Page 12 of Mated to Fenrir (Fated Mates Collection #5)

DELIA

A light breeze ruffled through my hair as I waited in the car park for Fenrir. Maybe we should have arrived together, but considering we were trying to make sure we weren't acting on something just because our wolves wanted it, I knew that it was better this way.

An electric car pulled into the car park, and he got out, his whole face lighting up when he saw me.

I made my way over, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him as if we'd been greeting one another for years and knew just what to do.

My wolf howled within me, desperate for me to let her be in control. It was only going to be a matter of time before she was, but that didn't stop me from needing her to cool it.

"Hey," I whispered against his lips.

"Hi," he responded.

"So, good news is that we're the only ones here." I gestured around at the general lack of cars.

"That does make shifting easier," he agreed.

"So, I'm going to go back over to my car and shift," I said. "You're welcome to look."

He laughed. "I'll be tempted to."

I kissed him again before making my way over, knowing that his gaze was on me the whole time. I'd worn a dress simply for how easy it was to take off in situations like this. While it was great that no one was here, I didn't know that until I'd arrived myself.

I locked gazes with Fenrir and pulled it over my head.

Maybe I shouldn't be teasing him before we let our wolves take over, but I was having too much fun seeing him react to me, and it only made me want to do it more.

I dropped my dress into the back of my car and kept eye contact as I stripped off my underwear, leaving me completely naked under his gaze.

A thrill travelled through me, especially because the expression on his face suggested that there was a part of him that wanted to come and take me up against the nearest tree.

I wouldn't say no.

But there were practical things to deal with first, and running off some of my wolf's energy was a must. I grabbed the leather pouch from the back of my car and hung it around my neck.

The cord felt too long in this form, but I knew it would be right when I shifted.

I locked my car and slipped the key into the pouch, leaning against the car to watch Fenrir undress.

I should feel exposed being here naked, but the company made it feel comfortable, which was something I could get used to for future runs.

He put his car keys in a pouch of his own and sauntered over to me with the confidence of someone who knew how good he looked.

"Ready to run?" I asked him.

"Are you?" he responded.

I bit my lip and looked him up and down. "I'm ready for a lot of things."

A smile played at his lips, and he leaned in. "I'm sure you are. But later."

I swallowed hard and nodded, managing to get myself under control. I knew he meant it when he said that, and that tonight was going to be an important one for us, especially if neither of us had changed our minds after our conversation last night.

I knew that I hadn't.

The sound of another car approaching cut through our moment, and Fenrir pulled back. "Ready?" he asked.

"Yes."

I stepped away from him, making sure we both had enough space for the shift. I closed my eyes and tugged on the innate magic I'd been born with, transforming into a sleek grey wolf.

Fenrir had done the same, though his wolf was bigger than mine, with darker fur. I could see why the myths had called him a monster wolf, though it was just because of the power he clearly had, rather than anything sinister about his presence.

I moved forward and pushed my snout against his, feeling a thrill go through me when he nuzzled me back. I'd run with plenty of wolves, both people I thought were my mates, and those who weren't, but this already felt different.

He gestured with his head to the trees, and I made an approximation of a nod in return. Neither of us ran as we made our way from the car park to the treeline, wanting to be away from the car park before we did that.

My paws dug into the soft ground, testing how firm it was, while he did the same a few feet away.

Satisfied that it was safe to do so, I took off into the woods, my powerful legs carrying me with ease across the forest floor.

Wind ruffled through my fur, while birds sang in the trees, completely unaware of the predators that were running beneath them.

Then again, maybe they did know, and they knew that we weren't actually going to hurt them.

Fenrir kept pace with me easily, and I actually suspected that he might be holding back so that he didn't lose me. I wouldn't mind if he did. A run was supposed to be to let out the pent-up energy of having a wolf inside us.

Though I also liked the company. A warm feeling spread through me in response. If we did seal the mating bond later, then this kind of thing might become a regular occurrence for us. It would be nice to share my runs with someone, it made them all the more special.

I threw my head back and howled, letting my wolf run the show.

At moments like this, it truly felt like we were one, even if that wasn't always the case when I was in my human form.

I supposed that was just because we were at odds over some things.

When we were in agreement, I didn't feel nearly as much resistance from her.

Fenrir howled alongside me, our voices joining together as we looked up at the evening sky.

This was right. I'd already thought that while in my human form, but this was different. It was another level at which the two of us were matching, and I liked it just as much as my wolf did.