His words didn’t carry any weird undertone, and he seemed pleased at our relationship.
“We were starting to think he'd never find?—”
“Bryce!” Riven glared at him.
Bryce poked out his tongue. “Relax, AlphaApparent.” He stressed the last word. “I’m just making conversation.”
There was that title some of the staff had used. Alpha Apparent. But Bryce was Riven’s cousin, though he was playful, and they joked and teased one another throughout the rest of the evening.
When midnight approached, Riven apologized. “I need to step out for a bit. Family tradition. We do a midnight run through the woods on Christmas Eve.”
“In the dark? With all that snow?” If he expected me to join them, he was going to be disappointed.
“We're used to it. It won't take long.” He brushed a kiss against my cheek.
“I'll be fine.” I plonked myself in an armchair. “Go do your family thing.”
Riven hesitated. “I wish you could—” He stopped, and I put a finger to his lips.
“Go, and no, I won’t be watching.”
He and his cousins swept through the large doors, laughing and chatting.
Antonia approached, asking if I wanted more wine.
“No. I'm going to head back to the cabin.” I set down my empty glass.
She placed a hand on my arm. “Alone? Are you sure? The paths can be tricky at night, especially after wine.”
“I'll be fine,” I assured her. “I know the way.”
“Let me have someone escort you.”
“No. Let them enjoy the remainder of the night.” I put on my jacket. “Tell Riven I went home… ummm, back.”
With a wave, I slipped out into the night. The cold air cleared my head, and the moon guided me along the path I’d taken every day since I arrived.
A howl broke the stillness. A second joined it, and a third. They reminded me of a chorus.I hugged myself against the cold and picked out dark shapes moving through the trees.
Wolves! I counted at least seven of them running together in the moonlight. I gulped. Riven had assured me no wolf would attack a person, but I was by myself, with no one to protect me. I told my legs to run, but they didn’t get the message.
Damn.Move!They didn’t listen.
As I squinted into the darkness, one of the wolves broke from the group and veered in my direction.Stay away. Go back to your friends or family.
As the wolf approached the edge of the trees, my heart thumped loudly, and I thought it might have scared the wolf away. But as the animal came closer, its shape blurred and changed… no, morphed into something else. I blinked. This was a trick. Riven’s family must do this to unsuspecting guests. But as I stared, the wolf's body elongated, and it rose up on hind legs. Skin replaced fur, and paws evolved into hands and feet.
Riven.
I must have screamed because his head snapped up, and his eyes widened as they met mine. We stared at each other across the snow. Him naked, but still with a tail and half covered in fur.
“Indigo. Wait!”
I ran, not caring if I slipped and cracked my skull. I had to reach the cabin or get the heck out of here. Behind me, he called my name again, but I didn't slow down.
I reached our cabin. No, not our cabin, the cabin. Not ours, not anymore, if it ever was. Shit, what the freaking fuck? The porch was adorned with mistletoe. Not the wild kind but the pretty stuff we had in the city. I yanked at it before fumbling with the door, and when I got inside, I slammed the lock into place and slid to the floor, my back against the door.
Riven was a wolf. How was that possible? But I'd witnessed it.
