Free Wyrd Calling (Wyrd Bound Book 1) by Shen Hart

was a time for play, pleasure, and freedom. The males all gave chase, yipping and barking with glee. We raced around the garden, ducking and diving through the wild flowers. The warm, soft soil beneath my paws felt amazing. Everyone played both the prey and hunting roles, and we all ended up play fighting. Alex and I made sure the cubs didn't get too rough and delivered some sharp bites to ears, snouts, and hind-quarters as reminders, but by the end we all sprawled out under the stars together. We were all panting, our sides heaving as we looked upwards, contented and settled for the first time since we'd met. It wasn't perfect, we weren't a pack, but it was something.  
    A sense of belonging began to emerge. It was something I'd forgotten the feeling of. The satisfaction of exhaustion settled over me as I took quiet pleasure in being surrounded by the familiar musk and dirt scents of lupine play. I almost went to thank the Sisters for giving me the thing I had craved for so long, but I stopped myself. They were screwing me over. They always did. I rolled around on the cool grass enjoying the feeling of my muscles releasing and the itches I couldn't reach being scratched. The boys did similar things around me, their presence close to mine offering a comfort I didn't think I'd have. I stood and looked them over, my rag-tag bunch, my pack. Alex sat with his mouth slightly open and his ears in the relaxed but alert position, it was the happiest I'd seen him since we'd been thrown back together. The cubs were all lying with their tongues hanging out. A quiet feeling of contentment hung about them. I stretched and wandered inside. I looked over my shoulder to find the males all following without complaint. We each shifted back to our human forms and stretched again, feeling our bones and muscles slip back into their proper positions. I sighed and smiled as I looked around them before saying goodnight.
    The cubs each lowered their eyes and returned the well wishes. Alex simply smiled. We'd made far better progress than I'd expected. There was a long way to go, but at least the stress had been diffused and a step had been taken in the right direction.  
    I was left with a calm peace as I ascended the stairs back to my comfortable nest. Alex followed close behind and left me be when I sat on the bed. He went into our bathroom, and my attention was soon devoted to my bag and the shinies contained within. I carefully pulled out each stolen item, holding it up to the light and admiring it before placing it down in its newly assigned home. I rolled the pearl bracelet around the palm of my hand for a couple of moments before I tucked it away in a drawer. I was almost disappointed when I went to put my bag away, but the weight within it reminded me that there was one last wonderful shiny. Something unexplored and incredibly curious. Alex was still in the bathroom. I could hear the water running, which meant that I was alone to run my fingertips over the box. The anticipation was delightful. Small shivers ran through my fingertips as I took my time savouring the moment, the build-up. I pulled the lid off the box slowly and was greeted with a note on the same heavy, white paper that the task had been written on. Just a reminder of your place in things.
    I felt my brow furrow as confusion filled me. What on Earth...
    I removed the note and was greeted by an elegant, fine, pale silver (verging on white) choker. It had three small feathers at the front: one in ice blue, another in emerald green, and the final in blood red. I snarled to myself and debated throwing the box at the wall. I couldn't quite explain the feeling, but I knew it was from them; a weight within my mind and much deeper. A sense that I would wear that choker flooded me. I tried to fight it, but I couldn't. It was like a crushing physical weight, a need that my hands almost tried to fulfil against my will. I sighed and put the choker around my throat. I cursed and snarled