Page 17 of The Wolf Slayer

His warm lips tasted amazing. The way he smelled made her think of a warm, rainy day in the forest.

“Blake, I’ll never want you to leave me.”

He tried to let go of her, but Niev pulled him closer for another kiss. She wasn’t ready for him to leave. At least he promised to be back, which made letting him go easier.

“I wish I could spend every minute of the day with you.” His sad tone reflected how she felt.

“I would love that.”

He smiled and watched her grab her bag and the sandwiches. He held the door open for her and they left the apartment together. Thankfully, the rain had stopped, and the sun was coming through the clouds lighting up the early morning.

Holding her hand, he walked her to Berta and gave her one last kiss. “I will be back.”

She smiled up at him, already excited for their next meeting. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

She handed him his breakfast before getting into the car. It took all her physical and mental strength to turn the key in the ignition and drive off.

Leaving Blake behind like this was one of the hardest things she’d ever done.

Stone Age

Blake walked down the street while he ate the sandwich Niev had made him. Even though she’d been in a hurry, she’d taken the time to make him breakfast. It showed how amazing she was. He hadn’t driven his bike last night. He’d told Seth that he would let his wolf out for the night and so he did. In his wolf form, he’d run as close to Clemont as possible without causing suspicion, then shifted and walked the rest of the way. He took his time walking back, not eager to be home again.

He knew that as soon as he returned, Seth would put him back to work. He’d given him lots of chores to do–help rebuild a house that was damaged by the last storm, help the women buy their groceries, and train with the warriors.

He’d also been out on a few scouting missions. Apparently, his father had heard a rumor that another pack was planning to make advances on their land, so now everyone was on high alert. This was nothing unusual. It happened from time to time, but nothing serious ever came of it.

Some packs like Blake’s had their own territory. Other were traveling nomads and very few, like the Skadu Wolves eager to fight other packs. His father had once explained that those packs let their wolves take over their lives.

It took him close to two hours to get far enough away from society before he could take off his clothes and let his inner beast loose. He awakened his wolf and let his soul take over his body. He could feel his skin rip to pieces and bones break. It took less than a second for him to transform. Standing on his four paws, he inhaled a deep breath and took in all his surroundings. He carefully grabbed his clothes with his muzzle so they wouldn’t rip on his sharp canines and ran deep into the woods.

To mask Niev’s scent, he rolled around in mud puddles and washed himself in a nearby creek. As he got closer to his pack’s territory, he felt Seth’s mind search for him. While in their wolf form, a pack was able to connect their minds to communicate with each other.

Blake put aside his thoughts about Niev and opened his mind, letting his brother in.

‘I have been looking for you.’ Seth seemed annoyed. Nothing new these days–he’d been a little on edge since he had to babysit Blake.

‘I told you I needed to run.’ Blake tried to keep his calm.

‘Father needs to speak with us, it’s about the Skadu Pack,’Seth replied quickly.

Blake sighed. He tried to keep out of pack business, but the two of them had made it hard on him the past few weeks. ‘Fine, I'll be there.’

Blake closed his mind and ran back to his cabin to grab a fresh pair of pants that didn’t have Niev’s scent on them. He quickly made his way to the village and shifted back into his human form before breaking through the tree line. As he walked up the hill to the main house, he saw Seth coming out of the woods to his right. Blake quickly caught up to him and they both walked in silence side by side.

Seth looked worried, which meant something bad was about to happen. Seth had always been able to keep his feelings hidden. He’d learned from a young age that showing his feelings openly could possibly put his pack in danger. An alpha’s emotions weren’t to be shown freely.

They reached the front porch and Blake followed Seth inside. Without further ado, Seth walked into his father’s office where he and Bill were already waiting on them. His father sat behind his desk while Bill was leaning against the wall to their left, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

“The rumors I’ve heard have been confirmed. The Skadu Pack is heading for our territory.” His father came straight to the point, a glimpse of worry flashing in his eyes. “Of course, I’m aiming for a peaceful solution, but I’m not quite sure how to approach this.”

“Can we send them a message?” Seth asked, just as worried as his father.

Bill stepped forward. “I’ve offered myself to convey a message to Alpha Loren, but your father is concerned for my safety and anyone else’s who would take my place.”

“Can we not send multiple men?”

His father shook his head. “No, if we were to send a group they could be seen as a threat.”

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