Page 14 of Moon Bound

I shoot away, leaving the sand far behind to dart between tree trunks. Good thing I fed back at the castle while she was talking to Lorcan, or I’d have been out of this race before it had even started. I’m under no illusion in my mind that, between her wolf and vampire speed, Aspen will catch me eventually. But this game is akin to foreplay, and she’ll beg for a kiss by the night's end. True, I’m under strict orders not to fornicate with the princess. That luxury is to be kept for her betrothed, but I can’t help if she comes onto me. Hunts me down and lets her animalistic side take over.

Turning sharply, creating a path with my scent, I run one way and another. Diving through thick plants and rounding back on the way, I came in an attempt to throw off Aspen’s wolf for a while. The rocky ground beneath me barely moves under the swift speed of my feet. Birds flock from the trees in panic as I crash through bushes, not bothering to mask my sounds. There’s no escaping the hybrid, and I really don’t want to anyway. Let her get hot and hungry, yearning for me alone.

The glimmer of water up ahead catches my eye, and I head toward it before throwing myself high into the air and landing on the other side of the stream. Landing in a crouch, I stay low behind a bush and wait for the wolf to appear—adrenaline coursing through my body, an unwavering smile pulling at my mouth. I know Aspen could have caught me already, so is she toying with me now or not coming at all? Although I sensed the hunger within her; she wants this just as much as I do. Heavy footfalls from the others pound into the distance, the caw of a raven overhead. Pussy couldn’t beat her on foot, so he’s soaring through the night.

A flash of white zooms in front of me at a rate I can barely track. Damn, she really is fast. On the opposite side of the stream, the wolf paces along the bank, keeping its golden eyes locked on me. Grinning, I lean down with my hand cupped and quickly splash the cool water into her face. During her flinch and the brief close of her eyes, I vault myself upwards and grab onto a branch, pulling myself up and leaping to an adjacent one.

The wolf below shakes her head, the wiggle making its way all the way down her back and finishing with a wag of her tail. Looking around for a second, her head whips upwards to see me perching on the branch above. With a howl, she leaps over the river and jumps against the thick trunk holding me, leaving deep gashes in the bark. I laugh loudly, the noise echoing around the forest as I stand and hop from branch to branch. Following beneath, I keep the luminescent animal in my peripheral vision as she jumps up, trying to snap at my ankles.

The next branch cracks beneath my weight, and I hurdle toward the forest floor. A pair of solid forearms catch my flailing body midair, Torsten tossing me back on my feet to run side by side. The wolf is hot on our heels, howling to the moon.

“As if I’m going to let you win that easily, if at all,” he growls, slapping the back of my head. I can only laugh, preferring to make Aspen work for me anyway. We navigate the forest, covering miles in mere minutes. After a while, it becomes apparent we’re no longer being chased and slow to a stop.

“Now, see what you did. She’s gone for Jaxon,” I sigh. Torsten rolls his gray eyes.

“Jaxon has enough honor not to break the cardinal rule. None of us can claim her yet. We need to prove ourselves worthy in the king’s eyes.” This time my sigh turns into a full-on groan. Don’t get me wrong, following orders is what got me to be the army’s second in command. I’ve been a loyal vamp my entire existence…but there’s something about her. Something freeing, raw, and brazenly beautiful. If there ever was a time to throw out tradition and make sure she sees me, this is it.

Resting my boot against a boulder, I straighten the t-shirt I had to don after Aspen scratched the shit out of my back. The scores have finally healed, but the fact that she could harm me so deeply is interesting in itself. Torsten rests against a trunk, assessing me too closely.

“I’d forget what you’re thinking if I were you,” he warns. Good thing there’s only one Chase, then, isn’t it? “You know as well as I do that the few females we possess must marry for strength. When the future of our species is at stake, Lorcan can’t afford to make foolish decisions.” And speaking of mistakes, our king is making many by ignoring whatever is happening to him. Those he permits entry into his office noticed long ago that something is affecting Lorcan. Physically and mentally, but he’s ‘dealing with it’ by hiding away. Pushing off the boulder, I spear Torsten’s chest with my finger.

“The funny thing, Torst,” I quirk a brow, and he slaps my hand away, “is you thinking wepossessthose women at all. I say let them choose who to moon bond with. It’s their lives to live.”

“Very insightful, but I’m afraid we don’t have the time for such luxury. Mates can be born centuries apart, and without the females baring children – the likelihood those mates are born at all is slimming.” A soft scratching from above draws my attention to the raven hidden within the shadows of the autumn leaves. Sneaky fucker.

“I say we drain that bird of blood before roasting him for fun,” I grin, and Torsten laughs, suddenly back on the same page as we clamber up the tree.

Chapter9

Sawyer

Not happening. Not on my fucking life.

