Page 90 of Oath of Revenge

He felt her contentment and satisfaction, and he sighed, happy for the first time in a long time. The stress of the past melted away, and he fell onto his side, tucking her against him and staying inside as best he could. Still panting, he drifted into a dreamless sleep.

Chapter 28

Scarlet woke with a big stretch, smiling as she felt the weight of Wulfric’s arm and leg over her. She shivered and realized the fire had died. She eased out from under him and added more logs to the coals. Her legs were shaky and her center of balance felt off. She smiled at the soreness as she cleaned the evidence of their mating with a rag she’d found beside the bed.

Her body felt off, but she wasn’t sure what it was. Dizziness swarmed her, and her stomach growled with hunger. Her nose twitched, and the need to hunt, to run filled her.

She felt different, but not like she’d been before with the giant antlers. Remembering how she’d felt this disoriented when she’d first been cursed by the king, she bit her lip as apprehension crept up her spine. Tentatively she reached up to touch her antlers, but her hand froze halfway up. The light caught her arm, her hand. A soft layer of fur covered her, a pale red with spots. It was thicker than what it’d been before.

She found a pitcher of water and poured a drink with a shaky hand. When she tried to drink, it spilled down her jaw, making her jump. She swiped at her jaw and froze. Then her world tilted, jarring her into action.

“What the fuck?” The cup dropped, spilling on the rug as she touched her mouth with both hands. Her heart raced, and she almost jumped toward the door just to have a reason for it to go that fast.

Wulfric leaped off the bed and landed in a crouch, his head swiveling. “What? What is it?”

She stroked her elongated jaw and stepped closer to him on wobbly legs. “What the fuck? Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

Wulfric turned to her and his eyes widened. Panic raced up her spine, and her breathing shallow. “Wulfric?” The note of fear in her voice must have shaken him from his reverie because he straightened and stepped toward her.

Hand outstretched, he said softly, “Breathe, bunny, it’s alright. You’re shifting.”

Her hands went wide as she balanced precariously. “How? Why?”

No sooner had she asked the question than her stomach felt like it was being ripped open from the inside out. She fell to her knees and threw her head back, screaming as pain streaked through every cell of her body. The pain and magic twisted her body and bones cracked. Her scream softened to panting and moaning.

When the flashing magic and pain faded, she blinked. Her vision was sharper but there were more grays and blues. The reds and yellows of the rugs and blankets were now monochrome.

Wulfric stood tall, still in his human form with his jaw dropped in surprise. “Scarlet? By the gods, you’re beautiful.”

The reverence in his voice softened some of her panic, and she looked down. She had red fur, big paws. A flick of her hips, and she looked behind her. The Growler tail she’d had for six months finally matched the rest of her.

She frowned and sat on her haunches. Reaching up with a front paw, she scratched at her ear. Her heart raced as she jumped. “Antlers?”

Her voice was breathless and a little garbled, a little deeper, but she didn’t care as long as he understood her.

Wulfric grinned and shook his head. “Nope. They’re gone. You look like every other Growler, except for the color of your fur. I’ve not seen that particular red in any of the five tribes.”

“I—I need to run. Hunt. Eat.”

He nodded. “Let me shift, and we can join the pack. There’s probably some of them still out there.”

He glanced at the hole in the ceiling and then shifted. A sliver of moon was barely visible. She looked back at him, and his Growler form prowled toward her. She was still smaller than him like in their human forms, but there was something irresistible about this. To be dwarfed by his wolf size, larger than the other Growlers she’d met about camp. Her new body recognized him as the alpha. She wanted to roll onto her back and submit to him. Instead, she nuzzled under his neck, and he put his head on her back.

“By the gods,” he murmured the prayer reverently, a prayer of thanksgiving to the , the goddess, to whoever had made this happen.

It was a logical observation, as she was disconnected from her emotions in this form. She wasn’t anxious about being a Growler. Right now, in this moment, all she wanted was to run, hunt, and eat. Maybe fuck a little too.

Gods, was this why the Growlers were known as mindless creatures who just wanted to fight or fuck?

He turned and slinked to the tent flap. “Come on then. Let’s see how you hunt in this new body of yours. Don’t be surprised if it takes a while to get the hang of it. It took me months before I caught my first deer.”

Her mouth watered, and for the first time in months, she actually wanted the taste of venison. They went through the doorway and into the cold night, snow falling softly. The sounds of camp were muted, as most of the pack had already returned from their run.

The guards nearby straightened as they went toward the edge of the woods. “Alpha,” one of them gasped, staring at Scarlet.

Her lip pulled back in a small snarl as Wulfric nudged her shoulder with his. “And the new Luna,” he said proudly.

Both guards held a fist to their chest and nodded. “Luna,” they said in unison, surprise and delight evident on their faces.

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