Wolf Taken by Heather Renee

9

Cait

Unfortunately for the competitive side in both of us, we tied. I’d considered it a win for me since she had a head start, but Embry wouldn’t hear anything I had to say. She was just pouty because she hadn’t left my ass in the dust.

The faster my legs moved, the stronger I felt. Every part of me pricked with energy that was begging to be let free. Instincts screamed at me to shift or run or… anything active, but I trusted Embry and wanted to see what she had planned for me.

You have a natural talent to protect yourself. You don’t need to be wasting your time with this,my wolf said. This time it was without malice; she was just stating a fact.

Well, I want to be sure I don’t get anyone else killed because I didn’t try to prepare myself. So, unless you want to begin showing me some things, let Embry help.

Just as I finished speaking, my best friend, the person I trusted most in the world, pounced on me without notice. My hands went up to defend myself, and sparks of purple pricked along my exposed skin.

Embry hissed as she made contact but kept coming at me. She swung a nasty right hook, slamming into my jaw. I stumbled back, but only for a moment before I lunged at her. My feet moved with effortless speed. My eyes caught sight of every speck in the air. My muscles coiled and then sprung to life as we connected.

My left arm wrapped around Embry’s neck, bringing her to the ground as I secured my legs around her. She was on top of me, but I had all of the power.

“That wasn’t very nice,” I hissed.

“You weren’t paying attention. Lesson one: always have one eye on your surroundings,” she muttered beneath my hold.

I released her with a solid shove and stood up. She was grinning widely. “What’s the smile for?”

“We don’t need to do this. You’re going to be just fine. Regardless, we can have some fun and make Roman feel better all at the same time.”

“What happened to you the day Callista showed up?” I asked since it hadn’t come up during the earlier conversations.

Embry’s shoulders stiffened and her eyes hardened. “That bitch had been posing as Serene all day. She’d told me there was a wolf pup stuck up a tree and she was too old to get him down. It seemed like something she would say, so I followed her about ten feet into the woods. When I questioned why I couldn’t hear the pup, she hit me in the head with magic that knocked my ass out cold. Something I plan to pay back as soon as we find her.”

“I think she has a lot of payback coming her way when we go to West Texas,” I said, knowing I’d love to kick her ass again. Even more so, a part of me would prefer to rip her to shreds, but killing… That didn’t seem like something I was capable of.

Preemptive killing isn’t something any good wolf should be capable of, but when it comes down to your life or that of those you care about, sometimes it’s the only option, my wolf said, and her words slammed into me with a realization I wasn’t quite ready for.

“Have you killed anyone?” I asked Embry.

She nodded. “Just once. A rogue wolf who thought he could have whatever he wanted. I showed him he couldn’t. It’s not common practice for us to do the killing. A lot of the time, the wolf or supernatural council will get involved before things escalate far enough that heads start flying.”

“Why aren’t they involved now?” I asked, considering I’d been kidnapped.

“Roman would have reached out to them if Beatrix hadn’t shown up when she did. He was making his way home, even if he hadn’t realized it, before we even called him back. Jack and Ramona would have pushed him for that route as well.”

“Why not involve the wolf council now?” I asked, still not understanding how their help wouldn’t be welcome.

Embry sighed. “This has grown too big. Our own council would pass along our request and, frankly, I’m not sure how trustworthy any of them are. With everything changing, we have to be careful who we trust for now. If there comes a point when we’ve gotten in too far over our heads, then we can send a call out to the councils.”

“What about your parents? Can’t you reach out to them?” I remembered Embry telling me that they worked for the Supernatural Council and she rarely saw them.

She shook her head. “It doesn’t work like that. Even if I could get a hold of them, if I say one word about what’s going on here, they’ll be required to tell their superiors.”

“How does that work for Sam then? She knows about me, right?”

“Sam contracts for the council. She did things the smart way for those in her line of work. She isn’t stuck under the council’s thumb the same way as my parents.”

I rubbed my hand over the back of my neck. There were a lot of moving parts to this world, and I worried it was going to take me too long to figure it all out.

How about less talking and more fighting? I’d like to meet Embry’s wolf in a more official setting than before. If we’re to be around them all the time, it will be good to set the hierarchy,my wolf said.

Hierarchy? We’re not in the 1500s, and this isn’t a kingdom.

You’re right, but we are in a wolf pack and that is how things are done. There will be times when you are challenged and need to put another in their place in order to keep yours. You need to remember that, or the wolves will never respect you as the alpha’s mate.

Son of a bitch, she had a point.

Fine, but don’t hurt Embry’s wolf. She would never challenge us.

I’ll be the judge of that.

“Chatty wolf this morning?” Embry asked teasingly.

“Just filling me in on all things wolf etiquette. She’d like us to shift.”

“We can train as wolves, but just remember, you can’t always change to your wolf to protect yourself. You need to know how to handle difficult situations in both forms, using all of your strengths and wit.”

I nodded, understanding that if someone was to grab me and people not supernatural were around, I couldn’t let them see what I’d become. Some might be ready for the paranormal to make their appearance, but I had a feeling most of the world would be how I was and let fear rule their actions.

Thankfully, I’d died and moved past that. Funny. Not funny.

My wolf pushed at me, wanting to take charge. I didn’t fight her on purpose, but I worried the shift was going to hurt. I’d been running on adrenaline and new life before. This time, it was just me and her and we were completely safe.

Don’t focus on the pain and there won’t be any, she said, and I rolled my eyes, thinking there was no way it could be that easy.