First, we’ve entered some ridiculous hunting game when Aspen is most vulnerable. Now I catch those two knuckleheads talking of arranged marriages and the future of the vampire species. Something isn’t right about the timing and urgency of kidnapping Aspen after all these years of ignoring her existence. And there’s no fucking way I’ll allow one of them to kiss her tonight.

Flying above the trees, I gain a wide enough view to follow the blur of luminescent white through the forest. I had to learn quickly how to track her when she was at full speed, and the key is height. Swooping low, crisp leaves scratch at my feathers as I tuck my wings into my body. My talons latch onto the scruff at her neck, tugging me along for the ride as I spot her target. A flash of pale muscle, the trial of brown braids. She’s hunting Jaxon and rapidly closing the gap.

I can’t let that happen. I can’t let her catch him or allow the cascade of events that would take place if she does. With her wolf calling the shots and her emotions still raw from meeting her father, she’ll either screw or kill him. Possibly both. As her guardian, I must save her from herself at the best times.

The wolf whips her large head aside, snapping for me. I release her fur, spreading my wings wide to lift high into the air. Safely out of biting range. Up ahead, Jaxon diverts left, launches himself onto a trunk, and backflips over Aspen. Landing in a crouch, he flashes a fang and spurts away, with Aspen eagerly following behind. I know what they’re doing. Enticing her. Ensuring she gets the thrill of the hunt before relenting and taking advantage. Not on my damn watch.

This time when I swoop towards the wolf, I shift mid-air. My wings spread wider, the trench coat clinging to my arms billowing. Instead of landing on Aspen, I barrel into her. A heavy mass of fur and limbs rolling through the dirt, punctuated by the deep rumble of growling. Round my arm around her neck, I wrestle to subdue the wolf whilst grunting in her ear.

“Shift back, dammit,” I toss her into the forest floor. The wolf jumps up, lunging for me. She dives into the underarm of my trench coat, her teeth missing my ribs by mere inches. Shedding the sleeves, I wrap them around her head and land my knee into her gut. “Aspen. Come back to me.” Stilling, the wolf pants. Lowering her head, she whines, and I release her from the confines of my coat. Crouching down, I stare into the golden eye assessing me and reach up to stroke behind her ear. “That’s it, Pumpkin. It’s me.”

I exhale heavily, flapping out my coat to encase her naked body when she shifts back. Tonight took a turn I wasn’t expecting, but it’s done now. The wolf shakes her fur the way she does when preparing to shift back, except she doesn’t make it that far. Lashing out suddenly, the wolf’s jaw clamps down on my neck, squeezing shut. I freeze in shock, remaining perfectly still. Those golden eyes watch me closely, her teeth sinking into my flesh a millimeter more to gauge my reaction. I don’t give her one.

No screaming or reams of panic. No fear for her to feast on. The wetness of her tongue lazily slides across my skin, lapping up any blood I have spilt. A shudder rolls through her spine, her following moan too human-like to have come from the wolf. In the next second, she’s gone. Dashing through the trees with a chunk of my throat in her mouth and the last flash of her tail disappearing from sight.

I tumble aside, gripping my neck. Blood gushes between my fingers, the thud of my pulse slowing as my body prepares to heal. Going into a state of hibernation, I can only lie here, lost to the forest's shadows. Had it been any other creature to cause me harm, I’d have healed instantly and continued fighting. But not where hybrid wounds are concerned.

A twig cracks somewhere nearby. I heave onto my back, hoping to see my attacker before they strike. Whoever it is doesn’t near, watching my struggle from a distance. A gurgled choke erupts from my mouth, a bubbling trail of blood seeping between my lips as I feel the tendons in my neck begin to stitch back together. It’s a painfully slow process. Especially considering that Aspen is nearby in a feral state, and I’m supposed to guard her. Eventually, I’m able to sit upright and inhale large gulps of air, filling my lungs to capacity before exhaling.

Looking around, Aspen is nowhere to be seen. I focus my hearing, but in this form, I can’t quite place her fast-paced heartbeat amongst the other animals in the forest. Her unique wolf scent isn’t close by either. I’ve lost her—no doubt to the fanged monsters who have used reverse psychology to trick her into kissing them. The Aspen I know would have run back to the cabin and already be asleep in the bed, refusing to be bated. But her wolf relies on base instinct. Driven by the need to hunt and consume.

Suddenly, a flash of white rushes towards me from the left at an un-trackable speed. I turn to face her head-on as she collides with me, sending us both flying and skidding through the mud. Before I can even think about the pain racing up my spine, her heavy form lands on me, cracking at least two of my ribs.

Aspen presses her front paws down on my shoulders, pushing me further into the dirt. Bared teeth on show, a growl emanating deep within her chest. This is the wolf I’ve come to recognize, and she is astounding. A lethal beast of such magnificence. A spirited female caged by her crossbreeding.

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