Vyra

My bliss was short-lived.

A resounding howl seeped into my bones, ricocheting between the mountains. It was a beautiful, sorrowful cry that was somehow tragic as much as it lured me.

Seren.

Somewhere within, the animal and human within me met. I came to a sudden halt, my head swiveling.

I should turn back now, before he gets the wrong idea.

The howl was much closer this time.

The signal meant various things to Lycan, from wartime to mating calls. Most of the time, the Alpha used it to wrangle pack members and keep them close together.

I let out a weak yelp, my vocal chords weak from the lack of use. I wanted to tell the Alpha that I was heading back, but I was too far into the woods to turn back into my human form without getting lost.

Turning a half moon, I headed back into the direction I came and prepared myself for a lecture.

That was when the world went quiet. Birds refused to chirp, the snow fell without a sound, and the wind seemed to hold its breath. I padded forward carefully, fear coursing through my veins.

A low howl startled me from the side, and I turned swiftly to find the source.

Ebony shadow raced across the snow like spilled ink on parchment. I caught the movement, but it was almost too fast to track. I scented the air, immediately identifying that it was the Alpha and not some other predator.

For several moments I waited, wondering why he wouldn't just come to me. He wasn't another wolf or a larger predator, so we could debrief on my passing of the trial and go home.

As the midnight wolf remained hidden, I realized he did not want to be found. I was being watched. I searched the area until I found where the wolf was hiding.

Familiar silver eyes glowed from between low hanging branches. It was Seren. I nearly barked with acknowledgement, before I saw the curling of his lips over his large fangs. The large black wolf crouched low as he made his way through the brush, eyes filled with venom and claws scraping against the snow in preparation.

Seren howled again, primal and unyielding. All of the fur on my body rose across my spine, and every instinct screamed that I was in danger.

His teeth snapped together, his head twitching. His body language told me that I was brave and equally audacious for remaining still.

My thoughts were a mess. I couldn't tell whether the man was attempting some sort of training exercise, or if he genuinely believed I tried deserting. Either way, I was not about to stick around.

I was being hunted.

Whipping through the trees, I tried to remain on the path toward the training field. Branches pricked my fur and drew blood. I threw all my power into racing away, knowing that Seren couldn't be far behind.

I couldn't find the massive animal anywhere, nor hear him. It was like running from a ghost.

Focusing on the thinning treeline, I check both sides for any sight of Seren. I thought I had made it when I felt the snap of fangs near my left ear. Swiftly, I veered to the right in an attempt to steer clear of him.

Salvation seemed to appear in the form of a frozen stream. I told myself I could escape if I pushed harder, if I made it over to the other side.

I was midair when the hunter got tired of playing with his prey. Seren barred me from the side, knocking me out of the sky and away from the stream.

My back slammed flat against hardened snow, the impact thrust me back into my human form. I coughed, trying to catch my breath, after getting the wind knocked out of me.

It was nearly impossible with the Alpha, who also shifted back into his form.

I preferred the wolf, to the man who looked the most dangerous I have ever seen.

In our current position, I was left entirely vulnerable.

The Alpha's much larger, and much stronger body caged me in. Even with the leather he wore, I knew the immovable muscle that lay underneath. He straddled one of my thighs, as his torso weighed heavily onto mine, leaving just enough room not to crush me.

It wasn't the first time he tackled me, and yet it felt entirely different.

He was warm, so warm. It was summer with him.

Both of my wrists were caught in his and held beside my head.

He was breathing heavily, his chest meeting mine. His face was only an inch away, and my eyes immediately found the scar just above his lips. Silver eyes ran their blade over me, wild and untamed.

Clarity rushed in. I remembered his threat, that if I tried to run, he would come and drag me back himself.

"Alpha Umbra I—" My breath caught and he let out a growl in the back of his throat. I wasn't sure he was completely a man yet, "I wasn't running away."

It was the truth. I hadn't wanted to run away, I just wanted to see what it was like beyond our territory. I felt so overwhelmed in that moment, with victory, that I let myself get carried away.

The Alpha leaned forward slowly using the grip on my wrists to lower them between us. I froze, unable to comprehend that he was closing the little space we had. He smelled divine despite all of our time spent hunting, like mulled wine and bonfire.

His beauty did nothing to dull my survival instincts.

"Alpha, listen."

He did not.

My lungs no longer worked when his lips were only a hair away from mine. My exhales became his inhales. He remained silent, his silver eyes grazing over every inch of my face.

"Seren," I said his name, and his focus landed softly on my mouth.

His silver eyes melted, his thickly lashed lids growing heavy, and he leaned down further. I held my breath, my lips parting and my eyes slamming shut.

The man did not kiss me, no.

Seren's slightly stubbled cheek brushed against mine, sending goosebumps up my arms. I felt his quickened breaths on my skin first, before he began to brush his nose along the tender flesh of my neck. My pulse skipped and every place he touched felt like it was on fire.

Leaning more heavily onto me, my torso melded with his as he shifted closer. I could hear him scent me many times over and fell completely still when he began to nuzzle my hair.

"Vyra," he spoke onto my skin. He said my name like I was only a dream in his deep velvety tone. "Vyra."

Chills ran up my spine when his lips met my neck, and his heated tongue brushed tenderly against my cold flesh. He followed along a vein, making my head arch back, before settling in a hollow dip closer to my collarbone.

He traced the area again, slower. Tasting instead of claiming.

"Seren," I whispered, wanting more. Nothing else mattered in this moment, but him and the fire that seemed to be spreading over my body.

That Alpha made the same realization I did, and instantly seemed to regret it.

He flung himself away from me, and I was suddenly left alone in the cold snow.

He didn't even try to offer an explanation. Without another glance, he turned from me and began walking back into the forest.

"Seren!" I called, feeling hot and embarrassed. I wasn't sure what that was, but I needed to find out.

He was only walking while I had to go into a full-blown run to catch up to him. I grabbed onto his arm, not caring what his reaction would be. "Please talk to me-"

Seren turned, his face flushed and infuriated. He caught my shoulder and the back of my head, pressing us into the bark of a large tree behind us. Despite our elevated tempers, I couldn't help but find his full mouth, that had been so generous with me only moments before.

His eyes darkened, "Never do that again!" he continued, breathless and losing some of his fervor. "Unless you are willing to suffer the consequences."

The walk back to the training grounds was silent, with him trekking far ahead and me trailing behind.

My thoughts were in shambles. Why did he do that? Was it some weird mating thing I wasn't aware of?

For a moment I felt satisfaction, because he warned me of stirrings from the bond and insisted he would never have any. What had just happened proved him very, very wrong.

But even then, he was just able to brush it off and get up, but I had wanted to go further. Again, even when he finally showed a sign of being affected by the bond, he had less desire than me.

Then I felt that deep pit of self-loathing, where I knew no matter what, I shouldn't feel anything for him at all.

I was left conflicted, rejected, and repeating the sensation of his mouth on me over and over again.

Titus was waiting for us at the clearing.

The Alpha male stalked past him, without an explanation, still heated from before. Titus widened his eyes as he looked between us, before his curiosity faded to an amused smirk.

"See you tomorrow!" I called after him, faking my usual sweetness. Seren didn't show me a sign that he heard me, but I knew he did.

Crossing my arms, we waited for the Alpha to disappear before we started to speak.

"Vyra, Vyra. You know nothing, do you?"

"No, I don't!" I admitted, my expression crumpling.

"Chasing triggers our mating instinct. It can even happen between Lycan who aren't mates. For Lycan males with mates?" The guard let out a low whistle, "You just set our Alpha off."