~Azaria~
We kept east for what felt like forever. Time blurred into the rhythmic crunch of leaves underfoot and the steady sound of our breathing. I wasn't sure how long we'd been running—maybe half an hour, maybe more—but the forest had swallowed the last echoes of the dogs long ago. Only when silence truly settled did we slow to a walk.
I followed behind him, my steps light against the mossy ground. In his wolf form, he was breathtaking—his fur a deep, rich brown dusted with threads of gold that shimmered when the light touched them. His paws faded into soft caramel as they met the forest floor, silent and sure. Watching him move, I couldn't help but marvel. Strength, grace, power—he carried all three with effortless command.
But something about him was different now. When I first saw him, he'd been almost… invisible, blending with the forest as if made from shadow and air. Now, the forest no longer hid him. My brows knit together as I tried to understand. That wasn't something ordinary wolves—or even ordinary werewolves—could do. Was it magic? It had to be.But witches were nearly extinct, and those who survived wouldn't dare help our kind. The M.H.C. made sure of that. They'd developed devices to detect spells, and though I always suspected they had a witch or warlock in their ranks, I never saw proof. Only humans. Humans—and the caged creatures they collected like trophies.
A rustle snapped me out of thought. I turned sharply toward the sound, heart leaping into my throat.
"Wait here."
His voice—deep, smooth, and warm—filled my mind, brushing against my consciousness like silk. He nudged my hand gently with his snout, and I smiled despite myself, nodding silently. He lowered himself close to the ground and began to creep forward, vanishing before my eyes as though swallowed by the air itself. I clamped a hand over my mouth to stifle the gasp that rose in my throat.
The forest fell quiet.A low growl.A scuffle.Then silence.
Moments later, he emerged from the shadows, dragging his kill with ease. My chest swelled, pride mixing with awe. My mate—my mate. The word echoed in my mind like a sacred truth I'd been waiting my entire life to remember.
The adrenaline that had fueled me all this time began to fade, leaving behind trembling muscles and a heavy ache in my chest. As my body slowed, the mate bond flared awake in my heart—a deep, steady thrum of connection that called to him even when I tried to ignore it. My hands shook with the sudden, overwhelming urge to touch him, to feel him, to belong.
He must have felt it too. He dropped the deer and padded toward me, pressing his snout against my hand. I let my fingers sink into the thick warmth of his fur. His body radiated strength and comfort, and the tension in me began to melt away.
Then—he licked the back of my hand.
Electricity shot through me like lightning, sharp and consuming. My breath hitched, and I trembled again, this time not from fear or exhaustion, but something far more dangerous. Heat unfurled deep in my belly. My mind screamed that this was madness, but my heart—my soul—didn't care.
I wanted him to do it again.
Gods, what was wrong with me? He was a wolf. My wolf.And somehow, that thought made the wanting worse.
"Follow me, love."
His voice filled my head again, smooth and rich as honey. My cheeks burned, but I nodded. He picked up his kill and started forward, and I followed, too breathless to speak. Thankfully, he didn't tease me this time.
We walked until the trees thickened and the ground began to rise beneath us. The slope turned rocky, the air cooler, the scent of earth and stone stronger. At the base of a mountain, vines hung heavy across a wall of rock. Without hesitation, he slipped behind them, disappearing once more. I pushed through after him—and found a narrow tunnel carved into the mountain's side.
The air inside was cool and damp. The passage sloped downward, walls slick with mineral sheen. After a minute or so, the tunnel widened into a cave, three dark passages branching off in different directions. But he didn't take any of them. Instead, he went straight to a solid wall of stone.
He pressed his snout to a single rune carved into the rock, and the wall shimmered—like a curtain of smoke parting in slow motion—revealing another passage. I followed close behind as he trotted through.
We emerged into a large, hidden chamber bathed in soft, flickering candlelight. The space was beautiful in a raw, rustic way. Furniture carved from wood and draped in hides filled the room—chairs, a couch, a table, even shelves tucked into the stone. An animal pelt rug stretched across the floor, and the air smelled of pine, fire, and faint traces of spice. It was simple, yes—but it was home. Warm, safe, and alive.
"I'll be right back," his voice murmured in my mind. "Don't run, my little bunny."
The nickname caught me off guard. My cheeks flushed, but I didn't respond. Every time he spoke to me, his voice seemed to reach deeper—past thought, past reason—straight into the core of me. It was like being touched without being touched. My knees went weak, and a shiver rippled through me, part need, part fear of my own reaction.
I stumbled to the couch and sank into it, staring at my trembling hands. My body was betraying me—too tired, too raw, too full of conflicting energy. The forest's power still hummed through me, wild and uncontained, and I didn't have the strength to ground it. The mate bond only magnified the chaos, burning hotter by the second until it felt like fire crawling under my skin.
I started to shake uncontrollably. My breath hitched, quick and uneven. My vision blurred as tears filled my eyes. I couldn't stop it. Couldn't control it. My body was collapsing under the weight of it all—hunger, exhaustion, the bond, him.
"I—can't—breathe—"The words came out in fragments, swallowed by panic. My chest tightened until it felt like a fist was squeezing my lungs. The room spun. I was drowning in sensation.
"Hey, hey, hey… it's okay now. I'm here."
I didn't even hear him come back. One moment I was alone, the next he was kneeling in front of me, his hands closing around mine. The moment his skin touched mine, a spark jolted through me—powerful enough to steal my breath, but this time it stilled me instead of breaking me. The world slowed. My breathing steadied.
I lifted my gaze to his eyes—steel grey, sharp and gentle all at once—and something inside me snapped loose. I lunged forward, burying myself in his arms. I didn't care that he was naked, or clothed, or anything in between. I just needed him. Needed to feel safe.
He caught me easily, strong arms wrapping around my trembling body. His warmth enveloped me, his scent grounding me as he murmured quiet words against my hair. Shushing. Soothing. Promising. I clung to him, tears soaking his skin.
He stood, lifting me as if I weighed nothing. I didn't know where he was taking me, and I didn't care. His heart beat steady against mine, a sound that chased away the chaos. My eyelids grew heavy, the exhaustion winning at last. The last thing I felt before the darkness claimed me was the steady rhythm of his breathing and the quiet certainty blooming inside me.
I was safe.I was home.
At last.