Filed to story: Owned by the Alphas Novel
The pack started shifting, obeying the Alpha command.
Kai and Brax howled, joining Derik’s.
It made my shift start and I winced, my stomach hurting. I sucked in a breath and held the slight swell there.
I glanced up to see the other wolves turned, Ryleigh’s shift starting. Her bones crunched and she fell to the ground.
She didn’t cry or whimper, she took the pain. She did exactly what Derik had said, focusing on the wolf. I could see in her mind as hers joined the link fully. The fibers of her wolf connecting with us all.
Her growing claws dug into the wood of the platform, scratching at it as a growl escaped her elongated teeth.
I winced as the stretching pain in my stomach stopped me from shifting with them.
Derik kneeled to Ryleigh; he was whispering in her ear. I could hear him encouraging her, keeping her focused, keeping his will tight on her turning.
And she listened.
But I couldn’t shift. My body was refusing the Alpha’s orders.
I looked over my shoulder at Cain who just shook his head slowly.
I knew that meant not to push it.
It was gutting. I had been so excited to turn with them and be a part of the pack tonight but I couldn’t. It was too much of a risk with the child I was carrying.
My magic knew that better than I did, and I trusted that, even if I was meant to still be able to shift.
But it wasn’t my night. It was Ryleigh’s.
I looked up as Nikolai frowned at me. Whatever he saw on my face had him moving next to me, cupping my face in his giant hands.
“What’s wrong, Little Luna?” he asked. “You’re pale,” he said, his eyes going down my body to the slight swell I held.
“I can’t shift,” I whispered, looking down at it too, not wanting to interrupt. Kai looked over my shoulder, probably at Cain.
I heard Cain sigh and come over. Probably an order from Kai.
“She’s fine, Kai. Some wolves can’t turn when carrying, it’s normal,” he huffed.
“Not this early. She should have a few months before she has to stop,” he growled, trying to stay quiet.
Cain shrugged, “And they aren’t filled with magic and shadow. She grows quickly, you know that.”
“Will us turning like this, with the Alpha command there, hurt her? Since she can’t obey?” Kai demanded.
Cain frowned then, looking down at my stomach, “I’m sorry Kai. I don’t know the answer to that. But it’ll do her more harm, and the baby if she forces the shift.”
Kai bared his teeth and looked like he was going to take it out on Cain so I stepped closer to him, my hand on his bare chest, “Kai, it’s okay. I’ll wait here, go, shift,” I said.
“I’ll stay with you, Spitfire. I don’t have to shift like they do. I have shadows to keep me full and crazy,” Brax teased, coming over to me, and kissing my cheek.
Kai hesitated, but whatever he was going to say was interrupted when Ryleigh let out a pain-filled scream that turned to a roar, her body ripping into her wolf with the last of her bones crunching and breaking to form her.
Her wolf panted as she looked around. Kai growled and backed away from me.
He had to turn.
Derik eyed me, but I smiled at him, nodding to Ryleigh.
“Go,” I mouthed.
He looked pained as he stared at me before snarling and turning into his wolf.
I stayed with Brax on the platform as the wolves took off on Kai and Derik’s command.
They ran to the forest, Ryleigh running on Derik’s flank. Hank on Kai’s.
I smiled. I could still feel the connection. The link was wide open, sharing it with me and Brax.
“You can run with them, I don’t mind waiting here,” I said.
Brax shook his head, “I’d rather hang out with you,” Brax grinned. I smiled, and he pulled my cloak over my body, grabbing his too.
I cuddled into him, kissing that tattoo on his pec.
“Will Ryleigh have to get the tattoo?” I asked.
He nodded, “Eventually. Not while she is still feeding Althea though,” he said. I nodded.
I wanted my tattoo too but I kept getting pregnant.
Which wasn’t that surprising since I had three Alphas to keep up with.
My mom came over then with Cain.
Beenie and Galen had gone off, bringing up the rear of the pack, protecting their backs.
I took Zale from Cain and kissed the top of his head, wrapping him up next to me. His shadows immediately looked for mine like they always did.
We sat by the fire, feeling the wolves in the link running as a pack, the entirety of us and our magic all giving back to the realm.
It was an eerie feeling in my body, one that had a smile on my face.
Until Beenie interrupted the serenity by growling in the link.
‘Rogues. I smell them,’ she snarled. Cain stood quickly. He disappeared in the next second.
In the time it took me to stand and eye the forest around us, Cain was back.
“They’re at the city gates. They’re demanding an audience.”
I narrowed my eyes on him, “Let’s give them one then.”
I ordered the pack to turn around, to come up behind the rogues. They obeyed, heading there straight away.
Then I turned to Cain, “Can you get Mom and the twins to the mansion?” I asked.
He nodded.
I gave him Zale, kissing both the twins, and drawing my shadows back before Cain left with them.
Brax shifted in the next second and I climbed on his back.
He ran fast, his body agile and strong as he pounded through the forest towards the city. We used our shadows together to sneak past the few rogues at the gates. I thought there would be more.
But it was Heather, flanked by two men I didn’t recognize. They looked dirty, rugged, typical rogues. Brax turned and I handed his cloak back to him.
He clasped it shut and we walked to the gates like we had been in the city the whole time. We couldn’t let the rogues think we had an empty city behind us.
‘We’ll be there in a couple of minutes, keep them busy,’ Derik said.
I agreed in the link then opened the gates and eyed Heather.
“Are you here to apologize for going back on your word?” I asked, my eyes locking on Heather.
She looked healthier than the last time I had seen her, fuller. Our food was doing wonders for her then. Ungrateful bitch.
She smirked, “No.”
“Then why are you here?” Brax growled.
“We heard a commotion. Thought we’d check it out,” she said in a creepy way that made me think she was lying. Her eyes stopped on my stomach and her smile widened.
“Hmmm the first shift ceremony, right? I remember those. How fun. You didn’t want to join?” She asked me. We both knew she was fishing and I was not letting her catch a damn thing.
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?