Bailey nods. “Okay. I’ll take this up with Decker as soon as I can. I know they don’t know what to do with him, so we might have to call in some of the ancient laws of punishment, but both packs would have to have a full consensus.”

“Do this carefully, Bae, please,” I say. “Don’t let Lena get hurt by this more than she already has.”

“I will,” he answers. “Thank you for bringing this up. Once I’ve woken up a bit, I’ll get on to Decker.”

“Thank you, Bae.”

I give my niece a little kiss on the head before I go. The little mite is growing so fast, I can’t believe she’s nearly walking already.

After I leave, I head to town and get some pastries and coffee. At the last minute, I decide to get some gourmet snacks and sandwiches, then hurry home. Lena is just getting out of bed when I get there.

“Hey, babe. I got you some breakfast.”

“Thank you,” she says, smiling sleepily. “I seriously didn’t want to get up.”

I hand over the coffee and the paper bag with the pastries. We enjoy them for a few minutes, the silence between us comfortable and easy.

“Hey… would you like to go on a little hike today? My wolf could use a run.”

“Sure!” she answers. “Give me a bit to clean up and then let’s go.”

I let her get dressed and as soon as she’s ready, we head out in the truck, parking at the main area near Mt Wilson where our territory starts. Lena looks up at the snow dusted peaks.

“Look at that,” she whispers. “Mt Sneffels is huge. I’d love to go right up to the peak sometime.”

“We’ll go,” I answer. “For sure. But surely not today?”

“No,” she laughs. “My body is all kinds of sore, in the best way.”

I give her a hug and a brief kiss, loving her soft, contented smile. We walk into the woods together, finding a quiet spot to leave our clothes. The sight of her naked body excites me but I restrain myself, shifting and running out on to the plain. Lena follows me, barking excitedly and rushing past me.

I chase her, letting my primal nature take me over. Every strike of my paws against the ground affirms what I am, that the wolf is my true soul, and the man is a mask I wear.

As we reach one of the lesser peaks, Lena leaps to the top of a pile of rocks and howls with joy. I join her, pressing my shoulder against hers and adding my voice to the song. It resonates through us both, echoing through the valley and up to the highest peak.

Suddenly Lena yips and rushes around me, skittering with her feet. With a playful bark I do the same, then she’s dashing through the forest again, back towards the park. I chase her, right on her tail the whole way. The exhilaration of my muscles working at their peak, my heart pounding and my breath easing in and out of my lungs clears my mind and banishes all the tension from me.

We slow down as we reach the trees. I trot slowly into the little glade where we left our clothes, planning to get dressed and head back to the car to get our picnic basket. I shift and reach for my clothes, but then Lena shifts right in front of me.

The bright, mid-afternoon sun has set her hair alight. It drifts around her shoulders in a curtain of glittering gold and red. Her skin glows, as if it’s absorbing the pale light. When she looks up at me, her eyes are wide, deep, and green, like forest pools that harbor ancient knowledge for only the faithful to find.

When she smiles at me, my primal urges take over. Before I know it, I’m standing next to her, wrapping her in my arms. Her lips find mine, and she slides her arms around my neck, pressing her body against me. I grip her waist, holding her tight as I deepen the kiss.

We sink down into the thick grass, hands frantically stroking each other as if we are trying to touch every part of each other at once. Lena pulls me down on top of her and wraps her legs around me, thrusting against me as her fingers dig into my back.

She kisses my cheek, squeezing me with her arms and legs as if she can’t get close enough to me. I find her mouth with mine and kiss her, softly and slowly pressing my lips to hers while I let the feeling build between us.

Lena writhes against me, trying to slip me inside. I can feel my hard cock sliding against her pussy as her arousal builds and her movements become more urgent.

“What do you want, my love?” I whisper against her ear. She laughs, bucking her hips up and down.

“You know what I want.”

I grab her shoulders and roll, putting her on top of me. For a few seconds, she stays stretched out on me, kissing me deeply, then she sits up, balancing on my belly with her hands as she grips me with her thighs.

“Oh,” she whispers in surprise. “That feels good.”

She strokes her hips back and forth, rubbing her pussy against the shaft. I take it for a few seconds before I start to tremble.