Wolf, Shifted by Rebecca Ethington
Asher
“Name?”
“Asher Williams, Dax Jameson, and Peyton Williams.” I tried not to let my alpha voice come out, but it did anyway, the low throaty growl rumbled as I handed over the heavy cardstock invitation that had come in the mail last week.
Not that anyone would really call it an invitation. It may have been printed on pretty paper with writing that was barely legible behind the swirls, but everyone knew what it was; a threat.
Come or else.
So we came, if only to get back in Greyson’s good graces after what happened four years ago.
The burly man looked over the invitation, smelling it as his eyes flashed back to mine. His wolf sparked before mine did, the alpha in me sending him into submission. I knew the purple stare of my wolf was looking out from my usual grey one. I blinked him away and ran my hand through my shaggy blond hair, trying to make the whole thing sound casual and failing miserably.
“Go ahead,” the guard snapped, throwing the invitation back through my open window before striding down the line to the next car.
“You know, Ash, if your wolf tries to make every wolf we come in contact with submit we are going to have a problem,” Dax said from the passenger seat, chuckling as he threw his legs up on the dash and out the open window the same way he had for the last six hours of driving.
Dax was six-foot-five and made of pure muscle. That and his perfectly shaved head made him look more like a club bouncer than my Beta. Even sitting there, the muscles of his dark skin were practically breaking out of the nice button up shirt he had elected to wear for this. A nice change from the wife beaters that he usually wore, although that was mostly because that was all he could find that fit. Where he found this shirt I had no idea.
“The fact that we are here is already a problem,” I growled, soothing my wolf into submission as I turned down a dirt road lined with cars, all of them nice and far too expensive for the packs of this area. Our beat up Toyota Corolla was going to stick out like a sore thumb against all the Audis and Beemers. Not that I cared, it was a nice dependable car. All of these other alphas were clearly too full of themselves.
“Dax is right, Ash. You are here to submit to him, not try to take his pack from him,” my little sister, Peyton, yawned from the backseat, having just woken up when the asphalt ended and our car started bumping around on the dirt road that led to the High Alpha’s house. She was still curled up under the blanket back there, fuzzy cartoon pajama legs propped up against Dax’s seat.
“It’s not my fault if my wolf gets a little overzealous.” I wasn’t looking at them, but I could feel both Dax and Peyton’s death glares stare into my neck. My wolf growled, hairs pricking up before I calmed him down again.
For an annoying little sister and my beta, they sure were good about putting me in my place.
“Not that I need to remind you two,” I said, giving them each a quick glance, “but our pack’s council decided on not starting a war and sent me here to submit to the bastard, so I am here submitting to the bastard.”
“I like the not starting a war part, the best.” Peyton grinned, leaning between the two front seats as I slowed, eyes scanning the side of the road for a place to park. Her hair, which had fallen out of the braid she had slept in, was everywhere; the long dirty blonde strands flying in my face.
“Agreed. So you two better do your thing and I’ll make sure we get outta here alive,” Dax said, and I straightened.
God, he was right. If we didn’t play this exactly right my pack was going to be in a world of pain.
“Stop worrying,” I growled, eyes sparking as my wolf pushed its way to the surface. “We will be fine. I’ll submit, Peyton will go through all the classes, be a good pup and do her first shift. We will beg forgiveness from the old man and get back home to Silver Springs before anything goes awry. It’ll be fine.” Or it better be. We were already in some hot water.
All of the pups were supposed to perform their first shift in front of the High Alpha. An Alpha was supposed to be there to help the first transition, to coax the wolves out and keep everyone safe.
But anyone with half a brain knew that Greyson required it for a whole other reason.
Seeing the training and then the first shift allowed him to take the strongest wolves, and the most logical choices for Pack Alphas into his own pack. It’s why all of the packs had fallen to him in the first place. Without strong alphas we were left being led by betas. Beta’s who masqueraded as Alphas and worshiped at Greyson Dillon’s feet and beat their mates.
Alphas like my father.
Which is why I shifted at twenty and killed him.
