“Bianca! There you are, I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Leanna grabbed my arm and it took me a few minutes to focus on the details of my room. Nothing had changed, only as I looked down I saw the white gown I wore for my birthday party and touched the diamond around my neck.

“Sorry, I needed the bathroom and thought I’d touch up my lipstick.” I answered, only that wasn’t what I wanted to tell her. I felt trapped in my body, like when my wolf had taken over and I was only going along for the ride.

“Good idea, there is certain Mr that wants to dance with you,” She winked and laughed, “And he isn’t your Dad!”

I felt nervous, my heart starting to beat as we made our way back downstairs and into the party.

“I hope when you shift he’s your mate. How good would that be? Despite you family taking the pack from his, we know he’s going to challenge your Dad and then you can be our Alpha’s!” She started filling me on her daydream and the feeling of unease that had unsettled me back then returned.

How could I have forgotten about this?

“I don’t think this is a good idea!”

“You’re just nervous, oh look there he is!” Leanna quickly fixed up a stray curl and then obviously pushed me in his direction and left me standing alone.

“Bianca, I don’t think I’ve wished you happy birthday yet!” Ethan was quick to take Leanna’s place at my side and it was hard to miss the way our parents were all staring curiously.

“It’s ok, I think everyone else has made up for it.”

“Well, happy birthday.” He took my hand and kissed it gently, looking into my eyes as he let it go as if he was searching something.

I knew he wasn’t going to be my mate and perfect the fairytale; I had no idea until I went through the shift, but a part of me just knew.

“Would you like to dance?”

Nodding he led me towards the dance floor and just like when Dad came out, a slower song came on meaning we had to stay close to each other.

“They all want us to be mates.” He whispered into my ear. I had been close to guys before, I had a bunch of friends only none of them had ever held me like Ethan was or whispered in my ear in a tone like his.

“We’re not mates.” I answered quickly, hoping he didn’t get offended.

“I know. I also know we can’t possible know for sure until you shift, but you have that feeling too?”

I laughed, nodding and he spun me elegantly around. I had no idea he could even dance like this. Despite us all being in the same pack, attending the same school – we weren’t in the same social groups and my knowledge on him was limited to the fact he was expected to challenge my father when the time came. He wasn’t much taller than me, but he was rather solid and fit. I think he was on swim team and the majority of the she-wolves here had a crush on him. With his blonde hair and blue eyes, there wasn’t much not to love.

“Well this isn’t awkward.”

Turns out he was a nice guy too.

“Not at all, hey Ethan – did it hurt to shift?”

I decided to talk to someone who had just gone through it, his birthday was last month and turning serious he held me a little tighter and gave me the truth.

“Yeah, they tell you it’ll pass and no one admits it, but even a month later it still hurts afterwards.”

We kept dancing and I rested my cheek against his chest, wondering how the hell I was going to get through it.

“Bianca!” He let me go and I turned to find Damon standing in the clearing he had attacked us in and looking around the party had disappeared. Ethan still stood behind me and the silver casing of the gun seemed to glow in the moon light and before I could process what was happening, the bullet was like an arrow gliding through the air and I turned to watch as it found its target and Ethan fell to the ground.

-

“Ethan!” I jumped off the sofa, screaming his name and in my daze I tripped over the coffee table.

“Bianca?” Cody was down the stairs before the others could get out bed and I quickly stood up. I was drenched in sweat and my leg was throbbing where I had hit it.

Ethan had to still be alive for Damon to shoot him; it was vision from the future not the past.

“He is from your old pack and once you find him, your true journey will begin.”

Esmeralda’s words came back to me, my true journey?

Find him.

“Bianca!” Cody had been yelling my name and as he started shaking my shoulders I blinked out of my daze.

“Sorry, I – I had a nightmare.”

“Again?”

“This one was different.” I sat down in the chair trying to remember Ethan’s last name. I could get Connor to help me find him.

“Want to talk about it?”

I sensed the others hanging outside the room, Cody had obviously kept them back and even if I wanted to shift I couldn’t. If half the leaf would equal twelve hours, I still had another five to go.

