AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Bonfire time,” Alec said as he extended his hand toward me.
I hesitated, then accepted his help up. That was a mistake. His touch was like a sizzling fire, spreading right to my chest, then down to my center. I quickly pulled my hand away. I couldn’t do that with him now. I needed to figure out what was going on in my own head before I complicated things more.
We walked silently toward the bonfire just as Greta passed off the torch to an older shifter male. The male lowered the torch to the kindling, setting it ablaze.
It didn’t take long for the fire to eat through the smaller fuel and start licking its way up the logs. Cheers erupted and clothes started flying. It was time to shift.
My heart hammered in my chest and my stomach was a ball of nerves. I wasn’t sure if I was going to vomit or pass out. Maybe both. I wanted this for so long, and now it was time.
“You got this,” Alec said.
Kyle jogged toward me, Sheila, and Malcom at his sides. “You ready?” Kyle’s eyes sparkled in the firelight. He looked happier than I’d ever seen him. Shit, I wasn’t sure I’d ever actually seen him happy.
“Just toss the clothes aside and call to my wolf?” It seemed too easy.
“Or call to her now and destroy those awful clothes,” Sheila said. “You might be better off naked after this.”
“One of these days, I’m going to have a closet of my very own with more clothes than I could ever wear,” I said, “but right now, this is all I’ve got.” I pulled the shirt over my head and tossed it aside. Kyle, Malcom, and Sheila started taking their clothes off too.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Alec had moved back a little. He was fully clothed, but I could see that he was watching me. It wasn’t like he’d never seen me naked before. And I suppose he would be curious to know if I could pull off a shift.
Ignoring his attention on me, I finished undressing, then without waiting for my friends, I took off at a run. It felt like my wolf was running with me, the two of us working in unison to take long strides toward the trees ahead. I could feel her, and I didn’t fight it.It’s time.
A howl bubbled inside me, building and fighting to make its way out. My body felt different, and for a moment, it was as if I was experiencing something from outside myself. As if I wasn’t physically present. My wolf took over, leading us in a graceful dance as my bones reformed into something new.
It didn’t hurt like I expected, I felt stretched and some of my joints popped, but sooner than I realized, I was seeing the world differently.
The howl that had started as I began my change exploded from my lungs, a long, intense sound that echoed through the cold, night air. Three howls returned the greeting and my wolf stopped and turned. She was leading the charge, but I could feel the connection. We were one and the same. Two halves of the same soul. I felt it now. I knew what they meant. We were one.
I caught Kyle’s scent first as his wolf bounded up to me. I didn’t even realize he had a scent I recognized until then. Behind him, Malcom and Sheila joined. I knew them by smell and I could feel them. We weren’t pack, but I could feel their elation. Pure joy seemed to radiate from all of them. It was contagious and my heart felt as if it might burst.
I’d never felt so free in my life. I needed this. My wolf pawed at the ground, reminding me that we were meant to run, not stand here. I howled again, my friends once again answering the call. Then all four of us sprinted into the woods.
I ran for hours, chasing my friends, winding between trees, splashing through a creek, and leaping over fallen logs. I’d never felt so free and alive. How had I gone my whole life without this sensation?
Finally, I had to slow down. My wolf was panting, her exhaustion was my exhaustion. We’d both had enough.
My friends didn’t seem as tired as me, but they were more experienced. When I turned and headed back to camp, they all followed. So this was what it was like to be in a pack. This was why they said wolves needed each other. Running alone would have sated some of my wolf’s urges, but I knew she was enjoying the companionship. We needed each other.
Gratitude made my heart swell and I emerged from the tree line satisfied, tired, and happy. There were a few others around the bonfire, but many wolves were still running. Nearby, Shelia shifted back to her human form. Malcom and Kyle followed.
“You were a natural, Lola,” Sheila said. “Now, let your wolf know you’re done for today. Remind her you’ll do this again soon.”
I followed her instructions, letting myself relax a little, easing some of the adrenaline that came from the shift and the running. My body tensed and rippled, I could feel myself changing. It was a little more uncomfortable than the shift to a wolf, but it didn’t last long.
Panting, exhausted, but exhilarated, I grinned at my friends. “So that’s what I’ve been missing.”
“Not anymore,” Sheila said. “You’re a full wolf now.”
I forgot about that. We were considered full wolf shifters once we had our first shift. Since my first wasn’t of my own accord, I’d never counted it. This one had been all me. No more curse, no more playing human. No more settling for less.
Alec walked over to us and my breath hitched. Goosebumps trailed down my arms and my nipples tightened. I shook the sensation away. Of course I reacted, it was cold out here. It had nothing to do with Alec.
As he got closer, I caught his scent and I had to force myself to not moan aloud.What the actual fuck?Something was very, very wrong with me.
“You did great,” he said.
I bit down on my lower lip and looked up at him through my lashes. “Thanks.”
