Page 55 of Step Alpha

I grin and whip my shirt off over my head. “Here.” I hand it to her. “Go and put this on. It’s loose enough on you that it might not tear when you shift. Unless your she-wolf is huge, which would be hilarious.”

Her gaze travels to my bare chest and a flush creeps up her neck. “Fine.” She grabs the shirt.

“No panties!” I yell at her as she disappears inside. I chuckle when I hear her mutter something like,fate help me.

I yank off my jeans and stretch in the late morning sun. I’m far more pleased than I should be when Rayne returns wearing nothing but my shirt. I’m also dying to pull it up and see everything underneath.

Instead, I force myself to sit on the edge of the deck. I pat the spot beside me. “Come here, Runt.”

She sits her bare ass down beside me.

“Close your eyes. Picture a wolf. I mean, don’t picture it, but imagine yourself as one. Like, feel your body in a wolf form.”

Rayne cracks an eye. “That’s pretty hard to do when I’ve never been a wolf before.”

“Just shut up and try it.”

She closes her eyes again.

I close mine and summon a level of alpha command.“Shift.”I infuse my voice with the potency of an alpha.

Nothing happens.

Rayne cracks her eyes again and shakes her head. “Wilde, I don’t know if this is going to wor–”

“Shift,” I command again.

Nothing.

“Imagine you’re in your wolf form.”

“I don’t know what that feels like!” she protests.

“Pretend you do.”

I try to command her several more times, but each time seems to have less and less of an effect on her. Like she’s giving up.

I stand and pull off my boxer briefs.

Rayne covers her eyes. “A little warning might be nice,” she mutters.

I shift into wolf form and bump her knees with my giant body.

She reaches for me, burying her fingers in my fur. I let her pet me. I don’t know why–it feels good, I guess.

I’m not even sure what I hope to accomplish by showing her my wolf. I guess maybe I want him to call to hers.

Instead, she gets up. “Well, I don’t think this is going to work, Wilde.”

I try intimidation, instead. If her wolf thinks she requires protection, she may come out. I snarl at Rayne, leaping past her to block her path to the door. I bare my teeth and growl, stalking forward.

Rayne is unimpressed. “I’m onto you, Woodward. Not scared. Nice try, though.”

I lunge for her. She darts back, faster than human speed. Her reflexes are getting quicker. I wonder if she heals faster.

I probably should’ve thought this through before I acted, but I don’t. I just lunge forward and bite her calf.

She screams. Now real fear kicks in. I can tell by her scent. By the silver glow of her eyes. I hear the crack of joints like she’s about to shift, but nothing happens.

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