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Fen? Mate, love? Is it you?Oh, his mate woke quickly, the touch of that mind like a drug.

He followed his nose down the hall, and as soon as he found the door that held his mate, he nosed it open and saw his mate sitting there.

He stared, stunned. His mate was a mottled red, with a lovely white muzzle, long, slender legs, and amazing ears. He could imagine his mate running so quickly, moving through the trees like a streak of lightning.

So beautiful.

Oh, they were going to make beautiful babies.

His mate stood, staring down at him, from on top of the mattress, and then bowed deep, his muzzle resting on the mattress.Hello. Mate, mate, it is you.

He nodded.It is me. Come, mate, let’s run. Let’s run as fast as we can.

As Rory hopped down, he found himself panting, almost unbearably excited.

His muzzle rubbed against Rory’s, and a burst of pure happiness hit him, making him bark.

Rory barked back at him, and they turned as one, running out the series of open doors in a flash. He knew the way back now, too, and he followed the trail of Liam’s truck back up the hill, turning onto the dirt track. He led Rory away from “civilization” as quickly as he could, not wanting to take a chance on being seen by a random hiker or some such.

Humans took such a dim view of wolves. They loved to look at them in zoos, but not in the wild.

They ran, and Rory soon passed him, tail like a flag, a moving target for him to keep up with. To nip at teasingly.

Oh, he was so in love.

Rory was as quick as he had imagined and intensely curious. He ran in bursts, then would stop to hunt, exploring every sound, every sniff, every fallen leaf. It was at once adorable and exhausting.

Rory chased the rabbits. He dug a mole. He disturbed the birds. Then he snapped up a grasshopper, which made him foam a little bit and gag. Then he immediately went and ate a beetle.

Finally, Fen just plopped down in a little spot of grass, snuggled in, and watched. He didn’t begrudge Rory this first shift, the pure rush and joy of it, but he was going to save his shoulder, his energy, in case he had to do something to wear Rory out so that he could shift back into his human form later.

Is it always like this?

Fen chewed a burr out of his tail.Always. If there’s food and water and good rest, being a wolf is amazing. You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

Me? What about you? It’s like I’ve never seen you before.Rory’s tongue lolled out.You glow.

Do I?He didn’t mind that, not one bit.

You do. The moon is making you shine.Rory’s head tilted, those huge ears twitching.Someone’s coming.

Are they? Who?He felt the presence too, but Rory needed to learn this. To experience his wolf.

Don’t know. Rory sniffed again, inhaling deep.I do know. I know that smell.

As Rory danced in anticipation, Jameson and Keegan appeared as wolves, the alphas staring at them both.

To his surprise, Rory bowed again, tail just wagging.

Jameson and Keegan took that as their due, and they came to Rory, rubbing muzzles with him, welcoming him as pack.

That squeezed Fen’s heart, because it was so amazing to watch.

Shocking him, Rory then brought Jameson and Keegan to him, and he stood, shaking out his fur from nose to tail. He didn’t bow deep like Rory. He had been an alpha of sorts in his own right. But he did acknowledge them as his pack alphas now. He wanted to stay here.

To be with Rory.

Jameson touched noses with him, cold and wet and surprising, and he chuffed, his tail wagging of its own accord.