Hale wasted no time coming towards me as he made his way through the kitchen. Devin shoved me back into the counter. I grunted at the impact. Devin was doing her best to block Hale from me, she was strong but he was twice her size and had the advantage of surprise.

My eyes darted around. Trying to find something. Anything.

The knife set. I grabbed the largest one and held it in my hand ready to strike. In Devin's small amount of training so far she had shown me where the best place was to strike. I located the spot on Hale. I just had to catch him at the right moment.

He wasn't even watching me; he was too focused on Devin.

He lifted her up and slammed her onto the floor. Her head smacking the tile. Her body went limp. When he picked her up to slam her again and finish the job was when I struck.

I took the large knife and pushed it as hard and as far as I could into his neck. Praying I would hit an artery or at least knock him down long enough to get to Devin.

Within an instant of the knife going in two large hands made their way around Hale's neck snapping it clean. He fell to the floor with a large thud.

I looked at the blood on my hands. The knife that was still in Hale's neck.

"Fuck! Fuck! Hadley how do you feel," West said frantically looking at me.

I couldn't stop staring at him as I felt it finally. The chain as it coursed through my whole body. Tethering me to my mortal flesh. One moment that silver chain glimmered through me and the next, it snapped.

My eyes glowed silver. My ears rang so loud that I covered them screaming in pain. I fell to my knees. West's hand was on my back. I looked at his face. His mouth was moving but the words were lost. Covered by the piercing sound.

Then the real pain came. As every bone in my body shattered and began to shift.

________________________________________________________

I woke up in my bed. My whole body was sore, every movement hurt as I tried to sit up. West was asleep in the corner on the chair. He wasn't hurt. That was a good sign. His eyes had dark circles under them. He looked peaceful and so much younger when he slept. You could almost forget what an ass he could be.

As though he could sense my gaze his eyes opened. "I'm not that much of an ass, give me some credit," He said now fully awake.

"You heard my thoughts?" I asked the blush rising on my cheeks.

West lightly chuckled "You'll learn real quick how to shut out the mind link but when you first are learning some things can slide through. How do you feel?" he asked.

"Like I jumped off of a very tall building and landed on glass. I don't remember anything. What happened?" I said.

"Well you activated the shift when you stabbed the knife into Hale. Good shot by the way I'm impressed," He said before I cut him off. "Devin. Where is she? Is she okay?" I asked frantically.

"She's fine she got a pretty bad concussion, she's still asleep but she's healing. Jillian and I have been rotating rooms on the both of you the last several hours,"

"I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come downstairs. How did he get in the house?" I asked knotting my fingers. Even though I was sore I felt so much different. Stronger. "Did I hurt anyone else?" I asked slowly.

"I have no clue how he snuck in without being detected and no. You shifted and darted into the woods. Thankfully you had enough sense to stay on pack territory. I was able to keep up with you. You did kill a squirrel but for your first shift it was a pretty tame event. We ran for hours," West said looking at me intently.

"I killed a cute little squirrel?"

"I like that that is your biggest takeaway. The squirrel," West said.

"Is it always like this? Not remembering?" I asked. I wasn't sure how many more blackouts I could handle.

"No it's just the first. You'll have more control and memory on your next shift. It will also hurt way less. Soon it won't feel like anything," He said.

"That's good," I said leaning back into the bedframe.

"Tate will be here by tomorrow night. I got a hold of him after you shifted," West said watching me closely.

I perked up at his name. A part of me perked up at the sound of Tate's name and knowing that he was coming home.

West as if he could read my thoughts again. Hell he might have been. Looked at me lightly laughing. "You'll get used to that too. The little wolf voice that's always with you. It's just the other version of yourself. Think of them as like a passenger tagging along to your soul,"

The door swung open and Jillian walked in looking equally exhausted. Despite the exhaustion she had a big smile on her face and her arms were out.

"Bitch! Last night. Perfection! I don't even know you and I may love you. So badass and for a mortal. Well no longer a mortal. Your wolf is insane by the way. I've never seen a newbie be so strong and fast. You outran West." Jillian babbled on.

"I'm really that fast?" I asked, having no memory.

"Oh yeah. You must have some strong wolf blood in you because that was no ordinary omega power," Jillian went on casually.

"What does my wolf look like?" I laughed uncomfortably running a hand through my tangled hair.

"You have a light brown coppery coat, and your paws are dipped in white. Your eyes also go full silver," West explained looking at me as though he could still see it.

"I've never met another silver eyed wolf. Well except for Darren," Jillian went on.

West and I exchanged a glance. Then he was examining me checking every detail. I thought of what Devin had told me about Darren.

"Nooo. Darren's an only child his father was mated for as long as I can remember. You do look similar but it's probably just a coincidence," West went on trying to convince himself. Yet he wouldn't stop watching me.

West's face changed from scanning to contemplating. "Devin's awake. I'm going to check on her,"

"I'm coming with you," I shoved the covers and stood up.

Devin was laying in bed, her hands on her head. She looked ok considering the last time I saw her was half dead on the kitchen floor.

"Goddess my head is killing me. West can't I have anything stronger," She whined. When she noticed me her eyes lit up and she quickly glanced between West and I. "I've never been so glad to see you both so totally normal around one another. I was so worried the goddess was going to pull a fast one and make West your mate. Can you imagine that shit show," Devin said.

West and I quickly glanced at each other trying to hide the red that had made its way to both of our faces.

"I'm going to go check with the doc to see if I can get you something stronger," West said, rushing out of the room.

It was just Devin and I and she was smiling up at me.

"Are you really that happy about this?" I asked.

"So happy! Not only that he isn't your mate but also that you're finally a full wolf!" Devin had gone from complaining to full on cheerful.

"How would I know if he was my mate or not?" I asked.

"You literally would not have been able to keep your hands off of each other. The initial bond is an insane roller coaster of emotions and hormones. Don't even get me started on what happens before and after a claim is made," Devin was rambling. Maybe her meds were already strong enough.

"A claim?"

"The claim is the first step in the acceptance of a mate. Each wolf bites their partner claiming them as their own forever. It shows other wolves your status," Devin explained.

"Oh I see," I couldn't imagine another man biting me and claiming me as his.

"Come sit with me, let's watch a movie" Devin said tapping a spot on the bed next to her. I climbed in as we went through the options.

West came in the door. The medicine in his hand for Devin. He looked pale. Something was definitely wrong. My wolf could sense it on him.

"Jesus West what is it?" Devin also notices West's state.

"I just got a call from Tate," My heart dropped. "Dad's dead. They found him and he's dead,".