She looked over at him. “Happen? You said you’d have to hurt me, bite me. What else is going to happen? Tell me please.”
“You’re going to hurt. Not just hurt, but scream in pain from when…I’ll have to bite you deep, CJ. Deeper than I’ve ever bitten anyone except for in battles. I don’t know if I can do it to you. I don’t…Then there’s Dallas’s part. He’ll have to bite you as well. He’s my…our enforcer and you’d have to accept him as well.”
She rolled to her side and thought for a moment. “Dallas will be a part of me as well then?
He’ll be a part of my wolf too?”
“Yes. He’ll bite you, but only to give you his essences. I’ll change you. He’ll bite you because your wolf, when she comes, will need to be able to dominate his. Your wolf will know his. Understand?”
Did she? She wasn’t sure. It was going to be hard enough having one wolf bite her, but two, she wasn’t so sure. She loved Austin, but this was big.
“Could I die?”
He sifted on the bed and brought her around to face him. “I won’t have you dying on me.
You’ll not think those things, do you understand me? I need you in my life. I love you and you’ll live or so help me, CJ, I will kick your ass.”
~Chapter Twenty-Three~
Austin watched his people as they gathered around the open field. He was terrified he was going to screw this up and nearly called them all to order and told them that he’d…he’d what?
Changed his mind? No, he hadn’t done that, but he didn’t want to hurt his wife. He didn’t think he’d be able to do this, to cause her pain. He was just standing to call it off when Dallas clapped him on the shoulder.
“Don’t do it. If you do, CJ will murder you in your sleep. And I’ll help her.” Austin looked at his brother. “I mean it. It’s been four months since you introduced her to them all and they want her as their alpha. Hell, CJ was pissed enough last moon when you didn’t do it.”
“She’ll hurt and I can’t do that do her. She’s my life. She’s—”
“She’s going to knock you on your hard head if you don’t buck up and do this. Austin Force, do you love this woman or not?” His mom stood on his other side and he turned to look at her as she asked.
“Yes, with all my heart. But she may die.”
Dallas hugged his brother tight. “She may, but you will if you don’t do this. I just left her and she said to tell you if you changed your mind again, she was going to have Phil change her to a vamp. She won’t have you being stupid, she said. Now, do I go and find the blood sucker or are you going to make her your woman?”
Austin looked back at the house and then at his brother. He knew he was right. CJ had told him last week and then again this morning that if he didn’t change her, she’d go to Phil. She’d do it too, just to piss him off. He nodded once and then Dallas hugged him again and went to get CJ.
Austin went to the center of the field and heard everyone start to quiet. He took a deep breath and faced the more than three hundred wolves he’d come to know and love.
“Tonight, I take a mate.” The crowd’s cheers were deafening. When they calmed a little, he continued. “I take my mate tonight, this night of the first of the new spring and new beginnings. I welcome you all to watch as I commit her to one of us and to take her as my full mate. Hopefully soon we will have cubs to join the already growing pack.”
Austin felt her enter the circle and turned to look at her. His breath caught when he saw what she was wearing. He fell in love with her all over again.
She wore the ceremonial robe of his kind. His family had been wearing one like this for generations and his mother had worn the one that CJ now had on. The color of their pack, the dark silk hugged her body like a skin and he felt his cock harden at the thought of what she may or, in this case, may not have beneath it. She walked toward him and smiled.
“You ready for this, big boy?” She kissed his mouth quickly then stepped back before asking him again.
“Yes. No. I don’t know. I love you, CJ. You are all that I am and more.” He pulled her to him, much to the happiness of those around them. “You can’t die on me, love. I won’t…I’ll die without you.”
“I’m not going to die. I’m going to be your love. Your alpha person. Now, how about we get this show on the road?” She untied the robe and let it fall to the ground. She took a deep breath and turned to the crowd and smiled.
He wrapped his arms around her, hugged her to him, and kissed the warm place between her shoulder and neck. He watched as his brother began to disrobe too.
When Dallas was naked, he shifted. Austin had seen him and another do this a million times over his live and was seeing it for the first time through CJ’s eyes. When she leaned back against him, he felt her tremble. Dallas moved toward them slowly.
