Kiss Of The Alpha : A YA Paranormal Romance

Chapter 101: Chapter 101

Heather

Brent stepped into the circle everyone had formed around me with Serena in his arms. She moaned.

No. This wasn’t good. "Is she awake?"

He placed her down gently. "Yes. She’s burning the drugs off faster than we can give them to her. At least we won’t have to fight the drugs and the curse to get her awake."

Dr. Gonzales was right behind him. "When you’re ready, I’ll give her a shot to wake her up a little more. I don’t want her to get sick or convulse, but I think we’ll want her a bit more alert."

I wanted to say no freaking way was she giving her anything to wake her up, but that was my fear talking. I couldn’t bring fear into this. I needed to be firm. My visions would guide me to her, and my alpha powers would help her escape. "Okay."

Her parents stepped into the circle. Her mother squeezed me tight. "Thank you."

God. I wished everyone would stop thanking me. I hadn’t done anything yet.

The pressure made my chest tight.

Brent moved to my side. "Thank you so much for coming. My mate and I think that together as a pack, we can break through what’s been holding Serena’s wolf at bay." His voice was clear and confident. "It might leave everyone here drained, but as you can see, it’s a worthy cause."

He squeezed my hand. "Do you want to say anything?"

I shook my head. Was he nuts? No, I didn’t want to say anything.

Wait. Yes, I did. "Serena has been a good friend to me, no questions asked. I’m going to try and repay the favor, and I need everyone’s help. I know I drained a lot of you yesterday, and I really appreciate you being up to trying it again. I’m doing something different this time, though. I’m hoping it’s enough to break the curse." I looked at Dr. Gonzales.

She knelt by Serena’s side, and waited for my signal.

Brent pressed a kiss to my forehead.

My heart was racing as I sat by Serena.

I took a breath, and grasped Serena’s hand in my own. Her fingers felt like a bunch of brittle sticks. I swallowed and looked at Dr. Gonzales. She plunged the needle into Serena’s other arm.

Serena’s eyelids fluttered for a few seconds before opening.

"You ready?" Brent asked.

"Yeah." I hoped so. I let down every barrier I had. "Serena."

She moaned.

"Show me your wolf."

I was in the field of bluebonnets again. The sun was brighter. It was earlier in the day. She was with her brother in human form. Serena looked younger without her dyed hair, but she was definitely a teenager. She was wearing a flower printed dress—which was so nothing Serena would ever wear.

"You’re going to be fine. I’m going to shift, and you just follow my lead, okay?"

"No, Max! Don’t—"

Max laughed, and quicker than I could blink, he was on four legs with his clothes piled at his feet. He butted his head against her legs.

"Cut it out."

When she went to push him away, he nipped her hand. "Ouch. You son of a bitch! That hurt!" And then fur rippled along her arms.

Her change was slower than his. It took maybe five seconds instead of milliseconds.

"Serena! Show me where she is!"

I knew my wolf hid in the center of myself. The first week I’d turned, Brent taught me how to picture her and become more at one with that side of myself.

He said most Weres inherently knew how to do that, but the whole having a wolf sharing your space was a bit of a game changer for me.

I expected the bright light to blind me like last time. To see the image flare bright and then dim again, but it didn’t. Instead, the wolf in my vision turned to me, and plopped down on her bottom.

She howled. It was so loud, I had to cover my ears.

And then I was plunged into darkness. The field, flowers, and daylight were gone. I held out my hand in front of my face and couldn’t see it.

A wolf whined, and I stepped toward it, waving my arms around trying to feel for it.

I hit a soft mass, and fell over her. "Sorry," I said as the wolf whined.

Hope blossomed. I couldn’t believe I’d actually found her wolf. This might totally work.

I still couldn’t see, but I felt around her. She was covered in chains. I pulled at them, but there was no way I could break them. They didn’t even budge.

Okay. So this was it. I’d found her. Now I had to send my strength to Serena’s wolf so she could grow stronger and break out of the cage.

That would take alpha powers.

I reached for my bond to Brent and mentally tugged at it. Strength and power flowed into me. His focus and determination became my own.

And then it hit me so hard that I felt like I was drowning. So much power.

Before, when I’d been in Serena’s room talking to Donovan, I hadn’t known what I was doing. I hadn’t been aware of the power rolling through me, but now I was. I could feel each wolf. The essence of everyone present.

"You’re going to be fine, Serena. Take what’s offered." I closed my eyes, and pictured the energy flowing directly into her wolf. I harnessed the will to change. "Shift, Serena." I said, using all the power that I could. "Shift now." I pulled on the chains around her wolf with the strength of the pack.

Her hand jerked.

I opened my eyes and found myself in the real world. She hadn’t shifted. I had to go back in. I gripped her hand in mine, holding tight, and I closed my eyes again.

I was back in the darkness and felt the chains under my hands.

Grabbing all the power I could, I pulled on them. "Chains, break!" I put some of my witchy powers into the words, forcing my will into them. It didn’t matter what I said, only the intention. I pictured them breaking and yanked again, and they creaked against each other.

"Now. Serena. Change now. Do it. Now!"

The power was building. Burning through me like a fire in the depths of my soul. I pushed it toward her.

