Fated for the Alphas: The Complete Collection (Nine Book Paranormal Romance Box Set) (19 page)

“You’ll need to shift, Lia. You can’t keep your wolf locked inside forever. That’s a good way to go mad.”

She looked at her arms, willing them to transform. Nothing happened. “How do you shift?”

Ronan frowned. “You just… do.”

“That’s not helpful.”

“I’m sorry, Lia, but I don’t know. I shifted within a few hours of being born. Kane was born in wolf form and it was months before he shifted. But we shifted before we knew how to walk or talk.”

Lia sighed. “What am I supposed to do, then?”

“How about this,” Ronan said. “Try leaping forward. And while you do, let your wolf out.”

Lia felt incredibly stupid, but she hopped forward. Nothing happened, except that a low growl of impatience seemed to emanate from within her.

“Okay, let’s try something different,” Ronan said. “Run. And as you’re running, let the wolf take over. Let her run for you.”

Lia nodded, and started jogging through the meadow. The sun beat down on her. She began to sweat as she circled around the den for the third time. Luckily, none of the other shifters seemed to be around to laugh at her.

She stopped near Ronan, panting. Her wolf hadn’t taken over. All she had gotten for her troubles was a stitch in her side.

“You’re holding back,” Ronan said. “You want to stay in control, but you can’t. You have to let the wolf take over.”

“That sounds scary.”

“You just have to trust yourself, and your wolf. Really give in.”

Lia imagined what it would be like to run on four paws, feel them slap against the earth. To trot silently over fallen pine needles, to slip unheard through the meadow grasses. She walked forward, her strides lengthening. Her nostrils flared as her nose filled with heady scents. She smelled old blood on the tree where they butchered deer. Fresh earth where a mole had dug into the ground. And behind her, a smell she recognized, only it was much stronger now. It was an Alpha, her Alpha. She turned to find Kane standing there.

“Stop this,” he said.

The scents were gone, as if her nose had been plugged. Strangely, it made Lia feel blind.

“What are you doing?” Ronan growled. “She almost had it!”

“She can’t shift,” Kane said. “Not yet. Let her rest some more. Let me rest, I haven’t slept in two days.”

Lia looked at her hands, which felt disappointing somehow. “I feel fine,” she said. “I’m not tired.” She wanted to try shifting again. This time, she wouldn’t fail.

Kane rounded on her. “I don’t care if you’re not tired. Go back to the den.”

She took a step back. Ronan stepped in front of her, shielding her from Kane.

“Lia’s staying here.” Ronan’s voice was taut. “She’s going to learn how to shift.”

“It’s a northerly wind today,” Kane said. “Maybe you didn’t notice.”

Ronan scoffed. “It’s not that strong.”

Lia frowned. Wind? Kane was upset about the wind?

“It’s strong enough,” Kane said. “Blowing straight into Shade’s territory. He doesn’t miss much. He’ll smell the new wolf. He’ll know she’s our mate. And he’ll want her.”

Ronan looked south. “We can protect Lia from anything that comes our way.” He put an arm around her.

Kane scowled. “Who’s risking her life now?” Shifting into his hulking wolf form, he padded away.

“Don’t worry, Lia,” Ronan said once Kane had gone. “Shade’s nothing to worry about. He wouldn’t dare show his face in the heart of our territory.”

“Do you still think it’s safe for me to shift?”

“Well, if Kane were thinking clearly, he’d remember that both of us are here to protect you from Shade. And our pack’s bigger as well. Even without the treaty, Shade wouldn’t want to fight us. He’s too cowardly.”

Lia looked into the forest where Kane had gone. She wished he’d stop leaving like that. A gust of wind ruffled her hair, and carried her scent south. Squaring her shoulders, she faced the trees. She was going to shift, and she was going to run Kane down.

Give in. Let your wolf out.

She was running now, faster, faster. Then her foot cramped up and sent her sprawling.

Lia fell to the ground, cursing. “I’m hopeless,” she said as Ronan hauled her to her feet. “What if I can’t do it?”

He gave her a small smile. “You’ve already done it.”

“What do you mean?”

“You Turned. And you survived. You just happened to wake up in your human form. Subconsciously, you already know how to shift because you’ve already shifted. Also, you got tripped up just now because your foot turned into a paw, and you weren’t expecting that to happen. Don’t think, Lia. Just run.”