“He’ll bite you in the leg first. Not enough to cause you great harm, but it will hurt. He will need to draw blood.” She nodded against his chin where she was tucked.
Dallas leaned against her leg and she reached down and scratched him behind the ears. “Do it, Dallas. Please, don’t try to work up to it, just bite.”
Austin felt her stiffen, but she didn’t make a sound when Dallas bit. His teeth made a deep mark on her thigh that hopefully, before the moon lowered in the night sky, would heal and not leave a scar.
“His next bite will be to your arm. This one will be deeper and much longer. You don’t want to jerk from his mouth or he’ll hurt you. I’m so sorry about this, love.”
“Hush,” she told him, and put out her arm for Dallas. With a quick nod, he struck. His fangs bit deep into her flesh and again, she didn’t make a sound. Austin pulled her closer to his body when she wobbled a bit unsteadily. Dallas whimpered.
“The next bite will be to your belly.” When he started to tell her how sorry he was again, she stomped down on his foot with her bare one. He stopped and continued to tell her what was going to happen next. “The bite will be deep. When he pulls away, I will lie you down on the ground and shift. Dallas will shift back to human and hold you for me. My bites will follow the same pattern but will be deeper and I will linger more.”
She held up her hand when Dallas moved forward. Austin held his breath. If she stopped this now, she may die. He wanted to tell her so, but she pulled away slightly and put her hand on Dallas’s head.
“I am your alpha, your brother’s mate. But I take you into my heart and into my soul for all my lifetimes. As your sister, I will love you more for what you have done for us both tonight, Dallas.” She leaned down and kissed his nose then rose and leaned against Austin once more.
With a quick kiss to his mouth, she nodded. “I’m ready.”
Dallas didn’t hesitate, but lunged forward and sank his fangs deep into her soft flesh. The only sound she made was a small cry of pain then she closed her eyes. After what seemed an eternity to him but was only a few minutes, Dallas let her go and backed away. His shift was quick and he was suddenly standing beside her.
Dallas helped him lower her gently to the ground. Austin could smell her blood, hot and fresh. Her heart was pounding in her chest and he could hear her blood rushing through her veins. When she smiled at them both, Austin felt his heart soar.
He quickly stripped off his own robe and shifted. He knew he had to do it; he had to bite hard and continue to do so until she was wolf. He hesitated for a few seconds and when she looked up at him and smiled, he saw her love for him shining through.
“Austin, if you let me lie here naked in front of all these people for two more seconds, I’m going to cut that impressive dick of yours off and feed it to the cat. Now, change me or so help me, you’ll be very sore for a very, very long time.”
He licked her wound and then steeling himself for her screams, he bit. The bone in her leg splintered under his teeth. Her leg trembled beneath his mouth, but with a small soothing noise from Dallas, she quieted. Austin fell in love with her all over. As soon as he moved to her arm, he could feel the change starting. She was his and would soon be his mate truly.
Her arm raised for him, Dallas held her hand while Austin licked again. This time when he bit her, he heard her cry out, but she quieted once again. Austin covered her with his body, trying to keep her warm as her blood poured into his mouth. When Austin shifted to her side to take her belly, he looked up at Dallas.
“She’s out. Her heart is slow, but not dangerously so. When you bite her again, she may cry out more, but you can’t stop now. Hurry, Austin, claim your mate.”
The bite he was going to give her belly would be deep. It would puncture her intestines and her kidney. He knew that if he did this right, all the wounds would heal, but he was terrified of them not. He felt her pain in his heart as if it were his own.
Leaning forward, he snapped his teeth into her and felt her stiffen then cry out. He watched the tears fall down her cheeks. When her eyes opened, he saw the pain there, but he also saw her love. When her hand fell across his head then slid down to his neck, he felt her fingers tangle there.
“I love you, Austin Force.” Then her eyes closed.
~~~
CJ woke to the sound of cheering. She was covered in a blanket and knew she was naked beneath it, the cold ground under her. She started to sit up, but was pushed back down and looked to see Nancy sitting next to her.
