Triple Threat (Wolves of FMU #3)

Prologue

A Little Over Three Years Ago

Reid

“Ready, Son?” I take in the serious expression on my dad’s face.

“Today is the day you become a man. I just want you to know that—” he swallows, emotion evident on his face.

My father’s always been an emotional man and never afraid to shed a tear.

“I am so incredibly proud of the man you’ve become.

On this day, as you cross into adulthood, just know that your mother and I could not be prouder of you or love you any more than we already do. ”

I swallow against the knot of emotion in my throat. I’m not usually emotional; I get my stoic side from my mom, oddly enough. My dad has enough emotion for all of us. “Thanks, Dad.”

My dad takes a breath. “Ready?”

I grin. “Yes.”

“Okay. Let’s let nature do its thing.” I close my eyes and let my wolf rise to the surface.

He’s always been a part of me for as long as I can remember.

But now, I’ll be able to shift fully into my wolf, something we only do when we reach adulthood.

“Let him take completely over,” my dad coaches.

It’s much more painful than I realized it would be.

“Don’t let the pain slow the transformation.

” I hear my father’s voice, but it sounds far away.

“Just push through; it will be over soon.” Almost as soon as he says the words, I feel a weird sensation; and then, my wolf emerges.

I’m unsteady on my feet, but only for a moment.

I move around, trying out this new form; it feels perfect.

The shift to my wolf side feels so natural, like I’ve always been able to do this.

“You did it,” my dad says, and my wolf eyes him.

It’s different seeing my dad through the eyes of my wolf, but my wolf knows who he is.

We share all the same knowledge; it’s just in a different form now. “Ready for a pack run?”

I can feel my wolf’s excitement; it matches my own.

Tonight, will be my first time to run with the pack.

Whenever someone shifts for the first time, we celebrate with a pack run.

“We’d better get out there. Everybody will be ready to celebrate with you.

But first, I’m going to bring your mom in.

” My wolf paces, restless now, and ready to run.

The door to the room opens slowly, and my mom steps into the room.

“Oh, Reid; your wolf is beautiful.” My wolf growls lightly at her words, surprising me. My mom chuckles. “Okay, not beautiful. Handsome and strong.” My wolf seems to like that better.

“You ready to run?” my dad asks.

My wolf takes a step forward, anxious to be outside.

“Just remember,” my mom adds, stopping our movement.

“Alpha will have you scent the unmated females, just to make sure your mate isn’t out there.

” The human side of me processes that. I’d forgotten about it, but every wolf goes through this after his first shift.

Zane did the same thing just a few short weeks ago.

He didn’t scent his mate, which isn’t all that uncommon.

Fewer than fifty percent of wolves scent their mate on their first shift.

I have no doubt the same will happen to me tonight.

In fact, I almost hope it does. There are no females around my age that I would be interested in.

Besides, I don’t have time for a mate. I’m attending FMU in just a few short months for my freshman year of college.

With a full-ride scholarship to play basketball, my life will be super full.

“All right, let’s go,” my father says, opening the door.

I follow him out to the living room, where Alpha Blackwood’s waiting with a huge smile on his face.

“Congratulations, Reid. Everybody’s waiting to run with you.

Just take a moment first to scent the females when you get outside.

Once you’ve confirmed you have no mate, we will commence the run.

” He leads the way to the back door but doesn’t open it.

“If you do scent your mate, let me know right away; and we will put the run on hold.” My human side knows exactly what that means.

If I were to scent my mate, the run would be put on hold because we would bond.

But I’m not worried about that happening.

Alpha pulls the door open and steps out.

“Pack, I introduce Reid’s wolf to you.” The members of the pack that haven't already shifted cheer for me. My wolf is over it and ready to run. “Scent the air,” Alpha reminds me. Knowing what’s required of me, I force my wolf over to the unmated females.

Even the females that are years older than me are gathered. “Anything?” Alpha asks.