“No, no it’s ok.”

I lifted my legs up against my chest and held them close against me, trying to remember every piece of information I could about Ethan.

“Well, if you’re ok – you know where I am?”

“Thanks Cody.”

I didn’t deserve to be around these people, and the second I heard them all get settled back into bed I went to Connor.

“I thought you’d come here.” He yawned; sitting up on his bed he patted the space in front of him. “Tell me what happened last night.”

So I told him everything the psychic did and about the plant which is why they couldn’t sense my wolf. The one thing I left out was the dead wolf, so made up for it by telling him about my dream instead.

“Let me guess, you want me to find that Ethan guy?”

“Could you?”

“Cody hates it when I hack into the police database, but at least then we’ll know if he is really alive and will be able to get an address.” He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before looking at me again. “No more lies?”

“No lies, that’s everything.”

“Can I go back to sleep now? Unlike you, I don’t get to sleep all day and have to get up and do work.”

Nodding I gave him a quick hug and left him alone, sitting on the top step I listened to them all sleep. I felt exhausted, like I could sleep for days and most of all I felt lonely.

I missed the pack.

You have a new one.

‘It’s not the same.’ I sighed back and she didn’t believe that was true.

Getting up I was going to go back to Connor, but if I was going to sleep when they did and not have the ability to shift I needed to make sure I was going to be protected. In this house, there was only one I trusted like that.

“Cody?” I whispered, if he was asleep he probably wouldn’t have heard and I had only just turned to door knob to go in and try again when he was standing in front of me. “Can I, if you don’t mind, can I sleep with you?”

He only looked at me confused and there was something else there I didn’t understand so I took his silence as a no.

“It’s ok, I was just-“

I didn’t finish, turning to walk downstairs he grabbed my arm to stop me.

“Come on, you look like you need some sleep.”

I didn’t realize how weird it was going to be laying beside him until I was in bed. I wanted to touch him, feel someone beside me and the human part of me told me this was more than I should be doing.

“Goodnight Cody.”

“Goodnight Bianca.”

It didn’t take long for his breathing to steady out and with his back facing me I stayed on mine suddenly wide awake. His room was the most basic out of all of them; even the guest room I had taken over had a picture of a sunset on the wall. His clothes were kept away in the closet and the only sign of décor was a rug on the floor.

Waking up the pillow was moving and opening my eyes I froze as I realized it wasn’t a pillow underneath me; it was Cody. His skin was warm and smooth under my cheek, I didn’t even notice he didn’t have a shirt on last night and for the first time I appreciated each perfectly sculpted muscle on his chest.

His arm was around my shoulders, holding me against his side as he head was turned down in my direction and his chin was resting on top of my head. He moved again, rolling onto his side as we laid horizontally against each other rather than me leaning on him. My heart was pounding, this was all new and exciting and terrifying at the same time. I wanted the contact, to know I wasn’t alone and I had never expected it to feel this safe and nice.

Yes, it felt nice.

He was bigger than me and for all my strengths the second his other arm came down from his side to hold me I didn’t want it to move. I felt tiny, fragile and my wolf was even more relaxed and content than I was. Her emotions had me feeling weak, if we were to fight now – I couldn’t even think of trying to hurt him.

Nervously I moved my arm up in the free space to go around his waist and I pushed against him, testing how close we could really become. His scent was like a drug, so masculine and powerful if he asked, I’d submit to him. Closing my eyes, I got lost in the moment, drifting back into a happier sleep and I didn’t want to wake up in case that had just been part of the dream.

I don’t know how long we got to stay like that, the heavy footsteps down the hall woke us both up and panic was in his eyes as he looked down to mine. Without a word he rolled over and stood, leaving my wolf whining in my head for him to come back while I was frozen in place where he left me.

He opened the door and stepped out, the frantic voices of Jay and Connor pouring into the room.

“Cody, she’s gone!” Jay yelled.

“She’s always up when I get up and she isn’t anywhere down stairs so I tried outside thinking she was waiting for me and…” Connor was silenced as Cody shut his door and I got up to get close enough to hear.

