Awakened Dragon

by Harmony Raines

  Circling them, the attacker came closer, while Kurt always moved to keep himself between his opponent and Nadine. She was his to protect at all cost. And then the world erupted into claws, teeth, and fur as his attacker pounced.

  Kurt slashed at him, his hackles rising as he fought to push his opponent back. But the other wolf was quick, and Kurt, out of practice at being wolf, took a few minutes to get full control of his wolf senses. However, once he did, he took charge, teeth and claws a blur as he flung himself full force at the smaller wolf.

  His opponent cried out in pain, yelping when Kurt drew blood. The part of Kurt that had been responsible for chasing his cousin into the mountains resurfaced and tried to grab hold. This part of him wanted to beat the smaller wolf until he lay dead on the ground. It slashed with its claws and ripped with its teeth. Then Kurt reined it in, taking back control. As the crumpled body of the other wolf lay on the floor, he took a step back, looking up into the horrified face of Nadine.

  What had he done? She looked at him as though he were a murderer. Was he? Had he killed his opponent?

  Chapter Eighteen – Nadine

  “Kurt,” she said gently, her hands going into his thick fur, stroking him, soothing him while he tried to capture his breath. “It’s finished. Over,” she repeated to him. She was so afraid; the body of the wolf in front of them was wounded, its breathing shallow. She clung to the hope that they would not have to answer to a murder charge.

  Then the horrifying sound of other wolves came to them. Through the trees below, the haunting howl of their attacker’s pack mates came to them.

  Kurt nudged her, pressing her to run. She knew he wanted to protect her, and sending her away was the most sensible thing. But she had made a promise to herself never to leave her true mate again, and she was going to stick to it.

  Like shadows, they materialised from the trees, growling, low and menacing when they saw the wolf on his side, blood matting his coat. Kurt drew himself up to his full height, but they both knew he could never take on the other three wolves. It was impossible, and if he tried, she would fight with him.

  Crouching down, she wrapped her hand around a large rock. It sickened her, but if she had to, she would crack it over their heads. They were bonded, a team against whatever life threw at them, and right now, it was throwing wolves, big, menacing wolves.

  Growling, one of the wolves, sleek and black, made its way over to its fallen comrade. Sniffing it, it nudged the unconscious body, whining and licking its face. Slowly, life returned and it lifted its head. Nadine had never felt so relieved. But what was going to happen now?

  Shakily, it got to its feet, shaking the dirt from its coat, and then its hackles rose and it snapped and growled at Kurt, ready to try again to defeat him. Yet instead of helping its pack mate, the sleek wolf grasped the scruff of its neck and made it fall down to its knees.

  The other two wolves started forward, but then stopped. Something passed between them, and they came and helped the fallen wolf up, before disappearing into the trees, one on each side of their injured pack mate, making sure he didn’t turn around.

  The sleek, black wolf made its way slowly into the trees, the night covering it, while Nadine and Kurt watched. Then Nadine felt the peculiar prickling on her skin as the wolf changed and the curvy silhouette of a woman stood in the shadows.

  “He won’t come near you again,” she said.

  “How can you be sure?” Nadine asked.

  “Because he knows what will happen if he does again. I will rip his throat out personally.”

  “And who exactly are you?” Nadine asked.

  The other woman laughed. “Nice try. But that is my secret. Although I’m sure you’ll be hearing a lot more from my brothers and me. Wolf Valley is ours for the taking, and we plan to take it.” She took a step further into the trees and then added, “If your wolf wants to join us, he is welcome. He has the right qualities to join us.”

  “And exactly what qualities are those?”

  “He enjoys inflicting pain and misery; I could tell by the way he fought. A little push and he would be just like us.”

  Nadine curled her fingers into Kurt’s fur. “But he has learned to control it.”

  “Only because he has you.” She sighed dramatically. “Maybe that’s all we need. A mate to love us.” Then she laughed again. “But our way is much more fun. Who needs a collar and leash?”

  Then she was gone, the air shimmering as she became pure wolf once more and disappeared into the night.

  Beside her, Kurt stood still as stone. They both listened, not sure if it was over and the other wolves weren’t just playing some kind of trick. Were they letting Kurt and Nadine think they were safe, before returning and attacking once more? His wolf senses being more acute, Kurt lifted his head, sniffing the air and then tilting his head to listen.

  When he moved away, at first she thought it was to go into the trees to check it was safe, but then he stopped and turned to look at her, and she knew he was preparing to change back. She held her breath, not sure if he had enough control, or confidence, to do this. However, she tried not to let her fear show; he needed to know she believed in him. And she did.

  The air around him shimmered, and he faded away, before the tall, toned perfection of Kurt came back to her. She ran to him, her arms going around his neck and she sobbed into his chest with relief.

  “I knew you could do it,” she said.

  “I’m glad someone did. There was definitely a moment when I thought I would be stuck in that hospital again for months while you talked some sense into me.”

  “Would that have been so bad?” she asked.

  Putting his arm around her, he kissed her and then said, “No. I don’t care where I am as long as you are there.”

