Freedom, what an indescribable feeling, this magnificent, wondrous freedom that she felt. To finally be free from the shackles that had once chained her was one of the most exhilarating things she had ever felt. It was even better than those first bursts of power that slipped through the cracks in her cage and she wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Everything felt new, brighter, louder, sweeter and so much more powerful than before. As if she had been reborn and everything had changed, every one of her senses was heightened, she could see farther than ever before, colors held more vibrance, even the slightest of sounds reached her new and improved hearing, and the world held new scents for her heightened nose, it was just so much more, better than life behind that of human limitations.
To feel the earth beneath her paws, the way her claws sunk into the dirt below her, the smell of the trees, pines, oaks, and all the other types of flora that she could never name, their leaves, the grass, and whatever flowers had bloomed, the feel of the summer breeze through her fur coat it was all so delectably new and something she could never bore of.
The way her heart beat in her chest was like a drum, strong, loud, and proud, so very proud of this newfound strength. Her breath escaped through her snout in short pants as she raced through the woodsy terrain. She was feeling inexplicably free, as her heart pumped the exhilaration through her veins and into her very bones.
She whizzed past those many trees and boulders faster than the human eye could see, as not only were her senses heightened but her speed and strength as well. She could tear a giant oak from the ground with nothing but her bare hands, and she could run faster than ever before, and as a wolf that was all tripled.
Through this newfound freedom that she was so enjoying, she felt him long before she heard him but still, she ran, knowing deep within her very soul that he would find her no matter where she ran. So she paid no mind when she was soon joined by another.
Her ears easily picked up the sound of his paws hitting the ground, drawing him closer and closer to her. She could hear his heartbeat, his breath as he too panted, and each crunch of leaves and twigs as he caught up to her.
And although his dark charcoal coat blended into the shadows of the forest, she saw him clear as day. He was taller than her, brawnier but still she felt no threat as he matched his pace with hers, instead feeling a flash of happiness at his presence.
He felt it when she did, and that in turn made him ecstatic which she too felt. She nudged her head into his shoulder without breaking her stride and he barked playfully at her in reply.
Spurred on by his playfulness she slowed down just a fraction, taking him off guard and before he could match her pace one more she leaned down and nipped him with her teeth causing him to let out a whelp of surprise.
She laughed, but it came out as more of a wheezy chuff, and sped up attempting to lose him in the trees, challenging him to a game. He was quick to catch up and let out another wolfish bark accepting her challenge.
Excited, she dug her nails into the ground and took off like a speeding bullet, dodging and weaving between trees, bushes, boulders, and shrubs almost skillfully as she was now more familiar with the terrain until she felt a flash of frustration mixed with amusement and she knew she had successfully lost him.
She howled in triumph and could practically hear him grumbling in return but felt no real animosity toward her, instead, she felt a swell of pride. The wolf changed direction and made quick work to close the distance between herself and her playmate.
He was already waiting for her in the all too familiar clearing, in his human form and clad in nothing but denim shorts. He was always awe-struck whenever he laid his eyes on her wolfish form. The snow-colored pelt glinted like jewels under the sun as she exited the treeline and entered the clearing with him.
She moved with such purpose, powerful and elegant it almost always took his breath away. Her electric eyes sent shivers down his spine when he met them and felt a smile pull at his mouth, she was absolutely breathtaking.
The way her snowy coat glistened like thousands of diamonds in the morning sun, the way her muscles rippled beneath her fur with every step. The delicate way her paws hit the ground as she all but trotted toward him. The way it all just stunned him into a definite, irremovable awe, that left his heart racing and his wolf howling in delight.
Pride and love vibrated through every cell in his body at the mere sight of the playfulness in her shocking gaze. The easy way she maneuvered toward him thrilled him to no end. Yes, she was something entirely apart from this world, and his poor, unguarded heart stood no chance against her charms, both feminine and canine alike.
Yes, she was indeed the most breathtakingly stunning creature he’d ever laid his eyes on that all but left him a mere victim to the power she held over him. And he prayed, she’d never let him go from this painstakingly thrilling hold.
