I was about to run for the glass when I heard a voice behind me. "Kalyssa, no!" Elias shouted. "You'll hurt yourself! Let us help you!" I paced back and forth, a caged animal needing to be free. "Open the door, so she doesn't hurt herself!" Xander yelled, bursting into my suite. I looked over at him, and he gave me a knowing look as Daphne ran in behind him. "She changed during the reading!" she yelled, but everyone ignored her. A low growl erupted from deep within my chest as I paced in my suite.Elias stood in front of me and looked into my eyes. "Kalyssa, it's okay. You're one of us.""No!" I ran for the glass, but Elias flung it open just in time, and I leaped through the door and propelled myself off the balcony. I landed on four white paws on the soft green grass, and then ran. I had no idea where I was going or what I was running to, but I had to get out, to escape the horrors. I was a wolf, and my mother and grandmother had died to save my life, and probably my father, to
When we got back to the Compound, everything had changed, but nothing had. Then I realized that what had changed… was me.Suddenly, my sense of smell was more acute, and nothing escaped my notice. I saw details that I had never paid attention to in the past. Heard the rustle of tiny animals in the brush under the leaves. Everything was new and I felt alive for the first time in my life.Until now, I was merely a dreamer in a dream. Now, I was awake.When we neared the Compound, Elias headed toward one of the outbuildings. It was small in comparison, resembling a cabin. But when we walked through the enormous double doors, it was one big room."What is this place?" I asked, pacing back and forth along the wooden planks of the floor, looking through the enormous plate-glass windows."This is a cabin for new wolves," Elias said mentally, "a place they can wait until they gain control and can morph back into their human form.""So, it's a cage," I said in the Pack Mind."No, not at all," X
I must have fallen asleep because I woke in the transformation cabin in my human form, naked, with just a blanket draped over me, covering the vital places. "Morning." Xander smiled, sitting stark naked on a chair, watching me sleep. "Morning." I sat up and pulled the blanket up over my breasts. "Thanks for this."He shrugged. "I was trying to be a gentleman." I looked at him hard, trying to read his mind. Now, there was no chatter at all. Nothing. But in our wolf form, his thoughts were as clear as if we were speaking aloud. Xander smirked. "What are you doing?""Trying to read your mind."Xander laughed. "That's only in the Pack Mind."I lifted an eyebrow. "And you can only access the Pack Mind is only in our wolf form?""Bingo."I laughed. "Where's Elias?""He went to the Compound to scrounge some food for us," Xander replied, crossing the room to me. Then he sat on the bare hardwood floor beside me and ran the back of his hand along my cheek, looking into my eyes. "How do you f
"Don't even start," I teased, slipping into the robe he offered. "I feel so weird walking into the Compound in just a thin robe. I feel like everyone can see right through it."Elias shrugged. "It wouldn't be the worst thing."I chuckled, slapping him playfully on the arm. "I just feel self-conscious... like everyone's going to be looking at me."Xander shrugged. "They will, but it's okay by me." He pulled me to him and gave me a quick kiss on the top of my head. "They can read the menu all they want, as long as they don't order from it.""You're incorrigible." I chuckled, shaking my head. "Yes, ma'am, I am." Xander nodded playfully. "Well, let's go. But don't worry. Everyone's used to seeing people walk around the Compound in robes." He shrugged. "Actually, it's no big deal.""If you say so," I said as Xander held the door open for me. "I do." He smirked. "Shall we?" Elias smiled, taking my hand.I shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"We headed outside, and everyone that was passing by stopp
Pausing long enough to slip on a pair of tennis shoes and grab my keys and my cell phone, I headed out the door and ran down the hallway, headed toward the elevator. When the doors closed, I quickly hit L1. The doors closed right away, but the elevator couldn't move fast enough. The doors opened a moment later on the first floor, and I ran straight to the Clinic. Four shifters were waiting outside, one of whom was Eve. She growled, but I paid no attention. I walked toward the Clinic and flung the door open.Inside, Cruz stood over Xander, holding a blood-stained towel to his chest. His face was bloody, too, and Elias lay on the other table, his blond hair soaked with blood, but Baily was working on him."Report!" I yelled to her, gently moving Xander's hands aside to assess the damage. I lifted the towel, and blood oozed from his chest. I quickly covered it again. "I've stopped the bleeding with Elias, but he's going to need stitches. He was bleeding the worst when they came in. I've
"Dr. Carran, why don't you take the Alphas upstairs to rest, and I'll take care of everyone down here?" Bailey wrapped gauze around a shifter's head. "I'll take it from here."I shook my head. "No, I'll stay. Also, call me Kalyssa."She nodded, leaning in conspiratorially. "I was calling you that in front of the others." Then she turned her attention back to her work. "Besides, this is our last patient.""Well, then. Don't clean anything up," I replied, noticing that Elias was wavering again. "I'll do it tomorrow."She shrugged. "We'll see." She gave me a wink. "Go ahead, and I'll see you tomorrow."The faint rays of morning sunshine were already streaming through the window."Well, we're not opening today," I said, already making a sign to put on the door. "After this, go home and get some sleep."A broad smile spread across her lips, giving me a knowing smile. "You, too."It was like talking to my grandmother in a teenager's body. "Okay, Grandma."Bailey chuckled. "You can call me a
With all their big talk, Xander and Elias were both asleep as soon as their heads hit their pillows. I monitored them throughout the morning, but soon, my eyes started growing heavy. I curled up on a chair, not wanting to jostle them, and fell asleep. I woke with a start and looked at the clock. Two hours had passed. I quickly checked Xander and Elias, and both were still sleeping. Sleep was actually the best thing for them. It would help them to heal quicker. I walked over to the enormous window, and the sun was bright outside, beating down harshly upon the earth. I didn't want to turn the television on and take a chance of waking Elias and Xander. Then I thought of the prisoner and decided to go down and see if I could get any information out of him, even though I was sure someone was already doing that.After checking them one more time, I headed out, locking the door behind me, and was in the elevator a moment later.The shifters had said that they had taken the prisoner to the
Suddenly, someone placed a hand on my shoulder, causing me to jump."Sebastian!" I yelped, taking a step back. "You scared me to death!""Luna, why don't you let me take it from here?" He opened a leather pouch on the counter, filled with implements of destruction. "There's no need for you to soil your hands with the likes of him."I scoffed. "You're the Destroyer?"He shrugged. "Over the years, I've seemed to have earned the nickname."The two shifters I saw in the hallway stepped in and frowned when they saw me. "Luna," they both said in unison, obviously not pleased that I was there.I let out a deep breath. "Sebastian, may I speak with you in the hallway?""By all means!" He smiled as he looked over his shoulder at the prisoner. "My fun can wait a bit longer. He's not going anywhere."The man behind the bars scoffed, shaking his head. I walked past the two shifters, and Sebastian followed. When we were in the hallway, I turned to him. "Be careful. He's the Hunter that wiped out T