“It’s ok; she came in with me last night.”

Silence.          

“Nothing like that!” He defended and it took me a few minutes to click on to what ‘like that’ actually was. “Connor, what did you mean she’s up when you’re up and is waiting for you?”

“We’ve been training together.” Connor admitted.

“Training? I try and get you to train and you won’t do it!”

“I know but you remember how I was telling you that I was catching her up on things, she returned the favor and gets me out in wolf form.”

I couldn’t believe Cody didn’t know about that, considering he was the one to turn on the coffee machine. Then again – we were either out then or had already come back in and I thought Connor told him everything.

“Well, no training today. You guys don’t even get up this early so if you’re up – go get started and I want to bring the herd in from the top pasture too.”

Groaning the duo left to wake up Adam and Taylor and I didn’t move away from the door fast enough so as Cody came back in, I was mid step back to the bed.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting up?” I turned back to face him, trying to resist the urge to hug him as everything about him seemed different now.

“Were you listening?”

“Yes.”

“Thanks for working with Connor then, kid needs all the help he can get.”

He moved towards the closet and not knowing what else to do, I ran to my room. In all the time I’d been here, I had never felt more rested or happy and the more logical part of my brain was trying to shut it down.

A few minutes later there was a knock of my door and Cody stepped in.

“If you’re up, I think it’s about time you started working with us.”

“What?”

“Get dressed; you’re learning how to herd cattle today!”

-

The good thing about setting out with them was the fact Jay gave me a lesson on how to ride the dirt bike. Taylor took her horse while the guys used bikes and when they stopped for lunch by the herd, he was more than willing to show me what to do.

In the afternoon, he was on behind me and I got in a good few hours of practice. It was harder than the car and it didn’t help that my concentration was non-existent as my wolf stalked each and every one of those cows like she would a herd of moose.

Cody’s eyes never me, if my wolf wasn’t looking at the animals we were bringing down lower – she was staring right back at him. Last night had been a moment of weakness, and she was eager to put the boundaries back in place.

Watching us wasn’t on.

By the time we returned to the house, she was beyond agitated and so was I as her emotions fed into me. I focused on the positive; we could use the bikes and the car now, not brilliantly – but good enough.

Next on my list was learning to use the guns they had locked away in the back of the shed.

With all the training Cody and I had done, I realized it wasn’t just a release from our stress or to prove to him we were equal – if not more dominant. Her whole reason behind it was preparing us for the fight she knew we would find ourselves in one day.

She had always wanted revenge.

It was why we could never live in the wild forever, for every inch of wolf – there was just as much human there and it wasn’t just me who was affected by it. Learning to use the vehicles was another part of this training; the more familiar we became with not only our own strengths and abilities, but all that was available to us the better.

Everyone was tired, despite being used to farm work none of them put much more energy or time into their fitness. It was why Cody had been impressed I had been Connor to do some training in wolf form. They expected Cody to protect them, they never considered there could be another threat waiting around the next bend and as we were a small pack, they couldn’t be so weak minded with their thinking.

If they had to live in the wild, they’d be dead.

There was no such thing as an easy meal, even on the days when you could relax you still had be alert for another predator lurking in the shadows or ready for when the weather changed and the herds disappeared.

They did what they had to and only because Cody made them.

“Bianca, come here!” Connor whisper shouted from the top of the stairs and seeing the trio collapsed on the sofa and Cody was still outside doing something with one of the bikes - I followed him into his room.

“It was too easy! Is this him, Ethan Forrest?” Turning the laptop to face me, I nodded.

“Yes! That’s him!” it was his driving license photo and while he had lost that youthful edge to his looks, there was no doubt it was the same guy. “Where does he live?”

“A long way away, he has moved overseas. Six months ago his passport was used and he is on a student visa.”

My hope dimmed, I wasn’t sure what I had expected. Being on the farm over would be nice. I hoped to meet him and for the answers to all fall into place. Now we had the Atlantic between us.

