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“Mimi!”
“Well, hello, pumpkin! Are you ready to play and have fun?”
“Yeah!”
I feel my muscles tense inside me, but Eli comes and stands beside me, rubbing my back slightly. Brad walks over to me, his fingers fidgeting like he is nervous or something; he looks over at Darlene and Maddie and then back to me.
“Quinn, I want to apologize to you for the things I said a few days ago. I was out of line and acting on instinct, not with empathy or compassion. There is no excuse for the insensitive things I said, but I hope you will be able to forgive me one day. This whole thing must have been very hard for you. Still, Darlene and I are so grateful we get to meet you and our granddaughter and hope to be a part of your life in any way you feel comfortable.”
“Thank you, Brad, and I forgive you.”
“I hope it’s OK that I stay with Darlene and Maddie while you guys go out. I would like to play with the pup.”
“Of course.” My muscles start to relax as I watch Brad go to play with Maddie. Turning to Eli, I see him smiling down on me.
“So where are we going? Am I dressed appropriately?”
“Yes, you look beautiful.” Heat flushes my cheeks; though he has said that before, it still sets butterflies in my stomach. I walk over and kiss Maddie on the head, telling her we will be back later. She barely even acknowledges me, so I guess that means I can leave without too much concern. Just outside the back door, Eli takes my hand and leads me to the edge of his property. Coming to the edge of the woods, Eli looks over at me with mischief in his eyes.
“You ready to go for a run?”
My eyes widen in excitement. Is he suggesting we shift? My wolf comes rushing to the surface at the prospect of running free in the woods.
“Really? We can do that right now? What about this date you planned?”
“This is part of the date. I figured we could go for a run and then have a picnic up on the hills.”
“OK!” I can’t keep the smile off my face! I can’t wait to run in the woods and feel my wolf take over. She has been locked away for so long that I've felt like I'm missing a part of myself. Sure, we would occasionally run when Paige babysat, but to run with no fear of being caught and for any length of time longer than twenty minutes is going to be exhilarating. When a shifter doesn't let their wolf out, they often feel disconnected from their other half and become agitated. It's essential for us to feel our wolves shift and feel nature as we run in that form. I haven't felt this excited in a long time. We walk into the woods and strip out of our clothes. Nudity in a pack is pretty standard, but from where Eli is standing, I can feel his hot gaze taking in my body, though he is trying to make it not so obvious. I try not to overthink and immediately shift, my wolf howling in excitement! Eli’s wolf is almost twice the size of mine with a sandy brown coat, whereas my wolf is a darker brown. Our wolves smell each other and playfully nip at one another. They didn't get a chance to meet last time. My wolf has been waiting a long time to meet our true mate and is even more excited to be able to run with our mate, so she takes off. The smell of the leaves plumes up as each paw hits the ground. My wolf pumps our legs to go faster, be faster. I can see Eli’s wolf running beside us. I can tell he is holding himself back to run with us, which makes me so happy. His wolf is much bigger than ours and undoubtedly stronger, but that doesn't stop my wolf from yipping at his as we go further into the woods.
Time seems to pass too quickly, though it’s likely been hours. My wolf is finally getting the freedom she needs, and I am just so happy to have been able to reconnect with her and with Eli. Eli’s wolf leads us up a series of hills before finally stopping at the top of one of them. The hill is hidden among the woods; trees surround us on all sides, with only a few bushes to cover the hill we have stopped on. My wolf is panting from our run, but she is happy, truly happy. I shift back, Eli and I both breathing heavily from our run. Eli grabs a bag sitting by a bush and hands me some clothes to put on; that was very thoughtful. I can’t help but sneak a peek as he puts on his own clothes. Everything about him screams manly, from his strong arms and chest to his well-defined legs. I immediately think about jumping him right here. I shake my head to refocus; this date is about getting to know each other better, not jumping his bones...I think. Eli has a blanket and a picnic basket set up for us, and he ushers me over to sit on the blanket. He pulls out all the sandwiches and desserts he brought, creating a feast in the woods.
“I hope you like ham sandwiches; that's all I’m really good at making.” I look at the sandwich in my hand, artisan bread layered with meat, lettuce, and tomato. It’s a very fancy sandwich.
“Well, it looks amazing, thank you.” I take a bit of my sandwich and can’t help but moan in satisfaction. That obviously gets Eli’s attention, but I keep my eyes averted. We eat in comfortable silence until we are both snacking on the cookies he brought for dessert.
“Eli, thank you for doing this for me. I really needed a good run to just let go.”
“I could tell. Your shoulders have been tense and raised since I picked you up a few days ago. Now they are down, and you seem more relaxed.” He is so observant; it's kind of him to pay such close attention to me and my needs. He moves a bit closer to me, our legs nearly touching. “I should have been doing stuff like this the past couple of years, Quinn. I’m sorry.”
I look into his eyes, and his face is closer than expected. I take a quick inhale as I stare into his gorgeous eyes.
“I know, and I forgive you, Eli. I’m sorry for keeping Maddie from you.”
Eli tries to swallow like he has a lump in his throat. “I forgive you, Quinn.”
Our breath intermingles, and I watch as Eli looks from my eyes to my lips. This feels heavier than it did the other night when we kissed.
“I’m still scared to trust you, Eli.” He raises his hand to cup my face, nodding slightly.
“I know, my lilac, and I will show you that you can trust me... May I kiss you?” I nod because the words have left me, and I want this; I want him so bad. Maybe right now, I will focus on the moment and worry about everything else later. The kiss starts soft and sweet, but it quickly turns into one of passion. His tongue seeks entrance as I willingly open for him, his mouth stealing every moan I so desperately want to make. It’s just as good as it was the first time we kissed. Eli gently pushes me onto my back and hovers above me, one leg between my thighs while he kisses his way down my neck. I move my hips up, seeking relief, but he just continues his assault on my neck and collarbone.
“Shh, little lilac,” he hummed sensuously in my ear. “There’s no rush.”
I feel my legs quiver, each delicate lick and nibble threatening to throw me over the edge. Slowly, I feel my arms being raised above my head, two hands bound together inside of his. I have never felt so completely vulnerable.
“Wait..” I whisper breathlessly as his tongue washes over the nape of my neck. “Eli…”
He doesn’t stop.
