Prophesy (The King & Alpha 1)

“But you always felt it, right?”

“Yes. Very quiet, but definitely there.” Wick rubbed his hand over his rapidly beating chest. “Never like this. I didn’t feel like this until I landed here.”

“It makes sense. Your beast is very strong. He knew I was here.” Justice had a slight twist to his lip.

“I’m… um. How will he come out?” Wick started pacing in front of Justice, no longer able to stand still while he waited for something to burst out of him, or become him. Justice made shifting look effortless. He didn’t know how to say what he was feeling without seeming like an inadequate mate for the Alpha Zenith. But bloody hell, he was terrified. He wasn’t made to shift.

“How will I be—?” Wick stopped speaking suddenly when Justice placed his hand on his shoulder. His Beloved’s touch ignited and relaxed him.

“Take off all your clothes now,” Justice ordered, his voice thick.

Wick frowned but he didn’t hesitate to comply. He was nervous but he held steady. A voice kept whispering he was going to be okay. Justice would get him through this.

Justice’s body reacted to Wick’s nakedness, his cock was hard and crimson, bobbing heavily in front of him. Wick’s mouth salivated. The mix of their arousals was distracting, potent amidst the warm air surrounding them. Wick wanted to lay down with Justice and be claimed before they did anything else. It felt like the most pressing issue at the moment for Wick, and nothing was ever imperative for him, but Justice stayed focused on helping him through his shift.

Wick’s insides warmed to an uncomfortable temperature; the air around him shimmered like a mirage in the Sierra. His body trembled like it was cold, but he was far from it. “Justice,” Wick whispered uncertainly.

“Don’t fight it.” Justice kneeled down on the hard earth, coaxing Wick to do the same. He leaned into him just like he’d done at that police station and the scent of his Beloved washed over him. Justice inhaled Wick’s throat, his jaw, pushed his nose against Wick’s temple before pulling back and gripping Wick’s chin in a firm hold. “Look at me, mate.”

Wick’s eyes zeroed in on Justice’s. Gorgeous eyes that looked to blue to be real. Wick saw the moment Justice’s wolf appeared. His pupils widened and the blue in his irises gleamed brighter than the Patagonia Glacier.

“Grrrrr.” Wick’s chest jerked and he gripped onto Justice’s forearms, fear consuming him. It was happening. Wick breathed heavily, the unknown petrifying him. He still didn’t know what to expect. Would it hurt? Was it a wolf, like his Beloved? Would he be able to control the beast? How could he put him back away? What if it was hideous and ran Justice off?

“Nothing will happen to you. I won’t let it,” Justice said, still holding Wick steady.

Wick could feel it stirring around inside him, more determined and alert than ever. It was hard to describe the feeling. All he knew at this point was he wanted it out.

“I will protect you.” Justice kissed Wick’s temple, momentarily distracting him. It felt so damn good. Justice’s lips were soft and sure, warm and refreshing. Wick needed more. His chest began to heave the longer he stared hungrily at his other half. He felt a carnal, almost animalistic urge to make Justice his. He’d made him wait days already. No more. Wick growled, then hissed longer and louder than he ever had. When he tried to close his mouth, deadly four-inch-long canines poked his bottom lip, making him cringe.

Wick opened his mouth again to yell his dread, but only garbled nonsense came out. Justice stood over Wick, his tight body a rigid statue. Dark brows were tilted down, and a look of sheer determination was etched all over Justice’s handsome face. He pushed an energy towards Wick that felt like a recipe of adrenaline, power, and faith all in one word that Wick was defenseless to fight.

“Shift!” Justice ordered. One word spoken in Justice’s commanding voice whipped through Wick’s mind and made his body respond.

The transformation occurred too fast for Wick to keep track. Painless and fast. Multiple things happened to him at once, but he felt Justice’s presence never waver. Wick saw long black claws elongate before his fingers transformed into a huge white and black paw. Paw? Wick brought it up to his face for a better look while he lay crouched on his knees, but he couldn’t see the same way. His vision had changed to something sharper. He saw depth, not color. Still, he didn’t have time to focus on that before his body bowed, his spine snapping and reforming as he felt soft strands tickling the skin over his back before fur sprouted all over him. He had a split-second to frown before his face shifted too. A hoarse mewl ended it all, sending Wick to the ground in an exhausted heap, dirt and grime kicking up behind him. He closed his eyes and rested.