Still, I took her advice and thought about my too-tight yoga pants and tank top I was still wearing, wondering what had happened to my other clothes when I transformed and forgot about them. Did they get shredded to pieces? Did they disappear into the unknown? These were serious questions that needed serious answers.

Good job. You successfully distracted yourself with stupidity, my wolf droned, and I realized we had already changed.

I hadn’t felt a thing. Maybe it was different for a wolf like mine. She was a solid form, but there was a glow about her that the others didn’t have. Not to mention, the purple color that stood out like a sore thumb.

The coloring is your fault. I was a deep umber in my last life and absolutely perfect,she added.

Huh. The violet-to-black colors must have come from the magic within the mark, then. Either way, we still stood out. That was going to be an issue at some point, I was sure of it.

Embry was still human and staring in awe at us. She circled around, her hand out cautiously. My wolf nudged her, giving the permission Embry seemed to be seeking.

“Your coat is so soft and long. Almost fluffy, but more like its lighter than air. It’s incredible.” Embry’s fingers scratched down my wolf’s spine, and we instantly relaxed. Apparently, this was a weak spot for my wolf.

“Can I braid your tail?” Embry asked, and my wolf’s head whipped around, baring teeth. “Got it. No braiding.”

Embry backed up and finally shifted. Her desert-tan wolf was about the same height and girth as mine. Her paws and the tip of her tail changed to a deep brown, and her eyes were still the same bright blue, filled with mischief.

Can we talk to them?I asked my wolf.

No, we aren’t officially a part of the pack yet. Wolves don’t communicate with others unless they share a bond.

Do I have to be fully mated to Roman to be part of the pack?

My wolf sighed. No, they are two separate processes.

Why did it seem like you were talking with Roman’s wolf when he first showed up? I asked.

Mates don’t need words to tell the other how they feel.

I had a feeling I was going to be learning multiple new things, every day, for the rest of my new life.

Embry circled us, and my wolf stayed put with her head high. She didn’t seem at all worried about the glint in Embry’s eyes, one I knew meant she was up to something.

I tried to force my wolf to move, but she had all of the control and I didn’t know how to take it from her, something I planned to figure out very soon.

Embry lowered herself to the ground, readying for her attack.

Aren’t you going to do something?I asked.

I am. The first thing to remember about your opponent is that they almost always believe they have the upper hand right until the point that they don’t.

Embry swiped a paw at us, missing by mere inches. Power swirled from inside my wolf that I could still feel myself, as if I was in my human form. I stopped trying to control her and, instead, used my senses to learn. While my wolf might be smug as hell, she was old and powerful. I’d be an idiot to ignore what she was trying to teach me in her own way.

Just as Embry’s wolf finally made her move, energy blossomed from within my own and expelled from our form. Purple swirls appeared, just like when I’d been meditating with Embry in this same field. The power knocked Embry back several yards and created a cocoon around us.

Was that you or me?I asked.

It was both of us.

Embry wasn’t one to back down, and she stupidly charged forward again.

Can this hurt her?

Only if I want it to, but don’t worry, the only thing hurt will be her pride,my wolf answered, and I was actually okay with this. I loved Embry, but this could be fun.

Let’s show her what we can do, then,I said and worked with my wolf to move as one. I wasn’t sure how this wolf-human thing was supposed to work, but something told me that eventually, we should work as one mind, one being.

With personality differences aside, this was the first step toward making that happen.

We feigned to our left, drawing Embry closer, then leaped over, swiping at her back with a paw before nipping at her front quarters.

Embry snarled at the unexpected moves, getting in a solid kick to our gut with her back leg. In response, we leaped into the air, landing on top of my best friend and grabbing hold of her neck.

Our wolves snarled at each other as my energy grew. I pushed on the sensations until they physically left my body. Violet whisps moved around us as Embry’s wolf stopped struggling beneath us. When we backed off, she stayed on the ground, unmoving.

What did we do?I shrieked at my wolf.

She’s just taking a little nap.

I nudged Embry’s wolf with our snout, rolling her a couple of inches. She flinched but didn’t wake.

She is a worthy companion. I accept her wolf.

I chuckled. I’m not so sure she’ll accept you after this.

Yes, she will. Like I said, she’s worthy.

As Embry’s wolf finally began to stand, I shifted back to human form—with my clothes intact. My hair was still a hot mess and was going to need lots of conditioner when we were done here, but otherwise, I was feeling better than ever.

If I really thought about my situation, my mental state might not be faring so well, but I’d made a choice when I’d been stuck underground. I wasn’t going to live in fear anymore, and if that meant ignoring some of the things that life threw my way, then so be it.

“Holy shit, Cait. What the hell was that?” Embry asked as she joined me.

“No idea, but it was kind of fun, huh?” I grinned.

Her hand slapped down on my shoulder. “Yes, it was, but you ever tell anyone that happened, and I’ll unfriend you.”

“I’m pretty sure unfriending me isn’t an option at this point.”

She scoffed. “Either way, I’ll figure out how to get back at you if you tell a soul.”

For the rest of the not-really-training, we stayed in human form. Embry taught me a lot, but I was also able to do more than I would have ever expected without needing guidance. This made me confident about going back to Roman and telling him I was ready.

Even more than that, I was eager for a hot shower, my own clothes, copious amounts of food, and sleep. All in that order.

What about our mate?my wolf asked, and her desire to be close to him made my stomach ache and pulse quicken.

Don’t worry, Wolfette. We’ll see our mate soon enough.