White hot pain seared though my body. The change seemed easier this time for some reason (maybe the amount time it took was less). It is never really easy, and you never get use the pain. My joints slipped and rearranged themselves. The pain escalated. I almost never cry out from the pain anymore. I've gotten pretty good at controlling my reaction over the years. Silvery blue fur with black highlights moved its way across my limbs. The change was almost complete.
I was able to stand right away. That is different. It usually takes me minute to clear my head. The side effect of the change usually leaves my head spinning a bit. I stretched and yawned to lose the last tingle of pain.
I started out with a steady cadence. I can't remember not loving to run. It clears my thoughts, especially when I let my wolf take over. He just cares about the running and the hunt. I stretched my strides out to pick up the pace. I was running to give Mercy her own head space. There was something weighing on her thoughts lately. I asked her about it. "I am not sure," was her answer. Our mate bond has grown stronger in the last few months. The distance it takes to weaken the bond has lengthened. It took a few miles.
I felt his presence first, smelled him, and then saw him. Too Late. I've been shot before, but this isn't before. The shooter knew. He was loaded for werewolf. I seem to have more of a reaction to silver after the incident with the darts. He got a few more shots in before I ripped his head off. My military side was telling me I should have kept him alive for the information he had. The wolf wanted blood.
"Mercy!" Jesse my soon to be step daughter called. I was currently sitting on a toilet, peeing on a stick, and praying I wasn't pregnant. "Mercy," Jesse called again, "Darryl has breakfast ready!" "Down in a minute," I answered. I had been on the pill for months now. I know it isn't fool proof (just 99%, not 100%), but a girl can hope can't she. This is werewolf sperm we are talking about. Nothing is fool proof. There was more than one reason why I didn't want a baby. I wasn't ready (probably never will be), and especially not with Adam. Werewolves have a very low success rate. The majority of pregnancies end in miscarriages. "Damn," I swore out loud. There were two little pink lines on the stick.
The smell of breakfast hit my nose before I made it to the top of the stairs. My stomach rumbled with vigor. I stood in the hall for a moment. Our mate bond was wide open. I could feel the rhythm of his paws hitting the ground as he ran. The bond betrayed me. Adam realized what was going on. His wolf was happy. I received and image of a puppy rolling around in the backyard.
His mood swing blinded me. Adam's rage brought me to my knees. I could feel the pain exploding through his body. Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong. The wolf's roar escaped my lips. He was fighting for his life. I felt more bullets hitting my mate. I wasn't sure if was me or Adam screaming again this time. Then nothing. Not a damn thing. The mate bond was gone. I screamed his name, and received no response.
Oh Joy, I am breathing blood bubbles. I laid there snarling at the nameless shooter. I wanted him in bits and pieces, but my shoulder said otherwise. A bullet hit my shoulder breaking it. I was hit in the hip, leg, ribs, and of course my shoulder. Both of the limbs on my right side were not moving (both broken). This was not good. I was miles from help.
I heard Mercy screaming. There was a minute or two before I realized she wasn't near me. It was the mate bond I was sensing. I tried to communicate I was fine. "What a great time for her to shut down the bond," I thought. I needed her to it use to find my location. The pain was making it difficult to think. The blood loss certainly didn't help matters. I tried to get Mercy's attention again. She needed to know I was still alive, and find me fast. I need help.
Half the pack came running up the stairs. "Find Him," I snarled. I started barking orders. I wasn't going to sit idly by. The pack mobilized before the words finished leaving my mouth. I jumped in the first of Adam's Black SUV's. Honey drove the second. I had a pretty good idea of where he went to run. I drove as fast as the SUV would allow, and called Sam. The tension spreading through the pack increased. No one made a sound as they change in the back of the speeding SUV. Warren made the shift to his werewolf first. He stood behind the seat vibrating with readiness. Warren was more than loyal to his alpha. Adam had done a lot for him in the past.
I almost skidded past the turn off, and nearly slammed into number three of Adam's SUV's. I nearly allowed myself a sigh of relief. Adam was exactly where he had mentioned he would be. Warren reached over the seat and pushed the button to release the tailgate with his nose. Five werewolves jumped out and began tracking Adam's scent. Honey stayed with the trucks. We needed someone to stay human to be able to drive back.
Warren waited the few seconds it took me to shift into my coyote. He led the way in a different direction. He had picked up a scent that was different, the one scent that shouldn't have been there at that location, a human scent. It was a straight shot into the woods. Warren kept up a brutally fast pace. The scent grew stronger. I couldn't tell how long we ran. I prayed to God that it wasn't as long as it seemed.
The smell of blood assaulted my nose. Warren came to an abrupt stop causing me to slam into his back legs. He didn't seem to notice, and bellowed an ear splitting howl signaling the others that he found Adam.