Destiny's Path

by Kimberly Hunter

  “Not always, no. There have been instances where the individual went through the process under extreme situations, and it wasn’t even close to a full moon. Seems your instincts have deemed this an extreme situation.” He frowned, his expression saying clearly he’d hoped they would have more time.

  “Wow, tomorrow night at the latest.” She shook her head in astonishment, really not sure how she should feel about that news.

  Flynn nodded with worry in his eyes. Just seeing that look made her want to be strong for him. And since there was nothing she could do to prevent this from happening, she really didn’t have much choice but to buck up and prepare.

  “Okay.” She sat up with the blanket around her. “How will I know when the time is right?”

  He took a breath and blew it out, he too bucking up. “Your whole body will tingle, and your skin will itch. The muscles in your arms, legs, and back will spasm and cramp. Your body temp will rise, and you’ll sweat, feeling like you’re burning up from the inside out. All your senses will be heightened, overwhelming you. You’ll have the uncontrollable need to be surrounded by nature. Your clothes will feel confining, and you’ll want to run after you’re in the forest. But you won’t be able to once the process starts in earnest.”

  “That good, huh?” She tried to joke. She got a wan smile in return. “I guess drugs are out of the question?”

  He nodded. “They interfere with the process.”

  “So knocking me out won’t work either, huh?”

  “No, you will have to be conscious and aware of your surroundings.”

  “Oh.” She hoped there might be an easier way to go through this. Just her luck, there wasn’t.

  “The only thing I can think that might help is our bond. You’re my True Mate, and as such, you might be able to use that.”

  She thought about that for a minute, remembering the mall. Then something else came to her.

  “But won’t you be able to feel or sense some of what I’m going through?” She wasn’t sure she wanted him to feel her pain in any way, nor was she sure how she felt about him yet, but she did know that she liked him, a lot, and she didn’t want him suffering along with her. He had already gone through this once himself; he didn’t need a repeat performance that would be worse.

  “Yes, but I won’t be able to do anything to ease your pain. I’ll be practically helpless.” He growled with disgust, then grabbed her in a fierce hug. “The only time in my life where I’ll be unable to protect you, and it’s eating me alive inside.”

  Sasha could feel his body shaking, sense his rage and guilt at not being able to help her when the time came. But she couldn’t let him feel this way. She needed him to be strong, to be her anchor when the storm finally hit.

  “Don’t do this to yourself, Flynn.” She pulled back to look in his pain-filled eyes. “You’re the only one who can help me through this. The only one I trust to be there when the time comes. I’ll need you more than ever.”

  She was already scared at the thought of so much pain; she didn’t need to worry about him as well, so she let him feel her certainty in him and her need of his strength. A moment later a look of steely determination flashed in his eyes, and his iron resolve flickered to life.

  “I’m sorry, Sasha. Here I am trying to comfort you, and you end up comforting me.” He grinned ruefully. “But I’ve never felt like this before, and the thought of you hurting, well, I don’t like it.”

  “I know.”

  “I won’t lose you, Sasha.” He growled, kissing her fiercely, hungrily. “I won’t. You’re mine, all mine.”

  He covered her body with his, kissing her blind, his hands everywhere. When he came up for air, he looked her directly in the eye, a strange expression akin to awe on his face.

  “I never thought that one day I would have a woman like you in my arms, much less be my True Mate. You drive me crazy with your body.” He smiled. “And give me strength with your faith in my abilities. Sometimes I don’t feel worthy of you, and other times I feel blessed to have you at all. And when the time comes, know I’m at your side, lending you all the strength I possess,” he promised.

  She gave him a watery smile, on the verge of tears. “Oh, Flynn.”

  They made love all night. Sometimes tender, sometimes frantic. She was brought to tears at one point, awash in feeling, Flynn holding her, then taking her fiercely again. And through it all, the danger was shoved to the backs of their minds while their souls soared to the heavens. Unfortunately, what comes up must come down. And boy did it. Like a ton of bricks. And she was still naked too when it all went down.