I shifted before I was allowed and without the help of the High Alpha. My wolf emerged as a True Alpha and took control of my pack. That had been after the last Moon Year, so this would be the first time the High Alpha would get to deal with me. And in true egotistical wolf fashion he was going to do it in front of everyone. The story of my victory had spread after all, and Greyson didn’t need anyone else getting ideas.
My wolf didn’t want to submit to Greyson Dillon, or to anyone. I wanted to bare my teeth and fight him. But the Silver Springs pack was small. We could not win that fight. I had to find a way to submit.
So, here we were, hoping that Peyton’s shift would be enough to beg forgiveness. Even if that meant he took her into his pack and I never saw my little sister again. Just thinking of that sent my wolf back to snarling.
He really didn’t like that. I gripped the steering wheel harder and pulled us in behind a sleek black Audi, thankfully not too far from the main entrance to the massive estate house.
“Ho-ly shifter balls!” Peyton hissed from the backseat, practically jumping out of the car to stare up at the massive house. We couldn’t even see it all through the trees, and from here it was impressive. “You didn’t tell me this guy was loaded.”
“And here I was thinking all the cars were the dick measuring contest,” I mumbled as Dax and I fished the luggage from the trunk.
I gave him a look as we walked up the drive. Everything about this was a power play. The house, the cars. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the ‘Alpha activities’ the invitation mentioned was nothing more than all of the Alphas standing around pissing on each other.
“This is ridiculous,” I half snarled as I walked past a line of silver Audis, all with custom license plates denoting them as part of the Moon Shine clan. Those fuckers always had to remind everyone just how much money their grandpappy had made with his bootleg rum.
We had other pups with us, but they would all be driving rusted trucks and Civics. I was suddenly glad we had arranged to have them arrive two days from now.
“Thank god we have two days before everything starts,” Dax spoke just as low as I had, both of our wolves perking up to make sure we weren’t being spied on. “It’s going to take me that long to make a map of this place.”
“Should be enough time for us to figure out what Greyson has planned for us,” I hissed as I led the way up the massive staircase, Peyton and Dax right behind me.
The steps were made of the same sandstone as the house, the wood of the massive doors was clearly mahogany, covered with so much lacquer they shimmered in the sun.
Every inch of this damn house was meant to posture and dominate lesser wolves, and my wolf hated it. He was snarling from the second we stepped into the huge marble foyer that smelled as though Greyson had taken a piss on everything. He probably had.
His musk was everywhere and it was making me sick.
Peyton on the other hand was grinning from ear to ear, completely infatuated with the world we had stepped into. Growing up, I would have loved for Peyton to be chosen by Grey as a part of his pack. Now, I wanted to keep her far away from here.
And here I was, walking her right in.
“If our room smells like this I am going to send you out for some Febreeze,” I mumbled to Dax as we approached the check in table and the overly bubbly wolf who was helping the pack arrivals before us.
“If the room smells like this we are going to need more than some Febreeze,” Dax chuckled loudly as I handed over the invitation to the young wolf, well aware that my eyes were flashing. Dax hit me hard in the side, not that it was enough to calm my wolf.
Now that I was standing feet from the pretty female, I could smell what the musk of Greyson’s control was covering up. Fear. The young woman might be smiling, but she was nervous.
“Silver Springs Pack,” I said as she looked over the invite, electing not to give our names that time. Not that it mattered, her eyes widened at the pack name just the same and the group behind us instantly started to mumble something.
“Oh! Uh! Yes… I have you right here. Just the three of you?”
“The rest of our pups are coming in a few days.”
“Oh, I see, umm, yes, let me look,” she mumbled to herself as she began shuffling papers, sliding cards, and deliberately not making eye contact with me. That was probably for the better. I guess I had figured out who she was afraid of.
“We have you and your beta in room two-oh-two. The pups will have to stay in the dorms once everything starts.”
“This pup is my sister, she stays with me.” Damn it. I hadn’t been able to stop the growl from overtaking my voice. The woman’s spine straightened, but thankfully she didn’t look at me.
“Okay, umm, yes.” She shuffled more papers before glancing up to Peyton, giving me just enough time to push my wolf down. “Here is the class schedule for her. Four classes a day, two sparring, two history. There is a dinner on the first night. Alpha schedule here.” She handed us a stack of papers, the Alpha Schedule on top. I had expected something extravagant, but all it really listed was meal times and when the training ring would be in use so we could watch our pups.
