Alpha Betrayed: A Dark Shifter
Defiant Princess Chapter 15

FORD

My palms warm and then in a shimmer of pink and gold, the woman in my arms is replaced by a giant bird with feathers every color of the sunset, gold fur on her breast, and Juliet’s same, piercing blue eyes.

A grin bursts across my face, but I do my best to tamp down my excitement, not wanting to spook her with any sudden moves. “Hey, there, you. You did it.”

Juliet blinks and c***s her head from side to side, glancing down the length of her body while Catherine squeals softly in celebration and Layla lets out a victory g***n.

“You’re not scrawny at all,” I assure her, pressing my hands lightly into her warm feathers. “A little lighter than human Juliet, but longer and those claws could definitely tear up a wolf if they needed to.”

She lifts one talon, spreading her claws with an approving warbling sound.

“Oh, you’re so beautiful,” Catherine coos as she climbs down from her perch. “Your leg scales shine like jewels.” Layla roar-g****s and Catherine hums in agreement. “And yes, obviously, the feathers are dazzling. You’re like a sunset come to life.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” I say, nodding toward the rocks at the edge of the pool. “Want to test out your new legs on land?”

Juliet nods with a full-body shiver that make the shorter feathers around her neck fluff out like a tiny scarf. It’s adorable, but I keep that to myself, knowing she’s been hoping for fierce in her shifted form, not cute.

“Don’t be nervous.” I glide through the pool to the water’s edge. “You’ve got this. If it’s anything like when I first shifted, it’ll feel like you’ve been doing phoenix things your whole life.”

“Because you have,” Catherine says, putting an arm around Layla’s furry shoulders as I set Juliet gently on the stones. “In your dreams and in secret under the skin. This beautiful bird has always been in you and with you, waiting to come out and play.”

Juliet arches her neck, looking up at the pocket of sky as she shakes her feathers, sending water droplets dancing into the air around her.

And then, without a second of hesitation, she launches into the air with a thrust of her legs and a flap of her wings. She soars to the top of the cave and dips and swoops, navigating the small space with a confidence that makes my smile even wider.

“You’re killing it, Jules,” I call out.

“You’re amazing!” Catherine agrees.

Juliet lets out a celebratory cry in return, like an eagle’s scream but melodic and as beautiful as tingly old church bells. And then she turns and shoots a stream of fire out of her beak, hitting the opposite cave wall with enough force to make steam rise from the water nearby.

“Holy shit,” Layla says, now back in her human form and watching Juliet with wide eyes.

“Holy shit indeed.” Catherine’s lips stretch in a wickedly gleeful grin. She glances my way as she adds, “I think the tables just turned, what about you?”

I nod, beaming as Juliet shoots another firebolt through the hole in the cave’s ceiling before doing a little backflip in the air. “Hell yes, they did. If Juliet’s on Beck’s hit list he’s going to be very surprised. And very sorry.”

“I can’t wait,” Catherine says. “I can’t wait for that sad excuse for a man to get what’s coming to him. Karma, as they say, is a bitch.”

“And now, so is Juliet,” Layla adds with a laugh. “A flaming bitch.”

“No, she’s an avenging angel of fire,” Catherine says. “And I can’t wait to watch her burn.”

“Agreed,” I murmur.

And we won’t have long to wait now.

Just two more sleeps until the trials begin on Wednesday morning.

Juliet

I want to fly through the cave ceiling and up into the sky. I want to twist and flap and dance through the air like a kid splashing through puddles in a pair of new rain boots.

I can’t remember the last time I felt so full of unbridled joy.

Flying is a hug from an old friend I thought I’d lost forever and shooting fire is almost as good as a Ford-induced o****m.

Almost…

God, Ford. In my phoenix form I feel nothing but happiness and gratitude for him. I want to wrap my wings around him and warble my appreciation for the friend he’s been to me into the crook of his neck.

But the sun is setting, and I can’t very well fly back to campus and leave the others behind. I want to keep my new form quiet until the trials start, after all, and I want to celebrate with my friends even more.

I touch down on the rocks beside Layla and Catherine and flex back into my human form fast enough to make my teeth knock together.

“Ouch.” I giggle as I grip the back of my now aching neck. “That could have been a little more graceful.”

“Just take it slower next time,” Layla says, throwing her arms around me. “But it was great! You were great!”

I laugh again, even though I’m not usually big on naked hugs, even with friends. I’m shy for a shifter. Always have been.

