Austin laughed so loud that he turned his head away and coughed into his shoulder to muffle the sound.
After we turned off the road, we got out and he walked up to a storage shed and unlocked the door. I waved off a mosquito and cupped my elbows as Austin hauled some equipment to a clearing on the left and began assembling a tent.
One tent.
The jury was still out on whether or not it was a tent or a sombrero, because it was too small to fit the both of us. Once it was set up, he placed an electric lantern inside the flap and held my hand, leading me through the woods to a grassy area.
“Austin, I don’t know about this.”
His grin was nothing less than devastating. “Lexi, I promise you it’s not as bad as all that. I know you feel your wolf pacing in there—I can tell by your restless behavior. We all feel it with our animal. Establish a relationship with her. She wants out, and that means you’ll have to let her take over once in a while so her spirit is happy. You are two halves that make a whole. When she’s hungry, feed her. I once knew a guy who didn’t shift; he was one of those who lived in denial of what he was. He caged a wild animal, Lexi. He became aggressive, and eventually the wolf broke free and he didn’t shift back for a year. What we are isn’t like what you’ve read in books or seen in movies. Most Shifters can’t remember what happens in their animal form, but the animals within us are always aware of what’s happening. They’re the source of our instincts.” He tucked his hands beneath his biceps and lowered his chin, looking down at me. “It’s easier than you think. Just relax and call to her.”
“I don’t know her name,” I countered, kicking the toe of my shoe on the ground.
His smile faded and he stepped forward. “I can make you shift, but I’d rather you learn to do it on your own. I thought you were always the girl who wanted to do everything herself, without any help?”
Boy, did he put me in my place. That’s exactly the kind of girl I was. I’d gotten better about it in recent years, but not much. Life kept throwing me in situations where I had to step up to the plate and swing.
And right now, I was up to bat without a clue of how to play the game.
“What if I run off?” I asked.
“Then I’ll track you down,” he replied matter-of-factly.
“Austin, I’m scared.”
He cupped my face with his hands and moonlight glittered in his eyes. “No, you’re not. You’re Alexia Knight; you’re not afraid of anything.”
I studied the dark woods nervously, and a restless shadow paced beneath my skin, making me hop from one foot to the other. I finally shook it off and blew out a hard breath, staring down at my shoes and allowing every muscle to relax. I wasn’t sure how to call my wolf, so I did something quite silly.
In my head, I whistled and said, “Here, girl.”
And then I blacked out.
***
Austin’s breath caught when Lexi shifted, just as it had the first time in her bedroom. Her wolf was magnificent.
Silver fur with a snowy-white face, black nose, and the tips of her ears looked like they had been dipped in ink. She was just a little bit bigger than most of the females he’d been around, which was surprising considering how slender Lexi was. But no one could explain the magic behind shifting. He admired her as she pawed the wet grass and lifted her nose, taking in the wild scent of the wilderness for the first time.
She was also showing him every white tooth in her mouth.
“Easy, girl,” he said in a soothing tone. Austin summoned his alpha voice, the one laced with enough power to make the betas submit upon command, regardless if they were in animal or human form. He had to teach her to obey or else she could wind up in serious trouble someday by tangling with the wrong alpha.
Lexi’s wolf lunged and snapped ferociously.
Austin stepped forward, never looking away from her fearless eyes. She hesitated for a moment, appearing uncertain of what he was going to do. Austin knelt down on all fours and looked her dead in the eye, throwing out all the power he could.
“Submit,” he commanded in a heavy voice.
Something flashed in her pale brown eyes and her lips uncurled just a fraction. Austin didn’t want to frighten her by shifting, so he waited her out—something he’d done with his own brothers when they formed the pack so everyone knew who was in charge. Surprisingly, Reno was the most obedient and Denver proved to be the most challenging. They’d fought until Austin caught hold of his throat and held down Denver’s wolf. In human form, Denver couldn’t be more opposite than his animal.