Page 42 of Little Red and Her Creatures of Chaos
“I’m so scared.” I drop to my knees, my hand landing in the dirt. I claw at it when that same pain rips through my shoulder blade. “I can’t do this.”
“Yes, you can. You’re strong. Stop fighting against it.”
Both hands slap down in the dirt, and my jaw twists in a weird way. I close my eyes and focus on anything but the pain. Mason, Nash, and Bryce’s faces flash behind my eyes, and I take a deep breath. No matter how upset I am with them, they instantly calm me, so I focus on Bryce’s sweet smile. That centers me, and I feel my wolf right on the edge. I reach out to her and gasp when I see her. Her coat is a beautiful rust color, but her eyes are yellow instead of red. She shakes her fur out, and it looks so inviting that I let my body take over. I hear the sound of thundering paws and know the guys are trying to get to me.I welcome it because I can feel the bond getting even stronger. Someone's thoughts are running through my head at lightning speed, but I can’t concentrate on it to figure out who it is. I finally open my eyes, and my vision has sharpened. I can see everything in such vivid detail. My nose is also stronger, and I can smell fear and pride rolling off of Grandma. She’s not scared of me. She’s scared for me. The pain rips down my spine again, and it jerks me back out of the vision of my wolf. I scream so loud that it echoes all around me.
I broke my arm when I was in third grade. It snapped in half, and this is a million times worse. Every bone feels like it’s breaking one at a time. I want to curl in a ball, but I can’t stop it.
This is torture.
Chapter 18
Nash
As soon as Mason’s phone rang, we were on our feet and running out the door. Mason said that Radley was going through the change, so we shifted and took off through the woods. It’s the quickest way to get to her, and I don’t give a fuck if we see anyone on the way.
When we start getting closer, the bond gets stronger, and her pain almost brings me down. I remember the first shift, and it was brutal. Your body has to get used to what’s happening, and it’s better after that, but I vividly remember hoping for death. Her scream rips through the night, and we push ourselves even harder. When we bust through the trees at her Grandma’s, Radley is on all fours in the dirt, breathing so hard that I’m afraid she might pass out. Her grandma is standing to the side and doesn’t even bat an eye when three huge wolves appear in her driveway.
“Radley,” Mason speaks through the bond. Her head snaps up, and her eyes are glowing a bright yellow. “I know it hurts, Little wolf, but I need you to focus on the pain. It will help you shift.”
“I can’t!”
Mason walks closer and lays in front of her, so they’re eye to eye. “Yes, you can. Focus on it, and the shift will happen much faster. Let it take over.” She screams again, and Bryce whimpers at my side. I move closer until our bodies are touching. “Good girl. Focus, and show us that beautiful wolf.”
Radley lays down on her side and pulls her legs against her chest. She wraps her arms around them and buries her face in her knees, screaming so loud that the hair on my nape stands on end. One second, Radley is lying there, and the next, her body jerks and shimmers, and her wolf busts through her clothes. Her coat is red like her hair and as gorgeous as I imagined. She shakes her fur out, and I know how good that feels. Mason gets to his feet in front of her, and even in her wolf form, he still towers over her.
“How do you feel?”
“Weird, but not bad. Why are my eyes yellow?”
“You haven’t claimed a pack yet,”I answer, taking a slow step forward. “When you do, they’ll turn red like ours.”
“You’re beautiful, Radley,” Bryce says, walking beside me.
I look over to check on her grandma, and she’s staring at Radley in awe. I move beside Radley’s car to cover myself and shift to human form. “She did good,” I tell her. “She’s okay.”
“She’s magnificent.” Her grandma turns toward me, and her eyes widen. “Wow. You’re still big like that.”
I chuckle even though my cheeks heat. “Yes, Ma’am. By the way, I’m Nash.”
“I remember seeing you around town. Are you sure she’s okay?”
“She did amazing. She’ll want to run now.”
“Thank you for coming. I had no clue what to do.” She pushes her red hair off her forehead with a shaky hand. “I’ve never seen someone in that much pain.”
“It will be effortless now. The first shift is the hardest.”
“Take care of her. She told me what was going on, and she called her mom. I’m assuming that’s what caused this.”
“It probably was. Emotions are a big part of our shifts if we don’t control them.”
“I’m glad she has you guys.” Bryce bounds over in wolf form, and her grandma laughs. “Oh my.” She reaches a tentative hand out, and Bryce lowers his head. She scratches between his ears, and he lets his tongue lull out of the side of his mouth, making her laugh again. “Aren’t you adorable? Bryce, I presume?” He gives a short bark in answer. “This is all so amazing.”
“You aren’t afraid?” You won’t find many humans who would take this in stride.
“Of you guys? No. Radley might be upset with you, but she trusts you, so I do, too.”
“We didn’t mean to hurt her.”