Peyton’s schedule however was crammed full of classes and mingles, and even a website to sign up to meet Greyson Dillon in a one-on-one.
I couldn’t stop my stomach from overturning that time.
“Dinner tonight will start at eight,” she continued, going back to shuffling papers. “To get to your room, go up those stairs, take a left. Use the card.” She waved behind her to the stairs and handed the plastic key card to Dax; it was only then that she looked up. That her eyes made contact with mine.
I smiled, canines elongating as my wolf grinned at her, called to her. Her eyes flashed once and we all knew what was coming.
Shit! No! Down boy!
“Thank you!” Peyton said loudly, pushing me to the side before the girl could bare her neck to my wolf. I forced myself to look away, even though my wolf was screaming and I knew full well the moment had not gone unnoticed. The group behind us were whispering with a new fervor.
“Asher,” Dax hissed in my ear as he pulled me up the stairs, needing to put as much space between me and the girl as we could, “can you please wait until the last day we are here to start a war?”
Believe it or not, I was trying to hold off, something that was getting harder with every step we took in this place.
Our assigned room was yet another flex.
We get it Grey, you think you have a big dick.
I was sure this was the biggest room he had to offer, too. It had at least five bedrooms, each with their own bathroom. In the center was a living room and a kitchen made to feed and seat at least ten.
It wasn’t just the size, he had clearly bought all new furniture for our visit, and covered it with the same musk that had filled the entry hall. Dax gave me one look when we walked into the room and laughed.
“Laugh it up, Dax. Your wolf is loving this. Mine wants to rip the furniture to shreds.” Just smelling another alpha wolf in this space was testing the control I had on my wolf. His hackles were up, the hairs on my neck and arms already lengthening. Just as my teeth were.
“You do know that’s what he wants you to do, right?” Peyton grinned before plopping herself down on one of the couches. Wiggling around so that she covered herself in his scent. She was doing it on purpose, her sassy grin spread over her face.
My wolf growled, eyes sparking violet as the sound of his rage echoed over the walls.
“Open the windows,” I growled, my alpha wolf taking control. Dax and Peyton jumped into action, flinging every window open and thankfully pulling a cross breeze through the room.
“I can go get Febreeze later,” Dax said as he set up a fan he had found who knows where while Peyton opened up the last window with a dramatic flourish.
“Forget Febreeze. We are going to need bleach.” At least my wolf was calming down now, although I was going to have to go on a run later tonight. Not sure how to facilitate that, though. I didn’t want to leave Peyton alone, and I knew that Dax sure as hell wasn’t going to leave my side now that we were in enemy territory.
“Who is that? Is that him?” Peyton was practically leaning out the window, looking at something below.
A large black car had pulled up to the front door of the estate house, two people having gotten out. The first, a woman with strawberry blond hair, was already snapping something at the valet, while the redhead in the passenger seat was setting my wolf back into a growl.
His musk was foul, dangerous, and he was clearly an alpha, but his smell was not what had coated our room. The redhead may have been an alpha, but he had already submitted that power over to Greyson. Just as they expected me to do.
My wolf snarled inside of me, pressing against my skin angrily.
“That’s Kat,” Dax said, nodding to the woman who was walking around to the other side of the car. Thankfully Dax had been at the last Moon Year Celebration, so we at least had some information about this place. “She was Greyson’s bedmate last time I was here, not sure if she still is.” My wolf was back to snarling. A wolf, and an alpha none-the-less that slept with females who were not his mate. Even Peyton was pissed, and she was rarely pissed. “The other is Hank. Greyson’s Beta.”
“That explains the scent.” The rotten smell of his musk grew as he waited right below the window. His eyes on Kat who was helping someone out of the car.
A woman, beautiful warm brown skin and an absolute mess of sleek black curls was practically being dragged out of the car and up the steps.
I couldn’t see much of her from this angle. Hell, I couldn’t see anything at all. But it didn’t matter, my wolf saw everything. He smelled everything. He smelled her, and that was all it took to turn this whole trip from a smash and grab job and into a death match.
“Shit.”