Page 98 of Locke

“I know this” Bram said. He stepped away and returned to Tajah.

“How does he know about your lycan? I thought no one knew?” I linked Locke as I let out another cry.

“Bram is a powerful warlock. He’s old and a rogue himself, I’m surprised he can do most of the things he can.”

As I plunged my fingers into the damp soil, my nails transformed into sharp, menacing claws. The sight of my once sun-kissed skin morphing into a deep, rich brown fur filled me with a nauseating dread. The earthy scent of the dirt mingled with the musty odor of the newly grown fur.

I couldn’t concentrate on anything except the lightning of pain. My forearm snapped and I saw the bone poking out under the skin.

Maybe I couldn’t really handle this?

I frantically pawed at the moist earth, feeling the decaying leaves crumble beneath my body. Raising my gaze, I was greeted by the radiant glow of the round moon, casting its ethereal light upon me. The once-dazzling stars were beginning to vanish, dark clouds appearing. The moon was too stubborn its rays breaking through. Bolts of lightning weaved through the ominous growing clouds.

As the wind intensified, a cool breeze brushed against my burning skin, offering a momentary relief.

“You’re doing great, Princess. Keep going, don’t fight it, it makes it worse.” Locke tried to soothed, but like a birthing mother, his words only irritated me.

I couldn’t speak as another bone broke, this time my femur. You could hear it snap above the roaring flames and the thunder that followed the lightning.

The girls all cried out, their hands covering their mouths as they watched me.

“It wasn’t that bad for me. Is it supposed to be like that?” I heard Delilah shout to Journey, who leaned her head on Grim’s chest.

“A forced-shift, yeah, but—”

Journey silenced herself and wrapped her arms around Grim. Delilah tried to leave Hawke and her baby, but Hawke quickly grabbed his mate by the arm, holding her tight.

“You got this.” Locke leaned into my ear. “You’re strong. You're my fighter. You are my equal, and you will do this quickly. Let your wolf rise.” His words were harsh, no longer soothing.

My lip went into a snarl, and I snapped my elongating teeth. “Shut up.”

“No,” he growled back. “Shift. You’re slowing down. I know my mate can do better than this.”

Pardon me, but after my leg broke, I wasn’t really in the mood.

A low, guttural growl reverberated in the depths of my chest, sending shivers down my spine. With a swift motion, my arm lunged forward, slashing through the air towards Locke. His sinister grin widened as he threw his head back, releasing a maniacal laugh that echoed through the room.

Horror-stricken, the others watched our confrontation unfold, their eyes wide with disbelief. Yet, amidst the chaos, Locke understood what I needed. He knew how to push me to my limits. In his sadistic and twisted manner, he became the catalyst for my growth and transformation.

I continued to push through the shift as time went on. Tajah waved a candle in front of her face calling upon higher powers, or whatnot. I was still laying on the ground, my body convulsing, as I continued to sprout fur on my body.

“We got a problem.” I heard Switch’s voice come from above me.

“Keep going,” Locke barked at me. “Don’t you pause just because I’m not telling you every damn breath to breathe.”

My face had elongated at this point, and I scooted forward and put his ankle between my teeth, not breaking the skin. He let outa bark of laughter and pried my mouth off of him. “What a good girl.” He patted my head, which was still sprouting thick fur.

“Alpha, club’s in the dark, and the fae aren’t in the village.”

I grunted, the last of my hind legs taking shape. I stood on my two front legs and pushed my body against Locke’s.

Instead of everyone sighing with relief that I made it to my wolf form, they were paying attention to Switch, which I was glad about.

“Cameras,” Locke barked.

Switch held out his phone and swiped it several times. Tajah’s chanting continued and I dropped to the ground again, letting out a howl, and my temporary reprieve from pain was over, as it started again.

“What the hell is happening?” Nadia broke away from Bear’s arms and ran toward me.