Page 28 of Feral: Part One

That thought terrifies me just a little.

Slate

I’m curled up on the couch, a white fox, Preston wrapped around me as much as he can, his pregnant belly pressing against my side. For the first time, I can smell him, an almost sweet summery scent that is perfectly fine. Thane’s on my other side again, his fingers running through my fur, a touch that sends soft shivers down my spine.

There’s just one problem. I can’t shift back, my human form locked away, and I don’t understand why or how I became this—thisanimal. But the heat, the pain, the unbearable discomfort from the last few surgeries—it’s all gone in this form. My mind’s clear and nothing hurts, and for the first time in days, I can think without drowning in fear.

I sigh, relaxing further into Preston’s embrace, my head resting on his arm. In this form, I can feel all four of them. OnlyKael is still pissed at me, the Alpha hovering on Preston’s other side, Malik in the armchair across the room. My question iswhy. I’m not bonded to Kael so I shouldn’t feel him and yet, it feels kind of perfect. It also feels like something is going to blow up in my face.

The doctor—Nathan—stands a few feet away, observing me with soft eyes. “How are you feeling, Slate?”

I bob my head, a faint whine escaping my throat. I try to speak, but only Preston seems to hear me, his eyes lighting up as he strokes my fur. “He says he’s okay,” Preston says, translating for me. “No pain, just… confused.”

The doc nods, a faint smile on his lips. “That’s good. I know you’ve probably got a lot of questions, as well as your mates.”

Kael laughs, a sharp, bitter sound tearing from his throat as he leans back into the cushions. “I’m not his mate.”

Nathan’s gaze narrows at him. “Unfortunately, you are. I’m going to be real blunt with the five of you because you need it. There’s a lot of fucking lore that goes into what made it possible for your Omega to shift. Part of it is a fully bonded pack. You somehow bonded him without knowing, whether it’s a physical or a mental bond. The problem is that there are so many steps that have to align for this to happen that it can’t be coincidental. Shifters died out long ago. People were terrified ofFeralsso they just found ways to avoid it.”

“What steps?” Malik asks. His hazel eyes dart to me and then back to Nathan.

“For one thing, it’s usually highly impossible to get a bond removed. There has to be sufficient evidence of abuse or something else for the courts to agree to it. It’s why most Omegas just don’t bother because of the hassle, the limelight, and everything else. The fact that Slate managed to receive permission forsixisn’t just unheard of. It’s basically illegal.”

I knew something was off with all that. Preston hums as he wriggles deeper into my fur. I’m beginning to really like when he does that even if I’m embarrassed as fuck for saying I was his earlier.

“How is my Omega a fox?” Preston asks. Nathan frowns at the question but Preston quickly clears it up. “I like him like this too. He’s pretty and soft. I think I could come like this, with my face pressed into his fur.” Everyone laughs, a strange caw of appreciation tearing from my throat. Well, that’s not embarrassing.

Nathan smirks as he sits on the edge of the coffee table, facing me. “Good to know that this form isn’t a turn off for you, Preston. The shifter part, though, that’s what we have to figure out. I will tell you this—the couple of things that have happened over the last few months here at Wolfscorge and at Veltmoor, where your Omega came from, are pretty shady. Don’t come at me for doing my research.” That last statement is directed at Kael.

Kael growls but doesn’t move from his spot. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Slate isn’t the only feral that’s come into this compound. I mentioned to Malik that most of the Omegas come from Veltmoor but what I didn’t say is that most of them are feral. Slate’s just the only one you’ve been given.”

>>>What’s he saying?I think, my eyes locked on Preston.

“He wants to know what you mean,” Preston says, his voice wobbling as his fingers tighten in my fur. I try to comfort him, a small purr coming from me. Preston relaxes a little and then asks another question. “What otherFerals?”

“I’m not sure what they told you at Veltmoor or how much you know,” he says, “butFeralsaren’t all that rare. They used to be, but they’re the first step to being able to shift, to dig into that genetic material and be something more.”

Thane snorts before dragging his hand down my back. God, that feels good. “That sounds like bullshit, but I’m literally petting a fox right now.”

Nathan nods, his eyes dropping to my swollen belly, visible even in this form. “A very pregnant one, by the looks of it. Slate’s probably due in another month or so.”

A month? I wasn’t even prepared to be pregnant, let alone be a daddy so soon. Preston’s arms tighten around me, his lips brushing my fur. “It’s okay, sweetie. You’re mine, remember?”

Nathan continues. “Shifter pregnancies are far shorter than human ones. They mimic the animal the individual shifts into. A feral fox pregnancy is around two to three months, maybe shorter.”

I tremble, my tail tucking tight beneath me, my eyes wide with panic.A month?I think, my voice reaching Preston through the bond.I can’t do this. I’m not ready.

Preston’s hand strokes my head. “He’s scared,” he says, translating for me again. “He’s not ready to be a daddy.”

“I have no idea how to navigate this, Slate, because I’ve never known a feral to actually shift. The council needs something—information, results, I don’t know. All I can say is keep Slate out of the public eye. Tell people he’s adjusting and stay low.”

Thane nods, his fingers resuming their path through my fur. “Yeah, we can do that for a year.”

Nathan tenses, a movement that everyone catches. “No, there is no year. Don’t you get it? You’re now part of whatever fucked-up plan they’ve got in place. I don’t believe in coincidences, especially not when it comes to biology. Now find a way to get him to shift back. One of the council members caught me coming to see you and mentioned they’d swing by.”

My ears flatten, a low whine escaping my throat.They’re coming?I think, my voice trembling.What do they want?

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