Chapter 15

Exactly one week and three days after the clinic visit, Malcolm arrived on our doorstep with a solemn face. His features seemed to be weighed down by an invisible weight, his eyes clouded by news. I knew what he came to tell me as soon as I opened the door. Still, I invited him in, nerves churning my stomach, making my hands shake.

I let a few moments pass after we were seated, the silence pressing heavier by each passing second so dense I couldn't bare it any longer. "So. . . the test?"

Malcolm flinched and clasped his hands together, resting them on the table. "The results," he said, speaking slowly as if tasting each word before saying it out loud. "We found slight traces of the drug I had in mind."

"And?" My voice came out in a raspy whisper.

"The Wolfsbane drug that was used hinders the ability for one to shift, along with blocking heats and ruts. Fortunately, the effects of this do not last forever," he added hastily, seeing my expression. "However, they last for long periods of time, and judging from how long you were under the influence of Wolfsbane, it may be a while before you can shift." 

"It's not permeant? Then, that means eventually, we'll be able to. . ." 

Malcolm inclined his head. "Yes, but we are talking about a few more years of not shifting. Three, at the longest, is my guess."

"Three. . . years?" My vision was closing, my breathing coming out in gasps, my pulse becoming erratic. 

Ah, it's happening again.

"Augustus!" Malcolm jumped from his chair to catch me as I fell. "Augustus! Wait! Damn it, hang on. . ." His voice was panicked, nothing like Ramona's soothing whispers or Naja's calm advice. 

He lifted me into his arms, one behind my knees and the other circling protectively around my back. My lungs screamed for air, my mind was going foggy, ears falling deaf to Echo's words. Everything was fading into black, into that abyss I met so often we could have been the best of old friends. 

It was warmer here than I last remembered-- softer, too. My world grew darkened. No, I didn't want to go, I wanted to stay here with this warmth, with this scent that put me at ease. But, to stay here, I had to calm down, take back control.

Control.

I slowly regained my vision and sense of feel as I pulled myself back into reality. A heavy weight pressed against my body, the kind of weight that made me feel secure and safe. The weight was soft, which I found strange. Moving my hands, I dug my fingers into a surprisingly thick mass of fur. 

I don't remember having a blanket like this. . .

The weight shifted, and a wet nose nuzzled my neck, sniffing and sorting against my skin. A quick lash of tongue shot at my cheek, disappearing before I even had the chance to realize what was happening. I looked down, and the gray eyes of a wolf gazed back up at me. Golden fur covered his large body, darker around his ears and muzzle, lighter at the tip of his slightly wagging tail. 

"Huh?"

I looked around the apartment wildly. It was empty, save for me and the wolf in my lap, which could only mean one thing.

"Malcolm?" I whispered, focusing on the wolf. He sat on his hind legs, almost falling off the couch as he did so, and twitched his ears in recognition. A smile tugged at my lips and I shook my head, shocked at how such a stern-looking man could turn into a cuddly wolf.

Malcolm stood to jump off the couch, but before he could, I reached out to tug him back onto my lap, where he lay down with his muzzle under my chin with his head on my chest. I laughed, not expecting him to be so obedient, and hugged his body flush to mine. 

Echo's head jerked up, her eyes wide and sides panting. <This man is. . .>

<Hmm?> I responded, too busy with rubbing Malcolm's ears to care.

<Never would have guessed someone like him. . .>  She paced back and forth, her tail swishing. 

<Echo, what is it?> I finally asked, trailing a finger lightly down the dip between Malcolm's eyes before moving my hands to his scruff.

<He isn't a dominant beta like we initially thought!> she cried, her speed increasing. 

<Then what is he, an omega?> I joked, my main focus on massaging the wolf's neck. 

Echo stilled, and for a moment I believed my remark was right until she said, <No! He is. . . Malcolm is. . . is a submissive alpha!>

My hands paused their petting. Malcolm, a submissive alpha? He certainly had the physique and presence of an alpha or wolf with a dominant gene, but the thought of someone like him being submissive never would have crossed my mind.

<A-are you sure you're right?> I asked hesitantly, resuming my petting. <How can you even tell?>

<I don't know, I can just. .  tell. It's like an instinct,> she explained. <He is most definitely not dominant, or even neutral. I mean, just look at how he listened to you when you pulled him in!>

<That's. . .> I studied the wolf closer, trying to differentiate between dominant and submissive, but was stumped. Not that I didn't want to believe that Malcolm was submissive. With me being a dominant omega, he was practically a perfect match, a balance to my traits that a dominant alpha, beta, or another omega couldn't rival. I was about to say something before Echo hushed me hurriedly. 

<Shh, he's trying to speak.>

<Who's-->

I was silenced by yet another annoyed snort from Echo, rolling my eyes as I tangled my fingers deeper in the wolf's fur.

<Mmm. . . that feels nice,> a new voice said quietly, causing me to jump. The voice huffed a laugh. <I'm Apollo,> he said, pushing his way into my mind. <Nice to meet you.>

<Who. . .?>

Echo growled impatiently. <You're so slow to catch on. Malcolm's wolf,> she said with an eyeroll.

The connection clicked, and I looked down into the gray eyes of the wolf gazing up at me. Apollo wagged his tail, thumping into my leg. "You're Apollo, then? Nice to meet you," I said.

<Likewise,> Apollo replied warmly. <It feels good to meet you at last.>

"Speaking of meeting, why did you shift?" I eyed the shredded clothes on the floor. "It must have been sudden for you to cause such a mess."

<Ah, yes, sorry about that,> Apollo winced. <Malcolm was panicking, I was panicking. One  thing led to another and now I'm the most comfortable I've ever been in my life.> The last part ended with a purr, and the pale gold wolf shifted against my body.

"The most comfortable you've ever been? Have you never been petted before?" I said jokingly.

<Mmm. It's just been a while, and you scratch all the right places.> Apollo closed his eyes in pleasure, his chest emitting a faint trembling from the purr.

"Well, then," I said. "I'll just have to pet you a lot from now on, then."