Hayden hardened his eyes. This Alpha had it coming to him, and he was glad he’d be the one to crush him. He felt his animal fighting to surface, and now that the fight had escalated, he was glad to oblige.

Both Gregory and Hayden morphed into wolves, fur sprouting and bones stretching as their bodies adjusted. Hayden was far clumsier in the transition, still unused to the transformation. If anyone thought shifting was a painless thing, they had another thing coming to them. It hurt. Every bone shift, every crack, and  dislocation was felt, and Hayden fought the pain. Eventually, Tully said it would go away and he’d no longer feel the shift, for he’d transform so fast, he wouldn’t notice.

It was this lag that found him with Gregory’s fangs around his leg. He kicked and snapped at the Alpha, trying to loosen his grip. Finally, one jerk succeeded, sending the other wolf off his center and onto his side. Hayden jumped to all fours and snarled, lunging forward and grasping onto the side of Gregory’s neck.

Hold on. Don’t let go, no matter what. He’ll die if you just hold onto him there.

Tully’s voice again resonated through his skull, like a headache. He’d have to get used to her way of speaking in his brain. He was sure that with time, it wouldn’t feel so odd. He did as she said and clamped down onto the vulnerable flesh he now held in his mouth.

Gregory struggled under him, whining and growling at the same time. He jerked, pulled away, and rolled on the ground, attempting to shake Hayden off. The new wolf didn’t let go, even with the rush of bright, warm blood filling his mouth and cascading down his fur. It was almost as painful to hold onto Gregory, for he felt every buck and jerk in his jaw, neck, and spine.

Eventually, Gregory weakened and could no long thrash his body around. As the lifeblood left him, he slumped to the ground, breathing hard before his eyelids closed and all movement ceased. Hayden finally let go of his death grip, his teeth aching from the fight. Blood trailed down his chin and dripped onto the ground, melting pits into the snow. It took him a moment to focus and morph back into human form, but he managed it and stood on his wobbly feet, afraid he’d collapse from the extreme fatigue.

Tully ran to him, took his hand, and held it high. Blood glistened down his neck and across his chest. The crowd around them stood in stunned silence for a moment, but then a roaring cheer broke through and everyone began to clap.

Talia approached the two, as calm and serene as ever, even though her mate lay dead in the snow. She reached out and touched his chest with her palm. He felt a jolt of magic crackle where their skin touched, but she dropped her arm and gave him a curt nod.

“Hayden, soldier of Wicked Grove. You are now Alpha of the Blood Snow pack. Welcome, and I pledge my allegiance to your rightful leadership.”

She dropped to her knees and bowed her head. The rest of the pack followed suit, until all but Tully were on their knees, heads bent.

He turned to look at Tully, unsure if she was going to join as well.

“My king,” she said. “I am at your service, always and forever, until death.”

She joined the rest of the pack on her knees, and Hayden swallowed back his hesitation. Letting his eyes fall over the pack that was now “his,” he felt his stomach knot up. How could he lead this pack? What would become of them under his rule? If Gregory had only been civil and taken responsibility for biting Hayden, he wouldn’t have had to die and could still be leading them. It was the last thing Hayden had wanted. He was a loner, not a leader, so this didn’t fit in with him at all.

“Please, Tully. Stand up.” She got to her feet, her smile stretching from ear to ear. “I can’t lead your pack. I’m not the one for the job.”

“You are. You’ve been chosen. Don’t worry; you will learn the ways of the pack.”

“Chosen?” He peered at her, curious about her statement. “What do you mean?”

“The power of the pack called to you the night Tully found you,” Talia answered. “And Gregory was inadvertently chosen to lead you here. You are what our pack needs. In time, you will see. It is not something you are born to; you have been chosen, and there is no escaping it.”

Hayden took in what Talia said and wondered if it could be true. Staring down at Gregory’s body, which was now transformed back to human, he couldn’t fathom how he could have been chosen. As he turned toward Tully, who was draping his naked body with his coat, reminding him that it was freezing, he knew he had to learn more about these supernatural beings. His Agency had known a little, but they had been wrong that they were nothing but wild, uncontainable monsters. He would have to work to make it right between them all.

“Hey.” He turned to Tully and pulled her closer. “We missed our wedding,” he whispered as she pulled the sides of his coat together.

She grinned, blinking her pretty eyes at him. “No we didn’t. The party is just getting started.”

 

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