Page 134 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha
She gave a sad sigh. “But why didn’t I see it? I should have had some indication of the danger.”
I reached over to touch the back of her gloved hand. “If you were me, I think you would tell me it was because the spirits didn’t want you to know.”
She paused, and then burst into laughter. I joined her, and she turned her hand under mine to intertwine our fingers briefly before we resumed gardening. We sat in companionable silence, plucking at weeds.
Eventually, I came across a particularly stubborn weed. I got annoyed trying to dig it out with my trowel, which seemed too imprecise for the job, and finally plucked off my glove, my hand already forming into a claw, and buried my hand in the loose soil. I followed the root of the weed down a few more inches and then lifted it up, only to find it wasn’t a weed at all, but a large radish that had dug itself deeply into the soil.
“Whoo!” I said, shaking the dirt off my hand. “Look at this thing! I hope my claws didn’t damage it too much.”
Mom gasped and caught hold of my hand. She stared at my claws, still covered with dirt. “My, my. I can’t say I thought I’d ever see the day that you were able to do this.” She let go of my hand, her eyes bright with excitement. “Please, tell me about your wolf and your first shift.”
I launched into that story next, but left out the fact that it had happened right after Night and I had made love for the first time. I did tell her that he had been with me at the time, and about how he had helped me.
She pressed her hand to her heart and sighed. “I wish I could have been there to see it, or that your wolf had felt she was able to come out while I was around. But true love was the only catalyst for her, I suppose.”
“The Wargs’ Elders and Violet told me that my wolf locked herself away to protect me from the trauma of losing my birth mom.”
“I see.”
“They also told me that I’m a descendant of the original pack mothers.” I added that a bit quieter, because it still seemed like something that was meant to happen to someone who deserved that sort of honor, not me. “I guess they have a plan for me, but whatever it is, it’s hidden to us.”
Mom nodded. She didn’t seem at all surprised to hear this news about me. “These things always work on their own time, not ours. But I knew that I was always meant to find you in the forest, Bryn. I knew you were meant for something more.” After a pause, she pushed a stray strand of hair out of her face and gave me a shy look. “Can I see your wolf?”
“I thought you’d never ask.” I grinned.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. It still took me a few seconds to reach my wolf, but every time I shifted, that time got shorter and shorter. Soon, I knew, I’d be able to do it at will just like any other shifter. The change came over me more quickly, too—my wolf was eager to let our mother see her.
I shook the clothes off of my body as I shifted and got up on my hind legs. I did a turn for Mom, who clapped harder and laughed.
“Bryn, you are even more gorgeous in the sunlight,” she told me, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. “My baby, a shifter. It’s like a miracle.”
I dropped back onto all fours and pushed my nose into her neck. She giggled as my cold, wet nose poked her. She scratched me behind the ears and under the chin, and my tongue lolled out. She giggled again and got to her feet and led me inside my childhood home to my room, a place I’d been certain that I’d never see again.
“I had the scouts bring this back from Colville for the day when I would see you again,” she said, pulling a shimmery, peach sheath dress from my bed. “You can change into this when you’re ready to?—”
I was already shifting back to my human form before she finished speaking. I took the dress from her. I couldn’t tell what iridescent fabric had been used to give the dress this shimmery look, but I loved the way it caught the light. I slipped it on, and the fabric settled like cool liquid over my skin.
I looked at myself in the mirror, still in the same spot I liked to keep it, and admired the way the dress suited me. Mom had such an eye for this.
“Let’s get some tea and continue our chat,” she said. “I made up a rosehip green tea that I think you’ll love.”
Minutes later, I found that Mom was right; this tea was exactly what I needed. The rosy aroma complimented the mellow flavor of the green tea leaves perfectly. At our dining table, I let myself sink into the cup and told her about the friends I’d made in the Wargs, including Dom, Tavi, Violet, and Pax. I told my mother how welcoming everyone had been but that I missed her terribly.
She smiled at me. She had her elbows on the dining table, and she cradled her head in her hands.
“Tell me about the man who hugged you in the middle of the arena,” she said. “I’m sure he’s the one who gave you that bite.”
I touched the mark on my neck. My face burned red, but I was eager to talk about the love of my life. “Night is the one I’ve been telling you about,” I said. “The man who saved me from Troy, and who was there for me when I shifted for the first time.”
“Oh, honey, you’ve barely started talking about him, but already you areglowing.” She covered her smile with her hands. Her giggle was infectious, and it made my heart fill with warmth. “I can’t wait to meet this man officially.”
“Well, that shouldn’t take long. He’ll be here for the Alpha ceremony—and for the binding ceremony.” I added that last bit quietly, but of course Mom heard me.
She gasped and sputtered, but before she could get out her questions, there was a knock on her door. Once again, the sound of it took me back to the moments leading up to Troy’s kidnapping me. I hopped to my feet before my mom and crossed the room to the front door in a few quick strides. I threw open the door and found Tavi and Violet standing there.
“Violet!” I screamed, throwing my arms around Violet and holding her fiercely to my chest.
“It’s good to see you too, girlie,” she said, hugging me back just as tight. “Congrats on your temporary role. You really, literally earned it.”
