Page 24 of Wild Wolf

I’d spent too long in Darkmore and tracking astrological events had been kinda lost to me. It wasn’t like the guards bothered to let us know when they happened anyway, but Earth’s Aphelion had once been a big cause for partying in Alestria. It was the annual day of the year when Earth’s orbit was farthest from the sun. It was often called the day of the Black Sun and was a day of possibilities, potential and vitality, but it could also summon chaos, and that could go two ways for us. Good or bad.

“Keep it moving,” Cain urged, nudging me along and Rosalie nodded, guiding us forward, weaving through the crowd and hurrying down the winding streets.

We passed one road where people were taking it in turns attempting to ride a giant replica of the sun down a hill, the ground altered by earth magic to create a sort of pinball machine while air elementals blasted the ball in all directions. It was the kind of thing I would have enjoyed once, and I longed for a time where we could bask in peace again.

If we got Roary back, I didn’t know where we would go next. We would always be on the run from the law now, hiding in the shadows, moving from place to place. How could we ever settle anywhere for long?

I thought of my family, longing to return to them too, but I couldn’t risk being caught at their door. I needed the heat to die down before I made my approach, but in all the adrenaline building up to the breakout of Darkmore, I’d never considered that the dangers would be far from over once we made it out. I’d been so caught up in the dream of freedom that I’d forgotten the price it would come at. I would be an outlaw from now until I died.

I made to turn away from the street where the sun ball was being rolled back to the top of the hill ready for the next participant, but stalled as Sin came into view, racing along tossing fireballs and lemons over his shoulders at the FIB officers chasing him.

He leapt onto the sun ball, landing on his feet before hurtling down the hill towards us, the thing bouncing off of the obstacles while he used air magic to keep himself upright.

“Dalle stelle,” Rosalie swore as Sin waved at us and the FIB officers came hurtling down into the obstacle course, slipping on some slick substance on the flagstones and stumbling all over the place.

Sin leapt off of the sun ball and landed in front of us, twisting around and using air to send the ball flying back at the officers. It crashed into them, knocking them to the ground as they scrambled to avoid it.

“Take that you ball-chafed sunfuckers!” he bayed, then he shifted as he darted into the crowd and the FIB officers cried out in confusion as they lost sight of him.

“Go!” Sin cried, wheeling around and shoving me on. He currently appeared as a busty blonde with legs longer than mine and pink glitter staining her skin, indicating a Pegasus shifter. But that chaos in his eyes was easily recognisable so I had no doubts that it was him.

Rosalie howled as she took off ahead of us and Sin powered along beside me with a feral look in his eyes and a twisted smile on his lips. The dock came into view as we turned down another street and Rosalie led us up a jetty, leaping onto a decent sized yacht called The Wave Wanderer.

“Untether her!” Rosalie called and Cain and I split apart to release the ropes holding the boat while Sin jumped onboard and started hoisting sails with Rosalie.

When I had the rope released, I looked around for Hastings, finding a couple of the FIB officers tearing down the street toward us. The ex prison guard stood at the end of the dock, his black hair blowing in the wind and his hands raised.

“Stay back!” Hastings cried. “I am the dark in the dead of the night!”

Water magic exploded from his hands and slammed into the officers, sending them skidding into a wall where he froze them in place.

I gaped at what he’d done, his stand against the authorities shocking me. He might have made declarations about being one of us now, but I hadn’t truly believed the dude until that moment.

More FIB agents appeared, racing down the street, looking all around in confusion and calling out to each other in search of Sin. Rosalie flicked a hand out, casting an illusion of him further up the hill and sending it racing away along the cliff path with a raucous giggle. The FIB spotted the illusion and took chase with yells pouring from their lips and magic spilling from their hands.

“Come on,” I barked at Sin and he wheeled around, smiling gleefully before slapping on a more serious look and nodding to me as he ran by.

He leapt onto the boat and I followed with Cain and Hastings close behind me just as Sin blasted air magic at the sails and we went flying out into the cove.

I hurried to the back of the vessel, wielding the water and forcing it to drive us to sea even faster, the FIB none the wiser about the rest of us being present and now fully occupied with chasing the false Sin along the cliff path.

The land was shrinking away and my heart rate settled at last as the town became nothing but a glittering slit between two long cliffs.

I turned, finding Rosalie leaping at me, her lips pressing to mine as I caught her.

“How’s that for a night of chaos on the day of the Black Sun, love?” I murmured against her soft lips. She lingered against me a moment longer, pulling back and leaning into Sin who had closed in behind her, once again returned to his true form, his eyes blazing with victory.

He nuzzled her neck and nipped at her, making her smile gleam. She thrived here in the wildness, and I guessed that was why she wasn’t angry at him for the plan he had concocted back there. I could see how the pieces of her fit us all in different ways. Even Cain brought out a side to her that was different to the one she aimed at me. But there was a part missing now and we were finally on our way to returning it to her, making our girl whole once again.

“How far to the island?” Cain asked, slinking out of the shadow the sail was casting.

Rosalie moved to him, her fingers winding between his and he pulled her close as if instinctively. I didn’t know when I’d accepted Cain as one of us, but perhaps I’d known it for a long time now. It was that look in her eye when she turned her gaze on him. Even when she had been furious with him, there had always been something underpinning it. Like she had claimed him long before she’d realised she’d done it.

“At this pace, we should make it in no time,” she said.

“The moon will keep my magic recharged, I can run laps of the boat when my power starts to wane,” I said. “I can keep us moving like this if you want to stop casting air, Sin.”

The Incubus inclined his head. “I can keep casting too so long as someone’s sucking my cock. We can make a disco of it. Cain can hum a tune.” He looked from me to Rosalie as if one of us was about to volunteer to go down on him then even tossed a sideways glance at Hastings.

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