Page 27 of Lycan and Lark
“Perfect! Well don’t let me interrupt your night!” Aria scurried up the steps. “See you tomorrow!” Her feet practically flew through the lobby. She did take a brief moment to give Mack the evil eye before cruising toward the stairs. She couldn’t risk getting stuck in an elevator with Gideon and Dahlia. Gideon may have been too distracted to notice just now, but he would for sure smell Lark on her if they got trapped in an enclosed space together.
Aria’s apartment greeted her with its familiar scent. She loved this space, but found herself dreaming of the cabin every time she left its cozy wooden walls. The apartment was where she lived, but in the cabin, she felt alive. She didn’t know if it was the structure itself or the fact that Lark dwelt there. She was pretty certain it was the latter.
Things had been moving fast with Lark, and though it felt scary, it also felt so right. She had to find a way to persuade him to come into the light. She would convince Gideon to forgive him, somehow. Lark needed a pack. Her wolf longed to run with his wolf, but she hadn’t even seen his inner animal. He kept it chained away inside. A deep aching filled her heart each time she thought of the pain he had endured, and the fear that still kept him looking over his shoulder.
She had promised Lark she would never let anybody hurt him again. She meant it with every fiber of her being. She would find a way to keep him safe. She would do anything for her mate.
* * *
Aria left brunch with a satisfied buzz and a surplus of giggles. She was finally starting to feel like herself again. The time with her girlfriends was filled with gossip and girl talk, but by the end of their gourmet food, she was looking forward to seeing Lark. They had agreed to meet after brunch. Her heart picked up as they passed the cafe. She didn’t see him in his usual spot during the walk back to the complex, but maybe he was just being overly cautious while she was out.
Everyone said their goodbyes and punched in their floors. Aria stepped off the elevator and sauntered toward her apartment. The second the elevator closed behind her, she raced across the hallway, moving away from her apartment and heading straight for the stairwell. Giddy anticipation fluttered within her as she burst through the complex doors. The short distance to the coffee shop gave her a chance to look around. There were plenty of people nearby, but none of them gave the impression Lark did. She checked around back, but he wasn’t there. She selected an outdoor table and leaned back against the wall. The sun rose high in the sky as the hours ticked past. A dreadful worry began to seep into her skin.He should be here by now.
She chewed at her lip as the worry gnawed at her insides. Something was wrong. She needed to go find out what was keeping him from her, but how would she find him? It’s not like she had driven to his house before. They had always teleported.Think, Aria, think. What did she actually know about the cabin’s location? It was up in the mountains. That wasn’t much help. It was surrounded by trees. Also not helpful. There was a beautiful waterfall. She pulled out her phone, quickly googling waterfalls near Mountain’s End. There were quite a few water features in the area. She scrolled until she spotted the one she’d been looking for.Sorrow Falls.
What an appropriate name for the refuge of an outcast like Lark. The waterfall, that crystal clear pool, it all matched up. Aria’s blood warmed at the memory of her first time there. She would never forget the way Lark had felt inside her that first time. She longed to touch his darkly decorated skin. She needed to look into those ever-changing eyes and know that everything was okay.
She checked the GPS. The route that took her closest to the waterfall went halfway around the mountain. The more direct route would be to go straight through. The complex blurred by as she ran straight for the green. Her legs carried her deep into the woods before she stopped to check the map again. She focused, memorizing every detail until she felt confident that she could make it there without her GPS. She stashed the phone along with her clothes at the base of a nearby tree. It would be easy enough to find again later.
Soft, wet earth buried between her toes as she prepared her body to call upon her wolf. The inner animal wasted no time coming forward. It had been pacing within, sensing something was wrong with their mate. Her bones snapped as her body reshaped itself. Four paws hit the ground. Aria and her wolf had always had a healthy relationship and she trusted the animal completely.Let’s go find our mate.
