How had I missed this crucial detail? My wolf had craved the female for months. I’d thought it was the aspect of a challenge that had intrigued him.
But no.
He’d suspected her true form all along.
And it seemed I now had an answer as to why she’d refused to run with me.
Because her petite wolf was all Omega. That explained the size and her instinct to obey.
Her animal was inherently submissive.
While the woman beneath the fur was all feisty female.
A feisty female who had clearly been taking suppressants.
But why? Why hide her natural form? To avoid her heat? There were other ways to seek comfort during estrus, ways that didn’t require drugging her wolf.
She should know better. She was a doctor, for crying out loud.
At least that meant she’d probably been safe about it.
Of course, if a simple shift sent her back into Omega mode, then was it really safe at all?
Fuck, wasthatwhy she’d hesitated about shifting earlier? When was the last time she’d gone for a run?
No wonder her transition had been slow.
I’d been right to be concerned. And then I’d made her run for hours.
Fuck.
Had she said something, I wouldn’t have pushed her so hard. This all explained her exhaustion, too. She also likely hadn’t eaten today.
Damn it, Riley, I thought, my paws pounding across the ground as I pursued her.
She was out there pushing her limits yet again. Right as she was about to go into heat, too.
This female must possess a death wish.Because she was going to end up severely injured, or worse, at this rate.
What we needed to do was go back to the little cabin village and create a protective den for her to rest in throughout her cycle.
Would it be impacted by her suppressants? When was the last time she’d even gone into estrus?
I had so many fucking questions, and there was only one wolf out there who could answer them. A wolf whose scent had just diminished to a faint perfume.
My wolf sniffed, confused.
Then he cocked his head, his ears attuned to all the sounds of the forest.
And the gentle flow of running water in the distance.
Clever female,I thought, picking up speed again. She must have entered the stream to help wash off her scent.
Too bad for her, it wouldn’t be enough.
I followed the sound of water rolling over rocks, found a creek not far from where I’d lost her scent, and scanned the darkening forest. The sun was low in the sky, indicating the early evening hour.
Which meant we’d run for probably nine or ten hours today.
