Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

brIAR

" W here am I? What happened?" Xander's groggy voice asks from the hospital bed.

I whip my head up to look at him, relief flowing through me that he's awake. While Dr. Stone said Xander would be out for twenty-four hours, I've still been worried every moment he's been unconscious.

Pushing up from the uncomfortable white plastic chair, I hesitantly walk over to Xander. I don't know if he hates my guts for putting his brothers in danger yesterday and the whole "causing him to have an extra hole in his shoulder" thing.

"You're in the infirmary. You were shot when the Knights came after us."

Xander's blond brows furrow in confusion before understanding lights his dark green eyes. He groans. "Fuck. No wonder I feel like a went seven rounds with Bastian in the ring." Glancing around, he notices that I'm the only one there. "Where's everyone else?"

My heart twinges at him wanting to wake up to anyone other than me. I roughly swallow around the lump in my throat because I won't ever be Xander's first choice. "They should be here any moment. Uncle Vale wanted me to practice with my wolf once you woke up. We've all been taking shifts staying with you."

That last part isn't exactly true. While Uncle Vale, Aunt Abbie, Malachi, and Bastian have been taking shifts, I've been by Xander's side the entire time since Malachi and Bastian fought. It was hard to watch from the mats. While Bastian was the one getting hurt physically, I could see just how much Malachi hated beating on his little brother.

Anger flares bright and burning in my chest at just how much pain that priest caused the Wyldhart brothers. He's lucky he's dead. I would totally resurrect him just to kill him over and over if I could.

Rustling from the hospital bed jerks me out of my thoughts. Xander's trying to swing his legs over the side of the bed. "What are you doing?" My voice rises in alarm.

"Getting out of the fucking hospital bed. I'm holding everyone up by lazing around." Xander's voice is rough and scratchy, probably from being unconscious for a day. Once his feet dangle over the edge, Xander moves to rip out his IV.

"Stop! Xander, just wait until the doctor checks you over!" When he refuses to listen, something fizzles up my throat and infuses my next words. "Stop! Freeze!"

Xander not only listens that time but also completely stops moving. One of his hands is frozen where it grips the IV going into one of his arms. His other hand is pushing on the mattress, and his legs are bent like he's about to jump. The only part of Xander that's moving is his eyes, which are darting around the room in confusion.

Oh shit .

I think I froze Xander. How the hell did I freeze him? More importantly, how do I un freeze him?

"You can move now," I try. It doesn't do anything. Xander's still locked in the same uncomfortable-looking pose.

Well, that didn't work.

Awesome.

Just what I wanted—a frozen Xander who will probably find a way to murder me with his eyes.

Before I have a chance to panic that I turned Xander into the world's grumpiest living statue, the door slams open behind me. Turning around, I see Vale, Abbie, Kai, and Bastian walk into the room. They're talking amongst themselves and don't notice Xander and me at first.

"I think I broke Xander," I rush out when Uncle Vale's sapphire eyes meet mine. He tilts his head in confusion before he looks over at Xander. When he spots Xander's frozen form, Uncle Vale barks out a laugh. Malachi and Bastian glance curiously at their brother. Bastian snorts, and Malachi cracks a grin.

I'm not sure why they find this so funny. I have exactly zero clue how to undo it and return him to normal.

"You didn't break him, Bee. Did you give him any commands before he stopped moving?" Uncle Vale asks, his tone gentle.

"Yeah. He was trying to get up before the doctor cleared him. I told him to stop and freeze when he wouldn't listen to me." I give Xander a small glare because this is partially his fault. If he hadn't tried to get out of bed, I wouldn't have done whatever I did to break him.

"You just alpha commanded him. He'll start moving again when you lift the order," Uncle Vale tells me like it's just that easy. There's only one problem. I have no idea how to lift the order.

Before I can ask, Bastian chimes in, "Wait, how can pretty girl alpha order Xander? I thought only alphas and betas had that ability?"

