Page 27 of Shifting Fate
Arias
I sat there in stunned silence, unable to move or speak or even think. I could only watch as Dallon shook his head, like he couldn’t believe me, then turned around and left without another word. The front door clicked shut behind him and the sound was like gunfire, splitting the silence.
I gripped my head in both hands and dug my fingernails in, fingernails that were fast turning to claws as my beast bellowed inside my head. He thrashed from side to side, screeching horribly. I yanked on my hair and buckled over with a howl of frustration.
“Shut up, shut up, shut up!” I yelled, balling my hands into tight fists. With another bestial shriek, I sent my fist hurtling through the coffee table. Wood cracked and splintered under the force. Pain bit at my skin, but I hardly felt it. I stood there, hunched over and panting hard. The slimy ball of regret in my gut knotted tighter than ever, and my inner-wolf growled low.
“This is your fault,” I spat.
He snarled right back at me. His ears pinned flat against his skull, his ice-blue eyes bled fury and anguish. His white fur stuck up all over, and when he bared his fangs, I felt the wild edge of his soul.Oursoul. Because if he was wild, then so was I.
Feral.
“Arias.” My Alpha’s voice called me back. The deep note of understanding drew me out of my frantic thoughts, but it wasn’t enough.
“I’m going out,” I uttered, vocal chords still partially beast.
He frowned. “Do you really think that’s a good idea?”
I growled low. “Don’t care. If I don’t get out of here soon, I really am going to shred something.” Or someone. I pinched my eyes shut and dragged in a heaving breath. “I-I’m sorry. I gotta go.”
He shouted my name, but I’d already spun away from him. I threw the front door open, immediately assaulted by Dallon’s intoxicatingly-sweet scent that still lingered in the air. My beast wanted to stalk him back to Amber Run. Wanted to pin him down and bare his teeth and show Dallon exactly how he felt.
Ours.
I shook my head hard, rattling that thought. He already thought I was an asshole. I didn’t need to prove it further.
I needed to escape.
The shift from man to monster was effortless, but reining in my wild side wasn’t. Gritting my teeth, I bolted into the woods in the opposite direction of Dallon’s home.
My paws thudded over hardened earth and autumn leaves, and my breath escaped in frosty pants. I ran myself hard, pushed myself until my legs ached and my lungs pinched, and the angry growls of my wolf faded away.
Before I realized where I was even going, I found myself in familiar territory, surrounded by the scent of pack. Of home. I slowed to a halt just outside the glorious West Manor. Ivory pillars stood tall on either side of the front door, which boasted a large iron knocker in the shape of a wolf’s head.
I stood on the sidewalk, my sides still heaving from my run. Out of all the people in the world, the only one who truly understood me was my twin. We’d shared a womb, though I was becoming more and more certain that its water had been tainted.
Was that why I was out of control? Why my magic was hazardous and the beast within my skin was feral? I ducked my head with a soft whine. The anger faded away, replaced by a deep ache of longing and loneliness. I missed my brother. His presence had always calmed my wild heart, and now that he’d found his place at Westwind…
I was on my own and I was failing miserably at it.
Swallowing my feelings whole, I shifted back to kneel on the cold concrete. I climbed the steps that led to the front door, held my breath, and knocked. I glanced up as it swung open, but the words died on my tongue.
The person staring back at me was a kick in the gut.
There was a shutter-flash moment of fear in Colby’s eyes as he gaped up at me. His expression twisting into a terrible sneer, he slammed the door in my face. I felt like I was choking, suffocating on the very air I needed to survive.
On the other side of the door, the anger in his voice was palpable—and why wouldn’t it be? What I’d done to him was unforgivable. I’d yanked viciously on every thread of thought and memory I could find, and why? Because Dallon had chosen him to warm his bed instead of mine?
I staggered backwards and nearly tripped down the steps.
I wasn’t welcome here. I needed to get away.Run. Escape. Hide.
“Arias?” Espen’s voice was sharp as a blade. I spun around to face him. He must’ve seen how frenzied I was, because his expression immediately softened. I felt the crackling caress of my brother’s magic against my wrists, encircling them, binding them.
For a split-second, my own magic riled. Blistering heat rose up to battle winter’s chill, but Espen’s powers encompassed me, gripping my soul in a vice. Assuring me that he wouldn’t let the beast out of its cage. I sank into the ethereal touch as emotion pricked at my eyes.
Moments later, his physical touch joined it. He wrapped his arms around me and held me to his chest. I collapsed there, burying my face in the crook of his neck. Everywhere he touched felt cold, but it was a welcome reprieve from the anger and the pain.