When she entered the clearing after him, her sharp canine gaze immediately located him, standing in the middle of the small meadow, shoulders back, and head held tall. A sight that would have crippled her in her human form for the way it would turn her knees into jelly. Aiden Black stood in the middle of that clearing, as he always did, like a tanned herculean Greek sculpture, with very nearly every muscle on his body left on display for her to drink in. His face was framed by those thick locks that were blacker than a midnight sky, messy and unkempt from their playful game, just the way she liked it.His vibrant green eyes reflected the forest in them and were filled with pride, delight, and an emotion that she was far too afraid to identify but knew was there because it was always there, staring back at her with an almost painful glimmer of hope that it too would reflect back at him through her eyes. Something that left the feeling of lead in the pit of her stomach and made her a
After so many times changing back and forth, she was now able to identify each area in her body as her skeleton broke apart and reshaped into a more human form. She could feel each vertebra break apart and reshape, her paws widened, and her fingers elongated, her nails receded into her skin and her snout shrunk, her face becoming more human.She grunted as her canines shrunk back into her gums, but they always remained sharper, longer than they had been when she had been nothing but a helpless human, though hardly noticeable to the human eye. Something that served to remind her of her change every time she looked in the mirror, or ran her tongue over her teeth. But she felt it all, in excruciating detail.The last thing she was always aware of as all the changes occurred simultaneously was the fur, her fur, she would never get used to thinking like that, as it all but melted off her body until she felt the wind blow coldly against her burning naked skin.Her canine-like whimpers turne
‘Here let me help you,’She shivered as his voice swept through her, and for just a moment, a split second, she fantasized about his voice saying those words in an entirely different manner, one that had her wolf howling in her head.As fast as the thought had entered her mind, she shook it away even though she knew he had felt that minute flash of desire. It was evident in the way his eyes darkened, humor replaced by a look of hunger that had her throat going dry.Honestly, he had no right looking like the big bad wolf out to devour her, she couldn’t think straight. But for all that it was worth, he never mentioned it and she held onto that as her saving grace.‘I got it,’ she denied, smacking his hand away she rolled over onto her side, carefully maneuvering the sheet hiding her nudity to continue protecting her modesty, and pushed herself up with shaky arms. This time she’d made it to a squat, but when she attempted to push her legs straight, she found that that grass wasn’t as co
She knew it hurt him to have her say it, even if he himself didn’t say it. She could feel it through the bond. So she turned on her heel with her best impression of Mean Girls and stormed away, fighting off the guilt that surfaced which he felt his anger and hurt permeate through their bond.‘You’re going the wrong way,’ he called out after her.Alexa groaned and turned around stomping toward the other side of the clearing. Seriously, couldn’t he just let her storm off with some dignity? Did he really have to point out her terrible sense of direction?‘Not that way either,’‘Will you shut up!’ she threw her hands up in the air and turned back to face him. He just shook his head, and though minute and barely there she felt a sense of amusement underneath all the anger and the hurt, and her guilt lessened.Aiden just pointed in the direction of the packhouse and allowed her to stomp grumpily away as he followed. Both werewolves blissfully unaware of the storm brewing in another part of
As a human she had very little control over her life and now as a werewolf even less so. But now her life is forever changed, and not by her choice nor even her own actions, but by the actions and choices of others who claimed to know what they thought was best for her. This left Alexa completely unprepared for the world she was thrust head-first into without so much as a lifeguard to keep her head afloat from the crushing pressure she suddenly found herself under. But to fully understand the events that had led up to this moment one has to go back to the night that changed everything … that life-altering night six months ago…Rewinding the clock back six months brings us back to the very same woods, only this time, its once peaceful tranquility was disturbed by rippling power and a lone mournful howl tearing through the night air. The warmth of summer turned into the chill of winter. The green of the earth was replaced by powdered white snow. And the very woods themselves seemed to
This wolf with snow for a pelt had returned to the once vibrant, serene, and beautiful Sanctuary, now defined by destruction, chaos, and ruin. Covered in rubble, blood, and snow as if the magic that had once been protecting it from the elements had been destroyed along with it. The snowy wolf now tinted with both gold and silver as if adorned with jewels from both the Sun and Moon, stood silently in the middle of the destruction, an almost indescribable ethereal beauty exuding from her very being, and finally the chaotic world stood still. Those who had successfully tracked her down watched wearily from the confines of the trees, mesmerized by the sight of the she-wolf standing tall and powerful among the rubble, the wind brushing through her pelt as if it were a long-lost friend, allowing the first rays of the day, and the last rays of the night to dance like glittering jewels on her back. She stood for a moment, then another, completely still as if taking in the world she was seei
