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Chapter 7

Cristian looked at the rest of his pack before stopping at his alpha. The man commanded respect with his presence alone. His six foot ten, plus a hundred and forty-five pounds of pure muscle without a drop of fat, was noticeable from afar. The man always wore his hair loose in dark blue waves dotted with brown strands that fell to shoulder length giving a wild look to his masculine face. His piercing eyes were the only ones in the pack that maintained the cool golden color of his wolf, giving away just how close the beast was to the surface.

-This wasn’t planned overnight- Dakota interrupted the silence by spreading some papers on the table- They know your mate’s schedule and what he does in the day. It’s no coincidence that he attacked her when you weren’t there.

They had gathered in the great hall where they used to spend most of their time. Serguei was leaning against the back of a piece of furniture, while the rest of them spread out in front of him.

-The most important thing is to know why they are after her,” Dylan picked up the papers and looked them up and down, “There is something that doesn’t fit in all this.

-From tomorrow the patrols will have to extend five more kilometers per wolf, there is someone in our territory that threatens my pack will not go unscathed, not after today- Serguei could see how some of them showed their fangs in annoyance and growled. More than 200 years ago he had created his new family and each one had his back as if it were theirs and when one was hurt they were all hurt- -We understand all that.

-We understand all that well, but, and what is going to happen with the human, I don’t find this whole story digestible and even more if you add the part that we are wolves and that Cristian is her mate- Mikhail swallowed his fingers as he looked at his two main leaders.

Serguei nodded

-That’s another question that is breaking our heads. We haven’t found much information and we don’t know what turn their relationship will take.” The alpha felt tired and overwhelmed although he showed no sign of weakness. He remembered in detail when his mother and the rest of the women had disappeared and only found a few remains afterwards. Without mates, they were destined for extinction. The pure wolf b***d had gradually been diluted by mixing with humans, but those unions did not guarantee their happiness. And now a human mate was appearing for one of his wolves. He was going crazy with the idea, but if there were mates even if they were human, there was a ray of hope, at least, not to reach the end of his days in bitterness. -It’s Cristian and his partner’s problem, we’ll go little by little and see how the he…-the words got stuck in his throat as his gaze remained fixed in the direction of the door.

The other men turned and stayed in place without moving a single hair and the same expression of astonishment. Cristian was barely out of shock when he started walking in the direction of Alisha or whoever he thought she was.

He pronounced her name and she looked at him tilting her head to one side. The beta’s b***d ran cold. Glowing golden eyes with a very small pupil of had shifted their beautiful color and looked at him unblinkingly. His long, formerly reddish hair had turned a grayish color mistakable for molten silver and fell in tousled curls over his arms covered by fine fur that struggled to come out. The scent of his human mate was barely perceptible and had been replaced by a stronger, wilder, more animalistic one that drove the wolf mad inside him and had him trembling with anticipatory pleasure. She didn’t know what was happening, because she was transforming, there was no way his bite had changed her, but there was time for questions later.

-Christian, don’t come closer,” Serguei ordered in a deep voice.

She wanted to listen to him but her wolf demanded to take her partner and get her out of there. He extended his hand towards her inviting her to come closer. He watched as Alisha examined him and growled showing the fangs protruding from her upper l*p. He gently withdrew it so as not to alarm her. He could not decipher what he saw before him, what she reflected, he could barely feel her emotions as his bond was not yet complete. Alisha gradually drew closer. The others in the room could only witness when her claw rested harshly on her beta’s cheek sending him to the floor. B***d quickly stained the carpet. Three of them stood up to defend him but she only growled. As if they were mere puppies they stiffened and, as if they had their tails between their legs, sat back down.

Serguei stepped forward with a frown. There was only one way they could have reacted like that, and it only happened if someone had the alpha genes.

He stopped behind Cristian and faced the woman. Upon smelling her scent he instantly understood her reaction. It was the scent of the first transformation and the wolf had taken complete control of the body.

He analyzed Cristian as he sat up with his hand on his bloodied face as the deep wounds slowly began to heal. He stepped forward ignoring his beta’s opinion. It was a tense situation and drastic measures had to be taken. He remembered when he was a puppy and had his first change at around two years old. He had no record of his first few weeks, until he managed to control his wolf, at that age it wasn’t that difficult. But to dominate an adult wolf under these conditions was practically impossible and even less so if this specimen had alpha characteristics.

He took another step showing his fangs showing who was in charge, he didn’t want to scare her, nor to get to a confrontation but to make clear whose territory was the first step. What he didn’t expect was that Cristian would stand in front of him protecting his partner.

-Stand back, I need to know who’s in charge here.

Cristian did not want to confront his alpha and best friend, but his protective instinct refused him to back down and the tension in the room increased. The other men stood up uncomfortably shifting their various iris colors to the single golden one. If the situation got out of hand there would be a lot more b***d running.

-quiet everyone-Demanded almost in a shout that the very floor shook- I told you, whatever happens, don’t interfere.

-But Serguei-Mikhail protested uncomfortably.

-Christian is just following his instinct and his partner has no control over herself, she is in her first transformation, if someone interferes things could end badly.

-It’s her first transformation, that’s impossible,” Lowa exclaimed, not even in her more than 400 years had she heard of a change as an adult.

-It is also impossible for a human to transform into a wolf with a bite or with our b***d and look what we have here,” The alpha was beginning to get annoyed by the situation, more out of uncertainty than helplessness.

A new wave of pain ran through the human’s body and she arched to the side letting out a growl and digging her fangs into her lower l*p, falling to the ground with a thud. Cristian turned in concern at the sound and held her protectively to his chest. He ran his hand down one of her arms feeling the fur sprout and her body tremble with pain. He turned to his alpha with a look of regret, panic and help. Emotions inside him swirled as his mate agonized in his arms. He knew he had to do something fast, she was undergoing a radical change in her unbearable puppy physiognomy, impossible as an adult. If he did not find a solution, he could lose her.

He heard how two other sentries were approaching and he reflexively pulled her tighter against him.

-We have to take her up to the room,” he heard Serguei’s voice, “Lowa will help you, we don’t know what will happen.

Cristian nodded as the albino wolf came to his side and comforted him by touching his shoulder. He thanked the rest of the pack for their patience. Despite recent events his family was supportive.

Alisha’s body stirred violently in his arms and the beta held her so she wouldn’t hurt herself but in a twist she hit him with her elbow in his abdomen so hard, it knocked him back. The little human began to recoil letting out one g***n after another as the muscles in her back twitched irregularly. One of the household tried to approach but stopped midway.

What was left of Alisha’s skin was replaced by fur while her body increased in size and it only took Serguei a blink of an eye to follow the transition from an amorphous body to a wolf almost her size but platinum gray.

A cutting silence invaded the room. The beta moved forward a little but when he went to call her his voice was interrupted by the howl of the animal. Then he broke through the glass window and ran in the direction of the forest.