Page 129 of Warlords, Witches & Wolves

“What’s so wrong with that?” Macey wasn’t puffed at all. If only she’d had this kind of energy during track and field at school.

“We don’t mess with each other’s runs.” Talia jumped for a branch then pulled herself up. She reached out for Macey.

Macey made the leap and scrambled up. Not nearly as gracefully.

“It’s just practice. By the time you leave here you’ll be an expert.”

She should’ve gone out more at home. Tried things out in private instead of shoving it all down beneath bitter disappointment and pretending that she was human. Together they moved from branch to branch. The forest suddenly stiller, the night quieter. Animals hid as if they knew something was wrong with the night.

The rest of the vampires were ahead, their feet a whisper in the branches. Wolves ran beneath the trees where she crouched. A sleek gray mass of heat and heartbeats.

Longing stabbed her in the heart. That’s where she should be. Not here watching and waiting for them to pass. It was only when she glanced up that she realized Talia had gone. She was alone.

When the wolves were gone from sight, she dropped out of the tree. Her feet hit the ground hard and she put her hands down for balance. There she crouched for several heartbeats, feeling the night breathe around her. The wolves’ feet were quieter now, but their yips carried through the night.

Macey closed her eyes to listen for the vampires, they were quieter than wolves. Faster too. But there was no rustle, and no heartbeats for her to follow. They were too far away for her to find. She swallowed. Should she follow the wolves for a bit?

Through the treetops so as not to cross paths?

Or return to the campgrounds?

She stood up and turned around, but every tree seemed the same now.Shit.

She’d been so caught up that she hadn’t paid attention to direction or any markings. What kind of dumbass newbie got lost on their first run? If she climbed up again, perhaps she’d be able to see something over the tops of the trees. She took a few steps looking for a low enough branch to leap for, then a wolf, more gunmetal gray than silver, slipped out of the shadows.

For several seconds neither of them moved. Was it lost too? She was sure there were no animal wolves in the area as the campsite and forest were deep in pack territory. If they were both lost, they could find their way back together, but she wasn’t ready to admit that she was lost, even though she was glad that she was no longer alone.

At least she hoped she was glad she wasn’t alone and that the wolf wasn’t looking for trouble. The warnings about blood getting too hot echoed in her ears, and hers chilled even as her heart pounded against her ribs, excitement turning to fear.

Wolves didn’t mix with vampires. Even being this close to a wolf during a run was probably breaking some kind of rule.

“You going to shift so we can talk, or are you going to take off?” Macey hoped she sounded unafraid.

A vampire could outrun a wolf, so she had nothing to fear. But her body didn’t quite believe her logic. She was alone in the forest and had no idea which way was home. This was the start of a cheap horror movie. At least she wasn’t blond. The wolf shook like a dog shaking off water, leaving a man kneeling on the ground on all fours. A naked man.

He was the blond, well light brown anyway.

Her lips curved. Maybe she was the evil he had to outrun.

Then he looked up. Her mouth dried and her heart lost and then found a most unstable rhythm. This wasn’t an accidental meeting. It was Owen.

“I’m guessing you aren’t lost.” Her words were little more than a whisper. Not the bold statement she’d been hoping for.

“I’m guessing you are,” Owen smiled. His blue eyes bright in the moonlight.

“I got distracted and left behind.” There was no point in hiding the truth.

“I got distracted and circled around.” He stood, completely naked.

She tilted her head and stared up at the branches, but she’d seen enough to spark more than a casual interest. “Do you want my shirt or something?”

She risked another glance at him. He was all fit, lean muscle and his blood was most definitely up.

Isn’t that what the runs were about? The vampires she’d been with would no doubt be pairing up and getting busy and all she was doing was chatting to a very naked Owen.

“I’ll take your shirt, thanks.”

She stripped off her T and tossed it over while trying not to look too closely. She licked her lip, suddenly aware of her fangs and his pulse. “You’ll miss your run.”

---