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“Okay, well, I have something else in mind. Something more natural to us, at least for one part of us.”

“Go on.”

“What if we let our wolves out for a run? Allow them a time to bond like we have the last two days. What do you think?”

“I’m listening.”

I shift as I rub my growing slick along his growing bulge between us. “I want to go for a run, allow them to have fun, and if they mark each other, great. If not, then when we get back home, you and I can do it. What do you think?”

“I think you are stalling, but I’ll allow it.” He leans up till our noses touch. His eyes bounce from side to side as he watches me. “Just know that I’ll be marking this pretty skin of yours at some point today.”

I jump up as I turn to run to the back door. “Only if you can catch me first.” Running through the house, I throw open the back door, allowing the shift to take over. Before I can even blink, I’m running on four paws across the damp soil into the forest.

With a look over my shoulder, I see Warrick standing proudly on his back porch watching me run away. “Oh, I’ll catch you, Rose!” he yells out to me as he turns into his steel gray wolf.

Chapter 28

Wraith

My paws pound across the dirt as I chase the blur of white fur running ahead of me. It feels amazing to be outside, running through the woods after being cooped up inside Warrick for so many weeks. He had such a tight leash on me I wasn’t even able to continue my nightly tours around Aspen’s house to mark our territory.

I’m even more excited because we can finally claim our mate. This run through the woods is more a mating ritual than anything else. I don’t even bother to run at my full speed. Instead, I enjoy the time running a few paces behind her.

It would only take a few seconds for me to catch her. I’ll allow her the time to think she is outrunning me. It will make it all the better when I catch her.

Her head whips to the side, checking to see if I’m still behind her. I clack my jaw together, eliciting a yelp from her as she picks up the pace again. Her agile body weaves to the left as she attempts to outmaneuver me, not realizing her coat is practicallysparkling in the sun’s rays coming through the canopy. I could easily spot her anywhere in the woods right now. Winter would be a different story.

The deeper she runs into the woods, the more excitement thrums through my veins. She wants us to bond, for us to have the time to mark each other without an interruption, like the chance of the humans stumbling upon us.

I lope gently behind her, keeping pace. Once I’m sure of the area she is heading off to, I change my course to catch her off guard.

It’s easy enough to outrun her as my legs pound across the ground. Jumping over fallen trees and whipping around trees, I come to a clearing only a few feet ahead of where she should come out. I sit on my haunches and wait, only she doesn’t come like she should be. She should already be here. My head whips to each side, looking for any sign of her. My ears flick up in alternating directions to see if I can hear her movements.

I’m just about to go back into the woods to look for her when I’m tackled to the ground. In a blur of white and gray fur, we tumble to a stop with Aisling on top of me. She clacks her teeth at my jaw as I hold her back with my paw. Her hind legs dig into my stomach to find the leverage needed to push past my front paws. She isn’t expecting me to use mine to push against her stomach, dislodging her.

Aisling quickly rights herself as she paces in a circle around me. Rolling to my paws, I jump up to keep her in my sights. Her growl is low as she lowers her head down to the ground.Oh, she wants a battle for dominance. Alright, pup, let’s see who wins this game.

We circle each other as we both look for our opportunity, both taking lunges at the other, hoping to catch the other off guard. In all the times of circling each other, neither of us can get the jump on the other. She must realize it’s a failed idea, as she lowers herself to the ground and exposes her belly to me. Good, I’m ready to move onto the fun stuff.

Sauntering over to her, I move my snout down her, inhaling her scent as I go. Finally. My legs move to stand over top of her. Feeling the victory, I move in to claim my prize. My jaws widen as I lower myself to her neck. I’m just about to bite her when she launches up and clamps her jaw down on my neck.

As her venom seeps into my skin, she tightens her grip on me as she rolls us over till she is on top of me.“Mine!”she growls through our mind link. After a few seconds of pumping the venom into me, she finally releases me as she steps back.“Now, be a good pup and mark me like you should have done years ago.”

I roll over to my side and stare up at her in shock. I can’t even believe that just happened. I was topped from the bottom.

A laugh echoes through our link.“Yes, you were.”

Grumbling, I push myself up as she sits down on her haunches.“You will pay for that one,”I growl at her.

She tilts her head to the side,” I’m banking on that.”

Wasting no more time, I take my chance to mark her in return, savoring the moment our link fully snaps into place.

As soon as I let go, she stands up and shakes out her fur.“Now, the first one back home has to lick the other one to completion.”She lurches forward as she races out of the clearing.

Shaking out my fur, I realize that life is always going to be wild with Aisling and Aspen in our lives. I look forward to every second.

Chapter 29