35. Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Four

Emm

I sucked in a breath, making sure my bravado didn't waver.

I knew I was in over my head, but I wasn't a quitter.

Locke snaked his arm around my waist and gave a nod to Tajah. She and Bram were doing their magical duties, I supposed. They were pouring salt, sugar, cocaine- hell if I knew, in a circle near the fire while the rest of the group were talking amongst themselves.

Grim and Journey exchanged anxious whispers, their voices barely audible. The sound of their words reached my ears, crackling like distant static. Desperate to hear, I instinctively reached up to my ears, tugging and massaging them. As my fingers explored, a damp liquid trickled down my lobes. Trembling, I slowly withdrew my hand, revealing a sticky residue-stained crimson with blood.

"It's normal." Locke held my wrist looking at the blood. "Your hearing is acclimating to a wolf's. It's also why your body heat is rising quickly as well."

Ah, okay. Glad to know that.

Grim's scowl deepened when he approached. "When were you going to tell me you were a fucking lycan, Locke?" Grim hissed. "You're like my brother."

Locke shrugged his shoulders. "Never came up in conversation?" He smiled and hugged my shoulders.

Locke continued to smile, that crazy psychotic one where I could see how people perceive him as a damn lunatic. And he partially was. He was unpredictable. Hell, now that I was in his head, I could see he's one complicated guy.

His mind would jump from one idea to the next, not truly fixating on one problem but many. When Locke saw a problem, he attacked it from every angle and anticipated every move from his opponent. I didn't know how to keep up. He truly was an apex predator.

For now, I'll stay out of it and ask my questions when I need to.

"You going to make an announcement or something?" Grim raised his brow.

Locke shook his head. "Nah, It will be a fun surprise. Then, I'll shift too, and everyone can see what an exceptional power couple we are. Right, babe?" Locke stared down at me with such adoration, while I pulled my hand away from my ear that dripped with blood.

I agreed that I could take this, and I would not say no.

"We got this." It was said a little weaker than I intended, and my body heated, not with arousal like I was accustomed to, but a roaring fire of needles and piercing pain.

I gritted my teeth and tried to push through the agony, but it was like a thousand knives stabbing into every fiber of my being. I could feel my bones shifting, stretching, reforming beneath my skin, and the sensation was excruciating.

Locke's firm grip on my arm tightened, sending a shiver down my spine. The intensity of his gaze locked onto mine, as if peering into the depths of my soul. I could almost hear the sound of his steady breaths, intermingled with the faint rustle of leaves in the nearby trees. The scent of earth and Locke's overpowering one calmed me enough to concentrate on the road ahead. In that moment, I felt the weight of his concern, and unwavering determination seeped into my very being. "Hold on, love. You got this," he urged, his voice a soothing balm amidst the chaos raging within me.

Tajah and Bram had paused their preparations, their attention now fully on me. Tajah's eyes glowed with a fierce intensity, her hands crackling with arcane energy as she prepared her area of magic. Bram's expression was grim, his features etched with worry, most likely for my well-being.

Did he know?

Grim and Journey exchanged a knowing look, their expressions unreadable as they observed the beginnings of a pain I'd surely never forget. Grim clenched his jaw, his gaze hitting me, then to Locke.

I roared out, doubled over in pain. It was a human scream which morphed into an animistic roar that echoed into the night air, cutting through the quiet night. The sound echoed in my ears, resonating deep within my body's changing form. I felt a surge of power coursing through me, overwhelming and raw in its intensity.

"Let's get started," I heard Tajah's words settle over the roaring fire.

Locke held me in his arms so I wouldn't lie in the dirt, but the ground looked so inviting. The softness of the earth, its coolness would feel so good against my bare skin.

"I want my clothes off—"I barely said before Locke had already ripped them off with his claws.

Being stripped naked in front of everyone didn't bother me, all I wanted was to be comfortable. Damn it all to hell if everyone saw my ass and tits, since they'd already seen me have an orgasm in the bar.

