Calex

"It's not her fault, Calex; she doesn't understand what happened," Flynn interjects in time for my fist to drive into the nearest tree, dragging it down, and relishing in the small prickles of the bark digging into my skin. "She'll come around."

I know it's not her fault. If it were me, I would think the same thing. This is a normal reaction. But I doubt it. I saw the way she had looked at me: fear illuminating her eyes, body scared stiff, and words full of accusation. She sees me as a monster, and I'll never be able to change that. I should've accepted the facts as soon as I saved her. She wouldn't want me.

"It's fine, Flynn." I try to piece my thoughts together, repelling the frightful gaze of my female out of my head. "Just have to accept it for how it is."

Blocking him out, knowing he'll start dragging shit up from the past, I force everything into a small box and store it in the back of my mind. Sucking in a long breath, I make sure to release it slowly, letting the pent up frustration flow out with it.

The least I can do is see her through the shift and get her accustomed before making sure she gets home safely. I'm sure Ronny would be a suited male to keep her safe after she rejects me.

Fuck, I hate the word already. I don't want another male near her.

Inhaling through my nose, I soak up the fragrance of the woods from the earthy soil to the dry leaves, and the faint fruitiness of her wild berry scent. Holding it for four seconds, I release for another and repeat until the tension floods from my muscles and dissipates altogether. Not having her scent in my space is going to leave it empty, not having her by my side will leave me empty. Leasing a snarl, I peer over at the location I stored the kill, knowing the second I bring it back, that means it's time to get things moving along for her shift. Another step closer to when I'll have to let her go.

Stalking across the dirt, I duck behind the tree and snag it by the midsection. Hauling it into my arms, the storm back toward the cabin is slower, deliberate, and her aroma hits me, and I can feel the rejection already.

Pushing through the treeline, I jerk to a halt, the body thumps to the ground, and my heart stutters.

Where is she?

Breathing in until it feels as if my lungs will explode, I can make out the familiar notes of the woods, and her. No intruder. A relieved breath falls from my mouth, and I jog up the steps, inhaling again, only to discover entering wasn't on her mind. Pivoting, I follow my nose and make a beeline toward the trees, grinding my teeth until they ache. I shouldn't have left her alone; I should've told her to stay put—not that I think she would've listened to me, but it would've covered bases.

What if someone gets to her before I can—

No. I'll reach her. No one is going to get close to my Mate.

For a small woman, she can cover ground. Covering it in human form is taking longer than I would care to admit, but the strength growing behind her scent is enough to inform me I'm on the right track. No sign of injury tainting it, just a sickly sour twang of panic. There's another faint odour trailing close behind, and it pulls a vicious snarl from me as I pick up the pace.

Shifting would mean faster travel, but she wouldn't recognise me, and the last thing I want is to stoke the fear in her. Shit, I will never forgive myself if something happens to her; I should've never let her out of my sight.

Leaping over a fallen branch, I lose the block over Flynn, pleased to have his growls filter through my mind. Neither of us say a word as I race through the shrubbery, weaving in and out of the trees, crunching twigs with each step I take. I'm grateful, and he knows when to bite his tongue, and I know when it's time to throw in the towel with him and listen to his advice. Right now, it's the former.

"She's close, but we're not alone," he snarls, readying in case we need to defend our female.

"They won't touch her," I growl.

Not because I don't trust their restraint on trespassers—intentional or not—but because if they dare to think about harming her, I will kill them all.

Scanning the cluster of trees for any sign of her, I breathe in my surroundings, straining my ears for a sign someone is prowling around my perimeter, stalking behind, or if she's moving up ahead. In time, it pays off. Movement approximately thirty feet ahead, and what I know as an ambush closing in. Her sobs break through my analysis, and I'm pushing across the boundaries of the border without care for the consequences. In my peripheral, a blur of brown disappears behind a tree, and further up a darker body vanishes amongst the cover of a bush.

"I count three more nearby," Flynn notes, narrowing his eyes.

Following the scent of my Mate and the small sniffles, I find her off to the right, trekking on shaky legs. I don't miss how she's using the tree trunks to aid her mobility, and my instincts are quick to snap into action at the sight of her arm curled around her stomach. Growling, I circle around the trees with a three feet radius and stop in front of her, catching her by the waist. Her green eyes stare up at me with the same expression as before, breaths shallow, and her heart is pounding erratically.

