Chapter 55

“This is ridiculous. Nothing is going to happen.” I say, practically pouting. I know I look like a petulant child, but this nighttime hike into the woods is not my idea of a good time. The bugs are biting at my legs and I want to go to bed.

Preferably with Adrian.

Since the first time, we had had sex twice more throughout the night. I felt like I couldn’t get enough of him. It had been a long day staying with Grace while he had been at work. When he had gotten home and Grace had finally gone to bed, I had expected another night similar to the last.

What I got, was Adrian dragging me into the woods and insisting that I learned how to shift into my Lycan form. I had insisted that I didn’t have a Lycan form and we would be standing around in the woods all night, but he wouldn’t listen to my protests and just kept assuring me that I did.

So now, here we are. Hanging out in the woods under the moon and waiting for me to turn into a wolf.

“Phillip is never wrong.” Adrian insists. “You just haven’t done it before, but you can. Just feel the pull of the moon and will yourself to shift.”

I groan and slap at a bug on my leg. But I close my eyes and do what he says.

“Nothing is happening.” I say blandly.

“Because you don’t believe it will, so you’re not really willing yourself to turn.” He argues. “You need to relax and just let your body follow the pull.”

“I’m not a Lycan, Adrian.” I sigh loudly. “Just because you and Phillip want it to be, doesn’t make it true.”

“Lily, darling, I think you’ve been disregarding all of the signs.” He says patiently, “Think about it. You smelled Grace’s shampoo when you were searching for her in the woods. A human can’t do that. Your hearing isn’t exactly normal either, you hear way more than you should. Then there’s your strength.”

“My strength?” I ask, not liking how much sense he’s making.

“You’re stronger than Vanessa. She’s a werewolf, you shouldn’t have been able to send her to the ground after you hit her.” He reasons.

I had never thought about that.

“Do you feel how the moon affects you?” He asks softly, coming behind me to rest his hands on my shoulders. Grounding me in place. “Like it’s drawing you home and comforting you? That’s the pull of the magic that will allow you to shift, you just have to follow it.”

I don’t like how much sense he’s making. And I don’t want to believe this to be true, but I’m starting to wonder if it is.

I close my eyes and tap into that sensation I always feel under the moon. How safe and constant it is. I feel it drawing me in and relax under its gaze and Arian’s hands on my shoulders.

“Just will it to happen.” He instructs me softly, his voice a murmur in my ear.

I take a deep breath, and maybe it’s just to appease him, maybe it’s because there’s something inside me that says what he believes is true, but I will myself to follow the moons pull and turn.

Suddenly, my body jolts. I feel a cracking in my joints, and I start to panic.

“Don’t fight it.” Adrian says, releasing my shoulders. “Just relax into it. It doesn’t hurt.”

It really doesn’t. It looked painful when I saw Adrian turn, but this doesn’t hurt. It feels like the most natural thing in the world.

Then I’m collapsing onto my knees and a cry tears from my throat before a loud howl sounds through the air. My howl.

I look down and I think I might be dreaming. Fur and paws are in the place where skin should be.

Adrian is laughing with pride and joy. I expect to feel terrified, but I’m not. I feel oddly good. Like I’ve been released from a cage I’ve been kept in for far too long.

With a sudden burst of excitement, I take off and start running through the trees. It’s not long before I see a figure next to me. A large grey wolf, with eerie yellow eyes. I could swear it’s smiling at me.

Adrian.

We run through the woods faster than I’ve ever gone, chasing each other and calling out to the moon above us.

It’s at least two hours before we stop. Adrian slips back into his human form, panting and sweating after our run through the summer heat.

I wait, but I don’t turn back. It’s then that I realize, I don’t know how. I have a brief moment of panic where I wonder if maybe I can’t. What if I’m stuck like this?

“Just breathe and will yourself to come back.” Adrian instructs gently. “Soon, it will be as easy as breathing. For now, you’ll have to fight against the pull and shove the wolf back down.”

I do as he says, pushing that instinct aside and resist the moon’s call. Then there’s the cracking again as my limbs morph back into their human shape a brief flare of discomfort as everything settles back into place and suddenly, I’m all flesh again.

I’m panting naked next to Adrian in the trees and he’s looking at me with such pride, I flush under the attention.

“Beautiful.” He says and leans down to kiss me.

It’s another hour before we find our clothes and get back to the house. Adrian’s arm is around my shoulders and we’re chatting happily.

I should be feeling uneasy and a little sick after an experience like that, but I feel invigorated. Like a part of myself that has been restrained for so long is finally allowed to breathe.

We are walking up the steps to the house when we both stop short at the sight of Julian on the veranda. He looks like he’s waiting for us.

“Julian, what are you doing here?” I ask, shocked at seeing him. I honestly thought I never would after Adrian told him to leave.

“So, it’s true.” He says tightly, glaring at both of us. “You’ve claimed her as your mate.”

“I’m sorry if this hurts you, Julian.” Adrian says, his arm tightens around my shoulders. “But yes, she is my mate.”

Anger flares in Julian’s eyes and he rises quickly. “That’s not possible! She’s mine, she always has been.”

“Phillip confirmed it.” Adrian says gently. “She was never your mate, Julian. You were confused.”

“The only ones confused here, are you.” He scoffs. “For thinking that you could take my girlfriend, my mate, for yourself. The pack will never allow this.”

“The pack isn’t going to have a choice. Mates are sacred. Especially confirmed ones, you know that.” Adrian reminds him and Julian’s temper flares. I get the urge to stand between them. I know for a fact that Julian tends to get violent when his temper is like this.

I step forward between them. Adrian lets me, but his hand doesn’t leave my shoulder. As if he will pull me back behind him if he needs to.

“Julian, this isn’t the time for this. Go home. We can all discuss this later.” I try to reason with him.

“After everything we’ve been through, and of all the men you could leave me for, you chose him? My own father?” He shouts at me.

I flinch as guilt stabs at me. I don’t know what to say except, “Yes, I choose him.”

He steps closer. I have the sudden urge to step away from him, to give him the ground, but I hold it. He won’t intimidate me, and I won’t give in to him. Not this time.

I look of confusion, and then realization dawns on his face. He leans forward and inhales my scent.

“So, you’ve accepted the bond. I can smell him on you.” He looks down his noise at me with disgust. “They’re right. You’re just a gold-digging whore.”

The hand at my shoulder tightens and I’m being pulled back and behind a snarling Adrian who grabs a hold of his son and forces him down to his knees.

I gasp and cover my mouth in shock as Adrian leans down, his eyes back to that eerie yellow hue. Then he says, his voice all pure angry Alpha, “If you ever speak to my mate like that again, I will remind you of why I am your Alpha. Now get out of my house.”

Julian snarls back, but Adrian’s power surges and Julian backs down. He’s defiant, but he knows when he’s picked a fight he can’t win.

Adrian releases his son and Julian stands and stalks away without so much as a backward glance.