Wolf Shifter Diaries: Life Fated (Sweet Paranormal Wolf & Fae Fantasy Romance Series Book 1)

by E Hall

  “Why’s that?”

  “Whether running solo, with the pack, or a mate, a chemical reaction occurs, similar to when a new mother holds her baby for the first time. It’s when we bond and feel most free.” Corbin takes great interest in the wooden fence again.

  “When was the last time you ran?”

  He clears his throat. “Moving on. We can heal rapidly and are often considered immortal, but there are exceptions. If the human form no longer supports the wolf within, they may go the way of the Sea of Dreams or remain in wolf form until they fade. Other magicals or humans can’t kill us except with a silver blade. However, wolves can kill wolves.”

  Her leg jitters uneasily. “And howling?”

  Amusement brushes across Corbin’s features. “It’s an expression of each wolf. Just like musicians, dancers, writers, and artists of all kinds have a unique way of expressing themselves, wolves all make different sounding howls that mean different things. I guess you can think of it as poetry, expressing a range of emotions.”

  I wasn’t expecting that. “Okay, let’s do this.”

  Corbin straightens, and his muscles flex under his shirt as he steps closer to me. “Kenna, I know there is a wolf inside of you. Typically, you shift for the first time on your own. My betas and I believe that you possess equal amounts of wolf shifter, fae, and vampire within. They’re all vying to be activated. In this instance, shifting has to be your choice. Once you shift for the first time, you can’t go back. You’ll experience other changes, hear your wolf, and if the Accord spell ever breaks, you will be subject to our base instincts.” He reaches out and places a massive yet tentative palm over the center of my chest, my heart. “I want you to know everything so you can make your own choice, from here.”

  My cheeks warm, and my heart threatens to beat clear through my ribs, hammering so hard as though it’s trying to get closer to Corbin. To his wolf. Last night in front of the map springs to mind.

  “Do you understand?” he asks.

  I lift my eyes to his. “I’ve never been so sure of something.”

  “If that’s the case, as Alpha, my wolf can summon yours, and you can shift.” He bites his lip. “I think that’s what happened last night. My wolf was beckoning yours when you had that dream.”

  “How does that work?”

  He opens and closes his mouth as though not sure whether to answer.

  “I mean, being Alpha. Is it something you’re born with? Do all wolves have the potential to be Alphas. Like, if this were a pirate ship, could any of the sailors call a mutiny and try to become Alpha?”

  He flashes a grin streaked with relief. “Only some wolves are born with the capacity to be Alpha. Yes, it’s about strength because we have to prove ourselves physically, but it’s also about leadership and putting the pack before personal needs.”

  “How does it work between mates then? Do they both become Alpha or is one subordinate because that seems like an inequitable partnership and—” I think of my mother’s lousy exes.

  Corbin shifts slightly from foot to foot. “You want to talk wolf politics?” He chuckles. “I’m kidding. No, an Alpha can only mate with an Alpha.”

  A sinking sensation settles inside.

  “If one of the wolves is already an Alpha of a pack, they can mate with another wolf even if he or she isn’t a pack leader, but they still have to possess the potential inside. It’s part birth rite and part strength of will.”

  My heart buoys. “How does a wolf with the potential to be Alpha know if they’re one if they’re not already a pack leader?”

  “Trust. Intuition. After the first shift, they just know. Alright, enough talking, if you want to do this, if you’re sure—”

  “I’m sure.” The certainty roots deeply from my bones and sprouts upward.

  “It might hurt the first time,” Corbin warns.

  “I can handle it.” I meet his eyes with fierce determination.

  His muscles flex, pronouncing the Alpha tattoos wrapping around his arms. For a moment, I’m lost in them. He extends a finger under my chin, drawing my gaze back to his.

  I force myself not to shiver in response to his touch.

  “Okay, Kenna, I’m going to shift again, and then my wolf is going to summon yours.” He grips just below my shoulders, sending a wave of warmth through me. “Once you’re a wolf, you must stay focused. You can explore anywhere within the training ground boundaries. Don’t jump fences. New wolves can be volatile, and I don’t want you to meet anyone else this first time. Ready?”