“Does it have that face log thing? Can I contact him on there?”

“And say what? If you tell people you’re alive when someone thinks you’re dead, you’re asking for trouble.”

Connor had a point.

“The gypsy said once I found him, my journey begins. Do you think this would count?”

“I don’t know. Give it a couple of days and see if any other signs pop up?”

“Thank you.”

I left him trying to hack into Ethan’s Facebook, the more I knew about him now the better. No one had moved off the sofa and since I could shift again, decided to go for run. No one was interested in coming with me so left my clothes on the veranda and let me wolf out.

We headed down the driveway that went to the rear of the property where Taylor had taught me to drive and I was glad no side effects seemed to exist from taking the plant.

The whining howl had me looking behind us and Cody came running up the track. We leapt forward, bowing playfully and as he got close enough we nipped his ear and sprinted down the track. He gave chase and unlike Jay didn’t start to tire as we left the property behind. We finally slowed and panting heavily took a break, still wrestling in play when the scent of someone else came to me.

I paused, growling and sensing my change he stopped too. His head was lifted to the breeze and a few seconds later he growled too. We headed in the direction the smell came from and Cody took the lead which had me over taking him. The sounds of wolves up ahead had me dropping low, and he mimicked my actions and crawling through the bushes we saw the five wolves playing as we had been.

They were shifters too.

The breeze was blowing in the wrong direction for them to catch our scent, although from the shifters I’d met so far I doubt they would even notice their surroundings like their wild cousins did.

Cody nudged me and we moved away, to my surprise Cody shifted.

“Did you want to meet the neighbors?”

I shook my head and turned to go back where he had come from. His wolf reappeared at my side and we headed back home. The less people I met the better – so far there were only six people who knew who I was and I wanted to keep it that way for as long as I could.

-

The next week went by much the same.

Sleeping with Cody became part of my routine only I was always up before him and carried on with Connor. It was on Sunday morning he was actually waiting for me and while I could sense his excitement, his fear was thicker in the air around him.

“What is it Connor?”

“You know how I said wait for a sign? Well, Ethan flew into LAX last night.”

“What? I saw Damon shoot him – they’re right near there!” I started pacing, worried it might all be over before it could even begin.

“He’s already gone though, from there he went to Canada and if his flight is on schedule, he’d be touching down any minute now.”

Canada?

“Why would he go there?”

“I don’t know, but if we give it a few hours I could probably check his credit cards and find out more.”

“You can do all that?”

“I’m not just a pretty face.” He joked. For all his weaknesses, he was stronger than most of us. He was smart and while he lacked the strength and ability to lead – he was good support. I likened him to the Beta of my wolf pack; he had the potential to take over only he didn’t. While the Alpha’s looked after all of the pack, he looked after them.

“You’re really not.”

“Oh and Bianca, don’t even think you’re going to Canada.”

That’s what he thought.

“Thanks Connor, let me know if you find anything else out.”

We parted and I decided to try working the coffee machine one more time. Ten minutes later I was about to give up when Cody came down.

“Please step away from the coffee machine before you hurt it.”

“I was just trying to get it ready for everyone.” I didn’t mean to pout, but I did.

“You’ve done the filter right, hit the green button until the light comes on and make sure there is enough water and you’re done!”

Sure enough the water started to filter through the machine, coming out as the brown liquid that everyone seemed to love here.

Eventually everyone was up, the routine chores taking place and come mid-morning, Taylor surprised me with her suggestion.

“Cody, how about I take Bianca into town. She needs some clothes of her own and now she has some weight on her I’m sure she’ll like having something that fits her rather than being too tight or loose or guy clothes!”

“You want to take her shopping?”

“Yeah, I think it’ll be good to get away from you lot for a day!”

Cody looked at me, but I couldn’t hide my shock at her suggestion and didn’t answer.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea.” Adam spoke up first and I knew it was because he didn’t want me alone with his sibling.

“You’re right. No.” Cody decided.

“She can kick your ass Cody; we’re not weak defenseless females you know!” Taylor challenged and his eyes narrowed in on her.