  “Shall we go home?” she asked. “It is safe now, right?”

  “As far as I can tell. Although that has to have been the weirdest encounter ever.” Kurt held her close, chasing away her fear.

  “Who are they? Do you know?” she asked.

  “I have no idea. But I’m sure it’s not the last we’ve seen of them. I just hope she keeps her word and that mongrel stays away from you.” The breath shuddered in his body as he tried to calm his rage. “I came so close to killing him, and if he hurt you, or frightens you again, I really don’t know if I will be responsible for my actions. Maybe she was right; there is something bad inside of me.”

  “You are not like them.” She kissed his cheek. “You have me. That counts for something, doesn’t it?”

  “That counts for everything.” He took her hand and they made their way down through the tress to her cabin. They took their time, stopping often to check for any signs there was an ambush waiting for them. But there was nothing, although when they reached her cabin, they still went through their routine of checking the house room by room.

  ***

  “So what about you?” Kurt asked as they sat eating dinner in her small kitchen.

  “What about me?” she asked.

  “How do we prise you open and let your animal out?”

  Her mouth turned down as she remembered all of the effort and disappointment pushing down on her. Hadn’t she tried her hardest? Her mom certainly had, going over and over the principles of shifting from a human to an animal. But for Nadine, the fear of letting go and becoming something else was too much. Or was it the fear of not becoming what her mom wanted her to be?

  She set her fork down. “I’m scared.”

  Kurt stopped chewing and looked at her, his eyes full of understanding. Swallowing his food down, he said, “I will be here right beside you.”

  “What if I step out of this world and don’t know how to come back?”

  “You’ve treated so many people. You know that won’t happen,” he encouraged.

  “That’s just it, though. Everyone else I have ever treated knew their animal. They could see it in their head. Mine is just a sensation as if something is brushing against the cor
ners of my mind. It’s hidden in the dark.”

  “Maybe it’s shy?”

  She burst out laughing. “Usually the problem is putting them back in, not letting them out. But I guess you could be right. Damn, I’m mixed up. The more I think about it, the more I believe that I hid that side of me away. I knew whatever I was, I would disappoint one of my parents, or both.”

  “Come on. I have a plan.” He took her hand and led her to the sitting room. There he made her sit on the floor, cross-legged, looking at him. “Now, this is one of the things you taught me when I was wolf. I couldn’t see you, but I could hear your voice and it pulled me back.”

  “OK,” she said, willing to try anything to finally be whole.

  “Hold my hands.” He held out his hands to her and she placed hers onto his warm, comforting palms. When he curled his fingers around her hands, she felt safe and secure. She could do this with his help. “Right. Now close your eyes and let your mind empty of everything.”

  This part was easy, Nadine was used to meditating and soon a relaxed state covered her. Only his voice penetrated her thoughts.

  “I want you to be open to what is inside you. Don’t try to seek it out. Just accept it when it comes to you.”

  “OK.” She had searched every crevice of her mind trying to find her other self, but never found it. The creature always seemed to be just out of reach, cowering in the dark in case it wasn’t accepted for who it was. This time she didn’t search; she simply sat down and waited.

  After a while bamboo sprouted up all around her and a tree grew in her mind. A tree. What games was her mind playing? But then something moved in the tree, and she looked up very slowly to see the beautiful mask of a red panda coming down to her. Its soft, bushy tail helped it to balance while it descended head first down towards her.

  Tears ran down her cheeks: this was her. Her other side. Nadine didn’t speak, didn’t move as the small animal came to sit opposite her and ate some bamboo. She lost track of time, only the beat of her heart and the feel of Kurt’s warm hands closed around hers kept her from slipping out of reality permanently.

  Slowly she moved her hand. The red panda watched her, no fear in its eyes, only wonder. Stretching her hand towards it, she held her breath while the panda leaned forward, sniffed her fingertips, and then allowed her to stroke it.

  “I’ve found you,” she said. And the expression on the panda’s face was one of acceptance. They were part of each other in the same way Kurt was a part of her.

  Chapter Nineteen – Kurt

  “I did it,” she said, her face filled with tears of joy. He didn’t think he had ever seen anyone so happy or so beautiful. Her red hair framed her face, her skin pale yet tinged with pink as her excitement overflowed.

  “I knew you could.” He grinned and then hugged her, feeling the excitement coursing through her body. “Ready for the next step?”

  “I’m not sure,” she said, shaking her head and turning from him.

  “Hey, come here. I’ll be with you.” He wanted her to trust him, to know that he would never let her down. But he also had to understand her fears; they were the same fears he had experienced only hours before. “I love you, Nadine Dury. You are going to be my mate for life, my wife, the mother of our children, and I need you to know that I would move heaven and earth to keep you safe. If anything goes wrong, I would always find a way to bring you back.”

  “Thank you, Kurt,” she said, kissing him, and he wanted to pick her up and take her to bed right now and tell her to forget the whole thing and just let him bury himself inside her and chase her fears away. But that would not help her to conquer her deepest fear; it was his duty as her mate to help her overcome this.