  Sasha awoke to a nagging noise and sweat trickling between her breasts. The good news was that she was in Flynn’s bed, beside him. The bad news was she was burning up, and the noise was Flynn breathing.

  She looked at the bedside clock. It read almost four in the afternoon. Good Lord, how could I have slept so long? Then she remembered the night before and that morning in the barn. Yeah, now she knew how. Pure exhaustion.

  Pushing the covers back, she got out of bed and almost made it to the bathroom when a muscle spasm hit in her lower back. She moaned aloud and dropped like a stone.

  “Sasha?” Flynn asked sleepily.

  “Flynn!” she barely gasped out, pain radiating up her back.

  He rushed to her side, picking her up and placing her back in bed.

  “It’s started, sweetheart. Just concentrate on us, all right? And try to breathe through the pain. I’m right here, and I’m not leaving.”

  “I can’t breathe in here. Got to get out.”

  Flynn was one step ahead of her, already lifting her in his arms and carrying her from the room. They were both still naked, though she was really feeling too bad to care. The closer they got to the kitchen door, the worse she felt. Even more so when Charlie spotted them.

  “It’s begun?” she asked.

  “Yes, I’m taking her to the clearing now. You and the others can meet us there.” He didn’t bother to stop as he walked out the back door.

  When Sasha felt the fresh air against her heated skin, she wanted to shout with joy. Too bad another muscle spasm turned joy to pain. She gasped at the intensity of it.

  “I know, sweetheart. Just breathe. It’ll be over soon, and you can run with the Pack. Run with me,” he said fiercely as they walked behind the barn and into the woods.

  The smell of the forest and Flynn combined was almost overwhelming. She could hear every rustle around her. Everything was so bright and clear. And thank God she was already naked, or otherwise clothing would have really bothered her. As it was, being skin to skin with Flynn actually soothed her in a small way. That is, until her legs cramped up and her scalp started to itch.

  She whimpered, trying to hold back a scream.

  “Concentrate on me, do you understand? Breathe in my scent; listen to my heartbeat. Focus.”

  Sasha knew he must be feeling some of what she was going through, so she did what he said, trying to do what she did when they went to the mall. It helped.

  They made it to the clearing surrounded by large live oaks before the worst of her transformation began. Flynn gently deposited her on a thick pallet where a basin of cool water and cloths were already waiting for them. He bathed her face and body, trying to cool her down.

  “Flynn, I…”

  “Don’t talk. Save your strength and focus.” He spoke hoarsely, reminding her to use their bond to help.

  Her body was a tingling mass of nerves, and the itch was spreading from her scalp to her chest and working its way lower. If her arms hadn’t been so cramped, she would have scratched her head. As it was, all she could do was tremble and ride the wave until it leveled off and the next one hit.

  She looked at Flynn, fear beginning to settle in. “I’m scared.”

  “I know, baby.” He bathed her with cool water, his face tight with shared pain and concentration. “But I’m right here, and I won’t leave your side, hear me? I won’t let you
go through this alone. You can do this. You’re strong, so focus. Breathe in my scent, and use that to help you.”

  As another wave of pain racked her body, Sasha could see Flynn feeling its echo in his own. His handsome face was tightened with tension, his breathing harsh. She hated that he had go through this with her, but for the first time in her life, she wasn’t alone. The circumstances weren’t exactly ideal, but he was with her, sharing everything with her. If that wasn’t enough to make her fall for the man, then nothing was.

  Sasha heard the others come into the clearing but really didn’t care. She was too busy not screaming her head off when her back and legs spasmed again.

  “How’s she doing, Flynn?” Angel asked.

  “She’s strong. She’ll make it. She has to,” Flynn replied, wiping the sweat from her brow.

  Sasha heard the utter conviction in his voice and felt his steely resolve. She knew then that he would do everything in his power to help her or die trying, which would happen if she didn’t make it. And the fact that he could feel what she was going through as well as her fear was what finally gave her the strength she needed to do no less than him. He was her Mate, her True Mate. They belonged together.