“She is right, I think we should go.” I sided with her and that only annoyed him more and the tension in the room tripled as she didn’t back down thanks to my support.

“I can go with them?” Connor piped up trying to clear the air, “I need some stuff too so we can do our own thing and still be close by?”

“Fine!” Cody growled and headed down stairs.

“That was intense.” Jay looked at Taylor who only shrugged.

“We can’t be kept here like animals in a cage. He needs to loosen up.” She growled and turning to me she smiled. “Give me five and we’ll go before the big bad wolf decides to blow the house down.”

-

I walked behind Connor and Taylor who argued over something that happened on one of the TV shows they watched. The town was a hive of activity and just like when we got the festival, I was struggling to adjust to the crowds.

Taylor saw some of her friends and seeing how uncomfortable I was, Connor told her we’d be fine on our own and took me to one of the quieter stores.

“So what clothes do you like?”

“I dunno, jeans are good.”

More surprising than Taylor wanting to take me shopping, which was really code word I want to see my friends – Connor knew a thing or two about fashion and I was in the change room checking sizes when another shifter came in.

“Connor, how are you? I haven’t seen your brother in some time.” The female voice had me curious and I peeked out from the curtain.

“Yeah good Anya, he’s just been busy with the herds.” He lied.

“Might come by soon to say hi. Did you hear about the shifter attack that happened a few towns over? It was during some festival and the Alpha down there is pretty pissed about it.” Now she had my attention.

“No? Well with those packs it doesn’t surprise me.” Connor muttered yet the change in his tone made me nervous.

“True, so glad we’re here and not closer! Is Taylor here?”

“Yeah, she asked me to check if something was in stock. I think she’s up at the café though with her friends.”

“Oh cool. I’ll go see if I can find her then. Tell Jay I said hi!”

Relief came over me at the mention of Jay, not Cody like I had expected. Where did that even come from? Taking a deep breath, I squealed as the curtain opened and Connor was glaring at me.

“Know anything about that dead wolf?”

“No.”

“You’re lying, I can see a flicker of your wolf’s eyes in yours when you lie – what did you do?”

Clever wolf.

‘Go away. I can lie on my own.’

“I’m not lying Connor!” I stared at him hard, keeping a straight face and he watched me closely. He had made a mistake in telling me about that as from now on, my wolf knew to hide.

“Fine.” He looked at the outfit I had on, becoming distracted. “Those jeans are definitely better than Taylors are on you.”

“Thanks!”

We shopped for a little longer and Taylor found us as we passed a hair salon.

“You –in there!”

My hair was washed, treated, cut and styled. By the time we headed home I was in clothes that fit me and from having my hair done, I felt more like myself.

Jay and Adam played something on a PlayStation and Taylor went to put her shopping away. Connor helped me with my stuff and then disappeared into his room so I went back to the other two.

“Where is Cody?”

“Gone.”

“Sulking”

They said at the same time, their eyes not leaving the TV where soldiers ran through a warzone. Adam glanced in my direction and had to look twice as I stood between the chairs.

“What?”

He looked away, but Jay was quick to take advantage of his distraction and his character was killed.

“Yes! Take that….. Woah!”

“What?”  The longer they stared the more self-conscious I became and crossed my arms defensively.

“They’re amazed you actually look like a girl, not a tomboy wearing her big brothers clothes for dress up. I think it’s the hair, it doesn’t look so feral anymore.” Taylor flicked the back of my hair as she passed, jumping onto the sofa between the guys.

“You’ve seen me naked and now you stare?”

“Well, in our defense, your hair hid your boobs and that shirt doesn’t!” Jay admitted and I couldn’t stop myself from turning red.

“God you two are morons. I think there could be something in this working out thing though, you do look good Bianca!” Taylor smiled before snatching the remote from Adam and taking his place.

I didn’t know what to say to any of that, the attention was more than I was used to and made me beyond uncomfortable.

“Bianca, can you tell me what you think of this shirt I bought today?” Connor called out, and looking back towards the stairs he waved his hands around frantically. He didn’t want to talk about clothes.

