It made Jacob feel less like an idiot.

  Sometimes it felt like Sage had changed everything about him, but as he watched Kai and Shane with their mates, he knew it wasn’t that he was different now, but that his mate brought out the best in him. It had always been there, but he hadn’t really been aware of it. Not with all the shit they’d all gone through, the things they’d had to do to survive.

  And now they were on the cusp of another monumental change. Either Cascade would take over, or Blue Mountain would win and the pack would become stronger and larger.

  Jacob couldn’t wait to see what Sage’s wolf looked like.

  “Do you like the bread?” he asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

  He couldn’t seem to stop touching her either.

  “It’s amazing!” she gushed, pulling apart some more. “Honestly, where did you even learn how to make something like this?”

  “It was my mom’s recipe.” He leaned into her, breathing in that sweet smell. It settled him and he felt more centered. “The smell of cranberries always reminds me of her.”

  Sage ate everything on her plate and then went for more. She smelled happy and it made him happy.

  But he still kept one eye on the horizon. It wouldn’t be long before the sun set and the moon rose. He had no doubt she’d handle it without issue. That wasn’t what worried him.

  Jacob wouldn’t breathe easy until those wolves showed themselves.

  Then someone’s alarm went off, warning them all sunset was close.

  Kai stood, wine glass in hand. “I’d like to make a toast before we head to the clearing.”

  Everyone quieted and turned to face the Alpha.

  Jacob studied Sage’s eyes and saw they were hazel again. There was no trace of doubt or fear on her at all. He knew there wouldn’t be, but he’d wanted to be sure.

  She was extraordinary and sometimes Jacob thought she couldn’t be real until she smiled at him like she had just now. It made him smile in response. Between him and his wolf, they would make sure nothing happened to her.

  “It’s been a great year,” Kai said. “We’ve found three amazing mates who have chosen to join us. They will make our pack stronger and better with their unique talents. Each of you lovely ladies have a different kind of strength that I think will prove to be invaluable in the year to come.”

  Bonnie nudged Amelia’s shoulder and Sage squeezed Jacob’s hand.

  “It has also been a difficult year,” Kai said, looking to each of the ones that had been there before.

  It hit home then that the past was really in the past. This Alpha was nothing like the others, but Kai didn’t want to pretend none of it had happened. They couldn’t, not when they still had to repair everything that had been broken.

  But they had made progress.

  “I’m not going to pretend that there isn’t a lot of shit we still have to figure out. I’m not going to pretend like we can beat Cascade without any issue at all. They’re a well-established pack with more members. But I do think individually we are stronger. Each and every one of us fight for our home, for those around us.”

  Jacob squeezed Sage’s hand this time. He fought for her, for this place she loved so much, for his brothers and sisters.

  When Liam and Noah had said they wouldn’t live that life again, he had felt the truth of it like a rock to the face. Jacob wouldn’t do it either. He wouldn’t let that happen to Sage.

  She was perfect just the way she was. He refused to let anything tarnish that look of joy on her face when she saw the sun was setting behind Kai.

  “So, I welcome the new members of our pack on their first shift,” Kai said, smiling down at Amelia. “And I look forward to celebrating the new wolves during our full moon run.”

  Everyone cheered and clinked their glasses. Jacob couldn’t be the only one curious to see what their second forms would look like. Who was the wolf that had settled inside Sage?

  What would she be like?

  Jacob couldn’t wait to find out.

  They downed their wine, and everyone got up, heading towards the stairs that led from the balcony down to the vast amount of cleared land that was between the house and the tree line in the back.

  For twelve full moons they’d made this run, and Jacob had never felt this giddy on any of them. He loved running as a wolf and did it every chance he got, but this would be different.

  He would finally be whole.

  Everyone’s clothes went into a cedar box on the balcony. Amelia, Bonnie, and Sage all looked uncomfortable as dicks and tits bounced around. He couldn’t help but laugh as he pulled her in close to keep her warm.

  “I expected this, and I’m still embarrassed about it,” Sage muttered.

  They moved aside to let Amelia and Kai go first, and then Bonnie and Shane went next.

  “You’ll get used to it,” he promised, watching Olivia follow, and then Alexander.

  He pulled Sage with him before the twins and the snow on his feet hurt like it always did.

  “The faster you move, the less you’ll feel the cold,” he promised, jogging after the others. “Any second now and you won’t feel the cold at all.”

  It was getting darker and darker, the sun nearly gone and the moon about to peek its head over the horizon.

  Sage laughed as she ran through the snow, cheeks and nose red with the cold. “Why don’t we shift on the porch?” she asked, breathless when they stopped to join the others.

  “Kai doesn’t like claw marks on the wood,” Jacob teased. “No, but honestly you’ll see why.”

  He grinned at her and looked up to the sky.

  Everyone waited with bated breath as that moment between dusk and true night hung in the air for a short eternity.

  Then the moon shone brightly in the sky.

  Jacob remembered what the first shift sounded like, but he must have blocked it out or assumed it was because the new recruits with the other alphas had all been turned against their will.

  But no.

  It was just as shitty and awful as he remembered.