  Corbin gives me a meaningful look as his shirt comes off and then his pants. As he shifts into the gray wolf, I also discard my clothes. The familiar pressure builds in my bones. My blood heats. My shoulders, hips, and chest ache. My neck twists, and I drop to the ground. My vision blurs for a split second and then heightens. Colors, shapes, and textures get bolder. I’m nearly knocked out by the intensity of the surrounding scents. I glance down. I have paws. My fur is dark, almost black with a red tint like my hair. I take a step and then another, testing out my new gait.

  And the best part, my tail. It wags uncontrollably, and I bound over to Corbin. He snarls and then lets out a sharp bark before pummeling me playfully. We wrestle. He nips me gently, gruffling and snuffling. I feel a big, dopey smile on my muzzle and then sniff him, inhaling deeply.

  At once, my wolf mind knows two things. I am an Alpha wolf and Corbin is my mate. All my mixed feelings for him since we met concentrate inside and fill me with a feeling I’ve only had hints of in the past.

  My heart knows no bounds, and I let loose a joyful howl that echoes off the hillside.

  Then we run. We run the trails well into the afternoon.

  Corbin was right, there’s nothing like running free along the trails that edge the woods and move toward the mountains. I could go longer, but Corbin shifts back to human form when we’re back where we started. I follow, scrambling for my clothes.

  I cannot contain my smile. “That was amazing,” I say, catching my breath. “When can we do it again?”

  Corbin lets out a full-bodied chuckle and slings an arm around me. My chest lights again as my wolf thoughts infiltrate my mind.

  At the same time, someone titters from nearby.

  Corbin’s arm falls as I turn.

  Amanda stands by the fence with her arms crossed, wearing a canned smile. “The mutt can shift, huh?”

  I want to stagger backward, but my wolf holds me proudly in place.

  “Corbin, I thought she was a menace, something to control, and then eliminate?” Amanda lifts a dark brow.

  “Kenna is still exploring her powers. We’re training so she can learn to control them.”

  “That’s the plan then?” She scoffs. “Do the other members of the Council know what you possess?”

  A growl builds in Corbin’s throat.

  “Amanda, I’m not an it or a possession. I’m a person.” My wolf urges me to challenge her, but Corbin was right. I’m still exploring my powers.

  “You’re forbidden. Corbin knows that, right?” Amanda circles me slowly, observing me.

  I stiffen, not at all liking the way she’s challenging me. My wolf knows I’m Alpha, but I’m not ready to play that card yet. I need more time in my shifted form. And Corbin was right, I have to understand the extent of my magic before I do anything.

  “Amanda, you can return to HQ,” Corbin says in a low voice.

  “Is that an order, Alpha?” Her tone turns flirty.

  His lips pinch together.

  My stomach growls, cutting the tension. “Shifting takes a ton of energy. I’m going to get a doughnut or a dozen.” I march down the hill, leaving them to sort out their issues. Though I get the feeling Amanda is making me one of hers.

  Chapter 16

  Corbin

  I hurry after Kenna on the path, leaving Amanda with a low warning. Trigg says she’s bitter because about six months ago, I rejected her as a girlfriend. Then she doubled down and approached m
e as a potential mate. Again, I declined.

  Things have been awkward between us ever since, but she still flirts with me. My wolf doesn’t get the sense that Amanda truly wants to be my partner. Rather, she prefers the idea of the power that comes with holding the Alpha title. However, she has it wrong. With the role, comes great responsibility, discipline, and service. I’m not sitting in a throne room with servants catering to my every whim.

  When Kenna shifted, my wolf responded with what I cannot describe in words. I held back my howl, so I didn’t scare her off, but as she got more comfortable with her new form, I’m certain she felt the connection between us. My wolf also sensed Alpha within her, but that could be because she possesses other forms of magic.

  When she shifted back and shook out her hair, my head went fuzzy. I cannot stop hearing her infectious laugh or thinking about her full lips.

  Kenna is beautifully complicated as a wolf and in her physical form, but I’m not sure I want complications in my life.

