Page 56 of Pack Rage
“There you are, wildflower.” Brand stripped out of his clothing. His shift was like a droplet of water falling as he moved from one form to the other effortlessly.
“By the moon, Brand, when did you grow into a bear for real?” Finnick muttered, backing up to make room for the monstrously large wolf to pad into the room. My own wolf was impressed, but not threatened by him, not even when he turned those silver-white eyes in my direction.
Well, perhaps a little. He was the largest wolf I’d ever seen, a dark chocolate brown that reminded me of a grizzly bear, though he moved with a far more sinuous grace as he nuzzled and licked at our little queen’s darker coat. She scraped her teeth along his shoulder, where her mark lay, though it was hidden under his fur. I could sense it, though, my own fresh claiming bite somehow connected. We wereallconnected now, invisible cordsrunning from me, Brand, Glen, Luke, and Finnick to her, our center. They were all strong, except one.
Finnick stood at the door, his hands gripping the frame so tightly his knuckles turned white as he stared inside, his expression heartbreaking. It was deep love tempered by an equally deep loss, an ocean of regret and shame.
Pup?His damp green eyes met mine before he dropped them to the floor.I spoke into his mind, though it was harder than it should be. He was keeping himself shut off from the shared bonds.Pup, let it go. She has forgiven you. Shift, and greet your mate.I could tell he was planning to say no, so I put a thread of command in my inner voice. He needed to be reminded that he was no longer who he had been.You will not punish your wolf for your own choice to push her away. Let him greet her, Finnick Dimitrivich.
A wave of gratitude shot from him to me, as the command calmed at least some of his turbulent emotions. Already sprouting fur, he stripped off his clothing and finished the shift. His wolf was also larger than mine, and lean, his russet coatshining even in the low light. He stepped silently into the room, but Flor immediately whirled to meet him.
She growled low, circling him, and the rest of the wolves in the room went still and silent, waiting to see what she might do. Flor was forgiving—sometimes too forgiving for my tastes—but her wolf was an unknown. Hackles raised, fur bristling, she stalked up to Finnick and sniffed the place on his shoulder where her mark was hidden under gray fur. Then she stared directly into his eyes and stuck out her tongue.
Finnick blinked, uncertain what to do. He glanced at me and Brand. I had no idea, but Brand seemed to understand. He let his own massive tongue hang out.
A wave of shame rushed out of the poor pup as he understood as well—not only what Flor’s wolf was demanding, but why. Ilistened to his thoughts, seeing flashes of what had taken place. This was the part of him that had touched another. The place where Flor had marked him, and the same place where his own misguided feelings of betrayal were concentrated.
I saw flickers of memories, his wolf rising, forcing Finnick’s human side—the weaker half of his soul, from the wolf’s point of view—to lie dormant.
Back then, his wolf had tried to chew off his own tongue. He’d almost succeeded before Finnick had regained control of their body. But every time he slept, the wolf woke, until Finnick had been forced to lock him away, using too much of his strength to do so.
Now Finnick’s wolf struggled to be still, but managed, keeping his legs stiff and his tongue out as Flor approached, growling and sniffing at his muzzle. Was she going to bite the tongue off for him? A part of me approved of the idea. But it would hurt her, if she did. I readied my hold on the bonds, in case I needed to protect her from his pain.
She pressed her nose against the tip of his tongue, lapping the small mark where she’d claimed him. Then, she bit down, gently, carefully, pressing her teeth into the same marks she’d left the first time, before pulling back to stare directly into his eyes. They had never been physically intimate, and I knew that this bite would strengthen their connection further, but after she withdrew, the low growl in her throat almost playful, I realized that her bite had healed him. Healed his wolf, through blood. His spirit was energized, and the bonds between us all sang with new power.
Blood magic?I wondered, but didn’t see any red sparks.
Moon magic, Brand’s voice thundered in my mind.
I wasn’t certain what he meant, but I accepted it. Though I wasn’t certain how comfortable I was that the Mountain shifterhad been able to enter my thoughts so easily, and without me noticing his presence. I lifted my lip, showing my sharp teeth.
His wolf let his tongue hang out, lolling in obvious amusement, before he nuzzled Flor once more and trotted away. A moment later, Finnick followed, his spirit obviously lighter. I hopped back up on the bed and shifted into my human form.
Flor stood on four legs, the cutest, disgruntled look on her furry face. I had to bite my inner cheek not to laugh, since she was concentrating so hard, she’d crossed her eyes. I didn’t help her this time, though. She needed to know how to shift without any interference, and in another minute, she did just that, sneezing and shifting almost at the same time. Somehow, the sneeze made her do a half flip and while she was human-shaped in the end, she was also upside down. One leg was propped on the wall behind the bed, and the other had almost smacked me in the face.
“Don’t say a word,” she warned.
I mimed zipping my lips, and she unfolded herself, curling in to hold onto me. She slept for an hour or two like that while Brand and Finnick shared their thoughts with me, sketching in the details of our plan.
When that conversation ended, I checked in on Glen, who had escaped whoever had been chasing him, at least for the moment, and was safe. Then I reached for Luke, who was resting. We were all gathering our strength for the coming fight.
When Flor awoke, we made love again, slowly, staring into each other’s eyes the entire time, as if we couldn’t bear to look away. Or at least I couldn’t.
“I have to leave soon,” I said quietly, tucking her hair behind her ear, and tracing the circle of metal that still marked her. But now that I knew how she felt about it, how it reminded her of Del and learning to fight for her own survival, I no longer found it unattractive.
She sat up. “Where are you going? Are you planning to just… kill everyone?”
How she knew me already. “I had thought of doing just that. But I’m still not at my full strength, and Luke is in their hands. He needs to face his father and gain his rightful place as Alpha. Finnick feels a deep need to confront his own Alpha and make him pay for his crimes. The witch is not here, not close.”
“You’re sure?”
“As sure as I can be without seeing her in front of me. She was using a spell to hide, but let it fall. I can feel her through her blood, now that I know she’s one of my line.” I scowled, still incensed that I’d allowed a witch like her to capture me.
I’d used some of the energy I’d gained during our mating to send tendrils of my magic out to search for my blood. Other than Finnick and Elina, I was certain there was no one else alive with even a drop of it. Not on this continent, in any case.
“You need a little revenge, too,” Flor teased.
“Maybe,” I agreed, and kissed her thoroughly. “In a better world, we would stay together for many days, with nothing to do but learn the heights of pleasure. I would have no goal but to explore the mystery of your perfect body. Even if this wasn’t how I pictured our joining.” She ducked her head, but I lifted her chin before the thought could take hold. “No, my queen,youwere perfect. It was only the setting that left something to be desired.”
