Page 10

Arthur

My motorcycle trembledbetween my legs as I cranked the throttle and tore out of Wolfheart and into the forest-covered mountains that surrounded the city. I felt like I was barely holding on. My mind was twisting, everything churning around like it was caught in a storm of confused emotion. Perry had just walked back into my life, as naturally as if he hadn’t been gone for thirteenyears.

What the hellwas he doing, coming and seeing me after all thistime?

Memories flashed through my head,ones that I’d fought to forget. Memories of days spent in each other’s arms, convincing myself that everything would somehow work out in our favor, and love would win, and Perry wouldn’t actually have to leave Wolfheart to get married to a man who wasn’t me. I was young and naïve then. Just a dumb kid who’d fallen head over paws in love with his bestfriend.

Why’dhe have to come and findme?

Shit.Why the hell was Icrying?

Iflippedup the visor of my helmet to let the wind dry the few tears that collected at the corners of my eyes, and pulled my bike off the highway and into the trees past a rusted sign that read “Golden Forest Proving Grounds.” Ourspot.

The old racetrackwas once where all the wolf-cycle races in Wolfheart were held, but was closed several decades ago when the White Tree Clan sponsored the construction of a new track to be built in the heart of the city, using new standards and obstacles which brought Wolfheart into the competitive circuit. Until that time, Elclaw had been the capital of wolf-cycle racing, and all the best riders were from there. My bike had been designed there. Even though the Golden Forest track was no longer used for competition and was technically closed to the public, riders continued to bring their bikes there to practice for the real deal. Perry and I’d used to go there all the time. I would do practice runs, he’d give me feedback and help tune the bike, and we’d spend hours just sitting up on top of the old commentator’s box, watching other racers run the oldtrack.

It was alsothe only place we could go to get away from the reality of our situation—we were in a love that wasn’t meant to be. We could be together there, away from the prying eyes of Perry’sparents.

Ihadn’t been backto the Golden Forest Proving Grounds since the day he’d left me. In a way, maybe that was what’d rocketed me forward as a racer. I’d been forced to spend my time at the White Tree track, riding alongside the pros and tackling a true wolf-cycle obstaclecourse.

It was already approachingearly evening and the grounds were quiet. The rumble of my bike’s engine echoed across the abandoned lot as I pulled in, kicking up a flutter of fallen leaves in my wake. There was a single car parked in the middle of the gigantic lot, and I left my bike next to it. Without the stadium lights to illuminate the track, the place felt lonely and vast. The looming obstacles of the course were silhouetted against the pale evening sky, dark shapes like the geometry of an abstract painting. Up at the announcer’s box, I saw the sweep of a flashlight floating around like a firefly. I took a breath, straightened my shirt, and started the climb up the many stairs towards thebox.

This was crazy.Meeting Perry here again was crazy. Maybe I’d gonecrazy.

But no,as I climbed up the rusted access ladder and pulled myself onto the roof of the announcer’s box, he really was there. He sat on the edge looking out over the race track, his legs dangling over the side. The wind rustled his hair, carrying a swirl of leaves up from the ground into a vortex around him. As if sensing my presence, he looked back over his shoulder at me, brushing his blonde hair back from his forehead. In the fading light, he almost didn’t look real. Like he was a spirit, orsomething.

“Tellme what the hell is going on,” I said, not moving any closer. Everything I’d locked away was there, I could feel it smoldering on the edge of my mind, threatening to break free again, and I was afraid to get pulled back into the madness that was being so in love with someone who loved you back, but could never really be withyou.

“Iran,”he said, his voice steady andclear.

“Why?”

“Because my husband is a cheating,manipulative, horrible pile of dog shit. Everything you knew he’d be. I couldn’t stand to have him near my little girl anylonger.”

Little girl.Perry had adaughter.

“So I ran back to Wolfheart,”he went on. “I’d tried before, but he’d stopped me. Guilted me, threatened me, convinced me not to. Finally, I’d had enough and just left. I took Jupiter and came back. So, here I am. Here for now. Until my dog shit husband comes around to ‘claim his omega’ and haul Jupiter and me back toElclaw.”

Perry’s expressionwas steeled and calm, but I could hear the emotion burning in hisvoice.

“Hounds of Hell,”I muttered. It hurt to hear this from him. I’d wanted to believe that all this time, Perry had been living happily in Elclaw and that my intuition about his then fiancé had been off the mark. Thirteen years. He’d been going through this for that long? I felt a flame of anger flickering up in my heart, both because he’d been hurt and because I hadn’t been able to do anything to help him. I was a Luna, a member of the Crescent Moon Clan, one of the most powerful in Wolfheart—and it hadn’t meantanything.

Iwentto him and without hesitation, wrapped my arms around him. I could feel him trembling softly as he relaxed against my body. I hugged him tighter, silently willing his pain away. “I’m sorry, Perry,” I said, and I felt his arms slowly wrap around me. His warm and familiar scent instantly transported me back in time. I felt like I was thirteen years younger. I closed myeyes.

“Fate is either kind or cruel,”he said, “for bringing me back toyou.”

We sat downnext to each other on the ledge of the announcer’s box and stared out across the racetrack.

“Ican’t believeyou’re actually here,” I said. “It doesn’t feelreal.”

“Iknow,”he said, and sighed. “I hope you won’t be upset to hear that I hadn’t intended to come to Wolfheart to find you. It really was an act of fate. I’m not here with the expectation of anything from you. It just so happened that I went to the White Tree stadium while you wereracing.”

“I’m not upset,”I said. “Can I be honest withyou?”

“You know you can.”

“I’d almost forgotten you existed.”

He looked at me,but I saw no offense in his eyes. “Because anything else would’ve been too painful. I understand. I had to force myself to forget, too, in order for me to live a normal life.” Perry looked away and rubbed his hands anxiously in hislap.