subsided and footsteps could be heard in the old farmhouse. A moment later, the front door banged open, and a girl ran out, her face covered by her hands as shrill cries fell from her lips. The crowd behind my wolf absorbed the crying girl, and my wolf focused on the new set of sounds. Heavy footsteps, the kind made by humans wearing boots, came down the stairs I could see through the partially open door. We waited impatiently as the footsteps came closer and the door opened fully.
My wolf slowly blinked up at the man. He'd aged badly since I'd last seen him, and while I could tell he'd lost none of his dominance in the years since I'd run away, he was hardly the large beast of a man I remembered him being. What little hair he had was greasy now, and his once muscular form was much less so. My wolf was unimpressed and saw no reason to pretend otherwise.
I slowly uncurled in my wolf's mind, looking out through her eyes and taking in the man fully. I remembered him differently than my wolf did. After all, what he'd done to me had been as the man and not as the nearly white wolf he hid inside. But still, I looked and noticed the differences between them. I judged him as the man he was now and not the one he had been. And I did it all through the eyes of a wolf that was far stronger than the cub I had been. Now I was faster, stronger, and far braver than I had been then. And he was just an old man who used his power and dominance to hurt and control the wolves unfortunate enough to call themselves his.
With that in mind, I steadily took control back from my wolf and slowly shifted. The wolf helped me along, something she normally wouldn't have done. But she must have somehow been able to sense that I needed her strength and that appearing weak in front of this man would never be acceptable. Old magic fused with my human form, and I found the shift far easier with the animal's help as I rose to my full height in front of him.
"Ray," I greeted him, his name dripping off my lips like the poison it was.
He smiled at me, his rotting teeth showing me even more about his lack of attention to his own health. "Shae. Darling. Won't you call me Dad?" He moved to take a step toward me, but I bared my teeth at him. It wasn't as impressive as it would have been if I'd still been a wolf, but the action meant the same thing, and it stopped him where words might not have.
"Where's Maiki?" I demanded, ignoring his request as I stared up into his glassy glaze. He paid no attention to my nudity, but then I really didn't think he would. If he was still the man I remembered, he preferred his bed partners unwilling and a lot younger than I was now. I reminded myself that I was an adult, a powerful wolf, and that I had nothing to fear from him. If only my wildly racing heart believed me.
He frowned at me. "Shae, there will be time enough for that. Come in, let's have a chat." He reached for me, tried to touch me and might have even succeeded, but I stepped to the side. I didn't move back. That was weakness. But I didn't have to let him touch me either. Not anymore.
"No. And you aren't my father. You took me in when he died, but you are not him," I hissed through my teeth. He was not my father or my alpha. He was just an old man. A hateful, mean old man, and he didn't have any more power over me. Realizing that freed something inside of me. He'd hurt me once. He wouldn't be able to do it again.
"Take me to Maiki. I will not ask you again," I demanded, my voice strong and clear across the morning air. I squared my shoulders and lifted my gaze the few inches I needed to be able to look into his eyes. I stared back at him, unblinkingly challenging him. Not my alpha , I reminded myself. It was a lot easier to stand up to him now that I was an adult. He wasn't a looming giant anymore. He wasn't the monster that had kept me up at night as I'd cried into my pillow, my body broken from the inside out. He was simply a man who was currently in my way and
My wolf slowly blinked up at the man. He'd aged badly since I'd last seen him, and while I could tell he'd lost none of his dominance in the years since I'd run away, he was hardly the large beast of a man I remembered him being. What little hair he had was greasy now, and his once muscular form was much less so. My wolf was unimpressed and saw no reason to pretend otherwise.
I slowly uncurled in my wolf's mind, looking out through her eyes and taking in the man fully. I remembered him differently than my wolf did. After all, what he'd done to me had been as the man and not as the nearly white wolf he hid inside. But still, I looked and noticed the differences between them. I judged him as the man he was now and not the one he had been. And I did it all through the eyes of a wolf that was far stronger than the cub I had been. Now I was faster, stronger, and far braver than I had been then. And he was just an old man who used his power and dominance to hurt and control the wolves unfortunate enough to call themselves his.
With that in mind, I steadily took control back from my wolf and slowly shifted. The wolf helped me along, something she normally wouldn't have done. But she must have somehow been able to sense that I needed her strength and that appearing weak in front of this man would never be acceptable. Old magic fused with my human form, and I found the shift far easier with the animal's help as I rose to my full height in front of him.
"Ray," I greeted him, his name dripping off my lips like the poison it was.
He smiled at me, his rotting teeth showing me even more about his lack of attention to his own health. "Shae. Darling. Won't you call me Dad?" He moved to take a step toward me, but I bared my teeth at him. It wasn't as impressive as it would have been if I'd still been a wolf, but the action meant the same thing, and it stopped him where words might not have.
"Where's Maiki?" I demanded, ignoring his request as I stared up into his glassy glaze. He paid no attention to my nudity, but then I really didn't think he would. If he was still the man I remembered, he preferred his bed partners unwilling and a lot younger than I was now. I reminded myself that I was an adult, a powerful wolf, and that I had nothing to fear from him. If only my wildly racing heart believed me.
He frowned at me. "Shae, there will be time enough for that. Come in, let's have a chat." He reached for me, tried to touch me and might have even succeeded, but I stepped to the side. I didn't move back. That was weakness. But I didn't have to let him touch me either. Not anymore.
"No. And you aren't my father. You took me in when he died, but you are not him," I hissed through my teeth. He was not my father or my alpha. He was just an old man. A hateful, mean old man, and he didn't have any more power over me. Realizing that freed something inside of me. He'd hurt me once. He wouldn't be able to do it again.
"Take me to Maiki. I will not ask you again," I demanded, my voice strong and clear across the morning air. I squared my shoulders and lifted my gaze the few inches I needed to be able to look into his eyes. I stared back at him, unblinkingly challenging him. Not my alpha , I reminded myself. It was a lot easier to stand up to him now that I was an adult. He wasn't a looming giant anymore. He wasn't the monster that had kept me up at night as I'd cried into my pillow, my body broken from the inside out. He was simply a man who was currently in my way and