He left her then, running with long, sure strides. She chased after him, watching as he leapt forward and shifted, landing on four paws. The wolf in her wanted to follow. It wanted to be let out to play with her Alpha. This time, Lia let her go.

It felt like her bones were twisting, muscles and sinews stretching, but she didn’t falter. As she fell forward, two black paws were there to catch her. She felt clumsy at first, but her paws kept going, and soon she caught the rhythm.

And she flew.

Her paws ate up the ground, aching to go ever faster. The forest welcomed her, like she was finally home after a long absence. No gnarled roots or fallen logs could slow her now. She soared over them, her body responding before she could even think. The wolf was unleashed, and she drank in the world like she’d been parched her whole life.

Her ears pricked at a sound in the undergrowth. She caught Kane’s scent of deep woods and dark places. She would follow him, catch him. He would not escape her.

She sped, leaving Ronan behind. He tried to stay with her, but the sounds of his heavy paws against the earth grew more distant. He wasn’t small and nimble, like she was. He wouldn’t be able to keep up.

Lia did her best to sprint silently, and Kane hadn’t expected to be followed. She saw him at last, the huge white form trotting away. She blew by him, and he let out a startled yip. Lia barked with laughter. Let that be a lesson to him not to abandon his mate.

Lia slowed, panting for a moment. She had never run this much in her life, but if anything she felt more energized than when she’d started. She wanted to travel to the end of the pack’s territory, and then maybe onward. In her entire life, she’d seen maybe fifty square miles of the world. She wanted to see it all.

“Lia!” Ronan stumbled into the clearing, leaning against a tree as he tried to catch his breath. “I think that’s enough. You don’t want to overexert yourself on your first day.”

She watched him, her tongue hanging out impudently.

“Do you need help shifting back?” he asked. “It should be easier, since you’ve been human longer. Just try to think about being human agai—”

Lia flashed her teeth in a mischievous grin, then bounded away.

“Damn it, Lia!”

She heard him shift, heard him pounding the earth as he raced after her. But he wasn’t fast enough to catch her. He never would be. No one could catch her now.

Behind her, oh so far behind, Ronan barked orders to Kane, who responded with a sullen growl. They were trying to catch her, she knew. They wouldn’t succeed. The Alphas were strong, but they weren’t swift enough. She was going south, and she wasn’t going to stop until her legs gave out.

She was in love with her wolf. She wouldn’t shift back, she’d never shift back. The human form was pitiful, with only two legs that wearied quickly. These legs were strong, and they felt like they could run for miles, for days.

Kane lunged at her from behind a tree. She dodged to one side, neatly avoiding him. He growled in frustration, and she knew he wanted to pin her and punish her. Lia was more upset that he had managed to catch up to her. He must know faster ways through the forest. She’d have to learn them so this wouldn’t happen again.

Lia could feel herself slowing. She’d started to flag, but the wolf insisted on running on, past the pesky Alphas. Lia was getting tired, and would rather return to the den, but the wolf wouldn’t listen.

She heard one of them behind her, and gaining. Her wolf huffed with frustration. Ronan wasn’t as fast as she was, but he had more stamina. He drew up alongside her, nipping at her and forcing her to turn. He was herding her. How insulting.

They headed toward the river. Lia slowed at first, to make him think she was obeying his orders. He relaxed, taking the bait. Once he slackened his pace, she shot forward. All she had to do was make it across the river. Then she could run to her heart’s content.

She had a sprinting start. Lia never would have tried the jump in her human form, but her wolf was far superior. With four legs, she could jump the river. She wouldn’t fail.

Behind her, Ronan let out a furious howl. Lia couldn’t help but grin. He knew he’d lost her.

It was time. Digging her claws into the dirt, she launched off the bank.

She leapt. Not quite far enough. The river rushed toward her, and she plunged into the icy water.

The shock made her shift back. There was that horrible twisting feeling of bones that she might never get used to, and then she broke the surface.

She gasped and sputtered as water rushed by her.

“Enjoy your first outing?” Ronan stood on the bank above, laughing at her.

“I did,” Lia said, trying to sound dignified and not ridiculous. “I enjoyed learning that I’m faster than you.”

He splashed into the water, linking his arms around her waist. “Speed has never really been my thing. I like being slow, and thorough.” Ronan kissed her, long and languidly, sending shivers up her spine.

