Yes, please. Hunting was hard work, and we’d been practicing every day since his wounds had fully healed three days ago. I loved my animal side the more I got to know her, but I still loved human comforts just as much. Such as popping an easy meal into the microwave or sleeping in a bed.
Good. Tryn’s voice brimmed with excitement. Catch me.
Without another word, he darted off through the forest. For such a large wolf, he sure could move fast.
Tryn, come on! I called.
This was another lesson, of course. He wanted me to follow him by scent. At least I was miles better at tracking than hunting.
I allowed my wolf to lead the way, which she was happy to do. Once she was certain Tryn would survive his injuries, so much of her pent-up aggression had melted away. When she was relaxed and not sensing any threats, she was actually a happy-go-lucky girl.
One side effect of her being latent for so long was that she found it difficult to focus on one scent. She wanted to pursue every scent trail she came across, from the rotting log a few feet away, to the family of deer that had crossed through here a few hours ago, to the mysterious feral wolf packs that stayed hidden away in the mountains. Every trail was a new adventure and she wanted to go on all of them.
It was up to my human side to keep her on course. Tryn’s trail, I reminded her. Follow your mate. We’ll go on an adventure next time.
She was happy to oblige, and we soon found Tryn in a clearing with a grassy field dotted with wild flowers and a small lake nearby. Like he had planned this ahead of time, he had shifted to his human form and was rolling out a picnic blanket on the bank of the lake.
“Hi, beautiful,” he said when I approached, scratching behind my ears.
My wolf absolutely loved his praise. She preened and stretched, bumping her head against his palm.
“Do you recognize this place?” He settled onto the blanket, stretching out long in all his naked, masculine glory.
I shifted as well to lie next to him. “No. I’ve never been here, silly.”
“Not here, exactly.” He pointed to a rocky ridge in the distance. “But remember when I took you there?”
It took a moment for the information to settle in. “Our first date?”
He grinned.
“Are you serious?” I turned on my side to face him. “That very first time you took me out, you were showing me Vargmore?”
“I was,” he said softly. “I knew from the very beginning you were going to be important to me.”
“The wolves we saw. Was that Howling Death? Did you ask them to show up so I could see them?”
He grinned. “It didn’t take a lot of convincing, but I owe the guys a few more rounds at Stout & Spirit for that.”
“That’s…oh my God.” I rolled to my back, laughing. “I can’t believe you arranged something like that on our first date.”
“What can I say? You liked wolves, and I wanted you to like me.” He propped himself on one elbow, caressing my side and waist with one hand.
“I more than like you, Tryn.”
I rolled into his touch, sliding right up against his chest. My heart pounded against the heated kiss of his skin on mine. I was gearing myself up, getting ready to say exactly what I meant by more-than-like. My lips parted as I pulled in a breath and?—
“There’s something else you should know about me.”
I closed my mouth abruptly, looking at Tryn’s face with concern. “What’s up?”
His chest expanded with the depth of his inhale. “Gran has a pretty unique ability as a witch. And even though she’s the only non-werewolf in my family, it seems Gran’s ability got passed down to me.”
“Okay.” I slid an arm over his waist and stroked his back. “What is it?”
Tryn cleared his throat. He seemed almost more nervous now than when he first shifted in front of me. “I can see things other people can’t.”
“Okay,” I repeated. “Like what?”