"Lunas used to be able to alpha command anyone, including the alpha. When women lost the ability to shift, they also lost the ability to alpha command their pack. Since Briar can shift, I'm guessing she has all the capabilities of the old lunas." Uncle Vale gazes at me thoughtfully as he speaks, probably wondering what other freaky things I can do.

While I'm intrigued to learn more about lunas, I have a much more pressing problem. "How do I lift the order?" The longer Xander's frozen, the more I'm freaking out that I won't be able to fix him.

"Take a deep breath, Bee. Search for your wolf inside yourself. When you find the source of that power, draw on it slowly and tell Xander he can move again," Uncle Vale advises.

Doing as he says, I take a deep breath and close my eyes. Dido? I call in my mind.

"Yes, child?" Dido's disembodied voice responds.

I accidentally alpha commanded Xander. How do I fix him?

A tinkling laugh rings out softly in my mind. "Do not worry, child. Every young, powerful wolf alpha orders someone unintentionally at least once. Simply say that the command is lifted, and I will direct your power accordingly."

Breathing out a sigh of relief that we can fix this, I ask one more question. Will I eventually be able to do stuff like this myself? Or will I always have to ask you for help?

"You will learn. It simply takes time. I will always be part of your wolf, but you will learn how to call on her without me as an intermediary. All you need is practice."

I nod to show that I heard her before remembering that she probably can't see me move. I huff out a quiet laugh at myself. I'm going to unfreeze Xander now.

Blinking my eyes open, I focus on Xander's form frozen on the edge of the hospital bed. "You can move now," I tell him. My voice vibrates with a resonance that must be the alpha command. I've heard Malachi use it a few times but never knew what it was.

As soon as I lift the order, Xander slumps on the bed, no longer held up by anything.

"I'm so, so, so sorry, Xander. I didn't mean to, I swear. I had no idea that would happen, and I won't ever do it again. Really, I'm super sorry—" I rush out.

Xander cuts me off. "It's fine."

I stare at the floor to avoid the anger I'm sure I'll find burning in his gaze. I don't look up at his voice, unsure of what I'll find when I do.

"Look at me when I speak to you, Briar." At his sharp order, my eyes snap to his. Instead of the volatile emotion I expect to find, all I see in his mossy eyes is understanding. "I'm not mad at you, sweetheart. I can't count how many times I've been alpha commanded by Kai growing up. It happens."

Malachi chuckles and rolls his eyes over Xander's shoulder. My eyes bounce back to Xander's face as I look for any signs that he's secretly furious with me. I figured he'd be pissed that I tried to control him, even if it's accidental, but I don't find anything other than concern for me in his gaze.

"C'mere," Xander tells me softly while holding his arms out, shocking me again with his gentleness. I hesitate for a moment before cautiously stepping into his embrace. He tenderly wraps his arms around me, and I lay my head on his shoulder. My arms wind around his neck, and I hold on to him lightly, trying to be mindful of his healing wound.

I soak up his old pines and ocean spray scent as I try to battle back the tears pricking the corners of my eyes. It hits me again just how close I came to losing him. It doesn't matter that he doesn't even particularly like me. I still care about him so much it makes it difficult to breathe. "I'm so glad you're okay," I whisper to him.

"It'll take more than a bullet to take me out, sweetheart," Xander murmurs into my hair. Butterflies dance in my stomach at him calling me sweetheart twice in this conversation.

I huff a laugh into his neck at his nonchalance. The man's acting like he didn't almost die. But I don't think any of us can forget just how close he came. "How about you try to avoid getting shot regardless?"

"I can do that." Xander presses a kiss to my forehead and lets his arms drop from around me. I reluctantly step back, immediately missing the feel of him holding me.

"Here are your clothes, twinnie. Doc said you're all good to go. Get dressed so we can watch pretty girl shift." Bastian throws a wadded-up ball of fabric at his twin. Xander deftly catches the bundle with his injured arm, not even wincing at the sudden movement. I guess Xander heals as fast as I do.

That makes sense, since we're all apparently wolves.

