Vaelor
Beckett shifts.
I watch it happen. Watch the smoke thicken and condense and reshape until he’s not Beckett anymore.
He’s a wolf.
A massive wolf, black as shadow. Smoke still curling off his fur like he’s made of it. Maybe he is. Purple eyes glowing.
I freeze.
That’s not—
Shadow wolves are extinct. Everyone knows that. The bloodline died out generations ago.
But he’s standing right there.
Just like the phoenix.
I’m still staring at Beckett when I hear Locke shout.
My head snaps toward the sound.
One of the other shifters has him on the ground. Locke’s trying to throw it off but the thing is fast. Claws rake across his arm. He blocks the next swipe and…
The shifter gets a hand around his throat.
Locke’s eyes go wide. He can’t breathe.
No.
I don’t think.
I just run.
“Get off him!”
The distance feels impossible. The shifter’s claws tighten. Locke’s face is turning red.
I’m not going to make it.
Heat explodes through my chest.
My bones crack. Time stands still as pain rips through me.
I leave the ground.
When I land it’s not on two feet.
Four paws hit frozen earth. The impact shakes through me.
The shifter looks up.
I roar.
The sound shakes the trees.
The shifter bolts.
Locke’s scrambling backward. Gasping. Staring at me.
I look down.
Paws. I have paws.
Golden fur. Claws like knives.
Wings folded against my back.
What?
Kyron drops from the sky and shifts mid-landing. “Vaelor?”
I try to answer. It comes out as a growl.
Trey steps closer. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”
Rane’s grinning between Beckett and me. “That is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Then the heat reverses. Bones crack again and I’m falling forward.
I catch myself on my hands and knees. Human again. And very naked.
Trey tosses me his jacket.
“Everyone good?” Kyron asks.
Locke’s on his feet. Bruises forming on his throat. “I’m fine.”
Beckett shifts back. Smoke peeling off as he turns human again.
He stumbles once. Catches himself.
Rane doesn’t notice. “Okay but can we talk about—”
Kree crashes through the brush carrying clothes. “SAW EVERYTHING. TEN OUT OF TEN.”
He tosses pants to Beckett, a shirt to me.
His eyes flick between us.
He catches me watching and smirks.
“What? A guy can appreciate the view.”
I pull the shirt on. Beckett drags on the pants. His jaw is tight.
One hand pressed to his chest. I step closer. “Beck?”
No answer.
He looks up at me. Pale.
“Something’s seriously wrong.”