With a huff, I turn my muzzle to the wind, searching for something else to chase. Something larger, maybe. Something that doesn’t remind me of Aurelia’s absurd pet rabbit, which I’ve been feeding for months, despite my better judgement.
My nostrils flare and my hackles rise as I prowl deeper into the forest, hoping for the musky scent of a bear, or even another wolf. I want to chase something that will fight back and pose an actual challenge before I ultimately catch it.
The only thing that might be better would be if I weren’t hunting alone.
Wolves are pack animals. My friends—Jett, Daemon and Kas—are good men, but none are shifters. They can’t understand how I need violence just to feel sane. They don’t know what it’s like to be constantly aware of the hollow ache where pack bonds should be. I hated my old pack—hated the war camps and everything they represented—but now, without them, I think I’m slowly losing my mind.
Finally, a deer’s scent catches my attention. It’s not the sort of challenge that I wanted, but I still give chase instinctively, needing to burn this restless energy before it consumes me. I burst through the trees and into a clearing, then skid to a halt. From fifty paces away, I watch the deer, its head dipping to nibble at wild berries. My paws make no sound against the frosty earth as I hold myself perfectly still, waiting.
Wolves rarely hunt like this—we don’t stalk our prey like cats—but it’s different now that I’m alone. Without pack mates to drive the prey toward me, without voices to coordinate the kill, I’ve had to learn patience.
The deer lifts its head, ears twitching, and I freeze mid-step, one paw suspended in air, my breath held tight in my chest. Finally, I can’t wait anymore. I dart out from behind the trees, jaws wide as I lunge for the deer.
A blast of heat cracks against my ribs like a burning whip, sending me flying sideways.What the fuck?
My shoulder connects painfully with a tree trunk, and I land sprawled against the forest floor. Out of the corner of my eye, the deer’s white tail flashes once between the trees, then vanishes, but I’m no longer interested in it.
In a second, I’m up, teeth bared, eyes darting all around for whatever just hit me.
My gaze catches on something red between the trees, and shock reverberates through my entire body. My heartbeat skips, then thunders against my ribs, and the wolf in my head whines.
It’s Aurelia.
Like somehow my obsessive thoughts conjured her into being, she’s standing no more than twenty paces from me, her dark hair gleaming red in a shaft of sunlight, face tilted upward, lips slightly parted. There’s a red squirrel of all fucking things sitting on her left shoulder, its tiny claws gripping the fabric of her cloak. When I look at it, the squirrel scampers into Aurelia’s hood and out of sight.
For a second, I’m so shocked to see her that I freeze. Then a sharp metallic scent hits my nose and understanding dawns; she hit me with a spell—no, wait—she hitthe wolfwith a spell, probably aiming to save the deer.
If I could roll my eyes in this form, I would. Of course Aurelia would throw herself between a predator and its dinner with no thought for her own safety. I warned her! I fucking warned her that if she ever came across a wolf, she should run. If I wanted to hurt her, she’d already be dead.
That thought makes an involuntary growl rip from my throat, and Aurelia jumps backward in alarm. Good, at least she’s paying fucking attention now.
“Oh Gods, what big teeth you have,” she mutters.
I let out another low growl.That’s right; now run, little witch.
Aurelia doesn’t run, or even reach for her sword. Instead, she raises both arms and tries to shoo me away.“Alright, run along now. Go on.”
I stare at her, caught somewhere between astonishment and horror. By the Gods, how has she not already gotten herself killed?
“Shoo! I’m sorry I let your dinner escape, alright? I really don’t want to hurt you. But if you keep coming closer, I’m going to have to, and neither of us is going to be happy about that.”
I can’t fucking believe this.
After all those hours I spent training her, Aurelia still has this maddening reluctance to strike first. Even now, facing what she believes is a hungry wolf, she hasn’t reached for her sword. What was all that damn training for if she’s still going to treat all monsters like fluffy kittens?
To my immense relief, as I take another step closer, Aurelia’s hand finally flies to the hilt of her blade. Good girl.
Aurelia draws the sword, pointing it at me, and despite her obvious reluctance, her hand doesn’t shake at all. “Alright, I warned you. Last chance to run away.”
I take a few steps back. Aurelia relaxes, probably thinking that the wolf is scared of her sword and is giving up. Not fucking likely.
The next time we train, I’m going to have to make her understand that implied threats mean nothing to monsters and even less to trained killers. If this were a real fight, I would never run away from her. She’d have to kill me before I killed her. The only reason I’m even considering backing off is because I’m not willing to actually fight her, so if she attacks me there’s nothing I can do. I’d have to shift back, and that would mean explaining a lot of things I’d hoped she’d never have to know.
Unwilling to turn my back on an enemy—even if it’s just Aurelia—I back slowly away until she’s nearly out of sight. She doesn’t try to come after me, and eventually I hear her sheathe her sword and then her footsteps moving away.
What the fuck is she doing out here?
I thought she would be asleep in her tower after the chaos last night, but no, she’s decided it’s a nice day for a walk? I wasn’t paying attention while I was running, but I must have coveredseveral miles, maybe more. We must be halfway to the Thermian border by now.