I pulled on the chains. "Break. Now. Break." They creaked again. "Change now! Do it now! Shift!"

I alternated pushing alpha energy at Serena and using witchcraft to weaken the chains.

Howls echoed along the pack bonds. The wolves were all shifting, but Serena wasn’t.

I put my will and faith behind my words. "Break!" I tugged on the chains, and felt a link break. They were loosening.

I grabbed more power from the pack. "Shift!" I was screaming now.

Another link cracked, and the chains gave even more.

"Shift now!" I yelled, pushing more alpha power.

I heard Brent’s howl through the bond. I wasn’t sure how I could distinguish his from the others, but I knew it was him. He’d shifted along with the others, which meant I was reaching the end of the line of power.

More wolves howled.

"Break! Chains break!" I pulled on the chains and they broke. I lost my balance and fell, sprawling on my back.

White light blinded me.

I opened my eyes, back in the real world.

The white wolf from my vision sat in front of me. Serena. She looked up to the sky and howled.

Oh my God. I’d done it. Serena was a wolf, and she was okay. She was really okay.

Hot tears rolled down my cheeks as I laughed. "God. Took you forever, chica."

Wolf-Serena whimpered.

Thank God. She was okay.

The fear for her melted away. I had a second to enjoy it before pain rolled through my limbs and another fear replaced it.

I wasn’t okay.

I screamed, trying to hold my shape, but I couldn’t.

Fur rippled along my skin as my own wolf started to take over. My knees popped.

Oh God. No. Not yet. I wasn’t ready.

I squeezed my eyes shut as another ripple of pain moved through my muscles as they reformed.

Brent’s wolf nose touched the back of my neck, urging me to keep going.

"No. I can’t." My voice was gravelly. I fought against my wolf. Terror clawed along my spine. I wasn’t ready for this. I had two more days before I had to do this.

I felt a strong alpha energy closing in fast. The rest of the wolves must’ve felt it, too because they started howling.

It was too much. Too loud. I couldn’t fight it all.

"Move out of the way," Donovan said.

Oh God. He was the Alpha I was feeling. He’d force my change. I couldn’t let him, but I was shaking from pain and the need to go furry.

"Shift!" The command hit me with a force so strong, it took my breath away.

The wolves howled as one.

I groaned, but there was no stopping it. My strength was waning. "No. Please." My muscles fought against me, but I was holding off the change. I screamed, stuck between forms.

"You’re a damned stubborn one." Donovan stood above me. His blue eyes bright. "You saved my mate, and I’ll not have you hurting like this. You listen to my command and you follow it. Do you understand?"

"No. I can’t," my voice was low and scratchy.

"You will." He put his hand on my forehead. "Shift now, Heather Jones."

So much power. So much force. I couldn’t fight it anymore.

It was as if a dam inside me broke. My form was fluid. One second I was in pain, on the ground, struggling to maintain my sanity as my clothes were shredding. The next I was on my side and everything was calm. For the first time since I woke up at St. Francis’s, I felt completely at peace.

My vision changed. It wasn’t in black and white, but it was muted. And my sense of smell. If I’d thought I could smell everything before, I could smell more now. Every little thing. The grass. The dirt. The bugs crawling between the two. I jumped up to my feet. All four of them. Weird. I stumbled for a second. And then turned to find Serena.

She was a beautiful white wolf. She sat with Donovan’s arms around her. "Why didn’t you tell me that this was the reason you refused me? We could’ve fixed this together. It didn’t have to be a no," Donovan said to her. "God. I don’t think I’ve ever been so terrified. Never scare me like that again. Never. You got me?"

Serena whimpered, and I laughed. It came out like a chuffing sound.

I looked around the circle. The wolves were there. Watching. I howled, and they answered in unison.

The pack bond wove through each of them. Some weaker than others. Some burning bright.

Brent howled twice, and the wolves scattered into the woods. Then he rubbed his side against mine and took off running.

Where the hell was he going?

I took off. Chasing him. I stumbled and tripped a bit before figuring out where my new shape was in space. My claws dug into the dirt as I moved.

I got caught up in the new sensations of the world around me. It took me a bit to realize I’d totally lost Brent.

What the hell? Where did he go?

I sat down and whined. This was bullshit.

He crashed through the bushes at me, and I rolled. He motioned toward the ground with his nose, then took off.

Oh. I was supposed to smell. Right.

In my new form, my sense of smell was almost as good as my sight. I could tell how long it’d been since an animal had passed by, but since it was all new, I wasn’t sure what each scent was.

As we ran and played, I got a sense of freedom. Occasionally I’d catch a whiff of something yum, but when I’d see it was a bunny or a bird, I’d leave it alone.

I had a feeling if Brent was alone, he would’ve made it his prey, but I wasn’t there yet. I wasn’t sure I’d ever be there.

But Serena was fine. I was fine.

Hell, I was more than fine. I was a fucking wolf.

After a little while, my stomach growled. Brent gave his wolf-y laugh, and led me to a bush. A small black plastic bin was hidden under some leaves. He left me there.

So I was supposed to change. How the hell did that happen? I went behind another bush and squeezed my eyes shut, hoping that I would magically turn back to human.

Nope, still furry.

Oh shit. I was stuck. I was going to be a wolf forever.

Damn it. This was so not cool.