Page 13 of Feuding with My Shifter Werewolf

"But that's why I'm here, isn't it?" I muse, more to myself than to Wolf. "To figure out what I'm missing, to find that piece of myself that's been lost for so long."

I think back to the restlessness that's been building inside me for months, the nagging sense that I was meant for something more than a life of mundane routines and unfulfilling relationships.

"I've been sleepwalking through my life, Wolf. Going through the motions, but never really living. Never really feeling alive."

Wolf nuzzles my hand, and I smile, scratching behind his ears. "But out here, in these mountains, I feel like I'm finally waking up. Like I'm seeing the world with new eyes, breathing air that's crisp and clean and full of possibility."

I stand up, stretching my arms above my head. The sky is darkening.

Wolf stands with me, his presence a comforting warmth at my side. Together, we gaze out at the wilderness, the vast expanse of trees and mountains and sky that seems to go on forever.

"Thank you for listening, Wolf," I murmur, my voice soft in the growing darkness. "I know you probably don't understand a word I'm saying, but it helps to have someone to talk to out here. Even if that someone is a wild animal who could probably eat me for breakfast."

Wolf lets out a soft huff, and I swear I see a glint of amusement in his eyes. With a final tug, the tent is up. It's a little lopsided, but it'll do for the night. I let out a victorious whoop, grinning at Wolf.

"We did it! High five, buddy!"

Wolf just stares at me, but I swear I see a glint of amusement in those golden eyes.

Exhausted but satisfied, I dig through my pack for some dinner. I heat up a can of soup over the fire, the aroma mingling with the scent of pine and earth.

"Here, Wolf," I say, setting a bowl of soup on the ground. "You've earned it."

To my surprise, Wolf pads closer, sniffing cautiously at the offering. Then, with a delicate lap of its tongue, it begins to eat.

As we sit together by the fire, I find myself opening up, sharing the story of my journey and my encounter with Zakir. There's something cathartic about voicing my thoughts aloud, even if my only audience is a wild animal.

"I should probably write all this down," I muse, reaching for my journal. "Document the experience, you know?"

Wolf just watches me, its gaze calm and knowing. I scribble in my journal, the words flowing easily in the firelight.

The night grows colder, but I'm reluctant to retreat to my tent. There's a magic to this moment, a sense of connection to the wilderness that I've never felt before.

I glance up the mountain, spotting the soft glow of light from Zakir's cabin. For a moment, I wonder what he's doing, if he's thinking about our encounter too.

But I push the thought away, focusing on the present. On the crackle of the fire, the solid presence of Wolf at my side, the vast expanse of stars overhead.

"Goodnight, Wolf," I whisper as I finally crawl into my tent. "And thank you."

As I drift off to sleep, I give a daily account of my prayers. I drove across the country, found the perfect small town, battled the sexy mountain man, and made a friend.

Not back for acity slicker, or so I thought, until the storm rolled in.

Chapter Six

Zakir

The boom of thunder jolts me awake. Heart pounding, I leap to my feet, hackles raised.Kristen.

I'm still in wolf form, standing guard outside her lopsided tent. The scent of rain hangs heavy in the air, and a flash of lightning illuminates the night sky. A storm is coming, and it's going to be a bad one.

I can't leave her out here.The thought is instinctual, primal. She's not safe, exposed on the mountainside like this. I need to get her back to the cabin before the worst of it hits.

But I can't very well show up at her tent as a man, naked as the day I was born.Damn it.

I glance back at Kristen's tent, a silent promise in my gaze.I'll be back for you.Then I'm off, racing through the undergrowth, my paws eating up the distance.

The wind whips through my fur as I climb higher, the terrain growing steeper and more treacherous. But I know this mountain like the back of my hand - or paw, as it were. Even in the dark, I navigate the twists and turns with ease, guided by instinct and memory.

---