Page 12 of Take Me
Axel exploded then. “The hell it doesn’t!”
Vivian put her hand on her husband’s. He managed to control his rage with her help. “Rafe, honey, you know the rules. Unless she is dying of injuries inflicted by the pack or your true mate, turning isn’t allowed.”
What. The. Hell.
Tracey’s eyes found mine and she smiled. I could tell it was meant to be reassuring. I felt anything but reassured. What kind of mess had I allowed myself to get caught up in?
Rafe shrugged again. “As Alpha, I also don’t have to explain anything at the moment. When further information becomes available, I will clue you all in. Is that all? I have a date this evening.”
“Try not to drug her too.” If looks could kill he would have been dead.
Rafe cocked an eyebrow and pushed his chair back. The legs on his chair scraped across the floor with a loud screech that had me cringing. “Baby, I did a lot worse than drug you. Enjoy the shit show.”
With that, he got up and flounced out of the room. Axel’s face was beet red from barely controlled rage and Vivian had a strange, confused look on her face. They both looked at Tracey for answers and all she did was grin. Except, it wasn’t a grin, she was baring her teeth.
This was great, just freaking fantastic.
Chapter 18
Jade Rivers
Hours passed and I was still no closer to the information I needed. My body was humming with frustration. I wanted to leave and go home but as much as I wanted to, I knew it wasn’t going to happen. Tracey walked me around the property and to her parent’s home. She talked about how there was an acre of land for her to build her house here one day and I wondered about the wordpackthat everyone had kept throwing around. Here I sat with unanswered questions and more confusion swirling in my head.
We passed a waterfall and I sighed. “Tracey, please take me home.”
“Your body is going through some changes right now,” She chewed on her lip.
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t think having the birds and the bees talk is really going to help me here.”
Tracey grabbed my hand into her honey-colored one. “No really. Last night and everything that happened, I think your brain is suppressing the memories because it was too traumatic. Your first shift shouldn’t have been like that.”
“Everyone keeps saying that and pack and I don’t know what the hell is happening!” I yanked my hand out of her hers and marched away. My boots crunched on the leaves beneath my feet.
Tracey stayed rooted in her spot. “You’re a werewolf.”
I blinked a few times before I turned around. She continued talking, “Last night was the full moon and I knew you would be partially shifting, but I guess my wolf triggered yours.”
My world shifted. I felt like I was going to fall sideways. I blinked a few times. I knew weird things were happening, but a werewolf? A freaking wolf? I pressed my hands to my chest and tried to control my rapid breaths. If I wasn’t careful, I was going to pass out right there. I ran my hands down the front of my jeans and shook my head. Nope. Nope. I wouldn’t accept this. How the hell did this even happen? Bile rose up my throat. But then hysteria won over and I laughed. I actually laughed.
“What happened? Did Rafe have something to do with this?” My knees gave out and I fell to the leafy floor. I buried my hands into the dirt as I tried to control my breathing.
“With the needle.” She sat down beside me. “He didn’t want to claim you.”
“What does that mean?” I couldn’t even wrap my mind around the fact that she said I was a werewolf. A freaking werewolf. What the hell?
“Take you as his mate.” She chewed on her plush bottom lip again before her hand found mine. She held it loosely in hers and I didn’t have the strength to pull away from her comfort.
“Mate?” I asked. I thought I knew what she meant but I had to be sure.
“A forever union between two people that our wolves choose. They choose compatible wolves or partners that will make strong pups and protect them if needed.”
It shouldn’t have bothered me that he didn’t think I was qualified to be mate material for him but it stung a little. I was clearly delusional. He had drugged me, turned me, and then he had snubbed me. This was all fantastic. Best news ever.Not.
“How do I know this isn’t all some joke orchestrated by the Prince Asshole himself?”
Tracey grinned. “First, I love that nickname for him. Second, I’ll show you.”
She yanked her shirt over her head then her pants down her legs. In seconds she was standing there nude like stripping in the woods was completely normal. Or… it was for her. But then she was on all fours and her body was stretching and contorting. Fur the same color as her hair sprouted all over her body. A growl erupted from my throat and I blinked in surprise. There was a weird stirring in my chest as Tracey’s body finished its transformation. Standing almost as tall as I was, was a wolf with caramel coloring and bright yellow eyes. I stumbled backwards and fell onto my already sore bottom. Everything kept getting better and better.
