by Ryan Michele
“So, you’re telling me not to worry. Fat fucking chance of that happening.” Lily bursts through the door, handing off blankets to Zara. They quickly wrap them around Kenly and add warming pads. I absorb as much of her coldness as I can, giving her my heat and thanking the Heavens that our bodies always run at such a high temperature. The strange thing, though, is that my body is starting to grow cold from her touch. This has never happened before. “Doctor, why am I getting cold with her?”
His sharp eyes turn tense. “You’re getting cold?”
“Yes.” This is unheard of. Wolves can be out in the lowest of wind-chills and temperatures for days, weeks, and be perfectly fine. We don’t get cold.
“I have no idea.” He runs his hands through his hair. “Let me give a friend of mine a call and see what he thinks.”
“Only generals. No one needs to know she’s like this,” I demand before he places the call with a nod to me. “Baby, how are you?”
“C-cold,” she answers, her beautiful lips blue. I wrap the blankets around her head and face, only leaving her nose and eyes to be seen, hoping this will give her some relief. The doctor steps into the bathroom as I sit rocking her on the bed.
Doc walks back in moments later, disconnecting his phone. “Kenly is experiencing extremes. The other humans that tried to change were hot, but not scorching to this point, and not as cold either. And the fact that she warded off the healers is a puzzle. My guess is that it’s the witch magic. It’s strong inside of her, maybe it’s rejecting the change into wolf. I don’t know for sure, but it’s a possibility.”
“What in the fuck do we do about this?” Fuck. She has to turn wolf, dammit.
“I honestly don’t know. Do you know any witches that will come to your den?” the doctor asks, looking down at my girl.
“You have got to be fucking kidding me. Witches don’t associate with us or vampires. Getting one to come here is impossible.” He knows this shit. I shouldn’t have to fucking tell him. Hell, Marvin won’t step foot in here and he’s known our pack forever.
“Grand...mother,” Kenly’s soft murmur interrupts.
“Your grandmother? We need to try to call her again.” Damn, that woman may be our only chance. “I’ll have Thor and Gary go pick her up. What’s the number?” A splash of hope fills the room as Kenly rattles off numbers and I push them into the phone.
Seconds later it rings and I put it on speakerphone. “Yes,” a small voice answers from the other end. I feel Kenly’s body sag a bit, no doubt happy she answered.
“Grams. It’s Kenly.”
“I was just about to call you. Where are you?” Panic enters her voice at Kenly’s tone.
“I need you to come to me. It’s safe, I swear,” Kenly pleads through chattering teeth.
“Who has you and what have they done to you?” The small voice on the other end grows louder and insistent, demanding.
Kenly’s shivers rack her body and I take over. “Ma’am, I’m Max and I’m here with Kenly. We need your help.”
“What being are you?” she asks, catching me off guard. Not who but what being.
“What do you mean?” I tread lightly.
“Wolf or vampire. Your voice is too strong to be anything but.”
“Wolf, ma’am.”
“What’s happening to Kenly?” I snap my fingers, motioning for Lily to bring me Thor and Gary.
“I’ll be happy to explain everything to you as soon as you get here.”
“Tell me.” Furiousness booms through the phone, leaving me with no doubt that we’ve found the witch in Kenly’s bloodline.
Thor and Gary enter. “Kenly, where does she live?” Kenly rattles it off and the guys rush back out of the room. “She is going through the change into wolf.”
Silence on the other end of the phone.
“Ma’am?”
“What did you do to her?” Her voice is low and controlled, deadly.
“I didn’t do anything. She was attacked by four wolves. I found her, took care of the problem, and brought her here with me. I’m Beta of the Raber pack.”
“Holy shit,” Grams whispers. “How is she?”
“She’s in extreme pain.” I go on to tell her of the extremity of her transformation in comparison to the others that have been seen. She listens, taking it all in.
“I need to get to her. She has a spell on her.”
“What?” I growl, the word reverberating off the walls.
