Page 72 of Marked By Alphas 2: Claimed

I shot him what I hoped was a withering glare but probably looked more like puppy confusion.

“It takes practice,” Marcus said, his voice warm with affection. “Your body knows what to do, but your mind is getting in the way. Try not to overthink it.”

Not overthink things? Had he met me?

Still, I tried again, focusing on the feeling rather than the mechanics. One paw in front of the other. Left, right, left, right—no, that wasn’t it. It was more like diagonal pairs? I took a few stumbling steps, gradually finding a rhythm that felt less like a drunk toddler and more like an actual quadruped.

“There you go,” Derek encouraged, his eyes tracking my movement with pride. “You’re a natural.”

I was absolutely not a natural, but I appreciated the lie. After a few more circuits around the clearing, I could walk without falling every three steps. Progress!

My senses were overwhelming—scents telling stories I’d never been able to read before, sounds carrying meanings beyond their pitch. I could smell the brothers’ pride and excitement, the ancient moss beneath my paws, even a rabbit that had passed through the clearing hours ago.

“Want to see yourself?” Marcus asked, gesturing toward a small pool at the edge of the clearing.

Did I? What if I looked ridiculous? What if I was some weird wolf-Chihuahua hybrid? But curiosity won out, and I carefully picked my way toward the water, still getting used to four-legged locomotion.

I peered into the still surface, and the reflection that stared back took my breath away.

A small wolf with sleek silver-white fur looked up at me, dark markings accenting its delicate features. Gold-flecked eyes—my eyes—gazed back with startled recognition. I was… beautiful. Smaller than I’d expected, more fox-like than wolflike, but undeniably a wolf.

A very, very small wolf. Like, “could probably fit in a large purse” small.

“First Blood,” Marcus murmured, his hand gentle on my back. “Your heritage shows clearly in your wolf form.”

I turned to look at him, questions I couldn’t voice filling my head. Was I supposed to be this tiny? Was it because I was only quarter-wolf? Or maybe my Asian heritage? Did wolf size correlate to human size? Because if so, that was just adding insult to injury for someone who already had to look up at everyone.

“You’re perfect,” Caleb said, seeming to read my concerns. “Some of the most powerful wolves in history were small.”

Sure they were. And I’m sure they told that to all the tiny wolves.

“Our turn,” Derek announced, already shrugging out of his shirt. “You shouldn’t run alone your first time.”

I watched in fascination as all three brothers stripped down with casual efficiency. Unlike me, they had zero self-consciousness about their nakedness—and with bodies like that, why would they? It was like watching Greek statues come to life, all perfect muscle and graceful movement.

And then they shifted.

It happened so fast I almost missed it—one moment, three gorgeous naked men stood before me and the next, three massive wolves towered over my tiny form. The contrast was almost comical. I barely came up to their elbows, making me feel like a puppy next to full-grown wolves.

Marcus’ wolf was pitch-black with silver markings, his ice-blue eyes now gleaming crimson. Derek’s dark gray form was the largest, built for raw power, while Caleb’s golden-brown wolf was the smallest of the three but still dwarfed me completely.

Caleb’s wolf danced around me playfully, then gently nudged me with his nose as if to say “Come on!” before taking off toward the trees. Derek flanked my right side while Marcus took the left, creating a protective formation around me as I tentatively began to run.

Running was… incredible. Once I stopped overthinking and let instinct take over, my small body found its rhythm on the flat forest paths. I was faster than I expected on even ground, my tiny size letting me dart between trees with surprising agility. The brothers kept pace easily, their massive forms creating a protective formation around me as we explored.

We stuck to the easier trails, the brothers carefully steering me away from anything too challenging for my novice wolf legs. Occasionally, I’d still trip over my own paws, especially when excitement got the better of me, but each time one of the brothers would be there—a gentle nose helping me up, a warm body steadying me.

At one point, I tried to follow Caleb over a fallen log and discovered that while running might be instinctive, jumping definitely wasn’t. My front paws made it up but my back legs betrayed me, leaving me scrambling awkwardly until Derek’s massive head gently nudged me the rest of the way over. The whole thing was deeply undignified, and Caleb’s wolf actually made a choking sound that had to be laughter.

“Not all of us are built like horses,” I tried to say, but it came out as an indignant yip that only made them more amused.

Marcus' wolf stayed close, his massive form creating a windbreak that sheltered me from the forest's chill. I was grateful for his protection, even if my pride wanted to prove I could handle the elements on my own. My tiny legs were already getting tired from keeping up with their much longer strides. As the afternoon light began to fade, Marcus led us back toward the clearing. I was exhausted but exhilarated, my small body humming with a satisfaction I’d never felt before. This was right. This was who Iwas meant to be—even if I needed some serious practice with the whole four-legs thing.

Back at the clearing, the brothers shifted seamlessly back to human form, the transition so smooth it looked like water flowing.

“Your turn,” Marcus said, crouching beside me. “Ready to be on two legs again?”

Was I ever. As amazing as being a wolf was, I had questions. Many, many questions that required actual words to ask.

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