An Alpha's Choice (Talon Pack #2)(35)

At least that was the case with most children.

Since the demon attack, Finn felt every single shift, every single arch of pain that came with transforming from a man to a wolf. Just as he felt it then.

Though the moon goddess had blessed the original hunter with the power to shift, it wasn’t intended to be a blessing at first. The hunter had killed an animal in the forest for no reason other than joy, so the moon goddess had come to the earthly plane and forced that wolf’s soul into the human’s body. The human was forced to share his body with the soul of a wolf and learn how to control dual natures, as well as shift into the animal it had killed for sport. His cousin Parker was actually a descendent of that first hunter if the stories were true.

And because shifting wasn’t intended to be a blessing, it hurt. Tendons tore as they gave way for bones to break in half and into pieces, altering their shape so they could make way for the new form of a wolf. If a shifter was made into a wolf after they were adult, they never had a chance to learn how to shift without the aide of no pain. Most threw up the first time, their bodies giving out at the unnatural way their bodies mutilated themselves in order to become their other half.

Finn’s muscles tore along with the tendons and his face elongated into a muzzle. Fur sprouted along his skin before receding again. Each pore on his skin burned as the fur came through again, this time remaining. His legs turned to his back haunches, his feet turning to paws. His arms bent awkwardly to form his forelegs, strong and able to take the brunt of a jump and fight. While most of the wolves in his family and those in the Brentwoods could partial shift with their claws and fangs, most wolves couldn’t. It was either or. Now his wolf was the chosen form, his body shaking as the transformation completed.

He threw back his head and howled. He wasn’t in his den so no one answered back, but his wolf needed the freedom. While most of the time his wolf was silent, when he was in this form, he felt more of a connection than he did at any other time.

He turned at the sound of a whimper turned howl. Brynn was almost done with the change, and he stood over her, making sure she came out the other end okay. It was an odd reaction considering she was so much older than him and had been through countless shifts before his parents had even mated. She wasn’t his, but right then, he knew he acted as if she were.

By the time she’d finished turning, her body shook, but she stood on four legs and held her head high. She was damn strong to shift as quickly as she had, considering he hadn’t shifted that much faster than her.

While he was dark all over, she had rusty spots and streaks through her black fur. She wasn’t as large as he was, but her stance held power. He nipped at her neck, surprising them both. That was a form of play, but usually only between lovers and mates.

She nipped back before darting to the side. She leaned down on her front paws and wiggled her tail in the air. If a wolf could smile, he’d have done so at the look on her face. She’d needed this, needed the connection to her wolf.

He yipped at her and she took off, running at full speed. He followed, the pads of his paws digging into the loose soil as they darted in and out of the trees. They jumped over fallen logs and large boulders, running as fast as they could. The wind tangled in his fur, and he lowered his head, hunting though not for any particular thing.

They continued on for almost an hour before Brynn finally stopped at another clearing close to where they’d begun. They’d gone in a large circle, and could have gone a little longer to go back to their clothes. It confused him that she didn’t just keep going, but he stopped with her, shifting back to human as he felt the power of her transformation tug on his wolf.

The pain of going back to human hurt like a fiery hell, as well. Shifting again so soon took a lot of energy, and he’d have to eat soon to replenish it. Thankfully, both he and Brynn were strong enough to do it. He knew if they’d had to, they’d be able to shift again to head to their clothes, or worse, fight if needed.

As soon as he was back to his human form, his chest heaving and his sweat-slicked skin tender, he stood on two legs and frowned down at Brynn. He was exhilarated from the run, and his cock was rock hard not only from the adrenaline but also from the very naked, very sexy woman beside him. But he didn’t know why they’d stopped here, and he wanted to know before he figured out what to do with the arousal between them.

Brynn finished shifting, her skin a blushed pink as she stood on shaky legs. She pushed her hair back from her face and raised her chin. Her eyes were bright but not wolf like they had been before. The run had helped, but he still felt as if he were missing something.

“Why did we stop here?” he asked. They were both naked, sweaty, and aroused, but he didn’t do anything. Not yet. Not until he knew what she was thinking.

“I need to tell you something and I need you not to scream at me.”

He blinked. “Why would I scream? When have you ever known me to scream?”

She huffed. “Fine. Don’t growl or yell or shout. Sorry, I used the wrong word.”

An eerie sense settled over his skin and he frowned. “I can’t promise that…but I’ll do my best.”

She snorted. “I guess that’s all I can ask.” She let out a breath then met his gaze. “The reason I’ve been out of sorts, the reason I want to yell at you and yet want something more at the same time is for a reason.” She paused. “I’m your mate.”