The silence in the forest was harsh on Visena's ears.

The break in fighting gave Orion time to carry Prim out of harm's way. Then, with no more than a look between Alpha and Delta, Orion sprinted back towards the pack house with his pale mate and Esmerelda. Visena whined, watching them go, but she knew Prim would be okay and she would reunite with her mother soon enough.

Slowly Gideon and his remaining pack members prowled behind the silver wolf and formed a protective flank. Zeir took the opportunity to shift back and stared the group down. Visena thanked her lucky stars the light of the moon cast a shadow over his lower half. She didn't feel like bleaching her eyes to rid the after-image of his probable tiny penis.

Malum wolves stood alongside him, but they appeared wary at the events that had taken place. Most of their ears lay flat against their skulls, with tails tucked near restless hind legs.

The woman with the crossbow stood beside Zeir; her body turned to face him. Her look of unfiltered obsession was clear to everyone. Visena could see runes carved in her hands and along her neck. She must be the Malum Witch. She wasn't nearly as beautiful as Calypso, Visena thought. The Witch leaned in, rubbing her breasts hard enough against him to harden her nipples. Then, with a breathy moan, she whispered to Zeir, who held a repulsed expression. "She's the one." His contempt only deepened as he faced the Invictus wolves. "So you figured it out then, filthy half breed."

Visena wanted to scoff, but a few furious Invictus wolves overruled her apathy. The pack around her growled menacingly, only making Zeir sneer harder. His scar twisted and looked almost black. Visena was disgusted by him, yet her feeling for his pack was very different. She felt a pull to them, and they felt it too. Like a sapling breaching the moist soil in search of the sun, their souls reached for one another. They wished to be tethered. It was nature's call.

"Shift." Zeir's Alpha command reverberated around the forest, and his packs' wolves involuntarily shifted. Visena even noticed Eve and Jed recoil slightly at his tone. Her wolf, on the other hand, felt nothing from his command. Nada. She wanted to laugh at his confidence. Do you think you can order me?

Her eyes glinted in the moonlight. She had to admit, Zeir was a little bit powerful, but he hadn't seen anything yet. Douche.

Visena steadied herself, toes clawing into the moistened earth, and shook some of the excess energy from her body. Then, with unnatural poise, she sat on her haunches, raised her muzzle to the sky and howled to the blood-red moon. Her haunting tune drew every wolf closer. The bond between them all received another fastening. Visena's silver eyes took in the Malum pack with compassion. They had no choice but to follow Zeir, she knew.

They were afraid.

Just when Zeir drew breath to launch another attack, more than twenty wolves from the Praelia pack stalked into the clearing. Visena's head bowed lightly to them, which they returned graciously, and they positioned themselves alongside her. Visena watched in fascination as Zeir turned five shades of red as his blood pressure skyrocketed. 

He was obviously furious at the intrusion. If Visena were in Fae form, she would have laughed. 

 "I will take you as my mate," Zeir vowed before snarling at his pack to withdraw. They ran with uncertainty, staring at the silver beauty. 

Visena feared they would lose their lives for the blatant questioning of their Alpha, so she urged them to go with a slight nod.

Zeir shifted and slinked into the dark with one last look of promise.

Good riddance.

When the forest was still again, the Praelia wolves went up to Visena with a lowered stance and licked her muzzle before running back towards Praelia pack lands. The remaining wolves could hear their excited yips echoing through the trees long after the last wolf disappeared. 

Liam trotted into the woods and returned with a blue bundle. He offered Jed, Eve, Gideon, and Visena some fresh clothes after dressing himself and sat waiting for them to shift back. Liam held nervous energy watching Visena standing proud in her wolf form. Jed was first to shift, and after clothing himself, he cupped Visena's large head between his palms, pressing his nose to hers. Her eyes closed briefly, and she licked his cheek.

"I'm sorry I ever doubted you." He whispered. Another cheek lick made him step back with a chuckle. So much like his big brother, Visena thought. Eve and Gideon shifted back, sharing an apologetic glance. They had some 'sorrys' to say. After dressing, Eve bowed deeply to Visena and gestured for Liam and Jed to follow her back to the Packhouse. Visena remained a wolf as Gideon stared at her contemplatively. "Can you shift back?"

She thought for a moment and fearfully realised she couldn't. Or at least, she didn't know how to. Her head shook from side to side.

Gideon swallowed deeply and clasped his hands together. "Do you feel what I feel right now?"

Visena tilted her head at the strange question and started strolling in the direction of the pack. Gideon followed by her foreleg, running a tentative hand along her head and down her upper back. Every place his hands touched left a sensation of yearning. A promise of heat and ecstasy. Lust and adoration. She stopped abruptly and rolled onto her back, lolling her tongue to the side. The sudden motion sent pine needles and twigs flying in all directions.

Gideon's eyes flashed gold, and he started to shift when he shook his head. "Shift Visena." He only used a soft voice, but she could feel herself following his order.

 It wasn't enough, though. She needed more. 

He seemed to recognise the challenge in her eyes as she rolled back over. Her head dropped onto her paws, and she stared at him, waiting.

Gideon's grin was the sexiest thing Visena had ever seen. Her tail automatically started swishing on the forest floor. "Shift." This time Gideon used his Alpha command to the fullest effect. Visena couldn't resist him, and her body shifted back to its smaller size. She curled inward to hide her nakedness when Gideon pulled a hoodie over her head and turned for her to put on the sweatpants. Now dressed, she quickly turned him back and felt her heart race. "What is happening? What is this feeling?"

His eyes couldn't stop phasing from olive to gold. "What does it feel like to you?" His voice was much deeper and filled with a rasp. 

"Weird," she panted. Gideon's chuckle coaxed a breathy laugh from Visena too.

"You're a wolf."

"Apparently." Visena's eyes locked with Gideon's as he stepped closer. His hands gently cupped her elbows which sent pleasure shooting up her arms.

"You still don't remember anything?"

Visena didn't trust her voice and shook her head. No. Gideon's fingers brushed along her shoulder, up her neck, and to her ear, where he tucked a stray hair. The pull she felt for him was stronger than ever before. Visena couldn't understand what had changed. It was like someone pumped the bond between them with steroids.

"Please," Visena's voice was a harsh whisper. "Tell me what's happening..."

Gideon's eyes had turned to liquid gold. His hand buried itself in her hair as he inhaled her scent. The brief pain along Visena's scalp turned to heat between her legs as he tilted her head back and bared her throat to him. His warm breath fanned her face, and she stared at his full lips. Visena hardly heard the word he spoke before his lips met hers.

"Mate."

~~~

A/N

Welp. 

There you go, peeps.

 Yet again, we all knew this was coming, right? But it's what we're here for... I hope.

Thank you for reading!!!

Until next time <3