Page 34

Pember dragged his belly along the ground before his legs pushed him to stand. He was unsteady, almost tottering to the side again before Blake shoved his muzzle under his chest and held him up.

They stood together at the bottom of the track, Blake’s huge body pressed to the side of Pember’s. The size difference was immense, with Pember’s head only just reaching the top of the alpha wolf’s shoulder.

“ Come, ” Blake murmured across the bond.

Pember swallowed, sparing one last glance towards the police station before moving.

He was unsteady at first, all four of his legs struggling to coordinate themselves, making him look like a lame horse.

But the further they got up the track, and the more he got used to the rain, the less he needed to lean on Blake.

They hit the tree-line in the blink of an eye, the thick canopy of chestnut trees casting the woods into cool darkness.

The undergrowth came alive under Pember’s paws; conkers, moss, roots and soil pressing between his toes.

The woods were buzzing with activity, and it was almost overwhelming to hear the birdsong, the scratching of insects and the whisper of leaves on the wind.

“ Up here, ” Blake said, nudging him between his back legs to direct him off the beaten track. “ Quieter. ”

For each of Blake’s massive steps, Pember had to take three more. Amusement tremored along the bond, and Pember realised Blake was huffing with wolfish amusement.

“ Slower, ” Pember growled, nipping Blake’s ribs.

Blake skittered to the side before using one of his paws to flick soil into Pember’s fur. “ Little legs. ”

Something playful and puppy-like rose in Pember’s belly.

Blake must have sensed it because he began jogging up the hill even faster.

Pember clacked his teeth and trotted behind, eventually getting ahead to flick Blake in the face with his tail.

He felt more than saw the alpha’s jaws open as a puff of hot air warmed his hind legs.

The gesture had him scampering forward, ducking and weaving between the trees.

Blake followed, his heavy footfalls like an orchestra of drums thundering behind Pember. It drove him forward, kicking his lupine instincts into gear. Then, they were both running. The stiffness in Pember’s limbs was forgotten as Blake nudged and nipped his back legs, urging him to keep going.

Pember’s brain detached itself completely from the crackling ball of anxiety, leaving it at the police station along with any thoughts of his mother.

He was free. He was fast. He was strong. He was living.

“ Careful, ” Blake said, drawing him back when two other shifters came towards them on the trail. He pulled tight against Pember’s side, his fur cool and soft next to Pember’s slightly damp undercoat.

He touched his jaw to Pember’s head when the other shifters drew level.

Their tails hung low and they turned their sharp eyes away.

Something passed between the four of them, a quiet acknowledgement that they were all going to mind their own damned business.

When they disappeared, he and Blake were running again.

Pember and his wolf were finally moving as one, and he could feel the omega’s happiness bubbling up in his chest. All his worries were gone, shelved for now, with only the wild damp forest ahead and Blake behind.

Without warning, the alpha tore through the trees, thundering forwards like it took no effort at all. Pember dropped his head, yapping and chasing Blake as they crashed through a cluster of purple heather. He nipped the tip of Blake’s long tail, feeling the coarse fur on his tongue.

He couldn’t help it. The run was making him giddy, the wolf side of his brain taking over and making him press closer to the alpha. He wanted to jump on him, to feel him roll and duck as Pember sank his teeth into that thick mane cresting his shoulders.

Instead, he slid under Blake’s belly, pressing his back to the alpha’s chest until their legs got tangled. Blake growled, his head dropping next to Pember’s. Heat radiated from the delicate skin of his underbelly as it pressed against Pember’s back.

The touch sent a bolt of desire bouncing between the two of them, like a gun had gone off, and all pretences were dropped. Blake suddenly clamped down between his shoulders and shoved him to the ground by his scruff. Dirt sprayed up as they came to an abrupt stop.

“ Little legs, ” Blake snarled, pinning Pember against the undergrowth. He held him in place, a low rumble emanating from his throat and vibrating in Pember’s skull.

Pember wriggled, then squirmed as Blake lowered himself over his body. The alpha’s heart pounded against his back, a thread of desire knotting and releasing between them. The scent of the alpha wolf poured into the woods, making Pember drunk with it.

Shaking his shoulders, he loosened Blake’s grip just enough to roll over and shove his paws against his barrel chest. Except, when his pads made contact, it was no longer the alpha wolf, but the man. Blake was on top of him, in human form, coated in mud with his breaths coming out in ragged bursts.

“I said… my shifts… were unstable,” he panted, rocking back on his haunches. He wiped a hand across his mouth and glanced down between his legs.

Pember’s gaze followed. Stupidly. Idiotically. Because of course the first thing he saw was Blake’s erect cock pointing straight at him, as covered in dirt as the rest of him. Pember snapped his head up and wriggled out from underneath Blake’s naked body, eyes going anywhere that wasn’t his groin.

Blake’s irises were expanding again, and tawny fur began to coat his chest and arms. The alpha wolf was already coming back.

“Pember,” he growled, fangs extending past his lower lip, making his voice thick. “I want you to listen to me very carefully.”

Pember swallowed, rolling onto his front.

“You’re going to run straight back to the police station, get changed and process those samples. Do you understand?”

Pember whined, hopping to his feet and nudging his muzzle against Blake’s neck. Blake gently pushed him away.

“No,” he said through gritted teeth, groaning as his face grew dark with fur. “Pember, do you understand? Say ‘yes, Blake . ’”

“ Yes, alpha. ”

Blake let out a breath, slowly dropping an arm to brace it against the undergrowth. The coming shift looked painful.

Pember kept his head low, and began turning away on unsteady legs. However, as he glanced back, Blake looked up, and he realised that the alpha’s eyes were blown completely black.

“ Go, ” Blake snarled, sending Pember skittering backwards. The thread of desire pulled tight, almost yanking Pember back. “ Go, omega! ”

So Pember did, stumbling back towards the police station and leaving Blake behind him.