“When she was an infant, I cast spell on her that she wouldn’t be able to recognize any supernatural beings. My no-good son insisted that I cast it upon her. Because of the spell, she’s more than likely resisting the change.” Holy shit, the doctor was right.
“Get off me,” Kenly shrieks, throwing all the covers off of her, the ice melting and leaving behind beads of sweat. Fuck. She pushes away from me.
“Bath, now,” I order Lily and she moves quick. “Doctor, I swear to the Heavens you are about as worthless as they come.” I turn my attention back to the phone. “Can you reverse whatever it is?”
“What’s happening?”
“She’s burning hot again. Our legend tells us they only go through the hot then cold cycle once then change. But she is going through it again.”
“Your boys are here. I need to grab a few things and then I’ll be there.” She disconnects the phone and I toss mine to the bed, stripping my clothes off again. I swoop her up and dip both of us into the cool water, my body now warming up from her freeze out. This is some fucked up shit, and this is coming from a guy who changes into a wolf and kills by ripping out throats with my teeth.
Kenly sighs, but it’s not a contented one or one of relief. It’s more out of frustration. “What’s happening to me?” she asks after the water once again covers her breasts and we are submerged.
I tell her that her Grams is coming to help and I fill her in on what I’d learned during the phone call. I don’t go into my feelings though. I can’t let her know how terrified I am, that the spell might keep her from pulling through. I need to give her the strength I have, not the fear.
“This shit just keeps getting stranger and stranger,” Kenly groans.
“You’re doing a fucking great job with everything. It’s a lot and you’re handling it like a champ.” And she is, I just need her to hang in there.
“I’d laugh, but it hurts. I’m just trying not to die.” Her words slice through my heart. My mate cannot fucking die. Can’t. I won’t allow it, but I say nothing, not wanting her to focus on anything but staying cool.
We soak in the tub, me using the rag to help cool her face and other places not covered by the water. Kenly’s body grows slack against me and alarm sets off. “Kenly.” I turn her to me and her lips are blue, the same blue as when she was cold. I sweep her out of the tub and wrap her in blankets. “Kenly!” I yell, still hearing her heartbeat, though she’s not waking.
“Zara, get on her other side. We need to cocoon her with warmth.”
The doctor rushes over, feeling her head. “She’s going through the cold again, but this time it seems to have knocked her out.”
“No shit,” I bark.
We hold her and with each ticking minute of the clock, Kenly’s breathing and heartbeat begin to pick up. Thank the Heavens.
Kenly
MY BODY IS SO DAMN cold and it feels so damn strange inside. So strange I can’t even describe it. Just different, abnormal, unusual. I thought my periods were bad, but they are nothing compared to this. This is so damn intense. So unreal. I hear Max talking and the voices of Lily, Zara, Xavier, and the doctor, but I can’t process everything. The only thing I can do is try to survive.
This hot and cold is so extreme, I swear my body is going to give out if I go through it again. I’m so damn tired.
Heat, fire, searing, burning. My entire body ignites, waking me up instantly. I wiggle from Max’s arms and away from Zara, throwing the blankets off my body. “Hot!” I scream. Every vein inside of me bubble
s, the heat coming off my skin in waves. The worst is the burning in my brain. The pain is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before.
“Bath!” Max calls out and rushes me to the tub. As soon as my body hits the cool water, the burning becomes a simmer. Simmer I can handle. Even though I’m in Max’s arms, his heat doesn’t scorch me like it does when we were in the bed. In here, I can breathe him in and take in his comfort. The simple things like his nose and mouth moving along my cheek and temple. I know it’s not sexual but it’s so affectionate. I just wish this on and off would be over with so I can enjoy it. But the sickening truth is, I may never get to enjoy it. These may be my last few moments as me so no matter how much pain I’m in, I will cherish each of his touches and figure out the why of it all later. If there is a later.
“Sweetheart,” a feminine voice coos from the door. A beautiful, long-haired brunette stands there. About my age with striking blue eyes. The same blue eyes…
“Grams?” This can’t be. She’s so young.