  Sage’s scream sent his heart lurching into his throat as she dropped to her knees.

  “Jacob, breathe and stay calm. You need to be calm for her,” Kai warned.

  The Alpha must have smelled it on the air, but from the way Shane was gritting his teeth Jacob knew he wasn’t the only one freaking out. Kai murmured comforting words to Amelia as she shook.

  Falling to his knees Jacob ran his hand up and down Sage’s spine. “It’s going to be okay,” he told her. “I promise your wolf will make all the hurt go away. Just let her in.”

  He’d never really been given ‘the talk’ until this morning. Kai had walked him through a human mate’s first change and explained the bond would help her get through it with minimal issues.

  Jacob breathed deep and shoved down his panic and fear as her limbs started bending in awkward angles, shattering to be remade, to reform.

  “I know she feels strange and volatile,” Jacob whispered. “The wolf cannot be controlled, not in the way you think. She isn’t something to fear. She’s freedom.”

  And then suddenly he was stroking fur and she was in her wolf form. Sage threw herself into the snow and wriggled her body like she was trying to rub off an itch.

  Jacob was shocked. It was the fastest first shift he’d ever seen. Bonnie and Amelia were still reforming.

  She flipped onto her paws and looked up at him with a slight wag in her tail. Did I do a good job?

  He couldn’t help the tears in his eyes as he wrapped his arms around her neck. “You did beautifully,” he told her.

  Fuck, she was gorgeous too. He ran his hands over her neck, her snout, checking her ears, and then down her spine. Sage was massive. She wasn’t as big as Olivia, but she was a lot larger than he’d expected her to be.

  The real reason Kai didn’t want them shifting on the porch – there wasn’t any room.

  Her coat was thick and soft and nearly as white as the snow. Her eyes glowed icy silver and she stomped her front paws as if to say, shift already so we can play!

  Jacob laughed and ruffled her ears. He looked up and saw Amelia had managed the shift – a wolf with deep red fur, just like her hair, and black paws. If he didn’t know better, he’d say she was an oversized fox.

  Amelia was unique and gorgeous, and Kai’s eyes were shining with pride.

  Olivia, Alexander, and the twins were all grinning, excited to meet the new wolves.

  Bonnie was the last to shift, but when she did, holy cow.

  Her wolf was larger than Amelia’s and Olivia’s, nearly as big as Shane’s. She was about the same size as Jacob’s wolf, and jet black from head to tail.

  Bonnie knocked Shane over, and he laughed when she licked his face.

  They’d all made it through the first shift.

  Jacob felt relief suffuse his entire body. Sage and the others may be brand new, but they were in a much larger, stronger form. Their bite alone could break a man in half.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Kai said. “Our wolves look forward to meeting yours.”

  Jacob took a deep breath in like his father had taught him, and on the exhale he let go of his human form and embraced his wolf and everything about it – running, the sounds and smells, the feel of snow on his paws, the hunt, the taste of fresh blood and meat in his mouth – everything.

  Four feet instead of two.

  Jacob circled Sage, inspecting her as a wolf. He was nearly twice her size in this form. She wagged her tail and let him look, shoving her nose in his fur to learn his scent in this body.

  He could smell himself on her, on what made up her essence. The bond was thick and strong between them and Jacob could feel what she was feeling.

  Sheer, unbridled joy.

  Sage wanted to run and play and smell everything.

  Kai howled, letting them all know the run was about to begin. Shane howled his reply and the rest of them joined in. The sound of Sage’s ‘awoo’ was the cutest fucking thing he’d ever heard.

  Jacob bumped her shoulder with his. Are you ready?

  Yes. Sage gave him a wolfy grin, tongue lolling out of her mouth as she took off after Kai and Amelia, glancing back only once. Come and get me.

  20

  Sage

  She was a wolf.

  She had four paws and a tail. Everything was in sharp focus, but in colors she wasn’t used to. It didn’t matter though, not when she could see in the dark.

  The trees whipped by and Jacob was hot on her heels as they all ran as fast as they could through the forest. There was no hunt, nothing to chase down. Just the joy of running and running.

  Her new legs ate up the miles. Every leap helped ground her in this new form. Every time they turned and ran in a new direction, she felt her muscles accommodate the movement.

  Jacob had been right. The pain was completely gone. Now that she was a wolf, she healed ridiculously fast and the tear of her muscles repaired almost instantaneously. She assumed that would only work for as long as she had fuel in her body, but for right now it was pure magic.

  It took miles for her to even feel the ache in her paws, the padding on the bottom was still new and building up its thickness. She wasn’t the only one who had to be feeling it though, both Bonnie and Amelia had slowed down as well.

  Kai took them in a looping circle back toward the main house, slowing down and making room for Amelia to lead the run.

  A red wolf.

  Sage almost couldn’t believe it, but she also could hardly believe she was a pure white – built for this landscape, for the snow and the winter.

  She jumped into a fat snowbank and waited, completely covered. Jacob loped by and she pounced. He rolled, letting her take him down, even exposing his throat to show her where to put her teeth.

  It was so cute.

