My she-wolf rushes to the surface, shoving me into the backseat. I fall onto all fours, caught in the thrall of primal energy. Throwing my head back, I howl.
The haunting sound bounces off the tall trees surrounding me. My mates arrive, rubbing against me to offer comfort. I realize how much I’ve grown.
Twice my normal size, I’m proportionate to the four behemoths staring at the oval circle that pulses in the thick tree of the oak.
I immediately recognize Fenrir’s energy. Whining, I gesture toward the portal with my head. Cadoc barks. The others yip in response, allowing him to take the lead. A tall, curved wooden doorway appears in the forest ahead. It opens, revealing a glimpse of the island I’m coming to know well.
I speed up, nudging Cadoc toward the portal. He growls. I bump his body with mine.
It’s finally time for them to join me on Lyngvi. Taking off, I leap through the strange opening, knowing they’ll follow.
I’m sucked through a restrictive, dark space that smells of death and beings older than time. Dumped out onto the volcanic rock, I land on my side. Rising, I shake my head, to clear it as the others arrive.
Staggering like drunkards, they struggle to stabilize themselves. Despite the dire situation, the she-wolf and I share amusement. Awake and active, we share goals. We’ve found a space where woman and wolf can co-exist peacefully.
Until now, I never understood what I missed out on during her silence. I wanted a life removed from who I was, and in return, she gave me the cold shoulder.
The clanks of metal can be heard in the background. Lightning streaks across the sky, illuminating heavy clouds.
A cold breeze ruffles my fur. Heat radiates from the stones below. Steam drifts up in warning. I dance away from the wispy streams.
“You have a debt to make good on.” The gruff voice vibrates with dark power.
Fenrir appears out of nothingness. Eyes blazing, he blows steam from his nostrils. His barely-controlled rage is profound. Heat kisses my skin. His breath ruffles my fur.
A wave of power forces our bodies to morph. Seconds later, we’re seated for an audience with the great wolf. None of my mates look surprised.
I turn to Cadoc. “What did you do?”
“They invoked my name and asked me to help rescue you. I agreed for a fair exchange.” His massive head turns toward my mates. “Did you think to deceive me? To escape without upholding your end of the bargain.”
I can’t blame the wolf for having trust issues.
“No.” Cadoc drops down and bows his head. “Forgive us. We didn’t mean to offend you. Our only thought was our mate’s safety.”
“Good. You must always be willing to sacrifice everything for the keeper of the amulet.”
“We don’t even have the damn thing.”
“That must change. Kneel.” Fenrir’s words are a command.
Moving together, we bend the knee to join Cadoc.
“Today you became a team dedicated to the protection of the one meant to keep the amulet.”
Fenrir’s hot breath washes over us. He stomps his foot. The earth quakes. Metal chains shoot from the craggy rock and wrap around our wrists.
They pull tight and I lurch forward, fighting to keep from slamming my face onto the ground. Sweat drips down my body. The metal heats.
“Everything has a cost. From the fire we are reborn.”
Hot metal sears my flesh. Intense pain consumes me. Something shifts deep in my core. Knowledge pours into my brain, and a connection snaps into place.
The others are present in a newly formed link. They’re all present with every breath. Cadoc’s steady observant energy. Kirk’s quiet intensity. Bo’s infuriating mix of mischief and deadliness when provoked. Fell is there too, a muddled, emotional bundle of happiness, fear, and determination.
“Become who you must be.”
Bo and Fell convulse like erratic marionettes. Their limbs fling about wildly and their backs arch off the ground. Triangles appear on their chests, flickering like a light switch being turned off and on.
“Please,” I plead with Fenrir, unable to abide their suffering. Their cries chip away at the wall around my heart that I erected to keep others out.
“You hold the power to end their pain. They feel the disconnect in your bond. The mark won’t hold until you embrace them as yours.”
“I can’t.” Fear wraps a hand around my throat, stealing my ability to speak.
Bo grits his teeth, fighting to calm the tremors tearing through his body.
“We d-deserve this,” Fell forces the words out. The sentence is a dagger to my heart.
“No.” The world pauses. The men still beside me.
“Are you ready to accept that all of you need each other?” Fenrir’s voice comes from everywhere at once.
“Yes.” I spit the words out. Stolen from me, I’ve been deprived of deciding when and where I share my epiphanies.
“Save the anger for a worthy cause. You’re going to need it.”
Chastised, I give a curt nod. Shoulders slumped, I lower my walls, damming myself to a life with two men I don’t fully trust. The bond will take time to grow properly, but my future is now set in stone.