  “Let’s go outside now. And we can change together. I’ll go first and talk you through it. Then you try. OK?”

  “Not really,” she said nervously, but then she took his hand. “I can do it with your help. We’re invincible, right?”

  “Right.” At least he hoped so.

  Out into the cool night air, they stood in front of her cabin and faced each other. He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on how he changed, to break it down into minute actions, when to him it was something he did so naturally. It was almost like breathing, but he had learned this as a child and that was where he tried to put his mind now. Back into the memories of the first time he changed into his wolf.

  “Close your eyes. Picture your other side. Feel it, as if you could touch it. The softness of its fur, its eyes and your eyes, they have to become one. Can you see it?”

  “Yes,” she whispered. “I can.”

  “Now you have to step into it. Put your hand next to me. I’ll go first and you can feel the air around me as it changes. It just happens, don’t freak out or try to force it.”

  She did as he asked and touched the space around him as he stepped out of this world. When he returned, her hand was still in place, as she concentrated on him.

  “I see it. I know it. I’ve helped so many other people change back. I can do this.”

  Kurt looked at her with a wolfish, lopsided smile, hoping his expression was one of encouragement. Or maybe it would just freak her out, but then she closed her eyes, and around her the air shimmered. For one awful moment, she disappeared from this world and his sense of loss was profound. Albeit momentary, because then she was there. A small, cute red panda. Not exactly what he’d imagined, but at least she wasn’t actually a bear!

  Chapter Twenty – Nadine

  If this wasn’t the strangest experience of her whole life, she didn’t know what was. But once she got the hang of how her legs moved, she soon ran around in circles, watched over by her big, bad wolf. Who looked so goofy while he watched her, it made her want to laugh. She wondered what he thought of her, and maybe he wished he hadn’t helped her discover this other side of herself now after all.

  Would a wolf ever see the appeal of a cute red panda?

  Once the excitement was over, she had the need to find out if she could change back. Being a small red panda for an hour or two was one thing; to be one forever was something else. And that scared her.

  Standing in front of him, looking up at his big snout and sharp teeth, she tried to concentrate. Having spent so many years looking at herself in the mirror, this part should be easy, right? She sure hoped so.

  Picturing herself, she suddenly couldn’t remember what clothes she was wearing. Did it matter? She panicked and thought she had blown it, but then the world shifted and went blank. Her breathing came fast, a panic attack threatening, but then she came back to herself. She was standing looking down at her wolf, who was wagging his tail like a dog.

  “I did it!” she shouted.

  Kurt changed before her eyes, dragging her into his arms. “That’s my girl,” he said, kissing her mouth.

  Flinging her arms around his neck, she held him close, wondering if the last two days had been a dream. With the threat of the other wolves temporarily gone, she allowed herself to be happy. She had found Kurt; he was everything she could ever wish for and, more importantly, he was her true mate.

  She had also found her other self, a red panda. She knew her mom would be upset, but she didn’t care. She was unique, and the children she shared with Kurt would be unique, and she would make sure they knew that being different was OK. In fact, being different was good, because if she hadn’t been different, she would never have made it her career to help others who were unique, like Gibb.

  And of course, she would never have met Kurt, her mate and the man she was going to drag off to bed. Right this minute.

  The End

  *

  Out now

  Wolf Valley Raiders Complete Series

  A wolf needs his mate! Come along for the ride, as four hot, sexy wolf shifters, finally find their one true mate.

  Redeem the Wolf

  Kurt has made mistakes, big mistakes. Like the time he chased his cousin up into the mountains and nearly caused her death, all f
or the chance of power in the otherwise lawless town of Wolf Valley. But his actions only proved one thing, he would never be alpha material. He doubts he will ever be fit for anything since he ended up stuck in the body of his wolf for far too long. A wolf who has now abandoned him.

  One woman saved him; she coaxed the man out, bringing him back from the brink of insanity. He was sure she was his mate, but she couldn't be, because she left even before he could thank her. All he has to hold onto is the memory of her face, a face he paints over and over again, a face he may never set eyes on again.

  To Catch A Wolf

  At last, after what seems like an eternal wait, Hugo has caught his mate. But not in any romantic way, oh no, she’s lying face down in the dirt after trying to rustle his cattle with the other wolf raiders. All she wants to do is rip his throat out; he knows that because she’s telling him explicitly, with some extremely unladylike language. All he wants to do is pick her up, throw her over his shoulder, and take her to his bed. There he will indulge in such primal pleasures, he will capture her heart too. Right?

  If only life was that easy.

  Damn it! Bliss Merric has just about had it! Her life has never been her own, she has always put her family first. That is why she is out here, in the dark with her brothers, trying to rustle cattle. Well, at least she was with her brothers, but they have now abandoned her and left her alone. With her mate!

  It’s not what she wants; he’s not what she wants. But when you’re face down in the mud with his big, toned, muscly body pinning you down... No! Don’t think of him like that. He is the enemy, she has to fight her way out of this.

  Can Hugo catch his wolf, or will she run out of his life forever?

  Reclaim the Wolf