“Sure.”

“I’ve been keeping an eye on Damon and he is on the move. He just boarded a flight to Canada!”

“I need to warn Ethan.” We both went quiet, before I had an idea. “Can you make me a fake face page? Can people easily do what you do? Can we make it secret?”

“More than half of people’s profiles are probably fake ones and I could probably set something up so it will be impossible to trace here?”

“Can you do it? Then I can try to warn him without telling him who I am!”

He started to tap away on his laptop and with all the things going around on his screen I had to look away as I couldn’t keep up.

“It’ll take me a while, I’ll let you know when I’m done just keep them away cause I need time to set it up and if they know what I’m doing, they’re going to have some questions.”

“Ok, I can do that.”

I left him in his room and Cody was coming up the stairs, his reaction much the same as the others.

“Ah, you look nice?”

“Thank you.”

“Have fun?”

I nodded and stood awkwardly between him and Connors door.

“I was going to ask if you felt like doing some training, but you got your hair done.”

“If you’re scared I can still beat you – even looking like a girl, I get it.” I teased.

“Not at all, see you there in five?”

He went down to his room and I went into mine, slipping on leggings and a sports bra he was already down there putting on gloves when I walked in. The others were still playing their video game so at least now Connor could have the time alone he needed to set it up.

Cody didn’t go easy on me, not that he ever did and I returned the gesture. The downside to constantly working with the same partner is you get familiar and as good as it was, I knew his moves before he knew what he was going to do and while he hadn’t worked out my pattern yet – he was getting close.

I thought back to when I made my first human kill, fighting a wolf had been too easy like when Taylor had come for me in the hall. If I took the plant, I wouldn’t be able to shift either and the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to do it.

“Can we try something different?”

“What did you have in mind?” He asked curiously, we were both breathing heavily and he undid his gloves, tossing them onto the table.

“Let me fight your wolf.”

“Ok? How is that different?”

“I’m staying human.”

He paused, trying to work out if I was serious.

“Why?”

“I want a challenge.”

“You could get hurt. I’m not going to put you at risk!”

“I won’t be at risk.”

“You think you, as a human could beat my wolf?” He asked in disbelief.

“I don’t think - I know.”

His wolf was aching to come out, his eyes were changing to the amber of the animals and the more I mocked, the more likely this was going to happen.

“Outside, in that empty paddock. No holding back. If you’re worried you might hurt me – don’t forget I can shift just easily.”

“I really don’t like this idea.”

Nothing in his voice made me believe him.

Submit; tell him we’ll submit.

“If I have to shift because you’re winning or about to win - we’ll submit to you.”

It was a tempting offer, even to the human and I saw the muscles in his arms tense as he tried to hold back from shifting then and there.

“Fine.”

I headed upstairs, knowing full well he’d want to chase and quickly went to see Connor.

“Almost done, what do you want to say?”

“Just tell him Damon is coming and could possibly kill him. If he asked who we are, tell him someone from the pack and we’d tell him more later.”

The howl the tore through the house was my sign to go.

“What are you doing?” Connor asked, getting up to follow me down the stairs and the trio joined us as I went outside. The black wolf of Cody stood waiting, and at seeing me his lips pulled back into a snarl before he ran over to the paddock, jumping the fence easily.

“I’m keeping everyone distracted.”

Sure enough the trio followed me to the fence, not sure what was going on and Connor muttered something about not being able to watch me be stupid and went back to his room.

Climbing the fence, there were few bits of debris down the other end and otherwise not much I could use as a weapon. This was a test, so I’d have to make do and Cody gave me a wide berth as I walked towards the center of the field.

“Why aren’t you shifting?” Adam called out, and glancing over they sat on the top panel.

“Because I’m fighting him human Adam!”

I didn’t listen to their arguments that followed, something about me crazy, about Cody being an asshole for doing it and as I stopped to face him, I narrowed my eyes and growled.

