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“Yeah, I did.”
“You?” Londyn took a step forward.
“It wasn’t something I had control over. I just felt it in the pit of my stomach. I knew something was there.” Aston put his head down. “It’s not like I did it intentionally, Londyn.”
“Well, I guess if it had to be someone, you’ll do.” Londyn ran his hand through his hair and paused.
“There’s something else,” Ayden said. He looked over at Taylor.
“You’re kidding me,” Londyn groaned.
“I’m not sure yet, but I just figured if it had been you two alone then she wouldn’t have let you both leave her with Taylor.”
“But he’s not even a wolf yet! The bond wouldn’t have known this was going to happen.” Londyn threw himself on the loveseat next to Aston. “This is bullshit.”
“I don’t think the bond knew anything. I’m just saying maybe their feelings for each other somehow delayed it, or tied them together. Who knows, maybe it’s not him”—Ayden shrugged—“but I do think there’s someone else. There’s no other reason I can think of as to why she isn’t more into you guys.”
“Julie is mine.” Taylor pushed the words out even though it felt like his throat was on fire. “She always has been, always will be.”
“It has to be him.” Aston moved closer to the edge of the loveseat. “I saw the way they interacted. Julie’s feelings for him are extremely deep, and well, we all know how he feels.”
Londyn perked up. “Yeah, but you heard what he said earlier. Julie dumped him.”
Taylor lifted his head and glared. “She loves me, she’s just afraid to admit it. You came into the picture and screwed everything up. I bought her a ring and everything. We were going to be happy.” His head hit the cushion and Taylor felt his eyes roll back. Bright colors started to flash, and there was nothing he could do to fight it. Fear raced through him, and for the first time in as long as Taylor could remember, he was actually scared. What if what they said wasn’t true? What if he died?
Weight settled over his body like an invisible cloak. Taylor couldn’t move a limb, much less a finger. It was as though his body had been injected with some sort of paralysis agent.
A scream echoed in the far reaches of his mind. What the hell is happening to me? Ayden!
Everything was pitch black around him, and Taylor could feel himself struggling on the inside. If only he could get himself to respond on the outside.
“Don’t worry, Taylor. You’re going to be all right. I won’t leave you for a second. Don’t be scared. Know this is part of the process.”
Ayden’s voice was like an anti-anxiety drug. Taylor could almost feel himself nod. As long as they knew he wasn’t dead, he could believe that at some point this period was going to end.
As though the Chief of Police could read his mind, Ayden started talking again. “The first part will only last a few minutes. I hate to say this, but the next thing that will come won’t be any better.” He sighed. “You’re going to go through some really intense pain. I want to warn you. Although it’s excruciating, I need you to promise me that you’re going to try your hardest to be as quiet as possible. I ask this as your Alpha, not your Chief of Police.”
Alpha. The word triggered something inside Taylor’s mind. The term felt right. Perfect. And he was completely accepting. This man was his superior. He could feel it deep within his core.
Popping began to echo loudly in Taylor’s ear. By the time he tried to figure out what it was, reality dawned. Curiosity was replaced with agony and Taylor’s eyes flew open. Ayden’s face was but inches away.
“As quiet as you can possibly be.” The words were spoken gently, but the command was laced with every syllable. “Your bones are breaking and readjusting. This portion of the transformation will only last about five minutes, but it’s going to feel like an eternity.” Taylor nodded and clenched his jaw. He could feel his skin lifting and twisting under his clothes.
Londyn walked closer, but Taylor hardly cared. There was a sense of sibling rivalry, yet an acceptance Taylor had never felt for someone before. It was a kinship that went beyond a close friend. At the moment, he couldn’t understand it at all. Hadn’t he just despised this guy?
Sweat poured from his skin. Every trickle that ran across felt sensitive to the point of adding to the pain of his uncontrollable, jerking body. A sound full of agony broke the silence and he hardly recognized his own voice.
“You’re doing great. Just breathe through it, buddy. A few more minutes and the adjusting will end.”
“Aston?”
“Yeah, we’re right here.” The big cop hovered before him, but Taylor could hardly make out any of his features. His eyes were blurring in and out. One minute they’d focus to a measure he’d never seen before, and the next he’d almost be completely blind.
A tremor shook him as he felt his ribs began to snap. “Fuck!” Crack. Crack. “Oh my God, make it stop. I can’t take anymore.” A wave of dizziness hit hard, and Taylor could feel consciousness slipping away.
Ayden’s tanned face began to fade. “This is the worst part, but it goes fast. After this, the rest is manageable.”
The room of the apartment came back to Taylor crystal clear and his eyes shot open from the pain. His back arched on the couch and he felt himself fly forward.