I would ask if my life could get any weirder, but the universe's answer to that question is always a hard yes, so I won't bother inquiring.

I follow everyone else out of the room. Once in the hallway, I sag against the white brick wall. Closing my eyes, I lean my head back against the cool surface. Footsteps thud softly to my right before a warm body brushes up against mine. I don't have to open my eyes to know it's Malachi. His smoky scent gives him away.

"How are you holding up?" Malachi rumbles.

I open my eyes and tilt my face up to look at him. His dark hair has gotten long enough it's falling in front of his navy eyes. It makes him look softer and younger, less like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. "I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me." I'm not the one who got up close and personal with a bullet yesterday.

While he's trying to check in on me, I don't miss the tiredness pinching the corners of his eyes. I think we could all use a break from the craziness of everything. Unfortunately for us, I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon. We're heading to Hawthorne Grove in a few weeks, and who knows what new and horrifying revelations we'll find there.

Fun times. For no one involved.

Malachi shakes his head at me. "I always worry about you, Briar, since the day I met you. Nothing's going to change that."

I look down at his sweet sentiment, unsure how to respond. I don't have time to stew on it because Xander chooses that moment to stalk out of his room. "Where are we doing this?" he asks his dad.

"In the backyard. If everyone's ready, let's head out." Uncle Vale checks to see if anyone has any objections before heading down the hallway. The five of us follow him like obedient little ducklings. No one says much of anything. All of us are too lost in our thoughts to make conversation.

A few minutes later, we burst out into the fresh air. I suck in a deep breath of the cold fall air and tilt my face up to the warm sunshine. Goose bumps form on my arms underneath my green crewneck sweatshirt. It doesn't bother me, though. I'm just happy to be outside after spending so much time in the infirmary.

Uncle Vale comes to a stop on the grassy area in front of the wall Bastian and I watched the sunrise from. The grass is a vibrant green, loving the cold, wet weather as much as I do.

"I'm going to give you the command to shift, Briar. It might feel unnatural at first, but you should get the hang of it pretty quickly. You've always been a fast learner. Once I've had you shift back and forth a few times, you'll try on your own. Sound good?" Uncle Vale moves to the center of the grass and gestures for me to come over to him.

"Sure," I agree as I walk toward him. I know, oh, somewhere between nothing and jack shit about shifting. I'm happy to go along with whatever he thinks is best.

"It's not going to work, Dad. Briar doesn't respond to alpha commands," Malachi chimes in.

Uncle Vale laughs. "You're powerful, son. But you're still a developing alpha. I'm very confident my command will work."

Malachi looks skeptical but doesn't disagree. He, his brothers, and Aunt Abbie all sit on the wall to watch us. I feel like I'm on display but try not to let it get to me.

Once I'm in front of Uncle Vale, he tells me, "Shift." His words reverberate through me. A shiver shakes along my spine from the unpleasant sensation. Other than my skin crawling, nothing happens. His brows lower in confusion as he watches me. He tries again. "Shift."

Something perks up in my chest at Uncle Vale's command. It feels… old, somehow. Far older than I am. It seems to stretch in my chest and sends warmth flowing through my limbs. Everything feels warmed up, like I just took an easy jog. I'm alert and ready for something. What that is? I don't know.

"For everything Evangeline said about him, I expected him to be more intelligent than this." Dido's voice drips with disapproval.

I choke on my laugh. Uncle Vale raises an eyebrow at me in question, but I just shake my head. Closing my eyes, I ask, What's he doing wrong?

"He's antagonizing your wolf, who is much more powerful than he could ever hope to be. She and I have little tolerance for being ordered around. Tell him to cease, or we will make him stop."

My eyebrows rise at Dido's threat. I guess Uncle Vale pissed her off. I'm super glad I'm not him right now. Angering a millennia-old queen is pretty low on my list of to-dos. "My wolf would like you to stop alpha commanding me. She said she'll make you stop if you don't."

"Your wolf?" Uncle Vale tilts his head in confusion.

