Page 50 of Wolf Marked

His thoughts flew to Astrid. Only a few days separated them from their fate, and whatever the outcome, he was glad he had her in his life. Even if it was for a brief period of time. But he hoped that when their twenty-fifth Blue Moon did rise, he would still have more life to spend. And it would be with her by his side.

Energy hummed across his skin, like it always did when the Blue Moon drew near. Thousands of tiny pinpricks skimmed up and down his arms, and Erec’s wolf whimpered behind his eardrums when it sensed the power. He wanted nothing more than to feel the earth beneath his paws and the wind brushing through his fur. And hopefully after this moon, he would be able to run free as a wolf whenever he pleased, with Astrid as his mate.

He walked a little deeper into the woods, heading north toward the winding river. Anticipating the change, his wolf bounced inside, and Erec didn’t get far before the animal was clawing at his insides, begging for release. He stopped beside a pine tree and strippedoff his clothes. The frigid winter air bit at his exposed flesh, but the cold wouldn’t touch him for long. As the power of the shift built at the base of his spine, his temperature rose, too, spreading warmth across every inch of his nakedness. He winced as pain curled and expanded throughout his body. His muscles bunched and relaxed as they reformed, and fur sprouted out of every pore.

Although the pain that normally came with shifting was brief, it was strong enough to seize every bit of his breath. He longed for the relief that came whenever his body readjusted to his new form and the wolf took over.

But it didn’t come.

Awareness tickled the back of his neck, bringing everything to a sudden halt.

Someone was approaching.

Pulse speeding up, Erec forced the change to retreat. An invisible vice wrapped around him, squeezing tight. Stopping the shift was even more excruciating than starting it, and his vision hazed over as his spine straightened, his limbs grew, and the fur retracted. But no matter how it hurt, he couldn’t pass out. Not now. Not when someone was closing in on him.

Erec could hear the footsteps now. They were loud and clumsy, as if the stranger wasn’t even trying to conceal them. Lifting his nose in the air, he sniffed.

Lilacs.

“Astrid?”

Her red hair appeared first through the darkness, then her brilliant green eyes. As she closed the distance between them, a mixture of relief and anger surged through him. Why was she outside the protection of Svanna Rock? Did she know how dangerous it was wandering alone at night?

“I’m usually the one to sneak away,” she said before he could ask her why she’d come. “It seems you beat me to it.” Her gaze trailed over his naked torso, and then down, lingering on his manhood, which stiffened in response.

Sweet Moons, forcing himself to stay away from her bed for the past week had been torturous for him. Especially knowing how good she felt underneath him. But he wanted to tell her how deep his feelings went for her first, wanted to be sure about what was between them before going any further. Maybe that was the coward in him again—afraid of rejection—but whatever it was, it was keeping the words on the tip of his tongue. No matter how hard Erec tried, he couldn’t yank them out.

Even now as he stared at her, with the moonlight making her pale skin glow and her eyes sparkle with mischief, his heart pounded. The desire to grab her and crush her body against his was so strong his fingers ached.

Resisting the urge, Erec scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed. “No one saw you leave?” he asked.Don’t scold her. You’re not her father.As much as he wanted to tell her it was foolish for her to come out here alone, in the middle of the night, with Jerrick’s men on the prowl, he knew he couldn’t. He had done the same thing.

Astrid shook her head. “Not a soul.”

“Good.”

She eyed him again, her gaze drifting over the length of his body. Then her voice dropped to a suggestive whisper. “Were you about to shift?”

The memory of her calling his name in that same husky tone as she climaxed reverberated against his eardrums, making Erec’s blood heat. He couldn’t speak for a long moment, so he simply nodded his answer.

“Great,” she sighed and began pulling off her coat and vest. “I haven’t shifted in so long. Can you feel the moon’s pull, too?”

Again he nodded, rendered mute as more fabric left her skin. When she was finished and stood before him completely exposed, he not only lost his voice, but he lost his head. Erec had seen Astrid naked before, but the sight of her body still managed to leave him breathless. There was nothing young or juvenile about her at all. She was all woman, from her full breasts, to the dip of her waist, to the wide curve of her hips. And those thighs…they were thick, strong, and felt so good wrapped around his middle as he thrust into her.

“Erec?”

He blinked, forcing the thoughts away.

After some time, he asked, “Run with me?” Running as a wolf had always worked to clear his mind. And he needed that now, more than ever. “We should have hours left before dawn.”

Her skin rippled in response, and she dropped to her hands and knees as the change took over and she transformed. Erec fell, too, letting the power push through every muscle, every bone. The pain came and left quickly this time, his wolf all but leaping out with the shift, and it wasn’t long before he was the wild animal again.

Erec shook out his fur, and then looked at Astrid. Her wolf was a magnificent shade of auburn red with touches of white around the muzzle and underbelly. Her eyes, though, remained the same shocking green. He padded over to her and rubbed his head against hers. She was smaller than him, but he didn’t doubt her skills. He’d seen her fight as a human, and while in this form, their speed and strength only increased.

Astrid pressed against him, too, but only for a second. Then she bolted into the woods, beckoning him to give chase. He did.

Everything was easier as a wolf. As his paws flew across the snow, a whirlwind of different sensations hit him. Through the snow, Erec could feel the vibrations of Astrid’s footfalls ahead of him. Simultaneously, her lilac scent filled his nose, along with the familiar crisp, piney smells of winter. He could even hear the mating whistles of a lumibird somewhere in the canopy. The moonlight caressed his golden fur like a lover’s touch as he sprinted between trunks and brushes to catch up to Astrid’s heels.

It was all so overwhelming yet liberating at the same time. Erec couldn’t wait to experience this whenever he pleased. With Astrid at his side.

---