  I give my head a hard shake. Before I can catch up to her on the path so we can discuss her experience, Baker intercepts me.

  “I have some info.”

  “Should I call a meeting?”

  He nods.

  Within five minutes, my betas are in the den.

  Baker gets started. “Sir, we have a problem. Someone within the pack must be communicating with the Klave and feeding them information.”

  Camilla and Inga gasp.

  Claude glances around suspiciously. “Do you have any idea who?”

  Baker clicks on his computer. “The spy is someone relatively close to you, Corbin. They know things about you not all of the wolves do.” He opens another window on the laptop, displaying details of my movements for the last month or so, where I was and with whom, including several dates I went on before Kenna came here.

  I grunt. “And this information is helpful to the Klave, how?”

  “Entry points and weakness, think strategy. The more they know, well, the more power they think they have.”

  “I’d know if it were any of you,” I say to allay their fears. “My wolf would sense deceit among the betas. The subordinates are a different story. I’d need to get close to each one.”

  An email exchange appears on the screen. I skim it.

  “Someone within Hjalmor has a contact in the Klave and told them we have Kenna.”

  “It’s not like we’re hiding this fact,” Trigg says.

  “We haven’t announced it either,” I say, regretting not calling a Council summit. I’ve been foolishly half-listening to my heart. My wolf. Then again, I trust my wolf. However, right now, it’s like it crosses his wires. I’m Alpha. Pack first.

  Not when it comes to fated mates, he counters.

  “I’ve started tracking all messages in and out of Headquarters on our computer servers.”

  “Hardly anyone uses the internet though,” Camilla says.

  “Some of the other wolves have been playing a video game every night and some sneak cell phones.” Avril clicks her tongue and eyes Trigg.

  This stings. I’ve been failing my people. I have to engage them, teach them our history, make them warriors to protect our future. Video games make great diversions but not at the expense of what matters.

  “Anything else?” I ask Baker.

  He shakes his head. “Nothing yet. I’ll keep working on tracing these emails. The last one was dated two days ago. The message here says failed.”

  “Failed to send or—?” Claude asks.

  “No, just failed. That was the text of the message.”

  “Like mission failed. Like the attack on Kenna failed,” Claude suggests.

  I grip the back of my neck. “We need to move on the Klave, and I need to call a meeting of the Council.”

  “Before we go, I heard that Kenna shifted. How was that?” Inga asks.

  I force down a smile. “News travels fast.”

  “Somehow faster than the speed of the modern age.” Baker points at his laptop.

  Inga smirks. “I take it that it went well.”

  “Isn’t it dangerous for us to have her here?” Avril asks.

  “Her magic is in its infancy. She shifted successfully.” My wolf urges me to keep her potential Alpha wolf to myself. “And I believe she’ll be a proficient, if not powerful wolf, if she decides to live this life. But she has other options. She possesses fae magic and vampire abilities. Only time will tell if one dominates or if she decides...”

  “Or if she’s all three like you said. If she’s a beast that cannot be controlled, the rules and spells and laws might not pertain. Wasn’t that the main concern? She could try to take over our world and ruin the peace we’ve strived to create. You were going to destroy her, Corbin. Why is she still here?” Avril asks.

  “Because she’s not a monster,” I say without thinking.

  “We all are,” Avril replies. “If the Klave lifts the spell...”

  “We’ll see to it they don’t.”

  “And somehow control Kenna?” she challenges.

  I thrust back my shoulders and lift my chin as the Alpha rises, unbeckoned.

  Avril stands down.

  “She has a point,” Trigg says, backing her up.

  I nod. “It’s been noted. But we can also handle it. I believe that Kenna can master her magic. I think she’ll be an asset and not a liability.”

  “But that could still cause conflict. Never mind the Klave. What if the fae or vamps want her?” Camilla asks.

  “That will be up to her. As long as we preserve the Accords, she’s no threat.” I want to pace, think this through, but remain steadfast, resolved.

  “And if the Klave wrecks it?”

