Forty Two
The news hit us like a ton of bricks. Vincent’s attack was imminent. The war room was a hive of activity. Maps were spread out, strategies were being debated, and faces were etched with worry.
“We have to be ready for anything,” Logan said, his voice low and determined. “They could come from anywhere.”
Brock nodded, his eyes scanning the map. “We need to strengthen our defenses everywhere, not just the south.”
I felt a lump in my throat. This was it. The moment we’d been dreading. “We can’t let them win,” I said, my voice barely a whisper.
Logan looked at me, his eyes filled with concern. “We won’t, Amelia. We won’t.”
Days turned into nights as we prepared for the inevitable. We trained, we planned, and we waited.
The tension was palpable. Even the usually
cheerful faces in the village looked grim.
Brock insisted on ramping up my training. He argued that I needed to be able to defend myself, not just rely on others. I groaned and complained, but deep down, I knew he was right.
Our training sessions were brutal. He pushed me to my limits, teaching me how to fight, how to use weapons, and how to survive in the wild. There were days when I wanted to quit, when my body ached and my mind was exhausted. But I pushed through, determined to become stronger.
One afternoon, we were practicing hand-to-hand combat. Brock was holding back, but I was growing increasingly frustrated with my own incompetence. In a fit of anger, I lashed out, my movements fueled by adrenaline. To my surprise, I managed to overpower him. Smashing my fist into his jaw so hard I heard his neck snap.
Brock stumbled back, his eyes wide with shock. I froze, realizing what I had done. I had hit him, and I had hit him hard.
He shook his head, trying to clear it. “Amelia, stop,” he said, his voice low and dangerous.
I couldn’t stop. I was out of control, my wolf was rabid now, that first taste of victory and she wanted more, my mind racing. I lunged at him again, but this time, he didn’t hold back, probably in wolf mode too.
With a swift movement, he blocked my attack and countered with a powerful punch to my face that felt like a truck had hit me. I flew backward, hitting the ground hard. The world went black.
When I came to, I was lying on the ground, Brock kneeling beside me. He looked terrified. “Amelia, I’m so sorry, my wolf went out of control,” he said, his voice trembling.
I sat up, my head throbbing. I touched my face where he had hit me. It was already starting to swell.
“It’s okay,” I said, trying to sound calm. “It was an accident.”
But it wasn’t okay. I was angry, humiliated, and confused. I had never felt so out of control in my life.
Brock took my hand. “I promise it won’t happen again,” he said. “I was trying to protect you.”
I pulled my hand away. “Protect me? By hitting me?”
He sighed. “I know, I know. I messed up. But you did hit me first anyways”
I looked at him, trying to decide what to do. I was still angry, but I also knew that he didn’t mean to hurt me.
Suddenly, an idea formed in my mind. I smiled. “I’ll accept your apology,” I said, “if you marry me.”
Brock’s eyes widened. “What?”
I shrugged. “It’s a joke.”
But I wasn’t joking. A part of me actually wanted him to say yes.
Brock ran a hand through his hair. “Amelia, please stop teasing me.”
I laughed. “Fine, fine. But you owe me big time.”
He rolled his eyes but smiled. “I know, I know.”
We sat there in silence for a moment, the tension between us finally easing.
“I’m sorry for pushing you so hard,” he said. “I just want you to be safe.”
I nodded. “I know. And I appreciate it. But maybe you could ease up a little.”
He smiled wickedly . “No.”
__________________________________
“I want to learn how to fight as a wolf,” I said, my eyes were fixed on his. He obviously knew I wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“Damn you” he growled, I smiled when I obviously sensed the excitement from his wolf. Which werewolf didn’t like to be free. Sometimes it took all out willpower not to just remain as wolves and roam the earth free
When we were finally ready, we stood in the middle of the woods, taking deep breaths. Then, something incredible happened. My body started to change. My skin prickled, and I felt a warmth spreading through me. My bones seemed to crack and rearrange themselves. Fear and excitement warred inside me. And then, I was looking at the world through different eyes. It wasn’t my first time shifting but it had been so long and it had been in rogue lands with a grumpy Brock and a bitchy Sage. Now I felt giddy with excitement.
I was a wolf.
My senses were heightened. The world was a symphony of smells, sounds, and textures. I could hear the distant rustle of leaves, the soft padding of my paws on the forest floor. The world was alive in a way I’d never experienced before.
Brock was already transformed, his form sleek and powerful. He looked at me with a mixture of pride and concern.
“You’re doing great,” he said, his voice low and reassuring in my head.
We started to run, our bodies moving with a grace and speed I didn’t know I possessed. The trees were a blur, the wind whipping through our fur. It was exhilarating.
We ran for what felt like hours, exploring the depths of the forest. The world was our playground. We swam in icy streams, climbed towering trees, and chased playful squirrels.
We hunted small animals, our senses honed to perfection. The thrill of the chase was addictive.
As we were exploring, we came across a fresh deer trail. Brock’s ears perked up. He sniffed the ground, his eyes gleaming.
“Fresh kill,” he said, his voice low in my head and I shivered does one come in wolf form cause his deep voice in my head was certainly going to make me to.
My heart pounded. I’d seen him hunt before, but I’d never participated. This was my chance.
We followed the trail, our bodies low to the ground. The forest was silent, except for the crunch of leaves beneath our paws. Our senses were heightened, every sound, every smell, a potential clue.
Then we saw it. A large buck was grazing in a clearing. My heart raced. This was it.
Brock gave a low growl, a signal for us to attack. We burst from the undergrowth, our bodies a blur of muscle and fur. The deer bolted, its hooves pounding the earth. We were in hot pursuit, our bodies lean and powerful.
I focused on my target, the deer’s hind legs. I leaped, my jaws snapping shut. I missed, but I didn’t give up. I tried again, and this time, I connected. The deer stumbled, giving Brock the opportunity to finish it off.
With a powerful leap, Brock landed on the deer’s back, his teeth sinking into its neck. The deer struggled for a moment, then went limp. We stood over our kill, panting and exhilarated.
We fed silently, the taste of raw meat filling our mouths. It felt weird at first but soon I enjoyed the thrill, the raw meat suddenly tasted like the best I had ever had. When we were finished, we lay side by side, our bodies warm in the sunlight. I stared at Brock huge sleek black wolf fur and sighed how could someone look so hot as a werewolf.
“Can we have sex as wolves” I asked in our telepathic link and his wolf head turned.
“Ewww” was all he said.