Page 11

LARKIN

The forest was our beasts’ home and they responded to us tearing between the trees as if this was their first time venturing into the woods. They leaped over rocks and tumbled over the damp forest floor while the wind ruffled their fur.

After weeks of domestic routine with me creating and tending the new garden, and Creven working long hours at the computer thanks to the recently installed wifi, my beast needed to be free. And for me, taking a back seat and leaving any problems in my human form was as good as a holiday.

This was what we'd both been missing. Not just the freedom to be in our fur but the joy of being wild together. My wolf had never experienced a partnership because we had been alone for years, always fearful whether in our fur or skin that someone would tell us to move along.

Our beasts rested on a pile of rocks and my wolf waited for Creven’s fox to decide if we played more or hunted but the fox took off, leading my wolf on a winding path through the trees until we reached a stream.

We paused to drink before racing up to a steep ridge.

At the summit, we could see for miles with forests stretching to the horizon.

I let myself imagine a life where we didn't have to hide and where no one would question our existence. That was a dream but it would never be our reality because we were on the outside looking in and no packs or dens wanted members who scented of desperation.

Creven’s fox lifted his head, scenting the afternoon air. He’d picked up the smell of something yummy and was already tearing down the slope and through the underbrush, his fur a flash of red against the green of the woods.

While his beast favored smaller mammals ‘cause his fox was small, we sometimes hunted the same prey. Rabbits and squirrels were no match for a fox and wolf intent on hunting and devouring fresh meat.

My mate’s fox darted between trees and leaped over fallen logs with my wolf chasing him. My beast’s longer legs ate up the distance but he wasn’t as nimble as the fox.

When we came upon him, the fox had already taken down a rabbit so my wolf bounded past him through the trees in search of bigger prey. These woods teemed with deer and as he swerved around a prickly bush, he scented one.

The expression ‘deer in the headlights’ came to mind when we crashed through the shrubs into a clearing. The deer froze for a second, before leaping away. But that small fraction of time cost the animal their life.

I allowed my mind to wander again as my wolf devoured his kill.

When Creven and I took our skin, we’d return to our cabin, him to his computer and me to the garden.

It was a lifestyle busy city workers dreamed of.

But we were stuck, like those mice on an exercise wheel, except they could get off.

There was no offramp to a different life for us.

Creven’s fox trotted into the clearing and when my wolf had eaten his fill, the fox pressed against him. What we shared was real and he was enough. We didn’t need a pack.

We made our way through the forest, following game trails that would eventually bring us back to the cabin. The sun was sinking and it was the right time for more hunting but our beasts were sluggish after making their kill.

The wind shifted and carried a familiar but unwelcome scent. My wolf snarled and his hackles rose, but I warned him not to howl and alert the newcomer to our location.

Daniel. The asshat from the recycling center.

What was he doing here and in his fur? He was miles from his pack land.

His comments that day suggested he had an idea where Creven was living but guys like that talked big but didn’t always follow up.

But Daniel must hold a grudge and he'd come to the area, looking for us I guessed and because the woods were riddled with my mate’s scent, he must have tracked us.

Creven’s fox must have caught the scent too.

He flattened his ears and pressed low to the ground.

He looked at my wolf, and an understanding passed between the two animals.

One that spoke of destiny. As a fox, my mate would be unlikely to win a fight with a wolf and Daniel was a big guy, suggesting his wolf was huge.

If Daniel found the cabin, our sanctuary was compromised and we’d have to run and leave everything we'd built.

But first we had to get back to the stream and submerge ourselves, something our beasts weren’t fond of. That would minimize our scent trail and hopefully Daniel would get bored. Taking our skin would help but it would leave us naked and vulnerable and far from home.

We raced to the water and jumped in, making a huge splash.

I hate water , my beast complained but he dunked his head before climbing out and tearing toward home. But as we neared the cabin, every bush, twig and leaf scented of the alpha. He’d been here recently.

We moved slowly,using the low hanging trees as cover. My wolf's anger built with every step. This was our home and no one had the right to trespass here or threaten us.

About a hundred yards from the cabin, my mate’s fox froze. I followed his gaze to a shadow moving between the trees. It was too large to be anything but a wolf. The beast stepped onto the path. He was massive and his black fur had distinct white markings on his head.

This wolf’s confidence was a sign he’d taken down other beasts, perhaps his own kin and he expected to win any battle, particularly one with a fox who had no den to back him up.

He’d rip my mate’s head off before taking me on.

My wolf, though fierce, was much smaller than Daniel’s and he may not give me a second thought until he tossed my lifeless body into a heap.

We have to protect our mate . I was proud of my beast. He wasn’t backing off and trying to get the fox to run away. He was going to fight Daniel’s wolf. We must defend what is ours .

There was a niggling thought in my head that injuring or killing Daniel would bring a heap of trouble on our heads.

His wolf pack wouldn’t ignore one of their alphas being killed.

But my wolf didn't care about consequences.

Daniel threatened our mate and to a wolf, there was only one way to deal with that.

As I suspected, Daniel’s beast was focused on Creven’s fox. I didn't think and neither did my wolf. He exploded from the underbrush with a snarl and hit the other wolf with enough force to send our beasts tumbling.

The larger wolf recovered, spinning to face my beast. His jaws snapped but the intimidating maneuver didn’t work.

He'd made a mistake and underestimated what a wolf would do when protecting his mate. He must not be mated, because if he was, he’d have been more savvy and brought all his strength and experience to the fight.

Or perhaps like his human, he was all bluster.

We crashed together in a tangle of fur, teeth and claws. Daniel would have spent his years since adolescence training to protect himself and his pack from enemies. I had none of that. But I was fighting for the other half of me.

His teeth found my shoulder and tore the flesh. Blood gushed from the deep gashes. I couldn’t staunch the flow but the pain only sharpened my wolf’s focus and the only thought in his head was Protect our mate .

My wolf’s canines clamped onto the soft skin below his jaw. Blood belonging to our opponent flooded my beast’s mouth as the other wolf struggled to free himself. His frantic movements came too late. He’d underestimated my wolf and he was going to die because of it.

He raked his claws along my beast’s flank, but my wolf wouldn't let go. Even in death, his jaws would not be pried apart. His pulse hammered against my wolf’s teeth as the two animals tussled and blood spurted from the black wolf’s arteries.

He was weakening and when my wolf dropped him to the forest floor, Daniel the man was at the forefront of his beast’s gaze.

There was fear in his eyes as they closed and the huge beast lay still.

My wolf’s head fell back and he howled. The trees shuddered as birds who settled in the nests flew off. The forest rustled when small animals raced away. They’d return later to pick at the carcass.

Creven took his skin and raced to my beast who’d sunk onto the ground.

“Larkin, oh my gods. Let me see you.”

I shifted, using the last of my energy and wondered if getting rid of Daniel had created a lifetime of problems.

“No one has ever fought for me.” Creven buried his head at the base of my throat. “Thank you.”