She regarded him as a new threat, sizing him up with her shocking gaze, calculating the risk he posed to her freedom. His charcoal-colored coat stood out against the white of their surroundings, and his amber eyes almost looked at her with an almost pleading expression, but what was he pleading for? Once she’d decided he posed no immediate threat she inched toward him, still on the defense, but as she drank him in, his taller, more muscular build, the sharpness of his claws, the unease at which he surveyed her, she approached him with caution, but still even as they grew closer there was no hint of recognition in her eyes. It was clear to Aiden that the wolf was in control and had pushed her human mind, the mind that would have recognized him even in this form, the logical thinking mind, to the back and concealed it away from the real world, and reaching the human part of Alexa, who was buried deep within her mind’s eye would be the most difficult task he’d have to face, barring she
He turned to look at the tree line, slowly illuminated by the first rays of the sun, scanning for the figures both she, and he knew were coming. By the time he turned back toward his mate, she’d had already turned her back to him, a testament to the trust she had placed in him as her mate.One by one the once dark woods were littered by a plethora of different colored coats, from all the shades of brown, black, and gray as wolves of all shapes and sizes appeared, materializing as if from thin air with glowing eyes filled with caution and suspicion. Varying shades of yellow to amber irises looked on at the two wolves standing side by side in the middle of the clearing, surrounded by pure white powder and crowned by the golden rays of the morning. Many looks of curiosity, hostility, awe, and shock were clear on the canine faces of his pack members. He could hear their questions, and exclamations and feel their distrust and hostility toward his mate, it set him on edge, which only serv
With an idea firmly planted in her mind she took another moment to compose herself, her insidious plan bouncing around her head as she gleefully and expertly pulled a compact mirror out from the small sequined clutch purse she had somehow managed to hold onto throughout her ordeal with the redheaded Alpha. She nearly let out another shriek at the state of her appearance. Annoyance caused her face to contort, finally revealing her true nature beneath the beauty she took so much pride in. With a barely calming breath she studied the twisted smudged makeup, mascara tracks that had hideously run down her cheeks, even her lipstick had smudged across her chin, from what she couldn’t be sure, but the look she had worked so hard on that morning was completely ruined. She was a sore sight to look at, and Vanessa could not have that, she had an image to uphold after all. From that same clutch she pulled a makeup wipe and proceeded to clean her face, removing any sign of her weakness, of her f
Speed, to move faster than the human eye could see, that was what speed had meant to her. Her supernatural strength made her the top dog in the metaphorical food chain, but in all these years on this human infested earth she never once thought she’d be using her enhanced speed and strength to run away from something she had deemed nothing but an ant beneath her stylish boots, but there she was, scuffing her perfectly polished Gucci boots because a mutt had told her to. Her! Vanessa Lightwater! A purebred werewolf of the esteemed Black Pines pack, had been ordered to run with her tail between her legs by some Alpha-wanna be mutt… Just who did she think she was? The Lightwater’s had been part of the Black Pines Pack for centuries, and one day this abomination struts in and she has to bow down? Oh, she didn’t think so. Almost at the edge of the great Black Pines National Forest, at a speed far greater than that of any ordinary human, Vanessa sprinted as fast as her impractically tall s
‘Kneel,’ once again the order washed over Vanessa like a tidal wave and her legs buckled out from under her, sending her falling into the ground with another audible thud, her knees cracked at the sheer force. Tears began streaming down her cheeks, her expertly applied mascara running like rivers of black against her tanned skin. Vanessa’s breathing hitched in her throat as she struggled against the weight of an Alpha’s order. She panted as a cold sweat broke out across her skin causing the rest of her perfect makeup to run. Her fingers dug into the dirt beneath her as her knees ached. She shrunk backward, almost crawling on her hands and knees when Alexa continued to menacingly take steps toward her. Her lips trembled but no sound escaped, her sobs trapped by the first order. Eventually, Alexa caught up to the cowering she-wolf, towering over her with a look of anger that had Vanessa wanting to scream out in horror, but soon found herself unable to even whine. The redhead glared co
