Awakening the Wolf by Crymsyn Hart Page B

bones along her spine began to pop. She felt her fingers thicken and her nails grow sharper. Instead of having feathers, her arms were hairy. As she ran her tongue over her teeth, she felt they had lengthened. The surprise of it pulled her back to reality.
    “Almost. You almost had it. I could see it,” Coret exclaimed.
    She focused on her aunt and felt the wolf slipping away. The darkness retreated, and her inner wolf returned to the shadows of her mind. Illiana shook her head. “What happened?” she asked, as she tried to catch her breath. Her body felt as though she had been put through a wringer because of the changes that had occurred. She tried to shake it off, but it seemed her body was no longer entirely hers. She flexed her fingers and saw that the tips of her nails were partially black. Her arms were not covered in hair, but her teeth were a little sharper than they were before. Illiana raked her nails over her scalp and stared at the woman before her.
    “You were changing. Your eyes went silver. I heard the bones in your spine crack. Even your face began to take on the form of the wolf.”
    “Really? So you were only saying that stuff to make me mad? Christopher isn’t getting mated to that bitch?”
    “No, that part of it was true.”
    She felt the blood drain from her face and a cold chill permeate her soul. Her heart fell and shattered in her chest. Illiana fought back the tears and prayed it was not true. “How could he marry her? What does he see in her?”
    Coret did not answer but hugged Illiana. She tried to find some comfort in her aunt’s arms, but she needed to know the truth. “I can’t tell you that. I only heard it this afternoon when your mother came by. She was looking for you to tell you about it. I figured she didn’t want you to hear it from anyone else because she knew you’d be hurt. Think about this, you’ve had a breakthrough. We know that strong emotions bring out the wolf. That is something we can use next time.”
    A tear slipped down her cheek. “There won’t be a next time. This is all pointless.” She wiped away the tear, feeling the hopelessness blanket her soul. The one thing she cared for the most in her life had slipped from her grasp. Illiana walked past her aunt, who caught her arm and squeezed it.
    “It isn’t for nothing. If you want to get Christopher back, then you have to become the wolf. If you become part of the pack, you can challenge their mating. You can win him over. Isn’t that what you want? To have him?”
    “How would they make me part of the pack? I’m already part of the flock. They would never accept me. He would never . . . he already said . . . ” She broke away from her aunt’s grasp and tried to comprehend everything that had happened and what Coret had said. Was there really a chance?
    “You said it yourself. He loves you.”
    “If he loves me, then why would he be doing this?” She slid down a tree trunk, feeling the rough bark scraping through her cloak. It couldn’t be. She had to hear it for herself.
    “Maybe because he can’t have the one he wants. Go and ask him. Or use the anger and turn it inward so you can shift into who you are supposed to be. If you remain the way you are, then you embrace all those names, all those horrible things people have said about you over the years. Become who you’re supposed to be.” Coret grabbed her arms and made Illiana look at her. She saw the passion and the intensity of her stare.
    “Why does this matter to you?”
    “It matters because this is what your mother kept from you. You came to me asking for help. This is me giving you the help.” Coret pointed at the pendant Illiana wore around her throat and kept hidden from her mother. “Would your father want you to give up after you’ve come all this way and figured out part of your heritage? You know this doesn’t stop here. One day you will want to find out where you come from. I know in my heart of hearts that there is more