But when Ford gathers me up in his arms, lifting my feet off the ground with the force of his embrace, I don’t feel anything but happiness to be this close to him. Well, happiness and a strong desire to jump on his c**k, but that’s just how we are now. I might as well get used to it.

I’ll accept the things I can’t change and save my energy for those that I can.

I wrap my arms around his neck and hold on tight, whispering, “Thank you,” into his ear.

“My pleasure, baby, so proud of you,” he says, using the term of endearment for the first time in front of other people.

But I’m so blissed out from my first shift, I can’t bring myself to care about that, either. I pull back, grinning into his handsome face. “I’m proud of me, too. And I’m starving. I want to eat five tubs of ice cream. With salty popcorn and peanuts on top.”

Ford grins as Layla laughs and Catherine gags behind me. “Let’s do it,” Ford says. “The snack shop’s open until nine, woman. Let’s go get all the junk food and celebrate. My treat.”

“Sadly, I’ll have to skip that repulsive sounding indulgence,” Catherine says. “I have to get back to the dorm and set up for late night tutoring. If either of you are worried about being prepared for your final quiz tomorrow, feel free to swing by later. We’ll be there until ten.”

“I can’t study anymore,” Layla says, pulling on her clothes. “My brain is already leaking out of my ears. I need to eat, sleep, and visualize success.”

“And I need food,” I say, my stomach snarling in agreement. “I think flying and shooting fire burns a lot of calories.”

We pull on our clothes and squeeze back through the tunnel onto our private beach. We’re starting toward the other tunnel, the one that will take us back to the student beach, when Alexander appears at the entrance, a worried expression on his face.

“What is it?” Layla asks.

“They found a body in the woods,” Catherine rasps, reading her brother’s mind as she so often does. “They’re locking everything down. We have to get inside before they close the Sea Gate.”

“Now,” Alexander adds. “Five minutes ago, if possible.”

“Hurry,” Ford says, ushering Catherine and Layla in front of him. “You all move faster in tight spaces than I do. If I don’t make it back before they shut the gates, don’t worry. I can handle myself.”

“We’re not leaving you behind,” I say, grabbing a handful of his shirt and dragging him into the cavern with me.

Ford’s played hero enough since we got to Lost Moon.

It’s my turn to make sure he stays safe, even if it means we’re both stuck outside the gates.

Hell, it might actually be safer on the outside.

In my gut, I already know it’s a Variant who’s been killed. I know it, even before we rush back through the Sea Gate just seconds before the defense unit seals the opening to replace a stricken Natalie running toward us from the quad.

There’s still just enough sunset light to make the tears on her cheeks glow a soft gold as she stops in front of us and whispers, “It’s Diana. Goddess, I’m so sorry.”

Layla falls to her knees on the ground. A beat later, Catherine goes down beside her, cradling my roommate as they both begin to cry.

A part of me wants to fall with them, but I shock myself by saying, “Show me. I need to see her.”

“Me, too,” Ford agrees. I turn to remind him that he shouldn’t be seen with me, or caring about murdered Variants, but he growls, “I don’t care what the other wolves have to say about it. I need to see her. To see if I can smell who did it. This never should have happened.”

“I can’t bring students into this right now,” Natalie says, pressing a hand to her heart as Catherine and Layla continue to sob. “But once things calm down, I—”

“I know their scents better than any member of staff,” Ford insists. “I’ve been spending every night running the woods with the brotherhood. If one of them did it, I’ll be able to tell you. But only if you get me to her body before the scents have time to fade.”

Natalie hesitates, cutting a look my way before fixing her attention back on Ford, “Okay. I can make a case for that. And we’ll say Juliet’s there because she’s Diana’s roommate, to give us a second affirmative I.D. on the body.” She waves us toward the walkway leading to the pond and the woods beyond. “Hurry. Before they move her. They were almost done taking pictures when I came to look for Layla and Juliet to break the news.”

She starts down the path, with Ford close behind.

I turn to Alexander, who’s standing guard over Catherine and Layla. “Tell them I’ll meet them back at the dorm as soon as I can.”

He nods stiffly and I turn to jog after Ford and Natalie, some desperate part of me praying that they’ve gotten this wrong, that it’s a wild owl they found dead in the woods and not my new friend. But when we reach the edge of the cemetery, where a small crowd of teachers, faculty, and military staff stand around the body, still roped off with yellow crime scene tape, I instantly recognize Diana’s unique plumage.

That was the owl that once held the spirit of my friend, but it’s not breathing anymore, and neither is she.