Tolu waited by the edge of the forest, mist coiling around the hill's base. Ore walked up the path, her expression playful.
"Where's your dad?" he asked.
"He's got business in the city," she said, stretching her arms lazily. "So it's just you and me today."
Tolu smirked. "That sounds dangerous."
She gave him a sly grin. "Wanna make it more fun?"
He folded his arms. "What do you have in mind?"
She pointed up the steep hill. "First to reach the top gets to ask the loser for anything."
He chuckled, shaking his head. "This sounds like a trap."
"Maybe," she said with a wink, "but it'll be fun."
Tolu laughed softly. "Alright. You're on."
They both take of their clothes off so they don't get destroyed during transformation l, leaving their bodies stark naked.
They stood side by side, the air thick with anticipation.
"On your mark," she said.
"Set," he replied.
"Go!" they shouted together—
—and in the next heartbeat, their forms blurred, bones shifting, fur bursting across skin as two massive wolves hit the ground running.
The dark wolf lunged first, claws tearing through the earth, while the one with grey lining on its body darted ahead, agile and fierce. Their breaths came in short bursts, their roars echoing through the trees as they raced up the hill, side by side.
The air in the forest was alive with movement and sound—branches swaying, leaves crackling beneath claws. Two blurs of motion tore through the greenery, fur flashing beneath the sun as they raced up the slope.
Tolu's massive gray form bounded forward, muscles rippling as his paws dug deep into the soft earth. Each stride was heavier, faster, more precise than it had ever been before. Behind him, a gust of wind followed—a sign of how much power he now commanded.
Ore glanced over her shoulder mid-leap, her sleek black coat glinting like midnight silk. For a heartbeat, she was startled. He's keeping up.
Tolu's eyes—those fierce, glowing blue orbs—locked on her with unrelenting focus. He was faster, stronger, more balanced. Every push of his limbs sent dirt flying, every breath came out in bursts of hot air as the distance between them shrank.
Ore growled low, the sound carrying both pride and surprise. She hadn't expected him to adapt so quickly. A few weeks ago, he would have trailed far behind, but now—now she actually had to try.
The hill steepened, and they lunged through the last stretch, neck-and-neck. Tolu launched himself forward with all he had, claws scraping rock as he closed the gap—
but Ore was faster.
Her dark form shot past him, a streak of shadow against sunlight, and she slammed her front paws into the summit just seconds before he did.
Tolu stumbled to a stop right beside her, panting hard.
Even in her wolf form, he could feel the grin in her eyes, a teasing flash of triumph. She growled playfully, circling him once before lunging.
He met her halfway.
The two collided with a playful thud, rolling down the grassy slope in a tangle of fur and laughter that only wolves could make—a mix of growls, snaps, and wild energy. They rolled and tumbled, paws batting, teeth flashing harmlessly as they went tumbling back down the hill they'd just conquered.
When they reached the base of the hill, both wolves came to a skidding stop—grass tearing up under their claws. Ore panted lightly, tail flicking with smug satisfaction, while Tolu narrowed his glowing eyes, still determined to prove a point.
Then, in a flash, he shifted his weight and lunged—darting into her blind spot behind her.
Ore's ears twitched in alarm. She spun around with a startled yelp, instantly transforming back to her human form, her voice sharp and flustered.
"No—there's no way we're doing that!"
Tolu froze mid-step, confused, before shifting back as well. "Doing what?"
She folded her arms over her chest, cheeks tinted red. "Mating! There's no way we're doing that."
Tolu blinked, stunned for a second, then quickly raised his hands defensively. "What—no! That's not what I was trying to do!" He rubbed the back of his neck, awkwardly laughing. "I just wanted to surprise you from your blind spot. You know, like a counterattack."
Ore blinked, realizing what he meant. The tension on her face melted away as she exhaled, a small, embarrassed smile tugging at her lips.
"Oh. That makes more sense."
"Yeah," he said, still a little flustered. Then, after a beat, he frowned. "Wait… why did you jump to that?"
Ore looked away, fiddling with a strand of her hair. "It's just… if we did that in our wolf forms—" she hesitated, then met his eyes again. "Pregnancy is a hundred percent guaranteed."
Tolu's eyes widened. "Wait—what?"
She nodded seriously. "Wolves in our form aren't bound by human limits. If that happens, it always leads to conception."
Tolu just stared, dumbfounded, before blurting, "Yeah—yeah, we are definitely not doing that."
Ore chuckled, relieved, and they both laughed as they began dressing up again. The awkward air faded into something lighter, warmer—just the comfortable kind of silence that existed between two people who trusted each other.
As Tolu finished tying his boots, he glanced at her. "So… you won. What do you want?"
Ore smirked, pulling her hair into a ponytail. "I'll tell you when the time comes."
He groaned. "That's never good."
She just smiled, eyes glinting with mischief. "You'll find out soon enough."
Tolu sighed deeply, shaking his head as they started walking back through the forest—each step leaving behind the playful chaos of the hill, but carrying something new between them: unspoken tension, quiet laughter, and an uncertain promise of what was yet to come.
Back at Ajamu's mansion, the heavy wooden doors creaked open as Ajamu stepped into Ronke's dimly lit chamber. The air inside was thick with incense, its smoky tendrils swirling lazily around the room. Ronke sat cross-legged before a calabash of still water, her eyes glowing faintly red as the surface rippled with shifting images.
Without knocking, Ajamu said, his voice low but urgent, "We found something."
Ronke's head lifted immediately, her eyes narrowing. "Show me."
Moments later, the two of them were walking through the cool, echoing corridors of the ancestral tombs. Their footsteps echoed against the old stone, mingling with the faint scent of dust and ancient bloodlines. Torches flickered along the walls, throwing shifting shadows across the carvings of wolves, sigils, and long-forgotten names.
Ajamu spoke as they descended deeper, his tone steady but heavy with restrained excitement.
"I came here myself to pay respects to my ancestors," he said. "But something strange happened."
He gestured toward the largest tomb—a massive black stone coffin lined with ancient markings. "I decided to start with this one. The first alpha of my generation."
He stepped closer, pointing at the stone. "When I brushed my hand against it, I accidentally nicked myself. My blood touched the surface—then this appeared."
A faint crimson glow shimmered across the tomb as an intricate mark pulsed into view—an ancient symbol of a wolf's head encircled by runes that seemed to breathe with faint, rhythmic light.
Ronke's eyes widened, her composure slipping for the first time in weeks. She crouched beside it, her fingers tracing the glowing lines reverently. "This… this is it," she whispered. " One of the marks that creates the seal of awakening."
Ajamu nodded grimly. "I tried the other tombs—those belonging to the Adegokes, the Adewales, and the rest—but nothing happened. I think only the blood of their current alphas can awaken their marks."
Ronke smiled slowly, the corners of her lips curling into something dark and knowing. "Then we're closer than I thought," she murmured. "Much closer."
The glow from the tomb reflected in her eyes—hungry, calculating, almost feverish.
Ajamu looked down at her, his jaw tightening. "You're certain this leads to what you're after?"
Ronke stood, her smile widening. "Oh, Ajamu," she said softly. "I've never been more certain of anything in my life."
The torches flickered again as the crimson light on the tomb pulsed one last time—then faded, leaving only silence and the faint echo of Ronke's laughter reverberating through the tombs.