I could hear Tajah's rhythmic chanting echoing in the background, filling the air with a melodic energy. As I lay there, my senses became increasingly heightened, every sound and movement magnified. Locke, towering above me, seemed to float effortlessly, his gaze fixated on the others, as if expecting an imminent threat.

He was protecting me, I realized. I was in a vulnerable state. Naked, shifting, transforming. The gun that was strapped to my thigh when I got dressed earlier was snapped off my leg when Locke ripped off my clothes. I really was utterly fucking helpless.

"Keep her comfortable, just like it was any other shift," Bram said gruffly.

I stared up at him and noticed his hood had come even lower to cover his face.

"When she shifts into her lycan form, she's going to beg you for death. You cannot lose control because of your mate's pain. And, I can't give her any pain relief. She must live through the same pain you have suffered." I felt his eyes on me and with the fire blazing, I could see his lips pursed into a thin line. "And I mean every bit of pain, when you completed your lycan form."

Locke gave a jerked nod, his hand resting on my shoulder. His hand that should feel warm— burned my skin and I screamed out in pain.

"She will get through this. Our luna is strong," Locke said with conviction.

"I know this" Bram said. He stepped away and returned to Tajah.

"How does he know about your lycan? I thought no one knew? " I linked Locke as I let out another cry.

"Bram is a powerful warlock. He's old and a rogue himself, I'm surprised he can do most of the things he can."

As I plunged my fingers into the damp soil, my nails transformed into sharp, menacing claws. The sight of my once sun-kissed skin morphing into a deep, rich brown fur filled me with a nauseating dread. The earthy scent of the dirt mingled with the musty odor of the newly grown fur.

I couldn't concentrate on anything except the lightning of pain. My forearm snapped and I saw the bone poking out under the skin.

Maybe I couldn't really handle this?

I frantically pawed at the moist earth, feeling the decaying leaves crumble beneath my body. Raising my gaze, I was greeted by the radiant glow of the round moon, casting its ethereal light upon me. The once-dazzling stars were beginning to vanish, dark clouds appearing. The moon was too stubborn its rays breaking through. Bolts of lightning weaved through the ominous growing clouds.

As the wind intensified, a cool breeze brushed against my burning skin, offering a momentary relief.

"You're doing great, Princess. Keep going, don't fight it, it makes it worse." Locke tried to soothed, but like a birthing mother, his words only irritated me.

I couldn't speak as another bone broke, this time my femur. You could hear it snap above the roaring flames and the thunder that followed the lightning.

The girls all cried out, their hands covering their mouths as they watched me.

"It wasn't that bad for me. Is it supposed to be like that?" I heard Delilah shout to Journey, who leaned her head on Grim's chest.

"A forced-shift, yeah, but—"

Journey silenced herself and wrapped her arms around Grim. Delilah tried to leave Hawke and her baby, but Hawke quickly grabbed his mate by the arm, holding her tight.

"You got this." Locke leaned into my ear. "You're strong. You're my fighter. You are my equal, and you will do this quickly. Let your wolf rise." His words were harsh, no longer soothing.

My lip went into a snarl, and I snapped my elongating teeth. "Shut up."

"No," he growled back. "Shift. You're slowing down. I know my mate can do better than this."

Pardon me, but after my leg broke, I wasn't really in the mood.

A low, guttural growl reverberated in the depths of my chest, sending shivers down my spine. With a swift motion, my arm lunged forward, slashing through the air towards Locke. His sinister grin widened as he threw his head back, releasing a maniacal laugh that echoed through the room.

Horror-stricken, the others watched our confrontation unfold, their eyes wide with disbelief. Yet, amidst the chaos, Locke understood what I needed. He knew how to push me to my limits. In his sadistic and twisted manner, he became the catalyst for my growth and transformation.

I continued to push through the shift as time went on. Tajah waved a candle in front of her face calling upon higher powers, or whatnot. I was still laying on the ground, my body convulsing, as I continued to sprout fur on my body.

"We got a problem." I heard Switch's voice come from above me.