A chill ran down her spine as if a ghost had brushed up against her skin, leaving it feeling hot as sparks of annoyance were struck in the pits of her stomach. It just had to be her, and it had to be now, now that things had finally cooled down between her and Aiden. ‘Like you could be an Alpha,’ the haughtiness of the comment echoed as it had with the first one and only served to sour Alexa’s mood even further. It didn't take a genius to hear the impertinence in this newcomer's voice nor to one to identify the snide scoff that soon followed it. With an exasperated sigh, and the oncoming signs of a migraine, Alexa unwillingly turned toward the beautiful but arrogant Native American woman, who stood tall and slender like a model, her straight black hair falling like an onyx waterfall across her copper-kissed shoulders. Her chocolate brown eyes were surrounded by an expertly applied smokey eye shadow. And her lips were smeared a bright red which stood out against her perfect skin. Ye
Just like that, with a single call, all the tension in her body melted away, her shoulders completely dropped from their stiffened position and her hands relaxed at her sides. She turned her body toward the one who called out to her and a smile brighter than the sun spread across her face. Her pink and full lips split open to show her slightly sharpened canines, the corners of her eyes crinkled as the smile widened as she locked eyes with whomever had caught her attention, and a single dimple on her right cheek could be seen as her mood visibility brightened in what seemed to be a split second. Aiden was almost jealous, a feeling he tried to stifle, almost relieved she was too distracted to notice it flash through their bond. He'd never gotten one of those smiles before, it made him almost green with envy. All he had ever gotten was a tight-lipped smile or a sarcastic smirk unless he caught the woman, he loved off guard. But he couldn't blame the person responsible for her smile be
Alexa could feel his gaze on her back, but she had soon realized that she could always feel his gaze, as was their magnetic relationship. It didn’t bother her as much as it once did, instead it made her feel safe, knowing he was there, not that she’d ever admit it out loud, and if he asked about it, which thankfully he hadn’t, she’d vehemently deny it, even if he could feel it through their bond anyway.For the rest of their trek through the forest they had remained silent, neither brave enough to break through the tension between them, though less awkward than when they had first left the clearing due to their short conversation on the way back.The walk soon ended, much to Alexa’s disappointment, not that she’d ever admit to it that either.Without so much as another backwards glance at Aiden they both entered the bustling little village known as the Burrow.Everything had changed for Alexa since the first time she had woken up here nearly two years prior. She wasn’t the same damage
He had been the first to submit to her willingly, happily. He still recalled how her electrifying gaze had never left his, even when they had become the last of the pack still standing in that snow-covered clearing. She had his main focus, still is he mused, and he had been hers, as it should have been since their first meeting. The air had been still, and for once since they had officially met, they had been in sync with one another. It was a foreign feeling, to be completely hers and vice versa. As much as he had wished to stay that way forever, Alexa was still weak, locked away by the wolf in their shared psyche. And he had to bring her back so that they could help her heal. ‘Change back,’ he had urged after what seemed like an eternity had passed of them just existing side by side. The she-wolf had merely growled at him, her lip curling in displeasure and her gaze turning to ice at his urging. ‘Free,’ her voice, which was so foreign yet so very familiar at the same time, had b
Six months after that fateful night brought them back into the present where emotions were still heightened, and control was a foreign concept …It had been a difficult six months for Alexa, a tumultuous storm of confusion, fear, anger and feelings she was too afraid to face. But these last six months had scared themselves into the depths of her memories, both the good and the bad.And that was something she was learning to live with. But if she was completely honest with herself, as long as her constant shadow was around, she was sure she could face anything.She shot a quick glance behind her back, and sure enough, there he was, no more than a few feet from her. Close, but far enough to give her the space she needed, calming her and her erratic thoughts.Then she stumbled over a root…He felt her embarrassment as she clumsily rectified her footing, the abrasion on her bare feet healing almost instantaneously as she continued to walk. He had to stifle a chuckle, but his amusement tic
The order rumbled through the mind link, and many of the wolves were quick to obey. Aiden felt his entire body stiffen as he all but felt his father’s domineering presence approach through the pathway of wolves. His black coat glistened dangerously at them, a stark contrast to the pure white snow blanketing their surroundings. Aiden felt the hackles on the back of his neck rise, dread filling his stomach like a lead brick, heavy and unrelenting making him almost queasy at the thought of their meeting. She felt his uneasiness, and -correctly he may add - took it to mean that a threat was coming her way, and she dropped further, her fangs dripping with her saliva, and her chest rumbling in warning. Aaron exuded power, each stride could have shaken the earth beneath his claws. His crimson eyes, cold and calculating, took in the new werewolf before him and her glistening white coat. And though her electric gaze still unnerved him he did not let it show, instead held his head high, and l