Page 11 of Abel

He growled, not wanting to have this conversation.“As rarely as possible.”

“What?Abel, you can’t do that to yourself.”

“Es, self-torture is literally the only thing keeping me held together these days.”He groaned.“So, don’t worry about me.You’ve got work to do, right?”

She snorted a laugh.“The staff has work to do.When was the last time you went on a hunt?”

He shrugged.“Can’t really remember, honestly.”

“Abel!”She sternly stiffened and placed her hands on her hips.“Come on, let’s go.”

He followed her until it dawned on him that she wasn’t heading to the castle.“Where are you going?”

She started to strip out of her clothes as she walked.“We are going hunting.And I won’t take no for an answer.”

His mouth went dry, and any argument he could make would be weak at best.“I’m not in the mood.”

“You are too.”She spun around, unashamed of her naked body.His wolf bristled on the inside, and his human body sprung to life as well.“Now, strip, and let’s go.The Royal Hunting Grounds are just behind this grove.”

Before he could reign in his feral side, his body had already entered autopilot as he took off his clothes, dropping them behind him like a trail of breadcrumbs across the old-growth forest that surrounded them.

* * *

Esme shiftedto her wolf form and stretched, letting out a long satisfied howl.Abel followed her lead, his black wolf emerging and striding beside her.Her white fur dazzled in the setting sunlight.She leaned her head over and nuzzled his face, making his wolf excited and impatient to spend a night hunting with her.

They reached an old stone wall, crumbling as time had worn it down.A wrought iron gate creaked in the wind, its hinges rusted from weather and lack of care.The old king really had let his territory go once his mind started to slip.In brief moments, Abel sympathized with the crazy old man.And deep down he knew that if his child had died, and he’d had a chance to bring her back, he would’ve gone to the same lengths Lycaon had done.And if she had fallen in love with someone on the other side, he probably would have placed the same curse on that young man as the king had to him.

But Abel was hotheaded, he held grudges, and his anger had gotten him into more than enough trouble for a lifetime.He had little time to worry about the old man when he was so busy torturing himself.As if she knew what he was thinking about, Esme nudged him.She pushed him through the gate and slunk in behind him.She pawed the ground and sniffed the air.He could tell the minute he inhaled that no prey was near the entryway.She wrinkled her nose and whined.

He snorted.She was beautiful under the silvery light of the rising moon.Taking the lead, Abel slipped through the underbrush of a densely packed grove of trees.He didn’t have to look back to know she was right there with him.When she met him at his side, their breath synchronized, he could hear her heart calling out to his, beating as one.She was his mate, this is how they were supposed to be.A team, always together, hunting and protecting their pack from any threat.

Carsidius… The threat.

Abel knew Esme well enough to know there was no changing her mind now.She’d made a commitment, a business arrangement for her father’s benefit, and it was a vow she wouldn’t break.Loyalty was her strong suit.He loved and hated that about her.Ancient instincts raged to life, they moved together, sniffing the air and ground.Looking and waiting for the signs of life in the forest.

Esme’s coat shimmered in the moonlight, and her bright eyes were fixed on finding her prey.He always thought that together they looked like white light and midnight death together.Contrasting each other, but syncing up perfectly.As if one was incomplete without the other.

A twig snapped in the distance and both wolves stopped.They exchanged a glance and Esme sniffed the ground, trying to pick up a scent trail.They moved slowly and silently deeper into the ancient forest.Both passed up any meager kills, like the small rabbit trying to hurry to its burrow.They wanted a chase, a fight, they wanted meat and blood, and exhilaration from the takedown.They wanted a worthy hunt.He followed Esme until she whimpered.

Abel stopped in his tracks and watched her pace.Her impatience was amusing, but he had to admit he was getting antsy too.He leaned against her and then paused.His body tensed.Every muscle coiled and twitched as a scent filled his nose.A male deer wasn’t far from them and as old and unused as this hunting ground was, he was probably a beast, made large and strong from years of survival.The breeze stirred, and their pace quickened in anticipation.They grew closer to their target as the dense forest floor thinned into a moonlit meadow.

In unison, they crouched down camouflaged by the tall grasses around them, staying downwind of their quarry.And there he was, standing before them at the center of the meadow.Moonlight glistened off his antlers, which stood at an ungodly height, the large rack proved Abel had been right, this beast was large and majestic.King of his own domain.And as much as Abel admired him, this was the circle of fate they all had to abide by.A life taken, a life decomposed, feeding new life as it melts into the soil, and from it grows more fauna for other herds of deer to feed from.Cain was the farmer amongst them, he was the grower of food, a harvester.Whereas Abel was the butcher, the slaughter of a lamb is what began his journey to Esme and with her, he would kill again.But not for sacrifice, not as an offering, but because this is what nature demands of them, they have a place in this strange ecosystem, and fate had led them to their purpose on this night.

Silence passed between them, but they both knew what to do without any communication.Splitting up, each of them made their way around the outskirts of the meadow.They closed their circle tighter and tighter until they were positioned for a seamless attack.Abel kept his belly low, letting himself blend into the shadows of the tall grass as he watched Esme crouch low, her eyes locked on their target.

They launched their attack at the same time.Abel’s muscles launched him forward.Even though he hadn’t changed forms in forever, his body still knew what to do.Esme launched from her attack point as a streak of white fur raced towards the deer in the meadow.

The old deer knew the minute they leapt into action.His head jerked up, eyes widening with terror.His hooves dug into the soft soil, he would try to escape, but he would fail.It was too late.Esme caught him just as he began his escape, the wolf’s teeth sinking deep into the deer’s flank.Abel surged forward, penetrating the soft skin of the deer’s throat.The noble buck fought as best he could.Refusing to go down without making the two of them work for it.Abel appreciated that as his powerful jaw tore its throat open.Esme dragged him down, never letting go of the deer’s hindquarters.

Blood stained her beautiful white fur, Abel could feel the warm coppery liquid running down his mouth and already matting his fur in the tussle.As the last struggle of life left their kill, they both breathed heavy, trying to catch their breath.

Why had he waited so long to do this?The adrenaline was a rush he missed more than he could have imagined.Esme gave him a triumphant look as her tongue lolled from her bloody mouth, and Abel couldn’t help but be awestruck by his former mate.Beauty and grace.For the moment, the forest was silent, as if all living things were mourning the death of this magnificent creature while waiting to see if the wolves would hunt for more tonight.

They wouldn’t.This was all that they needed.Esme lumbered up to him, nuzzling her face in his fur, her soft noises of satisfaction and contentment were all he could focus on.He buried his face in her neck and then nudged her toward their feast.Their hard-earned dinner filled them with more than sustenance, it was proof of their unity as a pack, a pack of two, who were meant to be together.Abel whimpered at the thought.

Esme nudged a chunk of meat toward him, and he shook off the dark regrets filling his mind.For a little while he could pretend that nothing had passed between them, as if they were still mated, still bound to each other… Just for one night.

The forest came back to life, the wind whipped around them as if it had been holding its breath.Creatures stirred, some making their way home to stay safe, while others headed out on hunts of their own.All the while, Abel and his mate feasted on their kill and soaked in the moon’s powerful embrace.

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