Page 16 of Rogue Wolf

“It’s not that simple.”

“Can she be changed, or not?” asked Kodiak. “It’s the only way Tamaska will be accepted into the pack, and you know it. Maybe if I wasn’t to become Alpha…”

Her eyes widened. “You can’t turn it down. Not after Shota.”

Not after he’d killed Shota she meant. But it was fair. “No, I’m not going to do that. We can’t afford more upheaval even if I wanted to do that. Which I don’t. Okay? I just want to smooth things and that’s the best way, her becoming one of us.”

If she didin’t die in the process. If that wasn’t a risk on the table. If it was, he’d…what? Let her go? Find a way.

“Ash. Can she be changed? Without risk.” \

“Yes and no.” Ash pursed her lips, her eyes meeting his.

“Out with it.” Quickly losing patience, he struggled to keep his temper in check. And he needed to. As a leader, he needed to do that. Picking and choosing when to hold it in and unleash was a huge part, and Ash didn’t deserve his wrath, no matter how much he wanted to lash out.

“A bite from anyone in the pack can change her.” Ash looked down at her hands a second.

“I guessed that. So I can do it. Right? There better not be some fucking clause about her not being bitten by her future mate.” It had to be him. He knew that in his bones. If he bit her, then there would be that undefinable bond. “I won’t let anyone in the pack bite her, not even you. And I trust you.” Kodiak pointed at her.

“It’s not that simple, anyway.” She addressed him with a firm stance.

“So it’s dangerous?”

Ash half shrugged.

“Tell me.”

“As I said, it’s not that simple. She must be bitten at a full moon,” said Ash slowly.

“And…?” Kodiak asked.

“By an alpha.”

Kodiak pressed his lips together tightly. He was the alpha, but not officially. The ceremony needed to happen to seal his new status. He would make that a priority if it would help change Tamaska. And he was going to do that, anyway. “I’m planning on the ceremony tonight if we can. So we make it happen.”

“Kodiak.”

“Is there something else?” he asked.

“Yes, because she’s human, she’ll only change when it’s a full moon.”

“Do you mean every time?” Shit. His brain raced. “Can that be fixed if that’s the case? Could she learn to control it, to change whenever she wants?”

“No.”

He nodded. “We could work around it, right? It’s not altogether bad.” Then he stopped, sensing Ash was still holding back.

“What else?” he asked.

“She could die if she’s not strong enough to endure the change. Humans don’t have the genetics for it. So there’s always a risk.”

“I’m not risking her. It’s off the table.”

“Kodiak,” Ash said, “I don’t think we should rush there. I know you care about her, but the vampires want her, that’s why they attacked. And it’s got to do with that stupid Blood Opal. Isn’t it a bigger risk to not change her? What if they get her, turn her themselves? Use her for whatever the opal does?” She took hold of him.”What if they kill her?”

“That’s a fuck load of what ifs.” Kodiak breathed out and pulled away, pacing the room and finally returning to Ash. “But if we take the risk, she’ll be strong at the full moon.”

“I wish that were true. But she won’t regain her strength for months after the change.” The words rushed from Ash.

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