Claimed by the Pack

“Broderick, I… I…”

I was dizzy. Disorientated. Confused.

“I didn’t see where—”

The wolf I knew was Broderick padded over to me, sniffing me over. Its huge snout went into my hand, nuzzling me.

“Where Damien…”

As the rush of adrenaline left my body, so did my consciousness slip away. It would be bad this time, much worse than normal. My mind would be mostly drained, at least for a little while.

Broderick kept pushing against me, trying to urge me in some direction. Still alarmed, I looked around for Damien. Both he and the black wolf were nowhere to be seen.

“We have to—”

My tongue stopped working as Broderick’s wolf body stiffened next to me. His snout went back, his eyes rolling over into his head as the consciousness left them.

Oh my God!

For a second I thought he might be more injured than I thought. That maybe he was going into convulsions, and I needed to help him. Then I remembered what was happening — that this was a man, and not a wolf — and I could only cover my mouth with both hands as I stepped back to watch.

The wolf’s paws split apart, as arms and legs grew out of them. It was more beautiful than grotesque, really. Like watching something being born. Like a snake shedding its skin, or a crab its shell — just watching something entirely new come out of the form of something else, and that something else disintegrating to nothingness before my eyes.

It ended with him on his hands and knees. Broderick crouched there completely naked, his skin stippled with goosebumps from the cold or maybe from the transformation. He didn’t stand for a full ten seconds, and when he did he moved slowly and stiffly, like he was using his legs for the very first time.

“Broderick! I… I…”

The vertigo hit me then. And I was right… it was worse than normal. I’d almost gone too far, actually. Almost but not quite.

Broderick’s body was like that of some sculpted Greek god. His two huge pectorals were almost impossibly wide, stretching up to a pair of the most incredible shoulders I’d ever seen on a man. His legs were big too. Long but thick, and packed hard with muscle above and below the knee. And between them…

My eyes traveled over his midsection. They scanned past some long, jagged scar that I’m sure had a very good story but was also somehow sexy as hell. They moved along, across the flat expanse of his taut stomach. Scanned inevitably downward, to settle upon the impressive length of his manhood now dangling between his bare thighs.

I spoke one more time, breathlessly, as the darkness closed in from the very edges of my vision. “You’re bleeding…”

Then I passed out.

18

BRODERICK

I caught her just as she fell.

I was still in pain, still reeling from the quickness of the dual metamorphosis. The change hurt, as it always did. But the transformation back? That was the worst of all.

The cold bit me everywhere as I laid her gently to the stones. I gave her a minute, shivering as I moved my body to shield her from the wind. She felt hot. Hotter that she should be, even considering our bond.

Our unconsummated bond.

Gently I shook her awake, clapping my palm against her until she stirred. She was beautiful, even in sleep. Maybe even especially in sleep.

“Broderick…”

Her eyes fluttered open. Ready or not I grabbed her wrist and hefted her to her feet. Then, after a quick glance in every direction, I threw her over my shoulder.

“OHH!”

Wherever Damien had gone, I couldn’t go after him. Not like this. Not with her. Besides, I’d need rest soon. We both would, and possibly Serena too.