Page 37 of Heroes & Hitmen (Windy City Wolfpack #1)
Ares
There’s nothing like the anticipation of a run. The feeling starts as a burn in my chest, growing and spreading until every cell in my body is begging for release. It’s not just a want, but a need. A primal urge that’s impossible to ignore.
It isn’t the city itself that has me feeling seconds away from ripping out of my skin lately.
My human side is drawn to the noise, the crowds, the relentless thrum of it all– but a wolf isn’t meant to be cooped up for weeks at a time.
Mine has been chewing on the inside of my skull for days, demanding to be set free.
Between these shitty job assignments and the maddening game of hot and cold Miley’s been playing, my inner animal is going a special kind of stir crazy.
It won’t be long now. We’ve made it out of the city, the skyline fading behind us as the trees ahead get taller, clustered tighter together along the road. Soon, we’ll be running free.
Miley’s been giving me turn-by-turn directions from the passenger seat since we left campus.
I keep looking over at her, thinking how good she looks riding shotgun in my truck, while she keeps sneaking glances my way like she’s not sure if this is a date or a hostage situation.
She’s always got her guard up; always bracing herself for disaster.
If anyone needs to run until the rest of the world falls away, it’s her .
“Take this next left,” she directs, pointing out a narrow driveway that’s half hidden by trees.
I hit the brakes and whip the turn, my truck bouncing past a weathered sign warning that this pothole-ridden road is a dead end for ranger access only, not a public entrance to the preserve.
Semantics.
“This place is perfect,” I murmur as the forest closes in around us. “Nice and remote.”
She makes a scoffing sound in her throat, but her lips quirk at the edges like she’s trying not to smile.
“What?” I ask, shooting her a side-eyed glance.
“You sound like a creep.”
“Was that a compliment?”
“In your case, probably.” She shakes her head, a smirk tugging at her lips as she turns her attention back to the windshield. “You can pull off here,” she says, nodding toward a break in the trees ahead where the shoulder widens.
I veer off where she indicated, shifting the gear into park and killing the engine. My entire body hums with excitement as I toss off my seatbelt, pocket my keys, and swing the door open to hop out.
Miley’s already two steps ahead, out of the truck and moving toward a narrow game trail that cuts through the thick brush lining the road. She glances back toward me impatiently, waving for me to hurry up, then ducks into the trees like she just assumes I’ll follow.
Which, of course, I do.
The trail is tight and overgrown, twigs snagging at my clothes as I hustle to catch up.
Though we aren’t far from the city, it’s gloriously quiet out here– just the chirp of birds, the scuttle of small animals, and the whisper of leaves overhead.
The air is dense with the scent of damp earth and pine, my wolf growing more restless beneath my skin as we push deeper into the forest.
Eventually, we reach a break in the trees that gives way to a small clearing. It’s a decent distance from the road, surrounded by thick brush, and open enough to strip down and shift. Perfect.
“Here?” I ask, my inner animal so close to the surface that my voice comes out as a rough growl.
Miley just nods and turns away without a word, popping the button on her jeans and sliding them down her hips.
As if turning her back will stop me from shamelessly checking her out.
My hungry gaze stays locked on her body as I quickly strip down to nothing, eyes greedily drinking in every inch of smooth, bare skin.
She undresses methodically, folding each item of clothing into a tidy stack on a nearby log.
Even out here, she moves like she’s under surveillance– precise, careful, never more exposed than she has to be.
It’s only when she finally glances over and catches me staring that she lets her guard down a fraction.
“Enjoying the view?” she teases as she spins to face me, folding her arms under her boobs and lifting her chin in challenge.
Of course, my eyes immediately drop to her rack. Can’t help it– she’s got the prettiest tits I’ve ever seen. My pulse kicks up a notch, and I wet my lips with my tongue before dragging my gaze back to hers, giving her a lazy wink. “Always.”
She huffs out a breath, clearly unimpressed, but the blush blooming across her cheeks and the quick flare of silver in her eyes tell a different story.
The tension in the air crackles between us as we stare each other down, both of our wolves obviously close to the surface.
And while I’m tempted to annoy her some more, the forest is calling.
The moment I drop my mental barriers and give my wolf the green light, he bursts from my skin in a rush of heat and sensation.
