Page 67 of Ranger's Justice

I let go. I run. I feel. And for the first time in a very long time, I am free.

CHAPTER 18

RUSH

Cassidy runs beside me, her new form sleek and fast, her silver-gray fur rippling under the moonlight. She’s unsteady at first, her movements tentative, but then instinct takes over, and she lets go and embraces her inner wolf. The hesitation vanishes.

She surges forward, her muscles stretching, paws kicking up soft earth as she gives in to the primal force inside her. The night air hums with electricity, our bond pulsing between us with every step. I match her pace easily, running alongside her, watching the way she moves—graceful, untamed, perfect.

I should have expected this. Should have known that the moment she shifted, the moment she let herself fully embrace this life, something fundamental between us would snap into place, but I didn’t expect it to feel like this.

This is more than just a run. More than just her first shift. This is a claiming—a joining—of another kind.

Cassidy lets out an exhilarated yip, her wolf reveling in the freedom, in the power of her new form. She glances sideways at me, those sharp eyes glowing in the moonlight, challenging me.

I bare my teeth in response, and then—she takes off. I chase her, letting her push herself, letting her test her speed,her strength. She’s fast. Not just for a new wolf—fast for any wolf. Her scent mingles with the night air, the bond between us humming stronger than before, deepening in ways I can feel in my bones.

She doesn’t need to fight this. She never did. Her destiny was to do this. It’s as if her inner wolf has been waiting for her all along.

When I close the distance, I nip at her hind leg, teasing. She growls playfully, snapping at me in return, her fangs flashing. I bark out a low, rumbling laugh, but before I can press the advantage, she dodges left, cutting through the trees with a burst of unexpected agility.

Damn, she’s good.

We run for miles, moving together, breathing together, two predators intertwined under the stars. I feel the heat of her body beside me, the raw energy pouring off her, feeding something deep inside me—something that has nothing to do with logic or planning or strategy.

It’s just her.

When she finally slows, I slow with her, leading us to the clearing near the edge of the ranch’s property where we’d left our clothes when we shifted. The moon hangs heavy above us, bathing us in silver light. I shift first, the familiar crackle of energy surging through me as my body reshapes, mist curling around my skin like a second breath.

Cassidy watches me, her wolf’s head tilting slightly, her eyes still glowing with the remnants of the shift. She hesitates, then the air around her shimmers, and a second later, she’s back in her human form—flushed, glowing, beautiful.

She’s breathing hard, her body still humming from the change, from the run, from everything. I step toward her, unable to resist reaching for her, cupping her face, my thumb skimming over her cheek.

“How do you feel?” I murmur.

She exhales a breathless laugh. “Like I could take on the world.”

I grin, leaning in, brushing my lips against hers, slow and deep. She melts into me, her arms sliding around my neck, her bare body pressing into mine. The bond hums, alive, undeniable.

I trail my fingers down her spine, grounding her. “You did good, Marlow.”

She looks up at me, her expression unreadable for a moment, then she grins. “Better than good.”

I laugh, my forehead pressing against hers. “Cocky already. You’re definitely mine.”

She nips at my bottom lip in response, and damn if my wolf doesn’t want to take her all over again, right here, under the moon. But then a sharp howl splits the air in the distance.

Cassidy stiffens against me, instantly on edge. “What was that?”

I curse under my breath, recognizing the tone. That wasn’t a call for a hunt. That was a warning.

Something’s wrong.

“Get dressed,” I say quickly, stepping back.

Cassidy doesn’t argue, grabbing her clothes from where we stashed them earlier and pulling them on in record time. I do the same, my mind already pivoting into mission mode, every instinct screaming at me to move. I take her hand, pulling her into a run as we cut through the trees, heading back toward the ranch.

The second we break the tree line, I see them—Gideon, Dalton, Gage, and Deacon standing on the front porch, their expressions grim.

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