I don’t think so, I send to him in wolf form.

You‘d know right away, Alpha sends back mentally. Then he turns to the waiting pack members. “Now, we run.”

Wolf howls disrupt the quiet, and my wolf joins in.

We’re far enough from humans that they won’t be able to hear us.

Alpha shifts and leads the way, and the rest of us follow.

The entire pack isn’t here tonight as we all have lives to live.

But the ones that are available to run are here.

A dark gray wolf nudges my side. It’s about time.

You only shifted for the first time a few weeks ago, I remind Zane, my best friend and future alpha. I can hear his chuckle in my mind.

It’s pretty awesome, isn’t it?

I agree. It is. I’m not sure how long we run, but eventually, we make our way back to the house.

My mom has been cooking all week in preparation for tonight.

I scent the meat when we get close and realize just how hungry I am.

I join the rest of the crowd in shifting and quickly throw my clothes back on and head inside to see what I can do to help.

“How was it?” my mom asks.

“Amazing.”

She smiles. “It is.”

“What can I do to help?” I ask as I wash my hands.

“You can start carrying all this food out.” I carry the first large platter of steaks and pork chops out to one of the many tables set up for tonight’s celebration.

There are tiki torches giving us light, drink coolers, tons of food, and lots of pack members.

I take several more trips outside before Alpha quiets us.

“Let’s pray,” Alpha Blackwood calls out above the noise. Instantly, the noise dies down. He snags his mate’s hand, and we all join in bowing our heads. A few minutes later, the mayhem continues as people find food and spread out around the tables provided.

“So, was it everything you thought it’d be?”

I face Quint, a pack member and friend. “Yep.”

“Really? That’s it?”

I shrug. “I guess you’ll find out when you experience your first pack run in,” I pause deliberately. “What another year and a half?”

He scowls. “I hate you.” I laugh, knowing he doesn’t mean it. “And it’s thirteen months,” he corrects.

He walks away, probably to find somebody else to torment.

I set my plate of food down and grab a drink.

When I get back to the table, Zane’s sitting in the chair next to mine.

Slate, another pack member and friend, joins us a minute later.

“You’re next,” I tell him after shoveling in several bites of food.

He simply nods and goes back to eating, not much of a surprise there. Slate’s always quiet.

“You a little hungry?” Zane asks with a grin.

“Starved,” I manage in between bites.

“You all were trying to ditch me,” Quint says, dropping his plate of food onto the table next to Slate.

“No, we weren’t. You just were too busy flirting to realize we were already seated,” Zane says.

Quint grins. “Somebody’s gotta be the charming one at these events.”

“And that’s you?” I ask.

“Yep.” I shake my head at his antics and go back to eating. “Dude, you’re going to get sick eating that fast,” Quint says.

It takes me a moment to realize he’s talking to me. “I’m hungry.”

He laughs. “No kidding.”

“You’ll understand when you shift for the first time,” Zane adds. “It takes a ton out of you; I think I ate for a week straight.”

“Well, that’s nothing new for you,” Quint says and ducks when Zane throws something at him from off his plate. He tries to throw something in return, but I instinctively pluck it from the air. “Not fair. You two always team up,” Quint grumbles.

I ignore his fit and go back to eating. He’s not wrong; Zane and I have been as close as brothers our entire lives.

I think it’s partly because we’re only a few weeks apart and our moms are close.

It’s always been this way, and it will continue as I’ll be beta to Zane one day.

He’s all fire and passion and leadership, while I’m calm and assessing and supportive.

We work well together. Slate’s already been chosen as head enforcer, which is also the best choice.

He's got a protective instinct a mile wide and a dark side he needs to be capable of being what we need in an enforcer. “I’ve got to refill my drink. Anybody else need a drink?”

“I do,” Quint says, handing me his cup.

I take it and make my way to the drink table. “Congratulations on your first shift, Reid,” Mrs. Blackwood says when I pass her.

“Thank you.”