Page 31 of Alpha Wolf's Nanny
Beside him, Nicolas followed, dark and lean. Within moments, the two wolves were poised at the edge of the trees.
“On three,” Felix said, his mental voice rich with challenge. “One. Two—”
He didn’t wait for three.
With a gleeful growl, he lunged forward, paws tearing into the soil, the wind already rushing past his ears. Nicolas cursed behind him, then gave chase, their playful snarls rousing the rest of the pack into motion.
They ran.
Through trees and shadows, over fallen logs and through dappled moonlight, the pack thundered as one, a blur of fur and teeth and joy. Felix pushed harder, laughing through the bond when Nicolas caught up and nipped his flank, only to be outpaced again a second later. Nicolas was fast, Felix wouldn’tkeep his lead for long, but for the time being, he was determined to enjoy his victory.
This was what he needed. Pure, clean movement. Breath and blood and wind.
But even here, even now, her scent tugged at the back of his mind.
Cassie.
She should’ve been back at the lodge, curled up under a blanket, the boys clambering over her as they argued about movies. Not alone. Not out here in the dark.
Felix shook it off and focused on the path ahead. The whole point of being out here, with the pack, was to forget about Cassie.
The trees thickened. The Grove was near, the sacred ceremonial site of the pack. He focused on the feel of blood pounding in his ears, the scent of damp earth, the excitement of competition as Nicolas gained on him.
Dane and Rick had joined in, too; however, they seemed locked in a battle of strength, bowling into each other with ridiculous force. It was good. Natural. Play that enhanced their bonds and taught them to fight better.
Others were racing and playing too, their howls and yips echoing through the trees. A group of the smaller females, including Daisy, kept a more sensible pace behind them, and Felix was sure to keep an ear out for them. They were the most vulnerable in the pack, after all. But no less deadly.
They were nearing the center of the Grove now. They wouldn’t go to its heart, that was closed off for only the most sacred of ceremonies, but they would commune with the earth. Ground themselves in their territory as a pack.
He slowed as the forest dipped into a shallow bowl, the ancient scent of pine and sage heavy in the air.
That’s when Rick stopped.
The sudden halt nearly caused a pileup behind him. Several wolves skidded to a halt, confused. Dane snarled in irritation.
“Rick?” Felix stepped forward, hackles rising. “What is it?”
Rick turned, eyes narrowed, nose lifted to the wind. His body coiled tight.
“There’s a human,” he said, his voice cold as ice, “close. Trespassing.”
Rick didn’t wait.
He bolted east, vanishing into the trees like a ghost.
Felix’s heart slammed against his ribs.
Cassie.
Chapter 11 - Cassie
It had been a hard hike through the forest, but this view alone was worth it. Cassie had found a small clearing, the surrounding pines towering around her and framing a perfect circle of sky right above her head. Even though she was desperate to set up her telescope and get to stargazing, she knew it was best to set up camp first. Once she turned her telescope to the sky, she would become lost in her own little world until her tired body finally demanded sleep.
As she wrestled with her tent, her thoughts turned once more back to Felix. In all truth, she hadn’t thought of much else on the hike. Just him. Only him.
It had been the incident this morning, she decided. Seeing him coming out of the shower. Being pressed so closely into his chest. Tilting her chin up, meeting his eye,willinghim to close the distance between them and just…
Violently, she shook her head, letting out a growl of pure irritation. Of course, he hadn’t been about to kiss her. She’d replayed the moment over and over again in her head, and each time it warped into something new so that she hardly recognized it herself. Whatever had passed between them, it wasn’t…wasn’tthat.