  “They won’t.” The words spill out. I don’t know this for sure. It’s my wolf speaking. Even though I don’t want him interfering with my heart, I trust him with my life and that of each member of the pack.

  The betas clear out except Inga and Trigg who’re talking in low tones, but of course, I can hear them. I can hear a vehicle out on the main road and determine whether it’s a car, truck, bus, or 1952 Ford. I can distinguish between all types of bird song and whether the wind is coming from the mountains or air currents from the sea.

  Trigg says, “You know Avril, she’s just feisty.”

  Inga’s voice is even when she adds, “Mates have a responsibility to each other. To keep each other in check.”

  They must be discussing Avril’s subtle challenge.

  “Avril is just my girlfriend. Anyway, how would you know?”

  She smirks. “Some mates know it at the beginning, right away. It’s like fireworks and rainbows. Others grow into it as the heart awakens. Still, for others, it can be both. They know they’re mates from the outset but then the love blooms between them, one petal at a time. Or vice versa.”

  “Poetic,” Trigg says. “I, for one, wouldn’t want a mate to tie me down.”

  “It’s not like that,” Inga counters. “It’s equity, partnership, a connection unlike any you’ve known.”

  Trigg snorts.

  “It’s not really a choice, right, Alpha?” Inga asks me.

  Trigg chuckles. “We’ve noticed the way you look at Kenna’s lips like they’re tasty enough to eat.”

  I shoot him a growl.

  Inga smirks. “It’s okay. Wolves are oral creatures by nature. Grooming, howling, eating... Though I don’t suppose wolves kiss.”

  Cherry Chapstick floats into my mind.

  Trigg leaves us with laughter.

  Inga closes the door. “I was reviewing the Articles of Accord recently. It’s odd, part of the protective spell, to keep us from devouring flesh, is to block Alphas from finding their mate. Did you know that?”

  I shake my head. “I don’t recall. Wasn’t paying attention because it didn’t pertain. Doesn’t pertain.”

  She shakes her head like I’m hopeless. “Deny it all you want. I know the two of you share the bond. It’s your fate. Some wolves ar
e Alphas, others are skilled trackers... We all have our talents. Mine is for recognizing the bond of fated mates.” She glances toward the door and lowers her voice further. “I knew Claude was my match from the beginning. But his heart didn’t. Like I said to Trigg, it’s slowly unfolding. The bond between Alphas is boom.” She raises her voice at that last word.

  If I weren’t a trained Alpha, I probably would’ve startled.

  “And possibly the most interesting part is when an Alpha seals with his mate, it often awakens matches within the pack.” She waggles her eyebrows. “This works to proliferate our number, but has been subdued by the Accords.”

  “Don’t worry, it won’t be a problem,” I say with false confidence.

  If I bond with my mate, I not only risk my position, but if what Inga said is true, I also risk of the spell lifting and releasing the danger that lurks within shifters.

  “We’re already treading on thin ice, as it were, with Kenna here. But if the bond between you two is growing, and the spell is lifting, we could all be soon in trouble. And the humans.”

  “So do we use Kenna as a lure to call on the Klave or our internal spy?” I ask, thinking aloud. Do I seek the counsel of the Council or keep this to myself? My wolf is selfish.

  “That’s up to you, Alpha,” Inga says.

  But all I can think about is Cherry Chapstick.

  Chapter 17

  Kenna

  I can’t remember the exact moment I realized I was different, but looking back at recent events, the fact that I made Matt’s shoe float when he and my mother were arguing should’ve been a red flag.

  However, I do remember my way to the bakery in town. Now that I’ve shifted, my regular scenes seem heightened, and I have a feeling a freshly baked cinnamon bun is in my near future. I scent it in the air.

  My mother also always said I had a calming ability on her—was that because she regularly fought her inner magic? Her vampire nature. I swallow hard. How did I not see it sooner? She’s a nurse and worked at a hospital with access to blood to satisfy what were undoubtedly fierce cravings.

  As I turn onto the main street, I snort. Oh, I know how I didn’t realize that my mother is a vampire, because in the real world the idea is ludicrous.