Page 6 of Feuding with My Shifter Werewolf

How did I let myself become so...domesticated? Trapped in a cycle of familiarity and security, when what my soul truly craved was adventure and discovery.

My gaze drifts to the lush greenery surrounding me, the towering pines reaching for the heavens. This -thisis where I'mmeant to be. Not hunched over a desk, but out here, immersed in the wild splendor of nature.

But this is only temporary unless I find a way to make it permanent.

As the hours pass, I barely notice the changing terrain, too engrossed in the beauty surrounding me. The well-trodden path gives way to denser underbrush, the trees pressing closer together. Birdsong fills the air, a soothing symphony that seems to beckon me onward.

Every step I take, I feel a weight lifting from my shoulders, as if the very act of putting distance between myself and my old life is freeing me, limb by limb. The further I go, the more I can breathe, the more alive I feel.

This is no mere hike, I realize. It's a pilgrimage - a journey to rediscover the essence of who I am. To shed the layers of expectations and obligations that have smothered that wild, untamed part of myself.

I think of the wedding I fled, the engagement I broke off, and I feel not a shred of regret. That life was never meant for me, I see that now. I was merely going through the motions, trying to fit into a mold that was never quite the right shape.

But here, with grass beneath my feet and the sky above, I feel a sense of rightness settle over me. Like I've finally found the missing pieces that's been eluding me all these years.

My steps quicken, driven by a renewed sense of purpose. Iwillfind a way to make this permanent, even if I have to trek to the top of this mountain to get them. Because deep down, I know it's possible and that my real like is waiting for me.

As I round a bend in the trail, a flash of movement in the underbrush catches my eye. I pause, my heart thundering in my chest as I strain to make out the source. Is it an animal? Or something...else?

Slowly, I reach into my pack, my fingers closing around the sturdy grip of my pocketknife. Seeing nothing I take a deep, steadying breath, I forge ahead, my eyes scanning the foliage for any sign of danger.

It's only when I stumble upon a weathered sign that I realize how far I've wandered. The words "No Trespassing - Private Property" are carved into the wood, the edges softened by time and the elements.

I hesitate, a trickle of unease running down my spine. This must be the area Eli mentioned... Zakir Nalon's land.

For a moment, I consider returning, retracing my steps to the safer, more populated trails. But something deep inside me rebels at the thought.

I've come too far to let a sign deter me now. And besides, what's the worst that could happen? It's not like anyone actually lives out here...right?

With a deep breath, I step past the sign, my shoes crunching on the untouched path. The forest seems to close in around me, the silence broken only by the occasional birdcall and the whisper of the wind through the leaves.

Chapter Three

Zakir

Someone's here.

I race through the mountain trails, my paws pounding against the earth, a strange sensation grips my heart. But this ache isn't of a threat, but as if a part of me is missing.

I shake my head, trying to dismiss the feeling.

A missing piece? As in a mate? Impossible.

Those days are long gone, wasted on serving my kind instead of securing my own future. But there's no time to dwell on lost chances.

Someone's here, but it can't be human.

I dismiss my initial assessment of the sensation tugging at my instincts. It could be another supernatural species that I'm not fully aware of—the Nexus contains countless beings beyond the common werewolves, vampires, and fae that humans are familiar with and believe to be myths.

Butweknow different.

In my years as a liaison, I've encountered ethereal sylphs that glide through the air like living smoke, their whispers carrying the power to entrance minds.

I've negotiated treaties with the stoic gargyls, those stone-winged sentinels sworn to protect sacred sites from trespassers. Even the elusive aetherions, creatures of pure energy that can disintegrate matter with a mere thought, have sought my counsel on occasion.

The Shaidunia Nexus holds an infinite array of supernatural races, each with their own mysteries and powers. After over two decades of service, I thought I had witnessed it all.

But the mountain's energy tells me otherwise because something stirs here that I've never sensed before.

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