would work. Werewolves weren’t exactly the best at self-control.
Rylie glanced up at the sky. She couldn’t see the moon through the clouds, but she could feel it. “Ten minutes.”
What was she going to do?
Abel untied the string on his jogging pants so that they hung loosely around his hips. “The old lady’s right. You need to chill.”
“But you can’t take over for me yet. You can’t control the pack’s change.”
“And you can’t shift on command, either,” Levi said, rounding the side of the house. He was one of the pack members that was completely comfortable being naked before the transformations, but the air was too cold that night, so he wore a thick bathrobe. “You’re too weak. You’ll never be an Alpha wolf, Abel.”
Abel growled, but he fell silent as soon as Rylie touched his arm. His bicep was tense beneath her fingers.
“You want to be Alpha?” Abel asked, biting out each word. “Be my guest. Walk with the pack and change them. I’ll wait.”
Levi glared at him, then tossed his bathrobe to the ground and shifted without admitting that such a thing was beyond his power.
As a wolf, Levi was hard to distinguish from his sister. They had the same shaggy, honey-colored fur. The only real difference was that he was much larger. Maybe even large enough to take Abel down.
Levi took two steps toward Abel, as if considering exactly that.
“Get out of here,” Rylie said. Her voice was deepened by the power of the moon. She didn’t often force her will on the pack, but she was sick of Levi’s crap, and her stare was enough to make him back down. For now.
Bekah flashed through the nearby orchard, having already changed on her own. Levi gave chase.
The others were still spread out in human form—not far from the grove where they buried the Union soldier.
Rylie faced Abel. “If you are the male Alpha for the pack—if you are my mate—” She stumbled on that word. “You should be able to change them. Reach out with your inner wolf. Seize control of them and draw out the spirit of the beast.”
Abel didn’t have to respond for her to see the helplessness in his eyes. He didn’t even understand what she was talking about.
How could he ever be Alpha like that?
“Okay, don’t worry about it,” she said. “Just watch me tonight.”
Rylie moved down the hill and walked among the wolves. A current of energy filled the ranch, twisting in the night air like the electricity that lingered after a lightning strike.
One by one, the wolves shifted, and it was painless under her watchful eye. Every yelp and shudder could be soothed with a touch.
Her wolf wanted to change with them so very, very badly.
When the rest of the pack had transformed, she returned her attention to Abel—still human, but not for long.
“Do it,” she urged him. “Do it without me.”
He balled his hands into fists. “I can’t .”
The urge to change was too strong to wait any longer. Rylie touched his hand, released her energy, and fed it through his body. It poured out of her to fill him. His eyes grew brighter with the brilliance of the moon.
He became a wolf and ran with the pack.
Rylie failed to get any sleep that night. She stayed up to watch the wolves, terrified that Secretary Zettel would choose that night to return. But the hours passed quietly, and the sun rose on a sleepy ranch.
Once everyone was inside, she followed Gwyn into the cellar, where Scott was already waiting with James and Brianna. The witches had spent all evening trying to repair Scott’s body, but to no avail. James said that he didn’t have a big enough power source to channel the necromantic power, and nobody was hot on the idea of human sacrifice.
“We’ll figure something out. No rush. I’ve got all eternity, apparently.” Gwyn moved for the stairs again, but James stopped her.
“We should check your bandages,” he said.
“It’s not like I’m going to get an infection, son.”
“No, but you’re fragile
Rylie glanced up at the sky. She couldn’t see the moon through the clouds, but she could feel it. “Ten minutes.”
What was she going to do?
Abel untied the string on his jogging pants so that they hung loosely around his hips. “The old lady’s right. You need to chill.”
“But you can’t take over for me yet. You can’t control the pack’s change.”
“And you can’t shift on command, either,” Levi said, rounding the side of the house. He was one of the pack members that was completely comfortable being naked before the transformations, but the air was too cold that night, so he wore a thick bathrobe. “You’re too weak. You’ll never be an Alpha wolf, Abel.”
Abel growled, but he fell silent as soon as Rylie touched his arm. His bicep was tense beneath her fingers.
“You want to be Alpha?” Abel asked, biting out each word. “Be my guest. Walk with the pack and change them. I’ll wait.”
Levi glared at him, then tossed his bathrobe to the ground and shifted without admitting that such a thing was beyond his power.
As a wolf, Levi was hard to distinguish from his sister. They had the same shaggy, honey-colored fur. The only real difference was that he was much larger. Maybe even large enough to take Abel down.
Levi took two steps toward Abel, as if considering exactly that.
“Get out of here,” Rylie said. Her voice was deepened by the power of the moon. She didn’t often force her will on the pack, but she was sick of Levi’s crap, and her stare was enough to make him back down. For now.
Bekah flashed through the nearby orchard, having already changed on her own. Levi gave chase.
The others were still spread out in human form—not far from the grove where they buried the Union soldier.
Rylie faced Abel. “If you are the male Alpha for the pack—if you are my mate—” She stumbled on that word. “You should be able to change them. Reach out with your inner wolf. Seize control of them and draw out the spirit of the beast.”
Abel didn’t have to respond for her to see the helplessness in his eyes. He didn’t even understand what she was talking about.
How could he ever be Alpha like that?
“Okay, don’t worry about it,” she said. “Just watch me tonight.”
Rylie moved down the hill and walked among the wolves. A current of energy filled the ranch, twisting in the night air like the electricity that lingered after a lightning strike.
One by one, the wolves shifted, and it was painless under her watchful eye. Every yelp and shudder could be soothed with a touch.
Her wolf wanted to change with them so very, very badly.
When the rest of the pack had transformed, she returned her attention to Abel—still human, but not for long.
“Do it,” she urged him. “Do it without me.”
He balled his hands into fists. “I can’t .”
The urge to change was too strong to wait any longer. Rylie touched his hand, released her energy, and fed it through his body. It poured out of her to fill him. His eyes grew brighter with the brilliance of the moon.
He became a wolf and ran with the pack.
Rylie failed to get any sleep that night. She stayed up to watch the wolves, terrified that Secretary Zettel would choose that night to return. But the hours passed quietly, and the sun rose on a sleepy ranch.
Once everyone was inside, she followed Gwyn into the cellar, where Scott was already waiting with James and Brianna. The witches had spent all evening trying to repair Scott’s body, but to no avail. James said that he didn’t have a big enough power source to channel the necromantic power, and nobody was hot on the idea of human sacrifice.
“We’ll figure something out. No rush. I’ve got all eternity, apparently.” Gwyn moved for the stairs again, but James stopped her.
“We should check your bandages,” he said.
“It’s not like I’m going to get an infection, son.”
“No, but you’re fragile
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