Page 11 of Riot of Autumn

I guess my magic isn’t a secret anymore. I knew something was going on with me for the last few months. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the urge to shift was pressing on me any time my emotions were heightened. It’s sort of like going through puberty and getting a boner at the worst fucking times. Except now a beast wants to tear out of me every time I’m angry, afraid, even turned on.

At one point, I thought I was sick, dying even. One day, the pain burning in my chest and gut had been so strong I’d been afraid a beast was going to crawl out of my skin. I’d called Archer, not knowing what the fuck to do. Not that he could have helped, but at least if I was going to die, it wouldn’t be alone.

But then it didn’t happen again for a while. The night of prom, when we’d been fighting the Fae in the clearing, something had snapped into place. I don’t know if Ruby and I got a boost of magic from the others, or if it was the threat facing us, but under the cover of Archer’s shadows, my body shifted into a wolf. The same wolf I just shifted into.

It’s been a fast catch-up since that night. What I’ve learned so far is that I can turn into the wolf, as well as a crow. Those are the only two animals I’ve shifted into. I don’t know if that’s the extent of my magic or if the sky’s the limit. I haven’t exactly pushed to find out.

It’s really fucking strange. There is no other being in here with me, like in horror movies where the main character is taken over by a rabid beast. I literally am the wolf or the crow. My shape may be different, but I’m still fully aware of who I am.

I stare at Ruby’s open mouth. Her stunned face looks too damn adorable. Her eyes are wide, the pupils dilated in shock. There’s paint covering the hands held out in front of her, and a smudge of orange across her cheek.

“Is this still Colton’s hypno-magic shit? Did I hit my head? I’m hallucinating, aren’t I?” She’s babbling again, her nervous tell.

Ruby’s violet hair is up in a messy bun on the top of her head, leaving the long column of her neck exposed. Seeing the mottled bruises on her throat tears a growl from my throat. Ruby’s mouth presses into a flat line.

“That growl better not be directed at me.”

I take a step toward her, slowly, in case she’s about to freak out. She stays still, watching me with anticipation. A slow smile spreads across her face, and she lets out a ragged breath. When I reach her, I knock my head into her hand and her grin gets even bigger. It’s the most dazzling, beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Ruby’s not reserved. I’d never call her that, but she is guarded. I so rarely get to see her genuine, unabashed smile that it fills me up with a glowing warmth.

Without hesitation, she reaches out and scratches behind my ear. Should it bother me that she’s treating me like her dog, Axil? Probably, but it feels too damn good for me to worry about that right now. A happy rumbling sound escapes my throat, and Ruby chuckles.

“I think I like you better like this. You should consider staying in wolf form all the time.”

I growl again and knock into her side.

“Oh, hey, there you are. Still a dick, even as a wolf.” Ruby’s eyes go wide. She shakes her head at me and whispers. “You’re a freaking wolf, Ezzie. When the hell did that happen? Holy shit.”

Shifting into an animal seems to be a response to strong emotions, but shifting back to my human form is only a matter of concentration. I step back from Ruby, not wanting to smack her or shred her with my claws accidentally. Pinpointing the source of my magic is getting easier each time I do it, along with shifting. I’ve figured out the pain comes from fighting the shift. If I let it happen, it doesn’t hurt. That doesn’t mean it isn’t fucking freaky.

I zone in on the feeling of having two legs, standing upright, and changing back to my human self. The shift happens faster, as though my body is getting used to the different forms. Magic lingers in the air, mixing with the smell of paint and Ruby’s berry scent. Fuck, that smell. I could find her in a crowd by that damn sweet scent alone.

“Jesus, Ezra.” Ruby tips her head back to the ceiling once I’m standing in front of her in human form again.

“Sorry. I don’t really have a place to put pants when I’m wolfed out.”

Ruby drops her head to stare at me, and I catch her eyes dipping down my chest and below my waist. They fly back up and her cheeks get a little pink. I don’t think she can blame that on the heat. Shit. She better keep her eyes up, because just the sight of her looking disheveled and flushed makes me hard. Using one of her paintings to hide the fucking boner I’m getting would be a little obvious.

Ruby reaches out and shoves my shoulder, but not hard. It’s barely more than a nudge.

“You’re a wolf, Ezra.” Ruby must be in shock because she keeps calling me Ezra. She rarely calls me anything except for Ezzie and it’s usually with a sneer. I grin at her, feeling excited by the magic for just about the first time in my life.

“It’s fucking bizarre.” I huff out a laugh and drag a hand over my head.

“Is this why you were naked the other night in the clearing?” Ruby doesn’t even bother letting me answer before she moves on to reprimanding me. “Seriously? Why didn’t you say anything then?”

“Because everyone was fucking exhausted, and we’d been attacked by a bunch of Fae. Not to mention, Rhys and Zara just bonded. It didn’t seem like the right time.”

“Goddamnit Ezra. I thought you were dying just now.” Her eyes narrow into tiny, angry slits.

“Yeah, well, what about you? I’m pretty sure you just Olympic-level shot put Colton’s body out into the woods.”

Ruby looks at the door and then nods. “I think he scampered away like a little cockroach. This is all so fucked up.”

“What the hell was that piece of shit doing out here, anyway?” What is the Fae playing at? Why was he here? To taunt her?

It was dumb fucking luck that I’d been out here checking on Ruby when Colton showed up. My hand lifts without my permission and I graze my fingertips over the marks on her neck. I’m going to kill that bastard.

Ruby doesn’t pull away like I expect her to. She stays still while I touch each individual mark. Memorizing the bruises so that I can repay him for each and every one someday soon.

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