“Gather your strength slowly. If you rise now, those idiots will expect you to fall over. I want them to see you at your best, as I’m sure you do as well.”
Oddly, she felt no pain. But she did lay still. Her body felt…she thought strange was the wrong word, but she couldn’t think of anything better. She listened to try and find Austin and was surprised to realize she knew exactly where he was.
“Is Austin standing near a tree with Dallas and…Gordon? I can feel him there and, well, I was going to say see him, but that’s not right, is it?”
Nancy laughed. “Yes to both. He’s near his brothers and it is right that you can see him.
You’ll be able to speak to him as well. Visualize him in your mind and speak to him.” She laughed again. “I wish I could see his face when you reach for him. I think he thinks you’re still resting.”
CJ reached out and felt the snap of the connection like a rubber band being stretched then let go. “Hello, love. How are you doing?”
She felt his surprise. Not only that, but his relief. “I’m fine now that you’ve decided to come around. I love you, CJ Force.”
“Your mother seems to think I should rest a bit longer, but all I can think about is your naked body over me and then your cock… Christ, no one else can hear us, can they?”
His laughter was warm and soothing. She felt him coming toward her, his need pressing into her from their connection.
“No, no one can hear us. Though you’ll be able to talk to Dallas now this way, I’ll be privy to that, as you will be with my conversations with him. As soon as you shift, you’ll be able to communicate with the other wolves on another path all together.” He was very close now. “CJ, are you ready for the final part of your change?”
“Yes. Should I sit up now? Or wait until my manly man comes to pick me up?” She took his hand when he held it out to her and he pulled her from the ground. He took her mouth in an almost savage kiss that had her giving as good as she got. When he pulled back, she could feel his cock pressing hard into her belly.
“I want you. I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life,” he whispered in her ear just before he nipped at her neck.
Her body reacted to his. She felt her nipples tighten and her pussy clench with need. Even as he pulled her close again, she could feel her juices trickle down her thighs. His growl only made her wetter and she had to hold him before she fell back to the earth and took him deep inside of her. Forgetting that he could read her thoughts for a moment, she nearly came from the feelings she was getting from him when he growled again.
“Stop that. If you keep that up, we’ll never get to go on our run and the moon is at its peak.”
He kissed her again then pulled back from her. He turned toward the crowd still gathered there.
“My mate. Your alpha. Tonight we shift and together, we run.” He turned back to her and looked at her. “You can do this. Think of the wolf like I told you. See her in your mind and call for her.
She’ll know what to do. Call to her and she’ll change you.”
CJ closed her eyes and tried to think of a wolf. She wanted her to come so badly because Austin wanted her to shift. But it seemed the harder she tried, the more elusive she became. Then suddenly, there she was.
It was startling at first to see her standing in front of her. Not really a part of her, yet she was. When she snarled at CJ, all she could do was smile. Then she felt her body begin to change.
There was pain, incredible at first, but as the seconds seemed to stretch out, the pain shifted into something soft, something she could handle. The wolf, her wolf, snarled again and seemed to leap at her. CJ welcomed her with open arms and suddenly, she was there.
She opened her eyes to a view that frightened her. Sounds from around her made her wince and growl. She took a step back and was startled to find that the earth felt softer, her feet felt…she looked down at her hands and was surprised to find paws.
“Austin,” she cried out. She tried to back away, but something held her.
“Shhhh, I have you. You’re fine. More than fine. Love, you did it. Christ, you’re more beautiful than I ever dreamed you’d be. And white. We’ve not seen a white wolf in…well hell, baby, I don’t know when. You’re all right, honey. I’m right here. I’m going to shift now and you’ll be able to communicate with me. Just be careful not to get too far away tonight. I want to keep you close.”
She’d done it? She was a wolf? She wanted to see her…herself, she supposed. But before she could figure out a way to find a mirror, she felt the moment that Austin had shifted.
Her wolf seemed to come alive. And before she knew it, they were running along the forest floor like children. She noticed the others around her, around them, but didn’t pay them any mind. She felt free, wild, and incredibly strong. When Austin started to herd her, box her in, she wanted to bite him and make him let her go, but then she noticed they were alone deep in the forest and she was suddenly afraid.