The world became a painted canvas of the mountain’s most beautiful and under-traveled parts. Her fur blew in the summer breeze and a freedom flooded her veins that she only felt when her animal was at the helm. Even in her faster lycan form, it took nearly an hour to make it to the waterfall. The soothing sounds of rushing water greeted her as she broke through the tree line. Everything was as she remembered it. But how was she going to find the cabin from here? All she knew was that it was somewhere nearby.
She sniffed, searching for a familiar scent to point her in the right direction. Her wolf’s hackles rose as she picked up something unexpected. Blood. And underneath that sticky metallic tang was the sweet burnt-sugar scent of Lark.
Her wolf bounded into the thicket of trees, following the scents as they grew more prominent in the air. The animal released a mournful howl as the scent trail came to an end. She tore around a tangle of overgrown brush and came face to face with a pale white wolf.Lark.
His inner beast was absolutely massive. She had only seen one other wolf that was larger than his and it belonged to Gideon. The animal had its muzzle buried deep in the corpse of a black bear. Her wolf approached his, and the great white creature finally raised its head. The wolf’s snowy fur was stained a crimson deep enough to match its eyes. Aria felt a wave of panic as those deep-red orbs focused on her. Her wolf paced forward, leading Aria close enough that their paws became wet with the pool of freshly spilled blood. Lark’s wolf bared blood-stained teeth and her wolf bared their sharpened fangs right back. This wasn’t working. His wolf smelled agitated, resentful, and perhaps…afraid.We need a new plan.
Aria asked for their body back and her wolf relinquished control. She stood, gazing up at the white wolf. The beast released a menacing growl, and Aria sank to her knees. Sticky blood coated her bare skin. She looked deep into the animal’s eyes. “Lark. It’s time for you to come back now.” The white wolf snapped at the air and she flinched before finding her resolve once more. “Please.” She spoke directly to the wolf this time, dropping her voice to a soft whisper. “I need him back. I promise to find a way to help you, but right now I need Lark.” Tears pricked her eyes as she fell into the sadness of the wolf’s swirling red irises. She reached her hand forward. The wolf again bared its teeth but made no move to bite her. She placed a hand gently on top of its large muzzle. Her fingers stroked the dense fur softly. “Please.”
The wolf froze, as if surprised by her touch, then it leaned into her palm. Aria realized with great sorrow that this may have been the first time anyone touched the animal. A few moments later, its fur began to recede. She watched in relief and fascination as Lark’s ink-covered body reemerged. She pulled his head up into her lap. Her hands ran down his blood-streaked face as she pulled him tightly to her. His muscles began to jerk and a long groan came from somewhere deep inside him.
“Lark?”
Shiny silver and ocean-blue eyes peered up at her. “If I knew I would get to wake up with those perfect tits in my face, I would black out more often.”
ChapterTwelve
His voice felt strained and gravelly in his raw throat. Relief flooded Aria’s sapphire eyes as he began to sit up. She threw her arms around his neck, pulling him close. “What happened?” She ran her fingers over the uneven skin of his back and he melted beneath her touch.
“The wolf won.” Lark lifted his hands in the air, frantically inspecting the blood. Panic washed through him like a tidal wave.
“It’s a bear,” Aria consoled him quickly. “I scented it, there’s not any human.”
Lark’s relief was short-lived. “This time.” Aria’s silence spoke volumes. “Where are we?” he asked.
“Near the waterfall. When you didn’t show up I got worried. My wolf tracked your wolf here.”
Alarm bells rang in Lark’s chest. “You saw my wolf?” Aria nodded sheepishly. “Did it hurt you?” He searched her blood-covered body.
“No, no. I’m fine.” She grasped his cheeks between her warm hands. “Lark, we have to find a way to help your wolf.” Her thoughts were in turmoil and it sent pain spiking through his heart.
“You’re right. I don’t know if I’m ready for the pack yet, but I’m willing to try something.”
Aria’s eyes softened as she helped him to his feet. “Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up at the cabin. Then we can come up with a plan.”
* * *
