Again, it strikes me how safe I feel with him. If anyone else had led me into a forest at night, it would have triggered my fight or flight response. “It’s fine with just the two of us,” I assure him.
We walk a little further, silence engulfing us for a while until I break it. “Say, Forest, how do you think your parents truly feel about Lissa, now that everything went down?”
Forest takes my hand into his, walking next to me now. “I don’t know. I am not sure if they knew everything she was up to.”
“I agree. I think they knew about her blackmailing Nina’s mate, but I am not sure if they truly knew what she was doing in the pack. After all, they wanted her as your mate, and image is everything for them.”
“Yeah, she might have played a role in front of them, too,” Forest agrees.
“Maybe they think she lied to them about your mate, as well,” I point out. “After all, you appeared with me at your side, and nothing indicates that we aren’t mates.”
“I was wondering about that,” he admits. “Maybe they think you are truly my mate,” he smiles. “Now that would be convenient.”
I chuckle. “Right?”
He stops abruptly. “Here,” he says. “This clearing is far away from the warriors who are on guard duty tonight.” He looks at me. “We don’t need to do it if you don’t feel comfortable.”
“I am fine,” I reassure him, and like the gentleman he is, he turns around for me to strip off my clothes. Once I am naked, I let Alora take over, shifting into her wolf form. Forest follows suit, and suddenly, I am eye to eye with his majestic dark grey wolf.
Alora is of alpha blood, too, so she stands tall for a she-wolf, but she is nowhere near as big as he is. She doesn’t show her discomfort, though, but doesn’t hold back on her distrust.
Darien, however, doesn’t approach her, but lowers himself to the ground, looking up at her through his dark eyes.
Alora gasps,I can’t believe he just did that!She takes a few steps forward, her curiosity and fascination now winning over. Darien remains lying on the ground, dropping to his side now, as if he is sleeping.
What’s he doing?I ask.
He is submitting to me,she blurts out.He wants me not to be scared; that’s why. An alpha wolf, who is so forthcoming! Now, that’s a surprise.
Her initial skepticism is gone, and she takes a leap forward to Darien’s side, burying her nose into his fur and sniffing athim. Darien raises his head now, turning it to follow Alora’s movements. She jumps around him until he gets up.
I don’t have much experience of interactions with other wolves, due to Jordan basically having me locked in and never letting me join the other pack members, but I can tell that Alora is intrigued. She is not scared anymore; I can’t even feel any distrust from her. Instead, she seems joyful, almost free.
She hasn’t been able to take a run for so long.
Darien probably senses this because he nudges her with his snout before taking off into the forest. Alora follows suit, for the first time in a long while, letting loose and feeling her freedom.
twenty-six
A Test Run
*FOREST*
Ican barely grasp what happened over the last twenty-four hours. I finally got rid of Lissa for good, helped the omegas in their social standing, kissed Rosea and was able to let Darien run with her wolf. After that, we were both so tired we went to sleep immediately.
The next day feels strange, but not in an uncomfortable way. Just… new. Rose iswithme now. She kissed me, then let me connect with her wolf and told me she would stay my luna.
But it’s all so new. I can’t fuck it up! Not with her. She is so special, she deserves the best.
That’s why I hate it even more that she will see me at my worst today.
“You look exhausted,” Rose says. “Is everything alright, Forest?”
Her expression is one of worry, and it makes me wonder again why everyone called her icy before. She is so warm and kind. “Can I kiss you?”
She looks surprised at first, but then smiles. “Yes.”
I make sure not to overwhelm her with the way I hold her or kiss her. I don’t want her to be scared of me or to be reminded of that asshat Jordan. He was an alpha too, and obviously the worst kind of it. He saw her as his property, but I want her to be my partner.
