AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“So more girl time? Sounds like a win,” I said, shrugging. She let out a small laugh, hushing when he gave us an amused look.
“Sorry, Alpha,” Emma said, pretending to zip her lips. He turned to the rest of the pavilion, his head held high and looking every bit the part of alpha. He had his charming and playful side, but his strength really stood out in moments like this.
“Another full moon is upon us, my friends. We have a new addition to our pack now, and I’d officially like to welcome her.” His words hung in the air and all eyes turned to me, almost all of them excited. I hadn’t expected this and now that it was here, I was in shock. “Welcome home, Vanya.”
“Thank you,” I managed to croak out, tears almost slipping from my eyes. I glanced out at my new packmates, finally landing on Garren and Leven. Both were smiling, Leven giving me a slight nod of approval. And dammit if that wasn’t the exact thing to set off the waterworks, a tear escaping. I’d never felt I belonged anywhere, aside from at Meira’s side. I never really thought when I set out on this journey that I’d end up finding a real home, one I could be proud to be part of. But it seemed the gods were set on proving me wrong and I was here for it.
Knowing the procedure, I bared my shoulder for him. The pain of his alpha bite was intense, but over quickly. The skin knitted together and something seemed to settle in my chest. I couldn’t feel my pack exactly, but I now felt tethered to this land and the other people here. A true sense of belonging.
He stepped away and gave me a bright smile, my heart clenching as my alpha looked at me with pure excitement.This is how a pack should be.It was easy to see my former pack’s shortcomings now that I’d seen the genuine community Callum built here.
“Let the celebration commence.” His words were followed by cheers and the music kicked back on.
“I better get up there,” Emma sighed as we watched Callum giving polite but curt greetings as he fought his way back to me, refusing to be stopped this time around. “I’ll see you later. Have fun with our alpha,” she sang out.
“Is she stirring up trouble?” Callum asked as he dropped into his seat.
“Always. They’re rooting for you apparently,” I teased.
“I’m shocked. They love Nyx around here, he’s like the mascot of this community,” he joked. The way he said it made me think he worried that I might agree with them.
“Nah, you’ve all got your perks and your downfalls,” I said. He gave me a mock-shocked look.
“And do tell. What’s my downside? Because I’m pretty sure there aren’t any.” And there it was, that cocky grin I couldn’t get enough of.
“That modesty for sure,” I teased. “But really, I’ll never tell. Oh look. Food.” I got up and started to walk away when he grabbed me, yanking me back to his lap.
“Oh no. I don’t think so, little wolf,” he husked. “You don’t get to tease me and walk away.”
“I think I do.” I laughed, wiggling against him. He groaned, wrapping an arm around my waist to stop me. “Oops.”
His laugh was full of promise. “You’re going to regret this later.”
“Good,” I baited, leaning in so close that my lips brushed against his. “Don’t go gentle on me.”
“Fuck,” he groaned as he finally let me go. I walked up to the buffet line with a grin on my face and the prospect of a long night ahead.
* * *
“Want me to look away?”Callum asked as we walked to the edge of the forest. Wolves weren’t modest, we shift too often for that. But I appreciated that he cared enough to ask. My answer was to slip off my crop top and shimmy out of my pants, stacking them to the side for when we finished.
“If we don’t make it back here, someone better retrieve my favorite pants.” He made a show of looking every inch of me over like he was committing it to memory.
“That’s a very real possibility.”
His words fell away as the moon came out from behind a cloud. The moment the light hit us, the change was impossible to ignore. My body tingled with magic, and I gave into it, shifting easily this time. Shaking out my body, I glanced over with sharper eyes, staring at the wolf who stood beside me, clothes now shredded around him. Our wolf forms were large and bulky, mine far more petite than his. He had light brown fur and his tongue lulled out of his mouth as he gave me a wolfy grin. His blue eyes were vibrant, glowing a bit with power. I was a bit curious to see Leven and Nyx’s wolves for comparison, though I had a feeling Leven wouldn’t be playful, even in this form.
Moving forward, I bumped my nose to his before taking off at a run. He made a huffing noise that sounded like laughter before he was after me, overtaking me in seconds so the chase was reversed. As we bordered the Bluffs, I took the lead again. Adrenaline and power coursed through me, and it was as if I never truly lived before this moment. It was more than just that, having Callum beside me and feeling the presence of the other wolves around us in the night, was such a different experience. I felt them, was a part of them, and it settled something in my soul I hadn’t realized was missing all these years.
Man, I wish Meira could see this.
Halfway through the wrapping forest, an auburn wolf joined us. From the way his pale blue eyes stood out and his tongue lulled playfully out of his mouth, I knew it was Nyx. He nuzzled into me for a moment, saying hello before he was off again.
Callum didn’t mind, his stride never faltering. He knew this was my first time and I think he was just giving me a chance to meet everyone’s wolves, not isolate me for his own gain. A true alpha. Leven would have had no trouble keeping me to himself, which also sounded appealing if I was being honest.
After that, every few laps we were getting interrupted. A trio of wolves I recognized as Emma and her brothers, the Rivera twins, and a few other wolves I’d met during my stay here so far.
Then I spotted Leven and Garren, a midnight-black wolf and a dark graying one stood side by side, overlooking the river below and the moon above. They were strong and breathtaking in their pose. But the moment we approached, Leven turned. His black wolf approached slowly, bowing to Callum before resting his head on my shoulder in greeting. That moment hit me. The man who hated me, or so I thought, had truly worked through his own issues. He saw me in a new light and in turn, I was seeing him in one as well.
