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I lowered myself out of the tree, catching my breath as I landed, my rib protesting the movement. I needed to get home, have Paige heal my rib, and find out what the hell Caleb had done.
Chapter Ten
Caleb
Agony racked my body, ten thousand times worse than the first time I’d experienced Dru shift, and I curled into a ball, desperately trying to hold onto my sanity. Finally, the pain started to recede, but phantom aches continued to radiate through me. Muscles cramped as I tried to stretch my legs out and I winced, unable to comprehend that Dru went through this every time she shifted.
I’d never really considered the magic of the shift. I’d always known it healed almost any wound but never realized the hidden effects. Taking the pain from Dru taught me differently and I had a new appreciation for her strength.
I propped myself up on my elbow, searching for my connection to her, and blew out a relieved breath when the warm ember of her life glowed brightly in my mind. I’d almost lost her to a damn boar attack, a risk she never should have taken on her own. Understanding why she had done it didn’t make it any easier knowing she could have died.
I managed to haul myself upright, leaning against the cold stone wall, remembering the way I’d been able to see the fight through her eyes. It wasn’t unusual for pack mates to be able relieve a memory or share an experience, but my bond with Dru wasn’t complete and she wasn’t technically a Pack mate. The strength of my connection to her was on par with the one I shared with Dom and it didn’t make sense, but it didn’t change the fact that she was becoming the most important person in my life.
Footsteps came down the stairs, each one deliberate, and the hair on my arms raised. I stood, recognizing the scent and unwilling to face her from a position of weakness. “It’s good to see you again.”
There was the barest hesitation as she came down the last step and her expression was unsmiling as she spoke, “A well-mannered wolf then.”
“I would consider myself a well-mannered shifter,” I replied, keeping my eyes on her as she moved further into the room, the bars a poor separation as I felt the immense power radiating from her.
“Bow,” she commanded and my spine bent unwillingly. “Struggle only makes it harder on you,” she commented, unable to even pretend sympathy. “You’ll break….like all the rest.”
“Like Dru?” Her power rippled at my question and I took advantage, straightening my back.
The blue of her eyes electrified as she hissed, “You dare speak her name as if you know her?” She stalked closer, pushing her will with every step and my knees buckled. “Her name is Drusilla Primrose Sinclair. She is descended of the original blood and you will not refer to her as Dru.” Her chest heaved and her eyes glittered with rage as power pulsed from her and it was all I could do not to collapse under the force of it. “Insolent pup. You will learn to respect your creator.”
I braced my hands against the floor, nausea rolling through me as I fought against her will. The sound of my ragged breaths filled the room and I spat, determined not to break under her sharp gaze. “I’ll call her whatever she allows me to,” I gritted out. “She has the right to her name.”
She inhaled, and I choked as it felt like all the oxygen in the room disappeared. “But you have no rights here and I’m tired of your defiance.” I managed to lift my head in time to see her smile icily. “Shift.”
There was no resisting her command as my body shimmered, and a moment later my wolf stood there, a low growl escaping as I glared at her impotently. I snapped my teeth at her and she cocked her head.
“Shift.”
Again, I couldn’t stop the transformation as she commanded my body. I landed on my stomach and this time it was a little harder to push myself up.
“What are you doing?” I questioned, muscles quivering as I held myself off the ground.
“Solving a problem,” she answered and this time she didn’t bother to utter a command before I was once again a wolf. My head hung low as I panted, trying to figure out how she could force the shift on me, something I thought only an Alpha could do.
“How?” I grunted when I was once again a man. I stayed on the ground, conserving my strength, and she sighed.
“They don’t teach you the origins of your kind?”
I shook my head slightly and she moved until her feet stood in front of my face.
“Pity. You might have thought twice about coming here if you’d known.”