"I-I thought it was you chasing me," she stammers, glancing toward the depths of the woods, but I can tell she's dubious about me and what's lurking around us.

"Don't run off," I say, doing my best to make it sound less like a command, hearing the steady approach of the wolves before they slow to a halt. "Some places here aren't safe."

The tremble of her lower lip ceases, and the gasp that falls is from surprise, not fear. My chest swells with pride at the little accomplishment, and I'll take the small amount of progress along with Flynn's pleased chuff.

There's a low snort in the distance, and I don't miss the glowing eyes flanking behind me—where she would've stumbled. I release a low snarl over my shoulder, tuck my female close to me, and pin them with a cold glare before turning my attention to her. "Let's go, little one."

I'm shocked for the second time within thirty seconds when she doesn't protest. I'll take that as another step toward victory, but I'm not a fool to assume she's still not afraid of me. Although, judging by the way her eyes fleet around our surroundings, she could sense them, and it scares her. Right now, I'm the monster she's chosen to trust, and I'll take it.

Minutes turn into an hour of silence, and I can see she's struggling to walk, her stomach is howling to be filled, and if I had my way, I would pick her up and carry her back to the cabin. If it weren't for the fact that she would attempt to escape, I would've done it without hesitance an hour ago. It would be better for the both of us to skip this part; she would be fed, relaxed, and I could put the painful silence behind me.

Scrubbing my jaw, I bite the bullet. "Do you need a break?"

She doesn't meet my eye. "I'm. . . fine."

Taking that as a sign to shut my mouth, I concentrate on the tingles skirting up my side as she relies on leaning against me, even though I can sense she's doing it reluctantly. Catching the small stagger, I huff out a breath and put the brakes on. "I need a break."

"That caught her attention," Flynn muses, and I hide the smirk with a swipe of my hand as I lower to my haunches.

Glancing up at her over my shoulder, her eyes cloud with doubt. "You need a break?"

With a firm nod, I turn to the snapped twigs ahead of us, knowing this is the route I took to find her. It shouldn't be long now, and the sun should start to set, and by the time it does, I hope to have her fed and partially rested for what's to come.

"Yeah, I'm tired. It's been a few days since I've got a good run in," I feign a stretch, which startles her, but there's a hint of curiosity in her eyes. "Just don't wander off, I would say you got pretty lucky this time."

I'm not lying. I'd place more trust in his leniency to a trespasser, as low as it is, to the other packs that are closer to my grounds.

On the other hand, if this keeps going how it is, I won't have to worry so much about her stumbling into territories if she returns to the town.

The mere thought of her going anywhere without me brings a nasty taste in my mouth and puts me in a bitter mood. But I can't show her I'm feeling the effects of her distaste because that will give her another reason to kick me off the shit list entirely, landing in shit itself. Picking up the snapped stick, I make a scene of inspecting it, searching for something and inhaling the air before reclining against the tree. My little female takes steady steps toward the downed branch, propping herself against the thicker end for support. Seeing her relax puts me at ease, but I don't let my guard down. After what's happened, I expect a warning to be sent my way, or worse, a meeting with him.

Putting it to the back of my mind for now, I peer over toward my Mate, and she's out. Her head is slumped back, revealing her slender throat to the elements, and her soft, ragged breaths fill the air.

"She must be exhausted," Flynn notes, and I nod unconsciously.

Rising to my full height, I stealth closer, avoiding leaves and the cracked twigs until I can crouch in front of her. Her eyes don't twitch, her heartbeat doesn't pick up, and she doesn't stir. My heart skips a beat, and knowing it's a bold move, I scoop her into my arms, making sure to take care to not disturb her.

She groans softly against the crook of my neck once she's snuggled closer, and there's no visible sign of her waking. I don't dare to move until I'm certain she won't stir, and when I start the walk back to the cabin, she emits another one of those gentle moans.

Swallowing back my pride, I keep her as close to me as our bodies will allow so she's surrounded by warmth. Now that she's in my arms—as temporary as it is—Flynn is at peace, and I feel complete.

Craning my head back to gaze up at the dimming sky, I release a slow breath.

Moon Goddess, please let her find peace after the transition.