"Keep going," Locke barked at me. "Don't you pause just because I'm not telling you every damn breath to breathe."

My face had elongated at this point, and I scooted forward and put his ankle between my teeth, not breaking the skin. He let out a bark of laughter and pried my mouth off of him. "What a good girl." He patted my head, which was still sprouting thick fur.

"Alpha, club's in the dark, and the fae aren't in the village."

I grunted, the last of my hind legs taking shape. I stood on my two front legs and pushed my body against Locke's.

Instead of everyone sighing with relief that I made it to my wolf form, they were paying attention to Switch, which I was glad about.

"Cameras," Locke barked.

Switch held out his phone and swiped it several times. Tajah's chanting continued and I dropped to the ground again, letting out a howl, and my temporary reprieve from pain was over, as it started again.

"What the hell is happening?" Nadia broke away from Bear's arms and ran toward me.

Locke's lips curled up into a snarl as he lunged forward, positioning himself in front of her. The sharp clicking sound of his claws unsheathing makes the fur on my body stand. Locke's arm raised, ready to slash at her, but before he could make contact Bear swiftly yanked Nadia back.

"Nadia!" Bear roared at her. "Never approach the alpha and luna! Especially, when one is down."

Nadia whimpered and hid her face in Bear's neck. I wanted to comfort Nadia. She'd been nothing but a good friend, but the pain had me shaking, and trembling. I didn't know if I could keep going on like this. My body was breaking all over again, but the pain was ten times worse.

Bram was right. I wanted to die.

Locke stared down at me and back to Switch, who didn't know how to approach the situation.

Help me or help the pack?

"Phone," I linked him. "Look, phone."

I've been on my own for years. I've taken care of myself. If the Goddess said I had to go through a pain like this, be equal to Locke, in order for a pack to be formed, then I knew there was an end of this. I just had to take the journey to get there.

Locke reluctantly took the phone from Switch. Locke's eyes glazed over with fury, his grip tightening over the phone. "Shit," he hissed, handing it back to Switch. "Got a problem," he announced.

I curled my body in on itself, keeping myself in the fetal position. Tajah was concentrating heavily on the book that was floating in front of her. Whisps of blue and purple light surrounded her while she held a cream-colored candle, drawing a pattern in the air with the light.

My stomach rolled, and my tongue lolled out of my maw. My teeth wept, I didn't know if it was saliva or stomach acid but it burned as it left my mouth.

"It's your venom," a deep voice entered my head. Fenrir.

Locke was barking out orders, yelling on the phone to get the Iron Fang members here and have weapons loaded.

"Pay attention to me, my luna. Don't worry about Locke. He can handle himself."

I whined when I felt my rib cage crack and lengthen.

"You're strong, but to become stronger, one must break into a thousand pieces. The bones become tougher than they ever were in the beginning."

My mouth continued to leak venom, soaking the ground in front of me. I felt the fur on my face sizzle and the venom land on my bare skin.

"Your skin and fur will be impenetrable by any human bullets, not even silver will burn you in your lycan form."

I concentrated on his voice, holding onto him like an anchor through the pain.

"You are gaining your own wolf. She will teach you the ways of your forms. Tonight, you will have to concentrate without her, follow your instincts."

"Why?" I screamed out loud, unable to concentrate to link back.

Locke's eyes darted to me but quickly but masked his concern when he yelled at Bones and Sizzle to get guns from the bunker.

"I said follow your instincts, female. You know how to fight," Fenrir growled back at me and my body shuddered in response.

My heart pounded relentlessly within my chest, its rhythmic thuds reverberating in my ears, as if echoing through a cavern. In that moment, an overwhelming wave of anguish washed over me, gripping my being like iron. A searing pain ripped through my back, as if every bone was snapping one by one, causing me to emit a guttural roar that boomed through the air, silencing the clamor of voices around the crackling fire.

The next thing I heard were trucks entering the clearing, surrounding us, all while my body continued to break into a thousand pieces, shifting into the lycan I needed to be to make this club into a pack.