Page 27 of Brutal Alpha's Forced Mate

“It doesn’t have to stay that way,” I tell her gently, my voice steady. “You can work through it.”

“You think it’s that easy? My wolf side doesn’t come as naturally as yours, Gray. It never did, but now… it’s messy and hard, and half the time, it feels like it’s not even mine. Shifting… hurts.”

“That’s because you were forced to deny it for so long. But it’s still there, Jaslyn. It’s still a part of you. You just need to reconnect with it.”

Her green eyes flash, and for a moment, I think she’s going to argue. But then she looks away, and her shoulders slump. “What if I can’t? What if I try, and I just fail?”

“Then you try again. And again. And as many times as it takes. You’ve got no audience here, Jaslyn. No one to judge you. Just me. And I’m not going to let you fail.”

She stares at me for a long moment, her green eyes searching mine for something. I don’t know what she’s looking for, but she must find it because she lets out a sharp breath and nods. “Fine. But if this goes sideways, it’s your fault.”

“I’ll take that deal.” I step back, giving her space. “Start slow. Focus on the shift. Don’t try to force it.”

Jaslyn takes a deep breath and shakes out her hands at her sides. “Right. Just… focus.”

Her tone’s dismissive, but the tension in her shoulders betrays her. She closes her eyes, and for a moment, nothing happens. Then the air around her shifts, faint but unmistakable. I can feel her magic stirring. Not the sharp, electric crackle I’ve seen when she’s using her spells, but something quieter, deeper. It’s her wolf, waking up after years of being buried.

“Good,” I say. “Keep going.”

Her eyes snap open, and she glares at me. “Would you stop narrating? It’s distracting.”

I hold up my hands in mock surrender. “Fine. I’ll shut up.”

She closes her eyes again, and this time, I stay quiet. Slowly, her breathing evens out, and the tension in her posture eases. The shift begins subtly—a pulse of energy that moves over her frame, and a soft glow beneath her skin.

Her hands flex, and I catch the first sign of change: her nails lengthening into sharp claws. Her muscles ripple beneath her skin, and her frame shifts as bones reshape and fur sprouts along her arms. She gasps, and her body shudders. I can see the strain it’s putting on her. Shifting is never easy, but for someone out of practice, it’s brutal. I can only imagine that’s magnified in someone who is just half wolf.

“You’re doing great,” I say, unable to help myself.

She grits her teeth but doesn’t snap at me this time. Instead, she doubles down. The transformation moves faster now as her form bends and breaks in ways that would make anyone else scream. But Jaslyn doesn’t. She’s tough—tougher than she gives herself credit for—and she powers through the pain like it’s nothing.

Finally, with one last shuddering breath, the shift is complete.

Where Jaslyn stood moments ago is now a wolf. Her coat is a deep reddish-brown, streaked with lighter tones that catch the moonlight. She’s smaller than I expected, but there’s power in the way she stands. Her head is held high, and her ears twitch at every sound.

I crouch down and give her a broad smile. “There she is.”

Her wolf turns to look at me, and her green eyes are tired and wary. For a moment, I wonder if she’s going to collapse, but then her tail flicks, and she shuffles toward me.

I reach out with our pack connection and tell her,It’s like breathing, Kismet. Stop trying so hard and just run.

Her ears flatten against her skull, and her head swivels away from me.I’m not overthinking it.

Right. That’s why you’re moving like a newborn fawn.

Bite me, Gray.

I huff out a laugh before standing upright again and letting the shift take over. The first thing I feel is the familiar pull, like an invisible tether yanking me down to my core. My muscles contract, then stretch as my body begins to reshape itself. Heat flares beneath my skin, not unpleasant but intense, like standing too close to a roaring fire. There’s a moment of resistance—a brief, fleeting ache as bones crack and realign. My limbs lengthen, and my fingers curl inward until they’re paws. When I fall forward, claws press against the ground instead of hands.

The fabric of my shirt gives way, splitting across my back with a sharp tear, followed by the ripping of my jeans. I vaguely register the scraps of cloth fluttering to the ground around me. It’s a small price to pay for the freedom that comes with the shift.

Fur ripples across my skin, gray and shiny, as my senses explode into sharp clarity. The earthy scent of pine fills my nose, mingling with the faint musk of Jaslyn’s wolf. Every sound becomes clearer—the rustle of leaves, the scurry of small creatures in the underbrush, the distant call of an owl.

The world feels different like this. Larger, yet somehow more manageable. Instincts kick in, grounding me in the primal rhythm of the forest.

I stretch out my legs, relishing the ripple of power that comes with my wolf form, then flick my tail.

You’ll have to catch me first, I tell Jaslyn.

---