?

Oh. That's new. Like a soft presence at the back of my mind, tickling my own thoughts.

I nod, stepping back. "Go ahead. I'll watch from here."

But Killian doesn't move. Instead, he circles around behind me, then nudges my back gently with his nose. The meaning is clear.

"You want me to come with you?" I ask, surprised.

Another nudge, more insistent this time.

"I can't keep up with wolves," I point out.

Killian drops to the ground beside me, then looks pointedly at his back.

"You want me to ride you?" I ask incredulously. "Is that even possible?"

Through our bond, I feel his amused confidence.I'm more than big enough.

I look at the other wolves, who seem equally entertained by the idea. Sean makes a chuffing sound that's suspiciously like a laugh.

"Are you sure?" I ask Killian, still hesitant.

In response, he simply lowers himself further, making it easier for me to climb onto his back.

"This is insane," I mutter, but find myself moving forward anyway. I carefully swing one leg over his back, settling behind his shoulders. His fur is thick enough to grip, and I lean forward, wrapping my arms around his strong neck. "Like this?"

A feeling of satisfaction flows through our bond. Killian rises slowly, adjusting to my weight, which seems negligible to his powerful form. I tighten my hold, momentarily terrified of falling, but his movements are slow and sure.

"Okay," I say, my voice shaky with more excitement than anything else. "Let's do this."

Killian starts with a steady walk, giving me time to adjust to the rhythm of his movements. The other wolves circle around us, playfully bounding in and out, clearly eager to run but waiting for their pack alpha's lead. Gradually, Killian increases his pace to a trot, then a loping run that eats up the ground.

I clench my hands tight in his fur and the forest blurs around us as we move deeper into the wilderness. Wind whips through my hair, carrying the scents of pine and wild things.

And I find myself laughing. Laughing and laughing as I ride this huge fucking wolf through the forest like I've lost my mind. And maybe I have. This is freedom like I've never known it, racing through the forest on the back of a creature who's somehow both predator and protector, surrounded by a pack that's become my family.

We break through the trees into a meadow dotted with wildflowers, and Killian finally lets loose, accelerating to a full sprint. I cling tighter, my face pressed into his fur, trusting him completely. The other wolves fan out around us, running in perfect formation, four separate wild entities moving as one.

This is what it means to be a pack, I realize. This harmony, this unity of purpose. Not just magic and bonds, but this intense, feral connection to each other and to the wild.

We're halfway across the meadow when I feel it.

A sudden shift in the air, like pressure dropping before a storm. The wolves feel it too, all four of them slowing and clustering together, heads raised, alert.

"What is it?" I ask, scanning the tree line.

Before any of them can respond, a shimmer appears in the air ahead of us, a distortion like heat waves rising from hot pavement. But this is no natural phenomenon. I recognize the signature of a portal spell, and my blood runs cold.

Killian growls, the sound vibrating through his entire body. The other wolves move into defensive positions with Sean and Micah flanking us, Rowan slightly ahead, his hackles raised.

The shimmer expands, tearing open to reveal several shadow figures stepping through. As the first three emerge from theportal, their bodies cloaked in dark, amorphous energy that makes it hurt to look at them for too long, several others follow through the portal behind them until there are twelve in total, all standing in a line.

I don't need to see their faces to know exactly who they are. The magical signatures are burned into my memory.

My former coven.

They've come for me.

To Be Continued…