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The white wolf licked her lips, her silver eyes flickering over me, but the caution didn’t disappear. In an ideal world, I could have given Celeste all the time she needed. Then my mate would’ve shifted for the first time at will, rather than being forced to.
I bristled at that image before taking another breath.Do not make this worse for her.
The disconnect left me with only one option. “I’m going to help you gain control over your wolf,” I informed her, “but I’ll use an alpha command to do it. This won’t hurt you; you will both simply feel a compulsion. As soon as your wolf steps back and you step forward, you won’t feel it anymore.”
The wolf rumbled but didn’t move. Knowing this was likely the most consent or understanding I’d get from Celeste in this state, I inhaled. When I blinked, red colored my vision as I watched her, our eyes meeting. “You are calm,” I said, feeling the thrum of the power around me. “Celeste, you are safe. You are in control. Your wolf will rest, and you will come forward.”
The words hung in the air. The wolf shuddered, closing her eyes. When she opened them again, Celeste was sitting on the floor in her human form. She sucked in a wobbling breath, scrambling to her feet before she all but launched herself at me like I was her only safe harbor in a stormy sea.
“Fenris,” she whispered, her voice hoarse. She buried herself in my chest.
I could feel her hot tears through my shirt. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close against my chest as she began to shake. Regardless of the circumstances, a first shift could be intense. A pup might cry for her parents, but Celeste had been robbed of that opportunity. I held her closer, gently rubbing my hand up and down her spine.
“You are safe,” I promised her, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head.
How did I not realize she was a shifter all this time?
Celeste was clearly terrified, so I had no reason to believe my fated mate was hiding this from me. However, someone had apparently gone to great lengths to suppress her magical abilities. Had they been able to restrict her from shifting? Was this all part of someone’s plan?
Celeste shuddered in my arms, derailing my train of thought. I held her closer to me and hummed deep in my chest as I willed the anxiety and adrenaline to release her. I didn’t know how long we stood like that, but I could’ve stood with her for the rest of time if she needed it.
Finally, she mumbled something against my chest.
“What was that?” I replied, craning my head.
Celeste sniffled, pulling her face away from my shirt just enough to speak. “I’m glad to see you,” she whispered, wiping at her face as though embarrassed by her tears.
As far as I was concerned, she had no reason to be. “I’ve never been more relieved,” I replied, meaning every word. “When I saw the state of that building back there—” I bristled and took a moment to force my wolf back down. “I will track down each and every person who took part in your capture and kill them for this.”
I didn’t care how violent I sounded. They deserved nothing less.
“You can’t,” Celeste said.
I ground my teeth together and growled. I knew my mate was soft-hearted, but I didn’t think even she could convince me to offer mercy this time. “I can and I will,” I said.
“No, I mean…” she began, shaking her head and wiping her face again. “They’re all dead. Someone showed up and set the entire place on fire. I watched them…literallyevaporatea vampire right before my eyes.”
I inhaled, my mind already beginning to race. “Who was it? Did you see their face?”
“No,” she said miserably, shaking her head. “Whoever they were, they were wearing a full-body cloak.”
“How did you escape?”
Celeste gave a weak shrug. “They just left my cell open and let me go. I don’t know why. They didn’t say anything, I… I don’t know. I couldn’t ask. I couldn’t do anything. I was so scared, all I could do was…” She grew quiet, a fresh stream of tears trickling down her face.
I nodded, squeezing her gently. Obviously, she was a bit traumatized by the entire event, so I wasn’t about to start interrogating her. “Okay,” I said quietly, pulling her back against my chest.
“Where are the others?” Celeste said after a moment. “Are they okay? Is Lyka okay? Are you okay? What happened to you?” Her memories seemed to be coming back to her, one by one.
I sighed, trying to keep track of each question. “The others are safe. Val and Walter were helping me track you. They’re resting right now.” I licked my lips, not sure how to broach the rest.
Celeste shivered again, and I realized it wasn’t just fear. Her skin was cool to the touch. She wasn’t dressed for this sort of weather, either. She looked underfed, and who knew what else they had done to her while she was trapped in her wolf form?
“We can talk about it later,” I said gently, holding her as close as I could, as if that might send some of my warmth to her. “First, we’ll get you somewhere safe and warm where you can eat and rest. Everything else can come after.”
She just nodded, leaning against me. I would be happy to carry all her weight if I needed to.
Before we left the cabin, I extended my paranormal senses and realized the shifter I’d sensed earlier was indeed on the move.Good. They heard my summons. Whoever they were, they were moving quickly, and I decided it’d be better to keep Celeste in this cabin until they arrived. It wasn’t much, but at least it wasn’t the exposed wilderness.
