The Tracker's Secret: Sunderverse (Mate Tracker Book 2) by Ingrid Seymour (the gingerbread man read aloud .txt) 📗

I shook my head in denial. That wasn’t me. Not me. I dropped to my knees, fighting the change, searching for the thread of my pain. I had let it go, and I couldn’t find it. Taking a page from Eric’s book, I clasped my hand over the circlet and, shutting my eyes, squeezed it hard. I waited for the pain to flash through me, but nothing happened.

My eyes sprang open and stared at the bracelet. Now, it encircled, not my wrist, but a large paw tipped with razor-sharp claws. As I watched, my other hand shifted, the fingers shortening, curling into themselves and springing thick fur. I watched in amazement, thinking that the transformation should hurt, but it didn’t. Instead, it felt good. Though “good” wasn’t the right word. I searched for another, then realized there was no way to describe what I was feeling.

The wealth of sensation encompassed too many things. It felt natural, overdue, right, liberating, and damn thrilling.

Giving into the rightness of it all, I forgot about the pain and watched as my body changed in one smooth, unerring ripple.

My ears elongated. They stood tall and proud and twitched as a layer of soft fur spread over them. My clothes ripped and fell away as my muscles thickened. I should have felt horror when my knee joints changed directions and my legs shortened several inches, but I only felt delight and admiration for their perfect shape and strong muscles. Not even the furry tail that sprang at the tip of my spine fazed me. Instead, as soon as it was out, everything around me seemed to become perfectly balanced, making me wonder if before the world had been off its axis.

When the transformation was complete, I cocked my head, watching the beautiful wolf that stared back at me from the mirror. I stepped closer, nose twitching, eyes roving all around the strange creature.

A whimper sounded in the back of my throat, and I took a step back, lowering my head growling slightly.

Eric moved closer, drawing my attention. “You’re beautiful, don’t you think?”

I glanced back at the mirror, unsure.

“Don’t be afraid. It’s just you. Doesn’t it feel right?”

It did. It felt... incredible—the way a fish must feel when it’s thrown back in the water after being caught.

“Here, let me take this off.” Eric knelt by my side and carefully leaned down to remove the band that still clung to my paw. When he unclasped it and opened it, the spikes slid out sending a flash of pain up my leg.

I jumped back with a yelp and snapped my teeth at Eric, who pulled back immediately, putting some distance between us. I limped away, holding my injured paw up. Without thinking, I started licking the blood off, my long tongue lapping over the many tiny wounds. A metallic taste filled my mouth. Some small part of me cringed in disgust, but the lapping motion was incredibly soothing. When I was done licking it clean, I realized that the wounds had disappeared. I set my paw down and found that it didn’t hurt anymore, and I could walk without limping.

I peered up at Eric, who was watching me with interest.

“Ready to run?” he asked after a moment.

Smoothly, he shifted, his hands falling to the floor and changing to paws before he touched down. The rest of his body rippled with the transformation. It was done in an instant, like a graceful bird taking flight—nothing like my clumsy change, which seemed to have happened in stages.

Almost in the same motion, the tawny wolf ran out of the room. He was only slightly bigger than me, but the power that emanated from him made me feel much smaller. I tried to follow after Eric, but my steps were clumsy like a baby deer.

What the hell?

I stopped, wobbling, feeling I would trip all over myself if I tried to run.

I blinked at the long hall, looking for Eric, but he was gone. I took another few steps, but stumbled and slammed against the wall. Eric came around the corner and glanced at me down the length of the long corridor.

He jerked his head as if telling me to hurry. Pressure built in my temples, like a headache trying to push its way through. I shook my head, my ears flapping. Another push came, then words formed inside my head.

“Don’t think too much about it. Let the wolf take over.”

Huh? My eyes darted to Eric’s.

“C’mon,” the voice said, “you had no trouble running yesterday. Let your wolf take the reins.”

Eric was talking inside my head! My hackles raised. Literally. Because now I had them, which was weird to think about.

“How?!” I demanded. “How are you doing that?”

“I’m an alpha. Only alphas can push thoughts into other werewolves’ heads. We can also hear everyone’s thoughts back,” he said in explanation. “Now, run.” He disappeared again, giving a bark of encouragement.

Wow, that was wicked. Alpha’s were telepathic, and Jake never told me. What a dick!

Pushing that thought away, I stared down at my paws and moved them one at a time. My back legs responded in unison.

Don’t think about it, Toni. Just do it. Just go!

I inhaled deeply and let my mind go blank. Without hesitation, as soon as my human instincts were out of the way, Red took over and I sprang into a run.

When I turned the corner at the end of the hall, I searched for Eric, sweeping the open area. At the back of the room, he stood next to an open window, and as soon as he saw me, he leaped through it and disappeared. I rushed after him and, still six feet away from the opening, jumped and sailed smoothly through the air and out the window. On the other side, I hit the ground running, my paws welcoming the earth’s supple feel. A wall of thick trees welcomed me.

My nose twitched as I lifted my muzzle up