  Carefully she grabbed his ruff, play-fighting as they rolled in the snow. Jacob shook her off and snapped at her heels, making her run toward the others. Then he was the one to pounce on her, and Sage wanted to laugh but all that came out of her mouth was a huff.

  Being a wolf was strange. It was exhilarating. It was the most freeing thing she’d ever experienced. Sage felt that same contentment she’d had when first meeting the pack, back before she knew what they were.

  This was home.

  A howl went up, but it wasn’t from Amelia or Kai. It wasn’t from anyone in their pack.

  Sage flipped to her feet and froze, trying to pinpoint where the sound had come from, but this was all still so new to her. There was so much to process and sift through. One day it would be second nature, but not today.

  Jacob growled and nudged her closer to the others who were all forming a circle facing outwards. If a threat came toward them from any direction, one of them would see it.

  For the first time since she’d been bitten, Sage felt a flicker of fear.

  She’d known this could happen, but the joy of her new form made her forget for just a few moments that it wasn’t just fun and games.

  The plan was to stand and fight.

  Kai had carefully kept them within the warded borders, but Sage knew they were close to the edge. She pressed her shoulder against Jacob’s, trying to find something among the trees but the night was quiet.

  Too quiet.

  Another howl pierced the air, a lot closer this time.

  Sage vividly remembered the fear and panic she’d had when walking in the forest alone. She’d run away, running for her car, hoping nothing would come after her.

  But that was then.

  This was a different time, a different Sage.

  There, dotted within the trees were glowing silver eyes. Sage growled, warning the others.

  Kai shifted back to his human form and walked to a random point in the snow. Sage didn’t know the land very well yet, but she assumed the wards ended not far from where he stood.

  “Show yourself,” Kai demanded, voice ringing in the quiet, wintery forest.

  Sage shivered and pressed harder against Jacob.

  What was going to happen?

  She didn’t feel ready for a fight, but Sage wouldn’t hide behind the others if it came down to it.

  Then another naked man walked through the snow as if the cold didn’t affect him at all. He was massive and built just like all the wolf shifters, but there was a mean glint in his eye.

  “Kai,” he said, stopping about a foot from where their Alpha was. “It’s a pleasure to see you again. Surprised that one’s still alive,” he said, jerking his head at Jacob.

  Sage lifted her lip in a silent snarl. She wanted to tear the bastard’s throat out for what he did to her mate.

  The thought didn’t even surprise her, not in this form. Not when she felt strong and sure and graceful for the first time in her life. Sage had confidence in her body. She knew she could accomplish the task, given the opportunity.

  He needed to pay for what he’d done to Jacob.

  “Does your Alpha know you’re here, Sam?” Kai finally asked.

  “He sent me here to test the waters, so to speak,” Sam said, a slight smirk on his face. “Your pack is even weaker than we anticipated.”

  The way the man eyed each of them made her hackles rise. Sage didn’t like him at all. She wanted him gone, one way or another.

  “So, what’s the plan then, all-out war?” Kai asked, tilting his head slightly. “Unless your Alpha isn’t aware you’ve crossed territory lines.”

  The other wolf’s eyes narrowed at that.

  “I can’t believe you let a witch on your territory,” he sneered instead.

  “Hm, I’m glad I did. Otherwise you’d be on my personal land.”

  Those eyes sought out Amelia, Bonnie, and then finally Sage. “Even with your new wolves you couldn’t beat us. I wasn’t even sure that one would shift,” he said, jerking his chin at Sage.

  How rude.

  “Is there a point to this or are you here to simply annoy me?” Kai asked with a sigh. Somehow, he managed to look completely unbothered despite being stark naked in the snow, inspecting his nails like he didn’t have a care in the world.

  Sage was impressed. She smelled nothing on the air that said Kai might be nervous or uncomfortable. How did he do that?

  “Cascade will rule all of Washington,” the other wolf said, crossing his arms over his chest. “You can join us, or we can take your territory by force.”

  Shane and Olivia snarled at that. Kai didn’t bother telling them to calm down, he smelled furious per her new nose.

  “Is that coming from you, or your Alpha? I can get him on the phone, and we can find out.”

  The Cascade wolf lunged forward with a mean snarl. He and Kai went tumbling to the ground with vicious sounds.

  Sage tensed when the Cascade wolves behind Sam surged forward. There seemed to be so many of them. More than they had, but it was probably just how fast they were moving. She braced herself and growled.

  The sound when they clashed with her pack was beyond anything she could have imagined. Each wolf was so massive, so strong and fast, it was like boulders clashing as they ripped and tore at each other.

  Sage didn’t know what to do. Half of her was screaming to run but the other half was telling her to fight and sink her teeth into anyone who came too close to Jacob.

  The one wolf, Sam, was now on their territory as a human and if the magic held up, he was stuck in that form. When Kai changed though he didn’t look scared. He grappled with Kai’s wolf, muscles straining as he kept those teeth from his throat.

  She didn’t see what happened next because a wolf slammed into her side. They both went tumbling and Sage prayed her wolf would guide her.

  21

  Sage

  This wolf didn’t smell anything like her packmates. There was something definitely different about them even if she recognized that scent that told her they were a wolf shifter.

 

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