That's right. Apparently, my wolf is unique—at least according to Patrick. They probably don't have an ancient badass for a wolf. "Yeah. Dido, the Queen of the Phoenicians, is my wolf," I answer him casually.

"It's true," Uncle Vale breathes, the words scarcely audible.

"Oh, holy fuck! What? How?" Bastian exclaims at the same time.

Uncle Vale scrubs one hand over his face. He explains before I can. "Briar's a direct descendent of Dido. There's historical evidence that Dido was reincarnated into her descendants. It's been generations since anyone has confirmed it firsthand since females haven't been able to shift for a while. As the firstborn daughter, Briar is the one who would have Dido as her wolf. Evie said this was possible, but we were never sure. How certain are you that your wolf is Dido, Briar?"

"I'm pretty sure. She talks to me and calls herself Dido. I also met her in my dream after Patrick almost killed me. Mama was there too." My breath hitches at thoughts of my mom. I rub my breastbone absentmindedly as I try not to drown in missing her. Life is so much better than it was even a few weeks ago. Yet, missing my mom still feels like a gaping wound in my chest.

"She can talk to you?" Uncle Vale's voice is full of awe.

My forehead scrunches in confusion. "Yeah. Can't your wolf talk to you?"

His lips tilt up in a small smile. "No, Bee, our wolves can't speak to us. Mine and Kai's wolf can communicate feelings to us since we're alphas, but they still don't actually talk to us. Anyone who isn't an alpha doesn't get any communication from their wolves. The average wolf is just another side to its shifter counterpart."

"Huh. How do you ask them to do stuff for you, then?" I wonder if they have to play Pictionary or charades with their wolves. I can't decide if that'd be fun or annoying.

"We don't," Malachi cuts in. "We have to pull power from the magic provided by our wolf. Part of learning how to shift is learning how to shape the magic."

"Oh," I mutter intelligently.

"Since alpha commands don't work, can you ask your wolf to shift, Briar?" Uncle Vale asks me.

I give him a nod. Can we shift now?

"Yes, child. Close your eyes. Search deep inside yourself for your wolf and your magic." I do as Dido tells me to. With my eyes squeezed tightly shut, I hunt for my magic. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be looking for until I spot a bright blue flame flickering in the middle of the complete darkness of my mind. "Now grab that flame and pull it to you, all while thinking about transforming into a wolf."

Taking a deep breath, I reach for the flame in my mind. I expect to get burned, but all I feel is a gentle warmth surrounding me. Picturing my black wolf in all her fluffy glory, I hold that image until I feel like I'm free-falling.

Instinctively, I want to let go of the magic and brace myself for hitting the ground. Hoping Dido won't let me fall on my face, I keep holding on to the magic. When I stop falling, I hesitantly peek one eye open. Glancing down, I see that my legs are covered in black fur, and I have paws instead of feet.

A huge smile breaks out across my face, which probably looks terrifying with all my sharp wolfie teeth. I shifted on my own—well, with a little help from Dido. But mostly on my own. I'm totally getting the hang of this.

As soon as I think that, I stumble as I try to walk to Uncle Vale. My cheeks burn in embarrassment. At least the fur should hide my blush. Shaking my head at myself, I focus on putting one foot, er, paw in front of the other until I'm standing in front of him.

Uncle Vale's eyes swim with bittersweet emotion as he stares down at me. "Evie would be so proud of you, Bee." My eyes burn as I try to keep the tears from falling. All I've ever wanted to do is make her proud. I'm not sure he's right about her being proud of me, but I'll take what I can get. "Now shift back. Make the shift as quick as you can."

For the next hour, I go through shifting drills with Uncle Vale. Aunt Abbie and the Wyldhart brothers cheer me on from the sidelines, even when I fall on my ass more than once. By the end of the hour, I have a stupid grin plastered on my face. I've gotten so much better at shifting.

"That's all for today. Everyone can head back inside," Uncle Vale informs us. I turn to go, but I pause as he continues. "Can I talk to you alone for a minute, Bee?"