Page 12 of Golden Desires

Cillian and I approach the treeline, the pull of our mate is hard to resist, now more than ever before. We glance at each other, and Cillian doesn’t need to speak for me to know what he’s thinking. How close can we get? And how close do we need to be for the shift to happen?

A tingling begins at the crest of my head and flows down my spine. I watch in fascination as the fur along my arms ripples, receding to reveal golden skin like that of our mates. The talons on the tip of my fingers shrink to blunt, ineffective nails like Ma’s. In a daze, I glance up to see my brother has also undergone the same change. I guess this answers one of our questions.

Aldair appears at the edge of the clearing, eyes wide, and mouth hanging open. Cillian looks delighted as he grins like a madman. I imagine the look on my face is somewhere between the two. I’m excited and terrified all at the same time. This is everything we’ve been hoping for.

In his human form, Aldair is shorter than before, and his fur is of course gone. Shaggy black hair frames his face. When his brown eyes catch mine, instead of fear or shock, now all I see is excitement. A smile overtakes his face as we both turn to look at Cillian.

Standing shorter than either of us, the brown hair on his head matches the fur of his monstrous form. Dark lashes accentuate his gray eyes that always shine with mischief.

I wish I could see what my face looked like… I’ll have to wait until we return home.

I look down at my body and find I’m naked and furless except for the dusting of hair trailing down my chest. My cock looks different as well… We’ll need clothing to hide these… I allow my large hand to drift down my body toward it before I’m interrupted by Cillian.

“Leave your cock alone, Ky,” he chuckles. “We'll need clothing before we can introduce ourselves,” my brother says, echoing my earlier thoughts.

“Humans cover most of their bodies, like Ma. I brought some of the clothing she’s been giving us over the years, just in case this happened,” Aldair adds, always prepared. “We need to practice retaining this form, but this skin is not made for surviving the forest bare...” I’m reminded of the day the village I came from was attacked. The only ones who shifted into a human form were our parents. At least, as far as I remember. I was only four, though. My brothers might remember more, but I don’t want to bring up that day in a moment like this.

Aldair heads away from us to grab a bag he left a few feet away. He has only managed a few steps before he hunches over with a grunt.

His form goes back to that of his monster within seconds. Our eyes meet as we realize the implications, if we stray too far from our Omega, we lose the ability to hold this human form.

“Here,” Aldair grunts, as he grabs the bag and tosses it to me, before returning to our side, once again in human form.

Does prolonged exposure to the Omega change anything? Will we eventually be able to shift at will, no matter the distance between us and our mate? I wish I had the answers. The fear of the unknown makes me anxious. Doubt creeps in like a dark cloud sinking into my soul. What if I’m never good enough?

Can I ever truly be trusted around our mate?

Chapter Seven

Goldie

Gasping, I sit up too quickly, smacking my head on the ceiling of the cave. I reach for the new bruise sure to be on my forehead with my damn broken arm and yelp out in pain from the too sudden movement.

You would think that the years of abuse I endured would prepare me for moments like this, and in some respects they did. However, I’m not used to waking up on a tiny cave floor, after being hunted down by my would-be abusive husband and a pack of hounds.

If this was a regular circumstance, the sounds of birds chirping in the early morning wouldn’t send me into a panic, but without the adrenaline I was riding high on last night, the reality that I’m in the forest, alone, hits me straight in the chest.

But… I spent the entire night in the forest, sleeping in this little hole, and I wasn't harmed…

“Holy shit,” I whisper because I fucking did it. I got myself away before I was irrevocably bound to that evil excuse for an Alpha, before he could destroy all that was left of me.

I breathe a little easier through my pain, but I’m not under the delusion that this means I can continue to rest here.

I need to put further distance between myself and the village, and I also need to track down Bear. No, I will track him. There’s no other option. I will find him.

I gingerly push myself out of the hole, keeping my ears open, and my eyes peeled as I go. I’m relieved to find that there’s no sign of the villagers from last night or any disturbance to the clearing around the tiny cave’s entrance.

The sun hasn’t been up long, hopefully any hunting parties being sent out today haven’t left the village yet. Keeping my injured wrist close to my chest, I stand carefully. Pins and needles start radiating down my legs. I guess sleeping on the floor of a cave will do that.

After I shake off the uncomfortable feeling, I venture out into the clearing on quiet feet. I don’t have time for this full body ache. Or the hunger that’s already making my stomach growl.

If I find Bear, I’ll be able to feed myself, though. Hunger gnaws at my belly, but I ignore it. Right now, my priority is finding my only companion.

Keeping the cave entrance in my peripheral, I take a moment to relieve myself at the edge of the forest.

A low curtain of mist is visible above the grass of the clearing, leaving a dewy taste to the air. Despite the crisp temperatures, I was able to stay warm through the night.

Wrapping my head around the idea that I got away from the horrors of my home and the Alpha that would have been my personal hell leaves me feeling rudderless. I no longer have to answer to Stepmother and her crazy plans for my future, or have to cower in fear from father’s belt. I do not have to pretend to be okay with the vitriol that came from the people of my village.

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