He started to trot towards me, quickly closing in the distance and I turned to run to the other end. He was faster than I could be and suddenly veered left, he slowed and jumped towards me. I fell, turning as he came over already looking like he’d won and as he went to come in to attack, I bought my legs up and kicked him hard on his snout.

He yelped, not expecting it and I quickly got up and kept running. Taylor was screaming for us to stop and as the fight progressed, the screams turned to cheers as each of us got in hits and nips. Like the other night I found a decent enough branch and didn’t swing as hard I could have.

I didn’t stop moving the whole time and while I was starting to wear Cody down, I was getting tired too. With the sun started to set, we kept on and he got a good scratch down my leg which had me crying out. My scream gave him new energy and my own wolf was eager to get out and teach him a lesson now. If we shifted – it was over and that was the only thing that held her back.

His control was practically non-existent on his wolf and I expected and hoped for as much. Not being able to take me down was driving him crazy and I knew he wasn’t holding back. That kill had been easy, and at least now I knew how hard it could have been.

I was lucky; I could have been the one to die that night instead of him.

As we ended up back down the other end where the three had turned to four, my attempts to end this were becoming more desperate and getting in a good hit with the branch, the next swing had Cody taking it in his jaws and I pushed it backwards, making him take it and as he stumbled and dropped it with me letting it go, I jumped onto his back, pushing my knees under his ribs and every inch of strength was put into holding him by the neck.

Just when I thought I had done it, he threw his head back and I was knocked off and he pounced quickly to pin me down.

“He’s lost control; he’s going to kill her!” Jay yelled, and pushing my hands up under his chin I kept his jaws away from my face. My arms were trembling with the effort as he tried to move away to try again, but thanks to my legs being around him, I was dragged along.

Let me take over.

It wasn’t just Cody I was fighting, my wolf wanted out.

‘No. I will not submit’

Her will became too strong and I couldn’t hold both of them back anymore and as I shifted, I heard Adam cheer while the other three gasped.

‘What have you done!’

I couldn’t fight her anymore and I was pushed aside. Cody lunged forward to pin us down again, his tail curling even further as he knew he had won and going against the deal she met him half way, knowing him over.

Growling he got up, his movements slower than before and his hackles rose along his spine making him appear even larger.

She lowered her form, her tail wagging so low it swished against the grass and went near him, lowering her ears and she licked at his muzzle, rubbing against him like a cat.

My wolf was submitting to him, but on her own terms.

He stood there holding his head higher, growling lowly as he accepted it and he must have realized the same time as me and decided against it. He lunged for her to try and knock her over, and sensing the change she moved out of the way and instead knocked him down.

As he stood, she did the same thing again and after the third time he gave up – shifting.

My wolf stood beside him and he didn’t look impressed at all.

I couldn’t shift; she still had too much control.

“Shift.”

I couldn’t even make her shake her head.

“Bianca, shift.”

Instead she dropped to the grass, rolling on her back and started wriggling around like a pup, whining as she did so and I was surprised to find Connor and Taylor shift and come running over.

“I give up!” Cody muttered, sitting down Jay and Adam came over to sit beside him and watched as the three of us ran around in wolf form.

Finally she gave me the ability to shift back and the other two tried coaxing Jay and Adam into shifting. It didn’t take them long and the four ran out of the paddock, giving into a game of night time chase.

“You said you’d submit if I was winning.”

“You weren’t winning - I lost control. Do you have any idea how it was to keep you away while fighting with a voice in your head? She wanted to submit on her own terms, I think that was her plan all along.”

“Your wolf is too smart for her own good and I was winning.”

“Keep telling yourself that.” I teased and the sound of the others playing came from somewhere near the bike shed. “Good fight though.”

“Next time let’s see how your wolf goes against fighting me.”

The thought excited her and I knew we’d have him submitting for real within minutes.

“I don’t think you could handle it.”

I went to walk inside, limping slightly from the scratch on my leg and the bruise that started to come up on my hip, not expecting all the aches and pains to be forgotten as he grabbed my arm and pulled me around to face him.

“I think I can.”

And then he kissed me.

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Ethan >>>

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