Above them, Kane cleared his throat.

“Can we help you?” Ronan called. “Or are you asking permission to join in?”

Kane crossed his arms.

“We’d better see what he wants,” Ronan said. “Otherwise he might sulk all the way through your ceremony.” Gathering Lia in his arms, he carried her up the bank. “What is it, Kane?”

He growled, turning to Lia. “You need to be more careful.”

“Relax,” Ronan said. “She just learned how to shift. Let her have some fun.”

“She can have fun a little farther north. Teach her the bounds of our territory, Ronan. There are some borders she shouldn’t even approach.”

“Like Shade’s?” Lia asked. She still felt high off the sensation of running flat out. “I’m not scared of him.”

Kane fixed her with a stare. “You should be.”

“Why? What’s he done that’s so terrible?”

“Really, Kane?” Ronan interrupted. “Now’s not the time. Besides, he’s our ally, remember?”

“He’s more dangerous as an ally than as an enemy.” Kane walked away, into the dense trees. “It’s making you complacent, brother, and you’ll regret it.”

“Just don’t miss Lia’s binding,” Ronan shouted after him. “Or I’m going to keep her all to myself!”

The forest was silent.

“He’ll show,” Ronan said, “don’t worry.”

Lia wasn’t sure whether he was trying to reassure her, or himself.

Chapter Two

They walked back in human form, as Ronan had asked her not to shift again today.

“It’s not that I don’t want you to practice,” he said. “It’s just that I don’t have it in me to chase you again today. And if you’re not present at your own binding, Della will have my hide.”

The den was a flurry of activity. It seemed that everyone had been out hunting game and gathering food for a feast. Ivy and Clove walked by, both carrying baskets of mushrooms that made Lia’s mouth water. Rain followed with a bundle of dandelions.

Outside, Flint, Duke, and Orion were stacking a towering pile of firewood. It looked like they had cleared a huge swath of forest. Lark, Dove, and Cricket ran by, each carrying a brace of pheasants. Fox and Dash were field dressing a buck. It seemed like it was going to be quite a night.

Still, Lia’s stomach turned unpleasantly. She twisted her hands in her lap as she watched the shifters bustle around her.

“What is it?” Ronan asked. “Are you hungry?”

She shook her head. The very thought of food made her queasy.

“Are you tired, then? You look a little pale.”

“What’s it like?” Lia blurted out. “The binding. Is it like Delirium? Am I going to go crazy and pass out again? I don’t want to pass out again. I had really bad dreams.”

“What kind of dreams?”

Lia shrugged. “I can’t remember.” That was the worst part. She had the horrible feeling that she had not just seen things, but Seen things, and she couldn’t remember any of them. They had felt keenly important at the time.

Ronan rubbed her back. “Don’t worry about the binding. All you have to do is stand there, I promise. It won’t be difficult. And after, we’ll celebrate.”

“I guess that sounds okay.”

“It’ll be fun.” Ronan grabbed a mushroom out of Clove’s basket as she passed. She gave him a disapproving glare, but went on her way. Ronan handed it to Lia. “Puffball?”

Her stomach rumbled, so she took a bite. She felt better almost instantly.

“Good?” Ronan asked.

She nodded, offering it to him.

“You finish it. I’ll get you some more food. The feast will be in your honor, after all. I don’t see why you shouldn’t get some samples ahead of time.”

Lia watched as he sweet-talked Blossom to get some berries, and wheedled some choice cuts of meat out of Ivy.

“Want any birch beer?” he asked as he returned with his spoils. “I tapped the trees myself last spring, so it should be especially good.”

“I think this should tide me over.”

“Let me know if you need anything. I’m your Alpha, I will provide for you.” He leaned back, linking his hands behind his head.

“Really?” Lia teased. “You’ll provide? It seems that everyone else is doing the hunting, gathering, and cooking.”

“Oh, they are,” Ronan said, “but only because I told them to.”

She had to laugh.

They relaxed until the sun started to sink in the sky.

“I think it’s about time,” Ronan said. He stood, and as if on cue, the rest of the pack left the den.

“Where are we going, exactly?” Lia asked.

“To the river. The bathing pools, to be precise.”

That made her feel a bit better. At least she had been there before.

They were about to step out of the den when Lia saw someone duck into the hallway.