The Alphas' Legacy (Alpha Eyes: Book 3)

Chapter 34

"Sounds like you're already telling yourself all those things. But if it helps, I do believe you can do this. And do it well. You've proven to us that you know how to tough it out. You're stronger than you think."

I let that little pep talk sink into my mind, boosting my attitude and prepping me for what was to come. If he truly believed that I could shift—and be fine afterwards—then I was ready. Yes, it was still going to hurt; but maybe I could muscle through the pain faster. I'd survived 8 years with Jax. This couldn't be as bad as that.

"Okay..." I groaned, sinking to my knees. "Let's do this."

Van crouched in front of me and placed a finger under my chin to make me look up at him. "I'm here if you need me; but I believe that you know what to do. Take a deep breath and focus on the shift. There's no rush. The goal is to shift without harming yourself."

I nodded, committing that thought to memory. No one was chasing me, so I could take all the time that I needed.

Are you ready? I asked my wolf. Are we doing this together?

I felt her purr as she came forward. Yes. I'm ready this time. It won't hurt us since we're both committed to the shift.

I'm glad that you're going to be able to come out, I told her. You've been imprisoned for far too long.

It wasn't your fault, she shrugged. It's not like you wanted to keep me out of the way. You had your reasons, which I fully understood and supported.

But still...

Zoey, she scoffed. We're all good. Let's shift, okay?

Yes! Let's do this.

I looked up at Van one more time—just to get a little boost of encouragement—before closing my eyes. Unlike the last time, I visualized everything as it happened. Nails morphed into claws. Fur sprouted through my skin. My jaw and nose stretched forward. Ears lengthened and pointed. With each transition, my wolf came forward more and gained a stronger footing on the ground. Little by little, we swapped places until she was the body and I was the voice in her head.

Van

Despite the prior traumatic experience, Zoey seemed to be working in perfect harmony with her wolf. It wasn't the fastest shift he'd seen, but it was definitely one of the smoothest.

She choked back a cry when her shoulders and knees wrenched into alignment. He rocked forward on the balls of his feet but stopped himself short of touching her as she shuddered through it. Before too long, a gorgeous mid-sized wolf shook out her glossy brown fur and blinked blue-gray eyes at him. She quivered a little as she stood there, probably because she hadn't stood on her own four paws in years.

"Hi," he murmured, sticking out a hand for her to sniff. "It's good to finally meet you."

Zoey's wolf nuzzled his palm for a moment before lowering her head to let him pet her. He couldn't hear her through the mindlink, but they'd work on that later. For now, her physical presence was a victory.

"I know it's been a while... Can you walk?"

She made a little huff as if he'd offended her, but the spark in her eyes died as she took a wobbly step forward.

"Take your time," he encouraged her. "No rush."

She shook her head briefly and set her shoulders. One paw at a time, she made a slow circle around him... and then another. By the third lap, she'd found a normal walking gait that didn't seem to pain her. Her eyes sparkled at the accomplishment.