Page 51 of Never Submit

She jabs a finger at me. “Tell me to relax one more time, Noble?—”

“Ren,” Torin says, his voice suddenly gentler.

He steps toward her, but she flinches back.

“Don’t. Don’t come near me,” she snarls. Her voice deepens as her nails elongate into claws. “You think you can just pick and choose when to be with me? When to care?”

Her shoulders shudder, and I hear the crack of bone beneath her skin.

“Baby, stop,” I say, stepping toward her.

But she’s too far gone, her fury spilling out in a wave that her human form can’t contain.

Her head snaps up, her eyes glowing gold as snow-white fur ripples across her skin. Torin doesn’t move, doesn’t try to stop her this time. He simply watches with his jaw clenched and his muscles tense.

“Ren, listen to me,” he says in his commanding alpha tone. It echoes in my head, making my own animal shrink back. “Believe me. You don’t want this. You don’t want to lose control.”

She growls, low and guttural, her body twisting as the shift overtakes her. “You don’t get to dominate me,” she spits, her voice warped and distorted, barely human.

I glance at Torin and then back at Ren. “She’s already hurting. You’ll push her too far.”

“I can handle her,” he says, edging closer.

“Like hell you can.”

"Relax. We can talk about this."

Her body doubles over, her bones cracking audibly as the change takes hold. Pain laces through her scream and my stomach twists. She’s fighting it, but it’s too late—the wolf is coming.

We’reall about to pay.

"Change back," Torin commands. His is the ultimate authority for anyone in our pack.

He stands tall, unyielding, like he would with any other wolf in our pack. And any other wolf would obey. The problem is she isn’t his wolf to command. She isn’t his. Even if he wants her to be.

Not to mention that Ren isn’t just anyone. And she isn’t about to relent.

Her clothes tear off her, her form twisting into a wild and primal wolf with silver-white hair from ears to tail. She’s strikingly beautiful like this. My wolf sits up and pays attention to the details of this form.

Her amber eyes have locked onto Torin like he’s prey.

I thrust out an arm and step between the two of them. "Torin, back off," I warn. “Don’t make any sudden movements.”

But he doesn’t listen, of course. He never does.

"Wexler, do as I say," he growls.

The words vibrate through me but Ren is still unaffected.

His lip curls, his anger rising. Torin has never been one to lose himself, even to his wild side. But something unfamiliar flashes across his expression. Something I don’t like.

Nostrils flaring, he takes a giant step toward her.

This is his fault. Why can’t he see it? He’s making it worse. Stop,” I warn.

Not my smartest idea, but I block Ren with my body, facing my alpha.

Torin’s eyes narrow as he straightens, his jaw set, his human form towering. His hands flex at his sides as tension radiates off him in waves. He’s angry—not just at her, but at me for getting in theway.

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