Page 123 of Brutal Reign
“Maybe you not trusting her is part of the problem,” he fires back, shoving his boxers down his hips. “Now c’mon, Jacobsen. Shift and let’s see what that wolf of yours is made of.Dare you.”
I heave a resigned sigh, scrubbing my hands over my face as Seb calls his wolf forward. The air shimmers around his body as it rearranges, inky black fur sprouting from his skin and the telltale snap of his bones echoing through the clearing. A heartbeat later, he’s down on all fours in his wolf form, growling at me in demand to follow suit.
My heart beats a riot in my chest as I slowly undress, my breath caught somewhere in my throat. This isnothow I thought I’d be spending my afternoon. If I knew, I would’ve done my calming exercises, I would’ve prepared…
Or I would’ve tried to get out of it.
That’s the more likely scenario, but as much as I hate to admit it, they’re right. I can’t go into this challenge blind. Maybe the two of them can crack some code that me and my parents couldn’t and figure out a way for me to control my wild wolf so she doesn’t go on a murderous rampage.
Blowing out a slow breath, I call her forward, relinquishing just enough control to shift to my animal form, but not so much that she completely takes over. My limbs tingle as she surges to the surface, body transforming into my large white wolf.
She stretches and yawns when her paws hit the earth, completely at ease in the presence of our mates. We’re still sharing space in my head, but I know all too well how that can change on a dime.
“He’s going to rile you up, but you’re going to stay in control,” Ace coaches from the sidelines. “You ready, babygirl?”
I glance his way, my wolf whining with discontent that he hasn’t shifted, too. She has no interest in sparring; she wants to run with our mates.
Seb growls low in his throat to get my attention, my wolf snapping her head in his direction and wagging her tail in excitement. Before I can pull her back, she charges toward him and starts licking his face, nuzzling into his neck.
Yeah, this is going great.
At least Seb sticks to the game plan. He tackles me down to the ground, snapping his jaws and baring his teeth, and then we’re off to the races. The two of us tussle, wrestling and battling for the upper hand. He’s the strongest opponent I’ve ever sparred with, but my wolf has no trouble holding her own. She easily fends off his attacks. Since he’s our mate, though, she never truly feels threatened. Every time he tries to rile her up, she only gets more excited. It’s all just a flirty little game to her.
After twenty minutes or so, I get frustrated with our lack of progress, shifting back to my human form and angrily pulling on my clothes.
“This isn’t gonna work,” I grumble as I yank my t-shirt down my torso, Ace stepping over to lay a comforting hand on my shoulder.
“Hey, you didn’t rip him apart like you thought you would,” he offers. “That’s something, right?”
I turn my frown on him, carding my fingers through my hair to tame the strands. “Sure, ifhewas the one I was going up against in the challenge.”
“Jake doesn’t have a fuckin’ chance,” Seb comments as he comes out of his shift, blinking at me incredulously. “You were right about your wolf being strong, I couldn’t pin her down once.”
“Her strength isn’t the problem, remember?” I mutter.
“But you stayed in control,” Ace points out.
I swing my gaze back on him with a sigh. “Yeah, because she’s comfortable with you two.”
“So maybe us just being there during the challenge will help,” he suggests.
“Maybe,” I murmur, side-eyeing Seb’s naked form.Goddamn, he’s nice to look at.“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to keep working at it…”
Seb’s eyes meet mine, some emotion lingering in their depths that I can’t quite read. He’s been off ever since that day in the lounge, and while I’ve been trying not to overthink it, that look in his eyes doesn’t help matters. I wish I knew what was going through that head of his.
He abruptly turns away, stabbing his fingers through his hair and staring out into the forest. “You guys can head back, I’m gonna go for a quick run.”
Ace must pick up on the same vibe as me, because his brows pinch together as he looks at Seb, lips turning down in a frown. “Want company?” he asks tentatively.
Seb gives a quick shake of his head, still avoiding eye contact. “Nah, I’m good. I’ll just see you guys tonight.”
Ace and I exchange glances, but before either of us can say anything else, Seb shifts back to his wolf form, taking off without so much as a backward glance.
“Is he alright?” I ask quietly, staring after Seb’s black wolf as he sprints away.
“Think he’s just in his head,” Ace murmurs in response. “He’ll be fine once we seal our bonds.”
My pulse picks up speed at the mention of what we’ve got planned for the evening. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a nervous wreck, but I’m choosing to put my trust in fate’s plan for us.