“Yes. It’s me. Before you freak out, I cast a spell on myself to appear older when you were around so you wouldn’t find out I was a witch and immortal. It’s a long story and we can get into all of that once we get you sorted.” Her eyes move to Max behind me. “You sure don’t waste any time,” she accuses.
“Nice to meet you too. What can you do to help her?” Max’s body stays tight against mine, not an ounce of fear. He’s so damn confident and has been throughout this entire ordeal.
“Out of the bath and on the bed.” She turns without a backward glance. Max lifts me like I weigh nothing at all, carrying me to the bed. The instant I leave the water, a shrill cry leaves my throat, the burning taking over my body.
“It’s gonna be okay, babe.” He sets me down on the bed and moves to the other side, sitting next to me. “Don’t try any magic to keep her from me, either. She’s already turning wolf. You want her to search the earth for years trying to find her mate when he’s right in front of her? Have her live through that shit?”
“Seriously. You don’t think I know the severity of this? I’ve lived for five centuries, had many kids, tons of grandkids, great grandkids... I know more than you could dream of, young man.” I gasp at what she says, but can’t formulate the words as the pain slices through my insides. “My granddaughter is smart. If she chooses you then so be it. Now, do you mind letting me get to work?”
Max grabs my hand and squeezes it. It hurts so damn bad, but I’m so scared on top of everything else that I need his comfort even if it’s painful. Grams starts saying all this weird shit that I can’t understand. I just lie here with my eyes closed, trying to concentrate on breathing through the pain.
The air in the room turns static and I try to open my eyes, but can’t. I can only feel. The burning in my feet, legs, and hips ceases only leaving a tingle in its place. Then my stomach, arms, and chest feel instant relief. My neck and head feel like lightning bolts are striking it from every direction, but I don’t scream. I should, but the shocks are better than the burning.
Suddenly, everything stops. I take inventory of my body. Nothing burns or feels cold. There are tingles, but nothing else. Holy shit.
“You did it, Grams,” I whisper, opening my eyes. Grams sits on the bed next to me, grabbing my other hand and squeezing it. “Thank you.”
“Sorry, sweet girl, but you have more to endure. But it won’t be as painful as it was before when your body was rejecting the change. Now that the spell is gone, it should make everything else happen fast.”
Wrapped up in Max’s arms, I doze off.
Something tightening in my chest awakens me. I fear my ribs are going to break. I scream from the pain and Max is right there. “What’s wrong?”
“Chest hurts.” Hurts really isn’t the word for this, but it’s the only one I can think of.
He grabs his phone, punching in numbers. “Get Lily, Zara, the doctor, and Maggie in here now, Xavier. It’s happening,” he barks, tossing the phone to the side of the bed. He must have learned my Grams’s real name. “Tell me what’s happening.”
“I don’t know. It’s squeezing so tight.” I hold my hands to my chest, hoping it will relieve some of the pressure, but it does nothing.
“Fuck. It’s really happening, baby.” Fear slices through me. I’m going to turn into a wolf. Holy shit. “Remember the purple light. You have to remember it and follow it. Do you hear me?” I do and nod. Purple light. The door flies open and everyone gathers around.
“She’s changing,” Grams says, the fear in her voice gripping.
“Can you do anything?” Max asks.
“No,” my Grams says. “She has to go through the change and we pray she comes out of it.” She leans down to me. “You are a smart woman. You listen to what you’ve been told and you come back to me. There is nothing I can do for you at this point, you must feel the change.”
I gasp in a breath as it gets tighter. I scream in excruciating pain as my bones begin to pop and break. It’s like something out of a horror movie, but it happens so fast. Long hair grows out of my body and panic ensues. Holy shit, this is really happening. My face contorts, bones break and reform. I scream in agony and breathe in relief, only to do the process over and over again. What takes maybe seconds feels like tortuous hours. Suddenly, the pain fully stops. I look down. Holy shit. I’m a wolf.