  She grasped his hand in a firm grip and brought him closer. “Mine.” She gasped, trying to breathe through the pain. “You…are mine.” Tears welled up as the pain intensified.

  He kissed her gently. “Yes. As you are mine.” Pain flashed across his face at the same time her stomach cramped with burning fire. “I won’t…lose you. I…love you.” He gasped, his tears mingling with hers.

  “I love…you…too.” And she realized she did, the moment she saw him, and always would.

  He gently kissed her again, both of them breathing harshly. As a particularly bad cramp seized her back and shoulders, she did cry out. She couldn’t help it. The wave of pain made every muscle in her body feel like one giant ache. There wasn’t an inch of skin that didn’t itch or tingle. And her insides felt like they were on fire and being melted down.

  She distantly heard Flynn trying to talk. “You all…know what to…do before she fully…transforms.” He swallowed audibly, holding her hand and riding the pain with her as she cried out in agony. “She’ll need the…smell of the Pack to…help her find her way back…to us.”

  “She’ll come back to us, Flynn. You’ll make sure of that,” Dillon stated.

  At least she thought it was Dillon. She was in so much agony she wasn’t sure. She just wanted the pain to stop. She could actually feel her bones bending and her skin stretching. Feel hair sprouting all over her body. That was when she started to freak out a little.

  “Sasha, calm…calm down!” Flynn exclaimed, touching her face and shoulders. “Focus on me…my scent. Concentrate on me.”

  Sasha breathed him in, trying to focus, but it was so hard when she could feel her spine contort and her face elongate.

  “Flynn!” She screamed, dimly noting that her voice had changed, and the more she screamed, the more it sounded like she was howling.

  Sasha rolled onto her side, crying in agony as her body shed one form for another. Screaming and writhing in pain as her bones bent even more and her face turned into a muzzle filled with teeth. Canine teeth. Her mind registered everything that was happening to her body, from the smallest to the largest change. It was almost like she was watching the process and feeling it at the same time. But then, she noted she was getting weaker, that her heart was stammering with the strain of the transformation.

  “No! Don’t do this, Sasha! Fight, damn you! Fight!” Flynn cried, holding her hand in a death grip.

  She could feel herself starting to slip away, feel their bond begin to weaken. She was tired, so tired. All she wanted to do was sleep and never wake up. Let go and never feel this pain again.

  “Please don’t…leave me.”

  As Sasha felt herself slipping away, she also felt Flynn following her. Felt both their hearts stutter. She felt his love and knew she couldn’t let him die with her. So her only choice? Fight for them both. As she made that decision, the pain intensified. When she thought she could stand no more, a warm rush of power flooded through her, blinding her with its brilliance and filling her with new strength. When next she opened her eyes, everything around her looked brighter, clearer, even though she saw it was full dark. She could smell everything. Trees, grass, dirt, animals, and something strangely familiar. Something she knew but she couldn’t place.

  “Sasha?” A gravelly voice called.

  She swung her head around to see a reddish-brown wolf with Flynn’s eyes. “How do you feel?”

  That’s right; the Lupus can talk in wolf form. She didn’t have a clue how, though.

  “I’m not sure. I…” She stopped, not recognizing her own voice. It was lower pitched, rougher sounding. Almost like she was growling and talking at the same time. Really weird.

  She blinked, clearly confused, and then tried to stand. Her legs, all four of them she realized, didn’t seem to want to work.

  Flynn looked at her, tail wagging with joy. “Give it a minute, love. You’re still feeling the aftereffects of the transformation.”

  Sasha looked back at Flynn, not believing her eyes. “It worked? We made it?” Finally making it to all fours. All fours! She had four legs!

  Flynn licked her muzzle, rubbing his head against her neck. “Yes, love. We made it. Though it was a near thing.”

  A great howling surrounded them as everyone celebrated her First Transformation and came to greet her wolf-style. A lot of rubbing and nuzzling, tail wagging and wolfish laughter.

