Page 21 of Fated Alpha Protector

“My only consolation is that it finally came,” I sigh.

“Well, now that it's here, let me train you,” Anastasia offers with a huge grin. “First, you need to close your eyes and imagine your wolf.”

I do as she instructs, closing my eyes and trying to picture my wolf. The details are unclear, only its shape painted in my mind.

“Now…” she calls from beside me, “... Take a deep breath and picture yourself becoming one with your imagination.”

“Wait!” I snap my eyes open. “How do I get out of wolf form?”

Anastasia giggles. “Just reverse this part. So when you're in wolf form, just picture your human form and become one with your imagination.”

“Hm… Sounds easy.” I close my eyes and reimagine the wolf in my mind.

It takes a few tries, but I finally get the hang of it. Mentally, the image of the wolf morphs into a cloud of smoke that swallows my vision.

The crack of bones and the flush of fur in the air makes my eyelids spring open. When I do, my sharp vision belongs to the wolf.

I gasp, but the sound escapes my lips like a wolf's whimper. Pleased with myself, my lips curl to a smile as I turn my head to Anastasia.

All she does is nod her head toward the opening of the forest before turning that way. She waits for me to join her, then runs out into the woods.

I follow her, dodging tree trunks and boulders as they flash past. The cool air billows through my fur, cooling the run as my body heats up.

With every quickening heartbeat, my temperature rises. But not in an alarming way – like the way it did the first time I shifted.

This time, it feels more controlled.

As we near the river's edge, I get flashbacks of the night I stumbled on Nightwalker territory. Panting and out of breath, both Ana and I slow down.

She leads the way to the riverbed, dipping her head there to lap at the water. I follow suit, stopping when my face is an inch from the water.

I hadn't been able to stop and take a good look at my wolf before. Doing it now, I notice the silver streak of lightning across my back. My fur is a dark brown color, only reflecting the lightness under the moonlight.

Beside me, Anastasia whimpers to grab my attention. Her dark wolf smiles at me, but the smile fades when a voice enters her mind.

‘Is Mia with you?’

It's Alpha Theo…

The only trouble is, I shouldn't be able to hear the mind link he sends to his sister…

Chapter 8

THEO

“Nightwalker wolves… Welcome,” I address as I stand in the center of the fighting ring.

Liam and Jarrod have done most of the introductions. As the Alpha of the pack, it's left to me to begin training.

“... As part of a set of new rules, we'll be taking recruits for training. All those who wish to volunteer, remain behind the first line of the ring.”

As everyone steps out of the ring, I close my eyes to invoke my wolf. But instead of the image of the dark Alpha wolf, I see Mia's face behind my eyelids.

Startled, I peep through the slits of my eyelids to ensure that no one has picked up on my surprise. Luckily for me, everyone waits patiently for my transformation instead.

Closing my eyes again, it's Mia's face that appears once more. Deciding to look beyond it, I focus on my wolf who finally appears behind my eyelids.

I shift into wolf form, but before I can open my eyes, I see Mia's face as if it won't go away. My wolf brows furrow as I finally part my eyelids.

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