A thousand nerves fire at once, bones snapping and rearranging, body reforming in a wild, glorious blur.
The world around me sharpens. I smell everything– the wet earth, the rot of old leaves, the lingering sweetness of Miley’s skin.
My hearing’s so dialed in I can pick up the steady thrum of her pulse as she calls her own wolf forward, and I glance over just in time to catch her shift.
Miley’s back arches, fingers curling, the air shimmering around her like diamonds. Then her wolf crashes through, a beautiful beast with pale gold fur and eyes like frozen lightning. She shakes out her coat before snapping her head my way, and for a second, I just stare.
She’s stunning .
Not just in the way all wolves are, but in a way that feels like it’s been tailored to wreck me specifically.
She moves with a predator’s grace, her hackles high, spine taut with defiance.
My own beast riots with the urge to lunge for her, bow to her, roll in the dirt at her feet. She’s everything .
Miley pads toward me, head low and ears pinned.
Our wolves immediately begin circling one another instinctively, noses twitching, bodies brushing.
It only takes them a second to recognize what our human brains have been struggling to rationalize– the raw, undeniable connection that burns between us.
The kind that makes every other thought evaporate, leaving nothing but primal impulse.
She presses her head against my neck and I nuzzle back, dragging my muzzle through the thick fur behind her ear as I breathe her in. She huffs a soft growl, then flicks her tail in my face and darts away, bolting through a gap in the trees.
Oh, it’s like that?
Excitement surges through me as I tear off after her, paws churning up dirt while I push to close the distance.
She’s fast. Smart, too– zigzagging to throw me off, then doubling back and nipping at my hind legs before taking off again.
I chase, sometimes close enough to snap at her tail, other times left behind as she vanishes over a ridge.
The run is pure, unfiltered bliss– every muscle burns, every nerve sings. There’s no real destination as we weave through the woods, dodging trees and chasing through underbrush. Just the freedom of movement, the rush of being untethered from everything weighing us down.
Out here, there’s no pressure, control, or rules.
Out here, we’re just… free.
I lose track of how long we run– twenty minutes, an hour, maybe more.
Time doesn’t matter. At some point, we end up side by side, loping through a sun-drenched meadow spiked with thistles and wildflowers.
The afternoon light slices through the trees in long, dappled beams, and we’re so caught up in the run– in each other – that we don’t hear the voices until they’re practically on top of us.
“Told you there were coyotes out here!”
I slam to a stop, muscles locking. Miley nearly crashes into me from behind, skidding to a stop with her hackles raised, ears swiveling.
We both go completely still, eyes fixed on the thick tangle of trees ahead, barely even breathing.
Two figures move through the brush maybe thirty yards away– teens or college kids, if I had to guess. They’re laughing, one of them waving around a vape pen, oblivious to the predators in their midst. But then the other one stops. Stares.
“Dude, holy shit, I think that’s actually a wolf,” he gasps, pointing in our direction.
Miley whips around and bolts .
I’m right behind her, paws digging into the earth, heart thundering in my chest. The carefree thrill of the run evaporates in an instant, replaced by pure adrenaline. It’s ten minutes of full-speed panic, neither of us stopping until we reach the clearing where we left our clothes.
Both of us skid to a halt when we get there, chests heaving, ears straining for any sign of pursuit.
Nothing . Just the soft rustle of trees and the distant call of birds.
We shift back fast, then scramble for our clothes, dressing in a rush as I mutter a string of curses under my breath.
“So stupid,” Miley hisses, yanking her shirt down. “We should’ve been paying more attention.”
I tug my shorts on, adrenaline still firing through my veins. “They won’t remember. Probably think we were hallucinations.”
She whirls on me, eyes wide and wild. “You don’t get it. One sighting, even a rumor, could spell disaster. We have to report it, have to–”
“No, we don’t,” I cut in, shoving my feet into my shoes. “We’re fine. You worry too much.”
The glare she aims my way is glacial. Without another word, she whips around and stalks toward the trail, shoulders bunched with tension.
“Miley!” I call after her, stumbling as I lunge forward, nearly tripping over my shoelaces. “Come on…”
She spins on her heel, eyes blazing with fury as she points a finger in my direction. “You’re too reckless, Ares. You don’t think about the consequences, ever . You just run around doing whatever the hell you want, not caring if you drag everyone else down with you!”