I jump off the bed, surprised when I land on four feet instead of two. I shake my head and feel the fur moving with the motion. That really feels good. I look down, cross-eyed, and see a long ass snout on my face. Fuck me. I have a snout and I thought a pimple was bad. I back myself into the corner of the room, my legs wobbly as I try to get my footing.
I thought my hearing was good before, but now I can hear everything—the people talking two flights upstairs, an animal digging in the dirt outside, several beating hearts like I have a stethoscope to my ear. My sight is phenomenal. Everyone in the room has frightened looks on their faces, and then I realize I’m snarling. Yes, actually snarling, baring my pointy teeth that my tongue is perusing.
I step back and lie on the floor, my head resting on my front paws. Yes. Freaking paws. This is too weird. A slight whimper escapes me. I’m me, but in wolf-form. Strange.
“Kenly, you need to find the purple light now,” Max’s voice says as he slowly approaches me. I rise to my feet and growl at him, my teeth cool from the air. Lights flash through my head—red, blue, but no purple. He takes a step closer and my growl deepens. I don’t know why I’m doing it, but my wolf must know. “Kenly.” The demand from that voice perks my ears.
It’s Max, but this is not sweet Max who held me while I was hurting. No, this is powerful Max. The one who earned his spot as Beta of this huge pack and I like it. I hang my tongue out and pant.
“Find that purple light now, Kenly.” I step closer to him and snap at him. “I know you want to play, but first Kenly needs to come back.” Play, why the hell is he talking about playing?
White floats by, green, swirly colors. “Move in your mind, Kenly. Look for it hard.” I snip, wanting to yell I’m trying. But it comes out in a growl as I nip at his hand. Damn, why can’t wolves talk. “Do not do that again,” he commands and I sit back on my haunches. “Find it, damn it.”
I stare at the man in front of me and suddenly, like a cosmic boom, something explodes inside of me and I yelp. I smell him. My wolf smells him, but this is different. This time it’s mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. I paw over to Max and rub my nuzzle against his leg, his hand threading through my fur and rubbing it. Feeling so damn good.
“What’s going on?” Lily’s voice comes from the side and I snap at it, standing in front of my man and snarling at her. If she thinks she is going to have what’s mine, I’ll fight for it.
“Stand down, Lily. I think she just realized that we are mates, and you being a female and this close is not such a good thing. Maybe you ladies should step out.” His voice is calm, but I nip his hand and he bends down to me as the threat
leaves the room. “Kenly. You have to find the light now. You’ve been transformed for too long. You need to look for it.”
Right now, I’m not sure I want to find the light. Calm spreads throughout me, along with contentment. There are no worries, no problems, just being. Happy. Why would I want to go back to a world that hurt me? If I just stay like this, I can live in peace. I can fight off the bad guys with my teeth. I don’t want to find the light. Here is just fine for me.
“Kenly, if you don’t find the light, then you will be lost to me forever.” Well, that perks my ears up. “You have to change back so we can spend eternity together.” That’s a long damn time. Surely he’ll get tired of me by then. Here it’s peaceful. Like when my nanny took me to the beach and there wasn’t a care in the world, just listening to the waves crash up and down. Bliss.
“Kenly,” his voice is now demanding, “I’m ordering you to find it now!” He’s ordering me to? I do not think so. I bump his leg with my hind end and snap at his nose. “Now, Kenly.” The determination in his tone, along with a slice of fear, sends me searching in my head. Every light I pass is something other than purple. Maybe I’m colorblind as a wolf and can’t find the color. I know he’s right. I need to find it. I keep going, walking past pathways, keeping straight ahead, and I see nothing. I whine. “Keep looking, Kenly,” Max demands, concern evident.
I keep moving and suddenly, things start spinning in my head. Everything is discombobulated and stretching in weird ways, like I’m in a funhouse or on a tilt-a-whirl. What is happening?
“Please, baby, you have to find the light now or you will remain a wolf forever.” Pain slices his voice and I shake my head. No way is he going to feel pain. Even with the swirls, I keep moving, keep searching. Off in the distance, there it is. I see it.
