Shifted Fate Novel

Chapter 420

I started on the first firewall, which I breached without issue. However, the second firewall blared the alarm. "Amy!" I sighed. "Got it." I fixed my breach and tried again. And again. And again. By midday, I felt like banging my head against the screen in frustration. I groaned when I heard Alannah call out once more. "Amy."

"Seriously?" I slammed my keyboard in irritation. I had made it halfway to the mainframe undetected, but I was stuck around the ninth firewall.

I stood up and began to pace. Alannah appeared at the door. "Why don't you take a lunch break? Take thirty minutes to regroup, then come back and attack. You'll still have three hours to eliminate the virus once you settle." She smiled and handed me the menu. "Maybe you're just hangry."

I huffed out a breath, then nodded. "You're probably right." I sighed and sank back into my chair. Scanning the menu, I decided I needed meat—lots of meat.

"Is everything okay?" I called back to my wolves. Nix looked at me with wide eyes.

"I think we might have a problem soon."

"What do you mean?" I turned to focus on them, my gaze glazing over. Megan stepped out of the forest, looking a little shaken.

"Erubus was just here."

"Okay... I looked around. He's gone, obviously. So what's the issue?" I added, "I might not like that he comes to see you two, but I'll get over it."

They both shook their heads.

"You don't understand." Nix huddled next to Megan.

"Just tell me!" I threw my hands up in frustration. Megan looked at Nix and sighed.

"We're going into heat."

I froze. "What do you mean 'we'?" I glanced between the two of them. "When? How?"

"He said we have maybe a week or two if we can delay it," Nix interjected.

"But... But what?" I looked at my wolves, sensing the fear building within me. I couldn't endure that again alone. Megan pressed against Nix, drawing strength from her.

"We're both going into heat... at the same time." The words hit me like a fist to the chest. Panic surged, and I had no way to quell it. I slid my chair back, slamming it against the wall, and resumed pacing.

"How is this happening? We haven't met our mate. We only went into heat because of the kudzu. How is this even possible?" Both my wolves averted their eyes, but Nix glanced back almost guiltily.

"Once a wolf goes through a heat, it's possible for them to go through another. There are just circumstances that increase the likelihood of it happening."

"Which are?" I grabbed the menu again. I needed meat—now.

"Alannah?"

"Yeah, Amy?" She appeared at my door almost immediately, looking a bit confused.

I handed her back the menu. "My brain won't let me focus. Can you order me some steaks? Rare. I just need meat." I turned away. "And carbs."

She studied me for a moment, quickly realizing something was off, and agreed. "Of course."

I turned my attention back to my wolves. "Now spill. How did this happen?" They both dropped down and stared at their paws, clearly guilty of something.

"Talk to me!" I urged.

Megan sighed. "We're sorry; we didn't realize it until today, and now it's too late. It's already building."

"What happened?"

"Erubus happened," Nix finally met my gaze. "Erubus caused it."

I staggered back to my chair and sat down. "What do you mean? What did he do to us?"

"Nothing." Megan surged to her feet. "He didn't do anything but be our friend."

I looked at my two wolves, struggling to find my words. "I'm confused. Help me understand."

Nix nodded. "After a wolf goes through her first heat, it can be triggered again, even if it was forced on us. But usually only by meeting our mate... or more herbal intervention. Like more kudzu."

"Exactly."

"But..." Nix looked away. "It can also happen if the wolf is around another wolf they like... like a chosen mate."

If I hadn't been sitting, I would have fallen to the ground. "But we don't have a chosen mate. We don't have any freaking mate."

Megan nodded. "We know that... but our hormones don't realize it."

"Because..." I looked at my two wolves and shook my head. "You guys... you can't be serious. He already hurt us."

They both nodded. "We know. And it wasn't intentional."

Nix looked back to the trees and sighed. "We didn't want this to happen, but without Rowan interfering with him, Erubus is—"

"Amazing," Megan finished for her, gazing at me with sad eyes.

"After Brandon, I was set on never having another mate. Not one I would love. I would do it for you two, but I was going to hold myself outside. Away from the feelings, the emotion."

"Then what happened?"

"Erubus happened."