  Sasha looked at everyone in their wolf forms, bringing their scents into her nose and lungs. This was her Pack; it was also that familiar scent she smelled earlier. But one scent wasn’t like the others. She looked around to find its source, then spotted Dillon standing to the side. He was still in human form, not yet old enough for the First Transformation, a wide smile on his handsome little face. She walked over to him, sensing that something was unfinished, something important.

  They were almost eye level, she noticed as she sat in front of him.

  “You have returned, my Alpha,” he said, bowing low.

  The minute he spoke those words, the memories of Tala fell into place in Sasha’s mind. It was like a part of her had been missing and was now returned. She also recognized an old friend in the boy in front of her. “As have you, Diona.” She bowed her head as well.

  “The circle is complete. The prophecy fulfilled. But danger still hovers to threaten our Pack’s future.”

  “I won’t fail, Diona. Not this time,” she promised, knowing what had to be done, yet feeling strange at the same time about what she was saying. It was almost like another person was talking through her mouth, yet it was still her. Acclimating herself to Tala’s memories was going to take getting used to.

  He reached out and hugged her neck. “Of course you won’t. You will soon carry the future and the continuation of the Pack. You will be triumphant.” He pulled back, touching her head tenderly.

  “Dillon?” Charlie came to their side, clearly confused. Huh, she was confused!

  “Yeah, Mom?” Dillon responded, acting like there was nothing wrong.

  “What the hell was that all about?” She was clearly nervous. Sasha could also smell a trace of fear. Though not for herself.

  He looked at her in confusion. “Oh, sorry. I just now knew why I was supposed to be here.”

  “Did I hear you say Diona?” Flynn and the others came over to them.

  “Yes. Me and her are one. Just like Sasha and Tala are one,” Dillon replied.

  “Say that again?” Angel demanded.

  “You know, you just told all of us their story. Though Nikos is kind of one with Flynn and Roan.” He scrunched his brow in thought.

  “Wait, wait.” Flynn’s ears were laid back in agitation. “What the hell is going on?” he growled, his posture saying he’d had enough mysteries for one night.

 
“I think he means reincarnation, right?” Robert asked, looking at Dillon.

  “Uh, huh. Me and Diona, Sasha and Tala, and Nikos, Roan, and Flynn.”

  “Nikos, Roan, and Flynn?” Angel had her head cocked to the side with the question.

  “Yeah. Nikos’ soul got split ‘cause they’re twins. Roan was supposed to only get the Alpha part while Flynn got the True Mate part, but Roan has a True Mate, too. Only he hasn’t met her yet.” He shrugged. “So you see, Flynn and Sasha were meant to be together. Always.”

  “Which also means that Neena…” Flynn began to say.

  “Yes, she and Jenna are one.” Dillon frowned. “She has long been a shadow of hate trying to take your happiness. And sometimes even your lives.” He sounded much older than his twelve years. Though with an ancient seer’s soul, he was bound to mature faster than the average child.

  “That’s great news.” Gabe gave a canine snort.

  “I’m afraid you’ll have to kill her this time, Sasha. It’s the only way,” Dillon informed her sadly. “If she finds out you are soon to be with child, her rage will know no bounds. She must die so we can live on.”

  “A child?” Roan and Flynn asked in unison, both looking at Sasha.

  She was already stunned from first time she heard that, and hearing it a second time was no less shocking. Though being told she had to kill Jenna was equally shocking. All these revelations had her feeling rather light-headed. So it was a good thing she was already sitting down, blinking and shaking her head to clear it.

  “Are you sure, Dillon?” Flynn came to her side and nuzzled her face in comfort.

  “Of course. It’s not clear when she will conceive, but Sasha will soon be pregnant. And the child will be a girl.” He smiled, going to stand in front of Gabe. “And your True Mate.”

  “What?” Gabe gasped, all the hair on his body standing on end.

  “Did you think that meeting Sasha and saving her was mere coincidence? That Grandfather’s delusions weren’t real?” Dillon laughed. “No, we all have a purpose. But there is also danger.” He frowned again, looking at everyone. “This child has to be born. If she isn’t, then our species will slowly die out, and our souls won’t be reborn Lupus, running free with the Pack. They will be confined to a human shell.”