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The alpha wasn’t letting me back down.

“I’m a shapeshifter. I don’t have magic or powers other than shifting like this. There’s no special place to take her or magical thing I can do to make our night fun.”

“Who told you that? Can you use the powers when you’re shapeshifting?”

I opened my mouth to tell him no, but in truth, maybe I could. I’d never really tried. It was always so erratic that I just focused on turning back.

I shrugged. “I don’t know,” I admitted.

“Turn back into me,” he demanded.

I blew out a breath. “It’s been so long since I’ve purposely tried to shapeshift. I was too busy trying not to.”

He just stared until I gave in. Gods, these alphas were a pain in the ass.

Knowing arguing was useless, I closed my eyes and imagined Dorian in his wolf form. Remembered how it felt to be that wolf.

It wasn’t hard. That was the first time I’d felt quite so in control.

Then I was on four paws.

“There it is!” Dorian cheered.

It startled me enough that the magic flickered, and I almost turned back to myself.

“Concentrate.” Another command. He exuded dominance. It was insane that anyone was brave enough to dismiss him.

“You can do this, Merrick.” His strong, steady voice had me refocusing, and the wolf form strengthened again.

“There it is. I want you to try to use some wolf powers.” I looked up at him and cocked my head to the side in confusion. He laughed and shrugged. “Okay, maybe we don’t get cool, flashy powers, but we’ve got some strength. Wait.”

He jogged outside and came back again with a small log, just thick enough that I wouldn’t be able to break it on my own if I tried. I was skeptical, but he just held it out with full, unwavering confidence.

In a moment of frustration, I lunged forward, jaw snapping on the log. Just like that, it broke in two.

Dorian grinned like he’d won something real here. I swear this wolf was insufferable. But even I couldn’t shake the camaraderie that was growing between us.

He leaned down and cleaned up the fragments that were left behind and tossed them out the door before returning to me, arms crossed as he assessed the situation.

“Do you have to be nearby? Can you try Rook, for instance?”

I thought of the alpha. His charm. How he smirked at all of us like he was always in on some sort of joke.

Then I was on two feet again. I looked over at Dorian, eyebrow raised.

“Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my brother not looking cocky as fuck. It’s kind of unsettling.”

I made an attempt at looking confident, and he burst out laughing loud enough that he was doubled over, clutching his stomach.

“Oh my gods, that’s too fucking priceless. The trouble we could get up to if you were only a little bit of an asshole. Unfortunately for us, our beta is too good for that.”

My chest warmed. It was such an offhanded comment, but honestly, it meant the world to me. For a guy that had always gone unnoticed for who he was at the core, this alpha had just given me a compliment to my character. To the man under the changing forms.

“Try an enchantment.” He loved to give orders. But now, I didn’t bristle at it.

“Like what?” Despite being in Rook’s body, I could never quite take their voice. Dorian tried and failed to hold back his laughter at my voice coming out of Rook.

“That’s trippy as fuck,” he said. “Maybe imagine fire dancing in your palm. Fae can do simple enchantments.”